Yard and Garden News
The following yard and garden news items are from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.
- Few plants announce the arrival of spring in Iowa as reliably as daffodils. These hardy bulbs in the genus Narcissus light up landscapes with cheerful blooms and return year after year with little maintenance, making them a favorite among home gardeners.
- As lawns green up and gardens come to life across Iowa, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach invites gardeners to take advantage of Garden Q&A Live, a monthly interactive program designed to provide timely help throughout the growing season.
- Iowa State University Extension and Outreach is leading a statewide initiative that brings innovative, mobile processing equipment and hands-on education to communities across Iowa. The newly developed Crop Cart is designed to support farmers’ and small businesses’ efforts to create new value-added products, offer opportunities for event and educational taste-testing and strengthen Iowa’s food system.
- The Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Urban Agriculture Program has released a new series of publications covering key topics that influence urban farm success.
- Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Releases New Guide on Urban, Community-Scale CompostingAs urban farms and community gardens work to improve productivity, reduce food waste and build healthy soils, on-site composting is becoming more essential. The Iowa State University Urban Agriculture Program has released a new publication, “The ABCs of Urban Composting,” to help communities and urban growers compost safely, effectively and in compliance with state and local regulations.
- The Iowa State University Pesticide Safety Education Program has updated its EPA-approved narrated video and PowerPoint to train agricultural workers and pesticide handlers in accordance with the 2015 Worker Protection Standard and the 2024 Application Exclusion Zone Rule.
- Starting seeds indoors gives gardeners greater control over growing conditions, resulting in healthier, more resilient transplants. To be successful, gardeners must provide the right conditions for seedlings to thrive and develop into stocky, resilient plants.
- Home gardeners and commercial broccoli growers preparing for spring planting are encouraged to review practical insights from a new Iowa State University Extension and Outreach resource. “Broccoli Production in the Midwest” is available for download at no cost from the ISU Extension Store.
- The Iowa State University Pesticide Safety Education Program has revised several applicator manuals and exams to reflect the updated pesticide applicator certification and training rules implemented by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship on Jan. 1.
- The Siouxland Garden Symposium will take place on Saturday, April 11, at the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center in Sioux City. The annual event offers valuable, research-based information applicable to both home gardeners and small-scale growers.