Prune Your Shrubs Now?  It Depends

Here’s a quick quiz – when do you prune your shrubs? When they get too big for the space they are growing in, when you think about it or when they look shabby? For many of us, the answer is all 3. Pruning your shrubs in a horticultural sense depends on 2 things: when they bloom and their age.

Spring, Summer, Fall Blooming Perennials

Perennial flowers offer great appeal in the spring, ringing the bell of activity of the gardening season.  The great news is that perennials do not bloom only in spring – they offer ever-changing garden views in all seasons.  If you plan your garden well, it will offer texture, color and movement appeal whenever you look…

Turf Care Under the Hot Sun – Part 2

My GROBigRed post in the first week of June introduced the concept of caring for turf under hot, sunny conditions, and focused on efficient irrigation practices.   Here’s an excerpt to set the stage for this week’s post – “In summer, in Nebraska, it’s hot.  So hot that caring for turf requires a full set…

Summer Lawn Care

The heat of summer is upon us and along with it comes a number of lawn issues that are dealt with differently than in spring and fall.  First, watering.  The two most important guidelines to remember are 1. Water to the bottom of the roots and 2. Keep the roots moist, not soggy or dry. …