Recent News

Fall is when all wasps, including paper wasps, yellowjackets and baldfaced hornets, reach their peak numbers for the year.  It is also the time when their behavior changes and people are more likely to notice colonies, or are more likely to b

The twobanded Japanese weevil, Pseudocneorhinus bifasciatus is an invasive pest that has been in the U.S. for a century and is now found in Iowa.  Individuals were collected in Ames, IA in early August. 

Iowans who want to become a Master Gardener can complete the core training course this fall through an Iowa State University Extension and Outreach county office.  But you must hurry!
 

Peonies are a beautiful part of any landscape, and they thrive in Iowa. However, they do require some special care and conditions, and can develop problems which must be addressed.

Garden phlox is a beautiful way to add color to the garden in perennial fashion.

Isn't it amazing to see your vegetable garden flush with bright colored flowers of pumpkin and squash. It certainly feels as if one is in the summer wonderland. But wonderland could soon turn out to be CSI (Crime Scene Investigation).

Dr. Adam Thoms joined the Horticulture Department on July 1 as Assistant Professor and Extension Turfgrass Specialist.

There is much to enjoy about maple trees in the home landscape but bumps, spots and growths on the leaves are not one of them.  See the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Yard & Garden news release from June 23, 2016 for informa

Four, short years ago we announced we were watching the spread of another invasive into the state of Iowa.  The European paper wasp, Polistes dominula, was first reported in the US in 1978 near Boston, but it was slow to gain our att

Each year Iowa State University Research and Demonstration Farms plant seven demonstration gardens around the state to showcase home vegetable gardening.

With summer comes the need for lawn care and questions about mowing, irrigation, fertilization and insect control.

The sycamore tree is one of Iowa’s largest trees, found mainly in the eastern and southern parts of the state.

The Plant & Insect Diagnostic Clinic is happy to announce we now have updated versions of all our sample submission forms that are now fillable PDF's!
 

This week in the clinic we received an unusual set of symptoms on peach tree leaves. The leaves were puckered and distorted leaf blade had turned light green fading into pink or red. This disease is called peach leaf curl.

The Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management is pleased to welcome Dr. Adam Janke as the Extension Wildlife Specialist.
 

The National Gardening Survey conducted by National Gardening Market Research reports that consumer spending for gardening jumped last year by more than 25% to $401 per household, up from a low of $317 in 2014.

Lack of bloom on flowering plants in the landscape is a common problem caused by a variety of situation.  To learn more about what happens when flowers don’t bloom properly, or at all, and what can be done about it, see the Iowa State Univers

Native plants can give home landscapes a unique, varied look when paired with the current flora and fauna that already dot landscapes across Iowa.