WSU Extension Q&A: February good time to plant peas

Q. I would like to get an early start on my garden. Is now a good time to plant peas?

A. February is a good time to plant peas in the Columbia Basin. Peas grow well in cool soils. Later plantings of peas (into April) should be fine too, if you aren’t that anxious to get into the garden.

Q. I left some baked potatoes in the oven overnight. I was planning to make hash browns with them the next morning. My friend told me they weren’t safe to use. Is that true?

A. All cooked vegetables, including potatoes, will support the growth of bacteria that can cause illness. Once a vegetable is cooked, it needs to be kept refrigerated to be safe. Any cooked vegetable that is left at room temperature for more than two hours has the potential to cause food-borne illness. Re-heating or cooking foods that have been out of the refrigerator for too long cannot make the foods free from illness causing bacteria.

Q. What would you consider as being the most important factors in profitability in beef cow operations?

A. In general, feed costs can account for as much as 70 percent of total costs in a cow/calf operation. Therefore, feeding economically will go a long way toward profitability. The other factor is maintaining good reproduction in the herd. With the cost of buying replacement cows or heifers or the investment of producing your own replacement heifers, it is important that each cow have a calf each year. This will help reduce culling because of reproductive failure.

Q. Is the 4-H program only for boys and girls?

A. No, 4-H is also for families and communities; it is definitely a family affair. 4-H encourages and rewards participation for the entire family. Family members learn more about each other through their involvement in 4-H and may even become better families as they learn to appreciate each other’s strengths and talents.

Young people enroll as 4-H members. Other family members help out as group leaders, project leaders and meeting helpers. To be a recognized 4-H volunteer, complete a 4-H volunteer application, screening process and, for project and general leaders, complete a Volunteer Leader Training Series.

This story was originally published February 13, 2016 at 11:22 PM with the headline "WSU Extension Q&A: February good time to plant peas."