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Over the Garden Fence

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Why Fruit Trees Fail to Bear and How to Help

Down the Garden Path Richard Hentschel, Extension Educator Young fruit trees in the home orchard should begin to fruit once the tree has become established. Several conditions will need to be met before that happens. The four big factors are tree health, weather, typical age for the tree to bear...
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Forcing Branches into Bloom

Down the Garden Path Richard Hentschel, Extension Educator Most of the spring blooming shrubs and small ornamental trees in the home landscape already have their flower buds ready to go right now. The flower buds were created last summer and have overwintered protected by insulating bud scales....
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Winter Temperatures, Flower Buds and Rabbits

Down the Garden Path Richard Hentschel, Extension Educator Cold weather has already given peach trees in the home orchard a knock down punch for 2014. When temperatures reach 10 degrees, peach flower buds start to die. For every degree below -10 degrees, we lose another 10% of what was left until...
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Insects Vacationing In the Home

Down the Garden Path Richard Hentschel, Extension Educator Now that the Holidays and Super bowl Sunday are over and pretty much our lives have returned to a more normal routine, there may be some insects beginning to show up in the pantry or kitchen. Leftover baking goods are usually the culprit...
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Dwarf Fruit Trees and Pollination

Down the Garden Path Richard Hentschel, Extension Educator January is not too early to start to plan for a new home orchard or to consider replacements for aging fruit trees in an existing orchard. There are several different kinds of fruit trees to consider, including apple, cherry, peach, pear...
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Presents for the Birds and Your Backyard

Just about now, you can see holiday trees sitting in the front or side yard, waiting for the assigned pick up date to be collected and mulched. This is one way to be sure your holiday tree gets recycled to the benefit of the environment. The follow through to getting your tree composted in a...
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