That the idea for a National Day of Recognition for trees came from a prairie state speaks to the importance of trees and spring tree planting. Not just lovely to look at, trees provide benefits: Roots to hold the soil, fruit and nesting places for wildlife, shade for our homes (reducing cooling costs by 25-30%!),…
Author: Kathleen Cue
Kathleen serves as the Horticulture Educator for Nebraska Extension in Dodge County. She educates people on making smart plant choices to reduce use of fertilizers and pesticides in their landscape which has a positive impact on air, water, soil and environmental quality, property values and people’s pocketbooks.
Nebraska Extension Master Gardener Volunteers
A shout out of appreciation goes to Nebraska Extension Master Gardener Volunteers (NEMGV) as we celebrate National Volunteer Week, April 17-23. NEMGVs are volunteers, recipients of Nebraska Extension’s research-based education, which covers the gamut of horticulture topics, from insects to trees, and everything in between. NEMGVs are committed to their communities, volunteering their expertise to…
Winter Care of Houseplants
If you grow your own fresh air, you appreciate the liveliness houseplants bring to the indoors during the long winter months. On days when I’m feeling blue, nothing lifts my spirits like taking care of my houseplants. Removing dead leaves, looking for any insect pests that I missed when bringing them indoors last fall, pinching…
Blooming Lilacs in October!
It is not unusual for some plants to blossom out of season. Magnolia, crabapple, lilac, and forsythia are notably spring-blooming plants, but stressful growing conditions can instigate a type of dormancy that pushes flowering to later in the season. Lilacs are a great example this year. To better understand why this happens, it is helpful…
Readying the Garden Soil for Winter
Plan now to boost your soil’s health by taking steps this fall.
Tomato Viruses
As difficult as blights are to manage in tomatoes, viral diseases are far worse. This is because there are no effective products to stop their spread. To make matters even more challenging, virus infection is most often the work of sap sucking insects, such as aphids, thrips, and leafhoppers, that vector diseases. Insecticides to stop…
Graft Union Incompatibility
Lots of trees can be grafted—fruit trees, shade trees, and even small ornamental trees. Grafting is the art of putting together two different parts of trees to make one new tree. Unlike Frankenstein, the results are not monstrous, but instead the new tree will have some of the best traits of each of its parts….
Winter Damage and Herbicide Drift
Winter Damage February’s deep cold separated the marginally hardy plants from those that weathered the winter without problems. The lower portions of stems of some trees and shrubs, protected by the snow, flowered as usual and are sending out new leaves. Unfortunately, the portions of plants not protected by snow remain lifeless or are slow…
2021 Picks for Great Plants for the Great Plains
When looking for tough plants for the Great Plains, turn to the Great Plants for the Great Plains for ideas.
Staking Newly Planted Trees
Confusion surrounds the healthiest way to stake newly-planted trees to stand up to fierce winds while fostering good root growth. The old method, seen much too often still, of snaking wire through a section of garden hose to wrap around trunks and branches is highly injurious to trees. This ill-advised technique digs into tree conductive…