Growing Pawpaws – A Tropical Taste in the Garden
Recently, my wife showed me a video of a Michigan gardener attempting to describe growing pawpaws. As I have some experience in this myself, I was dumbfounded by his lack of knowledge on the subject of this wonderful fruit. Only five minutes into the video and I said to turn it off, I need to […]
Fall Webworms
While most pests are winding down in late summer and autumn, fall webworms are just getting started. Many people get very upset when they see big webs of caterpillars in their trees (and shrubs) in late summer. As if things are not bad enough with spider webs dangling everywhere. While they are not considered to […]
Fruit Tree Guide – Growing Apples
Growing apples is often the vision of nearly every homeowner. Even those who do little or no gardening enjoy having an apple tree or two. Picking fresh, homegrown apples is a treat beyond words. I myself have long been fascinated by fruit trees, and apples are a specialty. There are more than 7,500 varieties of […]
Emerald Ash Borer Management
Emerald ash borer is and has been a problem for quite some time now. We have established populations of EAB (emerald ash borer) in many areas of the Central Great Plains and Midwest. It is here to stay, and we must learn the best management practices if we are to see any ash trees survive. […]
Attracting Hummingbirds to the Garden
Attracting hummingbirds is one of nearly every gardener’s dream. We all want these brightly colored, quick-moving birds flitting about in our gardens. Watching them sparring over mates and territory in the summer is as fascinating as watching the sunset in the Flint Hills of Kansas. But how do we attract hummingbirds to the garden? Can […]
Replacing the Urban Tree Canopy – Post EAB
The urban tree canopy is failing. In many cities across eastern North America, gardeners and arborists find themselves in a situation. We need to replace the canopy of our urban forest, again. This has happened before, and we failed to learn from it. It happened after Dutch Elm Disease, and now it is happening again […]
A Guide to Growing Oaks: Pests & Diseases
Last week we talked about the various kinds of oaks that can be grown here in the central Great Plains. Now we are going to go over the various pests and disease that may effect those trees. There are many problems that are more aesthetic than need to be worried about. But I will discuss […]
Definitions of Common Gardening Terms
There are many words used in gardening posts and blogs that people may not know the meaning of. Well, this post is the place to be if you really want to know what something mean. I will be defining to the best of my knowledge (and a dictionary) the following terms. Enjoy and I hope […]
A Guide To Growing Oaks: Picking a Tree
Oaks are part of nearly every landscape in North America. There are 91 species of oaks in the United States, and another 100 or so crosses between species. Choosing an oak for your landscape can be challenging with this many options. The good thing is, most nurseries only carry a few species and some cultivars. […]
