Forrest County Extension Office

10/20/2026

If you need instant impact, then choose a plant in full flower. To extend the display period, select plants that have tight flower buds with just a little bit of color showing. Over time, the buds will open up, making the flowers last longer.

Always keep your fall mums in full sun. This promotes the very best flower opening and color development.

Keep your mums consistently watered. This is a greater challenge when growing your mums in containers. If the soil is dry, it’s time to water your mums. Do not let them wilt. Once a flowering fall mum is water-stressed, it turns off flowering. This doesn’t necessarily kill the plant, but the flowering will not recover.

Don’t water the foliage, but direct water to the base of the plant and continue until water starts to flow from the bottom of the container. Wet leaves make it easy for fungal growth to set in, making plants look bad.

10/07/2026

Registration is now open for our fall session of Magnolia Moves! The challenge will officially start Oct. 12.

Magnolia Moves is an Extension walking and activity program designed to show that physical activity comes in many forms: brisk hiking through the woods, tending your garden, jogging through your neighborhood or dancing to your favorite music.

There is no cost to join this 6-week activity program, you set the pace, and you choose the activities to participate in throughout the six weeks.

Just download the MoveSpring app and it will seamlessly sync with a wide range of wearable devices, including your iPhone, Apple Watch, Apple Health, Android, Google Health Connect, Fitbit, and more. Use organization code MSUEXT at signup.

If you have questions, email [email protected]

Learn more here: https://extension.msstate.edu/magnolia-moves



Sponsored by TrueCare

10/06/2026

IT'S TIME! Sweet Potato Fundraiser is open! Get your boxes ordered by November 5th at 5pm.

10/05/2026

09/30/2026

09/30/2026

Mississippi has quite an extensive list of native oak trees! With 34 different species found in the state, you may wonder how to tell which is which. Although there are many ways you can identify each oak, the trees’ acorns are a great indication of species.

By looking at the acorn’s shape, color, and size, you’ll be able to identify which oak species it came from.

Here are just a few examples...

Willow Oak: The yellowish-brown acorns are small, rounded and typically 1/2 inch long. The cap covers about 1/3 of the nut and is greenish brown in color. Willow Oak acorns take two seasons to mature and typically fall in the fall of the second season.

Chinquapin Oak: These acorns are small to medium in size, oval shaped, and dark brown in color. The cap is thin and bowl-shaped, covering about1/4 of the nut. Chinquapin Oak acorns drop every fall.

Overcup Oak: Overcup Oak acorns are medium in size and are nearly enclosed by the entire cap. They drop annually in the fall.

Post Oak: Post Oak acorns are oval shaped and between 1/2 and 3/4 of an inch long. Their cap is bowl shaped and typically covers 1/3 of the nut. They drop from trees each year during fall.

Turkey Oak: These acorns are round and about 1/2 of an inch long. Their cap covers about 1/3 of the nut. Acorns drop every two seasons, with them falling in the fall of the second season.

09/23/2026

09/18/2026

Great educational opportunity coming up through Lamar County SWCD, The Longleaf Alliance and partners. Visit https://forms.gle/uD1qDkZGNMDnxFgeA to register and reserve your seat today!