By B. Rosie Lerner Extension Consumer Horticulture Specialist Winter mulch isn’t necessary for all garden plants, but it can mean survival for some less hardy ones. Winter mulch has a different purpose than summer mulch. The main benefits of winter cover are to protect against wide temperature fluctuations in the soil and to prevent extreme cold temperatures from harming plants. The goal is to keep the plants dormant, rather than to keep them warm. If […]
B. Rosie Lerner, Consumer Horticulture Extension Specialist Herb gardeners can snip fresh herbs throughout the winter by propagating their garden plants now. There are several approaches to overwintering plants. One easy method is to dig up a plant, or a portion of one, and pot it up. Plants such as chives, lemon balm, mint, burnet and sweet woodruff can be lifted and divided into sections to create more plants. Dividing is a fairly foolproof method […]
B. Rosie Lerner, Consumer Horticulture Extension Specialist Peanuts have long been a popular backyard garden crop in the southern United States, much to the envy of northern gardeners. But since some garden seed catalogs make peanuts available all over the county, peanuts &emdash; also known as goober peas &emdash; are making their way north. Peanuts do require a long, warm growing season of about 120 days. Bright yellow flowers begin to form about seven weeks […]
Q: In digging sweet potatoes last week, I, too, found the sweet potatoes hulled out or eaten. There had been a mole run along the sweet potato ridge, and every so far, I would see a round hole made in the mole hill. I dug out shrews, and the potatoes had been freshly eaten on. So, I think the shrews use the mole hill to travel in, and they eat the sweet potatoes and Irish […]
(Released: 07 November 1996) By B. Rosie Lerner Extension Consumer Horticulture Specialist Although the outdoor garden may be getting ready for its long winter nap, you can continue to harvest the fresh flavor of herbs by growing a windowsill garden. Many herbs, including dill, parsley, thyme, chives, oregano, and mint, are adaptable to growing indoors in a sunny window. While some of these herbs may grow to be several feet tall in the garden, thankfully, […]
(Released: 21 November 1996) By B. Rosie Lerner Extension Consumer Horticulture Specialist If you’ve ever had to work on a tree leaf collection, you no doubt included a leaf from the Indiana state tree among your samples. Also known as tulip poplar and yellow poplar, the tuliptree is actually not a poplar at all, but a member of the magnolia family known botanically as Liriodendron tulipifera. Native to most of the eastern half of the […]
Q. I would like to know why my garden phlox gets this white flaky substance on the stems and leaves. I’ve put different dusts and sprays on them. Nothing helps. I keep thinking every year it will go away, but it always comes back. Should I dig them up and plant new plants? They are only 3 or 4 years old, so I don’t want to do that if I don’t need to. The flowers are […]
Q: I hear about taking cuttings from different plants, but it has not worked for me. Please give us amateurs some pointers on when to take them and what type of soil or other medium to use. Do we keep them indoors or outdoors? – W.J. Harber, Ossian, Ind. A: This is a great time of year to take cuttings of tender plants so you can enjoy them again next growing season without having to purchase them […]
(Released: 03 October 1996) By B. Rosie Lerner Extension Consumer Horticulture Specialist Six new garden plants have been awarded the prestigious honor of being an All America Selection (AAS) for 1997. These new cultivars have been judged as superior in their class based on their performance in test gardens all over the country. Zinnia angustifolia ‘Crystal White’ is not your ordinary everyday zinnia! Crystal White has a daintier texture, with small, pure-white, daisy-like flowers that […]