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Category: Plants

Norfolk Island Pine Needs TLC
Yard and Garden News

Winter Gardening Stories

Unlike most pines that are familiar to Midwesterners, the Norfolk Island pine is far too tender to plant outdoors in our climate and, in fact, is not a true pine at all. But the good news is that it makes an elegant houseplant when given proper care. It also makes a terrific living Christmas tree; its lush green twigs of soft needles provide a lovely backdrop for festive holiday ornaments. Known botanically as Araucaria heterophylla,…Read more about Norfolk Island Pine Needs TLC[Read More]

Question and Answer
In the Grow (Q & A)

Q. In an earlier In The Grow Column you were writing about possible replacements for white pine trees in Indiana. Yet you did not mention Eastern red cedar as a possibility. Is there something wrong with the native species of evergreens? A. Eastern redcedar is actually a species of Juniper rather than a true cedar. It is widely adaptable to various stresses, especially drought, so it can be very useful for group plantings, windbreaks and…Read more about Question and Answer[Read More]

Question and Answer
In the Grow (Q & A)

Q. For the last two years my Nandina has produced a lot of flowers that promised to berry, but the berries seem to drop off before fruition. It has berried beautifully in the past, and there has been no change in environment. A. Nandina is marginally hardy to southern Indiana, but it is considered to be an invasive, weedy species in the southeastern United States where it forms vigorous spreading colonies. Although commonly called heavenly…Read more about Question and Answer[Read More]

Question and Answer
In the Grow (Q & A)

Q. We enjoy your articles and were wondering about Jack-in-the-pulpit seeds. Do they have to be stratified? Would you do an article about the different seeds and which ones need stratification and or softening and abrading? A. Seeds of many plants in our climate have an immature embryo that requires a period of moist-chilling (stratification) before they are able to germinate. Although the length of the chilling period varies with the plant species, most seeds…Read more about Question and Answer[Read More]

Question and Answer
In the Grow (Q & A)

Q. We have a raised bed that is about 7 inches deep. The soil is dark-colored and was excavated from the foot of a slope in a woods near a graveled road. I also added several bags of muck topsoil. I have tried to grow several vegetables, but the stems of all are very elongated. Radishes were about 18 inches tall with very small underground parts. Lettuce was about 12 inches tall with small leaves. Tomato…Read more about Question and Answer[Read More]

Consider Garden Mums for Fall Color
Yard and Garden News

Summer Gardening Stories

While many of summer’s perennials are winding down for autumn, you can refresh your garden’s color with garden mums. Colors ranges from many shades of yellow, orange, red, purple, bronze, pink and white. The flowers themselves come in many different forms, from spider types with long, narrow petals to cushion types that have wider, more compact flowers. Some mums are bred as outdoor garden plants, but many are bred as florist-potted plants, meant to be…Read more about Consider Garden Mums for Fall Color[Read More]

Question and Answer
In the Grow (Q & A)

Q. Some years our potatoes and beets have a pitting or scabbing on the surface. It makes them very unappealing to want to eat them. I think they are OK on the inside. What causes this? A. While it is difficult to diagnose with certainty without seeing samples, there is a disease commonly called potato scab that affects both potatoes and beets. Other root crops, such as radish, rutabaga, turnip, carrot and parsnips, are also…Read more about Question and Answer[Read More]

Question and Answer
In the Grow (Q & A)

Q. The last couple of springs we have had this beautiful flower in our bed, with a nodding, bell-shaped bloom checkered with dark maroon and creamy white. We didn’t plant it, and there is only one. Can you tell us what it is, and where we can buy more? A. That would be Fritillaria meleagris, commonly known as the checkered lily or guinea-hen flower. This dainty spring-flowering bulb reaches just 8-12 inches tall, thrives in…Read more about Question and Answer[Read More]

Return of the Asparagus!
Yard and Garden News

Spring Gardening Stories

Asparagus is one of the first vegetables to peer through the cool soil in spring, and what a welcome sight! The heavy snows this past winter provided excellent moisture and insulation for the plants, so the crop is off to a great start. Precisely how to harvest is the subject of some debate among asparagus gardeners. Some prefer to harvest only the very young spear tips. This ensures that only the tender portion of the…Read more about Return of the Asparagus![Read More]

Question and Answer
In the Grow (Q & A)

Q. I have a lot of black walnut trees in my yard in Carroll County. I was wondering if there is any kind of flowers I could grow around these trees. Most people I know say there is nothing that will grow or survive around these trees. A. While many plants grow well in proximity to black walnut, there are certain plant species that are inhibited by this tree. The causal agent is a chemical…Read more about Question and Answer[Read More]