Q: I was out looking around yesterday and found red “horns” growing on some leaves. What are they? Is there any need to be concerned? – P. J.

A: A gall insect called a grape tube gallmaker Cicidomyia viticola is the culprit that causes the strange structures on the grape leaves.  From the picture the gall appears to be a wild grape. 

Gall makers are quite…[more]

Chili pepper lovers can grow their own peppers as hot as they can stand them in their backyard garden.

“Chili peppers are relatively easy to grow and usually flourish in warm climates with relatively long growing seasons,” said David Trinklein, University of Missouri horticulturalist.

They prefer light, well-drained, fertile soil but can be produced in a wide range of soils. The plants are grown from seed…[more]

The City of St. Louis and the not-for-profit Gateway Foundation will partner in creating a unique public garden, with extensive landscaping and modern and contemporary sculpture, on a prime downtown setting, Mayor Francis G. Slay announced today. The “Urban Garden,” as the development is tentatively being called, will be on the Gateway Mall between Eighth and Tenth and Market and Chestnut Streets. It will feature plantings selected in consultation with,…[more]

JEFFERSON CITY-Missouri pond owners have until July 15 to apply for fingerling catfish, bass and bluegill sunfish from the Missouri Department of Conservation. The agency says benefits aren’t limited to those whose ponds receive fish.

The Conservation Department’s warm-water hatcheries produce millions of fish each year. Most go to establish or maintain fishing in public waters. However, the agency produces enough extra to help establish fishing holes in…[more]

The U.S. Small Business Administration has announced low-interest Economic Injury Disaster Loans are available to small businesses in Greene County that suffered substantial losses due to the January ice storm. Greene County is one of 22 Missouri counties included in this disaster declaration, requested by Governor Matt Blunt.

The SBA is offering working capital loans of up to $1.5 million to small businesses that are having trouble paying…[more]

Concerned about increasing summer temperatures, decreasing rainfall and rising water bills—but still want to have a beautiful garden?

If so, plan to attend a special event set for 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, May 19 at the Xeriscape Garden on the corner of S. National Ave. and Linwood (southeast corner of Phelps Grove Park).

The “open house” will provide answers and visual options for water…[more]

The “Fruit Cocktail Tree” is a combination of different species of fruit growing on the same tree. A common version has nectarines, peaches and plums growing together.

This combination is a result of grafting (or budding) wood of the different fruits onto the tree while it is growing in the nursery.

The home grower can do the same thing by following basic budding and grafting practices…[more]

For most families who buy homes, it is the largest single purchase ever made.

But too often, it is a purchase that is handled with haste and inadequate preparation, according to Janet LaFon, family financial education specialist, University of Missouri Extension.

“Most people usually begin looking at homes before they’ve determined how much they can afford to spend. This makes them extremely vulnerable to all the…[more]

The last week in March was the warmest in Missouri since record-keeping began 118 years ago. The first week in April was the coldest on record. Caught off guard by the yo-yo weather, some wild plants and animals suffered serious setbacks, but nature experts say the effects will be small and temporary.

Pat Guinan, a climatologist with the University of Missouri, said temperatures across Missouri were 14 to…[more]

Homeowners should wait to cut down trees damaged by ice storms this past winter. Recent injury from the Easter freeze will make it difficult to determine the extent of winter injury to your trees, said a University of Missouri horticulturalist.

“It is difficult to predict how many of the storm-damaged trees will respond. Unless they are an obvious hazard, it may be wise to wait for a year…[more]