2024 Q&A Series:
Gardening and Landscape Questions
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Free Online Gardening Programs
Suitable for gardeners of all skill levels and watchable on mobile, tablet, and desktop devices.
Growing and Caring for Plants in Wisconsin: Foundations in Gardening
Registration for the Fall 2024 course opens July 15, 2024!
In the meantime, stay informed about all our offerings, including announcements about this course. Join our mailing list to receive reminders about courses, webinars, and more!
Growing and Caring for Plants in Wisconsin: Foundations in Gardening is an online introductory course where you learn key concepts for selecting, growing, and maintaining plants – from trees to houseplants to vegetables and everything in between!
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
Spring Dormant Pruning Season for Woody Plants Ending Soon
The window for dormant pruning of trees and shrubs is almost closed for the season in much of Wisconsin. Find out what you can still prune, late March / early April.
Tips for Buying and Caring for Easter Lilies
By: Ann Wied, Horticulture Educator, Waukesha County The Easter lily is a favorite Easter-time/Spring treat. It’s a welcome gift following a long winter. It is often thought of as a symbol of hope and life. Whether you are buying one for yourself or as a gift, the following tips will help you be successful in […]
Spring is Tick Season in Wisconsin
Warmer temperatures mean that Wisconsinites are spending a lot more time enjoying the outdoors with activities such as gardening, hiking, picnicking, and camping. However, spring also happens to be a season of peak tick activity in the Midwest. Ticks may be small but can have big health impacts as they carry diseases such as Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis, and others.
Check out Horticulture News Posts from earlier in the season!
Timely Articles for Spring Gardens
Pollinator Gardens: Plant Selection and Garden Care
By: Susan Carpenter, Wisconsin Native Plant Garden Curator, UW-Madison Arboretum In this video, learn how to select and care for plants to attract and support diverse pollinators in your garden all season long. This presentation emphasizes native plants and pollinators and includes sustainable gardening practices. Pollinator Gardens: Plant Selection and Garden Care (Link to YouTube) […]
Wisconsin Lawn Care Calendar
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.
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.
Bagging Apples for Insect and Disease Control
Producing apples in home gardens can be challenging due to damage by insects and fungal diseases. One effective organic solution is placing developing fruit in bags. This factsheet describes the process.
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.
Wisconsin’s Busy Bees: Getting to Know the Bees in Your Area
By: PJ Liesch, Extension Entomology Specialist, UW-Madison While bees such as honey bees and bumblebees are well-known, Wisconsin is home to nearly 500 species of bees. Most of these bees go unrecognized by the public but provide critical pollination services. In this video, you will learn about some of the commonest wild bees in the […]
Pruning Evergreens
Pruning can help control the size of an evergreen, direct growth, or maintain plant health and appearance. Learn how to prune evergreens in this factsheet.
Winter Burn
This publication covers winter burn, a common problem of evergreens including those with broad leaves, needles and scale-like leaves grown in open, unprotected locations and exposed to severe winter conditions.
What’s the deal with “No Mow May?”
Have you heard about “No Mow May?” Many people have committed to not mowing their yards in May, allowing flowering plants to grow to help provide food for pollinators. Before you stow away your mower for May, let’s look at what options you can take to help pollinators this Spring.
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!
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. Get ideas that will work for you in this factsheet.
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.