AYGQ: LIVE – April 2026 Session Links and Resources

Fruits & Vegetables

Grapes

Q-Why do my ‘seedless’ grapes still have seeds?
A-Seedless grapes contain small, undeveloped, non-viable seeds. Harvesting earlier may reduce seed size. In some cases, vines may be mislabeled, but small seeds alone are not a reason to remove the plants.

• Growing Grapes in Wisconsin – wisc.edu

General Gardening

Easter Hydrangea

Q-How should I care for an Easter hydrangea after flowering?
A-After indoor flowering, Easter hydrangeas can be planted outdoors once acclimated and after frost risk has passed, typically mid-May. Keep soil evenly moist, ensure drainage, avoid planting too deeply, and gradually expose plants to outdoor conditions.

• Care of Spring Holiday Plants – psu.edu
• Bigleaf Hydrangeas – ncsu.edu

Lavenders

Q-A few different lavenders have made it through the winter.  How far back should they be cut?
A-Prune it just an inch above the ground.

• Lavender – illinois.edu

Mulch

Q-What mulches work best in raised beds and gardens for weed control? 
A-Organic mulches such as straw, shredded healthy leaves, and compost suppress annual weeds and conserve moisture.  For annual weeds, light is a key factor.  Any materials that can block the light source on the soil surface is going to be successful in controlling and preventing those seeds from germinating.  Perennial weeds require repeated suppression and should not be tilled. Tilling will break all those root pieces and each of the tiny root pieces is going to germinate, and new plants will come back again. Landscape fabric can help in some situations but still requires maintenance. Get a non-woven geotextile fabric.  Cover crops can smother the perennial weeds.  In the fall, hit it with a non-selective herbicide to knock them out.  Then next year, in the following season, you can try to plant your new crop there.  Weed control is a multi-year process.

• Mulches for home gardens and plantings – wisc.edu
• Weed Identification – wisc.edu
• Tackling Tough Weeds-Video – youtube.com

Raised Bed Soil

Q-Do I need to replace soil in raised beds each year?
A-Raised bed soil does not need annual replacement. It needs to be refilled.  There are two types of soil media you can use. One type of soil media is a 50-50 combination of compost and topsoil. The other type of media is a soilless media, which is compost, peat and perlite mixture. Compost decomposes and soil settles.  Use a garden trowel and loosen up the soil a bit and add new media. Fertilizer timing depends on whether organic or synthetic products are used, and rotating crops helps reduce pest and disease pressure.

• Raised Beds – wisc.edu
• Crop Rotation in Home Vegetable Gardens – wisc.edu
• Soil Testing – wisc.edu
• Making and Using Compost in the Garden – wisc.edu

Houseplants

General Pest Issues

Q-Can succulents and houseplants get powdery mildew?
A-Houseplants can develop insect and disease issues. White, fuzzy coatings may be pests such as mealybugs or natural leaf bloom. Photo submission helps confirm diagnosis. Suspected diseases can be confirmed through the PDDC.

• Plant Disease Diagnostic Clinic (PDDC) – wisc.edu
• Powdery Mildew – Herbaceous Ornamentals – wisc.edu
• Mealybugs – wisc.edu
• Scale Insects – wisc.edu

Insects

Spring Weather’s Effect on Insects

Q-Which insects benefit—or suffer—from a wet spring?
A-Wet springs favor mosquitoes, slugs, earwigs, and millipedes- species from the genus Aedes.  Increased moisture can indirectly benefit butterflies through improved plant growth. Wet conditions also encourage insect-pathogenic fungi that suppress pests such as spongy moths and boxelder bugs. Flies may be killed by entomophthora muscae. Fireflies may increase due to higher prey availability.

• Mosquitoes – orst.edu
• Springtails – wisc.edu
• Slugs – wisc.edu
• Earwigs – wisc.edu
• Millipedes – wisc.edu
• Spongy Moth – wisc.edu
• Entomophthora muscae – wisc.edu
• Boxelder Bugs – wisc.edu
• Fireflies – wisc.edu
• General Approaches to Insect Control – wisc.edu

Mites

Q-What can be used to eliminate mites from the vegetable garden?
A-Pretty much every vegetable garden is going to have some mites present. Just because there are mites present doesn’t mean you need to do anything about them.  There are pest mites-twospotted Spider Mites which are more prevalent in dry conditions.  Insecticidal soap or horticulture oils can be used for control but have limitations.  They don’t control the eggs.

• Mites– wisc.edu
• Twospotted Spider Mites– wisc.edu

Squash Bugs

Q-Is there anything I can do early season to prevent them on my butternut squash and zucchini?
A-Adults overwinter in sheltered spots; there is little you can do in late winter beyond cleaning up debris. Use cultural tactics (residue removal, crop rotation), hand-remove eggs. Squash bugs overwinter as adults and become active in late June. Early scouting for adults and copper-colored eggs on the underside of the leaves is key. Manual removal, harborage traps, and insecticidal soap or horticultural oil can be effective for small gardens. Horticultural oils include things like neem oil, but other oils as well.  Sometimes they may contain ingredients such as mineral oil or plant-based oils (e.g., soybean oil, etc.).    

• Squash Bugs – wisc.edu
• Degree Days for Common Insect Pests – wisc.edu

Jumping Worms

Q-Are there any updates on Jumping Worms? 
A-Unfortunately, there isn’t a good way to get rid of them.  We are asking folks not to spread them around.

• Jumping Worms – wisc.edu

Lawns

Moss

Q-How do I deal with moss in shaded lawns under large trees?
A-Moss indicates conditions unsuitable for turfgrass, including shade, compaction, and excess moisture. Fine fescues perform best in shade, but in deep shade, groundcovers or mulched beds may be more sustainable. Aerate for compaction. Fertilize less than in the sun. Possibly pruning the tree to allow for more sunlight. Protecting tree roots is important especially for red oaks.

• Moss in Lawns – wisc.edu
• Lawn Maintenance – wisc.edu
• Alternatives to Lawn:  Groundcovers – wisc.edu
• How to Deal with Surface Tree Roots – wisc.edu
• Early Spring Lawn Care – wisc.edu
• Wisconsin Lawn Care Calendar – wisc.edu
• Lawns – wisc.edu

Plant Diseases

There were no questions on plant diseases this month.

Trees & Shrubs

Smokebush

Q-Can smokebush suckers be transplanted or propagated?
A-Smokebush suckers can be propagated, but success is variable. Digging suckers may disturb the parent plant. Alternatives include softwood cuttings in early summer or stool layering. Grafted plants may send up suckers from the rootstock, which will not match the ornamental cultivar.

• Smokebush – ncsu.edu
• Stool Layering – ucanr.edu
• Propagating Shrubs and Trees from Softwood Cuttings – iastate.edu

Weeds & Invasive Species

Lesser Celandine

Q-How do you eliminate bind weed from the garden? 
A-In mixed plantings rely on persistence: frequent pulling/cutting to exhaust roots and prevent seed set.  Spot‑treatments risk injury to desirable plants; consider edging/barriers and mulches where feasible.

• Lesser Celandine – wisc.edu
• Renz Weed Science – Invasive Management Factsheet – wisc.edu
• Video-Tackling Tough Weeds – youtube.com

Reed Canary Grass

Q-How can I identify reed canary grass and distinguish it from look‑alikes?
A-Reed canary grass is a highly invasive wet-site grass. Identification relies on growth habit, ligules, and habitat. Confirmation through comparison resources or Extension review is recommended.

• Reed Canary Grass – umn.edu
• Resources-Wisconsin Invasive Plant Identification – wisc.edu

Siberian Squill

Q-Is there anything new that would kill Siberian Squill?

• Squill – umn.edu
• Siberian Squill – msu.edu

Snow on the Mountain (Bishop’s Goutweed)

Q: How can I contain snow-on-the-mountain (bishop’s goutweed)?
A-Snow-on-the-mountain spreads aggressively by rhizomes. Hand digging and root barriers can help in limited areas. Repeated cutting weakens plants, followed by careful late-season spot treatment with non-selective herbicide. During the growing season, do not cultivate it.  Weaken the plant by cutting it down to deplete its energy.   Control generally requires persistence over multiple years.

• Bishop’s Goutweed (Video) – wisc.edu

Wildlife

Wildlife Ecology Factsheets

• UW Wildlife Ecology factsheets – wisc.edu