Most garden areas, including the lawn, vegetable garden, and perennial garden, perform best when they receive an inch of water each week. When this is not supplied by rain, the gardener must do it using a hose, bucket, or sprinkler.
Knowing the area of the garden bed or lawn is necessary for applying fertilizers or pesticides, determining how much mulch is needed, or determining the number of plants needed to fill a space.
The first step in planting a new lawn is the establishment of the rough grade. Remove construction debris, then fill in low spots and level off high areas. The ground should slope away from the foundation of the house, drive, and…
Trees are valuable assets to the home landscape. Occasionally, the services of a professional arborist are needed to prune a large tree or assess its condition after a storm. For many individuals, selecting an arborist can be…
Acorns should be collected as soon as they fall to the ground. Sound, viable acorns can be separated from damaged or unfilled acorns by placing them in water. Sound acorns will sink. Most floating acorns are not viable and can…
Trapping is the best way to get rid of moles. Trapping isn't easy, but it does work. Patience and persistence are required. Traps can usually be found in hardware stores and garden centers. When using traps, carefully…
Mosses in lawns are usually a sign of poor growing conditions. Turfgrasses have a difficult time growing in heavy shade, compacted soils, or other poor sites. However, mosses are adapted to a wide range of environmental conditions.…
Mushrooms are the reproductive or fruiting structures of fungi. Their appearance in the lawn usually indicates decaying tree stumps or roots in the soil. In garden beds, mushrooms can appear because they are associated with decaying organic…
The small, white worms are likely the larvae of the spotted wing drosophila. Spotted wing drosophila adults are small, yellowish brown flies. Males have distinctive dark spots on their wings, hence the name spotted wing drosophila.…
Garlic requires more fertilizer than many vegetables. Apply and incorporate 1 to 2 pounds of an all-purpose garden fertilizer, such as 10-10-10, per 100 square feet of garden area prior to planting. Lightly incorporate one…
Bay laurel (Laurus nobilis) is not hardy in Iowa and cannot survive outdoors through the winter. However, it grows very well in containers and can be enjoyed as an attractive herb indoors during winter and outdoors from late spring…
The fruit of most tomato cultivars generally begins to ripen in August. Fruit production for early maturing cultivars such as ‘Early Girl’ or many of the cherry and grape tomatoes generally begins in mid- to late-July.
Harvest mature bulbs in late summer when the tops have turned yellow and begun to dry. Cure the shallots in a warm, dry location for 1 to 2 weeks. After the shallots have been cured, cut off the dry foliage, place the bulbs in a mesh…
Soil testing services are provided by neighboring universities and private laboratories. Information on how to collect good soil samples for testing and recommendations for how to find testing laboratories can be found at …
Harvest when the underside or "belly" of the melon turns from a greenish white to buttery yellow or cream. This color change is especially pronounced on the dark green-skinned varieties. It is often less noticeable on lighter-skinned watermelons.…
Annual weeds grow rapidly, flower, set seed and die in a single season. New annual weeds germinate from seeds each year. Before they die, most annual weeds produce large quantities of seeds.
Cut the plants back to within 4 to 6 inches of the ground a few days after a hard, killing frost. Then carefully dig up the canna clumps with a spade or garden fork. Leave a small amount of soil around the cannas. Allow them to…
Elephant’s ear (Colocasia esculenta) is a tropical plant grown for its huge, heart-shaped leaves. Dig up the plants after the first fall frost. Cut off the foliage. Dry the tubers in a warm, dry location for 1 or 2…
Carefully dig up the plants with a spade in late summer/early fall. Gently shake off the soil from the bulb-like corms. Then cut off the foliage 1 to 2 inches above the corms. Dry the corms for 2 to 3 weeks in a warm, dry, well…
Carefully dig up the tuberous begonias within a few days of a killing frost. Leave a small amount of soil around each tuber. Cut off the stems about 1 inch above the tubers. Place the tubers in a cool, dry area to cure for 2 to…
Plant bulbs at a depth equal to two or three times their maximum bulb diameter. Larger bulbs like tulips, daffodils and hyacinths are often planted 6-8 inches deep. The smaller bulbs like squill, snowdrops and crocus are…
The late growing season is a good time to collect seeds from vegetables and flowers. Seed saving allows gardeners to preserve heirloom varieties or their favorite plants from year to year. Once harvested, the seed will need to be cleaned to…
Air-drying is the best way to preserve cockscomb. After harvesting cockscomb, strip the foliage from the stems. Tie the stems into small bunches with rubber bands. Hang the loose bunches upside down in a warm, dry, well…
In windy, exposed areas, straw mulches can be kept in place by placing wire or plastic fencing over the area. The fencing can be held in place with bricks or other heavy objects.
Pears should be ripened indoors at a temperature of 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. The ripening process should take seven to ten days. To speed up ripening, place the pears in a tightly sealed paper bag. The fruit give off…
