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Category: Plants

Spring Weather Unkind to Tomatoes
Yard and Garden News

Summer Gardening Stories

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…Read more about Spring Weather Unkind to Tomatoes[Read More]

Cyclamen (Cyclamen persicum)
Fact Sheets

Cyclamen (Cyclamen persicum) This species of cyclamen is a popular plant with florists, and often is called the “Florist’s cyclamen.” The plant is a tuberous perennial with heart-shaped leaves, 1 to 5-1/2 inches long, deep green in color. The leaves often have a silver-marbled tint on top of the leaf and pale or purplish green on the bottom of the leaf. It produces sweet-scented pink, red, or white flowers, 1/2 to 3/4 inches or more…Read more about Cyclamen (Cyclamen persicum)[Read More]

Summer Houseplant Care
Yard and Garden News

Spring Gardening Stories

As temperatures warm up in late spring, many home gardeners move houseplants to outdoor living areas such as porches, patios, and sunrooms. Most indoor plants can flourish outside if given proper attention. First, have the patience to wait until temperatures are dependably warm. Most houseplant species originated in the tropics and are sensitive to temperatures below 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Be prepared to bring the plants back indoors on cool nights. Gradually acclimate the plants by…Read more about Summer Houseplant Care[Read More]

Vine Crops Respond Well to Summer Heat
Yard and Garden News

Spring Gardening Stories

If your lettuce is bitter and your spinach is going to seed, don’t be disheartened. There are some vegetables that enjoy the heat of summer. The cucurbits, or vine crops, include such favorites as cucumbers, squash, melons and pumpkins. Although each of these taste quite different, their culture is very similar. Cucurbits are warm-season crops that are notorious for taking over large amounts of garden space. Fortunately, plant breeders have developed the so-called “bush-type” plants…Read more about Vine Crops Respond Well to Summer Heat[Read More]

Question and Answer
In the Grow (Q & A)

Q. I am hoping that you can give me some advice on my yard. I think I may have a fungus. Nothing grows very well. Last year I planted bell peppers and tomatoes, and they were inedible. They were full of white veins. All of my trees have small holes in the leaves. And my grass has small pale patches all over the yard. My income is limited. Can you suggest a treatment that is…Read more about Question and Answer[Read More]

Holiday Cactus
Fact Sheets

The plants we call Holiday Cactus may be either Christmas cactus or Thanksgiving cactus. Thanksgiving cactus (Schlumbergera truncatus) has oblong, bright green stem segments 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 inches long with 4 to 8 prominent sawtoothed marginal projections that point forward. The flowers have a short tube-like form with spreading, pointed petals, similar to trumpets. The plant bears deep pink, red, orange, or white flowers, up to 3 inches long, from late autumn to winter. The…Read more about Holiday Cactus[Read More]

Amaryllis (Hippeastrum hybrids)
Fact Sheets

Amaryllis (Hippeastrum hybrids) The Hippeastrum hybrids produce clusters of huge red, pink, salmon, white and bicolor trumpet-shaped flowers atop tall slender stalks. The leaves and flowers arise from a large bulb, often resulting in 8-12 flowers per bulb. Amaryllis can be used as a potted plant for holiday decorating. They also make lovely cut flowers for arrangements. When selecting bulbs make sure the bulb feels firm and full. If growth has started, check to see…Read more about Amaryllis (Hippeastrum hybrids)[Read More]

Tater Planting Time
Yard and Garden News

Spring Gardening Stories

Although some dedicated gardeners may have already planted their seed potatoes, for most of us, the ground has been a little too soggy. Some gardeners aim for planting on or around St. Patrick’s Day, while others of us will be lucky to have them planted by Mother’s Day! Potatoes are considered to be cool-season plants and can be planted just as soon as the ground has thawed and dried enough to safely work the soil….Read more about Tater Planting Time[Read More]

Question and Answer
In the Grow (Q & A)

Q. After many years of growing pumpkins successfully (I do rotate the growing site), the past four years have been disastrous. Just before the buds begin to truly form, the plants collapse. There seems to be no sign of a squash borer. I would appreciate your advice. — Nancy M. A. It is difficult to say for sure without more specific symptoms, such as leaf or fruit spots, discoloration, etc. Squash vine borer is a…Read more about Question and Answer[Read More]

Question and Answer
In the Grow (Q & A)

Greetings readers! I’d like to introduce myself to you as your new “In the Grow” columnist. I’ve been answering Indiana gardening questions since 1984, when I joined the Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service. I grew up in Chicago, Ill., and was an urban gardener for most of my life but now live on five partly wooded acres heavily populated with critters and insects. I’ve never seen such a diverse array of wildlife all in…Read more about Question and Answer[Read More]