Southern bacterial wilt of geraniums is caused by Ralstonia solanacearum. Ralstonia can be spread through soil, water, and propagation. However, it doesn't move through the air.
Almost any substance can be harmful to human health if used improperly. For example, water is essential to our existence, but one can drown in the liquid form, slip and fall on the solid or frozen form, or be scalded by the gaseous form (steam).
When selecting shrubs for the home landscape, our choices are often based on their ornamental characteristics, such as flowers, fruit, or fall foliage. Unfortunately, their mature size is sometimes overlooked.
Root and crown rot of violets, and most other plants, can occur if their roots are kept too wet. Disease fungi may or may not be present for rot to occur. Leaves of plants with rotted roots and crowns usually turn yellow, mushy, and fall off.
Every year brings a new collection of "plants of the year" from different organizations. This year is no different. In fact, 2003 brings in a bumper crop. Look for promotional flyers and campaigns for the following plants this year.
Many parts of Iowa have received little or no precipitation over the past 2 months. The dry weather has raised concerns about the condition of trees, shrubs, and other landscape plants.
The praying mantis is an easy insect to recognize. They have a long narrow body that is stretched in the middle where the legs attach. They have a small triangular head with two large compound eyes.
Conifers such as pine, spruce, fir, and arborvitae shed their oldest (innermost) needles in the fall, a process known as seasonal needle loss or fall needle drop.
Strawberries need protection from the cold winter temperatures. If strawberries are left unprotected, temperatures below 20 degrees Fahrenheit may kill the fruit buds and damage the plant's roots and crowns.
Mid-August through September is the best time to establish turfgrass areas from seed. Sowing grass seed in late summer has several advantages over spring seeding. Grass seed germinates quickly in the warm soils of late summer.
Zinnias are special garden plants for several reasons. Who doesn't like zinnias? Who doesn't remember them growing in your grandmother's summer garden? Who hasn't collected a few flowers to put in a vase on the windowsill?
Keeping up with the new annual flower varieties can be difficult. Choosing the best flower varieties for your garden can be a daunting challenge. Fortunately, a wide variety of annual flowers are displayed at several of Iowa's public gardens.
The beauty of poppies can be very alluring, as Dorothy found out in the Wizard of Oz. Poppies are used in the ornamental garden, dried and cut flower arrangements, and in cooking.
It can be frustrating driving around to various garden centers or leafing through mail-order catalogs searching for a specific perennial, shrub, or fruit tree.
Carpenter ants are very abundant in Iowa, and are common pests in homes and other buildings. The most common carpenter ants are the familiar large, black ants that are one-half inch or more in length and shiny black.
The Iowa Bee Rule was established in June 1980 to protect honey bees in Iowa from unnecessary insecticide poisoning. This rule created a mechanism for beekeepers to voluntarily register the location of their beehives.
