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Friday, August 17, 2018
How Many Times can We Talk about Water?
I purposely did not go back and count how many times this season I have discussed water. Either we are getting too much, it is interfering with planting, or we are in absolute need of water. Recent weather patterns have brought much needed rain to some of us, but others were left dry. Master Gardener Help Desks continue to get visitors and calls about failing plants. Large evergreens and older...
Monday, August 13, 2018
Tree and Shrub Disease Update
It happens every year, almost like clockwork. (I say "almost" because not every tree leaf disease shows up every year.) Another good point to make right way is common leaf diseases are rarely fatal to a tree. Some of our common tree leaf diseases are: Anthracnose, often seen on sycamores; and Apple Scab and Cedar Apple Rust are very likely on fruiting apple trees and the ornamental flow...
Thursday, August 2, 2018
Poisonous Plants
You would not think of intentionally planting poisonous plants in the home landscape, but that is exactly what the University of Illinois - College of Veterinary Medicine has done on campus, and for good reason. They have created an actual garden to grow poisonous plants. Each year, farm livestock, recreational horses and our pets are accidently expose...
Wednesday, July 25, 2018
Watering Hanging Pots and Containers
Many weeks have gone by since containers and hanging pots were planted. At the beginning, watering was easy; plants were small with a limited root system so the container or pot held lots of available water for good growth. Fast-forward to now, and the water management has changed as the plants developed. The hanging pots are now full, with lots of bloom and cascading vines, the containers that ha...
Tuesday, July 17, 2018
Now We Need to Water
What a difference just a few days can make in what we need to be doing in the home landscape. Since the rain shut off or slowed, the first part of the landscape with symptoms of water stress is the lawn (even the lawn weeds). If you planned for it, go ahead and let the lawn go dormant even though it is early in the summer for that to happen. If your fertilizer program is to feed all summer, the...
Thursday, July 12, 2018
It's OK to blame the weather some more
A Note to Readers: This summer, we are excited to announce we will be joining our two horticulture blogs – "Over the Fence" and "Down the Garden Path" into one convenient place – and it's right here! The upcoming "Over the Garden Fence" blog will still feature timely topics and helpful hints from expert Richard Hentschel. If you haven't already, you can sign up for email...
Tuesday, June 26, 2018
Calls to the Volunteer Master Gardener Help Desk
Now that the vegetable gardens have been planted for a few weeks, questions to the Master Gardener help desks have switched over from "How do I?" to "What's going on with my vegetable plants?" Here are a few commonly asked questions: Q: My spinach and lettuces are sending up flower stalks before I really got to harvest as much as last year. What is the deal? A: Spinach and lettu...
