Frequently Asked Questions
Generally, climbing roses don’t perform well in Iowa. Many bloom on the previous year’s growth, but suffer extensive winter dieback. As a result, many climbing roses bloom little or not at all.
The following roses are noted for...
Dwarf and semi-dwarf fruit trees are produced by grafting or budding the desired variety onto a dwarfing rootstock. Most standard-size fruit trees eventually get 25 to 30 feet tall. Dwarf and semi-dwarf fruit trees are much smaller....
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...
Onions should be harvested when most of the tops have fallen over and begun to dry. Carefully pull or dig the bulbs with the tops attached.
When selecting perennials for the home landscape, it’s important to consider their size, bloom period, hardiness, and cultural requirements. Another consideration is their longevity. Some perennials are short-lived. Short-lived...
Sweet corn performs best in fertile, well-drained soils in full sun. Standard sweet corn (su) varieties may be planted in late April in central Iowa. It’s generally recommended that sugar enhanced (se) varieties be planted 1 week...
Blueberries have shallow, fibrous root systems. Plants quickly become stressed during hot, dry weather. To help retain moisture and control weeds, apply 2 to 4 inches of mulch around blueberry plants. Sawdust, wood chips, pine...
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...
It would be best to place weeds that are producing seeds and diseased plant debris in biodegradable bags and have the material picked up and composed by a municipal or commercial composting facility. The temperatures in home compost piles...
Kentucky bluegrass is an excellent choice. Bluegrass provides good cover, yet is less competitive than other cover crops. Late summer (mid-August to mid-September) is the best time to establish bluegrass by seed. Do not sow...
The browning of the honey locust foliage is probably due to the mimosa webworm. Damage occurs when the caterpillars tie honey locust leaflets together and feed on the foliage inside the tightly compressed, protective webs. Affected...
Nimblewill (Muhlenbergia schreberi) is a warm-season perennial grass. Nimblewill is a thin, wiry grass that is pale green or gray-green. It spreads by aboveground shoots or stolons, often forming circular spots in the lawn....
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...
The trumpet vine (Campsis radicans) is a woody vine that produces orange to reddish, trumpet-shaped flowers. After planting, trumpet vines often don’t bloom for 3 to 5 years. The trumpet vine has to grow and mature before it...
Garden geraniums (Pelargonium x hortorum) are attractive flowering plants for beds, borders, containers, hanging baskets, and window boxes. Geraniums are easy to grow and provide color in the garden from May to frost....
Peas are members of the legume (Fabaceae) family. Through a symbiotic relationship with a soil bacterium (Rhizobium), peas are able to “fix” atmospheric nitrogen in nodules on their roots.
Peas will grow and produce a crop...
Chrysanthemums can be propagated by division and cuttings.
Divide mums in early spring just as new growth begins to appear. Dig up the entire plant and divide each plant clump into sections with a sharp knife. Each...
The small, round, green objects are the true fruit of the potato plant. While potato plants may bloom heavily in late spring, most of the flowers dry up and drop from the plant and don’t develop into fruit. The fruit that do develop...
Excellent groundcovers for shade include:
- bugleweed (Ajuga spp.)
- wild ginger (Asarum canadense and A. europaeum)
- barrenwort (Epimedium spp.)
- sweet woodruff (Galium...
Standard (su), supersweet (sh2), and sugar-enhanced (se) are the three major types of sweet corn. They differ in sweetness, keeping quality, and seed vigor.
Standard
Standard sweet corn varieties possess the...
Phytophthora root rot can be a serious problem in poorly drained sites. Phytophthora root rot can be avoided by planting blueberries in well-drained soils. Outside of root rots, blueberries generally have few insect and disease...
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...
Fortunately, there is still time to plant several vegetable crops. In central Iowa, the last practical date to plant early maturing sweet corn varieties is July 1. Cucumbers and summer squash can be planted until July 20. August...
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...
The foam-like masses in the dogwoods were probably created by the dogwood spittlebug. The dogwood spittlebug is one of several species of this commonly recognized group of sap-feeding insects. Spittlebugs are familiar because of the...
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