In the midwest, yield is largely determined by weather conditions. Lima beans grow best when temperatures are between 70 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. They also require 1 inch of water per week (either from rain or irrigation) during…
During the first growing season, all the blossoms should be removed from June-bearing strawberries. If the flowers are allowed to develop into berries, their development will reduce plant growth, runner production, and the size of next year…
The small, round, green objects are the true fruit of the potato plant. While potato plants may bloom heavily in late spring, most of the flowers dry up and drop from the plant and don’t develop into fruit. The fruit that do develop…
Plants grown in containers require a well-drained growing medium. Garden soil alone is not a good growing medium. Garden soil compacts when placed in a container, resulting in poor water drainage and aeration. Soil also pulls…
Astilbes perform best in moist, well-drained soils in partial shade. Plants like evenly moist soils throughout the growing season. Astilbes do not like dry sites. Their foliage will turn brown when plants don’t have adequate…
Purchase virus-free raspberry plants from a reliable garden center, nursery, or mail-order company. Plants obtained from an old patch are often diseased. Virus-infected plants may appear healthy, but grow and yield poorly. …
Using a well-drained growing medium, sow onion seeds in flats approximately 8 to 10 weeks before you intend to plant them outdoors. As soon as the seeds germinate, place the onion seedlings under artificial lighting. An ordinary…
Many lily enthusiasts don’t grow tiger lilies (Lilium tigrinum) because they are often infected with lily mosaic virus. Lily mosaic virus causes little harm to tiger lilies. Oftentimes, you can’t tell that they have the…
Determinate and indeterminate refer to the tomato’s growth habit. Determinate tomatoes are small, compact plants. They grow to a certain height, stop, then flower and set all their fruit within a short period of time. The…
Pollination is the transfer of pollen from the anther to the stigma. After pollination and fertilization, fruit set occurs. There are two types of pollination. Self-pollination occurs when the pollen is transferred from the…
In the past, some gardeners used salt to control weeds in their asparagus plantings. However, salt is not effective in controlling many weeds, especially grasses. Plus, continued use of salt over several years may result in high salt…
Deadheading is the removal of spent flowers. While tulips should be deadheaded immediately after flowering, it is not necessary to deadhead daffodils. The vigor of tulip bulbs quickly declines if tulips are not promptly deadheaded and…
Plants in containers need to be fertilized on a regular basis as nutrient levels in potting mixes quickly fall due to absorption by plants and leaching during watering.
Many commercial potting mixes contain a slow release fertilizer…
Gardeners have two basic options when confronted with hot, dry weather. One option is to do nothing and allow the grass to go dormant. The alternative is to water the turfgrass during dry weather to maintain a green, actively growing…
While peanuts are grown commericially in the southeastern United States, they can be grown in Iowa. Their unique growth habit makes them a fun addition to the home garden.
The roots of established asparagus plants are deep and quite extensive. As a result, transplanting attempts are usually unsuccessful. Large, old plants will be severely injured during the transplantation procedure. Some may…
Early in the 1900's, white pine blister rust (Cronartium ribicola) became a serious disease problem in the United States. White pine blister rust requires both a currant or gooseberry (Ribes species) and white pine to…
The frequency of mowing should be based on the growth of the grass. As a general rule, mow as often as needed so that no more than one-third of the total leaf area is removed in a single mowing. Removing more than one-third is detrimental…
The Japanese wisteria (Wisteria floribunda) is the most widely grown wisteria in the United States. Unfortunately, it doesn't perform well in Iowa. Most Japanese wisteria varieties (cultivars) do not bloom when grown in the…
Don’t worry. The balloon flower (Platycodon grandiflorus) is slow to emerge in spring. Other late emerging perennials include hardy hibiscus (Hibiscus hybrids), butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa), and…
The rose-of-sharon (Hibiscus syriacus) can be successfully grown in the southern half of Iowa. (It’s hardy in USDA Hardiness Zones 5 to 9.) The rose-of-sharon leafs out late in spring. In Iowa, plants may not leaf out until…
Japanese beetles eat the foliage, fruits, and flowers of over 300 plants. When feeding on foliage, the beetles consume the tissue between the veins, leaving a lace-like skeleton. Flowers and fruits are sometimes devoured completely.…
The ‘Spring Snow’ crabapple is widely planted as it’s one of the few crabapple varieties that doesn’t bear fruit. Unfortunately, ‘Spring Snow’ is very susceptible to apple scab.
Bearded irises should be divided every three to five years. If not divided, plants become overcrowded and flower production decreases. July or August is the best time to dig, divide, and transplant bearded irises.
The leaf drop is probably due to apple scab. Apple scab is a fungal disease caused by the fungus Venturia inaequalis. Cool, wet weather in spring favors apple scab development. Crabapple varieties differ in their susceptibility to apple…
