Articles
Gardening Articles
Research-based horticulture information to help keep your plants and gardens thriving.
Red Thread
Red thread is a foliar disease of cool-season turfgrasses such as fescue, perennial ryegrass and Kentucky bluegrass. Learn to identify and manage red thread here.
Damping Off
Damping off is a common and fatal disease of all types of plant seedlings, infecting them near the soil line causing them to collapse quickly. Learn how to avoid damping off here.
Controlling Carpenter Ants
Large black ants in your home may be carpenter ants. This helpful publication will help you identify and control these household pests.
Sudden Oak Death
Sudden oak death (aka Ramorum) is mostly in California, but can be spread on a variety of nursery plants. This disease should be reported immediately. Learn what to look for in this factsheet.
Trichopoda pennipes, Parasitoid of Squash Bug
There are all kinds of flies in the Midwest. One interesting species is a medium-sized black and orange tachinid fly that develops in a number of true bugs, including squash bug. Although not really common, you may have this in your garden and not even know it! To learn more about this parasitoid, read this article…
Hairy Toad Lily, Tricyrtis hirta
What’s blooming in your late season garden? There aren’t as many choices of shade-loving perennials that flower in the fall as those that bloom in spring or summer, but one to consider is Tricyrtis hirta. Learn more about this Japanese species of toad lily with exotic-looking, orchid-like flowers by reading this article….
Using Manure in the Home Garden
Manures are a good source of organic matter that can also be used as a fertilizer. To learn more about using manure in the home garden, read this article…
Cucumber Beetles
In late summer and fall, cucumber beetles are common visitors to squash and cucumber flowers. They eat the petals, and sometimes the plant foliage. To learn more about these beetles, read this article…
False Solomon’s Seal, Maianthemum racemosum
Solomon’s seals are great native woodland plants to add to any shade garden. False Solomon’s seal looks very similar to the “true” Solomon’s seal, but the two are easily distinguished by the shape and location of the flowers and berries. Learn more about Maianthemum racemosum (false Solomon’s seal) in this article…
Euphorbia Diamond Frost®
Need an airy plant that blooms for a long time but is very low maintenance? Euphorbia Diamond Frost® is a great little plant that requires little care yet continues to flower all season and combines well with almost any other garden plant. Learn more about this tough but dainty looking tender perennial in this article…
Malabar spinach, Basella alba
While most leafy greens wither or go to seed in the heat of summer, hot weather is when Malabar spinach shines. To learn more about this interesting plant, read this article…
Elephant Ears (Colocasia, Alocasia, and Xanthosoma)
If you want a tropical look in your garden, just add elephant ears! Lots of new ornamental cultivars of these tender perennials – that are frequently grown as annuals here in the Midwest – have been developed in recent years. To learn more about this group of plants with large, heart-shaped leaves, read this article…
