2023 Grapevine Articles
With the warmer temperatures, increasing humidity and spotty rainfall the conditions are ripe for several diseases to start showing up in the garden and orchard. In this week's Grapevine we cover Septoria Leaf Spot and Early Blight on tomatoes, talk about the end of harvest and aftercare for rhubarb and asparagus, cover how to increase the number of blooms on your mums, report on Fireblight and showcase the Coral Bell in our plant of the week.
Epsom Salt Myth, Primrose, Herbicide Drift, Pigweeds And Delayed Leafing out of trees
One of the most common gardening myths is the use of Epsom Salt to prevent Blossom End Rot of vegtables. While this myth continues to persist there is no credibility to it. In this week's Grapevine we cover the causes and treatments of Blossom End Rot, showcase the Missouri Evening Primrose, talk about Herbicide Drift in the garden, offer control options for Pigweeds and cover some of the reasons why trees are delayed in leafing out this spring.
Beautiful Annuals, Poison Hemlock, Bagworms, Clematis, Iron Chlorosis
Annuals are one of the most popular plants, for good reason. With their beautiful blooms and attracting pollinators they are easily one of the most colorful groups of plants out there. In this week's Grapevine we talk about some care tips for keeping your annuals beautiful, help control Poison Hemlock which is a common weed, talk about controlling bagworms, showcase the Queen of the vines in Clematis and cover a common issue of many trees and shrubs in Iron Chlorosis.
Warm Season Lawn Care, Garden Guide, Dingy Cutworm, Blue Wild Indigo, Leaf Scorch
Warm season grasses have gained rapidly in popularity over the last few years due to their drought resistance, heat tolerance and low maintanance nature. Where people run into issues with their care is they try to treat them like they did their cool season lawn which doesn't work. In this episode of the Grapevine we talk about warm season lawn care, some important tips to keep your garden thriving, the nuisence moth that has been flying aroud in the cutworm, a beautiful spring blooming native and a common issue when the temperatures spike and the wind comes out in leaf scorch.
Gardening for Butterflies, White Clover, Wisteria, Thinning Fruit on Trees
There is nothing more beautiful than seeing a butterfly hover over flowers in your yard or the peaceful buzz that comes from bees collecting necter from flowers. It's relatively easy to create a habitat that is beneficial to pollinators of all kinds it just takes a little bit of thinking. In this week's Grapevine we give some tips on creating a habitat for pollinators, talk about White Clover which can be both a weed or a cool lawn alternative, our plant of the week is the beautiful vining Wisteria and give some tips on thinning fruit from fruit trees for the best harvest. Here is a guide for creating the perfect habitat for pollinators: Creating a Butterfly Habitat.
Gardening with Kids, Yellow Nutsedge, Creeping Phlox, Grub Damage to Lawns
Some of my fondest memories growing up involve plants whether it's picking peaches in the orchard, watering houseplants or planting flowers around the house. As parent's it can be overwhelming to provide those same experiences for our kids but those are the memories that can last a lifetime. In this week's Grapevine we talk about some tips on gardening with kids of all ages, cover a common weed in the yard in Yellow Nutsedge, look at one of the prettiest groundcover plants you can grow and our issue for the week is Grub damage to lawns.
After the Storm, Orchardgrass, Tall Fescue Issues, Iris
Spring can be wild weather wise in Kansas and that weather can often be hard on trees around your house. In this week's Grapevine we discuss the care of damaged trees after a storm, a common weed in fescue laws called Orchardgrass, some new issues popping up in Tall Fescue lawns this spring and talk about one of my favorite spring blooming plants the Iris.
A Tree for a Place, Drought Issues, Wild Garlic, Crabapple Trees
The right tree can provide shade, beauty and value to our homes but the wrong tree in the wrong place can cause major issues around the home. In this week's Grapevine we discuss how to pick the right tree and the right location, cover drought issues that are showing up across the county, our weed of the week is Wild Garlic in lawns and finally we highlight one of the pretties trees in the spring the Crabapple.
Lawn Mower & Pesticide Safety, Elm Leaf Beetles, Crabgrass and Prairie Smoke
The lawn mowing season has begun and with the lawn mower making its appearance it's time to remember some important safety tips to help you avoid being one of the 85,000 people who end up in the ER every year. It's also the time of year when people start using chemicals to control weeds and insects in their yards. In this week's Grapevine we talk safety, cover Elm Leaf Beetles as they make their appearance, help you identify crabgrass so you can control it and talk about one of my favorite spring blooming natives the Prairie Smoke (and I don't mean from burning the prairie).
Beauty into a Beast, Ticks and Henbit
Once it was one of the most popular spring blooming trees as it was loved for it's beautiful, if smelly white blooms, and shape. Now the Callery pear has become a beast of a plant that is slowly taking over pastures in the area and the very characteristics we once prized makes it hard to control. In this week's Grapevine learn how a Beauty turned in to a Beast, everyone's favorite the tick and that beautiful purple spring blooming weed called Henbit.
Container Gardening and Carpenter Bees
Over the last few years there has been a growing trend to grow your own vegetables. For many growing in the ground is simply not an option for a variety of reasons so many have turned to Container vegetable gardening. In this episode of the Grapevine read more about container vegetable gardening and also learn about the carpenter bee that visited our office.
Pruning Brambles, Spraying Fruit Trees, Asparagus Bed Care, Whiteflies and Pussy Willow
Now is the time to be pruning Raspberry and Blackberry bushes to keep those plants productive and thriving in your yard. Spring is the time to be doing some projects or getting ready for upcoming projects such as cleaning out the Asparagus bed and preventing weeds to preparing to spray fruit trees for insects and diseases. In this week's Grapevine we discuss pruning brambles, spraying fruit trees, cleaning up the asparagus bed, whiteflies and a spring favorite the pussy willow.
Spring Lawn and Garden Care, Bagworms and Crocus
Spring is the prime time to get some projects done in your lawn, landscape and garden. There are several different activities that should be done in the spring from cleaning out winter debris, removing dead plants and controlling weeds in the lawn. In this week's Grapevine we talk about some things to be doing over the next few weeks, bagworm control and the crocus.
The Versatile Potato and Forcing Spring Branches
The potato is one of the most popular vegetables that are grown in the garden and an easy one for beginners to start with. In this week's Grapevine we talk about how to choose a potato variety, getting started planting potatoes and also how to bring spring indoors by focing spring blooming plants to bloom.
Once the seeds have sprouted, the next steps are among the most important to keep the seeds from getting leggy and setting them up for success to be transplanted outside. In this week's Grapevine we talk about what to do after your seedlings are sprouted.
Fruit Tree Pruning and Making Seed Balls
Fruit trees are unfortunately not a plant it and forget it kinda tree. They require yearly pruning to keep them healthy and productive. in our area Mid-February through March is the best time to prune fruit trees. In this week's Grapevine we talk about how to prune different types of fruit trees and how to make a really cool planting project with kids, the seed ball.
Straw Bale Gardening, Making Seed Tape and Cecropia Moth
Straw bale gardening has been increasing in popularity over the last decade. This method combines raised bed gardening with composting to create a unique way of growing almost any vegetable. In this week's Grapevine we explore straw bale gardening, how to make your own seed tape at home and talk about a really cool native Kansas silk moth.
Valentine's Day History and Gift Ideas
Valentine's Day is right around the corner and it marks the single largest day of floral sales in the United States each year. In this week's Grapevine we explore the mythology of the red rose and why it became the most popular flower given, the history of giving flowers and some really cool alternative gifts to give your plant lover this Valentine's Day.
Starting Seeds Basics and Amaryllis
The first time you start seeds can be overwhelming trying to figure out when to plant, how to keep them from getting leggy and what to do till you can move them outside. Learn the basics of starting seeds at home with some troubleshooting tips and about one of the most underrated winter flowers the Amaryllis in the January 23rd Grapevine.
Summer Dreaming, Succulent Care and Growing Mushrooms
Planning your Garden is one of the most important steps to having a successful year. Learn about planning the garden, caring for Succulents and how to grow mushrooms to eat in the January 9th Grapevine.
