Trees stressed by prolonged drought are more subject to attack by boring insects. This article provides tips and a video link on how to manage pines for borers. Record breaking heat and sporadic rainfall during July of 2023 took their toll on landscape trees. Cone bearing evergreens, like white pines, are especially susceptible to drought…Read more about Beat Back Borers Attacking Pines and other Cone Bearing Trees[Read More]
Resources for landscapes and gardens in the Midwest
Landscape Report
Horticulture
This series will highlight unique and interesting landscape plants that are not as common in the landscape. Many of these plants aren’t readily available at your local nursery or garden center. If you are interested in purchasing one of these plants, I recommend contacting your local nursery or garden center about availability. Japanese Painted…Read more about Plant Picks: Japanese Painted Fern (Athyrium niponicum var. pictum)[Read More]
The unpredictable Midwest weather has gardeners checking their rain gauge daily, because one rule gardeners learn early on is that landscapes need about an inch of water each week. Of course, there are many factors that will impact the accuracy of this very general rule such as soil type, average temperature, sun exposure, plant type,…Read more about What is an Inch of Water?[Read More]
For some, the term “shade garden” may be an oxymoron. When imagining a garden, most will think of a sunny area filled with flowering plants. So, it’s not surprising that gardeners would often fill shady areas with a hardy, evergreen ground cover and never look back. However, ornamental shade gardens have been the source of…Read more about Throwing Shade on the Perennial Garden[Read More]
Peonies are a common and favored landscape plant in Indiana. Despite their famed attribute of being easy to care for, some annual upkeep will ensure peonies continue to beautifully bloom year after year. Depending on the species and cultivar, peonies will bloom from late spring to early summer. Peonies were traditionally white, blush, pink, and…Read more about The Famed Garden Peony[Read More]
This series will highlight unique and interesting landscape plants that are not as common in the landscape. Many of these plants aren’t readily available at your local nursery or garden center. If you are interested in purchasing one of these plants, I recommend contacting your local nursery or garden center about availability. Majestic Beauty Tuliptree…Read more about Plant Picks: Majestic Beauty Tuliptree[Read More]
It’s time for spring cleaning the herbaceous perennial garden, but be careful not to pluck out any of your favorite flowers. With all the green quickly sprouting up, it may be difficult to tell friend from foe. Established herbaceous perennials will emerge from the ground in the same location as the previous year and are…Read more about To Weed or Not to Weed? The Perennial Garden: Early Season Plant Identification[Read More]
We are now on the other side of the equinox, days are getting longer, and there are specks of green poking out on the plants in our life. If you’re in Indiana or similar areas of the Midwest, you’ve probably experienced what I like to call False Spring and Second Winter and are looking forward…Read more about Southwest Damage, Scalding, or Frost Cracking[Read More]
Remember the pre-Christmas freeze? What about the extremely long fall? The Midwest experienced above-average temperatures through most of the winter, but those extremely cold temps in late December made for more than a few pipes to freeze in the southern part of the Midwest. The dichotomy in weather patterns over the last several years has…Read more about Cold Injury During a Very Mild Winter?[Read More]
Indiana is well-known for its erratic weather. Hoosiers, along with all Midwesterners, have numerous sarcastic sayings regarding the weather. “If you don’t like the weather, just wait ten minutes.” “The forecast is made up and the seasons don’t matter.” “It will be winter at 6 am and summer by 3 pm. Dress accordingly.” …Read more about Ready, Set, Prune![Read More]
Soil testing is a common practice for both landscapers and farmers to ensure healthy plants. However, city soils are may be degraded and contaminated so you may wonder if the typical soil analysis is providing enough information. During this webinar series, participants will learn how to determine if their soils are contaminated and what they…Read more about Nurturing City Soils Webinar Series[Read More]
The 2022 Turf and Landscape Seminar will be held November 17th and 18th at the William H. Daniel Turfgrass Research and Diagnostic Center on Purdue University’s West Lafayette campus. Register here: https://www.mrtf.org/event/turf-and-landscape-seminar-2/?event_date=2022-11-17 This event is designed for beginning, intermediate, and advanced turf professionals, providing them with the latest technology for managing turf and landscape systems,…Read more about Join us for the Purdue Turf and Landscape Seminar[Read More]
This publication is the first of a series of articles aiming to assess the economic feasibility of growing sod. Publications can be found at the Purdue Education Store. This publication assesses the economic feasibility of growing Kentucky bluegrass in the Midwest by determining the financial costs and returns associated with one year of production. This…Read more about Projected Costs and Returns Associated with the Production of Kentucky Bluegrass: A Study of Economic Feasibility in Indiana and Iowa[Read More]
Fall is the time of year when many gardeners rush out to buy chrysanthemums by the gallon. Mums line the front of every shop and are great for replacing the fading annuals on the front step (Figure 1). As a perennial, mums have the potential to provide beautiful blooms year after year. However, gardeners may…Read more about Kiss My Aster[Read More]
When transplanting trees, it is important to consider the long-term viability. Since the typical life span of an urban tree is 7-20 years (USDA), proper establishment techniques are very important to decrease this mortality rate. When a tree becomes established, it is much more difficult to correct below ground problems. Root deformations can occur for…Read more about Using Pneumatic Digging Equipment to Correct Root Deformations, Deep Planting, and Compaction on Established Trees[Read More]
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a proactive strategy that focuses on long-term prevention of pests by understanding the pest’s biology and utilizing a combination of control techniques. There are IPM strategies for all types of pests including weeds, insects, and diseases. Regardless of type, scouting and identification are the first and most critical steps in…Read more about Integrated Pest Management: Balance Restored between Prey and Predator[Read More]
About ten years ago I was listening to a talk by a climatologist. She indicated that data is trending towards more floods and more droughts in the Midwest. At first listen this made absolutely no sense. How can a place simultaneously have more flooding and more drought? Well, if you’ve paid attention over the last…Read more about The Annual Drought Article[Read More]
Join us at the Purdue Turf and Landscape Field Day on July 26th! The Purdue Turf and Landscape Field Day is an annual one-day event with the objective of providing professional turf and landscape managers exposure and educational opportunities with the latest research and technical resources. The Field Day features research tours, talks on current…Read more about Purdue Turf and Landscape Field Day[Read More]
Arborvitae (Thuja spp.) fulfill several crucial roles in the landscape, especially windbreaks and screens (Fig. 1). Their relatively fast growth habit, wide variety of available forms, and inexpensive price point make them one of the most common conifers in the Midwest landscape. Due to the ubiquitous use of arborvitae, and their perceived problems, the Green…Read more about Stop Making These Arborvitae Mistakes! Common transplant problems of arborvitae.[Read More]
Over the past week I have identified three different fowl bluegrass (Poa palustris) samples sent in to the Purdue Plant & Pest Diagnostic Lab (https://ag.purdue.edu/department/btny/ppdl/). This is not concerning, just unusual. This is not a grass species that I see that often, but I have seen several samples this year, including a sample from my…Read more about Several Clients Submitting Samples of Fowl Bluegrass (Poa palustris) to Diagnostic Lab[Read More]
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