Ask the ISU Extension Gardening Experts
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When should I harvest my Brussels sprouts?
Beginning at the base of the plant, harvest the buds (sprouts) when 1 to 1-1/2 inches in diameter. Continue to harvest the sprouts higher up on the plant as they mature. Sprouts can be stored in a perforated plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to three to five weeks.
When is the best time to plant mums?
Spring is the best time to plant chrysanthemums (Dendranthema x grandiflorum). Blooming plants purchased in late summer/early fall and planted outdoors oftentimes do not survive the winter.
Mums perform best in moist, well-drained soils in full sun. Plant mums in the garden in April or May. When planting, place the mums at the same depth as they are currently growing in the container. Pinch off any flower buds or flowers to encourage root and vegetative growth. After planting, water each plant thoroughly. Continue to water the mums on a regular basis throughout the growing season. Also, pinch back the mums once or twice (before July 4) to produce stocky plants.
How do I germinate hickory nuts?
Collect the fruit as they fall to the ground. Remove the husks by hand. Before the hickories will germinate, the nuts need to be exposed to cold temperatures and moist conditions. The cold-moist requirement (referred to as stratification) can be met by planting the nuts in the ground in fall. The cold temperatures and moist soils of winter provide the necessary conditions to break dormancy. Hickory nuts should be planted 1 to 1½ inches deep.
Hickories can also be stratified indoors by placing the nuts in a moist mixture of sand and peat moss and then storing them in a cool location. Suitable containers include coffee cans, plastic buckets, and food storage bags. The refrigerator is a good storage location. (Stratification temperatures should be just above freezing.) Prior to stratifying, soak the hickory nuts in water at room temperature for two to four days (change the water once or twice a day). Then stratify the nuts of the shagbark (Carya ovata) and bitternut (Carya cordiformis) hickories for 90 to 120 days. After the nuts have been properly stratified, they can be removed from the refrigerator and planted.
- Full story: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/news/2008/sep/061001.htm
- from Iowa State University Extension - News