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.
Chances are that some dedicated gardeners have already tilled their gardens and planted their “seed” potatoes, their aim to plant on or around St. Patrick’s Day. But with all the recent rains and flooding, many of us will be lucky to have them planted by Mother’s Day! Because our weather can be so unpredictable, it’s hard to be very precise about planting time. Potatoes are considered to be a cool-season crop and can be planted […]
What better way to chase away the winter blues than a stroll through garden catalogs with all their promise of gardening adventures for the coming season! Here’s a look at just a few of the new seed company offerings for 2009. Basil ‘Cardinal’ is a strikingly handsome addition to the herb garden, with spicy, fragrant foliage crested by tightly packed clusters of deep cardinal-red flowers, resembling Celosia. Plants reach up to 2.5 feet in height. […]
Looking ahead to Valentine’s Day, here are some ideas for plants that will delight your plant lover. Heartleaf philodendron, also known as sweetheart plant, is easy to find, easy to grow and an excellent choice for a beginning gardener. The philodendron takes its name from Latin for love and tree, “philo” – love and “dendron” – tree. The heart- shaped leaves arise from sturdy stems that can twine around an upright support or trail from […]
As the growing season comes to a close, there are still a few more chores that call the gardener to action. Mowing, watering, pruning and cleaning continue to beckon. Lawns need mowing as long as the grass continues to grow, some years continuing through most of the fall. Newly planted flowers, trees and shrubs should be watered thoroughly every week or so right up until the ground freezes, especially if rainfall is lacking. Perennials, trees […]
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 […]
Three exciting new vegetables and one cool-season bedding plant were chosen as All America Selections (AAS) 2009, based on superior performance in test gardens throughout the country. Eggplant ‘Gretel’ is a follow up to the 2008 award-winning ‘Hansel.’ ‘Gretel’ is the earliest of the white eggplant, bearing clusters of glossy mini-fruit. The pure white fruit are sweet with tender skin, even if they are allowed to mature beyond the ideal fruit size of 3 to […]
When lightning strikes a tree, it will most certainly leave a calling card, but it can be difficult to predict whether that injury is “strike one, two or three.” There are many variables to consider, including the species, moisture content, and relative health of the tree at the time of the strike and the intensity of the strike. Lightning can strike just about anything tall, but trees do seem to be a frequent target. And […]
Recent torrential rains have brought about flooded conditions in many gardens and landscapes. As floodwaters recede and folks get about the business of putting homes and lives back together, questions arise as to the safety of produce from flooded gardens, as well as potential damage to landscape plants. The issue of food safety from the garden should not be taken lightly. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), if the floodwater contained waste […]
Recent high winds will no doubt have left their calling card on our yards and gardens. Considering sustained winds of 20-30 mph and gusts up to 40 mph, it’s really quite astonishing that there wasn’t more widespread severe damage. In most windstorms, the trees hardest hit are weak-wooded species, such as silver maples, Siberian elms, river birch and willows. Some trees may have had previously unknown internal decay that resulted in large sections of the […]
Given a proper start, your home strawberry patch can bring many years of rewards. The most important considerations for getting off on the right foot include site selection, soil preparation and vigorous, disease-free plants. Choosing which strawberries to grow requires a bit of homework. Most strawberries flower when days are short in spring, producing their bounty of ripe, juicy strawberries in June; such plants are known as June-bearers.Among the June-bearing strawberries, plants can be selected […]
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