Fruit cracking is a common problem on tomatoes. Cracks usually appear at the top or stem end of the fruit. Cracks radiate out from the stem (radial cracks) or circle the fruit in concentric rings (concentric cracks). Fruit…
Once fruit set has occurred, it normally takes 45 to 55 days for tomato fruit to fully develop and ripen. Cool temperatures during tomato fruit development will slow maturity. Tomato fruit may require an additional 7 to 10 days to…
Martha Washington or regal geraniums (Pelargonium x domesticum) produce beautiful flowers. Unfortunately, cool (50 to 60°F), night temperatures are required for flower formation. Few flowers form during the summer…
The weather in early fall largely determines the intensity and duration of leaf color in those tree species capable of producing good fall color. Best fall color typically develops when days in early fall are sunny and mild and nights are…
The white or yellow areas on your tomatoes are due to sunscald. Sunscald occurs on fruit exposed to the sun during periods of extreme heat. Initial symptoms of sunscald are the development of shiny white or yellow areas on the fruit.…
Smooth, oakleaf, bigleaf and climbing hydrangea all flower well in partial shade, but when in too much shade may not bloom well. Panicle hydrangea requires at least partial shade to set flowers and often blooms best in full sun. Most hydrangeas…
Stressful growing conditions typically are the reason for untimely bloom.
Occasionally, spring-blooming shrubs and trees, like lilac, crabapple, magnolia, or forsythia, will bloom out of season during the fall months. This out-of…
Unfortunately, there is not one standard answer to this question! When trying to determine the primary cause of the problem, several factors need to be given consideration. Remember that dieback does not always occur in the first year. Some…
The browning of the inner foliage is probably due to seasonal needle drop. It’s normal for evergreens (pine, spruce, fir, juniper, arborvitae, etc.) to shed their oldest (innermost) needles in fall. The innermost needles gradually turn yellow or…
One of our biggest frustrations with moles is the perennial misinformation that an insecticide application to kill grubs will solve the mole problem. This is the “lie that will not die.” Forty years ago, it might have been true that…
Unfortunately, fall planted garden mums usually don’t survive the winter even when given winter protection. Flowering mums purchased in late summer or early fall should be regarded as temporary additions to the landscape. Spring is…
Beans produce perfect and self-fertile flowers so they readily and easily pollinate themselves. Only beans in the same species are capable of cross-pollinating. So, pole beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) can cross with other varieties of bean…
Cool-season annuals are annual plants that prefer cool temperatures, growing best in spring or fall. Many are tolerant of a light frost often surviving down to 28°F or sometimes even 25°F with little damage to flowers or leaves.
It would be nice if life could be that simple, but the relatively small area you can treat (compared to the grassy sites in the surrounding area) will not have any impact on the following year’s adult population. Japanese beetle adults are very…
