Frequently Asked Questions
Gerber daisy is frequently sold in florist shops and garden centers during the spring and fall. Plants prefer cooler temperatures. Place in bright, indirect or direct light indoors. Soil should be moist but well-drained. ...
Kalanchoe grows well in bright indoor locations. Keep at moderate temperatures (45-65 °F at night and 50-70 °F during the day). Keeping plants on the cool side will help prolong flower life. Allow the soil to dry between...
Place gardenia in a brightly lit, cool location. The location should receive bright light, but not direct sunlight. Ideal temperatures are 55 to 65°F during the night and 65 to 75°F during the day. Check the potting soil...
In the home, place the mum in a brightly lit, cool location. An ideal site is one near a window that receives bright light (but no direct sunlight) and temperatures of 60 to 70°F.
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Tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, and other spring bulbs are frequently available from florists and garden centers in winter. When purchasing these potted forced spring bulbs, select those that have fully developed buds but have not yet opened...
Bigleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla) is frequently sold in garden centers and floral shops during winter and early spring and features large ball-shaped clusters of blue or pink flowers. Place hydrangeas in bright, indirect light...
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...
Occasionally a florist or garden center will have vibrant blue moth orchids (Phalaenopsis) for sale. Blue is not a color that naturally occurs in orchids. These orchids are typically white flowers dyed to achieve this unique...
No. Pruning stimulates new growth. That new growth will not have an opportunity to properly harden off before winter leaving it vulnerable to more winter damage.
Even established growth that has properly hardened off will see...
While most shrub or landscape roses are winter-hardy in Iowa, there is still typically some branch die-back over winter. Gardeners should prune out the dead wood just as the new buds are turning green and breaking in spring - typically...
Old garden roses, hybrid rugosas, and other hardy shrub or landscape roses often survive Iowa's winters with little or no winter injury. If there is any winter injury, it can be pruned back to live wood just as the new buds are turning...
Many indoor grown herbs are not as strong or as intensely flavored compared to those grown outside. However, basil will always taste like basil whether it is grown indoors or outdoors.
Harvest herbs indoors as you would if grown outdoors. Most do well with periodic snipping as they are needed in the kitchen. Leafy annual herbs, like basil, chervil, and parsley, can be cut back severely when harvested. Using a sharp knife or...
Providing enough light for herbs to grow well indoors, especially during the winter months when days are shorter, is difficult. Some herbs will tolerate as little as six hours of direct light a day but most want eight or more hours each day. When...
Light is typically the most limiting factor to successfully growing herbs indoors. Plants will need as much direct sunlight as you can provide. Most herbs need around eight hours of direct light each day when grown indoors. A south-facing sunny...
Just about any herb has the potential to be grown indoors. There are, however, a few species that do better with indoor growing conditions. These herbs tolerate the lower light levels, low humidity, and cooler temperatures indoors, making them...
While most gardeners prefer to grow perennials from established plants in containers or as divisions, transplants, or bare root, it is possible to grow many perennials successfully from seed. The reason why perennials grown from established...
The hydrangeas found in flower shops are bigleaf hydrangeas forced into bloom out of season. These plants are intended to be enjoyed as a temporary potted plant indoors, much like poinsettia, and are not intended for planting in the landscape....
Common or edible figs (Ficus carica) are not reliably cold hardy in Iowa. The stems of ‘Chicago Hardy’ (considered one of the hardiest edible fig cultivars) are hardy to 10 degrees Fahrenheit and the plant’s roots are hardy to 15 to 20...
Many herbs can be successfully grown indoors during the winter months. The best herbs to grow indoors include basil, cilantro, parsley, chervil, rosemary, bay laurel, mint, chives, oregano, thyme, sage, and lemongrass.
Light is often the...
Proper cleaning and sanitization of pruners and other garden tools is important to prevent the spread of disease issues. At minimum when removing disease-infected plant material, pruners should be disinfected between plants. Ideally,...
Some perennials emerge early in the spring. In Iowa, it’s common to have relatively warm days in early or mid-March and it is equally common to have below freezing temperatures in April or even early May. In most cases, early leaf...
Freezing temperatures don’t harm dormant plants. In some years, warm late winter temperatures can cause some fruit trees to break bud, leaf-out, or develop flower buds earlier than normal. The inevitable below-freezing temperatures that...
In some years, warm late winter temperatures can cause some trees and shrubs to break bud, leaf-out, or develop flower buds earlier than normal. The inevitable below-freezing temperatures that follow in early spring can potentially cause...
Apples are considered self-unfruitful. While a few cultivars, like Gold Delicious, set a good crop without cross-pollination, most apple cultivars will not produce a good crop without a different cultivar nearby to provide pollen.
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