Shrubs Archives - Indiana Yard and Garden - Purdue Consumer HorticulturePurdue University Indiana Yard and Garden

Category: Shrubs

December Garden Calendar
Gardening Calendars

HOME (Indoor plants and activities) Check houseplant leaves for brown, dry edges, which indicates too little relative humidity in the house. Increase humidity by running a humidifier, grouping plants or using pebble trays. Extend the lives of holiday plants such as poinsettias and Christmas cactus by placing them in a cool, brightly lit area that is free from warm or cold drafts. Houseplants may not receive adequate light because days are short and gloomy. Move…Read more about December Garden Calendar[Read More]

November Garden Calendar
Gardening Calendars

HOME (Indoor plants and activities) As houseplant growth slows, apply less fertilizer and water. If plants are dropping many leaves, move them closer to sunny exposures, such as west- and south-facing windows. Artificial lights may be needed to supplement particularly dark rooms. Pot spring-flowering bulbs with tips exposed to force into bloom indoors. Moisten soil and refrigerate 10 to 13 weeks. Transfer to a cool, sunny location, and allow an additional three to four weeks…Read more about November Garden Calendar[Read More]

September Garden Calendar
Gardening Calendars

YARD (Lawns, woody ornamentals and fruits) Fall is a good time to plant many container-grown or balled-and-burlapped nursery stock. Prepare a good-size planting hole wider than the ball, but plant at the same depth it grew in the nursery and water thoroughly. Mulching will help protect against large fluctuations in soil temperature and moisture. Do not be alarmed if your evergreens, particularly white pine and arborvitae, drop some older needles. All evergreens shed needles at…Read more about September Garden Calendar[Read More]

August Garden Calendar
Gardening Calendars

HOME (Indoor plants and activities) Take cuttings from annual garden plants such as impatiens, coleus, geraniums and wax begonias to overwinter indoors. Root the cuttings in media such as moist vermiculite, perlite, peat moss or potting soil, rather than water. Order spring-flowering bulbs for fall planting. Cut flowers from the garden to bring a little color indoors, or dry for everlasting arrangements. YARD (Lawns, woody ornamentals and fruits) Check trees and shrubs that have been…Read more about August Garden Calendar[Read More]

Mock orange stumps knowledgeable pair
In the Grow (Q & A)

Q: My mother taught me everything there is to know about plants and trees and how to take care of them properly. She is a walking encyclopedia of the outdoors. While visiting her yesterday I saw a flowering bush in her yard. Normally, if one of us doesn’t know what a flower is, the other one will. We are stumped. The bush in question has a very lilac look to it. Multiple, thick, sturdy…Read more about Mock orange stumps knowledgeable pair[Read More]

Trumpet creeper is no shrinking violet
In the Grow (Q & A)

Q: I have a trumpet creeper that is more than 5 years old. It is planted at the front of our house which faces east. The vine grows rather hardy but never enormous, as the material I’ve read about this vine indicates. I am wondering whether to move it or just destroy it. Since I’ve researched it and learned that it can be very invasive, I’m wondering if I should just get rid of it….Read more about Trumpet creeper is no shrinking violet[Read More]

June Garden Calendar
Gardening Calendars

HOME (Houseplants and indoor activities) Indoor plants will require more frequent watering and fertilizing as they increase their summer growth. You can move houseplants outdoors to a shady location, but pay close attention to their watering needs. Cut garden flowers for indoor beauty. Recut the stems again just before placing in water. Add a floral preservative, and change the solution frequently. Root cuttings of houseplants and garden plants to increase your collection or share with…Read more about June Garden Calendar[Read More]

Assessing Freeze Injury on Horticultural Plants
Yard and Garden News

Spring Gardening Stories

As so many gardeners are staying at home these days, we’ve had more opportunity to enjoy the spring display. And then, perhaps inevitably, “normal” spring frost and freeze visited. Some plants are vulnerable to damage. The amount of damage will depend on how far along they are in their development. Home fruit-growers may have reason to be concerned: At 28 F, you can expect a 10 percent loss of flowers/young developing fruit. However, at 25…Read more about Assessing Freeze Injury on Horticultural Plants[Read More]

April Garden Calendar
Gardening Calendars

HOME (Indoor plants and activities) Start seeds of warm-season plants (including tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, marigolds, zinnias, and petunias) indoors for transplanting later to the garden. Harden off transplants started earlier in spring before planting outdoors. Gradually expose the young plants to outdoor conditions of wind, brighter sunlight, and lower moisture. Apply fertilizer to houseplants according to label directions as days grow brighter and longer and new growth begins. Foliage plants require relatively high-nitrogen fertilizer, while…Read more about April Garden Calendar[Read More]

March Garden Calendar
Gardening Calendars

HOME (Indoor plants and activities) Begin fertilizing houseplants as new growth appears. Remove spent leaves and flowers to improve appearance and encourage more blooms. Start garden seeds indoors for transplanting outdoors later in spring. Check stored bulbs and produce for decay; discard damaged items. Prune, repot, and clean houseplants as needed. YARD (Lawns, woody ornamentals, and fruits) Prune trees and shrubs (except those that bloom early in spring) while plants are still dormant. If you…Read more about March Garden Calendar[Read More]