… frost makes kale taste sweeter! Looks Good & Good for You Kale, the cabbage without a head, is a member of the mustard family (Brassicaceae), along with broccoli, brussels sprouts, and … kale as a crop rather than a decoration can sow kale seeds in early spring as long as the soil is not pure muck. Choose a well-drained, full-sun spot and thin the plants as they grow, allowing for the full-body structure they are going to assume. An alternative is to buy transplants and pop them in wherever you want them. Leaves from transplants can be …
Type: Plant Info
… The Prairie State is…not so much! Illinois is known as “the prairie state,” but this moniker no longer truly reflects the landscape. Urban … enjoyed continuous sweeps of plants, location was not a problem, but now so much prairie is lost that the distance between patches has increased and successful pollination has declined. …
Type: Plant Info
… this variety for more than a hundred years and that his mother used it to make a dish that is similar to sauerkraut. Ellen Felton Dark As a Chicagoan, I have always appreciated that … it’s nice seeing their bright green stalks against the snow when everything else in the garden is long gone! And I love that I am almost always able to have some collards on the Thanksgiving table. Ellen Felton Dark is one of those greens that can thrive even in cold weather—down to 20 degrees Fahrenheit. A …
Type: Blog
… Description: The cheerful song of this common migrant and occasional winter resident is easy to recognize. Large flocks are often encountered in the McDonald Woods. In fall, when … October, November, and December, and again in March, April, and May. As beautiful as the song is, so is the plumage of this dapper sparrow. The adult male has a grayish body; a brown, striped back; …
Type: Birding
… A. Expecting a hardy woody plant to survive an unpredictable Midwestern winter in a container is risky business. When planted in the ground, an evergreen’s vulnerable roots are insulated from … drop well below zero. Plants are not "hardened" below ground, and the cold tolerance of roots is between 10 and 15 degrees. Temperatures colder than that will freeze tissue and kill the … Water the plants well now, throughout autumn and even during winter thaws. Another option is to wait for several freezes and then move the containers close to the house where they will be …
Type: Plant Info
… begin to green and produce new growth, I've noticed that some of my evergreens are very brown. Is this a disease? What should I do? A. The Chicago area experienced a very harsh winter this … water faster than its roots can absorb it, foliage browns and the plant suffers from what is known as winter burn. Holly ( Ilex ), yew ( Taxus ), and boxwood ( Buxus ) plants were among … on its own, or it can be trimmed. One way to minimize or prevent winter burn in the future is to make sure the plants are well hydrated going into winter. Applying a 2-inch layer of mulch …
Type: Plant Info
… When and how should I deadhead and prune my roses? A: Deadheading—the removal of spent flowers—is a form of pruning. Before making pruning decisions about your roses, it is best to determine the type of rose, and how and when it blooms. Roses are divided into … be allowed to sprawl naturally with no pruning required except to control size. If pruning is necessary on climbers or ramblers that only bloom once, it should be done immediately after …
Type: Plant Info
… an even supply of moisture rather than a heavy soaking and then a drought. Straw mulch is helpful in these beds. Many hot-weather-loving veggies, such as peppers, tomatoes, eggplants, … Espaliered fruit trees should be pruned for the second time once their spring flush of growth is over. The first pruning is done in late winter when plants are dormant. …
Type: Plant Info
… (feels like hairs) on their undersides that provides interest throughout the year. New growth is covered with silvery hairs that form a striking contrast to the older leaves. Fourteen to 17 … and drought. The application of an inch of pine needle or pine bark mulch over the root zone is recommended to moderate the soil temperatures and to prevent excessive drying of the soil. … stationed in the Himalayas learned this the hard way. Bee keepers always make sure there is a wide variety of flowers for their bees to visit, in addition to Rhododendron plants, to …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… (felt like hairs) on their undersides that provides interest throughout the year. New growth is covered with silvery hairs that form a striking contrast to the older leaves. Fourteen to … and drought. The application of an inch of pine needle or pine bark mulch over the root zone is recommended to moderate the soil temperatures and to prevent excessive drying of the soil. … stationed in the Himalayas learned this the hard way. Bee keepers always make sure there is a wide variety of flowers for their bees to visit, in addition to Rhododendrons, to avoid any …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
