Communicating positively with young children helps them develop confidence, feelings of self‑worth, and good relationships with others. It also helps make life with young children more pleasant for children and parents.

Child care providers who are good facilitators of the social development of young children also understand the relationship between child care curriculum, care giver demeanor, and discipline in promoting responsibility and a sense of community among young children.

There is a set of principles that characterizes the pattern and process of growth and development. These principles or characteristics describe typical development as a predictable and orderly process; that is, we can predict how most children will develop and that they will develop at the same rate and at about the same time as other children. Although there are individual differences in children’s personalities, activity levels, and timing of developmental milestones, such as ages and stages, the principles and characteristics of development are universal patterns.

As adults, we are usually busy as parents and workers and often feel stressed and experience burn-out at times, but would you ever think that children can experience stress too?

Sometimes parents are forced to take action despite all their efforts to prevent misbehavior.

There are many, many factors that could cause either of these statements to be true: year-to-year weather variation, yield potential differences in and between fields, planting date differences, etc. (first published March 2019, last reviewed March 2024)

There are many factors to consider before you start a new farm enterprise. Labor issues are often underemphasized in the decision-making processes of beginning farmers. It is important to consider who you will hire, where you will find help, how you will manage your employees, and what legal matters are relevant to your farm.

Landscape trees are valuable assets to your property and for your community. Keeping your trees attractive, healthy, and safe requires careful attention to their planting and care throughout their lives. While many people have a green thumb, there are situations that arise where the expertise of an arborist is needed to address complex or potentially hazardous tree care needs. The purpose of this publication is to inform home owners, property managers, municipal planners, and others about the tree care services provided by an arborist and the steps that should be taken to hire a qualified arborist.

Restoration of shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata Mill.) in Virginia has become a priority of various state and federal agencies. For shortleaf pine restoration to be successful in Virginia, private lands must be considered because 89 percent of forestland in Virginia is privately owned, and most private landowners are likely to use commercially available seedling sources. Shortleaf seedlings from commercially available sources in Virginia, Arkansas, and Missouri were planted in two sites in Southeast Virginia to test growth and yield. After one year, height and ground-line diameter were measured and observations were made on health and mortality of the plants. The Virginia seed source was significantly taller than the Arkansas source. At the first site, mortality and disease were low, but at the second site, mortality and poor health were very high, possibly due to soils combined with weather conditions. No significant seed source effects on disease and mortality were found at either site.

Nutrient management involves controlling the rate, timing, placement, and application of plant nutrients to grow high-quality plants while protecting the environment. Nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) are a few elements essential for plant growth. When fertilizer, organic materials, or other compounds containing N and P are applied improperly to agricultural crops, turfgrass, or other landscape plants, these nutrients can be harmful to lakes, streams, or other water resources.

Fertilizing a lawn can seem like a difficult and confusing task, especially for a new homeowner or individuals without turfgrass management experience. When fertilizers and lime are used properly, they can help to remedy nutrient deficiencies, improve plant appearance, stimulate plant growth, and improve stress tolerance in lawns.

According to the 2017 Census of Agriculture, U.S. greenhouse vegetable farms more than doubled from 2012 (USDA 2019). Virginia fell within the top 10 states for acreage of vegetables and berry crops grown under protected culture. Protected culture includes greenhouses and structures like high tunnels. With close to two and a half million square feet devoted mostly to tomatoes, vegetables, herbs, and strawberries, the value of Virginia greenhouse sales in 2017 was over 31 million dollars! A lot of this increase in square footage was due to the addition of large operations coming into Virginia.

With the increasing number of controlled environment agriculture farms, Virginia Cooperative Extension is working closely with specialty crop growers to address the challenges of establishing and managing hydroponic greenhouse operations. Growers interested in producing food crops in controlled environments can use several different types of hydroponic systems. One of the most common types of hydroponic systems is called nutrient film technique (NFT).

This factsheet is part of a series of seven factsheets targeting beginning farmers growing edible crops using hydroponic greenhouse systems. There are also five videos that are related to the factsheets and included in the numbering sequence.

In 2012, Delegate Delores McQuinn introduced House Joint Resolution 88 and then in 2013 reintroduced House Joint Resolution 646 to request that the Virginia General Assembly review the issue of food deserts in Virginia. The Honorable William Howell, Speaker of the House of Delegates of the Virginia General Assembly, commissioned Alan Grant, dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Virginia Tech, and Jewel Hairston, dean of the College of Agriculture at Virginia State University, to conduct a study of food deserts in the Commonwealth of Virginia.