Rooted Ramblings: It's seed season!
Our family is known for keeping our home fairly cool during the winter months. We say that it’s healthier, but really, it’s to lower our heating bills.
Master Gardener Volunteers
Rooted Ramblings: What is winter sowing?
What is winter sowing, you ask? Winter sowing is the way many plants perpetuate themselves. They grow from seeds, make flowers, set new seeds, then, in the fall, disperse their new seeds by gravity, wind, water, birds, or small mammals to sprout again, somewhere, next spring.
Rooted Ramblings: O, Christmas Tree!
Bringing home a fresh-cut Christmas tree is a cherished tradition for many people during the holiday season, with 25-30 million live trees sold in the U.S. every year according to the National Christmas Tree Association.
Rooted Ramblings: Great gifts for the gardener in your life
One of the best parts of the holiday season is finding a gift that brings lasting joy to the recipient. If you have a gardener in your life, there are a number of great options to consider, from tools to plants to garden décor. But how do you find the right gift for that special person? Here are a few tips that might help narrow down the choices.
Rooted Ramblings: Pumpkin harvests make Thanksgiving delicious
Is there any better holiday meal than Thanksgiving? A meal made delicious because many of the most popular Thanksgiving dishes contain foods that originate in the Americas.
Rooted Ramblings: The benefits of native shrubs
Would you like to add beauty and restore environmental function to your landscape? Native shrubs are a great place to start. Their extensive root systems reduce storm water runoff and soil erosion while also providing critical habitat for wildlife. Fortunately, many homeowners have already developed a consciousness about the need to add native plants to their landscape.
Rooted Ramblings: Bringing your houseplants inside
As autumn temperatures begin to decline, it is essential to prepare for the transition of houseplants that have been kept outdoors during the summer months in Ohio, back indoors. While many houseplants benefit from outdoor conditions, exposure to low temperatures — particularly below 45-50°F — can lead to damage or loss.
Rooted Ramblings: Fall cleanup– when less is more
With fall upon us and winter just around the corner, we begin to feel the urge to make everything outside neat and tidy so when spring arrives, we are ready.
Rooted Ramblings: Spotted Lanternflies in Portage County
You may have heard of Spotted Lanternfly. You may have even seen one. What should you do when you see them? Kill by swatting, stomping, scraping, squishing, or contain, trap, vacuum. Read on for details. They may be pretty, but they are dangerous to our plants and trees.
Rooted Ramblings: Fall chores
By Michelle Smith, Portage County Master Gardener Volunteer Fall is often a bittersweet time for gardeners. As we enjoy the cooling weather and beautiful color of the autumn leaves, we lament the fact that we will soon be away from our gardens. On the other hand, the end of season also frees us from back-breaking labor and hours of weeding under the hot sun. Like they say, it’s complicated. What shouldn’t be complicated, though, are your fall chores. As we […]
The joys of summer in the woods: a lesson in poisonous plants
The joys of summer, walks in the woods, trips to the park, camping, but wait— what are those plants? And now I have an itchy rash! Poison ivy, poison sumac and poison oak: these are three of the common poisonous plants which can cause rashes when we encounter them in the woods and at home.
Rooted Ramblings: Companion planting for biodiverse gardening
Every gardener wants to use the best practices for a healthy garden. When we look at a landscape that is in balance, we see diverse variety, a lot of color, and randomness. Pollinators hum, birds sing. We may notice some, but not much, damage. Mixing plants in vegetable gardens helps mimic natural ecosystems, addressing common gardening issues like weeds, insect damage, and moisture retention.
Rooted Ramblings: Get to know these local culinary and medicinal weeds
This time of year, many growers are cursing the overly prolific weeds. However, some master gardeners view weeds as an opportunity to ingest highly nutritious greens, flowers, seeds, and roots.
Rooted Ramblings: The beetles are coming
Every summer about this time, Japanese beetles descend upon our communities and begin to skeletonize leaves, flowers and fruits of many different plants.
Rooted Ramblings: Partnering with nature to grow thriving tomatoes
There is nothing quite like the taste of a home-grown tomato – vine ripened and bursting with flavor. This could be the reason that tomatoes are one of the most popular plants you will find in any backyard garden.
Rooted Ramblings: Lesser Celandine, greater problem
If you don’t know an invasive weed called Lesser Celandine, count your blessings, but keep reading in case you do find it in your yard or garden.