Post-Season Poinsettia Care

by Kurt M. Jones, Chaffee County Extension Director

            The holidays are behind us, but that doesn’t mean that you need to discard your poinsettias!  Poinsettias often lose their color in late winter, usually by mid-March.  When the plant has passed its stage of usefulness in March or April, remove the colorful bracts and part of the stem.  This cutting back can be done any time from March through mid-July, depending on the desirable size and shape of the plant.  Be sure to leave three or four leaves on each stem to insure sufficient photosynthesis.

           During the early summer, the plant will need to be repotted into the next larger size pot.  Use a well-drained potting soil, such as a blend of sphagnum peat moss, vermiculite and/or perlite.  Thoroughly mixing a phosphate fertilizer with the soil at the time of repotting is a common practice.

           Place the poinsettia in a bright area where the temperature will remain constant.  Water as needed to keep the soil moist to the touch, and fertilize with a complete fertilizer every two to three weeks.  During the summer, the plant can go outside provided it is partially shaded and temperatures don’t fall below 55 degrees F.   To keep the plant well-formed, trim tall growth at six-week intervals.  The last pruning should occur in late August. 

  

          Poinsettias are short-day photoperiodic plants.  This means that they set buds and produce flowers as the autumn nights lengthen, blooming naturally during November or December.  To flower and develop colored bracts, a poinsettia must receive as much sunshine as possible during the day.  Starting about October 1^st, it also needs at least 14 hours of uninterrupted darkness each night at temperatures between 60 and 70 degrees F.  Stray light of any kind such as street lights, pool lights or lamps could delay or halt the reflowering process.  Keep this dark treatment until color shows in the bracts.  This normally happens near Thanksgiving, but could happen as early as two weeks before Thanksgiving.  Continue watering and fertilizing to encourage good growth.

           There are many pests that can infest poinsettias.  Insects should be washed off with a mild soap solution using a sponge or spray bottle.  Mealybugs and whiteflies may require a pesticide treatment or removal of infested plant parts.  Mealybugs can be treated using rubbing alcohol and cotton swabs.

   

         Cool, moist soil temperatures encourage root diseases.  If lower leaves start turning yellow and fall off, a root rot condition may be present.  This can be overcome by using a fungicide as a soil drench.

     

       One common misconception with poinsettias is the fear they are poisonous.  In a 1995 poll, 2 out of every 3 people held the false impression that poinsettia plants are toxic if eaten.  Research conducted at Ohio State University showed that rats fed unusually high doses of poinsettia plant parts were not adversely affected.  To equal this experiment, a 50-pound child would have to eat more than 500 poinsettia bracts.  Based on this research, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission denied a 1975 petition to label poinsettias as dangerous.  Poinsettias are not edible and are not intended to be eaten.  If eaten, parts of all plants may cause varying degrees of discomfort, but usually not death.  Keep all plants out of the reach of small children.

Aphids On My Honeysuckles!

Aphids On My Honeysuckles!

by Kristina Hughes, Clear Creek County Master Gardener

I’m writing this blog partly as a reminder to myself to attend to a problem I first noticed last growing season but whose best treatment is applied during the winter. Now would be a good time to deal with it.

I have several honeysuckle shrubs on my property. They are one of the few types of shrubs I can grow which don’t get savaged by the animals and don’t require extra water. I have been hugely pleased with them.

Photo by Kristina Hughes

This past summer, I noticed that the honeysuckle leaves looked odd: small, purplish and rolled length-wise, growing in tight little clusters as if the leaves had never fully expanded. From a distance the leaf clusters on the branches looked like they were covered in flecks of black and white dirt. When I looked more closely, I saw tiny white flecks and tiny green bugs, LOTS of them, all over both the outside and inside of the rolled up leaves.

I knew they were aphids because the tiny white flecks are discarded carcasses, like snake skins, which they shed as they grow bigger. And on the rear-ends of the living, green bugs there were little “tailpipes”, like two stubby tails.

Once I identified the bug as an aphid, I looked for information by googling ‘honeysuckle aphids site:.edu’. The first part of the search doesn’t require explanation. The second part, “site.edu”, may be unfamiliar. It instructs Google to limit results to websites that end in “.edu”. I like to use this search-refining tool to get straight to the university-based information which forms the basis of the Master Gardener program.

W Cranshaw, CSU, Bugwood.org

I immediately found web resources that described my problem exactly. The new growth on my honeysuckles had been attacked by a honeysuckle leaf-folding aphid, scientific name Hyadaphis tataricae. It’s also called honeysuckle witches’ broom aphid. Aphids are very common and usually don’t cause extensive damage to their host plant. They are a favorite food of many birds and predatory insects, which often keep the aphid populations at a reasonable level without human intervention. And if aphids get a little out of hand, they are easily knocked off the plant with a strong stream of water from a garden hose. Worst case scenario, one might choose to use an insecticidal soap which kills the aphids on contact. Aphids prefer sucking on new tender plant growth, so anything that stimulates new growth (such as cutting off the damaged areas) should be avoided. Pretty simple, right?

Unfortunately, I learned from a University of Wisconsin factsheet that the honeysuckle leaf-folding aphid has an adaptation which makes it more challenging to control. It sucks on the top side of emerging leaves and this causes the leaves to curl upward, thus enclosing the aphids and protecting them from the above-listed control measures. Predators can’t get to them easily because they are rolled up in their protective leaf. Strong sprays of water don’t easily dislodge them. Insecticidal sprays which kill on contact can’t reach the insects through the rolled up leaf. So these little aphids are especially tough to get rid of. Their saliva stunts the new growth of the infested plant and this can cause a decline in the vigor the plant. And several years of heavy infestation can kill the plant. I’m normally not very concerned when I find some aphids on my plants, because they are usually so easy to control, but these aphids seem to be different!

W Cranshaw, CSU, Bugwood.org

Apparently, these aphids lay eggs which overwinter on the tips of the branches and in the curled up leaves. So, one strategy for control is to trim the branches to 6” below any obvious distorted growth during winter and remove any leaves. Horticultural oil is also recommended to control leaf-curling aphids. Horticultural oil is applied during the dormant season (winter) before bud break, but when the temperature is above 40F. These are the steps I am reminding myself to do soon.

Another strategy is to watch carefully for bud break in the spring and spray contact insecticides on the new growth before the aphids cause the leaves to curl up. So I’ll have to set another reminder for that step.

I am glad I noticed the problem and then found information that seems to match the issues, so I can take targeted, effective steps to solve it. I really value my honeysuckles, especially since I have limited choice of plants which can thrive on my property in spite of the animals and the never-dull climate here in the mountains. I think I have my work cut out for me!

CARA PERAWATAN MESIN POTONG RUMPUT

Memiliki halaman rumah yang indah dengan ditumbuhi rumput hijau serta bersih merupakan dambaan bagi sebagian orang. Halaman dengan rumput yang hijau dan bersih sangat indah untuk dipandang serta dapat memberikan nuansa tenang, pikiran pun akan terasa rileks.

Akan tetapi kita pun sering terpikirkan bahwa merawat rumput sangatlah merepotkan ketika berkeinginan untuk memiliki halaman dengan rumput yang hijau serta bersih. Anda bisa memakai jasa layanan pemotong rumput, ataupun melakukannya sendiri.

Jika halaman rumah anda tidak begitu luas, anda dapat menggunakan gunting pemotong rumput, sedangkan jika halaman rumah anda lumayan luas anda dapat memakai mesin pemotong rumput. Apabila anda tidak memiliki mesin tersebut dan berencana hendak membelinya, baca lebih lanjut artikel ini yang akan memberikan tips memilih mesin potong rumput. Dalam memilih mesin potong rumput Anda harus memperhatikan 3 hal yaitu jenis mesin potong rumput, tipe pisau mesin pemotong rumput dan cara perawatannya. Berikut ulasannya untuk Anda.

Jenis Mesin Potong Rumput

Ada 2 jenis mesin pemotong rumput yaitu:

1. Pemotong Rumput Dorong

Mesin jenis ini hanya dipakai untuk halaman yang memiliki permukaan tanah rata. Pada bagian tangkai pendorong pada mesin jenis ini bisa dilipat sehingga mudah sekali ketika disimpan. Mesin jenis ini bisa memotong rumput hingga pinggir sesuai dengan jalur roda. Mesin jenis ini pun terdapat penampung rumput yang tidak sulit ketika dipasang maupun ketika melepaskannya. Apabila halaman maupun lapangan lumayan luas serta berbentuk segi empat, lebih baik pakai mesin potong rumput dorongserta ketika menggunakannya lebih baik berkeliling memutar. Hal ini bertujuan supaya rumput yang terpotong dapat terkumpul di tengah-tengah halaman, sehingga rumput yang sudah terpotong tersebut mudah dikumpulkan serta dibuang dan hendaknya ketika memotong rumput dikerjakan sewaktu siang hari saat embun telah hilang, gunanya adalah agar rumput yang sudah terpotong tersebut tidak banyak menempel di kantong penampungan pada mesin tersebut sehingga mudah untuk dibersihkan

2. Pemotong Rumput Gendong

Mesin potong rumput gendong digunakan untuk memotong rumput di lapangan maupun halaman yang permukaan tanahnya tidak rata maupun bergelombang. Bentuk mesin jenis ini hampir sama dengan alat penyemprot hama yang kerap digunakan oleh petani untuk menyemprot dan membasmi hama. Mesin jenis ini mempunyai gagang besi berukuran panjang. Cara menghidupkannya hanya dengan menarik tuas yang terletak di dekat mesin. Ketika menggunakan mesin jenis ini, sebaiknya dipakai dengan cara berjalan maju, bukan dengan cara berjalan mundur. Bila terdapat batu pada tanah, sebaiknya disingkirkan terlebih dahulu sehingga bagian pisau pemotong rumput tidak cepat rusak atau cacat.

Tipe Pisau Pada Mesin Pemotong Rumput

Ada 3 jenis pisau pada mesin potong rumput tipe gendong yaitu:

• Pisau palang : Dipakai untuk memotong rumput berukuran besar misalnya alang-alang, rumput gajah, dan sebagainya.
• Pisau bulat bergigi 8 : Pisau jenis bulat bergigi 8 dipakai untuk memotong semak belukar.
• Pisau bulat bergigi 80 : Pisau jenis bulat bergigi 80 digunakan untuk memotong tumbuhan yang amat besar.

Tips Merawat Mesin Potong Rumput

1. Rutin Mengganti Oli dan Bensin

Selalu pastikan oli atau pelumas penuh sesuai dengan parameter yang ada dan jangan lupa untuk menggantinya secara berkala. Pastikan juga bensin selalu terisi sebelum menggunakannya.

2. Rajin Memanaskan Mesin

Sebelum dipakai, jangan lupa untuk memanaskan mesinnya terlebih dahulu untuk mencegah terjadinya kemacetan di tengah pemakaian. Jangan lupa juga untuk menjauhkan kabel busi dari businya terlebih, karena bisa menyebabkan mesin menyala mendadak.

3. Mengganti Saringan Udara

Mengganti saringan udara ini juga harus dilakukan secara berkala. Saringan udara yang sudah terlalu kotor dapat menghambat kerja mesin sehingga tidak maksimal.

4. Pakailah Busi yang Sesuai dengan Mesin

Suku cadang merupakan komponen utama dari sebuah mesin. Oleh karena itu, jangan sembarangan memakai suku cadang, khususnya pada busi. Gunakan busi yang sesuai, pilih yang memiliki jangka waktu pemakaian panjang, serta jangan lupa untuk membersihkannya secara rutin.

5. Perhatikan Senar Pada Mesin

Sama halnya dengan saringan udara, senar pada mesin pemotong rumput juga harus selalu diperhatikan dan diganti secara berkala.

6. Gunakan Pisau Pemotong Standar

Selalu gunakan pisau pemotong standar sesuai dengan spesifikasi. Hindari penggunaan pisau pemotong yang tidak sesuai karena akan menjadikan mesin bekerja dengan tidak maksimal.

7. Hindari Bensin yang Tercampur Air

Sebisa mungkin hindarkan air masuk ke dalam tabung bensin. Rajinlah membersihkan karburator untuk membersihkan air dan kotoran yang tertinggal.

8. Gunakan Mesin dengan Baik dan Benar

Bukan hanya perawatannya saja yang penting, pemakaian mesin juga harus diperhatikan. Gunakan mesin potong rumput dengan baik dan benar. Dan hindari kecerobohan dalam pemakaiannya. Jangan memaksa mesin untuk bekerja terus menerus karena akan menurunkan kinerja mesin. Rawat motor mesin secara berkala, setidaknya enam bulan sekali dengan membersihkan kerak yang menempel pada piston, ruang bakar, knalpot, dan sekrup mesin.

9. Jauhkan dari Jangkauan Anak-Anak

Usahakan jangan libatkan anak-anak dalam kegiatan menggunakan mesin potong rumput ini. Karena akan sangat berbahaya bagi anak-anak jika mereka dibiarkan menggunakan alat tersebut.

10. Simpan di Tempat yang Terlindung

Penyimpanan mesin juga harus diperhatikan. Jauhkan mesin dari sumber api agar tidak berpotensi terbakar.

Sumber:

http://dapurteknik.com

http://alatkebunku.com

https://news.ralali.com

Poinsettias by Kurt M. Jones Chaffee County Extension Director

The Aztecs cultivated the poinsettia in Mexico long before Europeans came to the Western Hemisphere.  They used the bracts for a reddish-purple dye and the latex to counteract fever.  The plant also played a part in midwinter celebrations and was widely planted in gardens.

            In 1925, Joel R. Poinsett, a botanist and the first U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, sent some plants to his home in South Carolina.  He shared his find with other plant enthusiasts.  December 12^th is National Poinsettia Day and recognizes Poinsett’s contribution to the holiday season.

            Poinsettias do well in the home and keep their color until mid-March.  The showy red, pink, white, yellow, bicolored or speckled modified “leaves” are called bracts.  With proper light and temperature, they accumulate the pigments that give them their color.  The flowers of the poinsettia are in the center of the bracts. 

            Poinsettias come in many colors and forms.  New selections appear every year.  When selecting a plant, choose one with dark green foliage.  However, cultivars with lighter colored bracts typically have lighter green foliage. 

           Plants with pale green, yellow or fallen leaves generally have a root disease problem, have been overwatered, had an excessive dry period, or received limited fertilization.  Bracts should be well-developed with little pollen showing on the flowers at the center of the bracts.

  

          When outside temperatures approach 35 degrees F, be sure the plant is well wrapped or sleeved before transporting.  Low temperatures, even for short periods, can damage leaves and bracts.

            To care for your new poinsettia, place it where it can receive a lot of indirect sunlight.  Poinsettias thrive on indirect, natural daylight–at least six hours per day.  Avoid direct sunlight, as this may fade the bract color.  To prolong color, keep plants out of cold drafts and away from excessive heat.  Ideal temperatures are 67 to 70 degrees F during the day and 60 to 62 degrees F at night.  Remove damaged or diseased leaves.

            Poinsettias require moderately moist soil.  Check plants daily and water thoroughly whenever the soil feels dry to the touch.  Plants in clay pots require more water, while those in plastic pots are easily overwatered.  Do not allow the plants to sit in standing water.  You may need to remove foil wraps or poke holes in it to allow for water drainage.

            A poinsettia does not require fertilization while it is in bloom.  However, to maintain green foliage and promote new growth, apply a balanced all-purpose house plant fertilizer once a month.  Always follow the directions on the fertilizer label.

How to contain plant-eating varmints and hail on deck planters by Ed Powers

We have lived in our house in Evergreen for the past 7 years.  And for the past 6&1/2 years we have battled plant-eating varmints and hail on our deck planters.  We started with pots that had wire cages that we built.  Well, the varmints managed to get thru the cage and destroyed our plants.  We then bought hangers and hanging planter bags and put wire cages around them.  Again, both the varmints and hail got the plants. 

Half way through this summer we decided to put pots that sat on the deck railing and put plastic sheet plastic on each side of the planters on the railing. It partially worked: we stopped the varmints from getting in. At the same time we set up a night-vision game camera to find out who the culprits were.  No luck, we were only able to get a picture of a tail.

Not only could we not discover what the varmints were, but the hail again destroyed our flowers. Out of desperation, we designed and built a modified mini greenhouse type enclosure.

We made it from a 24 inch  clear plastic roofing material (my terminology) (cut from a 8 foot sheet) supported with 15 inch high and 24 inch wide ¾ inch pvc.  We then forced the enclosure to stay in place with a piece of wood at each end.  All materials were bought at an home improvement store.

These are some of the materials used in building the enclosures.  As you can see we had outstanding flower displays after we were done.

They even made it through snow!

All pictures and ideas were done by my family.  Maybe they will be of use to you.

Ideas from the Garden Center by Sandy Hollingsworth

Gardeners are notorious for getting ideas and finding new ways to use space in their garden by visiting garden stores and nurseries. After the fall cold snap when our gardens succumb and we find ourselves sad about the abrupt end to the season, we just can’t stop thinking about gardening. 

While you may know that raised beds are a great way to use space and reach your veggies as they grow, you may like to see some ideas to ponder for next season. A rectangle (pictured) is the most common shape for a raised bed and it is generally recommended that it be 3-4 feet wide and about 6-8 feet long so that you can reach if from each end. Shorter is just fine and having two or more is often desired depending on how much produce and variety that you want to grow. 

Three tips in the mountains for new raised beds are to line the bottom with hardware cloth to deter critters from digging from below, adding row covers to warm the soil for seeds and keep insects and critters, including birds, from snatching your seeds and seedlings, and adding a hoop and cover above to let the plants grow in more even temperatures plus protect them from hail or sunscald. Row covers are synthetic fabric from garden stores or even cotton sheets. Plastic is ok for the hoop cover as long as the plastic doesn’t touch the plants - or the hot or cold plastic will likely harm the plants. 

A fun idea recently spotted at a garden center is the wall garden (pictured) with multiple smaller planters using vertical space instead of only horizontal space. Also in the photos are vertical trellises that peas, beans, cucumbers or other vines can grow up. Using good fresh amended garden soil or “topping off” an existing raised bed with soil formulated with ingredients for raised beds will give your seeds and seedlings the nutrients that they need. 

In the upcoming winter months there are many good CSU Extension Fact Sheets (FS) you may wish to read or review about soil preparation (FS 7.235) plant selection for the mountains (FS 7.248), growing from seed (FS 7.409) pest control (FS 5.569), and new to Colorado gardeners (FS 7.220 and 7.244) to plan for the warmth of next spring. 

Landscaping with Colorado Native Plants Conference --Save the Date!

Landscaping with Colorado Native Plants Conference --Save the Date!

February 10, 2018 at the Denver Botanic Gardens

Registration for the 3rd Annual LWCNP Conference coming December of 2017: landscapingwithcoloradonativeplants.wordpress.com.

Our keynote speaker will be Panayoti Kelaidis.   Topics for the ‘New to natives’ breakout session will include planting for habitat, planting for year-round interest, adding natives to an existing landscape (including replacing your lawn), and “plant this, not that”.  Topics for the ‘Knows the natives’ breakout sessions will include maintenance,  rock/crevice gardening (including bare-root planting), soils for native plants, and water conservation through passive water harvesting.  We will end the day with panel with a grower’s perspective on natives.

We will also have many wonderful vendors to check out before and after the conference, and during breaks.

The Landscaping with Colorado Native Plants Conference promotes the inclusion of native plants in our landscaping to benefit pollinators and songbirds, save water, and restore the beauty and health of nature in the places we live, work and play.

While we recommend the use of straight species and local ecotypes wherever possible, we support the use of varieties and cultivars of native species as long as their breeding doesn’t interfere with their ability to function in nature and maintain key relationships with pollinators and other lives.

Mountain Gardening Tips and Tricks

This week on Salida Yard & Garden, a meeting of the minds: guest Gilpin County Extension Director Irene Shonle and host Chaffee County Extension Director Kurt Jonesshare their "Mountain Gardening Tips and Tricks." Also in this episode, an unintentional poem from Irene:
"There is no use
In shooing off a moose."
http://www.khen.org/salida-yard-and-garden

PANDUAN DALAM MEMULAI PETERNAKAN BURUNG PERKUTUT

Suara burung perkutut memang terdengar hampir mirip dengan burung puter dan juga burung derduku. Memiliki suara yang bagus dan khas menjadikan burung perkutu begitu digemari masyarakat para pecinta burung, maka tak heran jika harga burung perkutut cukup tinggi di pasaran. Hal inilah yang menjadikan burung ini cukup potensial untuk dibudidayakan.

Bagi anda yang gemar memelihara burung kicauan, maka tidak ada salahnya jika anda mengembangkan hobi anda tersebut untuk dijadikan sebagai peluang bisnis, karena bisnis budidaya atau ternak burung perkutut saat ini cukup menjanjikan. Pada dasarnya, langkah-langkah beternak burung perkutut hampir sama dengan beternak burung-burung lainnya. Di dalam usaha ternak burung perkutut juga dibutuhkan pemahaman dan keuletan dan juga kesabaran dalam menjalaninya.

Bagi anda yang tertarik ingin mencoba untuk beternak burung perkutut, kami telah siapkan informasi mengenai panduan lengkap cara ternak burung perkutut untuk pemula dibawah berikut ini.

Cara Ternak Burung Perkutut dan Pemeliharaannya

1. Persiapan Kandang

Sebelum memulai usaha ternak burung perkutut, sebaiknya persiapkan terlebih dahulu kandang penangkarannya. Di dalam cara membuat kandang penangkaran untuk burung perkutut cukup mudah dan sederhana, asalkan yang paling terpenting di dalam kandang burung bisa terbang dan mengibaskan sayapnya secukupnya.

Ukuran Kandang

Selain itu, ukuran kandang juga dapat disesuaikan dengan lahan yang tersedia berbentuk persegi. Untuk ukuran ideal dari kandang penangkaran sebaiknya minimal memiliki tinggi sekitar 150 cm, Panjang 100 cm dan lebar 50-100 cm. sedangkan pada bagian dasar atau lantai kandang, sebaiknya diberi hamparan pasir atau batu koral untuk menjaga kelembaban kandang. Kemudian pada bagian atap kandang, sebaiknya menggunakan genteng, asbes bergelumbang atau fiber. Jangan pernah menutup atap dengan menggunakan seng, karena dapat menyebabkan suhu di dalam kandang menjadi panas.

Bahan dan lokasi

Bahan yang dapat digunakan yaitu kayu, bambu atau aluminium (jika memungkinkan). Sedangkan untuk dinding sekelilingnya menggunakan ram kawat yang cukup kuat. Pastikan lokasi kandang penangkaran berada di luar, sehingga dapat terkena sinar matahari pagi secara langsung dan bisa mendapatkan sirkulasi udara yang baik.

2. Pemilihan Indukan

Di dalam usaha ternak burung perkutut, langkah dalam pemilihan bibit indukan merupakan langkah yang sangat penting dan harus selalu diperhatikan untuk menunjang keberhasilan dalam beternak burung perkutut. 

Baca juga

PANDUAN DALAM MEMULAI PETERNAKAN BEKICOT

Berikut ini merupakan beberapa tips dalam memilih indukan burung perkutut yang baik, yaitu meliputi :

• Memiliki postur tubuh bongkok dan sedikit panjang
• Memiliki kepala yang besar dan terkesan gagah
• Batok kepala memiliki parit yang cukup dalam dan panjang
• Memiliki bentuk paruh yang lurus dan pada bagian bawahnya agak tebal
• Memiliki lubang hidung yang sempit dan lurus
• Bentuk mata bulat dan pandangannya tampak tajam
• Memiliki sisik di bagian kaki yang rapi
• Memiliki rongga suara yang besar
• Memiliki supit yang renggang dan tebal
• Memiliki warna bulu bersih dan cerah

Ciri-ciri Indukan Jantan yang baik

Bagi para peternak burung perkutut, biasanya mereka dapat mengenali ciri-ciri indukan jantan dengan memperhatikan pada ciri-ciri fisik, suara dan juga genetisnya. Berikut ini merupakakan beberapa kiat dalam menentukan indukan burung perkutut jantan dengan melihat pada segi fisik dan suaranya.

Fisik indukan jantan

Ciri-ciri pada bagian fisiknya bisa dilihat pada :

• Struktur Dada : Jika dibagian tulang dada terlihat lebar, maka burung tersebut memiliki pernafasan yang baik, sehingga suara yang dihasilkan akan semakin panjang dan merdu.
• Struktur Kantung Suara : Semakin Lebar kantung suara yang dimilikinya, maka irama suara yang dihasilkan akan semakin baik dan merdu.
• Struktur Tubuh : indukan jantan yang baik, memiliki postur tubuh yang terlihat tegap dan gagah, terutama pada saat sedang bertengger.
• Bulu : indukan perkutut jantan yang baik memiliki bulu dada yang halus dan mengkilap, karena biasanya bulu halus dan mengkilap di bagian dada menandakan suara yang dihasilkannya sangat bening dan nyaring. Sedangkan jika bulu dadanya terasa halus namun kusam, maka suara yang dihasilkan akan serak.

Kualitas suara indukan jantan

Untuk mengetahui kualitas suara burung perkutut dapat dikenal dengan cara :

• Kualitas irama suara bagian depan
• Kualitas irama suara bagian tengah
• Kualitas irama suara bagian ujung

Ciri-ciri indukan betina yang baik, yaitu :

Untuk mengetahui ciri-ciri indukan betina yang baik, maka dapat dikenali dengan beberapa ciri berikut ini :

• Memiliki postur tubuh yang tegap
• Memiliki struktur tulang dada yang lebar
• Irama suara dapat disesuaikan dengan kualitas suara dari indukan jantan

3. Teknik Penjodohan

Untuk melakukan penjodohan para burung perkutut agar bisa segera dikainkan yaitu dapat dilakukan dengan beberapa cara berikut ini.

Merekat bulu sayap

Sifat dan karakteristik dari indukan perkutut jantan lebih agresif jika dibandingkan dengan indukan betina, maka pada saat dilakukan penjodohan sebaiknya bulu sayap sang jantan di rekat sekitar 4-5 helai dengan menggunakan solasi kecil. Hal ini untuk meminimalisir terjadinya serangan kepada indukan betina saat dilakukan penjodohan.

Mengurung sangkar di dalam kandang

Masukan indukan jantan dan betina kedalam kandang penjodohan, namun indukan betina sebaiknya dipisahkan dengan menggunakan sangkar. Biarkan beberapa lama sampai indukan jantan dan betina mulai akrab dan berjodoh. Setelah itu, baru indukan betina bisa di satu kandangkan dengan indukan jantan untuk melakukan perkawinan.

Satu indukan jantan dengan beberapa indukan betina

Jika indukan jantan terlalu agresif dan ganas kepada indukan betina saat akan dilakukan penjodohan, maka solusi terbaiknya yaitu memasukan 1 ekor indukan jantan kedalam kandang penjodohan yang berisi beberapa ekor indukan betina. Hal ini bertujuan agar indukan jantan bisa memilih indukan betina yang disukainya. Setelah mendapatkan jodohnya, maka pasangan burung perkutut tersebut dapat dimasukan ke dalam kandang penjodohan.

Pemberian Pakan

Jenis pakan untuk burung perkutut yaitu pakan berupa biji-bijian yang terdiri dari campuran jerawut, beras merah, ketah hitam, gabah merah, milet, godem dan canary seed. Pastikan pakan yang diberikan masih baru dan berkualitas bagus. Pemberian pakan dapat dilakukan sesuai dengan kebutuhan, hal ini tentunya untuk menjaga kondisi dan berat tubuh burung tetap terjaga.

Pemberian pakan untuk burung yang diternakan dengan burung yang akan diikut lombakan jelas berbeda, umumnya konsumsi pakan burung perkutut sekitar 10% dari berat tubuhnya. Namun agar tidak terlambat di dalam pemberian pakan, sebaiknya pakan harus selalu tersedia di dalam sangkar untuk pakan cadangan.

Begitu juga dengan air minumnya, pastikan air minum di dalam sangkar selalu tersedia dan ganti secara rutin air minumnya setiap hari atau 2 kali sehari. Sedangkan di dalam kandang penangkaran sebaiknya selalu tersedia bubuk bata merah dan pasri yang ditebarkan di lantai kandang, ini bertujuan agar burung bisa memakan kerikil pasir dan juga bubuk bata merah yang biasa konsumsi oleh burung perkutut untuk membantu mencerna makanan dan juga sebagai sumber mineral.

Composting yard waste

Kurt M. Jones

Chaffee County Extension Director

               As our gardening season comes to an end, rather than throwing away plant waste, many gardeners will compost those materials and help to improve their soils for future years.

               Composting is an accelerated way to reduce the volume of organic wastes and return them to the soil to benefit growing plants.  Organic matter improves the drainage and aeration of clay soil.  Compost can be thought of as a separator that “shoulders apart” tightly packed clay particles to allow air and water to enter.  Compost also helps sandy soil hold water and nutrients.  Compost holds moisture like a sponge and releases nutrients slowly into plants as needed.  It also increases the activity of earthworms and other natural soil organisms that are beneficial to plant growth.  Compost should not be thought of as a fertilizer.  The amount of nutrients in compost is limited, but the improved soil characteristics make the addition of compost into garden or flower beds worth the effort.

            Choose your composting site carefully.  Partial shading avoids the baking and drying in summer but provides some solar heating to start the composting process.  A site protected from drying winds prevents too much moisture loss.  Choose a site that is close to where the composted materials will be used, but not highly visible or one that interferes with yard activities.

            Structures are not necessary for composting, but prevent wind and marauding animals from spreading plant waste.  Structures are also more aesthetically pleasing for your family and neighbors.  The structure should be large enough to handle the amount of yard waste you are likely to produce, yet small enough to be able to mix the contents and remove the composted materials.  A suggested minimum size is 36 inches by 36 inches by 36 inches high.  Some better insulated wood or plastic structures can hold sufficient heat at smaller volumes.

            The breakdown of organic yard wastes is a biological process dependent on microorganism activity.  Like most living things, these microbes require favorable temperatures, moisture, oxygen, and nutrients.

            Plant digesting microbes operate in a temperature range of 70 degrees F to 140 degrees F.  Well-managed compost breaks down rapidly at internal temperatures between 120 degrees to 130 degrees F.  During the winter months, microbial activity is slowed, thereby slowing the composting process.

            Probably the toughest balance to maintain in Colorado’s climate is the moisture and oxygen balance.  Moisture must be added to compost piles to maintain optimal microbial activity.  Too much moisture, however, will limit the amount of oxygen causing the compost to have a foul odor and to not break down.  The best description of the proper moisture level is “moist” or “damp” but not “soggy.”  The entire mass of plant waste should be moistened uniformly to the point where only a few drops of water can be squeezed from a fistful of plant material.

            The microbes that break down plants use the plants for food.  Nitrogen is the most important nutrient.  A shortage of nitrogen in the composting materials greatly slows the process.  Green plant materials fortunately contain a high percentage of nitrogen.  Other sources of nitrogen include animal waste, granular fertilizer, or bloodmeal.  Carbon is also an important nutrient in the composting process.  Sources of carbon include woody materials, fallen leaves, shredded newspaper and animal bedding.

            Smaller particle sizes greatly enhance the composting process.  Plant pieces of ½ to 1-1/2 inches are ideal, allowing sufficient surface area for microbial activity.  These different plant materials should be layered in the composting structure in 6-8 inch layers.  Use equal parts of green plant materials (nitrogen source) and dry plant materials (carbon source).  Some soil can be added to the compost pile to inoculate the pile, but research has shown that too much soil can hinder the composting process.  “Soilless” composting is an effective means of breaking down plant materials.