Archive for the ‘Disease prone’ Category

Winter Honeysuckle Totally Ignored In The landscape

Winter honeysuckle, aka fragrant honeysuckle (Lonicera fragrantissima) is a treasured old-fashioned shrub (USDA hardiness zones 4 to 8). It can still be found growing in older urban neighborhoods and parks. Winter blooming fragrant honeysuckles are a harbinger of spring. Budded branches may be cut and forced indoors. This vigorous durable shrub grows 6 -10 feet in […]

Common Street and Landscape Trees

Across the U.S. and Canada, city planners, landscape architects, and property owners now enjoy a wide selection of landscape trees to plant on city streets, along roadsides, and in yards and gardens. Over the past half century new and improved varieties (cultivars) are disease and pest resistant and exhibit better branching and architecture. We now know to avoid […]

Halloween Pumpkins And Gourds

It’s Pumpkin Time!…celebration of Halloween across America. A local pumpkin farm had over 60 kinds of pumpkins to choose from. According to the Missouri Botanical Gardens website: “the term pumpkin really has no botanical meaning”. Pumpkins and gourds are classified as squashes in the Cucurbitaceae family along with cucumbers and melons. If you want to grow […]

Avoid Dreaded Tulip Fire Disease

For over a one-half century Kingwood Center in Mansfield, Ohio has been widely known for their fabulous tulip displays every spring. Over the past few years Kingwood’s garden staff had noted a decline in bloom because of a disease identified as “Tulip Fire” (Botrytis tulipae). This fungal botrytis disease tends to accumulate in the soil […]

Don’t Totally Dislike All Box Elder Trees

Box elder (Acer negundo) is a native fast-growing and suckering medium-sized tree (USDA hardiness zones 4b-8).  Branches are weak wooded and easily damaged in wind and ice storms. Box elder grows almost anywhere in any average soil, medium to wet, and in full sun. The species fails on a shady site. This weedy maple is […]

How Drought Affects Our Landscape Trees*

Long term drought can be devastating on landscape and woodland trees. An environmentally stressed tree must expend additional energy to survive. Extremes of drought leads to decreases in trunk diameter and height growth, declining resistance to pests and diseases, less food production via photosynthesis, and in flower and fruit production. Symptoms of drought stress include wilted […]

Quest For The Perfect Tomato Continues

Improved disease resistance, fruit color, firmness, and flavor continues to be the main goals of tomato breeders around the U.S. Leaf and root diseases vary from one region to another across the country. Here in the eastern U.S.,  late blight resistance is of key interest. Over the past 33 years, Dr. Randy Gardner, tomato breeder extraordinaire in […]

Keep Your Eye on Red Buckeye

Red buckeye (Aesculus pavia) is shrubby or low branching tree maturing to a 15 – 20 feet in height and spread. This southeastern U. S. native is becoming more recognizable as a good choice as a landscape tree for a small urban garden. Plant the tree in either full to partial sunlight and in average well-drained soil. A tree may […]

Winter Daphnes Can Be A Rewarding Challenge

Native to China and Japan, winter or fragrant daphnes (Daphne odora) open to light pink or white flowers in winter and early spring in the southeastern U.S. and Pacific Northwest (USDA hardiness zones 7-9). Their welcome floral fragrance will pervade through your garden for nearly two weeks starting in late winter. Winter daphnes grow 3 to 4 […]

Facts About Garden Watering – How Much And When

Modern gardeners are using more efficient drip irrigation or soaker hoses. Water bills are less than overhead or oscillating systems.  You may opt to attach the hose to an automatic timer so you can irrigate in absentia. Water goes on and off anytime you select. In garden beds water plants deeply once weekly rather than a […]