… start to germinate when the top inch of soil reaches about 40 degrees Fahrenheit. (This is when an inexpensive soil thermometer comes in handy. Look for one at your local garden center … leaf lettuce and spinach are ready to harvest in as little as 30 days and all you need to do is snip off enough leaves for a salad. Within a few days, the plants sprout more leaves and … and high in fiber, they offer plenty of vitamins A, C, and K. Their culinary potential is impressive—you can stir-fry, steam, sauté, braise, or grill them. Use the small, …
Type: Plant Info
… as long as they are planted in well-drained soil. Another reason why your lilac may not bloom is because it is being pruned at the wrong time of the year. Lilacs bloom on the previous season’s growth and … Fertilizing will not increase the amount of blooms. If lilacs are planted near turf that is regularly fertilized, this could also be a cause of a lilac's failure to bloom. …
Type: Plant Info
… that your tools will be safe and ready to use come spring, and extends the useful life of what is often a significant monetary investment. Digging, cultivating, and raking tools should first … the individual gardener or by the machine dealer’s service department. An important precaution is to remove all gasoline from the machines, either by draining or by running the machine dry, as … metal tools off the garage floor to avoid exposure to salt water dripping from your cars. It is advisable to individually wrap or otherwise separate smaller tools to protect them from …
Type: Plant Info
… Most established trees, shrubs, and perennials require one inch of water per week. It is always best to water deeply and infrequently to encourage good root development. Irrigating these plants one time per week is usually all that is needed to keep them thriving. …
Type: Plant Info
… itself naturally, the way skyscrapers do downtown. Without that kind of framing, a sunrise is just a sunrise, something that happens every day.
One morning, I climbed an overlook near the … and saw the Arch Bridge, tall trees standing in balance, framing it. Right then I knew: This is it. This is Gardenhenge.
The next step was all about timing. I pulled up an app that tracks the sun’s …
Type: Blog
… ), apple ( Malus ), pear ( Pyrus ), firethorn ( Pyracantha ) Description & Symptoms Apple scab is a common fungal infection of crabapple and apple trees. Small, pale green spots appear on the … that cause apple scab. Cool, wet springs typical of the Chicago area favor the disease, which is extremely common among ornamental crabapples and fruiting apple trees. Spores land on the … planted in full sun. When planting an apple or crabapple tree, choose a resistant variety that is less susceptible to apple scab. Resistant varieties may become lightly infected, especially …
Type: Plant Info
… Description & Symptoms Hawthorns, Apples, Crabapples, Quince (deciduous, broadleaf host) Rust is a two-host fungal disease that moves between evergreen cedars or junipers and deciduous … they germinate and form brown galls that start the cycle of infection over again. Damage Rust is extremely unsightly on ornamental plants. Fruit is stunted and misshapen. Trees defoliate early. Treatment & Solutions When possible, avoid …
Type: Plant Info
… Big Ben is a large version of the native false indigo plant. It is a large, upright perennial that produces flower spikes with numerous dark purplish blue … as wild or false indigo due to their use by early Americans as a blue dye. Although "indigo" is in the common name, the blooms of native species may be blue, yellow or white and the blooms …
Type: Garden Guide Plant
… research alongside the Garden’s conservation scientists and graduate students. The science is the core of the REU program, explained conservation scientist Jeremie Fant, Ph.D., but the … manager of the Research Labs and Undergraduate Program, for the last four. The program is 18 years strong. “We recruit graduate students to mentor the undergrads. They’re just one … who can support their career growth. “We see many students go on to enter the pipeline, which is great,” Fant said. “The main aim is giving them access to the guidance they need to navigate …
Type: Blog
… For Chicago-area gardeners, May is typically “go time!” for planting annuals, vegetables, and herbs to fill out the garden. The lawn is actively growing, too. However, this month is a study in contrast, before and after the final … for these worms. Also keep your garden equipment clean to help prevent moving eggs to another site. Jumping worms typically live near the surface of the soil. If you see jumping worms, put …
Type: Plant Info
