Christmas Trees
Now that we have survived Thanksgiving, we now find ourselves in the midst of holiday season and for a lot of us, that means decorations. And one of...
Planning Your 2026 Garden
I was out at our Seed to Supper Farm early last week for what was likely our final harvest of the season and was able to harvest some beautiful Chinese...
Preventing Southwest Tree Injury
We’ve talked about how fall is the best time to plant most trees with a few exceptions (crape myrtles for example). But with colder temperatures now...
Managing Fall Leaves
Now that we’ve had our first good freeze of the season, we know the leaves on our trees will soon begin to fall, if they haven’t already. Last weekend,...
Fireplace Ashes
It’s finally cooling down and for a lot of us, this marks the beginning of one of our favorite seasons - fireplace season. Yes, there’s not much better...
Overwintering Plants
Well, are the cooler temperatures here to stay? Seems like it. I guess we’ll find out. But one thing we know for sure is that the cooler temperatures...
Planting Bulbs
We’ve been talking about fall garden activities recently. Some of those activities involve growing garlic, planting trees and shrubs, and getting our...
Fall Soil Sample
We know that the warm weather garden season is going to come to a close at some point. The question is just a matter of when. Three years ago, we had...
Mums
Last week we talked about one of our favorite fall flowers - pansies. Today let’s talk about another one - mums.
Mum is a shortened version of their...
Pansies
According to the calendar, it’s now fall. But it sure doesn’t feel like fall yet, does it? Fall can mean a lot of different things to gardeners. It can...
Cold Frames
We know, it’s going to cool down eventually, right? We might even have a winter at some point. For vegetable gardeners, winter is either a time to rest,...
Planting Trees and Shrubs
While the summer growing season is winding down, planting season for trees and shrubs is ramping up. While this may seem a bit counter-intuitive, here’s...
Growing Garlic
Since we’ve been talking about getting our fall garden crops in the ground, there’s one crop we can plant now that will overwinter in the soil to give...
Re-seeding Fescue
Cooling temperatures mean a lot of things to gardeners. One of those things is that it doesn’t feel like the weather is trying to kill us anymore and...
Last Call for Fall Gardens
Oftentimes we hear people say that if you can grow vegetables in Oklahoma, you can grow them anywhere. This is of course, an exaggeration, but there...
Leaf Scorch
This is the time of year when our plants start to look a little rough. The relentless heat keeps pounding them every day. There appears to be some good...
Armyworms and fall web worms
Gardening is always interesting. I just lost my Chinese cabbage to cabbage loopers. Why, I wasn’t paying attention, and they got out of hand. I usually...
Dividing Iris
As gardeners, we often find ourselves in a bit of a predicament. First of all, if we admit it, we want all the flowers. We also like to share our flowers....
Becoming a Tulsa Master Gardener
As Master Gardeners, quite often we find ourselves out in the community teaching classes. The topics of the classes are varied but, as a rule, are related...
Spider Mites
This heat is tough on not only us, but also our plants. At this point in the season, it’s a challenge to provide enough water for them to survive, let...
Fall Vegetable Gardens
As vegetable gardeners, we schedule part of our garden lives on two important dates of the year: the date where it is safe to plant and the date where...
Planting Crapemyrtles
The general rule for planting trees and shrubs is that fall is the best time to plant. We say fall is the best because we like to plant those trees and...
Environmental Tomato Problems
Since most every home gardener grows tomatoes, let’s talk about little bit about some environmental challenges we face with tomatoes. When I say environmental,...
Bagworms
While we aren’t seeing bagworms to the degree we have seen them in pas years, we know they are out there. Bagworms are the creatures that live inside...
Mulberryweed
It’s been a couple of years since I’ve talked about this particularly weed, and some of you may ask “why do you single out this weed to talk about when...
Fungal Disease in Tomatoes
Maybe monsoon season is over and maybe not, but one thing we know for sure… with all this water and heat, we will be in the midst of a perfect storm...
Too Much Water
So much water…am I right? Oklahoma is full of so many contradictions, not the least of which is our weather. Sometimes it can almost seem like we are...
Garden Tour
So many plants…so little time. It feels that way sometimes, doesn’t it? We visit one of our local nurseries, see all the beautiful plants, and we want...
Poison Hemlock
This is about the time of year we begin to see some rather alarming posts on social media that sound like we are being invaded and attacked by a poisonous...
Growing Okra
As most of us are either planting or have already planted our warm season vegetables, if you haven’t used all you space up yet and you would like an...
Growing Beans
We just purchased a new seeder for our Tulsa Master Gardener Seed to Supper Farm…and so far, it’s great. It’s a device called a Poly Planter Jr. At our...
Rust Disease
Our “rainy season” is a good time to talk about rust disease in plants. Some years we have huge outbreaks of this plant disease, and other years, not...
Growing Tomatoes
This is the time of year most gardeners are planting their warm season vegetable crops if they haven’t already. So, let’s talk about one crop that is...
Growing Sunflowers
We talked about gardening for birds previously, so let’s talk about a fan favorite for both birds and humans you may have forgotten – sunflowers.
The...
Gardening for Birds
We talked about pollinator gardens recently, but what about those other flying creatures – birds. While the pollinating insects tend to get the most...
Hardening off your plants
So, if you’re a vegetable gardener, odds are you have started some seeds indoors and have been caring for these little ones for several weeks. Official...
Peonies
Peonies are starting to show themselves so let’s talk about some of the benefits and challenges associated with growing peonies.
One thing we love...
Pollinator Gardens
This is the time of year we gardeners are gearing up for our gardens. If you are growing vegetables, you likely have your cool season crops in the ground....
Planting Spring Crops
Is it time to plant? Should we wait? Is winter over? The first day of Spring was last week, so we’re good to go right? To all of those questions I would...
The Problem with Bradford Pears
Last year on Facebook, we made a tongue in cheek post about Bradford Pear trees, suggesting the proper way to prune a Bradford was to get your chainsaw...
Hummingbirds
I never really thought about it much, but writing articles will (should) cause you to think about some things. One of those things popped up today –...
Henbit and Dandelions
Today we’re going to talk about two plants that most people will refer to as a weed, but what is a weed other than a plant that exists somewhere we don’t...
Growing Herbs
As we are thinking about and getting ready for our summer vegetable garden, consider planting some herbs. Herbs are pretty easy to grow, don’t have a...
Reseeding Fescue
While the best time of year to reseed fescue lawns is in the fall, the second best time is now. So, if your best intentions to get that seed down last...
Growing Strawberries
Who doesn’t like strawberries? And what’s especially nice about growing strawberries is that it’s a relatively low maintenance endeavor. Not many disease...
Oklahoma Proven Plants
As gardeners, let’s just admit it…it’s impossible to know everything we need to know about plant varieties, which ones do well here, and how to take...
Freeze Damage on Plants
With the freezing temperatures this week, there’s a strong likelihood that some of our plants might have been damaged. A few weeks ago we wrote about...
Pollination
As gardeners, we talk about soil and seeds and seed starting and irrigation and different types of beds etc., etc., etc. But one thing we don’t talk...
Rain Barrels
It’s still cold outside. Most of us probably have our vegetable seeds started, or we are about to start our seeds and we’re anxious to get back out in...
Getting Ready for Garden Season
We’re in the middle of the in-between season. Winter is loosening its grip on the weather while the first day of Spring is a little over a month away....
Groundhogs
At the first of this week, we went through one of our annual rituals of looking to a groundhog to prognosticate the weather, of course I am talking about...
Growing Cool Season Vegetables
Believe it or not, we are only a couple of weeks away from being able to start planting for our spring vegetable garden. If you happen to have a cold...
Growing Asparagus
We’ve talked about starting seeds for our annual vegetable plants, but what about perennial vegetables, and by perennial vegetables, I mean asparagus....
Plant Sale/Fundraiser 2025
While this time of year is typically not when we spend a lot of time outside working in our gardens, it is the time of year many of us fight back against...
Crapemyrtle Bark Scale
We don’t seem to hear as much about it these days, but crapemyrtle bark scale is still out there and still wreaking havoc on our crapemyrtles. Fortunately,...
Seed Starting
Since we’ve passed Seed Catalog Season, it’s now time to get ready to start seeds indoors for some of the vegetables we plan to grow in our spring and...
Growing Zones
As many of us are dreaming about which plants we want to add to our 2025 landscapes and gardens, one thing we need to keep in mind is our growing zone;...
Rose Rosette disease
If you are a rose person (and you know who you are), roses are not only the centerpiece of your garden but are the plant that commands most of your attention....
Caring for Indoor Plants
Since there’s not much going on in the outdoor garden right now, let’s talk about indoor plants. It’s likely that if you are an avid gardener, you also...
Seed Catalogs
If there’s anything that can get gardeners thinking about this year’s garden, it’s when those seed catalogs start arriving in your mailbox. Yes, there...
Urban Gardener Class
So, it’s officially 2025, which means, if you haven’t been thinking about your vegetable garden for this year, now is the time to start. With last year...
New Year's Resolutions
With 2024 almost in the rear-view mirror, it’s a good time to reflect on the year and make some decisions on what we want to do differently in 2025....
Poinsettias
Now that Christmas is in the rear-view mirror, what do you do with that beautiful poinsettia? Do you just throw it away or do you try and keep it for...
Oklahoma Spiders
So, why am I talking about spiders in December? The main reason is now that it’s finally a bit chilly outside, we aren’t the only ones seeking a warm...
Yellow Bellied Sapsucker
We love our birds, but some of them can test our patience. One of those that can test our ability to live and let live is the yellow-bellied sapsucker....
Mistletoe
It seems I write an article about mistletoe every year, but I do so for a couple of reason. Mistletoe continues to hold a place in our holiday celebrations,...
When leaves don't fall
So here we are a week and a half before Christmas, and we still have a lot of leaves up in the trees. In a normal year (are there any of those anymore?)...
Growing Cannas
Whenever I see cannas growing in a landscape, I always say to myself…Tom you need to get some of those. But then I move on and forget. Maybe this coming...
Christmas Cactus
Since we’ve been on kind of a Christmas horticultural theme lately, what about Christmas Cacti? While a Christmas cactus is a popular holiday gift, there...
Christmas Wreaths
Saturday, we talked about how to choose and care for your fresh cut Christmas tree. Let’s continue the theme and talk about Christmas wreaths and how...
Christmas Trees
With Thanksgiving in the rear-view mirror, it’s time to start getting ready for Christmas and with Christmas comes Christmas trees. Here’s our yearly...
Composting 101
We’ve talked about the various ways leaves can be repurposed to help enrich your soil and encourage pollinators, but what about our garden trimmings...
Southwest Tree Injury
A couple of months ago we talked about how fall was the best time to plant most trees and how to plant your trees for best success. If you’ve planted...
Fall Mums
It looks like we have freezing temperatures, or near freezing temperature in the not too distant future. So, if you, like many of us gardeners, have...
Pruning Plants
Now that we are starting to lose leaves, the question always comes up - is now a good time to prune? The answer is yes on some plants and no on other...
Growing Pecans
Fresh pecans sure taste good. The fact that they do taste so good probably has some of you all thinking you would like to plant pecan trees so you can...
Pine Tree Needle Drop
We’ve talked about how to approach the falling leaves in your landscape, but what about the falling needles from evergreens, such as pines. As some evergreens...
Managing Leaves in the Yard
With cooler temperatures and shorter daylight hours the leaves should start dropping from our trees pretty soon. Some have already started although I...
Fireplace Ashes
We write about this topic every year because, quite frankly, there’s a lot of misinformation out there on the internet about the benefits of using fireplace...
Winter Garden Maintenance
Cooler temperatures are finally here and with those cooler temperatures we have some decisions on the horizon to make. Historically, gardeners of both...
Bringing Plants Indoors
At some point summer temperatures are going to end…at least we think so. At that point we’ll need to bring our summer tropicals indoors, or at least...
Crop Rotation and Cover Crops
Right now, it seems like vegetable garden season will go on forever. But we know eventually, the cold weather will show up and put an end to our garden....
Acorns
Finally, we’ve got that chill in the air that lets us know fall is here. With the cooling temperatures, there will be a lot of changes in our landscapes....
Making New Plans for Next Year's Garden
As the summer garden season is winding down, it’s time to reflect a bit on what went well, and what didn’t go so well in the garden this year. For us...
Fall soil Testing
Even though the summer garden season is winding down, there’s still a lot going on. In addition to caring for our plants, many of us are thinking about...
Planting Bulbs
I’m not sure why I like planting bulbs so much. Maybe there are several reasons. Such as, planting bulbs isn’t difficult, and there is a special bulb...
Extending the Growing Season with Cold Frames
Here we are in October. How did that happen? Wasn’t it just a few days ago we were melting in the heat?
This is the time of year gardeners start thinking...
Fall Web Worms
Fall webworms are always interesting in that some years it seems like they are everywhere and other years they are pretty sparse. Fortunately, this year...
Pansies - The Perfect Winter Flower
Since it’s now officially fall, we know what that means…it means that our summer annuals are not going to be with us much longer. The way many gardeners...
Fall Lunch and Learn
One thing I hope the Tulsa Master Gardeners are known for is education. In support of our educational mandate, we maintain a Diagnostic Center 5 days...
Planting Trees and Shrubs
As the weather is starting to cool down a bit (hallelujah), gardeners are greeting this time of year with mixed emotions. Mixed because, yes, we welcome...
Reseeding Fescue
If you have fescue in your lawn, now is the perfect time to reseed your fescue. There are two times of the year when you can reseed fescue. You can put...
Lady Beetles
Of all the insects we find in the garden, lady beetles have to be one of our favorites. Lady beetles don’t harm any of our plants, but they spend their...
Armyworms
We’re getting calls at our Diagnostic Center along with several of our Master Gardeners reporting armyworms in their yards. So, let’s talk about armyworms...
Last Call for Fall Gardens
It’s hard to believe that there are more days behind us this year than currently ahead of us in the warm season garden. How did that happen? One minute...
Growing Garlic
We know a lot of you all read or at least casually glance at our articles each week and it’s probably the active gardeners that read them and those who...
Blister Beetles
As you probably can guess, any insect with a name like blister beetle is not an insect to approach with a casual attitude. Blister beetles contain a...
Katydids
The more you learn about insects the more interesting they become it seems. I mean, you can look at a lowly roll-poly and just think “look, there’s a...
Transpiration
Since we talked about watering our gardens on Tuesday, let’s talk about the way water moves through plants by something we call transpiration.
Transpiration...
Watering the Garden
Let’s face it, being a vegetable gardener in August is brutal. Maybe it feels a little more brutal after just having come out of July, or maybe it’s...
Browing Leaves
Typically, we get calls asking about brown leaves on trees in September, but here we are in early August and we are starting to see trees begin to drop...
Wasps Are Our Friends
Today let’s talk about wasps but not in the way you are likely thinking. I’ll admit that I am a little leery of wasps, but I am working on it. I mean,...
Dividing Iris
Iris are kind of an old school flower in that they are something we probably remember seeing in our grandparents landscapes, but they are still a favorite...
Become a Master Gardener
Last week I talked about how the fall vegetable season has begun. Well, if it’s fall garden season that must mean it’s also Become a Master Gardener...
Spider Mites
Spider mites can be a problem on many different plants, both indoors and outdoors. But at times it seems like they have a special preference for tomatoes....
Fall Vegetable Gardens
If you are a vegetable gardener, you are likely familiar with the average final freeze date of April 15thbecause this is typically when we consider the...
Fungal Disease in Tomatoes
We’re at the point where some of you either have had or might have fungal disease in your tomatoes on the horizon. So, let’s talk about some of those...
Controlling Moles and Gophers
Oftentimes when I have a conversation with someone about a critter that is tearing up their lawns, they will blame either a mole or a gopher. And more...
Summer is the time to plant crapemyrtles
While summer can be tough on a lot of our garden plants, there’s one that loves the summer and that’s the crapemyrtle. There’s no doubt that because...
Earthworms
The seemingly, lowly earthworm doesn’t necessarily appear to be something we should get that excited about, but in reality, they are valuable partners...
Red Velvet Ants
When you first see a red velvet ant, the first thing you will probably ask yourself is “what the heck is that thing?” It kind of looks like a giant ant,...
Powdery Mildew
If you are like me, you have some peonies in your landscape. Peonies are great because the produce these giant flowers pretty early in the season. But...
Common tomato problems
By now our tomato plants should be getting pretty well established and maybe you have even been getting tomatoes, but environmentally issues may be affecting...
IPM Part 3
If you’ve been playing along, this is the third and final article in our series about how to deal with garden pests and disease in environmentally friendly...
Watering Your Plants
A few weeks ago, we wrote about the large quantity of rain we were receiving and its effect on our plants and gardens. Now that monsoon season appears...
IPM Part 2
If you are a regular reader of this column, last Tuesday we began a discussion about Integrated Pest Management (IPM) with integrated pest management...
Hypoxylon Canker
By now, everything that is going to green up, has greened up. So, if you have a plant that hasn’t green up, there’s likely an issue. But what if it’s...
IPM part 1
Now that most of us have our summer vegetable crops in the ground, let’s talk about what happens next, and by next I mean the arrival of all those uninvited...
Good fungus found in soil - Mycorrhizae
Fungal diseases in plants are always a problem, likely even more so this spring since we’ve been living through monsoon season. Likely, many of you are...
Landscapes of Love Garden Tour
Spring has to be the favorite time of year for gardeners. It’s a time when a lot of the things we love about being gardeners converge; being outside,...
Water, Water, Everywhere
Water, it seems like in Oklahoma, we either get too much or too little. As a rule we kind of know that we are going to have an over-abundance of rain...
Bagworms
While we haven’t seen a lot of bagworm activity yet, they are out there, and here’s what you need to know.
Most of us are familiar with bagworms having...
Growing Beans
Beans are a great garden crop for home gardeners here in NE Oklahoma and there are a variety of beans available that should fit most anyone’s growing...
Growing Seedless Watermelons
Summer brings the arrival of one of our garden favorites - watermelon. One of the primary challenges to eating watermelon can be those pesky seeds. We...
The Benefits of Garden Mulch
Now that most of us have our summer flowers and vegetables in the ground, let’s talk about mulch. We mention mulch quite a bit, but why is mulch such...
Identifying Poison Hemlock
We’re starting to see poison hemlock and Queen Anne’s Lace popping up so let’s talk about how to identify these two plants and what you should know about...
Growing Okra
I would be hard pressed to think of a garden vegetable that gives you production throughout the growing season that would top okra. Granted, there are...
Squash Insects
Many of us love to grow and eat squash, but that endeavor does not come without challenges. Two primary challenges to successfully growing squash are...
Growing Peonies
Peonies are putting on quite a show right now, but every year we get quite a few questions about peonies and ants, so let’s talk about peonies and whether...
Monarch Butterflies
In the United States, we have two monarch butterfly population groups with the Rocky Mountains serving as the dividing line. First, we have a group known...
Growing Sunflowers
On Tuesday we talked about gardening for birds and today let’s talk about one of our feathered friend’s favorites - sunflowers.
More often than not,...
Gardening for Birds
Most of us approach our garden purchases with one criterion… that’s pretty, I want one, or two, or more. While this is an approach that satisfies our...
Winter Damage on Plants
Now that the trees and shrubs are greening up, what do you do if you have a plant that isn’t greening up like it used to? What if part of it looks dead...
Growing Tomatoes
Hands down, the most popular vegetable (technically a fruit) for urban gardeners has to be the tomato. One of the primary reasons is that home grown...
Hardening Off Your Plants
If you’ve been babying your vegetable transplants for the past few weeks in anticipation of getting them out in the garden to officially start your garden...
Growing Tomatoes
Hands down, the most popular vegetable (technically a fruit) for urban gardeners has to be the tomato. One of the primary reasons is that home grown...
The Problem with Bradford Pears
Last week on Facebook, we posted what we thought was a kind of funny post about pruning Bradford pears. It contained a photo of a Bradford pear and the...
Hummingbirds in the Garden
Who doesn’t like hummingbirds? And according to the hummingbird migration map from hummingbirdcentral.com, they are just starting to enter Oklahoma on...
Introduction to Fertilizer
Since we are about to enter our prime growing season in full force, it’s a good time to talk about fertilizer. Fertilizer can be pretty confusing because...
Rust Disease
This is a plant disease topic we usually talk about in a few weeks but with the weather we have been having, it’s likely that rust season will start...
Time to Get Growing
Since the Tulsa Master Gardeners have started growing vegetables in our Seed to Supper Farm, I thought I might keep you all in the loop about what we...
Growing Strawberries
Who doesn’t love strawberries? And if you love strawberries, there’s nothing better than strawberries fresh from your garden.
One challenge with strawberries...
Waiting is hard this year...
If you are a gardener like me, this weather is really challenging. We know we are supposed to wait until mid-April to plant our warm season crops, but...
Burls and Lichens
Nice, beautiful trees in our landscape just seem to make everything look better. But sometimes our trees can fall victim to disease or environmental...
Oklahoma Proven 2024
Wouldn’t it be great if there was a place that would test plants to see if they did well in our area and then let us know what they found? It would,...
Groundhogs
A few days ago, there was a lot of news about our annual ritual where they bring out a groundhog to see if the groundhog sees its shadow. As tradition...
Improving Garden Soil
Garden season is right around the corner. During this “in-between” time, a good project would be to work on improving our garden soils.
If you have...
Growing Asparagus
Asparagus is a great plant to grow in your garden. Not only is it fairly easy to grow, it’s a perennial, which means, once you get it established, you’ll...
Growing Potatoes
Potatoes are such a good vegetable to grow in our gardens. They are pretty simple to grow for the most part and once you get your harvest, potatoes will...
Rain Barrels
There’s plenty of water available right now, but come July and August many gardeners will be trying to figure out if we can give our plants the water...
Plant Sale
Yes, we are still in the midst of winter, but have hope, spring begins on March 19th this year and that is only 49 days away. This gets us all the closer...
Cicada-megeddon
So, there have been quite a few articles about two broods of cicadas (Brood XIX and Brood XIII) emerging at the same time for the first time in 221 years...
Seed Starting
Even though it’s still January, it’s time to get your supplies ready to start seeds for your vegetable garden. Too early you think? Well, if you plan...
Caring for Freeze Damaged Plants
It seems like these outlier freeze events during the winter are getting more and more common to the point that maybe we should just expect a few days...
Garden Plans for 2024
Since we’re in the thick of winter, unable to work outside, now is a good time to focus some to that frustrated gardener energy into dreaming and planning....
Growing Zones
Since we are in the middle of one of our winter cold snaps, this seems like a good time to talk about USDA growing zones, especially since the USDA recently...
Garden Gnomes
Garden gnomes have always been a curiosity for me. I like them and don’t mind seeing or having a gnome in the garden but how in the world did this tradition...
Caring for Indoor Plants
So, you brought some of your plants indoors for the winter and you probably already had some houseplants. How do you keep them all healthy?
There...
Seed Catalogs
It’s seed catalog season. Yes, there is a season for seed catalogs, and we are right in the thick of it. What is seed catalog season? It’s that time...
Poinsettias
Recently we talked about mistletoe and how it became a favorite Christmas decoration. This week let’s talk about poinsettias since many of us have them...
New Year's Resolutions for Gardeners
With Christmas behind us and one foot firmly planted in winter, what’s a gardener to do as we mark time while we wait for the New Year to begin? Start...
Christmas Cactus
Along with poinsettias, Christmas Cactus is a popular holiday gift. There are three different popular variety of these “holiday” cacti: Christmas cactus,...
Mistletoe's Storied Past
Now that the leaves have mostly fallen, we can see the mistletoe that lives there year-round. Did you know that hundreds of years ago it was believed...
Why leaves fall
We love our trees, and we should. They take in carbon dioxide and in return release oxygen into the atmosphere. They essentially help provide us with...
Oklahoma Spiders
When it comes to spiders, there are basically 3 types of people. First there are those that are perfectly cool with spiders to the point that maybe they...
Is it time to prune?
It seems like each year as our trees are losing their leaves and the flowers are turning brown, we get asked a lot of questions about whether now is...
Christmas Wreaths
A couple of years ago, our youngest daughter gave me the basic components I needed to make a home-made Christmas wreath. There was a wire wreath frame...
Crickets
This question comes from a reader who asked “why do I have so many crickets coming into my house this year? I’ve lived here 19 years and don’t ever remember...
Encouraging Pollinators
As more and more people are learning about the important role insects play in our food chain, many are wondering what they can do or perhaps what they...
Christmas Trees
Now that we are past Thanksgiving, it’s time for many of us to start shopping for our Christmas tree. Here’s some things to think about before making...
Bees
When we talk about bees, the first one that typically comes to mind is the European Honeybee. You may not know them by that name, but they are the type...
Helping Plants Survive Winter
Let’s face it, winter is coming whether we gardeners want it to or not. As the days cool down, we notice a lot of our plants dropping their leaves, signaling...
Greenhouses
Let’s say you’ve been growing your own vegetables for several years and are wanting to start being able to grow your own food 12 months out of the year....
Dispelling Garden Myths
Gardening like a variety of other topics is susceptible to myths. Myths may have a kernel of truth to them which appears to add validity to their claims,...
Browning Pine Needles
As it’s getting colder and the leaves are starting to fall, it won’t be long before we start calls about brown needles on evergreens such as pines. We...
Leave the Leaves
The leaves are starting to fall and so it’s time to talk about what to do with all those leaves. Granted, we love our trees, but dealing with the leaves...
Shrubs You May Not Be Aware Of
As you may or may not know, fall is the best time to plant most trees and shrubs with crapemyrtles being an exception since they like to be planted in...
Hedge Apples
We talk a lot about how native plants are great choices for our landscapes, but one of our native plants…a tree to be exact…we don’t hear much about...
Bring Your Tropical Plants Indoors
We’re not there yet, but it is time to start thinking about bringing our plants that are rated for warmer climates indoors if we plan on saving them...
Planting Bulbs
Fall and early winter are the best times to plant bulbs. Right now, garden centers and online suppliers have great selections available. So, if you are...
Fall Soil Testing
One of the challenges we face as gardeners (and there are many) is knowing what fertilizer to use and how much to apply. This process is complicated...
Growing Organically
Even though most of us are getting comfortable with the term “organic” and how that applies to produce we can purchase at the store, it’s still easy...
Fairy Rings
Driving around town, it’s hard to miss the fairy rings popping up in lawns. These fairy rings are cause by fungal growth and occur more often in lighter-textured...
Pollination and Pollinators
Pollination is one of the single most important processes that must take place in your garden for you to be able to get the majority of your plants to...
Pansies
If it’s fall, that must mean that it’s time to plant pansies. Because of that, your favorite garden center should have a good selection of pansies available...
Extending Fall Gardens
This is the time of year people ask us if it’s too late to plant vegetables for their fall gardens. My answer is a definite… ok, it’s impossible to give...
Mums
If you have been to your favorite garden center lately, you could not have helped noticing they are packed with mums. Mums are a fall favorite and come...
Planting Trees and Shrubs
The weather has been pretty rough on our plants this year. Because of that, a lot of us are likely thinking about replacing those damaged trees or shrubs....
Growing Garlic
Whether you are new to gardening or a seasoned pro, garlic is a fairly easy crop to grow and now is the time to start planting your garlic for a harvest...
Praying Mantids
Praying Mantids in your garden.
The first thing many of you are thinking as you’re reading this is something like the following. Praying mantid? I...
Reseeding Fescue Lawns
It’s time to reseed your fescue lawns.
Oftentimes your will hear fescue being called a “shade” grass but the reality is that all grass needs the sun...
Fall Gardens - Last Call
Now that it’s cooling down a bit, my enthusiasm for my vegetable garden is coming back. Is it too late to plant this year? EG
Many of us feel your...
Leaf Scorch
With all this heat, many of the leaves on my dogwood tree are brown. Is it dying? TL
Your tree is likely not dying but suffering from something called...
Dragonflies
I went to the lake last weekend and saw quite a few dragonflies. I don’t remember the last time I saw one at home. Is there a reason for that? RK
Now...
Stink bugs
I have something on my tomato plant that looks kind of like a squash bug but I don’t think it’s a squash bug. What in the world is it? KD
Odds are...
Moles and Gophers
I am getting these mounds of dirt in my yard. Something must be digging. Do I have moles, and if so, how do I get rid of them? LS
Pocket gophers leave...
Are your plants getting enough water?
In our recent hot afternoons, some of my plants are drooping and look like they need to be watered. How do I know if I am watering them enough because...
Twig Girdlers
I am seeing some small branches from the trees in my yard that look like they have been chewed off. What’s going on here? KL
Sounds like the cause...
Dividing Iris
You all posted online that now was the time to divide and replant crowded iris. How do I do that? RW
The first exposure to iris for a lot of us was...
Milkweed Tussock Moth
This year I planted a bunch of milkweed for the migrating monarch butterflies, but there’s some kind of fuzzy orange, black, and white caterpillar eating...
Slugs
I love my hostas, but something is chewing on them. Suggestions? AG
While there are several options for what is chewing on your hostas, I am going...
Becoming a Master Gardener
I read your articles in the newspaper but am wondering what is a Master Gardener and what do you need to do to become one? CS
During the educational...
Irrigation Audit
I have been watering my lawn using our sprinkler system, but how do I know how long to run my sprinkler? DT
Sprinkler systems are a wonderful invention...
Spider Mites
The leaves on my tomato plants look like they have tiny light-colored dots all over them. Now they are turning brown. I also see something that looks...
Chewing Damage on Vegetable Plants
Some type of insect is eating holes in the leaves of my vegetables, but I don’t see them. What insect is causing this damage and how can I defend against...
Summertime is Crapemyrtle Time
I’m always so jealous of my neighbors who have crapemyrtles. They get flowers all season long. When is the best time to plant crapemyrtles? SF
Crapemyrtles...
Cicadas
I am new to Tulsa and am amazed by how loud those insect sounds are that are coming from the trees? I assume they are insects. Right? SP
You are correct,...
Starting Your Fall Vegetable Garden
I’ve really been enjoying my vegetable garden this year. I’ve harvested potatoes and onions and now I’m getting tomatoes and cucumbers. I hate to see...
Using Fireplace ashes in Your Garden
I’ve seen several posts online about how ashes from the fireplace can keep insects away from my plants. If this is true, how much should I use? TD
The...
Mulberryweed
I went on vacation and returned to find a bunch of weeds growing in my garden and yard. They look like little trees, but also seem to have tiny little...
Powdery Mildew
My peonies are covered in what looks like a white powder. What is that and will it hurt my plant? PF
Peonies are susceptible to powdery mildew and...
Pillbugs aka Roly-polies
Roly-polies are devouring some of my outdoor plants and if that wasn’t enough, they are also coming inside the house. What can I do to get rid of them?...
Integrated Pest Management Part 2
In last Tuesday’s article we began a discussion about how to have your healthiest, most productive garden yet by utilizing a multi-step process called...
Environmental Tomato Issues
Last year I had something weird happen to my tomatoes - the end of some of them turned brown and looked rotten. Tomatoes that were produced after that...
Integrated Pest Management Part 1
In last Tuesday’s article we began a discussion about how to have your healthiest, most productive garden yet by utilizing a multi-step process called...
Soil Testing
I’ve heard you all talking a lot about getting a soil test. How do I do that? WG
Getting a soil test is one of the best things you can do for your...
Galls
I have some weird, seemingly hollow, green, round balls falling from my oak tree. What in the world are these things? SY
You are describing an interesting...
MIgrating Moths
We have a ton of moths this year. I don’t remember a year like this. What’s going on? JD
We have been getting quite a few calls from not only homeowners...
Garden Tour / Urban Gardener
While we don’t have a specific question this week, one thing that people oftentimes ask us is, “Do you have any classes coming up?” The answer depends...
Bagworms
I’ve seen some bagworms on one of my evergreens. How do I get rid of them? AP
Some years, it seems like bagworms are everywhere. This year so far...
Growing Beans
I was hoping to grow some beans this year, but have I waited too long to plant? BG
Beans are pretty easy to grow. At our Seed to Supper Farm where...
Controlling Nutsedge
I have a weed in my yard that I am told is nutsedge. How can I tell what it is for sure and then how do I get rid of it? GF
Essentially, we have two...
Growing Squash
Fresh squash is one of my summer favorites, but I hear growing squash successfully can be tricky. What do I need to know before planting some squash...
Mycorrhizae
I saw a post on social media about the importance of mycorrhizae in the soil. Why is it important? RG
As we learn more and more about soil, we become...
Growing Peonies
It seems like everyone’s peonies look so nice this year. I would like to get some for my garden, but I don’t know anything about them except they are...
Crapemyrtles
I love seeing the beautiful crapemyrtles around town. Are they hard to grow? PL
What’s not to love about crapemyrtles? Well, the freeze damage they...
Earthworms
I see a lot online about how important worms are for our gardens. Why is that? PM
I like how in 1881, Charles Darwin helped put the worms place in...
Watering Your Garden
I’ve expanded my raised beds this year and am wondering about the best way to provide these plants with water. I usually water by hand, but now that...
Gardening for Birds
I love listening to the birds in the morning when I get up. How can I attract more birds to my yard so I can enjoy them every day? AT
I am typically...
Dealing With Winter Plant Damage
I have some shrubs that are not greening up this spring. Are they done? WT
It feels like it’s getting a little redundant each year to talk about the...
Growing Vegetables with a Garden
I would love to try to grow some of my own vegetables, but I live in an apartment. Any suggestions on how I can still grow some tomatoes? SR
This...
Xeriscape Gardens
As I remember last year’s garden, it seems like I was shocked by my water bill. Is there some kind of garden that wouldn’t require all that water? TK
Water...
Growing Tomatoes
I’ve grown some herbs in the past but would like to add vegetables to my garden. My favorite would be tomatoes. Are they hard to grow? RG
Who doesn’t...
Hardening Off Transplants
It seems like last year I lost about half of my vegetable transplants I grew from seed shortly after I planted them. How do I keep that from happening...
Lady Beetles
My granddaughter loves ladybugs. I assume they are good for the garden, but how can I attract ladybugs to our garden so she can enjoy them? AT
I’m...
Fertilizer Explained
I wasn’t really happy with the way my plants grew last year. Do you think I need to add fertilizer and if so, what kind, and how much? DR
There are...
Hummingbirds in the Garden
I am always jealous of my friends when I am over at their homes and see the hummingbirds flying around their garden. They are just so interesting. How...
Growing Sunflowers
I was thinking of adding some sunflowers to my garden this year. Are they difficult to grow? TL
Sunflowers are a great addition to gardens. It’s challenging...
Pollinator Gardens
As vegetable gardeners are getting excited and prepared for this year’s growing season, let’s not forget how important flowers are for our pollinating...
Container Gardens
I am going to start growing some vegetables this year for the first time, how do you suggest I get started? PL
First of all, congratulations on becoming...
Building Your Raised Bed
I’ve been growing my own vegetables in containers for several years, but I think I am ready to build a raised bed. What do I need to know before I do...
Planting Time
With the warm temperatures, I see a lot of the plants in my garden starting to green up. Do I really need to wait till April 15th to plant my vegetables?...
Growing Herbs
Every year I enjoy my vegetable garden, but this year I am thinking of adding some herbs. Do you have any suggestions? PD
One of the great things...
Rust Disease
Last year in one of your articles you talked about rust disease on plants and as I remember, you mentioned there was something we could do in the spring...
Oklahoma Proven 2023
We are asked this questions hundreds of times a year - what kind of plant would you recommend for (fill in the blank)? It’s always a tricky question...
Growing Zones
I was vacationing in Arizona last year and saw some interesting plants. Will they grow here in Oklahoma? KF
While you don’t mention a specific plant,...
Starting Your Seeds
I don’t know why, but I can’t wait to get my garden started. Usually, I purchase transplants from around town, but this year I would like to start some...
Growing Strawberries
I used to love visiting my grandpa’s garden when I was a kid. He always had strawberries and let me help pick them. Are strawberries hard to grow? SE
Strawberries...
Improving Garden Soil
So much of gardening seems to depend on the soil and I’m not convinced the soil in my garden is great. What are some things I can do to make it better?...
Exending the Growing Season
I know it’s only January but I am thinking about a greenhouse or something so I can extend my growing season for vegetables. Any suggestions? AL
In...
Cool Season Crops
I’m itching to get out in the yard and get my vegetable garden fired up for the season. I have sleet on the ground right now, but when can I start to...
MG Plant Sale/Fundraiser
One of the questions we get asked quite often, in a variety of ways, is a question asking us what flower or vegetable we would recommend for a homeowner’s...
Winter Shrub Damage
We have been getting a lot of calls from people concerned about their shrubs and trees not looking right for this time of year… essentially thinking...
Vegetable Garden Basics
I want to start growing a few vegetables this spring, but I really don’t know how to start. Where do I begin? MP
Congratulations on making the decision...
Urban Gardener / Lunch and Learn
Each year people ask us when we plan to teach our gardening classes so here’s what we have planned so far.
First up is our Seed to Supper/Urban Gardener...
Rose Rosette Disease
My roses were looking kind of funky last year and I am concerned about rose rosette disease. How would I know if they have rose rosette disease? CT
Rose...
Overwintering Plants Indoors
I brought my tropical plants indoors for the winter and some of them don’t seem to be doing great. Any suggestions? MK
First of all, you can expect...
Seed Catalogs
I’ve gotten several seed catalogs and am preparing to make my seed order for this year’s vegetable garden. Any suggestions? DR
Seed catalog season...
Crapemyrtle Bark Scale
This is a
It seems like I remember you talking about how to treat for Crapemyrtle Bark Scale but can you refresh my memory? AT
Crapemyrtle bark...
New Year's Resolutions
Well, here we are in the first week of the new year and that means it’s time to work on our gardener resolutions. You know we all have them or should...
Overwintering Insects
I’ve seen quite a bit of info on social media suggesting we don’t clean up our gardens in the fall but wait till spring instead as a way to help insects....
Growing Cannas
I know it’s cold outside, but I am already thinking about what I want to plant in my flower garden next year. I love cannas when I see them. Are they...
Poinsettias
As part of our holiday tradition, we always purchase a poinsettia or two. They are just so beautiful. Is there a way to keep them from year to year?...
Mistletoe
There are a couple of trees in my yard that have dropped all their leaves, but I am noticing a kind of green, leafy growth on some of the branches. Any...
Yellow Bellied Sapsuckers
I love my large holly, but I looked at it the other day and noticed a bunch of very organized holes in one area of the trunk, maybe 50 or so. The holes...
Holiday Gift Ideas
My spouse is an avid gardener, and I would like to get them something for Christmas they can use in the garden. Any suggestions? JP
Good question....
Clinging Fall Leaves
Today we break with protocol and rather that answer one of your questions we are going to answer one of mine… yes, I still have questions… lots of them....
Growing Pecans
I love getting the fresh pecans each fall and am considering planting my own pecan trees. What do I need to know? LS
Growing pecans comes with both...
Southwest Tree Injury
I’ve wanted a red maple tree for years and just finished planting one in our yard. I followed your planting recommendations. What should I know to help...
Christmas Cactus
I’ve had a Christmas Cactus for several years and enjoy it very much. However, this year I don’t see any indication that it is going to flower. What...
Christmas Trees
I just moved into my first home this year and am getting ready to purchase my first Christmas tree. What do I need to know? DA
Congratulations! There...
Growing Organically
I’ve been growing my own vegetables for a couple of years now and it seems to be going pretty well. But next year I would like to shift to more organic...
Pruning
I kind of let some of my shrubs get overgrown this year. Is now a good time to prune these shrubs? SH
With the heat we experienced last summer, it...
Winter Plant Care
Now that winter is approaching, I remember the deep freeze of February 2021 and want to do my best to help my plants survive if that happens again this...
Brown Evergreen Needles
My pine tree has me concerned. There are a bunch of needles that are turning brown. Is something wrong? SH
Browning needles are not usually cause...
Earthworms
I hear people talk all the time about how important worms are for your garden, but what do they actually do? RK
As we think and talk about the importance...
Bermuda Freeze Damage
My bermudagrass has some pretty crazy patterns in it currently. I’m not really sure how to even describe it…kind of swirly patterns of green and brown....
Leave the Leaves
With the leaves already starting to fall, I am starting to dread spending every spare minute out in the yard raking and bagging leaves. Any suggestions?...
Fireplace Ashes
One of my gardener friends swears by adding ashes from the fireplace to their garden soil, but I am hesitant. Should I engage in this practice or take...
Winter Garden Prep
As our vegetable gardening season comes to a close, what are some things I can do to prepare for next year? JW
It’s always a sad day when we must...
Invasive Plants
I hear people talking about various plants and saying it’s a bad plant because it’s invasive. What does this mean and what are some invasive plants I...
Cold Frames
My vegetable garden is starting to slow down. I know the end is coming, but how can I extend my growing season so I can enjoy fresh vegetables a little...
Bringing Plants Indoors for Winter
I have a bunch of tropical plants outside in pots. When should I bring them indoors? LK
It’s about time to think about bringing your tropical plants...
Planting Bulbs
I love seeing all the tulips blooming in the spring, but I never get organized in time to plant them in the fall. This year is going to be different....
Fall soil Testing
My garden didn’t do very well this year even though I did everything like I usually do. What could be going on?
First of all, a lot of our gardens...
Fall Webworms
It doesn’t seem as bad as last year, but the fall webworms are back on my trees. What should I do? SF
It’s always a bit of a mystery why some years...
Acorns
My driveway is covered in what I assume are partially eaten acorns. What’s going on? LP
Acorn debris is a sign that the squirrels populating your...
Katydids
I have this giant grasshopper looking leaf insect on my window screen. Is this a good insect or a back insect? NM
It sounds like you are describing...
Leaf Scorch
The leaves on a couple of my trees are starting to turn brown around the edges. Should I be concerned? RW
The problem you are describing is likely...
Fall Flowers
I love my beautiful annuals, but I know with fall just around the corner, their days are numbered. Any suggestions for flowers that will give me a little...
Reseeding Fescue
I love my fescue lawn, but this summer was tough on it. I probably need to reseed. When should I do that? GR
We primarily think of fescue around here...
Moles and Gophers
Something is digging in my yard because I have these mounds of dirt showing up everywhere. Do I have moles? JD
You definitely have something working...
Fall Learning Opportunities
One of the primary purposes for the Tulsa County Master Gardeners is to share horticultural information with area residents. We do a variety of other...
Garden Myths
I have seen a lot of posts on social media talking about using Epsom salt in vegetable gardens. The claims seem almost too good to be true. Is Epsom...
Fall Armyworms
There are a bunch of caterpillars eating my turfgrass. How do I get rid of them? GS
Sounds like you are talking about armyworms. Last year it seems...
Fall Gardens / Garlic
I wanted to plant a fall garden but haven’t yet. Do I just need to wait till next spring? LR
You’ve probably missed the window for some fall crops,...
Blister Beetles
I went out to my garden to look at my tomatoes today and they were a ton of striped insects all over them. They are destroying my tomatoes. What do I...
Planting Trees and Shrubs
I want to add a couple of shrubs to my yard. When is the best time to plant? MD
While it may seem counter-intuitive, fall is the best time to plant...
Transpiration in Plants
In this heat, it seems like no matter how much I water some of my plants, they get wilted and droopy during the heat of the day. What am I doing wrong?...