Bad news out of Burlington, in Des Moines County, Iowa: the invasive emerald ash borer has been discovered on a residential tree, marking the second time the beetle has been found in the state.
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Tag: Iowa
Free prairie walk provides peek at Iowa’
More than 30 million acres of prairie enhanced Iowa’s terrain before development drastically reduced that amount. According to the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, 150 years ago, nearly 85 percent of the state was tall-grass prairie. Today, less than .1 percent of that prairie remains. Some Iowans have turned to prairie restoration to literally return the […]
Uptown Marion Market set for July 13
Marion will host its Uptown Market this Saturday, July 13, 2013. Here are details from the Marion Chamber and find other area markets on the Homegrown list:
Japanese beetle watch ends in Cedar Rapi...
They’re heeere… As much as I held out hope that the Japanese beetle population had been wiped out by an unusually fortuitous twist of fate, my watch for the invasive insect ended today with the discovery of several beetles on my raspberry bushes. If you have rose bushes, grapes, hollyhock, linden trees, pin oak, willows […]
Iowa City engages homeowner in a “right
IOWA CITY – Roses, hollyhocks, bee balm and numerous other plants grow harmoniously in Timothy Volm’s front yard, but the lush vegetation is creating dissonance with the city. Volm has been ordered to remove all of the plants by Tuesday, July 9, 2013, or city staff will clear the site and charge the costs to […]
Pre-Japanese beetle, a berry good year
I know this won’t last long. My raspberry bushes are heaving with berries, but it’s only a matter of time before my sworn enemy, the Japanese beetle, emerges to create havoc. Generally, there are several days between the time the berries start to ripen and when I spot the first foreign invader.
Iowa woodlands shrinking; first time in ...
Trees are being removed in Iowa faster than they are being planted, according to a new report from the USDA Forest Service. At one time, 18 percent of the state was woodland; now it’s down to 3 percent. Read more of the report, passed along by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources: Iowa’s woodlands have […]
Viticulture: the most awesome garden too...
I can’t believe I’ve never seen a “Tapener” before now. At our most recent viticulture class at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, we used this handy tool to position young grapevines onto trellis wires. A combination staple gun/tape dispenser, the Tapener is ingenious, and as long as it doesn’t get jammed, is fairly simple […]
Eewww swimmer’s itch – what can you do?
This sounds like the water-borne version of chiggers. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources notes that swimmer’s itch is becoming an issue at Okoboji Lake and offers advice on what can be done about this condition: SPIRIT LAKE – Campers last weekend reported cases of swimmer’s itch contracted on East Okoboji Lake in the Iowa […]
Linn County Fair begins this week; celeb...
UPDATE 2:30 p.m. The 4-H/FFA Livestock shows will be moved to the Delaware County Fair grounds. See schedule below. UPDATE 1:40 p.m. June 26: The latest update from the Linn County Fair notes that events are still on for tonight (Wednesday) but grandstand and grounds events after today have been canceled, due to the projected […]