Author: Laura Jull

Associate Professor and Woody Ornamental Extension Specialist in the Dept. of Horticulture at University of Wisconsin-Madison

Top Ten Trees and Shrubs with Great Fall Color

 

As promised in my Sept. 9 post of “The Science Behind Fall Color”, I would address trees and shrubs with outstanding fall color. It was hard limiting it to only ten trees and ten shrubs, since I found 5 common shrub species of maples alone, so I cheated a bit and grouped the maples, oaks, etc. into one group so that my list was not entirely all maples.

I have seen the below plants with reliable fall color in northern, southern and eastern landscapes.… Continue reading this article “Top Ten Trees and Shrubs with Great Fall Color”

The Science Behind Fall Color

In many parts of the U.S., particularly the northern U.S., we are blessed each year by nature’s display of bright color dotted through the landscape. Fall color of leaves at the end of the growing season provides a remarkable encore in the landscape. There are many trees and shrubs with great autumn leaf color and I will address some of them in my next week’s post, but this week, I will talk about what actually happens inside the plant during autumn.… Continue reading this article “The Science Behind Fall Color”

It’s the Next Best Thing Since Draft Beer: New Plants and Their Proper Evaluation

With many new nursery catalogs arriving in my mailbox at work for 2016 introductions, I thought I would focus this blog on “new” plants. With all the publicity and marketing that goes on for new plant introductions, you would think that they are the next best thing since draft beer or even bread! I am a bit cynical and question whether these new plants really live up to their performance expectations and ornamental attributes. With so many new hydrangeas, coneflowers, coralbells, spireas, etc.… Continue reading this article “It’s the Next Best Thing Since Draft Beer: New Plants and Their Proper Evaluation”

Cool Plants for Late Summer

I thought today’s post would feature two awesome plants that are relatively new or unheard of in the industry. Both of these plants have performed well in my own garden and survived our two hardest winters recorded since the 1970’s. Many plants suffered severe winterburn or even death due to extremely low temperatures, but not these two plants. They may be harder to find in the nursery/garden center, but are well worth it and have huge ornamental impact all growing season.… Continue reading this article “Cool Plants for Late Summer”

Why doesn’t my plant flower? Part 2

As promised last week, here is Part 2 of “Why doesn’t my plant flower?”. If any of you know of more reasons that are not listed here or in the previous week’s blog, please let me know. Happy gardening!

There may be several reasons why a landscape plant does not flower (see last week for more reasons):

1) Over fertilization may inhibit flowering.

  • Do not fertilize newly planted trees and shrubs the first 2-3 years after planting
  • Plants need to put their energy into establishing a healthy root system to support future shoot growth
  • Once the plant is established (2-3 years), fertilizers may be added if a soil test suggests fertilization is needed
  • Over fertilization with quick-release, high nitrogen (N) fertilizers can lead to excessive leaf growth at the expense of flower bud development
  • Avoid using lawn fertilizers around the base of your plants, as they are often high in nitrogen
  • More is not better; follow all fertilizer label directions and do not add more than is required
  • Your landscape plants might not even need fertilization, especially if compost is added or the soil conditions are favorable for plant growth

2) Poorly-drained, heavy clay soils can result in leggy, unhealthy looking plants that may not flower or will die.… Continue reading this article “Why doesn’t my plant flower? Part 2”

Why doesn’t my plant flower? Part 1

I often get horticulture questions from county extension agents, Green Industry professional, gardeners and my next door neighbors. One of the most common questions I get is why their plant did not flower that year. There are many reasons why a plant, either woody or herbaceous perennial, will not flower and both new and established plants can be affected. Some of the below reasons are obvious, some not so obvious.

There may be several reasons why a landscape plant does not flower (more to come next week):

1) Plants requiring full sun are not receiving enough sunlight.… Continue reading this article “Why doesn’t my plant flower? Part 1”

The Heat is On!

We are in the dog days of summer! Record high temperatures across the country have been reported. Let’s face it, climate change is real and the planet is getting warmer, despite record cold temperatures in winter in some areas. With climate change, there are more occurrences of extreme temperatures as well as precipitation such as severe drought, flooding, heavier than usual snowfall, etc. So, how does climate change affect gardeners? To understand the concept, we must first understand how high temperatures affect plant growth and development.… Continue reading this article “The Heat is On!”

When Size Does Matter: Dwarf Conifers for the Home Landscape

I just returned from another great “Addicted Confer Syndrome” conference. In reality, ACS stands for the American Conifer Society. The meeting I attended was the Central Region chapter of the ACS held in Green Bay, Wisconsin. You might be thinking that only white spruce and tamarack are the only conifers that can be grown this far north, but you would be wrong. There are many outstanding conifers that can grow up here and throughout the U.S.… Continue reading this article “When Size Does Matter: Dwarf Conifers for the Home Landscape”

There is a Cure for the Summertime Blues

Like some television commercials say about their product, “But wait, there’s more”, this statement can also be said about flowering shrubs. Just because spring is over, it does not mean there is no more color in the garden. Yes, there are herbaceous perennials that bloom in summer, but there are some fabulous flowering shrubs that also shine during the dog days of summer besides roses and Japanese spirea. Here are three of my favorite larger shrubs with big landscape impact.… Continue reading this article “There is a Cure for the Summertime Blues”