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t's too early to begin fruit tree pruning now, but it's not too early to prepare. For homeowners with only a few fruit trees - who can choose the ideal time for pruning their trees - it's best to wait until just before new growth begins. This is typically late February into March. Wounds heal... Continue Reading →
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 →
During landscape clean up at season’s end, it’s a good time to assess your plantings’ performance and make plans for next season. If problems occurred, how did they present? Were scattered, unrelated plants affected? Or were all plants in one section of the landscape showing symptoms? How problems present can give a clue as to... Continue Reading →
Whenever woody weeds appear in a landscape, they can be especially challenging to control. Common woody weeds include tree seedlings, buckthorn, multiflora rose, ornamental pear, tartarian honeysuckle, poison ivy vines and greenbrier. Often woody weeds originate from seeds eaten by wildlife and deposited at random. But take heart, fall is a good time to control... Continue Reading →
Japanese beetle season is in full swing! They have been feeding for couple weeks and their damage is becoming very obvious. Below are some common questions about these pesky bugs and tips on managing damage in your landscape. Japanese beetles on rose leaves & flower buds. Image from Pixabay.com. What do they look likeAdult beetles are similar... Continue Reading →
There has been great concern in recent weeks from home gardeners about poison hemlock, also known as poison parsley. Botanically known as Conium maculatum, poison hemlock is blooming right now with large flat clusters of white flowers so can be easily spotted. Poison hemlock is native to Europe, northern Africa and western Asia. It was... Continue Reading →
This spring, some of our lawns look beautiful and others are showing some winter damage. The dry conditions we experienced from September through March have caused patchy grass death in some locations, as in the picture above taken the first week of May 2022 near Hastings. Damage is especially common on south or west facing... 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 newly germinated weed seedlings; they come in contact with the herbicide as they grow their... Continue Reading →
Raspberries are widely grown in Nebraska and a very popular home garden fruit. They are not difficult to grow if given the proper care. Here are the best pruning, fertilization and watering practices for your raspberries, along with a few tips on weed, insect and disease control. Harvest time. Image from Pixabay. PruningRaspberries can... Continue Reading →
2022 Master Gardener Program Now Accepting Applications 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 is... Continue Reading →
If you have a saucer or star magnolia in your landscape, magnolia scale is a troublesome insect to watch out for. An integrated approach is necessary for control, targeting the most vulnerable life stages at specific times of year. Late fall is a good time of year for control, so it’s worth your time now... Continue Reading →
Some insects only sporadically cause problems in lawns and landscapes. They are there, every year, but usually in such low numbers they can easily be overlooked. Fall armyworm is one such insect, but it appears they will not go unnoticed this year. There are actually several species of armyworm, including common and yellowstriped, but the... Continue Reading →
Acreage Life - Nebraska 