They are cute. They are little. So what is the big deal if there are lots of grasshoppers? These seemingly innocuous little guys and gals can be quite harmful to our landscape plants and vegetable gardens. As grasshoppers grow, their appetites become larger, making the damage they do even more severe. Floating row covers and…
Category: Urban Agriculture
Herbicide Damage to Vegetable Plants
Twisting, curling, and cupping of leaves are often symptomatic of herbicide damage on vegetable plants. The culprits that most readily cause this type of damage include 2,4-D (used to kill broadleaf weeds in lawns and pastures), dicamba (lawn and crop broadleaf weeds) and picloram (pasture broadleaf weeds). These herbicides are plant growth regulators, killing weeds…
Pollinators and their Health
One third of our food supply exists because a pollinator moved pollen from one flower to another. Their quest for nectar and pollen means we reap the benefits by harvesting fruits, vegetables, and legumes. Despite the necessity of pollinators for a reliable food supply for humans, pollinator habitat is in jeopardy because of reduced food…
Soil Tests
T’is the season when many gardeners are thinking about soil tests. Especially in instances when plants won’t grow, won’t flower or won’t respond to our best efforts, soil tests can be the logical next step. Bear in mind, however, that while the soil test results contribute to an overall understanding of the health of the…
Creating a Community Garden
A community garden is a collective place where local people grow vegetables, fruits, herbs and flowers for local people. There are many types of community gardens, ranging from neighborhood gardens to child care center gardens to food pantry gardens, and everything in between. The reason community gardeners garden is varied, with access to fresh food,…
5 Things to Know When Choosing a Spot for Your Vegetable Garden
Choosing the right place for your vegetable garden is an important first step in making gardening fun and productive. Here are 5 simple things you can do when selecting a site. 1) Vegetable gardens should be planted in full sun, but what exactly is “full sun”? To be productive, vegetable gardens should receive 7 or…
Weed Appreciation Day—In Praise of Dandelions
Weed Appreciation Day is March 28 and in recognition of this important day, I’m writing about the common dandelion. The dandelion, Taraxacum officinale, is a cool season perennial, having some of the first leaves to develop in early spring. Leaves can be used in salads and are high in potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium and vitamins…
Three Must Have Books
This week on the GROBigRed Blog we are celebrating National Library Lover’s Month and the books that we love to use. I want to share two of my go-to books and a new addition that I am excited to have this year. Field Guide to Wildflowers of Nebraska and the Great Plains (ISBN 978-1-60938-071-7) by…