Summer Watering for Trees

High temperatures and dry conditions have resulted in many lawns turning brown in the last few weeks, but all plants suffer during hot, dry conditions not just lawns. So far, we’ve had 24 days of 90+ degree heat this summer from June 1st to July 24th. Lancaster County had a rain deficit of 0.75 inches... Continue Reading →

Six Questions about Japanese Beetles 

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 →

7 Garden Gaffes to Avoid this Year 

What’s the difference between a new gardener and an experienced one? The experienced gardener has killed way more plants - or so the saying goes!   Even armed with a substantial amount of knowledge, gardening is still a highly trial-and-error venture. Sometimes that’s on purpose, as gardeners try new plants in their gardens. Sometimes it’s... Continue Reading →

Pruning Fruit Trees vs. Shade Trees 

If you haven’t pruned the trees in your landscape yet, now is a good time to get it done. Today, let’s look at the differences between pruning fruit trees and shade trees. Our end goals and pruning strategies are very different between these two tree types.   Apple trees in an orchard demonstrating standard central... Continue Reading →

Creating a Patio Garden 

If you’re short on space, try your hand at creating a patio or container garden.  Containers fit well on an apartment patio or balcony, as well as in larger landscapes. The key to being successful involves using large containers, a good growing media, and selecting vegetables and flowering plants sized right for growing in containers.      Patio Choice Yellow, All-America Selection 2017... Continue Reading →

Severe Summer Storm Aftermath

In mid-June of 2021, many parts of Nebraska received sixty, seventy and eighty mile per hour winds that caused major damage to a variety of trees, especially Bradford pear, elm, cottonwood, river birch and silver maple. Normally hardy trees were damaged as well; in most cases the ones that had poor branch angles, co-dominant leaders and cracks were especially harmed as well as those planted too deeply.

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.

Shagbark Hickory

In the late fall, it can be hard to find a lot of color in the landscape. Many of our flowers are starting to fade for the winter and the days are getting shorter and colder. One of my favorite things about fall is all the wonderful leaf colors through the landscape. One of my... Continue Reading →

Fall Landscape Playbook

It’s difficult to imagine, as we sweat our way through early August, but in just 8 weeks we’ll be talking about early frosts. Fall is a great time to get many landscape tasks accomplished, so here’s a quick rundown of some common landscape projects listed in order of attack.   Lawn Seeding August 15th to September 15th is... Continue Reading →

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