A Visit to Prairie Fruits Farms for our December Shows

This month, the MidAmerican Gardener crew take a trip to Prairie Fruits Farms and Creamery in Urbana. Tinisha is joined by Karen Ruckle and Ella Maxwell to discuss keeping poinsettias alive, and how to care for your tropical plants during the winter. 

They also discuss the importance of cleaning up garden debris after a killing frost, especially in vegetable gardens. Ella shares her experience with large leafed trees and Karen talks about storing mums for next year and the importance of cutting down zinnias and Mexican sunflowers before winter. 

 

Then, Jim Appleby joins us to discuss different evergreen varieties, their uses, and how to identify male and female holly plants.

 

Then, we step outside with Chuck Voigt and Shane Cultura. Chuck discusses the Maranka gourd, noting its vigorous growth but low yield due to drought and poor seed quality, and Shane explains the differences between Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter cacti. They also discuss grass seed planting timing, and even highlight the use of LED grow lights for houseplants and the importance of proper watering. 

 

 

Then, we end the year with Martie Alagna demonstrating how to create a fall arrangement using yard clippings and discussing some practical tips for maintaining winter appeal in garden decorations.

 

 

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