As usual, my first sighting of a Japanese beetle — on June 24 this year — coincided with the ripening of my raspberries, one of their favorite foods. Iowa has coped with this voracious invasive species since it was first recorded in the state in 1994, but at least in my backyard, 2021 is proving […]
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Category: gardening
Tour 30-plus gorgeous gardens this weeke...
Organizers canceled the 2020 Project GREEN Open Gardens Weekend in Iowa City due to the pandemic, but the event is back for 2021 with more than 30 gardens, free to tour. Gardens, which include 29 private sites in Iowa City and Coralville, as well as the historic Ashton House and Xtream Arena roof garden, will […]
Gardeners encouraged to share a row with...
Gardeners unsure of what to do with their surplus bounty can participate in the Share A Row program, a community-wide effort to grow fresh produce for those in need. Sandy Rosenberger, Master Gardener Coordinator for Linn County Iowa State University Extension & Outreach, said the program’s goal is to increase the amount of fresh produce […]
Czech Three Kings lore warns gardeners o...
Temperatures that soared into the upper 80s in Iowa and elsewhere in the Midwest this weekend are giving way to overnight lows in the 30s. While a hard freeze isn’t predicted, at least for now, it’s not unheard of to have a late-season frost in Iowa. Czech lore, brought to the United States by immigrants, […]
Spring plant sales a mix of online and i...
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit last year, many plant sales went online or were suspended for the season. At least one of those returns to an in-person sale in 2021, with the Linn County Master Gardeners annual plant sale set for 8 a.m. to noon, Saturday, May 8, at the American Legion Post 298, 625 […]
Connecting Good Friday planting to potat...
Gardening folklore that calls for planting potatoes on Good Friday could create issues with the crop-devouring Colorado potato beetle, according to at least one Iowa gardener. The organic gardener said he has successfully avoided the voracious beetle by waiting until around June 1 to plant his potatoes. Planting early almost ensures that the Colorado potato […]
Bracing for an early frost in Iowa
UPDATE Oct. 15, 2020: If you escaped the frost so far this fall, take heed tonight, as temperatures are expected to dip below freezing for much of the eastern third of the state. Forecasts this week call for possible frost in Iowa from Thursday night, Oct. 1, into Friday morning. According to Iowa State University […]
Last gasp: Derecho and drought-stressed ...
Crabapples and other trees that typically bloom in the spring might be giving their last showy display this September. Related: How to care for trees that survived Iowa’s derecho windstorm Some of those trees severely damaged in Iowa’s Aug. 10 hurricane-strength derecho windstorm, and further stressed by drought, can be seen blooming in Cedar Rapids […]
Naked Ladies: a flower out of sync?
Among the most reliable perennials in the Midwest are surprise lilies, also known as Naked Ladies and a host of other names. But, 2020 — a year full of unwelcome surprises — seems to have spawned another twist. Typically, the flowers are like clockwork. See them in one yard across town and you can be […]
Controlling Japanese beetles during annu...
Like clockwork, the bane of many gardeners has made its annual comeback. Japanese beetles are known to devour hundreds of varieties of plants, turning leaves into skeletal “lace,” and raspberries, which are just about to ripen in Eastern Iowa, are among their favorites. Rather than use synthetic chemicals to control the ravenous beetles, alternatives include […]