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All plants - trees & shrubs, turf, ornamentals, fruits and vegetables – all require the same 17 nutrients to grow. Three of these - carbon, hydrogen and oxygen – plants get from air and water, but the remaining 14 nutrients are absorbed from the soil. Plant nutrients are classified as either primary, secondary or... Continue Reading →
All-America Selections (AAS) announces its 2024 national award winners - six flower and two vegetable selections. National awards are given to plants with consistently great performance across the United States. AAS is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to the testing and introduction of new flowers and vegetables varieties for the home gardener. Plants are trialed... Continue Reading →
Browsing garden catalogs and planning the coming year's garden is a pleasant way to spend a winter day, despite the danger of setting off a massive case of spring fever! But choosing from the abundance of vegetable varieties in even a few catalogs can quickly become a challenge. Beginning gardeners, especially, may have difficulty... Continue Reading →
We know fall has arrived when pumpkins begin decorating porches and our favorite pumpkin spice foods appear in stores, including - new this year - Pillsbury pumpkin spice rolls and Philadelphia pumpkin spice cream cheese. Pumpkin pie, and other pumpkin desserts, are favorites at many holiday celebrations. Diversity among pumpkin varieties is incredible! With sizes ranging from... Continue Reading →
We've had our first touch of cold weather, with night temps falling to the upper 30s on October 6th and 7th , but no hard freezes yet. Of course, we're at the end of the gardening season. But if you have tender plants, and you want to keep them growing a while longer, it's important to pay... Continue Reading →
Tomatoes and pumpkins are two vegetables we get calls on in the fall. We haven't reached the growing season's end yet, but it's only a few weeks away. If there are still tomatoes or pumpkins in the garden to harvest, follow these recommendations to ensure a successful end to your harvest season. As tomatoes ripen,... Continue Reading →
Many gardeners think vegetables can only be planted in spring, but they can also be planted in fall with either of two goals in mind: harvest in fall or winter, or harvest in spring from cold-hardy plants that have overwintered. No matter which harvesting plan you’re shooting for, planting usually starts in... Continue Reading →
Late summer and fall are an exciting time in the garden. Harvest is in full swing, perennials can be divided, lawns can be overseeded, and so much more! It’s a shame to miss this window of opportunity to “upgrade” your landscape. There’s work to be done – that’s for sure – but focusing on the... Continue Reading →
As if 2023 hasn’t thrown gardeners enough curves already - like drought damage in lawns, shrubs, trees and ornamentals – soon it will be Japanese beetle season. Wonderful, that’s all we need! But we must be realistic and acknowledge the fact – Japanese beetles are here to stay. Once an invasive species like this one... Continue Reading →
Home gardeners are itching to get outside and will soon be buying bedding plants – both annual flowers and vegetables - from local garden centers and greenhouses. Selecting strong, healthy plants, along with proper care and planting, will help insure a successful start to the gardening season. Select short stocky plants with dark green foliage.... Continue Reading →
Is this the year you want to plant a home vegetable garden? If so, it's time to get your plan together for this summer's garden. Home vegetable gardening is a popular hobby for a number of reasons. Some people garden for exercise and some for the enjoyment of harvesting flavorful produce that can be eaten... Continue Reading →
Broccoli hails from the Mediterranean region and has been enjoyed there since Roman times. Other European regions eventually caught on and broccoli was popularized in France as “Italian Asparagus” in about 1650. The English adopted it about 70 years later. We have been broccoli fans across the US since the 1920s when ice-packed broccoli heads... Continue Reading →
Acreage Life - Nebraska 