March Gardening Calendar

Houseplants Weeks 1-4: Two handsome houseplants that provide fragrant blossoms indoors this month are the Confederate jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) and Japanese pittosporum (Pittosporum tobira). Both thrive in average home conditions…

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Pawpaw Trees: A Native Fruit

  Even though pawpaw is native to eastern Kansas, many people in the state have never eaten one. Fruits resemble fat bananas and are generally up to 6 inches long…

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Pear Harvest

Most pear cultivars should not be allowed to ripen on the tree. They should be picked while still firm and ripened after harvest. Tree-ripened fruits are often of poor quality…

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Fertilize Strawberries

  An August application of nitrogen on spring-bearing strawberries is important in order to increase the number of strawberries produced next spring. Plenty of daylight and warm temperatures during June,…

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Fruit: Thinning Excess Fruit

Fruit: Thinning Excess Fruit   A few areas of Kansas have avoided late freezes resulting in a heavy fruit crop this year. At first glance, this might seem to be…

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October Gardening Calendar

Ornamentals Weeks 1-4: Continue watering, especially evergreens if soils are dry. Weeks 1-4: Nuts or seeds of woody plants usually require exposure to 3 months cold before sprouting. This may…

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Storing Apples

You can enjoy apples from January to June – with the right conditions. Some apple cultivars can be stored for longer periods than others. Some cultivars will stay in firm,…

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Thinning Excess Fruit

Some areas of Kansas have avoided late freezes resulting in a heavy fruit crop this year. At first glance, this might seem to be a good thing. But too many…

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Fertilizing Blueberries​

Blueberries are sensitive to excess levels of fertilizer. Do not go over the recommended amount. Year of Planting: Apply fertilizer according to soil test and work into the soil before planting.…

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