Care and How-To - Deciduous
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Learn how to protect plants from frost and freeze damage in fall and spring. Get tips on covering plants, using cold frames, and when to bring plants indoors for the season.
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The best time to rejuvenate large, overgrown shrubs is late winter or early spring (March or early April)
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February and March is the best time to prune most trees and shrubs in Iowa. The absence of foliage at this time of year gives you a clear view of the tree and allows the selection and removal of appropriate branches. Also, when pruned in the late dormant season the walling-off, compartmentalization, or sealing of wounds can begin as soon as growth starts in the spring giving the tree the most time to recover from the pruning cut.
Iowa State University has many resources available to help with pruning all your woody plants.
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Hardwood cuttings is a propagation method done while the plant is dormant from the shoots that developed during the previous growing season. Learn more about this type of vegetative propagation if you want to propagate any trees, shrubs, or vines in the home landscape.
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In Iowa, the weather in spring is often erratic. Below-freezing temperatures in April and May can follow unseasonably warm weather in late March and early April. The cold spring temperatures can affect plants in gardens and home landscapes. The good news is that cold temperatures shouldn't affect most plants long-term. How to manage cold temperatures and the damage they can cause to trees, shrubs, fruit trees, spring bulbs, perennials, vegetables, and other plants is provided below.
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Occasionally the need arises to move trees within the home landscape. Follow these tips to move small, young trees successfully.
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How to propagate deciduous shrubs and trees using softwood cuttings. Discover timing, techniques, and care tips for successful rooting.
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Shrubs enhance landscapes with beauty and function. Proper pruning is essential but is sometimes overlooked. Learn how to overgrown shrubs to get them back to their former glory.
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A shrub that flowers in winter? That sounds unlikely but witch hazels do just that - even in Iowa! Witch hazels (Hamamelis) are a group of shrubs that typically have the first (or last depending on what you are growing) blooms of the season in the garden.
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Shedding, peeling, or splitting bark on trees in the landscape can be a concerning sight.
Understanding what is causing the bark loss is an important first step to preventing further damage.
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Gardeners can brighten up the last few weeks of winter by forcing branches of flowering trees and shrubs indoors. Forsythias, pussywillows, serviceberries, crabapples, magnolias, redbuds, and many fruit trees can be coaxed into early bloom indoors, helping revive the spirits of winter-weary Iowans.
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The predominate colors of the home landscape in late fall and winter are white and various shades of gray and brown.
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Learn how to protect container plants in winter. Discover methods like burying pots, mulching, and using unheated storage to keep roots safe from cold damage.
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Black walnut (Juglans nigra) is a valuable tree in Iowa. Harvest in late September, hull immediately, dry for 2-3 weeks, and store kernels in the freezer.
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Suckers are vigorous upright growing stems that form at the base of a tree or from the root system causing stems to appear inches or feet from the base of the trunk. They are problematic because they can reduce flowering and fruiting, alter the form of the tree, harbor pests and diseases, and look unsightly.
Learn about what causes suckers to form and how they can be managed in the home landscape.
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This page highlights shade tree options well-suited for the Iowa landscape. While it doesn't include every possibility, this list provides descriptions of many wonderful species and cultivars proven to be good options for many Iowa homeowners.
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Oak trees are valuable assets in the home landscape. Occasionally oak trees need to be pruned for health, safety, and appearance reasons. Pruning oaks makes them more valuable to infection from the fungus that causes oak wilt. By pruning oaks properly, you can reduce that risk and keep trees healthy.
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Some individuals consider shady sites to be problem areas in the home landscape. However, shady areas actually provide opportunities for home gardeners. Wise plant selection can turn a shady site into an attractive landscape area. A number of trees and shrubs can be successfully grown in partial shade. (Partially shaded sites receive 3 to 4 hours of direct sun but are in shade the rest of the day.)
Selecting and planting shade tolerant trees and shrubs, along with suitable annuals and perennials, can transform bare shady areas into attractive landscape sites. Below is a list and brief description of trees and shrubs adapted to partial shade.
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Several factors cause branch dieback on trees. Correctly diagnosing the problem(s) is the first step in managing an unhealthy tree. Below are some common causes of branch dieback on trees in the landscape. Use this guide to evaluate your tree and determine the likely cause of the branch dieback.
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Many deciduous shrubs in the home landscape may be propagated by semi-hardwood cuttings.
Trees that can be propagated from semi-hardwood cuttings include willow, maple, tulip poplar, crabapple, and cherry.