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Knowing when your onions are ready for harvest and how to prepare them for storage are important steps toward having a successful crop. A common practice passed down among generations of gardeners is that bending over the onion leaves, while they are still green and growing, will prevent the leaves from growing so much... Continue Reading →
If you’ve never tasted horseradish (Armoracia rusticana), then think wasabi (Wasabia japonica). These two foods have a nearly identical flavor, often described as peppery, spicy and pungent, however, the sharp taste of horseradish only lasts a short time and doesn’t sear your mouth like hot peppers do. Horseradish foliage. Image from Pixabay.com. Both the... Continue Reading →
Strawberry plantings can produce for several years, but yields decrease with each year of harvest. Diseases, weeds and weak plants limit the life span of a single planting, so do not expect a bed to maintain its quality for more than three fruiting seasons. By following the recommended renovation or renewal procedures, you can maximize... Continue Reading →
Fruit trees in the home orchard often set abundant crops if spring pollination conditions are good and most home gardeners do not thin fruit trees enough or at all. Only 10% of peach flowers are needed for full crop set and peaches are particularly prone to branch breakage under heavy crop load. Very heavy fruit loads... Continue Reading →
The growing season is in full swing and gardening questions abound! Including questions about pollination and its effects in the vegetable garden, so here is a quick look at pollination and how it will - or won’t - affect the plants in your garden. Can pumpkins be planted near cucumbers, or will they cross pollinate... Continue Reading →
Transplants are the way to go with tomatoes, peppers and dozens of other vegetables, as well as many of the annual flowers common in Nebraska gardens. Transplants give long-season crops a head start before being put out in the garden and a chance to produce before fall frost. Annual flowers grown from transplants begin blooming... Continue Reading →
Raspberries are widely grown in Nebraska and a very popular home garden fruit. They are not difficult to grow if given the proper care. Here are the best pruning, fertilization and watering practices for your raspberries, along with a few tips on weed, insect and disease control. Harvest time. Image from Pixabay. PruningRaspberries can... Continue Reading →
If you’re short on space, try your hand at creating a patio or container garden. Containers fit well on an apartment patio or balcony, as well as in larger landscapes. The key to being successful involves using large containers, a good growing media, and selecting vegetables and flowering plants sized right for growing in containers. Patio Choice Yellow, All-America Selection 2017... Continue Reading →
A couple weeks ago we discussed this year’s All-America Selections (AAS) flower winners. This week we’ll take a look at the seven vegetable award winners – six national winners and one regional winner. To see pictures of these and other great plants visit the All-America Selection website. National Winners Eggplant ‘Icicle’ features pure white, cylindrical fruits which are each about 7-inches long. Fruits maintain their... Continue Reading →
Last week we looked at winter drought and watering. But many gardeners also have questions about spring pruning. Specifically, is the time to prune affected by warm winter conditions? Here are a few pruning -related questions I have received lately. Will early pruning cause fruit tree leaf and flower buds to develop earlier and... Continue Reading →
Onions are a cooking staple and not difficult to grow in the home garden. So why not grow your own this summer? But which to choose? There are many options in the garden catalogs. Day Length RequirementsThe first option to consider is whether to choose short day, day neutral or long day onions. Onion... Continue Reading →
Winter greenhouse production is nothing new, but rising concerns about heating with fossil fuels and their impact on climate change, have some growers looking for new ways to grow winter crops with less damage to the environment. Let’s take a look at three techniques, both new and old, that can be used to make winter... Continue Reading →
Acreage Life - Nebraska 