Plants & Pests with Nicole

June 2024

Upcoming Events

Office Closed June 19th in Observance of Juneteenth
Office Closed July 4th in Observance of Independence Day

Nicole out July 4-5

GroBigRed Programming

June 12 - Summer Lawncare
July 10 - Vegetable Garden Diseases

Yard and Garden - Continues through July 26
Pawnee County Fair - July 20th 9-11am - Garden Q&A

If you miss any of the GroBigRed Programs, the recordings are available on this website too. Visit https://hles.unl.edu/grobigred

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Storm Damaged Plants

This time of year, storms can be bad. We have had quite a few storm systems move through the area over the past few weeks. Some of these storms included high winds, hail, and even tornadoes. Unfortunately, when storms are severe they cause a lot of damage to our plants. This damage can’t be fixed once it has happened, but we can do things to help plants survive after storms. Continue Reading...

View the full list of Questions and Answers from every show on my blog.

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Vegetable Gardens

Most people already have their vegetable gardens planted for the summer. But, don’t worry, there is still time to get one planted, but do so quickly to provide plants enough time to grow and produce prior to frost in fall. Continue Reading...

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Ticks

Ticks are out already this spring. Ticks live in grassy areas near the ground level clinging to grass and other plant materials waiting for a person or animal to walk by so they can grab onto the animal as it moves by. Ticks are common in wooded areas or in tall grass. If you go outdoors in areas where ticks are commonly found, wear light-colored, long-sleeved shirts and long pants and closed toe shoes to reduce exposed areas where ticks can attach to your skin. Also, use insect repellents any time you are outdoors where ticks are found, the repellents with DEET have the highest efficacy.

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Tree Dieback

I have been getting a lot of calls on top dieback on many different trees this year. This is likely due to the extended drought that we have been dealing with the past couple of years. This winter was still very dry, this spring we have seen some good rains, but we are still dry. Trees are slow to react and slow to recover from drought situations. Consider using soaker hoses and bark mulches to keep the root zones cool and moist. You may need to cut out the dead branches, but give them a little more time to see if they come back by the beginning to middle of June. Topping the tree is not a good practice and will lead to more decay and damage to the tree overall.

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Dandelions

Dandelions are growing well this year. The best control for dandelions occurs in the fall with a couple of applications, one in late September and another in October with a product containing 2,4-D. In the spring dandelions can be treated with the same product but with less impact on the population. This time of year is becoming quite difficult to spray for dandelions. Make sure that when you are using chemicals you read and follow the label, and avoid using 2,4-D or Dicamba products when the weather is predicted to be above 80 degrees F for 72 hours following applications. You can also go out now and hand pull or dig up the dandelions in your yard, if the population isn’t too high.

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Annual and Perennial Plantings

Spring is really here and one of my favorite spring activities is planting and improving my flower beds, obviously. If these flower beds are not planted or cared for correctly, they will not survive. One of the most disappointing things to any gardener is when their plants die! Continue Reading...

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About Nicole

Nicole Stoner is the Horticulture Extension Educator located in Gage County, serving Southeast Nebraska. Nicole's focus areas include trees, shrubs, lawns, gardens, and insects. Nicole obtained her Master's Degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for Horticulture with a minor in Insect Science, she also has Bachelor's Degrees from UNL in both areas. Nicole is also an ISA Certified Arborist and has her Tree Risk Assessment Qualification (TRAQ).

Email: nstoner2@unl.edu
Website: https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/gage/gage-county-horticulture/
Location: 1115 West Scott Street, Beatrice, NE, USA
Phone: 402-223-1384
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NicoleStonerHorticulture
Twitter: @nikki_Stoner