Articles

Gardening Articles

Dandelion, Taraxacum officinale

Dandelion is a European species that has made itself at home throughout North America. Often considered a weed in gardens and lawns, this plant can also be cultivated or foraged as food. Read much more about dandelions in this article.

Ramps, Allium tricoccum

There aren’t many native woodland plants that also double as vegetables, but the spring ephemeral Allium tricoccum is one. To find out more about this perennial plant, read this article…

Mayapple, Podophyllum peltatum

Mayapple is a native wildflower with distinctive, deeply lobed, umbrella-shaped leaves. It forms dense colonies in open deciduous woodlands and other shaded sites and makes a wonderful groundcover for a woodland garden or naturalized setting. More details about this unique herbaceous perennial, along with general care, are found in this article.

Boston Fern, Nephrolepis exaltata var. Bostoniensis

Boston fern is readily adaptable to growing in containers, it is a natural in hanging baskets and in elevated containers as a houseplant but also can be used as a seasonal foliage plant in the garden. To learn more about Boston fern, read this article.

Gladiolus Disorder: Virus Complex and Aster Yellows

Viruses can destroy the value of a gladiolus crop. Serious infections have been observed throughout Wisconsin in some years. While Aster Yellows is common, it usually infects just a few gladioli scattered in plantings. This fact sheet covers the symptoms, causes, and means of control of viral and Aster Yellows infection.

Oak Wilt Management—What Are the Options?

Oak Wilt fungal disease kills oaks throughout Wisconsin every year.
This publication focuses on the red oak group and tells how to prevent, identify, and control this disease.

Watercore of Apple

Watercore of apple is a physiologic disorder caused by adverse environmental conditions. Find out more about this apple disorder in this factsheet.

Apple Disorder: Sooty Blotch and Flyspeck

Sooty blotch and flyspeck are separate diseases that often occur together on apple and pear fruit during late summer. This factsheet will hlep you better understand, identify, and control these diseases.

Rootstocks for Fruit Trees in Wisconsin

Fruit trees are propagated by budding or grafting onto special rootstocks. Some nurseries offer trees with a choice of rootstocks. Learn more about how rootstocks affect your backyard trees here.