Home gardeners should carefully consider their landscape needs and the characteristics of the various shrubs. For example, deciduous shrubs drop their leaves in fall and are effective screens mainly during the growing season.
Home gardeners should carefully consider their landscape needs and the characteristics of the various shrubs. For example, deciduous shrubs drop their leaves in fall and are effective screens mainly during the growing season.
Raised beds provide several advantages over conventional garden areas. Wet, poorly drained sites can be improved by constructing raised beds.
Proper site selection is important when planting azaleas and rhododendrons. Azaleas prefer partial to full sun. Rhododendrons perform best in protected sites in partial shade. Areas that receive morning sun and afternoon shade ar
The brightly colored flowers of moss phlox (Phlox subulata), oftentimes referred to as “creeping phlox,” are a common sight in many home landscapes in spring. Moss phlox forms dense, carpet-like mats. Plants are 4 to 6 inches
As the name suggests, bare-root trees and shrubs have no soil around their roots. Bare-root nursery stock is dug in late fall, placed in cold storage, then shipped to garden centers or gardeners in early spring. Bare-root trees and shr
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.&nb
Incorporating compost into garden soil improves the physical, chemical, and biological properties of the soil.
These cultivars have attractive red stalks and are good choices for Iowa gardens:
Solomon’s seal (Polygonatum spp.) and false Solomon’s seal (Maianthemum racemosum) are native woodland plants. Both plants produce long, arching stems. However, the flowering and fruiting characteristics are different
There are basically 3 types of strawberries grown in home gardens. They differ in growth, flowering, and fruiting characteristics.
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.
Proper pruning of purple raspberries promotes high yields, helps control diseases, and facilitates harvesting and other maintenance chores.
Bee balms (Monarda species) perform best in full sun. The planting site should receive at least 6 hours of direct sun per day. Plants grown in partial shade won’t flower as heavily and are more susceptible to powdery mildew.&n
Symptoms of impatiens downy mildew initially appear as yellowing of infected leaves. The yellow-green foliage may initially be confused with a nutritional deficiency.
The Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) is an exotic destructive pest that kills all native ash trees (Fraxinus). The urban tree canopy is significantly impacted by the loss of ash trees.
Brown rot is a common fungal disease of peaches and other stone fruits. Affected fruits develop circular light brown spots that expand rapidly and rot the fruit. Sometimes the fungus that causes this rot is visible as ash-gray tufts.&n
Cool-season annuals are annual plants that prefer cool temperatures, growing best in spring or fall. Many are tolerant of a light frost often surviving down to 28°F or sometimes even 25°F with little damage to flowers or leaves.
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.
To obtain an earlier crop, start melon transplants indoors. Sow seeds indoors 3 to 4 weeks before the anticipated outdoor planting date. Plantable containers, such as peat pots, work best as both plant
Cool-season annuals are annual plants that prefer cool temperatures, growing best in spring or fall. Many are tolerant of a light frost often surviving down to 28°F or sometimes even 25°F with little damage to flowers or leaves.
Leaves are an excellent resource for the garden. They break down to add organic matter and nutrients to the soil. As they decompose, they act as a mulch suppressing weeds and helping to maintain consistent soil moisture.
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 grow
Construction of buildings, patios, garages, driveways, sidewalks, and roads often compromises the growing environment of nearby trees. The majority of a tree’s roots are located in the top 12 to 18 inches of soil and often extend well beyond
Many home gardeners choose to avoid the use of herbicides in vegetable gardens since they are growing edible crops. In certain situations, however, a gardener can use herbicides to supplement other weed control strategies. Most herbici
Cherries perform best in moist, well-drained, fertile soils. Avoid wet, poorly drained sites. Cherries are susceptible to root rots in wet, poorly drained soils. Trees should also receive full sun. Sites must receive at lea
Grapevines can be grown on a wide range of soil types. Best growth and yields are obtained in well-drained soils. Avoid soils that are persistently wet during the growing season. Highly fertile soils
Onions perform best in well-drained, slightly acidic, fertile soils in full sun. The planting site should receive at least 6 hours of direct sun each day. Heavy soils can be improved by incorporating organic matter, such as compost, in
Onion bulb formation begins when a certain day length is reached. Short-day onion varieties begin to form bulbs when they receive 10 to 12 hours of daylight, intermediate-day onions need 12 to 14 hours of daylight, and long-day varieties req
Tomatoes perform best in fertile, well-drained soils. Avoid heavy clay soils and poorly drained sites. For best yields, tomatoes need at least 6 hours of direct sun per day. To discourage Septoria leaf spot, early blight, and oth
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 is