Frequently Asked Questions
Once fruit set has occurred, it normally takes 45 to 55 days for tomato fruit to fully develop and ripen. Cool temperatures during tomato fruit development will slow maturity. Tomato fruit may require an additional 7 to 10 days to...
Temperatures of 150 to 180 degrees Fahrenheit are required to kill most plant disease pathogens. Unfortunately, the internal temperatures of most home compost piles don’t reach this level and the disease organisms are not destroyed. For many home...
Pears should be ripened indoors at a temperature of 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. The ripening process should take seven to ten days. To speed up ripening, place the pears in a tightly sealed paper bag. The fruit give off...
The brown streaks in the apples are probably due to the apple maggot. The apple maggot is the most serious insect pest of apples in Iowa. Apple maggot damage appears as knobby, misshapen fruit with small pits or blemishes on the fruit...
Deciduous trees that have been girdled (the bark has been removed completely around the trunk) have essentially been destroyed. The best course of action is to replace the girdled trees. Wrapping the trunk or applying pruning paint to...
Thatch is the layer of dead and living plant material that forms between the soil surface and green vegetation. It is composed of shoots, crowns, and roots. Thatch, to some degree, is present in all lawns. However, when thatch...
Black rot is probably responsible for the damage to the grapes. Black rot is caused by the fungus Guignardia bidwellii. This fungal disease is common in home and commercial vineyards in Iowa, especially in warm, humid summers...
Carefully examine the tree for the type and extent of damage. Trees that have split trunks or suffered extensive trunk damage are no longer structurally sound and should be removed. Large trees that have lost 50 percent or more of...
Most turfgrasses have a difficult time growing in the vicinity of large shade trees. If your efforts to grow turfgrass are unsuccessful, there are alternatives. Areas around and beneath trees can be mulched with wood chips or shredded...
The growth and fruiting characteristics of blackberries are similar to raspberries. The blackberry plant’s roots and crown are perennial, while its stems or canes are biennial. Blackberry canes are strictly vegetative during the first...
Pinch chrysanthemums 2 to 3 times from spring to mid-summer. Remove the stem tips when the shoots are 6 to 8 inches tall. New lateral shoots will develop along the stems. Pinch again when these new shoots reach a length of 6 to...
The storage life of onions is determined by the variety and storage conditions. When properly stored, good keepers, such as ‘Copra’ and ‘Stuttgarter,’ can be successfully stored for several months. Poor keepers, such as ‘Walla Walla’...
All perennials require some maintenance. Watering, fertilizing, pinching, staking, deadheading, dividing, and providing winter protection are common maintenance chores. Some perennials require frequent attention through the growing...
Fruit cracking is a common problem on tomatoes. Cracks usually appear at the top or stem end of the fruit. Cracks radiate out from the stem (radial cracks) or circle the fruit in concentric rings (concentric cracks). Fruit...
Leaves contain high levels of carbon and small amounts of nitrogen. The microbes that decompose leaves and other types of organic matter require nitrogen for their own metabolism and growth. A compost pile composed mainly of leaves decomposes...
For long-term storage, refrigerate the unripened pears at a temperature of 30 to 35 degrees Fahrenheit. Pears may be stored for approximately one to three months. Remove stored fruit about one week prior to use.
It’s generally best to remove all fruit that form on apple trees during their first 3 growing seasons. Removal of the fruit maximizes plant growth and increases yields in later years. Removing the fruit may also prevent limb breakage...
Purple, black, and summer-bearing red raspberries that have been badly damaged by rabbits will likely produce little fruit this year. (Purple, black, and summer-bearing red raspberries produce fruit on the previous year's shoots. ...
Grass clippings contribute very little to thatch development because clippings are primarily cellulose and decompose quickly. There is no need to remove grass clippings when lawns are mowed properly. Infrequent mowing of tall grass...
Several factors could be responsible for the uneven ripening of the berries within a cluster. Possible causes are over-cropping (too many grape clusters on the vine), a potassium deficiency, moisture stress, or 2,4-D damage.
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The best way to prevent birds from eating the grape crop is to place netting over the grapevines. Netting can be purchased at garden centers or through mail-order companies. When placing netting over the grapevines, make sure the...
Shedding bark on some trees is a completely normal development. The bark of most young trees is smooth and thin. As the tree grows, the bark layer thickens with the outermost tissue eventually dying. Continued growth pushes the bark outward,...
Deadheading or the removal of faded flowers is done to encourage additional bloom on hybrid tea and other repeat-flowering roses. Hybrid tea roses usually have one or two 3-leaflet leaves immediately below the flower. Next (lower down...
A raspberry fruit (berry) is composed of over 50 drupelets. The white colored drupelets are likely due to sunscald or white drupelet disorder. Sunscald and white drupelet disorder are physiological disorders caused by sun exposure (...
Daylilies can be divided in early spring (as new growth begins to emerge) or in late summer. Dig up the entire clump with a spade. Shake or wash off the soil. Then carefully pull the clump apart. Oftentimes, a sharp knife...
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