Resources for Environmental Horticulture
Title | Available As | Summary | Date | ID | Author |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Plant Propagation from Seed | Sexual propagation involves the union of the pollen (male) with the egg (female) to produce a seed. The seed is made up of three main parts: the outer seed coat, which protects the seed; a food reserve (e.g., the endosperm); and the embryo, which is the young plant itself. When a seed is mature and put in a favorable environment, it will germinate, or begin active growth. In the following section, seed germination and transplanting of seedswill be discussed. |
Oct 11, 2019 | 426-001 | ||
Propagation by Cuttings, Layering and Division | Oct 11, 2019 | 426-002 | |||
Care of Specialty Potted Plants | Dec 12, 2022 | 426-101 (SPES-449P) | |||
Mulches for the Home Vegetable Garden | Mulching is a practice adaptable to nearly all home
gardens. To mulch is simply to cover the soil around
plants with a protective material, organic or inorganic. |
Sep 16, 2020 | 426-326 (SPES-256P) | ||
Fall Vegetable Gardening | May 1, 2009 | 426-334 | |||
Vegetable Gardening in Containers | If you don’t have space for a vegetable garden or if your
present site is too small, consider raising fresh, nutritious,
homegrown vegetables in containers. A window
sill, patio, balcony, or doorstep can provide sufficient
space for a productive container garden. Problems with
soil-borne diseases, nematodes, or poor soil can also be
overcome by switching to container gardening. |
Sep 16, 2020 | 426-336 (SPES-255P) | ||
Weeds in the Home Vegetable Garden | Oct 25, 2023 | 426-364 (SPES-525P) | |||
Minimum Chemical Gardening | Home gardeners often use more pesticides per square foot in their gardens than farmers do in the fields, thinking that if a little is good, more will be better. This is a serious mistake and a serious misuse of pesticides. This publication will take the reader through different ways to manage home gardens using integrated pest management strategies, including using cultural and biological control methods for pests. It provides the reader with proven ways to manage pests responsibly by using the least amount of naturally derived or man-made pesticides possible. |
Jun 12, 2023 | 426-366 (SPES-503P) | ||
Asparagus | Sep 16, 2020 | 426-401 (SPES-250P) | |||
Sweet Corn | Sep 16, 2020 | 426-405 (SPES-251P) | |||
Cucumbers, Melons and Squash | Varieties include both the slicer or fresh salad type and the
pickle type (which can also be used fresh); vined, dwarfvined
and bush varieties; all female or all-female seedless
(no pollination required); burpless; and, various mixtures of
these characteristics. Disease resistance is available in many
varieties. |
Sep 16, 2020 | 426-406 (SPES-252P) | ||
Leafy Green Vegetables | Lettuce, a cool-season vegetable crop, is one of the easiest to grow. Lettuce withstands light frost; however, sunlight and high summer temperatures usually cause seedstalk formation (bolting) and bitter flavor. Slow-bolting or
heat-resistant varieties are available and are recommended
for extending the lettuce-growing season. |
Mar 16, 2015 | 426-408 (SPES-253P) | ||
Onions, Garlic, and Shallots | Onions are often grouped according
to taste. The two main types of onions
are strong flavored (American) and
mild (often called European). Each has
three distinct colors, yellow, white, and
red. In general, the American onion
produces bulbs of smaller size, denser
texture, stronger flavor, and better
keeping quality than European types.
Globe varieties tend to keep longer in
storage. |
Sep 16, 2020 | 426-411 (SPES-254P) | ||
Tomatoes | Tomatoes are valuable garden plants in that they require
relatively little space for large production. Each standard
tomato plant, properly cared for, yields 10 to 15 pounds
or more of fruit.Diane Relf, Retired Extension Specialist, Horticulture, Virginia Tech
Alan McDaniel, Extension Specialist, Horticulture, Virginia Tech
Ronald Morse, Former Associate Professor, Horticulture, Virginia Tech
Reviewed by John Freeborn, Assistant Master Gardener Coordinator, Horticulture, Virginia Tech |
May 5, 2021 | 426-418 (HORT-288P) | ||
Herb Culture and Use | Oct 11, 2019 | 426-420 | |||
Root Crops | Sep 16, 2020 | 426-422 (SPES-249P) | |||
The Art of Bonsai | Bonsai is an art form that stems from ancient Asian culture, originating in China and developed by the Japanese. In the 13th century, the Japanese collected and potted wild trees that had been dwarfed by nature. These naturally formed miniatures were some of the first bonsai. |
Oct 7, 2020 | 426-601 (SPES-246P) | ||
Selecting Landscape Plants: Groundcovers | Landscapes are composed of plants that form ceilings, walls, and floors spaces. Groundcovers serve as attractive carpets of foliage that cloak and beautify our landscape “floors” (fig. 1). A groundcover is a low-growing plant species — 3 feet tall or shorter — that spreads to form a relatively dense layer of vegetation. In covering bare soil, groundcovers reduce soil erosion and provide habitat for insects and other animals, along with a host of other positive environmental effects. |
Nov 6, 2023 | 426-609 (HORT-31P) | ||
Planting on Your Septic Drain Field | Oct 15, 2010 | 426-617 | |||
Planting Trees | Jun 24, 2022 | 426-702 (HORT-248NP) | |||
Making Compost from Yard Waste | Sep 2, 2022 | 426-703 (SPES-393P) | |||
Integrated Pest Management for Vegetable Gardens | Sep 12, 2019 | 426-708 (ENTO-330NP) | |||
Building Healthy Soil | Jun 1, 2017 | 426-711 (HORT-244NP) | |||
Selecting Turfgrass | Jun 1, 2017 | 426-719 (HORT-249NP) | |||
Home Landscape Practices to Protect Water Quality | In Virginia, we rely on reservoir systems, wells, and other sources for our freshwater.
In recent years, our previously plentiful clean water supplies have been threatened
not only by overuse, but also by contamination. Pollutants are carried down with water
soaking through the soil to the water table. Runoff (water that does not soak into the
ground) flows over the surface, often taking soil and polluting chemicals with it into
lakes and streams. |
Dec 12, 2022 | 426-723 (SPES-439NP) |