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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Brighten winter landscapes with evergreens and shrubs bearing colorful fruit like crabapple, holly, and viburnum.
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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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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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The best time to rejuvenate large, overgrown shrubs is late winter or early spring (March or early April)
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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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Occasionally the need arises to move trees within the home landscape. Follow these tips to move small, young trees successfully.
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Heavy amounts of snow and ice on the branches of trees and shrubs can cause considerable damage. Improper removal of ice and snow can increase the amount of damage to trees and shrubs. Learn about how to manage ice and heavy snow on trees and shrubs.
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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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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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Winter showcases tree bark, often hidden by leaves. Bark serves many functions but it can also be beautiful with varied textures and colors. Learn about the woody plants in the landscape have ornamental bark.
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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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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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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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While winter is often considered a slow time in the garden, there are still several things that can be done from December through February to prepare for spring and keep yourself active in the garden even when there is snow on the ground! Below is a list of tasks to do for perennials, annuals, trees & shrubs, vegetables, lawns, and houseplants.
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Some plants in the landscape need a little extra protection to make it through the winter months. Here is what you need to know to successfully overwinter plants in Iowa.
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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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When planting in alkaline or high-pH soil, it's important to select a tree or shrub that is tolerant of soil pH above 7.0.
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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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How to propagate deciduous shrubs and trees using softwood cuttings. Discover timing, techniques, and care tips for successful rooting.