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September Garden Calendar
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 […]
August Garden Calendar
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 […]
Creeping Charlie in the Garden
Creeping Charlie has square stems with opposite leaves. Photo Credit: Dr. Aaron Patton, Purdue University Q: I can control creeping charlie in my yard. How can I safely control/stop creeping charlie in the garden? A:I share this never-ending challenge to keep creeping Charlie (also known as ground ivy) out of my garden beds. Creeping Charlie is an herbaceous perennial that spreads by seed as well as horizontal, above-ground stems called stolons or runners. These runners […]
Mystery leaf identified!
Callery pear leaf and fruit. Q: I would like identification of the two leaf samples enclosed. I think the photo showing just a leaf is a sweetbay magnolia. The other I don’t know. It has some sort of fruit on it and a sample is next to the leaf. Thank you so much! – G.H., Columbus, Indiana A: The photo showing the leaf with a fruit is Callery pear (sometimes called ornamental pear). They used […]
Get Growing with Purdue Extension
Registration is now CLOSED! Join Purdue Extension Educators for a live “virtual” program on commonly asked about garden topics. This program is designed for those that want to learn a little bit about how plants grow, common garden problems, how to grow vegetables, fruits, and flowers, and how to maintain your trees, shrubs and lawn. Tuesdays 9:30 a.m. – Noon (Eastern Standard Time) January 12 – February 23, 2021 Program Schedule January 12 – How […]