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.
School science fairs often put students and parents on the hunt for project ideas. Of course, the point of these projects is for students, not parents, to learn how to plan and implement science! But, naturally, parents want to help their kids succeed. There are limitless resources available these days, especially with the help of the Internet. One of the most beneficial things moms and dads can do is to help their children find resources […]
Perhaps the last garden chore of the season is tucking in the strawberry planting for winter. Strawberry plants have already set their buds for next spring’s flowers and the crop can be lost unless you protect them from harsh winter conditions. A fully dormant strawberry plant’s flower buds can be damaged at temperatures below 15 deg. F. In addition to flower bud damage, the alternate freezing and thawing of the soil that commonly occurs […]
If you’re not quite ready to hang up your gardening tools just because of a few killing frosts, fall is a great time to get your soil ready for next year’s planting. Removing this year’s plant debris is a good, general sanitation practice. Plant refuse makes a great place for insects and disease to overwinter. Why not turn that refuse into valuable compost? A properly constructed compost pile should create temperatures high enough to destroy […]
Gardeners often ask, “When is the best time to cut back the dead tops of herbaceous perennials (stems die back to the ground each year)?” “Should we cut them in fall as the tops fade?” “Or wait until spring just before new growth begins?” The answers depend, in part, on the specific plant and whether disease or insect pests are a factor. For most healthy plants, leaving plant tops over winter is fine and, in […]
Most gardeners think about planting bulbs this time of year rather than digging them up. But some flowering perennials are not hardy enough for our climate and must be lifted from the soil and their bulbs, roots or other underground structures stored indoors over winter. The most common garden plants in this category include gladiolus, caladium, tuberous begonias, canna and dahlia. Although these plants are all considered tender, each is best handled a bit differently […]
If your garden tomatoes look like they’ve been placed on hold, you’re not alone! Now it may sound like an easy excuse when we horticulturists blame such things on the weather, but I really think the extreme hot weather we experienced this summer might be the culprit. Tomato fruits go through several stages of development during their maturation process. During early stages, the fruit continues to grow in size and remains green, typically requiring 40-50 […]
Only four new garden plants were chosen for All-America Selections (AAS) 2007, based on superior performance in test gardens all over the country. Celosia ‘Fresh Look Gold’ is so named for the lasting fresh look of the compact, 4-inch golden plumes on 12-inch tall plants. Fresh Look Gold has excellent heat tolerance and requires minimal maintenance to look its best all season. Vinca ‘Pacifica Burgundy Halo’ is the first bicolor vinca to combine a burgundy […]
Many of our landscape plants are under stress from one or more factors this summer, including excessive heat and humidity, insect feeding and disease infection. Some trees are losing leaves already and may be turning color before they drop. This early defoliation is common when plants are under stress, and this season has been quite challenging for many trees, both old and young. The recent intense heat and humidity make it difficult for plants to […]
If you’ve noticed that your cucumbers are a little (or a lot) bitter lately, don’t give up hope. A little water, mulch and patience will provide relief. Most cucumber plants contain a bitter compound called cucurbitacin, which can be present in the fruit as well as the foliage. Bitterness in cucumbers tends to be more prominent when plants are under stress from low moisture, high temperatures or poor nutrition. For some cucumber eaters, […]
If you’re looking for a versatile cut flower that can be easily grown at home, gladiolus is just the ticket. Gladiolus gets its name from the Latin word “gladius,” meaning sword. Indeed, “glads,” as they are named for short, do produce their large showy blossoms along a long pointed stalk. It’s hard to beat the wide choice of colors that glads offer, including red, pink, yellow, white, purple and lavender. Each flower spike is made […]
