FOR RELEASE THE WEEK OF MARCH 20, 2000:
My 10-year-old has joined a local youth group. Last week, he came home very upset because he was not chosen as a member of a team that will be attending an upcoming competition in a neighboring city. It appears that new or younger members don’t have the same opportunities for some of the events. I’ve tried to get some answers and haven’t been very successful. What do you suggest?
It can be very easy for parents–responding as protective "Mother Bears" to their cubs–to quickly criticize youth organization leaders when a decision or action has hurt their child. "Parents would do better to think of their relationship with youth leaders as a ‘partnership process’ rather than as ‘you versus I,’" says Linda Webb, University of Idaho extension 4-H youth development specialist.
Because people are so diverse, building partnerships often goes hand-in-hand with experiencing and resolving conflicts. As you open a discussion regarding a perceived conflict, be especially sensitive to timing and location.
"Do all you can to create an effective atmosphere for discussing the issue," Webb says. "Pick a time and a place where all parties can feel comfortable and at ease. Never confront in the presence of others: this only guarantees an automatic defensive reaction from the other person."
Start out your discussion on a good note, letting the youth organization leader know that you are approaching the conflict with a ‘team-like’ attitude. "Accusations, criticism and threats jeopardize any potential for a positive, open and honest discussion of the conflict," says Webb.
"In this particular situation, it’s obvious that the ultimate goal is to provide a positive experience for youth in the organization. Both parents and leaders can accept this as their shared need. Find the common ground and work towards solutions that meet those shared needs."
When I pick up a couple of my wicker baskets to dust, there are always little piles of frass underneath them. What could they be? Can I control the problem or should I throw out these particular baskets so that the pest in question doesn’t spread to the rest of my basket collection?
More than likely, you’ve got powderpost beetles in your baskets. They would leave little piles of talcum-like dust. If the frass is larger, the problem could be a different type of beetle.
Bob Stoltz, University of Idaho extension entomologist, suggests that you try putting the baskets in the freezer for a couple of weeks. Or, set them inside a large trash bag–along with an opened "No-Pest" type strip–and leave the bag and baskets in a toasty room for a week or so.
If you can wait until the weather warms, just put the baskets into a black trash bag or a dark, lidded trash can and set them into the sun. "The increased temperature should kill the little buggers," Stoltz says.
I’ve been told that overfertilizing my garden makes plant diseases more likely, but I’m not sure why that should be. What’s wrong with a little extra fertilizer?
Overfertilizing increases any plant’s susceptibility to disease, says Krishna Mohan, University of Idaho extension plant pathologist. That’s because excess fertilizer produces more tender and succulent new growth, adds more soluble nitrogen to plant tissues and delays plant maturity. The organisms that exploit plants for nourishment or for shelter–and in the process discolor, distort and otherwise damage them–benefit from the increased availability of nitrogen and from the lush new growth. Several molds, for example, flourish under dense leaf canopies that increase humidity and reduce ventilation.
"Too much succulent growth provides the ideal microclimatic conditions for buildup of most disease-causing organisms and makes plant tissues more susceptible to colonization by them," he says.
Underfertilization–a deficiency in essential nutrients–weakens and stresses plants and prevents them from growing well. Consequently, says Mohan, a nutritionally weakened plant is also more prone to attack by several disease-causing organisms.
I plan to use an artificial mulch to control weeds in my vegetable beds this year. What materials do you recommend?
In vegetable garden applications, black plastic is the preferred artificial mulch, says Don Morishita, University of Idaho extension weed specialist. Not only does it control both perennial and annual weeds, but it increases the rate at which soils warm during the growing season. Clear plastic also works well, but it can heat the soil too much, he says.
In addition to its other advantages, plastic mulch modifies your garden’s microclimate and thereby improves growth rates of tomatoes, muskmelon, watermelon, cucumber, squash and other warm-season vegetables. A particular shade of red plastic boosts tomato yields even more: an extra 10-15 percent over black plastic.
If you use plastic, make sure to change over from surface or sprinkler irrigation to drip irrigation so water can penetrate the soil.
Old newspaper is also a good choice for vegetable gardens, Morishita says. Unlike black plastic, which must be taken up prior to cultivation, newspaper can simply be turned into the soil at the end of the season.