Lightly shaded areas receive 3-5 hours of direct sun per day
Right Plant, Right Place – Match plants with their preferred growing site
Dothistroma needle blight
Dothistroma needle blight is one of the most common fungal diseases of pines in Nebraska, resulting in sparse trees with thin canopies. Older, inner needles are affected first causing premature needle drop. Many species of pine are affected by this disease, but in Nebraska it's found most commonly and causes the greatest amount of damage on Austrian and Ponderosa... Continue Reading →
Spring Freeze Damage in Home Landscapes
Unseasonably warm, mid-70 to nearly 90-degree temperatures in early April lured trees, shrubs and perennials out of dormancy. Many trees and shrubs have been blooming for the last two weeks, only to be threatened by normal late April frosts. April 14-15, Lincoln nighttime temperatures dip to 27°F and 26°F degrees, respectively. April 19-22, had nighttime temperatures of 31°F, 32°F, 29°F and 23°F degrees, respectively. Gardeners always have concerns... Continue Reading →
Early Season Disease Control in the Home Orchard
Fruit trees are blooming, or will soon be, marking the beginning of another growing season. Many diseases become active during blooming, so it’s time to protect your trees and ensure a good harvest. Brown Rot After harvesting, gardeners are often disappointed to find their apricot, peach, cherry or plum fruits quickly develop a soft fuzzy brown rot. This is caused by a very common... Continue Reading →
Lawn Tips for Late Winter
Wow, it’s great to see the sun, feel the warmth and lose the heaps of snow in my front yard! Although 70 plus degrees in early March could result in problems later this spring, if plants come out of dormancy too soon. But, since there isn’t a great deal we can do about the weather, let’s... Continue Reading →
Wildflowers & Grasses – Conservation Plantings for Native Insects and Wildlife
Conservation plantings of wildflowers and grasses may range in size from a few plants in a home garden, to extensive plantings on a farm or acreage. Usually these plantings are intended to create habitat for butterflies, pollinators, birds or other wildlife. But if the planting isn’t well-maintained, it’s benefits and beauty many decrease over time. ... Continue Reading →
Forcing Flowering Branches
If there ever was a year to try your hand at forcing flowering branches, this is it. Yes, this year, spring can come early to your acreage; best of all inside your home. How is this possible? Easy.
Selecting Fruit Trees for Eastern Nebraska
Tree fruits look very appealing in garden magazines and catalogs. But not all tree fruits in the catalogs do well in eastern Nebraska. Important considerations to make sure trees thrive and produce well include winter hardiness, bloom time, disease resistance, growth requirements and regular maintenance. HardinessExtreme winter conditions are the biggest limiting factor for backyard... Continue Reading →
Pine Trees or Evergreens?
All pine trees have needles, but all needled evergreens aren't pine trees any more than all dogs are dachshunds. Telling pines, firs and spruces apart isn't any harder than distinguishing beagles, Bassett hounds or bloodhounds -- you just need to know how each one is distinctively different from the others. Step One: Look at the... Continue Reading →
Plan Your Pruning
When you live on an acreage, you usually have lots of plants to prune. And, because it is an acreage, there are many other activities vying for attention such as broken fences, chickens that need to be fed, trees that need to be planted, grass to be mown, gardens to be weeded and water to be tested. However, if you take a few minutes to plan out the when, what and how, pruning can be easily accomplished.
Homegrown Holiday Greens – Hollies for Nebraska Gardeners
I’ve always envied southern gardeners, and their ability to grow big, beautiful American holly trees. It would be so nice to simply walk to the backyard and snip a few branches with colorful berries for holiday wreaths or arrangements. During the holiday season, English holly (I. aquifolium) is popular in wreaths and greens, but unfortunately it also... Continue Reading →
Gifts for Gardeners – Tools to Help Their Garden Grow
Good tools make the work in my landscape much easier. I get the majority of my work done with just five tools, so if you have a gardener on your gift list consider one of these ideas. Hori-Hori - Garden or Soil Knife The tool that is absolutely indispensable to me is a Japanese... Continue Reading →
