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  • Aug

    6

    Milkweed Seed Collecting Time is Just Around the Corner

    I noticed yesterday that my butterfly weed plants (Asclepias tuberosa) have pods.  They're not ready to harvest just yet, but soon.  Collecting milkweed seeds is an important way we can help monarch butterflies...as long as said seeds are eventually planted,...

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  • Jul

    29

    How to Pick a Ripe Melon

    Telling when a melon is ready to be harvested can be a challenge, or it may be quite easy. It all depends on the type of melon. Let’s start with the easy one. Muskmelons are one of those crops that...

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  • Jul

    21

    Squash Vine Borer

    If you have squash or related plants that suddenly wilt and die, you may have squash vine borer. This insect will bore into the stems of squash, zucchini, pumpkins and gourds. Hubbard squash are a favorite, and butternuts are less...

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  • Jul

    13

    Milkweed Insects

    With all the attention to milkweeds and the decline of monarch butterflies more and more people are searching milkweeds for the monarch butterfly eggs and caterpillars.  Often what they find is something else!Gardeners typically find at least 5 common species...

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  • Jul

    10

    Got calcium? Your tomatoes need it

    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...

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  • Jul

    7

    Japanese Beetles (JB)

    Japanese beetles have become a firmly established pest species in portions of Kansas. Potential damage is twofold. Most commonly, Japanese beetles indiscriminately feed on nearly 300 plant species including fruits, vegetables, agronomic and forage crops, ornamentals, trees and shrubs. Often...

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  • Jul

    7

    Tan or White Drupelets on Blackberry and Raspberry Fruit

    Blackberry and raspberry fruit will often develop white or tan drupelets on the berry. Though we are not completely sure of the cause, two commonly given reasons are stinkbug damage and sunscald.  Damage has been attributed to stinkbugs if the...

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  • Jun

    29

    Vegetables Produce Flowers But No Fruit

       If you have vegetables that are blooming but not setting fruit, you may have a problem with flower pollination. There are several possible reasons for this that usually vary by species. One condition that can affect several species at...

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  • Jun

    19

    Bacterial Spot of Peach

    This bacterial disease is a common disease in Kansas but rarely causes extensive losses in fruit quality or production. The disease affects leaves, fruit, and occasionally twigs. Leaf infections first appear as small, pale green to yellow angular spots. These...

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  • Jun

    16

    Tomato Leaf-Spot Diseases

    This time of year, two common leaf-spot diseases appear on tomato plants. Septoria leaf spot and early blight are both characterized by brown spots on the leaves. Septoria leaf spot usually appears earlier in the season than early blight and...

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University of Missouri Extension Master Gardener Program