While there are still doubters out there mostly thanks to politics, it is pretty clear that the climate is changing and humans are affecting the speed at which it is occurring. The number of record-breaking temperatures and the shift in the USDA hardiness zones show the current effects of this change that will affect almost all parts of our lives, including gardening. What may be less apparent to folks is shifting weather patterns and the increased incidences of extreme weather.… Continue reading this article “Don’t be a Horticultural Hot Mess: Climate-Smart Gardening Practices”
Author: John Porter
John Porter is a horticulturalist located in Omaha, NE. He is a former extension educator with UNL Extension and county agent with WVU extension. In addition to using his horticulture and extension skills in his home garden, he is a sometimes garden writer and lecturer, a trial judge for All-America Selections, and mentor for local school horticulture and agriculture programs.
Hort couture or hubris? The growing trend of genetically engineered novelty plants
A few months ago I wrote about the newly released Purple Tomato, one of the first direct-to-consumer genetically engineered plants made available to the general public. (I’m happy to report that my Purple Tomato seedlings are growing along quite well.) Shortly after I wrote that article, I learned about another new genetically engineered plant being released to home gardeners, this time a bioluminescent petunia. So, of course you know I just had to have some.… Continue reading this article “Hort couture or hubris? The growing trend of genetically engineered novelty plants”
This bud (removal) is for you: Does early flower removal aid plant establishment in fruiting plants like tomatoes?
In many publications and garden resources you see the suggestion to remove flower buds to improve establishment of new fruit and vegetable plants. This advice is shared for both woody and perennial plants like fruit trees and strawberries and for annuals like tomatoes and peppers. And whenever you see someone stating this as gospel, you see someone else stating that it is false or only anecdotal. So the question is – does research support the advice to remove early plant blossoms to improve vegetative plant growth and establishment?… Continue reading this article “This bud (removal) is for you: Does early flower removal aid plant establishment in fruiting plants like tomatoes?”
Trials and Triumphs: All-America Selections Judging and 2024 Winners
I’ve written before about my time as a trial judge for the All-America Selections program, which I did during my seven years with Nebraska Extension. I happened upon the opportunity to be a judge by accident, but really came to relish my time and the work that the organization does.
You see, All-America Selections started in 1932 as a way to actually certify the claims that newly-introduced plants were actually better than ones already available. Previously it was sort of the wild-west of claims made by everyone who had a garden catalog or wrote a garden publication.… Continue reading this article “Trials and Triumphs: All-America Selections Judging and 2024 Winners”
Unpacking a Peck of Purple Genetically Engineered Tomatoes
Excitement spread across social media recently with the announcement that a genetically engineered tomato, creatively named “The Purple Tomato” is now available for home gardeners. Gardeners, plant scientists, and others rejoiced at the news that a purple tomato engineered with genes from a snapdragon to boost the plant pigment anthocyanin is now available for home gardeners to purchase. But why were people so excited? And what does this mean?
The Purple Tomato: What is it and why is it exciting and important?… Continue reading this article “Unpacking a Peck of Purple Genetically Engineered Tomatoes”
Shoveling the Artificial CRAP: Navigating Gardening Un-Intelligence in the age of AI
Like it or not, the use of AI (Artificial Intelligence) has become a part of our daily lives. While you might not use AI directly (or you don’t know that you do) it is now a common part of society, especially in the online world. Many people, sites, can companies use it to create content. It is part of the “smart” gadgets that we use at home. Map software (like Google Maps), search engines, ride share apps, and even the spam filter on your email all use AI.… Continue reading this article “Shoveling the Artificial CRAP: Navigating Gardening Un-Intelligence in the age of AI”
Plant Disease Primer Part 5: Malicious Misfits
Over the last several months, I’ve covered plant disease basics and discussed plant diseases caused by fungi, bacteria, and viruses. In this fifth and final installment, I’m going to talk about diseases caused by anything but those three different agents. There are a few diseases caused by pathogens that fall outside of those well-known classifications. This list is by no means exhaustive, but it is a good start to show you just what is out there.… Continue reading this article “Plant Disease Primer Part 5: Malicious Misfits”
Plant Disease Primer- Part 4: Going Viral
Previously in this series I started with some plant disease basics and then covered some common fungal diseases and then bacterial diseases. Now let’s turn our attention to viruses. Just like with fungi and bacteria before, in this installment I’m going to talk about some of the most common viral plant diseases with some suggestions for treatment and prevention. This by no means will be an exhaustive list of diseases (there are so many!), but I hope to cover some of the most common ones that trouble gardeners.… Continue reading this article “Plant Disease Primer- Part 4: Going Viral”
Plant Disease Primer -Part 3: Fight Bac(teria)
Previously in this series I started with some plant disease basics and then covered some common fungal plant diseases. Now let’s turn our attention to bacteria. Just like with fungi before, this installment of the series, I’m going to talk about some of the most common bacterial plant diseases with some suggestions for treatment and prevention. This by no means will be an exhaustive list of diseases (there are so many!), but I hope to cover some of the most common ones that trouble gardeners.… Continue reading this article “Plant Disease Primer -Part 3: Fight Bac(teria)”
Plant Disease Primer-Part 2: Fungus Among Us
In my last post, I talked about the factors leading to the development of plant diseases and some common signs and symptoms of fungal, bacterial, and viral diseases. In this installment of the series, I’m going to talk about some of the most common fungal plant diseases with some suggestions for treatment and prevention. This by no means will be an exhaustive list of diseases (there are so many!), but I hope to cover some of the most common ones that we see come into the extension office for diagnosis.… Continue reading this article “Plant Disease Primer-Part 2: Fungus Among Us”