The Eastern Chipmunk (Prevention Plan)
Prevention, identification, and control of wildlife damage
are becoming an increasingly important part of home landscapes. As more people
move into areas previously...
Bulbs for Summer Flowering
Summer flowering bulbs that are tender to weather conditions can add
beauty to the home landscape if used correctly. Many have small
flowers and...
Landscape Planting Plan
The values of landscape plants are many, including their influence on
climate, air purification, erosion control, noise reduction, privacy
screening, and increasing property value.
Mulches for the Landscape
In recent years a number of new mulching materials have become available. Many
of these mulches are recycled products, including...
Lawn Maintenance Plan
Lawn mowing requires more time than all other operations involved in
maintaining a high-quality lawn. Bagging and removing grass clippings
just adds to the...
How to Grow Hawthorn Trees in The Landscape
The hawthorn is a small, flowering tree that represents an alternative
choice to flowering crabapple and flowering dogwood...
How to Maintain Herbaceous Ornamentals
Many gardeners grow herbaceous plants to add color and texture to the
spring, summer, and fall landscape. "Herbaceous" means non-woody, and
includes many common...
Forest Gardening
Travis Beck,
Department of Horticulture and Crop Science,
The Ohio State University
Martin F. Quigley,
Department of Horticulture and Crop...
Controlling the Gypsy Moth with BT (Bacillus thuringiensis)
The Gypsy Moth
The gypsy moth is a pest that was imported into the United States in 1869...
Duckweed and Watermeal: Prevention and Control
Duckweed and watermeal are two free-floating plants whose populations
can attain nuisance levels in Ohio ponds. Their explosive reproductive
capacity can...
Broadleaf Weed Control For Home Lawns
The development and maintenance of a dense, healthy stand of
grass is the best way to reduce the incidence of broadleaf weed
problems developing...
Chemical Control of Weeds in the Flower Garden
The traditional methods of weed control in flower plantings consist
of manual cultivation, hand pulling and mulches. However, in recent
years chemical companies have...
Herbaceous Ornamentals That Need Shade
Nearly every garden or landscape has a shady spot. Shadows may be
cast
from overhead branches, nearby buildings, plants, fences or walls and
may change...
Where to Plant Perennials
Here is a list of different Perennials to plant in different places and for a wide range of uses.
Gardening and Landscaping with Wood
Wood is the construction material of choice by the home gardener.
Wood products used in gardening projects include timbers for separated
or raised...
Ornamental Grasses
The current popularity of ornamental grasses has not been so grand since the Age of Queen Victoria. Scores of ornamental grasses are...
Landscape Plants for Use in Dry Areas
Soils become dry, primarily due to specific soil texture
characteristics or less than normal rainfall. High amounts of sand in
the soil tend to...
How to Test Your Compost
Importance of Testing Compost
The aerobic composting process involves the oxidation of relatively complex organic compounds by...
Mulching Landscape Plants
A mulch, by definition, is a layer of bark, sphagnum peat moss, muck
peat, compost, pine needles, gravel, plastic, or any similar material
uniformly...
How to Tell if Your Lawn Needs Lime
Nearly every homeowner is aware of the importance of applying lime to
the home lawn. However, few probably have a complete understanding
of...
Saving Injured Fruit Plants
Gardeners are disappointed when a portion or all of a small or
tree fruit planting dies. Injury to the trunk, crown (area at...
Improving Soils for Vegetable Gardening
Vegetable plants grow best in a fertile, well-drained soil of loamy
texture. Sandy loam soils, well-supplied with organic matter, are
easily worked and...
16 Guidelines for Soil-Testing
Choosing a Soil-Testing Laboratory
Growers should consider several factors in choosing a soil-testing laboratory. This...
Fertilizing Vegetable Garden Soils
Essential Plant Nutrient Elements
Vegetable plants, like all other green plants, require several nutrient elements for growth,...
Home Composting Plan
Mow your lawn often and let the clippings lie. This is the best use for
grass clippings. Composting is another solution. Composting...
Lead Contamination in the Home
Lead from different sources such as from lead-based paint, gasoline,
and solder may enter the body through air, food, water, dust, and
soil. Lead...
If A Fire Strikes…
Could your family survive a fire?
Most of us would answer yes, thinking of fire in the movies.
Unfortunately,...
Emergency Disinfection of Water Supplies
Floods, storms and extended power failures can make it impossible to
use your well for a drinking water supply. When traveling or camping,
you...
Choosing the Right Type of Housing or Care
Deciding which type of senior housing is most appropriate for yourself or an aging family member is not an
easy task. The...
Making Your Kitchen “User Friendly”
Eating a well-balanced diet is important
to everyone of all ages. However, as we get older, cooking...
How Allergy-Safe Is Your Home?
The sad answer is
probably "not very." With upwards of 200 indoor contaminants in the
average household, most homes are a hotbed...
Feng Shui Your Bedroom
Far from being a Feng Shui expert, I recognize that much of what this eastern philosophy of home placement says is valid...
How to Grow Shiitake Mushrooms
Shiitake (she-e-ta-kay), the Japanese forest mushroom (Lentinus
edodes), is a nonpathogenic fungus that can be grown on a variety of
currently underutilized logs. Shiitake...