Husker Hort

A Nebraska View of Horticulture


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Don’t Eat That: Holiday Edition

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Poinsettias are not as poisonous as once thought.

The holiday season is upon us.  The cookies are baked, the decorations are up, and the holiday plants are blooming with all of their glory.  Some of our favorite holiday plants have a potentially dangerous side and can do more than just add color to our homes.  Do you think you know which of your holiday plants are safe and which ones are dangerous?  Continue reading


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Barbecue, Popsicles & Nutsedge Control

Yellow Nutsedge in flower.

Ahhh… summer. The ‘official’ start to summer is June 21, but you can bet we have already felt those summer temperatures. The start of summer is more than just about barbecue and popsicles, its also an important date to keep in mind if you are controlling yellow nutsedge.

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Is it Winter Desiccation or Something More?

Now that spring has sprung, it is the perfect time to get out into the landscape and take inventory of how the plants fared during the winter. We might have thought it was a ‘mild’ winter by Nebraska standards, but some of our trees thought otherwise. Winter desiccation is the major culprit for browning trees and the extent of damage to plants might not be fully realized until now.

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2022 Central Nebraska Extension Master Gardener Training

Do you enjoy plants and gardening? Are you looking to learn more and hone your skills but don’t know where to go? The Extension Master Gardener program will educate you on many aspects of horticulture, allow you to test your knowledge and skills, all while serving your local community.

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Carpenter Ants: the misunderstood ant

Carpenter ants are one insect that are often misunderstood. They are an important part in the circle of life in decaying wood. Knowing a little more about these insects will help to understand why they are in a specific location and whether or not it might be possible to control them.

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I saw that on social media… it must be true!

With so many places to turn for information, it can be difficult to ‘weed’ out the good information from the bad.

Without a doubt we saw in increase in the interest in gardening and landscaping over the previous year. In the past, you had to know who to ask or what book to look in to find information on how to garden. Today the places to find information are endless. Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter and the internet all have gardening information that is easily shared among friends and followers alike. Sometimes these ideas are tried and true while others are more “too good to be true.” I might not be the first to say it, but you can’t believe everything you read on the internet.

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Henbit, Crabgrass, & Ground Ivy… Oh My!

Purple flowering henbit is blooming right now.

Spring has officially sprung. The crabapples and flowering pears are nearing full bloom. Tulips and daffodils are starting their flower show. Henbit and dandelions are looking gorgeous. Are the last two not quite the kinds of spring flowers you want in your landscape? If so, there are some things you can do. The key to knowing what to do when depends on the weed, but it all comes down to proper identification of the enemy and its life cycle.

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Say It Isn’t Snow!!

Winter can be a beautiful time of the year. The gracefully falling snow or frost on the plants in the morning sun can be an attractive sight to some. To others, it just means more work outside. Regardless of how you feel, these winter conditions should remind everyone to think about their turf. That’s right, I said turf. While the frost and snow are pretty, there are some steps that you can take now to ensure a beautiful looking lawn come spring.

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Chartreuse Isn’t a Turf Color

Chlorotic turf has a chartreuse color

Chartreuse isn’t the first color we think of to describe turfgrass. Its half green/ half yellow, but it is the perfect color to describe many lawns in the area right now. What is causing turf to be this color and why is it happening now? Iron chlorosis is to blame and there are many causes for the yellow/green color. Continue reading