Rosie Lerner

rosie@purdue.edu

716 articles by this author

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Tomatoes Not Ripening?

If your garden tomatoes look like they’ve been placed on hold, you’re not alone! Now it may sound like an easy excuse when we horticulturists blame such things on the weather, but I really think the extreme hot weather we experienced this summer might be the culprit. Tomato fruits go through several stages of development during their maturation process. During early stages, the fruit continues to grow in size and remains green, typically requiring 40-50 […]
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Q. I have had Japanese beetles in my yard for the past several years — and each year the infestation increases. This year, they are really profuse — everything in the garden is under attack! If I bump a branch when mowing, I am showered by them. I have about one acre surrounded by farmland. This year it is corn; but I see no sign of infestation on the corn stalks. I have been shaking […]
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All-American Selections New Flowers and Vegetables for 2007

Only four new garden plants were chosen for All-America Selections (AAS) 2007, based on superior performance in test gardens all over the country. Celosia ‘Fresh Look Gold’ is so named for the lasting fresh look of the compact, 4-inch golden plumes on 12-inch tall plants. Fresh Look Gold has excellent heat tolerance and requires minimal maintenance to look its best all season. Vinca ‘Pacifica Burgundy Halo’ is the first bicolor vinca to combine a burgundy […]
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Stressed Plants May Look Like Early Fall

Many of our landscape plants are under stress from one or more factors this summer, including excessive heat and humidity, insect feeding and disease infection. Some trees are losing leaves already and may be turning color before they drop. This early defoliation is common when plants are under stress, and this season has been quite challenging for many trees, both old and young. The recent intense heat and humidity make it difficult for plants to […]
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Q. We have a yellow peach tree and a white peach tree. Both have had great fruit in the past. The yellow one was loaded this year, and usually the fruit ripens around the first week in July. Toward the end of June, the fruit started rotting before it was ripe! The white peach tree has several peaches on it, but they don’t seem to mature. The fruit is the size of a small walnut […]
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Bitter Cucumbers A Temporary Problem

If you’ve noticed that your cucumbers are a little (or a lot) bitter lately, don’t give up hope. A little water, mulch and patience will provide relief.   Most cucumber plants contain a bitter compound called cucurbitacin, which can be present in the fruit as well as the foliage. Bitterness in cucumbers tends to be more prominent when plants are under stress from low moisture, high temperatures or poor nutrition.   For some cucumber eaters, […]
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Gladiolus for Summer Flowers

If you’re looking for a versatile cut flower that can be easily grown at home, gladiolus is just the ticket. Gladiolus gets its name from the Latin word “gladius,” meaning sword. Indeed, “glads,” as they are named for short, do produce their large showy blossoms along a long pointed stalk. It’s hard to beat the wide choice of colors that glads offer, including red, pink, yellow, white, purple and lavender. Each flower spike is made […]
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Q. My husband pulled out a weed in the garden that made his hands burn for quite a while. It had sharply serrated leaves that were opposite. The stem looks almost square and ropey, with fine hairs along the whole length. Do you have any idea what it is? A. Stinging nettle is most likely the culprit, with its stinging hairs along the stems and on the undersides of the leaves. These perennial plants grow […]
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Spring Weather Unkind to Tomatoes

If your tomatoes dropped their blossoms instead of setting eagerly awaited fruits, you’re not alone. The weather for the last month or so has been quite inhospitable for tomato fruit set.   Most plants have experienced colder temperatures than what is needed for pollination to be successful. In stark contrast, we had a brief period of unseasonably warm weather.   Warm-season crops, which include tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash, cucumbers and melons, require temperatures above 55 […]
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Foliage That Can Steal The Show

Want to add a little drama to your garden? Need to perk up a shady bed? Big, bold foliage can make a long-season statement!   Foliage often provides the bones of the garden, but it can also take center stage with dramatic size, color variegation, texture and shape. Many of the following plants have beautiful flowers, in addition to big, bold foliage.   Acanthus spinosus (spiny bears-breeches) features spiny foliage accented by purple or white […]
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