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New Plant Hardiness Zone Map Released from the USDA

News Article

In November 2023, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) released an updated version of its popular Plant Hardiness Zone Map. 
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map is a standard guide to a plant’s cold tolerance.  Overall, much of Iowa is now in Hardiness Zone 5.  Learn more about the new map and how to best use it below.

Tips for Shopping and Selecting Quality Plants

In spring, many gardeners will be at nurseries, greenhouses, and garden centers looking to buy plants. Selecting the right species and cultivar of a plant for the landscape by matching sun, water, soil, winter hardiness, and other growing requirements is important. Equally important is selecting high-quality plants. Below is advice on how to purchase high-quality plants from the garden center.

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How do I prune trumpet vine?

Answer: 

Trumpet vine (Campsis radicans) can be pruned at any time of the year. Although late winter or early spring when the vine is not covered in leaves can make the task easier.  Without regular pruning, trumpet vine can quickly become overgrown.  Trumpet vines have been known to damage a home's siding and break windows.

Trumpet creeperControlling the vine may be a difficult task. Trumpet vine has a suckering growth habit. Suckering plants produce new shoots from their roots. These new shoots may spring up several feet away from the original vine. Use a spade to dig out the unwanted plants. Persistence is the key as new plants will continue to emerge.
If you want to kill your plant, cut the vines off at ground level and carefully paint the cut ends of the vine with Round-Up, then repeat as needed.

Frost Dates in Iowa

Below is the likelihood of experiencing 32°F on or before the given date in fall and on or after the given date in spring.

Managing Weedy Vines

Weedy vines can be some of the most difficult to control weeds in the garden.  They are fast-growing, getting very large in a relatively short amount of time and often climb and cover other garden plants.  These tenacious plants climb by twining, rambling, or utilizing specialized structures like tendrils or aerial roots.  They are often botanically classified as eudicots and can be woody or herbaceous, perennial or annual.  Examples of vining weeds include poison ivy, honeyvine milkweed, bindweed, and Virginia creeper.

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Using Mulch in the Garden

Organic mulches serve several important functions in gardens and landscape plantings.

These many benefits make the use of mulch very beneficial in a wide range of garden settings. When choosing which organic mulch to use, consider availability, cost, appearance, function, and durability.

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Perennial Vines for Iowa

Vines add interest to all gardens. They offer a wide variety of leaf forms, textures, and colors as well as attractive flowers or fruit. Perennial vines do not need replanting every year and can be used as a screen and to provide shade, fragrance, or fruit. They are often incorporated into gardens along walls, fences, trellises, arbors, or in containers to add height quickly in a limited space.

Learn about the vines you can grow in your Iowa landscape.

How do I control weedy vines?

Answer: 

Weedy vines are fast growing plants, getting very large in a relatively short amount of time often climbing and covering other garden plants. If left to grow, they can smother other plants blocking out light and killing the desirable plant.

Keeping ahead of weeds and controlling them when they are small is essential for good weed management. This requires persistence throughout the entire growing season to remove weeds as they emerge or resprout. There are several management options for vining weeds. 

Pulling and digging is best for small, newly emerged weeds and is done more easily after a soaking rain or deep watering.  Utilize a trowel, spade, or weeding tool to dig and pull the plant out of the ground. 

Annual Vines

Annual Vines
Annual vines grow quickly and bloom profusely in one summer. They can camouflage fences or walls, accent architecture, or soften structural lines—and at the same time add color, texture, and height; screen for privacy or against the elements; or welcome birds, bees, and butterflies. Learn about their care and suggested varieties.

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