Controlling Mullein in Your Landscape By Joyce D’Agostino

Common Mullein, photo courtesy Common Sense Homesteading

Last year I was surprised to find a plant volunteering in one of my raised beds that had some unusual features, including a tall spire that had small yellow flowers. In addition it had thick and very soft fuzzy leaves. I learned that this plant is the Mullein, Verbascum thapsus. This plant goes by several common names including flannel leaf and can be found in fields, pastures, along roadsides and even in your garden. 

Pre-Emergent Herbicides by Donna Duffy

Dandelion, photo courtesy extension.usu.edu

March is the time of year to consider the application of pre-emergent herbicides. Planttalk Colorado provides the following information and guidance. 

A pre-emergent herbicide does not prevent weed seed germination or kill the seed. Instead, the root system development of a young weed seedling is severely limited by the action of the pre-emergent herbicide, killing it before it “emerges” preventing the weed from establishing. Pre-emergents will not control existing weeds, but will, if applied before germination, control seedlings of annual or perennial weeds.

Planting Pansies and Violas by Carol King

It's not too early to start adding color to your yard.  Plant pansies and violas now. They are hardy little flowers and don't mind a late snow! The video talks about planting in the fall, but the same techniques apply for spring planting.

Get Your Soil Test Before You Start Planting by Donna Duffy

Most of us take our soil for granted, and don’t give too much thought about it until it’s time to plant. Even then, it’s easy to dump a bag of compost on the planting site and walk away thinking that we’ve done our soil a big favor. Not so! Soil is a dynamic living substance in which complex biological and chemical reactions take place every day. Taking time to learn about the soil in your yard is one of the best things you can do to maximize the success of your landscaping efforts.

Before planting that new garden, get a soil test! Photo by Donna Duffy

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Photo courtesy dotcomwomen.com

History of the Irish Shamrock by Carol King

Photo courtesy CSU

The Irish shamrock (Irish: seamrog) is the most recognized symbol of the Irish. It has been symbolic of many things through the years. It was considered to be a sacred plant to the Druids of Ireland because its leaves formed a triad, and three is a mystical number in Celtic religion as well as many other religions. Supposedly, St. Patrick used it to illustrate the Holy Trinity to help convert Irish peoples to Christianity. 

In Ireland, all shamrocks are considered lucky and are worn and given as gifts on St. Patrick's Day. However, there is some disagreement among the Irish as to the exact plant, but most Irish growers will tell you that Trifolium repens, White Clover, is the plant most commonly known as a shamrock.   What we consider to be a common lawn weed, is a native of Ireland.  In Colorado, this Irish shamrock grows in our lawns, in prairies, pastures and foothills. If you enjoy clover honey, you can thank this lovely little plant.

Choosing the Best Seed for Your Vegetable and Flower Garden by Joyce D’Agostino

Early Tomato "Glacier",  photo courtesy territorialseed.com

By now many of you have been receiving seed and plant catalogues in the mail and the retail stores have racks of seeds beaconing you to bring them home.

Before you make your purchases, here are a few tips to help you choose the best seed for your garden for best results.

Create Your Own Apple Tree by Mari Hackbarth

1909 Illustration of a "Colorado Orange" Apple,  USDA

What kind of apple trees do you think Johnny Appleseed planted as he sowed swaths of seeds to establish orchards across the Midwest?  It turns out that every seed he planted grew into a unique apple tree!  Planted apple seeds will not produce a tree or fruit exactly like the original fruit or tree the seed was collected from.  If you grow an apple tree from a Macintosh apple seed, you will have an apple tree, but not a Macintosh apple tree.  Apples are an example of a plant that can only be reproduced exactly by a technique known as “grafting”.  Grafting is the process of joining two plants together.  The upper part of the graft (the scion) becomes the top of the resulting plant, and the lower part provides the root system.

Tulips Emerging Early by Donna Duffy

Late season tulips emerging in February, photo by Donna Duffy

This recent surge of warm weather has created conditions for some spring-blooming bulbs to emerge early. You’ve probably noticed crocus blooming, especially if they are near a wall or rock. Crocus are tough, low-growing flowering bulbs, and can tolerate snow and cold. I also noticed that some of my late-season tulips  have just broken ground, and that is more unusual. Here are some tulip tips for late winter from Ron Smith, Horticulturalist at the North Dakota State University Extension Office.

The Myth of Paper-based Sheet Mulches by Donna Duffy

Photo courtesy doityourself.com

As the days slowly get longer, many of us start thinking about our planting beds for the next growing season. The use of paper-based sheet mulch has gained attention. But is it effective? Linda Chalker-Scott, Ph.D., Extension Horticulturist and Associate Professor, Puyallup Research and Extension Center, Washington State University, is known for her myth-busting horticultural research. The following is excerpted from her response to the myth: Newspaper and cardboard sheet mulches are excellent ways to reduce weeds and maintain soil health in permanent landscapes. 

Farmers' Almanac: Fact or Folklore? by Donna Duffy

Did you know there are two versions of the Farmers’ Almanac? The Old Farmers’ Almanac is celebrating is a whopping 225 years old. The “younger” Farmers’ Almanac is only 200 years old, and has a Special Collector’s Edition to celebrate this milestone. 

Try Amaranth in your Garden by Vicky Spelman

Matthew Blair, Researcher at Tennessee State University in a Field of Amaranth

If the popularity of quinoa has taught us anything, it's that people are increasingly open about exploring grains besides the familiar wheat and rice. Now, researchers at Tennessee State University are hoping consumers are ready to give another ancient grain a try: amaranth.

Amaranth was revered by the Aztecs in Mexico. Today in the U.S., it's mostly grown in people's backyards or on research farms, like an experimental field at Tennessee State University.

Some of the amaranth there looks like corn with a colorful, flowery plume on top. Others are more like shrubs. Matthew Blair, an associate professor at TSU, is leading a team of researchers in evaluating dozens of varieties.  Amaranth is a grain that thrives in high temperatures, is largely resistant to drought and is seen as a heartier crop than corn.  "We all know how fast corn grows in the summertime," Blair says. "Well, amaranth can grow equally fast, or faster."