Harvesting Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes should be harvested no later than the first fall freeze because cold temperatures can damage the sensitive roots. However, you may want to harvest earlier if you prefer…

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Harvesting Winter Squash

Summer squash such as zucchini and scallop are harvested while immature but winter squash such as acorn, hubbard and butternut are harvested later, in the mature stage, after the rind…

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How 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…

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Squash 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…

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Got 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…

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Vegetables 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…

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Tomato 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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February Gardening Calendar

Ornamentals Weeks 1-4: Winter aconite (Eranthis sp.) and snowdrops (Galanthus sp.) are hardy bulbs for shady gardens that frequently push up through snow to bloom now. Weeks 1-4: Inspect summer…

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July Gardening Calendar Week 4

Ornamentals Provide water in the garden for the birds, especially during dry weather. Remove infected leaves from roses. Pick up fallen leaves. Continue fungicidal sprays as needed. While spraying roses…

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July Gardening Calendar Week 3

Ornamentals Provide water in the garden for the birds, especially during dry weather. Remove infected leaves from roses. Pick up fallen leaves. Continue fungicidal sprays as needed. While spraying roses…

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