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Each year in late spring and early summer, homeowners begin noticing strange growths on the leaves or stems and are concerned for the health of their trees. Several different types of galls are common on Nebraska trees, caused by the feeding or egg laying activities of insects or mites. Either the physical damage done by... Continue Reading →
It’s amazing to gardeners that our lawns and landscapes can just be greening up in spring and yet there are weeds already growing like gangbusters and blooming! How do they get started so quickly? Aside from dandelions, three of the most common culprits found in the spring landscape are creeping Charlie, henbit and field speedwell.... Continue Reading →
Warm temperatures in March have had many homeowners wondering about this year’s first spring preemergence (PRE) herbicide application. When is the right time to apply in spring? If you've waited, that's good. PRE Herbicide Residual PRE herbicides act by killing germinating weed seedlings; they come in contact with the herbicide as they grow their first shoot... Continue Reading →
Common pests of houseplants include aphids, mealybugs, whiteflies and spider mites, and it only takes a few insects hitchhiking into your home to multiply into an outbreak. Many gardeners prefer not to use standard insecticides, especially in the house. That may be one of the reasons why insecticidal soaps, both pre-mixed and homemade, have been... Continue Reading →
Popular plants can be overplanted in the landscape. Two examples of overplanted tree species in most communities includes ornamental pear varieties, such as Bradford pear, and red maple. Planting lots of one specific plant not only gets monotonous, but can lead to problems. Low diversity plantings, consisting of only a few species, should be avoided for several reasons. All susceptible trees of... Continue Reading →
Many houseplants thrive outside during summer, growing well with the brighter light intensity, but it will soon be time to bring them back indoors. Most plants grown as houseplants originated in the tropics, so nighttime temperatures dipping into the 40's and 50's F mean it's time to bring them inside. These plants won't survive frost... Continue Reading →
A weed is any plant growing where it isn’t wanted and, although they are less common than other weeds, trees and shrubs can also become weeds. Usually, these plants get started through seed dispersal by wind or wildlife and they can pop up in the most inconvenient places – fence lines, right next to a... Continue Reading →
One of the most difficult weed situations to deal with on an acreage or large property is weedy vines growing in hedges or trees. Wild cucumber, burcucumber, and honeyvine milkweed are the most common culprits. These plants shade the foliage of the host plant, and interfere with their ability to photosynthesis. This is especially damaging to evergreen trees, which don’t tolerate shading well. Note: Field and hedge bindweed, and dodder can... 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 →
Last week, we looked at the best time and methods for controlling yellow nutsedge and summer annual weeds. Next up, let’s discuss broadleaf perennial and winter annual weeds. Examples of broadleaf weeds include dandelions, violets, ground ivy and poison ivy; from a very simplified perspective, broadleaf weeds are any weed which is not a grass... Continue Reading →
About this time every summer weeds begin to drive us crazy; they love the heat of mid-summer! Here are some tips to help maintain your sanity and create the best long-term strategy to minimize weeds in your landscape. Even though weeds are most problematic now, this is one of the worst times of year to get... Continue Reading →
“Leaves of three, let it be!” Remember this rule of thumb to protect yourself from an itchy poison ivy rash this summer! Plants look innocent enough at this point in the season, but handling them is a mistake. All parts of a poison ivy plant – leaves, stems, roots, fruits – contain an oil called urushiol... Continue Reading →
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