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Companion planting: Positive partnerships that produce more
Discover how companion planting boosts growth, deters pests, attracts pollinators, and enhances garden beauty and soil health.
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MU Master Gardeners 'Dreams' team grows love of gardening, education
Volunteers teach urban youth in Kansas City to plant gardens, grow healthy food, and build lifelong skills.
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Don't trash the ashes
Free wood ashes boost calcium, phosphorus and potassium, helping raise garden soil pH safely—avoid ashes from cardboard, trash, coal or treated wood.
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Tuesday Tip videos bring gardening tips alive
Get expert gardening tips in short, engaging videos covering topics like plant care, pest control, and seasonal advice for gardeners at every level
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Give Valentine's Day flowers some TLC for extended enjoyment
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Valentine’s Day flowers will last longer if kept watered and fed, said University of Missouri horticulturist David Trinklein. Trinklein’s tips and homemade preservative recipe provide an extended warranty of sorts to make certain flowers last up to twice their normal lifespan.
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African violets help chase away winter blues
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Just in time to brighten the dull, dreary days of winter, the National Garden Bureau has named African violet as its houseplant of the year for 2024. The choice is an excellent one, says University of Missouri Extension state horticulture specialist David Trinklein. African violets thrive in most interior settings, provide nearly continuous color and are inexpensive.
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A flood of support
ST. PETERS, Mo. – From flood-ravaged fields to productive gardens, University of Missouri Extension Master Gardeners in St. Charles County show how volunteers help communities flourish.
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Engineering firm volunteers at KC urban garden maintained by MU Extension Master Gardeners
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Food and hope for the hungry are growing in the heart of downtown Kansas City. Since 2016, professionals from Dialectic Engineering have grown fruit and vegetables on a once-vacant city block. Produce goes to After the Harvest for use at a nearby community kitchen run by Nourish KC, a group that fights food insecurity.
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Turn up the flavor and nutrition by planting turnips
Easily grow tasty, nutritious turnips in late summer for cooler-season harvest—plant in full sun, water weekly, mulch, and enjoy both root and greens.
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Rotten tomatoes star in garden horror show
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Your beautiful tomato plant is setting fruit and soon has nice green tomatoes. Then, to your horror, a dark sunken spot shows up at the bottom of the fruit.You might think an insect or disease has attacked your plant, but such is not the case. Old-timers referred to the problem as “sooty snoot.” Today, it is called blossom-end rot. It is a physiological disorder caused by a calcium imbalance.
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Magnolia flowers tantalize the senses
Discover the allure of magnolias, from the early-blooming star magnolia to the native cucumber tree, each offering unique beauty and fragrance.
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Horticulturist plants seeds of hope in community
Horticulturist Donna Aufdenberg donates plants to community gardens, Master Gardeners, 4-H, church gardens, and youth groups in four Missouri counties.
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Extension Master Gardener program turns 50
COLUMBIA, Mo. – 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of the first Extension Master Gardener program at Washington State University. What began with 300 volunteers in Washington state has grown to more than 84,000 volunteers across the country, said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist and state Master Gardener coordinator David Trinklein.To commemorate the event, March 20-26 of this year has been designated National Extension…
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Pansy: The smiley face flower
Pansies brighten gardens with cheerful, smiley flowers. Plant in spring or fall for vibrant color and early blooms.
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Spring flowers shine from bulbs planted in the fall
Learn when and how to plant spring-flowering bulbs in fall for vibrant blooms in spring while ensuring proper soil and drainage management.
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Let the gourd times roll
Learn how to harvest, cure, and store gourds for decoration, crafts, and seed saving this fall.
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Sunflower: The story of this summer goddess begins with search for love
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The sunflower’s story begins with a tale of unrequited love. According to Greek mythology, the water nymph Clytie fell in love with the god of the sun, Apollo, who dazzled the earth as he drove his golden chariot across the sky each day. When he rejected Clytie’s affection, it nearly drove her mad. She spent days without food or water as she searched the heavens and waited for Apollo to appear.
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Fall flowers usher out summer in a blaze of color
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Fall is time for the changing of the guard in flower beds and containers. As some summer flowers shout their last hurrah, others gradually fade into the background.
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Lasagna gardening: Layers and layers of goodness
JACKSON, Mo. – As traditional gardening season takes a bow, lasagna gardening makes a grand entrance. Lasagna gardening is no-till, no-dig gardening that uses materials typically thrown away such as kitchen and yard waste, says University of Missouri Extension horticulturist Donna Aufdenberg. Aufdenberg says lasagna gardening is environmentally friendly and frees the gardener from tilling, weeding and digging. Gardens also…
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Golden rule for dorm room plants: Keep it simple
Keep dorm plants simple with easy-care cacti, succulents, and foliage for a bright, low-maintenance study space.
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Time to transplant irises
Transplant irises from August to October for best growth. Space, divide, and care for vibrant blooms and healthy rhizomes.
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Cool gardening tips for hot days
JACKSON, Mo. – Both gardeners and their plants need extra care when it’s hot outside, says University of Missouri Extension horticulturist Donna Aufdenberg. She reminds gardeners to take care of themselves first so they can tend to gardens and flowerbeds. Consider gardening in the early morning and late evening to avoid high temperatures and harsh sun.
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Gardeners, baseball fans swing into summer
Show your team spirit with baseball-themed gardens. Plant red, white, and blue flowers to celebrate Cardinals or Royals this summer.
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Gladden a late-summer garden with gladiolas
Add vibrant color to your late-summer garden with gladiolas, from planting tips to flower care and corm storage for next year.
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Poppy: A remembrance of fallen heroes
The red poppy symbolizes remembrance of soldiers who died in combat, inspired by John McCrae's 1915 poem "In Flanders Fields."