Planting the Plains: Trimming Fruit Trees

By Anthony Reardon

Published May 15, 2025 at 2:30 PM CDT

Growing fruit trees isn't as simple as just harvesting and eating; to help your tree thrive, produce the best fruit, and build strong limbs, it's important to trim the tree a bit to shape its growth. But it's also important not to just start whacking away at it...there's a real strategy to use, and we'll talk about it in this week's episode!

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Planting the Plains Planting the Plains

Anthony Reardon

Anthony Reardon is the Horticulture – Small Farms Extension Agent for Johnson County, Kansas.

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Planting the Plains: Growing Blueberries

Anthony Reardon

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!
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Planting the Plains: Warm Season Pests

Anthony Reardon

With the warmer weather of May now here, you can expect to see bugs and other pests begin to appear in your garden. This week, we'll talk about the best ways to defend your plants against them, and which methods work best for specific types of plants!
HPPR Features

Planting the Plains: Weed Control Strategies

Anthony Reardon

Weeds are a nuisance in any garden, but did you know that you can do a lot to prevent them from becoming a REAL problem? "Weeding" can take many forms, but some methods and some good timing can help to prevent bigger weed problems later. We'll talk about how you can do more to combat these weeds in your own garden, and leave more nutrients for your plants!
HPPR Features

Planting the Plains: Growing Leafy Greens

Anthony Reardon

As spring kicks in, and warmer weather begins, there's still some time to grow some of the colder-weather items like leafy green vegetables like lettuce varieties...these plants enjoy cooler temperatures, and in some cases require more frequent watering due to their short roots. We'll talk about a number of options for growing leafy greens in this week's episode!
HPPR Features

Planting the Plains: Succession Planting

Anthony Reardon

So many garden plants don't really need the entire season to grow. In fact, you can keep your garden busy and efficient by utilizing succession planting, which ensures that you'll always be growing something in whatever space you have available. But this can require some careful planning for best results, and this week, we'll talk about how to make YOUR plan!