2002 - Indiana Yard and Garden - Purdue Consumer Horticulture
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Recycle Your Christmas Tree

Though it may give you the blues to take down your holiday tree, you can find solace in recycling your tree in the landscape. Winter birds will appreciate using the tree for cover in your backyard, especially if you decorate it with bird food ornaments. Be sure to remove tinsel, plastic and other non-recyclable ornaments.  Suet, molded seeds or disposable birdseed hangers should be readily available from garden centers and bird supply shops. Homemade treats, […]
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Harvest Holiday Greenery from Your Landscape

Give your home the festive mood of the holidays by bringing a bit of your landscape evergreens indoors. Wreaths, swags, garlands and centerpieces can all be made from plants that are commonly found in the home landscape.  Some of the best materials to cut include balsam and Douglas fir, yew, holly, boxwood and juniper. Pines boughs are attractive in arrangements, but this is not a good time to prune them. If pine branches cannot be […]
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December 2002

Q. My honeysuckle is pretty wild looking. Dare I cut it down this time of year, or should I just grin and bear it? — Jean Phillips, Lafayette, Ind. A. You won’t kill it if you prune it now, but the cuts are areas that could dry out during winter. It’s best to wait until spring, just before it leafs out, if you’re going to do drastic pruning. If you just want to tip it back a […]
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All America Winners for 2003

This year brought a bumper crop of new garden plant introductions. Ten ornamental garden plants and two garden vegetables have been awarded the prestigious honor of All America Selections (AAS) for 2003. These new cultivars have been judged as superior in their class based on their performance in test gardens all over the country.   Carnation ‘Can Can Scarlet’ was selected for its fragrance and versatility as a bedding plant, as well as a cut […]
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Where Chocolate Comes From

When you cuddle up with a steaming cup of hot cocoa during these chilly fall days, you might be pondering where chocolate comes from. Chocolate comes to us courtesy of the cacao plant (pronounced ca-cow), Theobroma cacao. The name Theobroma is an appropriate one as its translation is “food of the gods.” The plant is believed to have originated in the Amazon area of South America at least 4,000 years ago. The Aztecs and other […]

November 2002

Q. I am a resident of Orange County, just outside of Paoli. I recently noticed that my red horse chestnut tree, which had previously lost all of its leaves due to drought, has sprouted several red flowers. Some leaves are coming out and MANY buds are swelling. Many buds are not swelling, and I hope they stay that way. The drought tricked the tree into early dormancy, and now the recent rains have awakened the tree […]
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Gardening Online at Purdue University

Gardeners will find a wealth of information at their fingertips from the Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service. And the best part is, thanks to the Internet, this information is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including holidays! Several departments at Purdue have Web sites of interest to gardeners. Horticulture offers a broad range of information on the Consumer Horticulture Web site, including current news releases, Extension publications, upcoming events and a list […]
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October 2002

Q. We need your expert help concerning our Stanley plum tree. We planted the tree four years ago. The catalog said it is self-pollinating. One year we had two plums. Another year we had none. This year, I found 10 on the ground. All were green and small. What is wrong? The closest other tree is an old persimmon, and it is always loaded with fruit. Do we need fertilizer? If yes, what kind? Did we […]
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Pears Best Ripened Off the Tree

One advantage to growing your own fruit trees is that you can get tree-ripened fruit, a real rarity in the grocery store. But, unlike other fruits, pears will reach their best quality when ripened off the tree. When left to ripen on the tree, most cultivars of pears leave something to be desired in terms of texture and flavor. Tree-ripened pears often turn soft and brown at the core and have an excessively grainy texture. […]
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Q. I love red geraniums. I would like to know how one might start plants, and when you would start them. Also, what is the best plant food to use to grow beautiful geraniums? — Tom Schmitt A. The two main methods of propagating geraniums are by cuttings or seeds. Cuttings usually are taken from outdoor geraniums in late summer or early fall. Cut off 3-4-inch shoots, and remove the leaves on the lower part of the […]
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