Winter Protection for Landscape Plants

Winter can be a harsh time for a Nebraska landscape plant. Cold temperatures, winter winds and fluctuations in conditions and cause many of them to be damaged. Fortunately, there are a few steps that can be taken to limit the injury. The specific actions depend largely on the plant involved.

Houseplant Survival Guide for Winter

It can be cold and dreary in Nebraska in winter and most people want some green around to fight off the winter blues.  November brings on a whole new set of growing conditions for our tropical houseplants indoors, both for ones that have been brought indoors after a summer outside as well as those that are year-round fixtures inside.  For winter success, consider these 5 factors.

Houseplant Transitions

Moving indoor/outdoor plants back indoors is in full swing in early September.  Many gardeners have a full patio of container plants at this point in the season, some of which are well-suited to bring back indoors for winter enjoyment.  The key to success is doing it gradually.

Easy to Care For Houseplants

By now, in early February, “Cabin Fever” is raging amongst Midwesterners. Perhaps you’ve even been somewhere warm (south Texas, Florida, Arizona), seen green plants outdoors and are longing for that kind of greenery at your residence. To help overcome the winter blues, try these easy to care for houseplants; it will help scratch the itch and not require a lot of resources to do it.

American Robin

Nothing says spring like the American robin. Most years my mom and I will call each other when we see our first robin. There is something uplifting about seeing them. Maybe because they singal the end of winter and the promise of spring. American robins can be found throughout most of North America from the…

Is This Plant Dead?

You hear these terms – “the dead of winter” and “dead to the world”, but what do they really mean?  In most cases, they’re exaggerations or synonyms for other situations; in this case, really cold weather with no end in sight and really, really tired. In the plant world, the question of “is this plant…

Evergreen Shrub Protection in Winter

This is winter in Nebraska.  Winter in Nebraska is by definition “variable”.  Long term residents seemingly are always telling newcomers that it’s colder this year or wetter this year or dryer this year or more up and down this year.  To sum, this is winter in Nebraska…variable.   As a result of variable conditions, especially…

New Turf in Late Fall

After the scourges of summer, many of us replanted or renovated the turf around homes and throughout the landscape.  As the winter sets in, there are a few steps to take to increase the odds of survival and regrowth next spring.   Perhaps the most important “to do” is to keep the soil moist…not soggy…

Last Hurrah! – Fall Veggie Gardening

Most people think that the only time to plant a vegetable garden is May. Those people are sorely mistaken. One of the most productive seasons in the garden is fall, and even early winter.

Winter is Coming: Prepare your Fruit Trees and Shrubs

While the end of the garden season has basically flown past us with a flash of frost and freeze, there are still some things you need to do to prepare your garden for winter. Fruit trees and shrubs are no different, as there are some things you should do or prepare to do before the…