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Looking through all the beautiful tomato pictures in a seed catalog, how do you choose the best cultivars for your garden? Every gardener knows nothing is more disappointing than to raise a tomato plant, finally have it loaded with fruit, when suddenly it wilts and dies. One way to prevent this disaster is to choose... Continue Reading →
Of course, pumpkin and pecan pie reign supreme on many Thanksgiving tables, but fruit pies are often a close second in the pie-popularity race. A personal favorite of mine is rhubarb or strawberry-rhubarb pie. People seem to have either a love or hate relationship with rhubarb, but if you are a rhubarb lover and have... Continue Reading →
Colorful pumpkins and gourds are popular fall decorations, and their appearing for sale in many locations now. But no matter if you're growing or purchasing pumpkins or gourds for display, decoration, cooking or storage, choosing the best specimens and storing them properly is key. Select Healthy, Mature Pumpkins & GourdsIt's important for good storage and longer-life... Continue Reading →
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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →
This week let’s look at the National Garden Bureau’s three additional featured plants for the year - Gladiola, lilac and salad greens. Deluxe Gladiolus from Jung Seeds Year of Gladiola - Bulb0K, for all those experienced gardeners out there, no - gladiola isn’t a true bulb. It’s a corm, but it is included in this... Continue Reading →
Acreage Life - Nebraska 