Your home outside the city limits.
This spring, there have been many questions about something sticky falling from trees. There are a couple possibilities for this phenomenon, but a common culprit this year seems to be a higher than normal number of aphids. Aphids are very small soft-bodied insects, typically 1/16 to 1/8 inch in length. They have a mouth like a straw, which is inserted into plant leaves or... Continue Reading →
If your landscape has a history of bagworm problems, it’s time to start looking for the next generation of young insects. They will soon be hatching. The insects and their cocoons can be hard for gardeners to spot since they look so much like a natural part of the plant. Many people don’t realize the pointed oval... Continue Reading →
BENEFICIAL LANDSCAPES, Nebraska Statewide Arboretum As gardeners, we make decisions every day about what stays, what goes and what will take its place. Being faced with constant predicaments means we’re bound to get it wrong some of the time; in fact, the longer someone’s been at it, the more embarrassing notches go on the... Continue Reading →
Pest control - insects, diseases and weeds - are challenging for the home organic vegetable gardener. Today we’ll focus on techniques for insect and disease control. Organic gardens may have a higher level of insect and disease damage. Decide how much damage can be tolerated as a threshold for determining when control is needed. Pest Prevention Start... Continue Reading →
Many homeowners are wondering about this year’s first spring preemergence (PRE) herbicide and fertilizer application. Here are some tips to help you sort out the best products and strategies for your lawn. PRE Herbicide Residual PRE herbicides act by killing germinating weed seedlings, which come in contact with the herbicide as they grow their first... Continue Reading →
Spring fever is upon us! These warm, sunny days are just so wonderful, it makes any gardener want to get out in their garden and landscape. But with concerns about bees, other pollinators and beneficial insects at the forefront of many gardener’s minds, it’s important to understand what you can do now – before you clean up the... Continue Reading →
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 →
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 →
Looking for a book to give the gardener in your family this holiday season? Here are some of my favorites. One of my favorite gardening books is “The Well-Tended Perennial Garden” by Tracy DiSabato-Aust, first published in 1998. The most recent 3rd edition was published in 2017. I like this book because it’s written by a professional gardener... 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 →
Now is the time to get firewood ready for winter use. But the big woodpile that gives you such a feeling of snug security going into winter may also shelter rodents and insects, and may even provide them an opportunity to spend the cold season under your roof. Prevent Rodent ProblemsWhere and how you stack... Continue Reading →
The appearance of dead foliage clusters scattered throughout the canopy of oak trees is very noticeable right now. Some of these twig-and-foliage shoots, called “flags”, are breaking away, littering the ground below. This is symptomatic of the oak twig girdler, Oncideres cingulata. Oaks are the most common trees to be afflicted with the oak twig... Continue Reading →
