March 7, 2023
AAS Winners are Great New Plants to Grow in Your Home Garden
All-America Selections has been trialing edible and ornamental plants for over 90 years, presenting awards to entries that will impress home gardeners with their performance regionally or nationally. There have been plenty of exciting new winners that merit a place in your garden that will be highlighted in this series.
Guide to Starting Seeds Indoors
Mid-March is the best time to start many vegetables and annual flowers indoors for transplanting outside once the threat of frost has past.
Regardless of what type of seed you're growing, to have the best success follow these basic tips:
Start with fresh seed and clean materials. Consult the package to determine how early to start the seed indoors - do not start seed too early. Provide abundant light. Do not over or under water. Raise the humidity during germination. If possible warm the germination mix/soil.More details about starting seeds indoors can be found below.
How to Prevent Ice and Snow Damage on Trees and Shrubs
Heavy amounts of snow and ice on the branches of trees and shrubs can cause considerable damage. Improper removal of ice and snow can increase the amount of damage to trees and shrubs. Learn about how to manage ice and heavy snow on trees and shrubs.
How to Force Branches of Spring-Flowering Trees and Shrubs
Gardeners can brighten up the last few weeks of winter by forcing branches of flowering trees and shrubs indoors. Forsythias, pussywillows, serviceberries, crabapples, magnolias, redbuds, and many fruit trees can be coaxed into early bloom indoors, helping revive the spirits of winter-weary Iowans.