Yard and Garden News
The following yard and garden news items are from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.
- Sansevieria is known for its ability to thrive in a variety of conditions, making it an ideal choice for both novice and experienced gardeners. Iowa State University Extension and Outreach horticulturists answer questions on these highly adaptable indoor plants.
- Iowa Learning Farms will host a series of monarch and pollinator habitat workshops in February and March. Farmers, landowners and urban residents are welcome to attend these free workshops that include a complimentary meal.
- The Siouxland Garden Symposium will take place on March 22 at the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center in Sioux City. This year's symposium will feature a lineup of expert speakers covering a range of topics of interest to the gardening community.
- Registration is open for the 2025 Iowa Specialty Producers Conference, Feb. 11-12, at the FFA Enrichment Center in Ankeny. Session topics include viticulture, enology, fruits, vegetables, specialty crops and business and marketing.
- The application window is opening Jan. 13 for this year’s spring Master Gardener training cohort, which will be offered in 23 counties or extension regions.
- After helping to deliver Master Conservationist and other programming for Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Polk County in her previous role as natural resources programming coordinator, Gina Buelow is eager to implement these programs statewide in her new role as natural resources field specialist.
- The Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Master Gardener program will host the Home Gardening Webinar Series, beginning in January and ending in March.
- Urban agriculture is a viable farming system for Iowans. That message was clear during the 24th Annual Iowa Organic Conference. Iowa State University Extension and Outreach’s Organic Ag Program hosted the event Nov. 25 in Iowa City.
- Holiday cacti are a beautiful addition to the fall and winter seasons. Iowa State University Extension and Outreach horticulturists offer tips for care and address common issues when growing these houseplants.
- For many Iowa gardeners, herbaceous perennials are some of the most colorful and beautiful additions to the landscape. The theme of the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach 2025 Garden Calendar is “Perennial Beauty,” which features these garden favorites.
- The Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Safe Produce Program will host produce safety training for fruit and vegetable farmers beginning in December and concluding in April 2025. Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training is a U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved produce safety education program for farmers growing and harvesting fruits and vegetables for human consumption with intent to enter the commercial market or public distribution.
- As the growing season comes to an end, gardeners face the challenge of preparing some of their tender plants for winter. Horticulture specialists with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach provide practical tips and techniques for overwintering plants not reliably winter hardy in Iowa, ensuring they not only survive but flourish in the seasons to come.
- As temperatures drop and plant pest and pathogen problems become less prominent statewide, the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Plant and Insect Diagnostic Clinic will provide a free webinar Nov. 13 summarizing trends and interesting cases from throughout the year.
- With positive confirmation in Emmet County, emerald ash borer, an ash tree-killing insect, now has been confirmed in all of Iowa’s 99 counties.
- Preparing honeybee colonies for surviving the winter is an important task for beekeepers in northern states, according to Randall Cass, a bee specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.
- Iowa State University Extension and Outreach will help bring the many pieces of gardening together in a one-day, nine-session webinar called Gardening in the Air.