Posts by ashlee
Milkweed Seed Collecting Time is Just Around the Corner
I noticed yesterday that my butterfly weed plants (Asclepias tuberosa) have pods. They’re not ready to harvest just yet, but soon. Collecting milkweed seeds is an important way we can…
Read MoreHow to Pick a Ripe Melon
Telling when a melon is ready to be harvested can be a challenge, or it may be quite easy. It all depends on the type of melon. Let’s start with…
Read MoreSquash Vine Borer
If you have squash or related plants that suddenly wilt and die, you may have squash vine borer. This insect will bore into the stems of squash, zucchini, pumpkins and…
Read MoreMilkweed Insects
With all the attention to milkweeds and the decline of monarch butterflies more and more people are searching milkweeds for the monarch butterfly eggs and caterpillars. Often what they find…
Read MoreGot calcium? Your tomatoes need it
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Your beautiful tomato plant is setting fruit and soon has nice green tomatoes. Then, to your horror, a dark, sunken spot shows up at the bottom of…
Read MoreJapanese Beetles (JB)
Japanese beetles have become a firmly established pest species in portions of Kansas. Potential damage is twofold. Most commonly, Japanese beetles indiscriminately feed on nearly 300 plant species including fruits,…
Read MoreTan or White Drupelets on Blackberry and Raspberry Fruit
Blackberry and raspberry fruit will often develop white or tan drupelets on the berry. Though we are not completely sure of the cause, two commonly given reasons are stinkbug damage…
Read MoreVegetables Produce Flowers But No Fruit
If you have vegetables that are blooming but not setting fruit, you may have a problem with flower pollination. There are several possible reasons for this that usually…
Read MoreBacterial Spot of Peach
This bacterial disease is a common disease in Kansas but rarely causes extensive losses in fruit quality or production. The disease affects leaves, fruit, and occasionally twigs. Leaf infections first…
Read MoreTomato Leaf-Spot Diseases
This time of year, two common leaf-spot diseases appear on tomato plants. Septoria leaf spot and early blight are both characterized by brown spots on the leaves. Septoria leaf spot…
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