Growing popcorn in the home vegetable garden is a fun and rewarding. Learn more about planting, caring for, harvesting, drying, and storing popcorn in the home garden.
When you receive the results from your soil test, it can be overwhelming to determine what to do next. Learn how to interpret the report and use pH, CEC, organic matter, and other test results to apply appropriate amounts of fertilizer and soil amendments.
In Iowa, onions are easy to grow and versatile. They come in various colors and shapes, and can be grown as green onions or dry onions. Learn more about successfully growing onions in the home vegetable garden.
Bumpy, rough, uneven lawns are annoying, difficult to mow, and potentially dangerous. Learn about the factors that cause rough, bumpy lawn and how to manage them.
Vines add interest to all gardens. They offer a wide variety of leaf forms, textures, and colors as well as attractive flowers or fruit. Perennial vines do not need replanting every year and can be used as a screen and to provide shade, fragrance, or fruit. They are often incorporated into gardens along walls, fences, trellises, arbors, or in containers to add height quickly in a limited space.
Learn about the vines you can grow in your Iowa landscape.
Windbreaks are common sites around Iowa farms and acreages. A well-planned windbreak will moderate hot and cold temperatures, reduce dust and snow, save money in home heating costs, and add monetary value to your property.
Learn about siting, planning, planting, maintaining, and selecting the best tree and shrub species for your windbreak.
Propagation is the creation or growing of new plants. When houseplants get large or more plants are desired, many can be easily propagated. Many species are propagated at home utilizing techniques like cuttings, division, and layering.
Step-by-step instructions on many of the different forms of propagation that can be used on houseplants are outlined below.
A lush green lawn is a goal for many homeowners, but getting a lush green carpet of turfgrass requires a lot of money and time spent on chemicals, mowing, watering, seeding, weeding, and other chores. While a well-maintained lawn provides a great space for recreation as well as a perfect backdrop for your home and garden beds, turfgrass is not the only option. Beautiful landscapes can also include a lawn created from many other plants that can provide a more interesting mix of color and textures as well as food and habitat for pollinators. All of this while requiring fewer inputs!
Below are several alternative lawn options to consider.
Ferns are great additions to the Iowa shade garden. They are often found in shaded, damp forests in both temperate and tropical areas of the world, but many have adapted themselves to survive in a variety of environments. The ferns that will grow in Iowa range in size from less than 1 foot tall to more than 3 feet tall. Ferns can be used as focal points, or as background or filler plants in shady garden beds.
“What tree should I plant in my yard?” This is a difficult question to answer because the tree should be matched to its site. Tree lists like the ones provided are a good first step, but they must be interpreted and understood. So, if you see a species or cultivar that sounds interesting, do some research to find out what the tree needs in terms of space and growing conditions. Remember, tree lists are not like restaurant menus. Not every entrée or tree is suitable for every occasion.
In the spring, many gardeners are anxious to get out and start planting to get an early crop. In the fall, cooler temperatures signify an end to the harvest of many vegetables in the garden. However, if you use cold frames, you can extend the growing season. These simple structures allow you to start earlier and continue to garden and harvest fresh produce later even when temperatures are cooler.
There are several Hibiscus species that grow well in Iowa. Growing hibiscus can be confusing to Iowa gardeners because the three most common species vary greatly in flower, habit, and cold hardiness.
Chrysanthemums are quintessential fall garden plants. The many colors and flower types are wonderful additions to the garden. Growing them successfully in Iowa takes some some special considerations.
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. Below are the basics of harvesting, preparing, and storing seed from your garden.
Tulips (Tulipa spp.) are the quintessential spring blooming bulb. The wide range of colors, sizes, and patterns make them a spring favorite for Iowa gardeners. Learn more about these fascinating plants including information on planting, caring, transplanting, dividing, and forcing as well as information on how to select the best kind of tulip for your garden, how to deal with problems that may arise, how to use them as cut flowers, and the unique history and cultural impact this bloom from the mountains of central Asia has on gardeners.
The Natal lily (Clivia miniata) an underutilized, easy-to-grow houseplant that brightens indoor spaces with eye-catching flowers when little else is blooming indoors or outdoors.
