Special Guest Today: Sarah Rummery - Manager of Horticulture, Reiman Gardens - Iowa State University, Ames, IA

Fun Bulbs at Reiman Gardens To Try Forcing as recommended by Sarah

Peruvian Squill - Scilla peruviana

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Define "Bulb"

Acutally the many plants we refer to as having "bulbs" have other bulb-like sturctures like corms, tubers, rhizomes, or tuberous roots.  The more appropriate term would be Geophyte

Geophyte (j-ft) n. a perennial plant propagated by buds on an underground storage organ, such as a bulb, corm, tuber, or rhizome.

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Spring Bulbs to Look For!

Sarah suggests some early spring bulbs, planted in the fall that may be popping up soon outside

Siberian Squill - Scilla siberica

Crocus - Crocus vernus

Snowdrop - Galanthus nivalis

Snowflake - Leucojum aestivum

Striped Squill - Puschkinia scilloides

Winter Aconite - Eranthis hyemalis

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Forcing Spring Bulbs

Maybe you found a few extra bulbs your forgot to plant this fall - you could still try this.  Or just make plans for next year!

Forcing Spring Bulbs - Rhode Island Extension

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Forcing Spring Branches

You can clip and bring in branches of some of your favorite early spring blooming shrubs and force them to bloom.  A great way to add a touch of spring a little early.

Great plants for this include: Forsythia, Magnolia, Redbud, Serviceberry, Witchhazel, Crabapple, and of course.....Pussy Willow

Here is more information on Forcing Spring Branches from the University of Nebraska - Lincoln

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Summer Bulbs

There is still plenty of time to order and plant these spring planted, summer blooming bulbs.

The hardy ones

Asiatic Lily - Lilium - specifically, a nice cultivar called 'Commander In Cheif'

Ornamental Onion - Allium - although many plant their bulbs in the fall - this link will take you to the beautiful star of persia allium (Allium christophii)

Crocosmia - Crocosmia - hardy to zone 5

The tender ones

Caladium - Caladium

Canna - Canna

Gladiolus - Gladiolus

Dahlia - Dahlia

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Pruning Fruit Trees

A nice overview from North Carolina State University - Pruning Fruit Trees

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Got a Sick Plant? Contact the Plant and Insect Diagnostic Clinic at Iowa State University

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A Snapshot of Home Gardening in the United States

Guest

Dr. Mike White, Viticulture Field Specialist,Iowa State University, 909 E. 2nd Ave, Suite E, Indianola, IA 50125.
Ph: office: (515) 961-6237; mobile: (515) 681-7286; Fax: (515) 961-6017.
Mike publishes the ISU Extension Wine-Grower-News. Contact him to get on his subscription list.

Iowa Wine Growers Association
                                          
ISU Viticulture
                   
ISU Midwest Grape & Wine Industry Institute
                        .              
Western Iowa Grape Growers Association
          
Iowa Wine & Beer Promotion Board

Ohio State University Extension eStore, search for Midwest Grape Production Guide B919, $20.50                   

2013 Midwest Commercial Small Fruit & Grape Spray Guide, free pdf, $6 for hardcopy
 
Cornell University VineBalance, excellent sustainable viticulture workbook
 
Virginia Tech Wine Grape Production in Eastern North America: order through ISU for $75  
 
VESTA "On-line" Viticulture and Enology Junior College degrees or 100 hr certificates                 

ISU Ag Marketing Resource Center: detailed interactive "FREE" Excel winery and vineyard budget spreadsheets
ISU Winery & Vinyard Feasibility Workbooks: Excellent interactive down-loadable EXCEL spreadsheets
                         
Iowa Alcohol Beverages Division

Organic Viticulture Resources:
Ohio State University Organic Grape Spray Guide  
Washington State University Organic Viticulture Resources
Univ. of Minnesota Organic Risk Management Crops Manual                  
Cornell University Organic Grape Guide

 
Mike: The best book I have ever read about grape growing whether it be commercial or hobby was The Grape Grower– an Organic Guide to Grape Growing by Lon Rombough.
Very easy read with a huge amount of information that can be used in conventional or organic production.

Cold Hardy Wine grapes  View Document

Cold Hardy Table grapes  View Document

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Ulrike's tomatoes are hanging in there, still producing

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For Kathy:  Large Container Ideas from Houzz

Seed Start spreadsheet 2012   View Document

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Growing Geraniums from Seed, ISU Extension, Richard Jauron, 2/1/2008

Growing Geraniums from Seed-2010- Senior Gardening: lot of details & photos. 

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Front Yard Vegetables

West Des Moines officials decide to drop proposed front yard garden ban, Des Moines Register, Emily Schettler, 2/7/2013

The Battlefront in the Front Yard, New York Times, Steven Kurutz, 12/19/2012

College Park, FL, update, Click Orlando, January 13, 2013, 

It's WEST Des Moines, not Des Moines, but I love the natives in the picture. Mother Earth News, Katie Roberts, 2/7/2012

-Eileen

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Orchid Fest at Reiman Garden Today!

Add some color to an otherwise dreary day - you can buy orchids and see orchid related classes

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Aaron's Clivia is Blooming!

And here is some more information about growing your own Clivia

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Eggshell seedlings: This seedling is sickly, do NOT try this at home

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Vegetable Varieties for Gardeners, Cornell University

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Love lies bleeding Amaranthus caudatus

Amaranthus palmieris

2013 Think Spring Garden Seminar, Saturday, February 23

9 AM to 3 PM

Hubbell Ballroom, Kent Student Center, Simpson College, indianola

Fee: $45 includes catered lunch
Registration Deadline: Wednesday, February 13, or when full
Call (515) 961-9420 to register.

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Classes at SEED (SEED FACEBOOK PAGE)

500 East Grand Avenue (East Village)

Des Moines, IA

Call 515-244-3277

Thursday, Feb 7 - Seed Saving

Thursday Feb.14 - What's "New" with Heirlooms

Thursday, Feb. 21 - Urban Farming for Self sufficiency

Thursday, Feb. 28 - Planning for Year round color in your garden

Thursday, March 7 - Drought busting colorful containers

Thursday, March 14 - Fairy Gardening (Adult)

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Applehurst Spring Classes, including

Cracked Pot Succulent Garden

Everyone loves those cracked pots tumbling with hardy succulents that they see on the patio at Applehurst. Come to class and make one of your own! You’ll receive soil, decorative gravel, and two plants, plus all the assistance you need to build your pot. Yes, you may bring your own pots if you would like and we’ll be happy to help you figure out how to arrange and plant them. You may purchase broken terra cotta at $1.50/lb and any extra plants you want to design your pot as large or small as you want.

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Boxwood Blight, NC State University Dept of Plant Pathology: Multipl links, inlcuding a handy chart of resistance levels:    

Check out the Missouri Botanical Garden Boxwood descriptions, this is Korean Boxwood

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Planting & Harvesting Times for Garden Vegetables, ISU Extension, PM534

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ISU Viticulture

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Aronia

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Guest Joe McNally, Horticulture Project Manager                              

joe@iowaarboretum.org

Main Number: (515) 795-3216

Iowa Aboretum

Upcoming Events, including Second Saturday Morning: Designing with Perennials, 2/9/2013

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2013-2-2: Iowa Prairie Network Region 5 Annual Meeting   

Our annual Winter Meeting will be Feb. 2, DMACC Ankeny Building 7. This year our silent auction beneficiary will be two State Preserves - Rolling Thunder and Marietta Sand Prairie. Auction proceeds will pay for development of management plans for these two preserves, and also fund some on-site work days by the Conservation Corps. We hope to do more of this kind of partnership with the Iowa DNR State Preserves, this is our trial run. The main presentation day will be a sort of "top 10 prairie questions" we hear from folks getting started with prairies, with follow-up displays on such topics as creating a seed mix, dealing with invasive species, evaluating a developing prairie stand etc. There will also be a tribute/review of the work done by the Living Roadway Trust Fund, and the usual room full of conservation displays by artists and organizations. Join us! Doors open at 11, presentation starts at Noon.

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California Plant Pathology

Art McCain, UC Agriculture & Natural Resources

History of the Plant Pathology Department, University of California, Berkeley, 1903-1991; Milton R. Schroth & Albert R. Weinhold; 2011

Beneficial Bacteria Enhance Plant Growth, Suslow et al, California Agriculture, November-December 1979

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Compass Plant

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Girard Nursery

Totally Tomatoes

Seed Savers Exchange

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Arrowood Alpines "Funny Pictures"

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Farmstead Windbreaks: Planning, PM-1716

Windbreaks for Iowa

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Boxwood "Chicagoland Green"

Saunders Brothers re: Boxwood Blight

Guest Ralph Conner, Consulting Arborist

515-401-8587

Board Certified Master Arborist MW0509B
American Society Consulting Arborists

American Grove, Iowa Group

ISU Extension Forestry: Red Pine Identification

Arbor Day Foundation: What Tree Is That?

Ed Gilman, University of Florida, Landscape Plants: browse here for lots of info about landscape trees

Iowa Arborist Association

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Some great conference opportunities recommended by Ralph Conner

Shade Tree Short Course - February 26-28 - Ames, IA

Nebraska Arborists - February 18-19 - Lincoln, NE

Midwest Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture - February 6-8 - St. Louis, MO

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Trees Forever a great organization!

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Cabling and Bracing Trees, SP659, University of Tennessee Extension

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Low-growing Trees for Urban and Rural Iowa, PM1429D, ISU Extension will help you get the right tree in the right place!

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Iowa Native Trees and Shrubs, near Woodward, providing locally sourced and grown trees and shrubs, using root-pruning growing techniques for hard to transplant trees like Oak & Hickory.