ARS geneticist Lisa J. Rowland has collected leaf tissue samples from blueberry plants for DNA analysis and genome mapping.
Growing something you can eat in your garden is one of the easiest decisions of all time...why not get something back for your time and effort? One option that many folks always want to plant each year is blueberries...but the soil on the High Plains isn't always a great fit without amending it to become more acidic. This week, we'll talk about ways you can maximize your odds of success when growing these delicious and nutritious fruit in your own garden!
We spoke a few weeks ago about getting a good lawn into your yard; this week, we'll talk about how to maintain it during the fall, as the temperatures cool.
As September kicks in, and the usual weather changes approach, it's time to do some cleanup...AND to decide on what to do with what you clean up. This week, we'll talk about some things you can do to prep for next year's garden!
Growing edibles like garlic and shallots in your garden can be rewarding in many ways...but it's important to know how to grow these finicky plants, and to obtain your bulbs for planting from a specialized garden center, to help avoid contaminants like fungal diseases and nematodes...this week, we'll talk about how to get the most viable crop possible!
Fall is an excellent time to see new grass growth due to a combination of factors: warm soil temperatures, cooler air, and increased rainfall, which all favor seed germination and healthy root development. This week, we'll talk about how to kick-start your lawn, for a richer, thicker turf in the spring!
We're coming up on the late summer/early fall time that's ideal for planting chrysanthemums. Early planting (late August/early September) is crucial to allow for root development before the first frost, and so it'll be important to get them into the ground soon. This week on Planting the Plains...mum's the word!