The following news stories are written by Rosie Lerner, Extension Consumer Horticulture Specialist, and are distributed to news media around the state by Agricultural Communication Service, at Purdue University.
Removing spent blossoms from your shrubs and garden flowers can be tedious work, but often pays big dividends. The removal of spent flowers is often referred to as “deadheading.” Pinching or pruning off dead flowers is not just a matter of aesthetics – it can also encourage additional blooming. Many plants – petunia, geranium, marigold, speedwell, and coreopsis, among them – will re-bloom after deadheading. For these plants, the formation of fruit and seed signals […]
Much of northern and central Indiana – and even patchy, low-lying areas of southern Indiana – experienced frost early this week, causing concern among backyard gardeners. On Monday morning (May 13), the recorded low air temperatures at Purdue Agricultural Centers were 33 degrees F at the northwest Indiana center; 36 degrees at the northeast, north central, and south central centers; 38 degrees at the southeast center; and 42 degrees at the southwest center. Low spots […]
Some vegetables are best started from seed directly in the garden, while others are best planted as young plants (transplants). Fast-growing, cool season crops such as lettuce, radish and spinach are really best suited to direct seeding into the garden. Some that have really fine seed, or particularly long taproots such as carrots, do not transition well as transplants and perform best if seeded in place. Sweet corn and beans are also usually direct seeded […]
Easter lilies are the perfect symbol to mark the beginning of the spring season. The large, white, trumpet-shaped flowers bring a bit of spring fragrance into the home but can also be enjoyed outdoors later in the season. Like other lilies, the Easter lily grows from a bulb in the soil. This bulb stores food reserves that are used by the plant to produce foliage and flower growth. If encouraged to build up food reserves, […]
St. Patrick’s Day seems to bring out the “Wearin’ o’ the Green” among human folk. But plants wear their green throughout the year, and it is the green that makes plants such unique life forms. Plants get their green color from a pigment called chlorophyll. Green plants produce their own food supply through a process called photosynthesis, which can only take place when both chlorophyll and light are present. Other ingredients are also essential for […]
Variegated Solomon’s seal has been selected by members of the Perennial Plant Association as the 2013 Perennial Plant of the Year. Known botanically as Polygonatum odoratum Variegatum, this classic hardy favorite is a well-behaved addition that adds seasonal interest with foliage and flowers. The bright green foliage edged with white reaches about 8 to 24 inches tall and spreads by rhizomes to form small colonies. In late spring pendulous, white, bell-shaped flowers appear in pairs […]
Though it may give you the blues to take down your holiday decorations, you can find solace in recycling your greenery. After you remove tinsel, plastic and other non-recyclable decorations, use the greenery to provide food and cover for wildlife or chip it into mulch for landscape protection. Winter birds will appreciate having recycled trees and garlands for cover, especially if you decorate them with bird-food ornaments. You’ll need to secure the tree trunk or […]
Will you be eating sweet potatoes or yams at your Thanksgiving dinner? While many folks use the terms interchangeably, they are distinct. Botanically speaking, the sweet potato is known as Ipomoea batatasand belongs to the morning glory family (Convolvulaceae). True yams belong to one of several species of Dioscoreain the yam family (Dioscoreace), and their production is limited to tropical climates. So most likely you will be eating sweet potatoes rather than true yams. There […]
Remember when your grandmother talked about putting food “by” for winter? There are several methods of preserving and storing our garden produce for later enjoyment, including freezing, canning and cold storage. The method of choice depends on the specific produce item, as well as more personal factors such as taste preferences, amount of time available and know-how. For busy gardeners, storing produce may provide a relatively easy, quick way to enjoy your harvest in winter […]
Many Indiana gardeners lost landscape plants this year; particularly plants that were already in trouble and perhaps were dealt a fatal blow by summer’s extreme heat and drought. Cooler temperatures and more adequate rainfall can make fall an ideal time to replace or add to your woody plant collection. But keep the following notes in mind. Plants that are most successful for fall planting include most shrubs, crabapple, hackberry, hawthorn, honeylocust, linden, most maples, sycamore, […]
