Hotline: 816.833.TREE (8733)

  • Sep

    14

    Harvesting Sweet Potatoes

    Sweet potatoes should be harvested no later than the first fall freeze because cold temperatures can damage the sensitive roots. However, you may want to harvest earlier if you prefer a smaller sweet potato. Test dig a hill to see...

    Continue Reading →

  • Aug

    20

    Harvesting Winter Squash

    Summer squash such as zucchini and scallop are harvested while immature but winter squash such as acorn, hubbard and butternut are harvested later, in the mature stage, after the rind is tough and seeds have developed. We normally think September...

    Continue Reading →

  • 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...

    Continue Reading →

  • 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...

    Continue Reading →

  • 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...

    Continue Reading →

  • 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...

    Continue Reading →

  • 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...

    Continue Reading →

  • Feb

    9

    February Gardening Calendar

    Ornamentals Weeks 1-4: Winter aconite (Eranthis sp.) and snowdrops (Galanthus sp.) are hardy bulbs for shady gardens that frequently push up through snow to bloom now. Weeks 1-4: Inspect summer bulbs in storage to be sure none are drying out....

    Continue Reading →

  • Jul

    28

    July Gardening Calendar Week 4

    Ornamentals Provide water in the garden for the birds, especially during dry weather. Remove infected leaves from roses. Pick up fallen leaves. Continue fungicidal sprays as needed. While spraying roses with fungicides, mix extra and spray hardy phlox to prevent...

    Continue Reading →

  • Jul

    14

    July Gardening Calendar Week 3

    Ornamentals Provide water in the garden for the birds, especially during dry weather. Remove infected leaves from roses. Pick up fallen leaves. Continue fungicidal sprays as needed. While spraying roses with fungicides, mix extra and spray hardy phlox to prevent...

    Continue Reading →


  1. Pages:
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
University of Missouri Extension Master Gardener Program