Some landscape plants produce vigorous, upright stems that become troublesome as they out compete better-formed branches and shade out the rest of the plant. These remarkably fast growing, upright stems are called “suckers” if they come from the root system, and “watersprouts” if they originate from other stems. Ornamental crabapples are among the most notorious…Read more about So Long Suckers![Read More]
Rosie Lerner
Q) I have a maple tree (it is either an ‘October Glory’ or ‘Autumn Blaze’) that has what I assume to be a rather large sucker at the bottom. The diameter of the sucker is about 2″ and the tree trunk itself is 7″ in diameter. I have attached pictures of it from different angles. …Read more about When To Remove Maple Tree Sucker[Read More]
Winter of 2017-18 was pretty harsh compared to most years. Much of central and northern Indiana experienced 13 or more days well below 0º F, while southern Indiana had 4- 5 days just a few degrees below 0º F. In addition, gusty winds contributed to further injury by desiccation of buds and twigs. The consequences…Read more about Winter Injury Could Cause a Reduction of Flowering on Perennial Trees and Shrubs[Read More]
Although late winter is generally the ideal time for pruning chores, many of our spring-blooming shrubs are best pruned immediately after flowers have faded. Trees and shrubs that bloom in early spring, such as forsythia, lilac, honeysuckle, quince and spirea, set their flower buds the previous fall, referred to as “flowering on old wood”. If…Read more about Some Shrubs Best Pruned After Flowering[Read More]
The Perennial Plant Association (PPA) selected its 2018 Perennial Plant of the Year: Allium ‘Millenium’ (yes, that’s Millenium with just one n). This announcement continues to show the focus on pollinator habitat these days — Allium ‘Millenium’ is appropriately referred to as a butterfly and bee magnet! ‘Millenium’ is a hybrid Allium selected for late flowering….Read more about Allium ‘Millenium’ Named 2018 Perennial of the Year![Read More]
