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Crabgrass is top weed in Pennsylvania, so tackle it early

4/19/10

Crabgrass is the No. 1 weed problem in Pennsylvania lawns and can turn your picture-perfect turf into a real mess by late summer. But crabgrass can be controlled if you choose the right herbicide and apply it at the correct time of year, according to a turfgrass specialist in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.

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Serious disease threatens home gardens, commercial fields

7/6/09

The disease that caused the 1840s Irish Potato Famine now threatens Pennsylvania's home-gardening explosion, and a plant-disease expert in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences says hobbyists must work with commercial growers to protect the state's tomato and potato crops.

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Don't be seduced by seed catalogs when picking flowers, vegetables

2/26/09

They're alluring, they're glossy and they're filling up your mailbox. The flower and vegetable gardening catalogs have arrived, and a specialist in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences has tips to avoid being seduced by a pretty picture while harvesting useful information. The expensively photographed catalogs are meant to mesmerize gardeners who are planning their spring plots while winter's snow still covers the ground. But Ginger Pryor, state coordinator for Penn State's Master Gardeners program, says before immersing yourself in the catalog, take a minute to decide whether you want lots of pretty flowers, a bountiful harvest for canning or a season-long supply of fresh vegetables.

Prepare your lawn and garden for the winter

11/10/08

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Spending a few autumn afternoons completing outdoor chores can prepare your lawn and garden for the coming snowfall and a healthy spring. "You can diminish your problems with insects, weed and disease problems next spring if you take some time out before it snows to clean up your yard and garden," says Jim Sellmer, associate professor of ornamental horticulture in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.