Frequently Asked Questions
Carefully dig up the caladiums when the foliage begins to yellow with the onset of cool weather or wait until after the first frost. After digging, place the plants in a cool, dry location for 1 to 2 weeks to cure. After curing, cut...
Don’t cut back the rhubarb until the foliage and stalks have been destroyed by a hard freeze. To produce a good crop next spring, rhubarb plants must manufacture and store adequate levels of food in their roots. The foliage continues...
Tulips can be dug up and replanted as soon as the foliage dies back (turns brown) in early summer. Tulips can also be dug up and replanted in fall (October). If you intend to move tulips in the fall, mark the site when the foliage is...
While peanuts are grown commericially in the southeastern United States, they can be grown in Iowa. Their unique growth habit makes them a fun addition to the home garden.
Growing Conditions
Peanuts grow best in loose...
A properly prepared and maintained compost pile will generate little, if any, objectionable odors. Unpleasant odors may arise if the compost pile contains excessive amounts of wet plant materials (such as fruit or grass clippings), is kept...
Continue to mow the lawn until the grass stops growing in the fall. The foliage of cool-season grasses, such as Kentucky bluegrass, stops growing when daytime high temperatures are consistently below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. In central...
Collect walnuts after they fall to the ground. Remove the husks, then place the nuts in water. The nuts that float are not viable and can be discarded. Good, viable nuts will sink to the bottom.
Before walnuts will...
Turfgrass plants utilize light, water, and nutrients to manufacture food. In fall, lawn areas beneath large trees are often completely covered with leaves. The leaf debris prevents the turfgrass plants from manufacturing and storing...
Blueberry plants require a sunny location and a well-drained soil high in organic matter. Avoid wet, poorly drained sites. Blueberries are susceptible to root rots in poorly drained soils. Soil pH is also important. ...
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...
Many ornamental grasses provide color, sound, and movement to the winter landscape. Because of these winter features, cut back ornamental grasses in April in Iowa. Cut back the grasses to within 2 to 4 inches of the ground with hand...
Leaves are not a good winter mulch for strawberries. Leaves can mat together in layers, trapping air and creating space for ice to form. The leaf, air, and ice layers do not provide adequate protection. A leaf mulch may actually...
Calla lilies (Zantedeschia spp.) are tender perennials. Their rhizomes must be dug up in fall and stored indoors over the winter months. After a killing frost, cut off the foliage 1 to 2 inches above the soil surface. ...
Parsnips should be harvested in late fall after exposure to several light freezes. The low temperatures convert starches to sugars, improving the parsnip’s sweet, nut-like flavor. After harvest, trim off the foliage ½ inch above the...
Rembrandt tulips produce striped or “broken” blooms. The white, yellow, or red petals are striped (flamed) with red, bronze, or purple. Rembrandt tulips were sold for huge sums during “tulip mania” in Holland in the seventeenth and...
The moisture content of popcorn determines its popping quality. The ideal moisture content of popcorn is 13 to 14.5 percent.
Popcorn should be left on the stalk until fully mature. Harvest the ears when the husks are...
Herbicide residues should not be a problem if the grass clippings are thoroughly composted. As an added safety measure, mow the lawn two or three times before collecting and adding the clippings to the compost pile.
Do not mow shady areas less than 3 inches in height. Because of the lower photosynthetic rates in shady areas, the turfgrass plants need a large leaf surface to manufacture adequate amounts of food. The recommended mowing height for...
The bright reddish orange seeds of the saucer magnolia need to be exposed to cool, moist conditions before they will germinate. This can be accomplished by planting the seeds outdoors in fall. Plant the seeds 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep. The cool...
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...
Sour or tart cherries are self-fruitful. Self-pollination occurs when pollen is transferred from the anther to the stigma on the same flower, from another flower on the same plant, or from a flower on another plant of the same variety....
Tree roots are not as deep as most people imagine. Most tree roots are located in the top 12 to 18 inches of soil. While tree roots are quite shallow, they often extend out into an area that is 2 to 3 times larger than the crown area...
Peonies perform best in full sun and well-drained soils. When selecting a planting site, choose a location that receives at least 6 hours of direct sun each day. Avoid shady areas near large trees and shrubs. Poorly drained...
Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) seeds germinate slowly because they possess dormant embryos and slowly permeable seedcoats. Germination can be improved by placing the seeds in a cool, moist environment for 80 to 100 days. The cool, moist...
Cut the plants back to within 4 to 6 inches of the ground a few days after a hard, killing frost. Then carefully dig up the canna clumps with a spade or garden fork. Leave a small amount of soil around the cannas. Allow them to...
Pages
