Your home outside the city limits.
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 →
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 →
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.
It’s fall, which means the calendar says October and November, but in a gardening sense it also means falling leaves.
Leaves are falling and gardeners will soon have an abundance of organic matter. Why not put these materials to good use this fall and start a home compost pile? Composting is easier than you think and the finished compost is an excellent soil amendment to improve the growth and health of your garden or landscape... Continue Reading →
In the summer, on an acreage or in town, it’s important to make every drop count.
Most plants are energized and invigorated by a summer outdoors. Even delicate plants like ferns have a growth spurt if placed in a shaded location and watered properly. While outside, houseplants require large amounts of water due to increased light levels, heat and wind evaporation. When houseplants are brought back indoors in fall, seasonal light... Continue Reading →
At this point in the fall, leaves are probably dropping all over your yard, and blowing in from the neighbors. What to do with all these leaves?
Fall leaves will soon be coming down, providing gardeners with an abundance of organic matter. Why not put these materials to good use this fall and start a home compost pile? Composting is easier than you think and finished compost is an excellent soil amendment to improve the growth and health of your garden or landscape plants. Here are five... Continue Reading →
The best time to seed cool season grasses, such as Kentucky bluegrass and tall fescue, is between August 15th and September 15th, so its time to start your site preparation. Getting your seeding done as early as possible is really important, because each week of delay in seeding translates into 2-4 additional weeks required for the grass... Continue Reading →
Many urban landscapes have a forlorn narrow planting strip between the curb and sidewalk, often known as a “hell strip”. No matter what is planted here - turf, trees, shrubs or perennials - they all face many challenges affecting their health and beauty, including those below. These factors must be considered when selecting plant material and, in... Continue Reading →
Mulch is an aspect of the landscape that doesn’t provoke much thought. Wood chips or rock? Landscaping fabric or not? The reality is that the right kind of mulch, applied to the proper depth, has a BIG impact on plant health, especially during the heat of summer. Root function stops when soil temperatures reach... Continue Reading →
