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A major challenge for good growth of houseplants indoors, particularly in winter, is poor light. Most homes are just too dark for plants to grow well in winter, especially those plants requiring high light. Signs your plants are not getting enough light are small leaves, long thin stems, failure of blooming plants to flower... Continue Reading →
Cherries have been a favored fruit for centuries, eaten by people since before recorded history. Sweet cherries, Prunus avium, are native throughout most of Europe, western Asia and parts of northern Africa. Naturally, they have been used extensively in holiday cooking through the years. But tart cherries, Prunus cerasus, are the most common and well-adapted cherry grown... Continue Reading →
Winter is a time many people prefer to stay indoors, enjoy a good book, a crackling fire in the fireplace and a hot cup of cocoa, giving little thought to the outdoors or their landscape. But gardeners know winter is a time to dream and plan for next summer’s gardens. For Nebraska Extension Master Gardener (EMG) volunteers, winter... Continue Reading →
Holiday cooking, and it's wonderful aromas, are one of the best parts of the holiday for me. Culinary herbs such as cinnamon, rosemary, oregano and sage, are major players in holiday cooking. Cinnamon comes from tropical or subtropical plants, which are not winter hard in Nebraska, but have been grown and harvested in east Asian... Continue Reading →
Yam or Sweet Potato? Sweet potato, botanically named Ipomoeas batatas, is a member of the morning glory family and native to Central and South America. In the United States, the terms yam and sweet potato are often used interchangeably but true yams are a completely different plant. True yams are in the Dioscorea genus and native to West Africa and Asia. Their... Continue Reading →
What? Why should I water something that isn’t growing? Ah, but it is growing…you just can’t see it. A compost pile is a combination of many elements; brown stuff (tree leaves, twigs, coffee grounds), green stuff (kitchen waste, grass clippings) and microscopic animals called microbes.
Pumpkins are typically thought of as a Halloween decoration, however, they are also a staple of our holiday season. Everyone loves pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Also, pumpkins and gourds make great Thanksgiving decorations! Description Pumpkins are a member of the cucurbit family of plants. They are in the same family as cucumbers, squash,... Continue Reading →
The history of popcorn in the Americas is very old, with the oldest samples of popcorn found in the Bat Cave of west central New Mexico dated at about 4,000 years old. According to the Popcorn Board, an organization of United States popcorn processors, it’s thought that the first use of wild and early-cultivated corn... Continue Reading →
Gooseberry is another great fruit for the home garden. The genus Ribes is home to both gooseberries and currants, so these two plants are closely related. Both are hardy and productive. One way to distinguish gooseberry from currant, is the arrangement of fruits. Gooseberry produces single fruits, or small clusters of 2-3 berries, from leaf... Continue Reading →
Whether for fruit production, habitat or beauty, serviceberry is an excellent addition to any landscape. You might know these plants by other names such as Juneberry, named for the month when fruits ripen, sarviceberry, and shadbush referring to the plants bloom time "when the shad (river herring) run". There are about twenty plant species within... Continue Reading →
The popularity of home vegetable gardening has certainly been strong this year, continuing a trend that started 10-15 years ago. But this year's shelter-at-home practices encouraged an even larger group of new gardeners to try their hand at home food production. Similarly, there is a growing interest in home fruit production. Aside from strawberries, there... Continue Reading →
What’s the best way to harvest your greens, such as lettuce, spinach, and Swiss chard? Before starting, remember these harvest tips. · Small leaves are tasty and tender. Over mature greens often become bitter. · Harvest mid-morning after the dew has dried but before the hot sun comes out. Harvesting leaves dry lengthens their... Continue Reading →
