April 13, 2018
Spring Lawn Care
Spring is finally here and a little work now will help maximize your yard for appearance and performance throughout the summer. April is a great time to fertilize your yard to help it green up, and prevent summer annual weeds with an application of a preemergent herbicide.
A Passion for Purple Foliage Plants
I must confess - I have this thing for purple-leaved plants. As options for purple foliage plants have expanded over the years, my love for them has only grown. Adding a purple tree, shrub, perennial, annual, or even an herb or vegetable to the landscape is sure to stand out against the green leaved plants in the landscape. If you think you might like adding a few purple foliage plants to your landscape, below are several that perform well in Iowa.
Trees
Native Shrubs for Moist to Wet Locations
Locations with moist to wet soils are not suitable for many shrubs. However, these sites are home to several native shrubs. A list of native wetland shrubs, along with a brief description of each, is provided below.
Emerald Ash Borer Confirmed in Taylor and Carroll Counties
Emerald ash borer (EAB has been discovered for the first time in Taylor and Carroll Counties. EAB has now been detected in 57 Iowa counties since first being found in Iowa in 2010.
The discovery in Taylor County was in the town of Clearfield and the Carroll County site was in a rural area west of Carroll. In both instances a tree service alerted the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship after recognizing potentially EAB infested ash trees. The presence of EAB was confirmed after insect specimens were collected at both sites.
Yard and Garden News – Tomatoes and Asparagus
Growing Tomatoes. Tomatoes can be bite-sized cherry tomatoes or giant beefsteak varieties ranging in color from red to yellow, orange and pink. Learn more about home-grown tomatoes in the Iowa State University Extension & Outreach Yard and Garden news release from April 11, 2018.