Join us for our FREE webinar series!
These engaging mini-webinars are 30 minutes including Q&A. Mini-webinars are free, but registration is required.
The first nine presentations in this series are now online. View them here.
The next series is called Fall into Winter Gardening.
and will be live on October 13- 27.
Find out more information on these webinars.
Online Courses: Growing and Caring for Plants in Wisconsin: Foundations in Gardening
Offered every fall, this is an online introductory course where you learn key concepts for selecting, growing, and maintaining plants- from trees to houseplants to vegetables!
Find out more.
New to Gardening?
Gardening and learning to grow your own food provides many benefits, but we know it can be a bit intimidating when first starting out.
Check out our New Gardener Resources to get your Wisconsin garden started quickly and easily.
Latest Horticulture News
After stressful summer, lawn grasses in Wisconsin rejuvenate in autumn and it is considered one of the best times to seed, renovate and establish new lawns. Moderate temperatures in 70’s and ample soil moisture in September promotes speedy establishment of lawn grasses.
If you fertilize only once per year, the most important time to fertilize is now, around Labor Day into early September! Apply no more than one pound of actual nitrogen per 1000 square feet per application.
May is a prime time to visit your local greenhouse, nursery or garden center to buy annuals, perennials and vegetables for your home garden. Unfortunately, these plants can be carriers of plant disease-causing organisms. Here are some pointers on what to look for when buying plants.
Check out Horticulture News Posts from earlier in the season!
Timely Articles for Summer Gardens
Late summer in the garden can be a challenge. We turn to two plant experts to discuss how to deal with pests like lily leaf beetle and jumping worms, and diseases like mildew and cedar-apple rust. Listen to this episode.
The following lawn care calendar provides an overview of home lawn maintenance. Not all lawns require every maintenance activity. Be sure to customize the care of your lawn to its specific problems and needs.
A great how-to book for backyard apple growers. Covers everything from planting tips to pruning to disease and insect management strategies.
Learn how to make the most of your garden. Features tips for setting up and planting raised beds, including wheelchair access.
Scott R. Craven, Phillip J. Pellitteri, Mark J. Renz Revised: 1/15/2010 Item number: G3564 Wisconsin’s bountiful natural resources make it an ideal place for outdoor recreation. Most plants and creatures you encounter won’t hurt you, but timber rattlesnakes, yellow jackets, wild parsnip, and others can be troublesome. This guide will help you recognize, avoid, and […]
By mid- to late summer the grapevine smothers out the fruit clusters and tends to outgrow beyond its trellis. This leads to poor air circulation around the plant, blocking light penetration and paving the way to fungal diseases like downy mildew and powdery mildew that decimate the fruits. Selective leaf removal around the fruit clusters […]
Robert Tomesh, horticulture specialist, University of Wisconsin Extension, Cooperative Extension Revised: 3/31/2011 Item number: A3933-01 Vine-type fruits and vegetables—such as tomatoes, melons, and cucumbers—are some of the most popular produce grown. Various trellising, staking, and caging techniques can be used to enhance yield, minimize disease, and improve harvesting. Find out which techniques will work in […]
This factsheet summarized ten common plant diseases that are also relatively easy to identify on your own.
Mike Maddox, State Master Gardener Program Manager & Darren Lochner, Formerly of the UW-Extension Lower Chippewa River Basin Revised: 2/5/2008 Item number: XHT1157 What is a rain barrel? A rain barrel can be any large container designed to collect rain water. Typically, rain barrels are placed at the bottom of downspouts in order to collect […]
Phenology is the study of the cyclical or seasonal nature of animals and plants. This seasonality allows us to predict quite well when an insect will be doing what, and thus, when we might find damage. Some damage that’s apparent right now is from the raspberry cane borer (Oberea perspicillata), a beetle in the family […]
Laura Jull, Woody Ornamental Specialist, UW-Extension, UW-Madison Revised: 7/13/2012 Many of our established woody ornamentals can survive periods of prolonged drought. In response to drought conditions, some of our woody ornamentals, both native and exotic, can start the annual fall leaf defoliation a bit early during prolonged drought conditions. Leaves can also turn brown and […]
The Wisconsin Bee Identification Guide provides information about 13 of the most common bees found in Wisconsin. From the very small Sweat Bee, measuring in at 1/4″ long, to the big Bumble Bee, this guide helps identify many incredibly important pollinators!
