Each year new people get into vegetable gardening. Success or failure of home vegetable production can depend on many things, but some major reasons for failure are negligence, not following the proper instructions and not keeping up with current vegetable developments. Continue reading
Author Archives: andreastith
The Season for Snow & Ice
Like it or not, winter brings the damaging effects of snow and ice to trees and shrubs. Wet snows are bad, but freezing rain is often worse. Ice storms typically start as warm rain falls through rapidly cooling air at ground-level. This results in rain quickly turning to ice on all exposed surfaces. Freezing rain is especially serious on evergreens and deciduous species that have not shed all their foliage.
Ice is heavy. A half inch on a power line can weigh 500 pounds. For trees this can amount to a weight increase of 30 times. Corrective pruning and replacement are the only solutions once breakage has occurred. But, are there options to prevent breakage?
Brighten Winter with Amaryllis Blooms
This time of year, amaryllis is a popular winter blooming bulb found on shelves in local flower shops and garden centers. Their large showy trumpet shaped blooms produced atop a tall flower stalk provide a nice welcome to the cold winter. Below are a few steps to ensure the biggest and brightest amaryllis blooms. Continue reading
Winter is for Witchhazel
The cold winter season is enough to keep many plants, and most gardeners, in a state of suspended animation patiently waiting for warm breezes and bright sunshine. But, among these droves of winter evaders, there is one with the fortitude to tempt ‘old man winter’ and produce not solely a plump bud or a greenish stem, but a flower with fragrance and style unlike any other blooming shrub. The plant is Witchhazel and it is the hero of a winter garden. Continue reading
Clean Up for Clean Plants
Autumn has arrived in Kentucky and, as leaves change color and fall from trees, it is time to focus on landscape sanitation. Good sanitation practices can help reduce disease-causing pathogens. These organisms can survive for months or years on dead plant material or in soil, causing infections in subsequent years. Elimination of disease-causing organisms reduces the need for chemical controls and can improve the effectiveness of disease management practices. Following these sanitation practices both in autumn and throughout the growing season can reduce disease pressure in home and commercial landscapes. Continue reading
Composting Fall Leaves
As the fall season progresses, many folks obtain large amounts of leaves and other yard wastes that need to be removed from their property.
When you compost leaves, other yard debris and kitchen waste, a microbial process converts these items into a more usable organic amendment. You can use finished compost to improve soil structure in gardens and landscape beds. You also can use finished compost as a mulch to help reduce weed problems, moderate soil temperatures and conserve soil moisture.
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Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs
While monitoring vegetable and soybean fields in the Lexington area, I have noticed that the number of brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) adults has dropped off as the numbers of nymphs on these crops has remained constant. Last year, BMSB began to gather on the sides of homes the first week in September. This makes me believe that BMSB is changing its behavior from plant feeding to begin searching for overwintering sites, possibly your home. I did spot 15 BMSB on the side of my house on Saturday. So, over the next several weeks we should expect BMSB to gather on buildings in search of suitable overwintering sites. Once inside buildings they will remain active until mid-spring. Continue reading
Fall Cleanup is Essential for Spring Success
Some homeowner’s fall gardens are in full swing now. However, a majority of home gardeners seem to prefer skipping the fall garden ritual as they are ready to forget about dealing with plant disease and insects in the vegetative garden until next spring. Even so, this time of year is actually the perfect time to start controlling next year’s disease and insects. A little work in the fall can prevent a lot of trouble next spring. Continue reading
Choosing the Right Tree Species
You have finally decided to plant a tree in the front yard. Congratulations! The big question now: Which tree?
First, there is no perfect tree. All trees have both good and bad characteristics. Most trees are more or less adaptable to your specific site. Some are more susceptible to disease and insect damage than others. The best advice is to plant a diversity of species. Choose trees for shade, some that bloom and a few just to be ornamental.
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Fall Tips for the KY Garden
Fall is a beautiful time in Kentucky gardens, but it can also be a messy time. Tree leaves turn from green to vibrant fall colors and then drop, creating big piles. Then there are the leaf and spent shoots from our flower beds. The way we address our yard waste can have a significant impact on our gardens and on the environment. Gardeners commonly rake up and bag leaves to haul away to yard waste dumps. Continue reading
Kentucky Hort News 