Frequently Asked Questions
In certain situations, a gardener can use herbicides to supplement other weed control strategies. Several factors limit the usefulness of herbicides in the home garden. Most home gardens contain a variety of plants in a small area. This restricts...
Mulches control weeds by preventing the germination of weed seeds. Established weeds should be destroyed prior to the application of the mulch. In addition to weed control, mulches help conserve soil moisture, reduce soil erosion, prevent...
Cultivation and hand pulling effectively control most annual weeds. It is very important to destroy these weeds while they are small, before they produce thousands of seeds, guaranteeing a weed problem for many years in the future. Like annual...
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. There are essentially two types of weeds in our...
Pollination is the transfer of pollen from the anther to the stigma. After pollination and fertilization, fruit set occurs. There are two types of pollination. Self-pollination occurs when the pollen is transferred from the...
The lack of fruit is likely due to the absence of flowers, poor pollination, or low temperatures during bloom.
The lack of flowers is often due to the age of the tree. After planting, most dwarf and semi-dwarf apple trees don’...
Place the jade plant (Crassula argentea) in a sunny window where it receives at least 4 hours of direct sunlight. The jade plant is a succulent which stores water in its foliage and stems. Overwatering (watering too...
The umbrella tree (Schefflera actinophylla) is native to rainforests in Australia and New Guinea. In the home, place the umbrella tree in bright, indirect light near an east, west, or south window. Allow the potting soil to...
Crabgrass is an annual weed. In flower and vegetable gardens, hoeing and hand pulling are the best control options. When cultivating the garden, avoid deep tillage. The roots of many vegetables and flowers grow near the soil...
The small, white, popcorn-like objects are likely cottony maple scale. Cottony maple scale is an insect. It is most commonly found on silver maple trees. However, it can also be found on other maples, oak, linden, hackberry,...
The frequency of watering is determined by soil characteristics, weather conditions, type of plant material, and other factors. In general, however, a deep watering once a week in dry weather should be adequate for most fruit, vegetable,...
Early morning (5:00 to 9:00 am) is the best time to water the garden when using a sprinkler, garden hose, or any other device that wets the plant foliage. When watering is completed, the plant foliage dries quickly. The rapid drying...
Apply a mulch around landscape plantings and garden areas to conserve soil moisture. Mulching reduces the rate of evaporation from the soil surface and also limits weed competition. Organic materials, such as grass clippings, clean...
Cedar-apple rust is likely responsible for the yellow spots on the crabapple leaves. Cedar-apple rust is a fungal disease. The fungus requires both a crabapple or apple and a cedar (juniper) to complete its life cycle. Crabapple...
The greenish worm is probably the pear slug. The pear slug is not an actual slug. It’s the larval stage of an insect (sawfly). The pear slug feeds on pear, cherry, plum, and several other woody plants.
The slug-...
Native ferns that are good additions to shady locations in the home landscape include,
- northern maidenhair fern (Adiantum pedatum),
- lady fern (Athyrium filix-femina),
- intermediate wood fern (...
Trees have shallow roots. The vast majority of a tree’s roots are located in the top 12 to 18 inches of soil. As the tree roots grow, some of the larger roots near the soil surface may emerge from the ground. While many individuals regard...
Marigolds do not repel rabbits, deer, or other animals. In fact, rabbits occasionally browse heavily on marigolds. Erecting a chicken wire or hardware cloth fence around the vegetable garden is the best way to keep rabbits out of the...
Cucumbers and other vine crops are monoecious. Monoecious plants have separate male and female flowers on the same plant. Male and female flowers are similar in appearance. However, the female flowers have small, immature fruits...
Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) is a native prairie grass. It is typically found in moist sites, such as along the banks of streams, and grows 3 to 6 feet tall.
Several switchgrass cultivars are excellent plants for the...
If the rhubarb plants are vigorous, pulling a few stalks and preparing a dish for a special occasion in summer shouldn’t be a problem. Harvesting rhubarb in summer should be a one time event, not a frequent practice. Continued harvest...
After flowering, daffodil foliage typically persists for 4 to 6 weeks. Daffodil foliage tends to get floppy and look a little unruly. However, it’s best to leave the foliage alone and not tie or braid the leaves. The daffodil...
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