Powder River Conservation District

05/13/2026

05/12/2026

This week’s Tuesday Tidbit is all about Hardiness Zones. Planting season is coming and we want to make sure you are planting the correct plants for your zone.

Why USDA Hardiness Zones Matter 🌱
Knowing your USDA hardiness zone helps you:
✔ Choose plants that survive Wyoming winters
✔ Save money on failed plantings
✔ Build healthier landscapes
✔ Support pollinators and native species
✔ Create more drought-tolerant, Firewise yards

The right plant in the right place makes all the difference!

05/11/2026

The Johnson County Local Work Group meeting is just around the corner. We want to hear from you!

05/11/2026

Just a few more days before the W**d Bounty Program is open for the year. Are you ready?

05/10/2026

Happy Mother’s Day!

05/08/2026

Flora Friday brings you the Columbine.

* The name columbine comes from the Latin word columba, meaning “dove,” because the flower petals resemble a circle of doves.

* Columbines are famous for their unusual spurred petals — the long tube-like extensions behind each flower hold nectar deep inside.

* Common columbine colors include:
* blue
* purple
* red
* yellow
* pink
* white
* bi-color combinations

05/07/2026

Today was a busy day! First up was the Rendezvous and identifying animal tracks. Then we kicked off the Annual Adopt A Tree Program with the Kinder Boost Class. (Check out next week’s Flora Friday to learn all about the type of tree the Kaycee Elementary Students are adopting).

05/06/2026

This week we are taking a look at the last species that can be pulled during the W**d bounty program. Orange Hawkweed.

05/06/2026

Summer 2026 Kaycee Office Hours! 🌞

👉 Catch Johnson Co. Ag Educator Micah at the Powder River Conservation District office in Kaycee from 9a-4p on:

- Friday, May 15
- Tuesday, June 30
- Friday, August 28

🌻 Drop by to discuss farm & ranch or garden & acreage question or just to say hi to Micah and PRCD manager Anita!

🤠 Have a particular question in mind? Reach to to Micah at [email protected] ahead of time.

[Image: Flyer version of the caption text information.]

05/05/2026

What "Drought Tolerant" Actually Means — and What It Doesn't 🌵
"Drought tolerant grass seed" searches have doubled across the US in the past month. Millions of Americans are buying drought-tolerant plants this spring — and a significant number will kill them this summer by misunderstanding what that label actually means.
Here is the truth the nursery tag does not explain:
"Drought tolerant" describes what a plant becomes after it is fully established in your soil — not what it can handle the week you buy it.
A newly purchased drought-tolerant plant arrives in a compressed nursery root ball that is 3 to 4 inches deep and has been growing in potting mix. The moment you plant it in your garden, that root system is surrounded by native soil it has no connection to yet. The roots have not grown through the native soil. They have not located the deeper moisture reserves. They are completely dependent on the top few inches of soil — the same zone that dries out first.
This plant will die in a drought the summer you plant it — not because the label lied, but because establishment has not happened yet.
Here is the correct establishment watering schedule for drought-tolerant plants:
💧 Weeks 1–2: Water every 2 days. The root ball cannot access surrounding soil yet.
💧 Weeks 3–8: Water every 4 to 5 days. Roots beginning to extend outward.
💧 Months 3–6: Water weekly during dry spells. Root system growing deeper.
💧 Months 6–12: Water only during extended drought (2+ weeks with no rain).
💧 Year 2 and beyond: Rain only. This is when the label's promise becomes true.
A fully established drought-tolerant plant develops a primary taproot 14 to 18 inches deep that accesses soil moisture reserves below the drought line — the zone that surface drying never reaches. That plant genuinely does not care about a 3-week drought. But it takes a full year of consistent watering to get there.

05/04/2026

It is almost time to start pulling weeds for the W**d Bounty Program! May 13th is the first official day of this year’s program.

Need the official bags? We have you covered. The PRCD office has them along with the JC W**d & Pest office.

Don’t forget the W**d Pull Day on June 18th.