Horticulture, Landscape, and Environmental Systems

 

Extension is committed to helping Nebraskans know more about creating resource- and energy-efficient rural and urban landscapes, protecting and managing water resources, properly managing insect and wildlife pests, and more.

Active in all 93 counties and at communityenvironment.unl.edu

Horticulture, Landscape, and Environmental Systems

Are you interested in growing produce and selling at farmer’s markets, direct consumer sales or with Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) groups? Here is your chance to gain valuable information from Nebraska Extension educators and fellow growers across four different locations in Nebraska in September and October 2024. Here are the session topics for this year’s program: Pesticide Updates Related to Produce Growers Pricing and Marketing Strategies Ecology of Produce Growing Environments Resource Panel

By Dr. Emily Stine, Nebraska Extension Educator Horticulture 

Pruning always seems to be a monumental task to take on, but with the right tools and some knowledge about the plant, it becomes easier.

With time on your hands and extra helpers at home, creating a beautiful and functional rain garden in your home landscape is an ideal family project. A rain garden collects water from your roof through a downspout and holds it in a shallow depression like a bathtub, until it soaks into the ground within 48 hours. The garden is planted with native and adapted perennial plants and small shrubs that can thrive in wet soil, attract pollinators, and provide year-round color in your yard. Installing a residential rain garden is a do-it-yourself home project that all in the family can enjoy.

David Lott, Horticulture Extension Educator, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension in North Platte

Storms inflict significant damage to gardens and landscapes across Nebraska each year. Initial reactions to storm damage can be overwhelming when trying to decide what steps to take to start the recovery process. Here are some simple tips to help find a place to start in the recovery process to reduce further damage to the landscape and anyone who is helping in the process.

Jim Schild and Gary Stone, Extension Educators, Scotts Bluff County

The single biggest use of water in the average western Nebraska household is irrigating the Kentucky bluegrass lawn.

But there are two alternative turfs that allow homeowners to manage water more efficiently: tall fescue, a cool-season grass, and buffalograss, a warm-season grass. Each has advantages and disadvantages.

By Jim Schild and Gary Stone, Extension Educators, UNL Panhandle Research and Extension Center

Fertilizing a turf grass lawn is a lot more than just buying a bag of fertilizer and spreading it all in the spring.

There are several decisions to make. One is how much fertilizer to apply; another is when to apply it. And spring is not the best time to apply most of the year's fertilizer.