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In 2024, National Arbor Day will be celebrated April 26. Arbor Day is a Nebraska creation. Early Nebraska settlers missed the trees they left behind in their homes. Their first sight and experience of the Great Plains must have been a shock and brought home the tremendous value of trees for environmental protection, wildlife habitat,... Continue Reading →
Many gardeners have questions at this time of year about spring pruning. So, here are some common questions you may have been wondering about and your answers. Will early pruning cause fruit tree leaf and flower buds to develop earlier and possibly be damaged by normal spring frosts? Should pruning still be done... Continue Reading →
The keys to pruning trees and shrubs are a basic understanding of pruning techniques and knowing when to prune plants. For more information on these topics, check out the additional resources below. But it's also important to understand the variety of tools available to make the job easier and use them correctly. The best tool... Continue Reading →
Caring for a lawn and landscape is a lot of work! Mowing, fertilization, seeding and weed control in a lawn, along with planting, pruning and pest management in trees and landscape areas requires more time than many homeowners have available or the equipment to accomplish. Plus, the identification of weeds and pests often needs a professional’s... Continue Reading →
Winter days may be gloomy and dull, but you can give your home a touch of spring by forcing landscape branches to bloom indoors. Spring-flowering trees and shrubs set their flower buds the previous fall. Once the buds have been exposed to cold for several months (usually by mid-January), branches can be cut and forced... Continue Reading →
Cold temperatures, drying sun and wind, road salt, snow and ice can all take a toll on landscape plants during winter. But homeowners can use the strategies below to prevent major damage and minimize winter’s toll. Now, while daytime temperatures are still fairly warm, is the time to prepare your plants for winter. Evergreens,... Continue Reading →
Did you realize some evergreen needles change color in the fall too, just like deciduous trees do? It's true and it often causes alarm in homeowners when their evergreen trees start to drop needles. Although most conifer trees are considered to be "evergreen", their needles don't live forever. What makes them evergreen is that their... 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 →
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 →
When working in the landscape it’s common to find a surprising treasure – a healthy little tree. Usually, they were planted by squirrels or birds so aren’t in an ideal location, but it is possible to relocate and grow them into large shade trees. First, consider which seedling trees are worth saving. Choosing the... Continue Reading →
If you catch yourself saying, "I wish we had more shade around the house," now's the time to make plans. Shade trees provide the most benefits when planted on the south or west side of your house, but that doesn’t mean you may not also need shade in additional locations. Trees can have many... Continue Reading →
Just as drought has caused havoc in many lawns, we’re also seeing damage in trees. Even very drought tolerant trees like eastern red cedar and Colorado spruce have extensive damage or have been killed completely. Death of branches or a whole tree are very obvious and visible effects, but drought can also cause damage... Continue Reading →
Acreage Life - Nebraska 