Seed Starting
Starting your garden from seeds might be easier than you think. Check out this article to get practical tips on starting your plants from seeds.
Articles for Spring
Spring brings the hope of a productive growing season. You may want to try starting your plants from seed. Also, for folks with small outdoor spacing growing plants in containers continues to be a popular way to grow the greenery. Although pruning most trees and shrubs is best done in the winter, there are some evergreen pruning techniques that you can do in the spring.
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Articles
Growing Blueberries in Containers
The blueberry is a wonderful fruit rich in vitamin C, dietary fiber, and vitamin E. Due to its popularity, there is a growing interest among gardeners to plant blueberries in backyard gardens.
Fungus Gnats on Houseplants
Fungus gnats (Family Sciaridae) are insects commonly associated with overwatered houseplants. They can become a nuisance when they are present in large numbers and fly around inside a home. In most situations, fungus gnats are a cosmetic problem. However, on occasion, fungus gnat larvae can cause plant damage.
Growing Vegetables in Containers
This article provides practical tips on growing plants in containers. With a few tips, growing plants in containers can be easy!
Mulches for Home Gardens and Plantings
Boost your garden’s production with mulches. This publication shows when to use organic mulches, like bark or leaves, and synthetic mulches, like plastic sheets, and teaches how to apply them.
Phenology
Karen Delahaut, UW-Madison Fresh Market Vegetable Program Revised: 5/17/2012 Item number: XHT1085 The word phenology is derived from the Greek word phaino meaning “to show” or “to appear”. Phenology is a branch of science that studies the relationships between periodic biological events—usually the life cycles of plants and animals—and environmental changes. Natural events such as […]
Bagging Apples for Insect and Disease Control
Producing high quality apples in home gardens can be challenging due to damage caused by insects and fungal diseases. Insects and wind-borne fungal spores cause damage when contacting developing fruit. An effective way to produce high-quality fruit organically, without the need for spraying, is placing developing fruit in bags. This factsheet describes the process.
Winter Burn
This publication covers winter burn, a common problem of evergreens including those with broad leaves (e.g., boxwood, holly, rhododendron), needles (e.g., fir, hemlock, pine, spruce, yew) and scale-like leaves (e.g., arborvitae, false cypress, juniper) grown in open, unprotected locations and exposed to severe winter conditions.
Effects of Flooding on Woody Landscape Plants
“How long will my plants survive with their roots under water?” This publication will help you answer that question.
Extending the Garden Season
Cold frames and hot beds, hoop houses, cloches, and floating row covers allow gardeners to grow plants earlier in spring and later in fall. Although these structures are used primarily for growing vegetables, they may be used for growing ornamentals, including flowering plants, as well.
Plants Not Favored by Deer
If deer visit your property, you’ve likely already experienced the frustration of having landscape plants destroyed overnight. Before planting (or replanting), check out this list of trees, shrubs, flowers, herbs, and grasses that deer tend to avoid.
Pruning Evergreens
Pruning is important for a variety of reasons. Pruning can help control the size of an evergreen, direct growth, or maintain plant health and appearance. Pruning can also increase the safety of an evergreen by removing broken, diseased, dead, or dying branches.
