Keep your garden going strong with answers to these frequently asked questions.
Category: Edible Gardening
Summer Pruning of Fruit Trees
There are 2 windows of time that are best for pruning fruit trees. Most fruit tree growers are well aware of the first timeframe, which is late winter. The benefits of pruning at this time include the ease of seeing the flaws without the leaves in the way and close proximity to the point in the season when a healthy tree will naturally close the wounds made when branches are removed.
2025 Gardening Resolutions
Since January in the Midwest is usually not all that favorable for outdoor activities, we can grab the trowel by the handle and think ahead and backwards. Asking the question, “what didn’t go so well last year?” is a good one to springboard forward, or to borrow from the world of personal finance or fitness, to make new gardening resolutions.
Spring Garden Preparations
Spring is officially in full force, which means all of our planning and excitement is coming to fruition out in the vegetable garden. With any luck, you’ve had your greens and cabbages and peas in the ground for a little while now and are already eating your own homegrown food. As we enter May, though,…
Asparagus
Spring is here, officially, but that doesn’t mean we should get overly excited and go clean up our landscape beds just yet. However, Asparagus will soon be emerging from previous plantings and new plantings can be started soon. Planting & Care Asparagus is a perennial vegetable that will come back every year providing you with…
2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone
The USDA updated their Hardiness Zone map publicized in November 2023, reflecting changes in average extreme minimum temperatures, moving several Nebraska and Iowa counties to zone 6a. The author reminds gardeners to consider factors not covered by the map, such as anomalies and soil conditions, before purchasing new plants.
Saving for the Future: Seed Saving Tricks and Tips
Many gardeners turn their attention to saving seeds in the fall, hoping to save the best and brightest from this year’s garden to grow in future years. There are definitely some do’s and don’ts that start even before you planted the garden this year. Check out this article I wrote for the Garden Professors blog…