7 ways to build a garden on a shoestring Updated: Thu, Jun 24, 2010 It's easy to spend a lot of money at the garden center this time of year, but it's not necessary. In fact, if you get clever, you'll be able to keep your yard and garden looking beautiful on a shoestring! Here are a few ideas to develop your inner frugal gardener: Read More

Ladybugs help the gardener Updated: Fri, Feb 27, 2009 Are aphids sucking the life out of your roses? Do those icky red spider mites give you the creeps? Are mealy bugs making a meal of your prized hibiscus? If your garden suffers from aphids, mites, mealy bugs or scale insects, you can get help from a special brand of beetle that is considered lucky around the world.... Read More

Soil testing helps determine garden needs Updated: Mon, Feb 23, 2009 So many fertilizers, so many sprays. Where to start? With a soil test to determine if the soil needs nutrients, said Ray Ridlen, horticulture and agriculture educator for the Oklahoma County Extension Service. Take soil from 15 to 20 locations in the garden. Dig down to 6 inches, then mix all soil... Read More

Pumpkin farmer tells ghostly stories Updated: Thu, Oct 25, 2001 Raising pumpkins is not for bumpkins. Things have been so tough for Todd Griffith, one of metropolitan Oklahoma City's chief pumpkin farmers, that he's resorted to imports. He trucks them in from Texas. Griffith won't be caught without them. In some years, his showplace, T.G. Farm's Pumpkin Patch, attracts as... Read More

Loretta Aaron
Water is required for plants Updated: Thu, Aug 16, 2001 Gardeners, don't throw in the trowel yet. The State Fair of Oklahoma is just a month away, and it usually rains then. So, just continue to drag those garden hoses around. In spite of constant watering, several plants in my collection decided Oklahoma was not for them. They are now in garden heaven. Listed here are... Read More

Gardening Q&A Updated: Thu, May 17, 2001 Q: What are these knot like growths on my trees? A: They're often caused from an insect that lays its eggs on the leaf or branch, and the tree reacts by forming a gall around the insect egg. Galls are annoying because once you see them there is nothing that can be done to control them. The good side of this... Read More

Gardening Q&A Updated: Thu, Apr 26, 2001 Q: What should I be doing in my landscape? A: Here are a few suggestions: Control cedar-apple rust. When the orange jelly galls are visible on juniper (cedar) following a rain, begin treating apple and crabapple trees with a fungicide. Control powdery mildew disease with early detection and regular treatment.... Read More

Gardening Q&A Updated: Thu, Mar 15, 2001 Q: What should I be doing in my landscape in March? A: There's a lot that should be done in March. Here's a few tips: For more information, check out the fact sheets at http://agweb.okstate.edu/pearl/ . Remove excessive thatch from warm-season lawns. Dethatching, if necessary, should precede crabgrass control... Read More

Q & A on Gardening Updated: Thu, Feb 1, 2001 Q: How can I control my winter weeds? A: One of the more effective ways to control winter annual weeds in bermuda is to apply a winter application of glyphosate (Roundup, Killzall and Kleeraway). Applying glyphosate in late January or early February will knock out winter weeds, so they won't be around to flower... Read More

Loretta's Back Yard
Maintain watering as autumn approaches Updated: Fri, Aug 18, 2000 Gardeners, the heat continues, so keep those garden hoses running. Three plants that add much to the fall garden are the chrysanthemum, dahlia and aster. The care given to them during the next six weeks will determine the quality of bloom when the days become cool. If your chrysanthemums have grown too tall and... Read More

Oklahoma Roots
Myrtles colorful display Updated: Fri, Jul 21, 2000 WITHOUT a doubt, the queen of the summer flowering shrubs in Oklahoma is crape myrtle. This lovely heat- and drought-tolerant plant provides summerlong color when most plants are barely hanging on, let alone blooming their hearts out. Crape mrytles in Oklahoma are considered deciduous shrubs (loosing their leaves... Read More

Gardening Q & A Updated: Fri, Jun 30, 2000 Q: What problems should I be looking for in the garden now? A: Watch for insects. Aphids and spider mites can severely weaken most vegetable plants. Control aphids with Malathion or Safer Insecticidal Soap. Cucumber beetles are also out in force on watermelons, cucumbers and cantaloupes. Spider mite feeding... Read More

Loretta's Back Yard
Gardens are in transition Updated: Fri, Jun 16, 2000 In a few days, summer will officially arrive. For all practical purposes, it's here. Temperatures have already been high enough to wilt some plants. The garden is in a transition period. The early poppies and larkspur that added so much color are now maturing seed. Allow some of the plants to mature the seed and... Read More

Q & A on Gardening Updated: Fri, Jun 9, 2000 Q: Are there any new pest control materials on the market? A: Some excellent new pest control materials used for several years by professional pest control and crop applicators have recently been packaged for consumers. These products are based on new-generation pest control compounds. The products are being... Read More

Ground Rules
Quash squash bugs early with insecticide Updated: Fri, Jun 9, 2000 Squash bugs will be emerging soon and need to be treated while still young. Large adult squash bugs are practically impossible to control with any insecticide, so controlling them while they are young is critical. Thiodan is one of the best materials for squash bug control in home gardens, but it is also one of... Read More

Ground Rules
Maintenance is important for gardening Updated: Fri, May 12, 2000 Here are some tips for gardeners: Avoid using Sevin on apple trees until 30 days have passed from bloom, or fruit is near the size of a quarter. Proper watering of newly planted trees and shrubs often means the difference between success and replacement. Check your garden center for new and unusual varieties to... Read More