(Video 10/26/09) During the fall, chrysanthemums are a familiar sight in Louisiana. But not all mums are the same. On this edition of Get It Growing, LSU AgCenter horticulturist Dan Gill explains how to choose the appropriate mums for your needs. (Runtime: 1:41)

(Video 09/21/09) Want a beautiful plant that grows very quickly to look like a tree? On this edition of Get It Growing, LSU AgCenter horticulturist Dan Gill visits the AgCenter's Hammond Research Station to show off the candelabra plant. (Runtime: 1:49)

(Distributed 10/13/09) Many household appliances such as gas heaters and dryers, fireplaces, furnaces and gas ranges operate by burning a combustible fuel such as natural gas, propane, wood or other fossil fuel. Appliances of this type (combustion appliances) need proper venting to operate safely.

(Distributed 10/16/09) Students at Warren Easton High School in New Orleans along with 10 other schools around the state really know what it means to get down and dirty, thanks to a $25,000 grant secured by the LSU AgCenter’s 4-H Youth Development office.

(Distributed 10/30/09) Well-managed lawns and landscaping are good for the environment as well as being attractive. Bad management, however, can negate a lot of the environmental benefits.

(Distributed 10/29/09) Every November during American Diabetes Month, LSU AgCenter nutritionist Dr. Beth Reames reminds people healthful eating is important for managing diabetes.

(Distributed 10/28/09) Today’s lifestyles might be causing people to miss out on the unique love and belonging that come from family bonds, according to LSU AgCenter family and child expert Diane Sasser.

(Distributed 10/28/09) The LSU AgCenter has received two specialty crop block grants for two research and promotion projects to enhance the competitiveness of Louisiana-grown sweet potatoes and nursery crops.

(Distributed 10/26/09) Louisiana’s agricultural and seafood industries will have a new marketing tool in early 2010 when MarketMaker, a national Internet-driven service, is inaugurated in the state, according to officials with the LSU AgCenter.

(Distributed 10/21/09) Entrepreneurs considering cut flowers as a full-time or part-time business may want to attend the regional “Rolling the Dice with Cut Flowers” workshop Nov. 17-18 at the Hilton Hotel in Memphis, Tenn.

(Distributed 10/23/09) An affordable “high-performance” demonstration home in Ponchatoula will be open Nov. 12 for free tours and live demonstrations of home performance testing.

(Distributed 10/23/09) Shrubs are important background plants for any home landscape. They have definite growth habits in height, spread and form.

(Distributed 10/22/09) BOSSIER CITY – Marbling is the No. 1 way to determine quality in a cut of meat, said LSU AgCenter county agent Johnny LeVasseur at the latest monthly Lunch and Ag Discovery program at the AgCenter’s Red River Research Station.

(Distributed 10/21/09) Everything looks good for the Christmas tree crop in Louisiana, according to Dr. Don Reed, LSU AgCenter forestry and wildlife specialist.

(Distributed 10/20/09) A leisurely bicycle tour of Shreveport’s most significant trees will be held Nov. 7, led by Shreveport native Dr. Hallie Dozier, an urban forester with the LSU AgCenter.

(Distributed 10/20/09) To recognize the exceptional contributions made to Louisiana through agriculture, the Louisiana Agri-News Network, Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation, LSU AgCenter and Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry will honor the 2010 Louisiana Farmer of the Year. Nominations for the award are being accepted now through Dec. 11, 2009.

(Distributed 10/19/09) The LSU AgCenter has approved the release of two new Clearfield lines for the 2010 rice-growing season, according to Dr. Steve Linscombe, LSU AgCenter rice breeder.

(Distributed 10/16/09) The LSU AgCenter and the Louisiana Department of Economic Development have partnered to bring e-business training to north Louisiana beginning Oct. 21.

(Distributed 10/16/09) Azaleas are the most widely planted shrub in Louisiana, but few gardeners would ever think about planting them in the fall because many of the varieties aren’t blooming in the nurseries for gardeners to compare colors.

(Distributed 10/16/09) FARMERVILLE, La. – A youth wetland camp in Union Parish on Oct. 10-11 included a variety of activities to let 4-H’ers know the importance of clean water in an area affected by the gradually diminishing Sparta Aquifer.

(Distributed 10/15/09) More than 100 commercial turf and landscape professionals from across Louisiana heard about the latest research with ornamental plants and turfgrass at an LSU AgCenter field day Oct. 15.

(Distributed 10/14/09) The Burden Horticulture Society will conduct a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10 a.m. Nov. 7 to celebrate for the grand opening of Trees and Trails, a 5-mile system of pedestrian, recreational and educational trails located at the LSU AgCenter’s Burden Center in the heart of Baton Rouge.

(Distributed 10/14/09) CROWLEY, La. – Coastal restoration using native marsh plants will be the focus of a field day at the LSU AgCenter’s Rice Research Station Oct. 28.

(Distributed 10/14/09) ZWOLLE, La. – AgCellent Expo, an educational event held at the Zwolle Tamale Fiesta Oct. 9, taught students about wildlife and furs, dairy products, nutrition and forestry.

(Distributed 10/08/09) Managing animal waste and finances in these tight economic times will be two topics featured at the LSU AgCenter dairy field day Nov. 12 at the AgCenter’s Southeast Research Station in Franklinton.

(Distributed 10/13/09) The LSU AgCenter, along with a Mississippi agriculture agency and three other southern universities, has been awarded a $518,000 grant to develop an interactive, educational Web site about blueberries. The site’s initial purpose will be to teach people in the southeastern United States how to grow this commodity, which is increasingly popular, and to encourage consumers to eat more blueberries, which are a valuable source of many nutrients and fiber.

(Distributed 10/13/09) Family traditions and rituals have been shown to help strengthen families – both the individual members and the family as a whole, according to LSU AgCenter family life expert Dr. Diane D. Sasser.

(Audio 10/12/09) Many people move their houseplants outdoors for the summer. As the weather cools down, tropical plants should be prepared for a move back indoors, which includes getting them adjusted to lower light conditions. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 10/12/09) Persimmons are an easy fruit to grow, and they're delicious, too. They produce seedless fruit and don't have to be pollinated for production to occur. Many varieties have to become soft before they should be eaten, however. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Distributed 10/09/09) The Venice Port Complex has donated $7,500 to Plaquemines Parish 4-H, according to Jan Morgan, LSU AgCenter 4-H agent.

(Distributed 10/09/09) Petunias continue to be one of our most popular bedding plants. They long have been relied on for their consistent landscape performance and can be used as either warm-season or cool-season ornamentals.

(Distributed 10/08/09) CROWLEY, La. – Agriculture producers attending an LSU AgCenter seminar Oct. 6 learned how they can make extra income by opening their farms and ranches to tourists. “Across the state, people are learning they can make money off the family farm,” said Dora Ann Hatch, LSU AgCenter rural community development agent.

(Distributed 10/08/09) FRANKLINTON, La. – LSU AgCenter 4-H agents, parents and volunteers celebrated National Hunting and Fishing Day Sept. 26 at the LSU AgCenter’s Southeast Research Station here.

(Audio 10/12/09) Gardeners can save seeds their plants produce. Although it's not a good idea to try to grow woody plants from their seeds, annual and perennials are wonderful plants to save seeds from. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Audio 10/12/09) Sweet peas are one of the best flowering annual vines we can grow in Louisiana. The color and the fragrance of these flowers enliven any garden. These vines don't flower until spring, but now is the time to plant them. (Runtime: 60 seconds)

(Distributed 10/06/09) BATON ROUGE – Wood outperforms other building products because it requires less energy to produce, provides better insulation in buildings, stores carbon and can be fabricated into many advanced building products.

(Distributed 10/06/09) Heavy rains since mid-September have severely delayed sweet potato harvest in some northern Louisiana parishes, according to the LSU AgCenter.

(Distributed 10/06/09)The 13th Louisiana Plant Materials Conference is scheduled for Oct. 29 at the LSU AgCenter’s Hammond Research Station.

(Distributed 10/05/09) An $11,600 donation from the Lincoln Health Foundation will provide additional resources for teachers at two Ruston elementary schools for the Take 10! classroom program.

(Distributed 10/05/09) Frequent rains during September and continuing into October have kept cotton farmers out of their fields and have jeopardized the crop, according to LSU AgCenter cotton specialist, Don Boquet.

(Distributed 10/02/09) Who knows when we will get another bad storm blowing through Louisiana? We may get just a nasty wind from some front or tornado-like activity. In any case, there will be fallen limbs and branches to deal with.

(Distributed on 10/1/09) NEW ORLEANS – Military families had a chance to enjoy some quality time together at a camp at the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans September 18-19.Sponsored by Operation Military Kids, children and their parents got back to nature, complete with the sounds of the zoo animals in the background.

(For Release On Or After 10/30/09) As the weather cools down and nights get nippy over the next few weeks, gardeners need to decide what to do with their outdoor containerized tropical plants.

(For Release On Or After 10/23/09) The pansy is a popular, cool-season annual used to beautify gardens in Louisiana during the fall, winter and spring. Pansies thrive in the chilly nights and cool-to-mild days of our cool season from November to April.

(For Release On Or After 10/16/09) November through February is the prime planting season for hardy trees, shrubs, ground covers and perennials in our area, so this is a great time for planning landscaping projects.

(For Release On Or After 10/09/09) In the South, the term “greens” refers to vegetables whose leaves are eaten after they’re cooked until tender. During cool fall temperatures, mustard, turnip, collards and other greens flourish in the vegetable garden.

(For Release On Or After 10/02/09) Many plants seem to save up all summer for the spectacular display of flowers, fruit and foliage showing up in our gardens now. If you want to punch up the color level in your garden from late September through early December, you might consider including some of these trees, shrubs and perennials in your landscape.