Category: Food Safety
Shining a light on why potatoes turn green
Potato tubers turn green when exposed to light. Whether store-bought or homegrown, potatoes will turn green when they are exposed to light. Most folks know that they shouldn’t eat potatoes that have turned green, or should at least cut away the affected portion. But it’s not actually the green color that is the problem. The green color comes from the pigment chlorophyll, produced as a response to light. The potato tuber that we eat is […]
Question and Answer
Q. Could you tell me what kind of weed is creeping through my lawn and flowerbeds? It has scalloped edges on the leaves and pretty blue flowers. The leaves have a strong smell. I have tried all kinds of weed killer on it; I think it makes it grow! A. You and most every gardener in Indiana are doing battle with the common perennial weed called ground ivy, aka creeping Charlie, a member of the […]
Jun 2003
Q. My iris were beautiful with lots of flower buds this year, but just about the time they were in full bloom, the heavy rains came and knocked all the tall, blooming stems to the ground. Is there any way to prevent this? — Wendy Lacrosse, Fort Wayne, Ind. A. Many plants can be pinched early in the season to increase branching and reduce lodging, which is the fancy word for crashing to the ground. […]
Peanuts Make their Way to Northern Gardens
B. Rosie Lerner, Consumer Horticulture Extension Specialist Peanuts have long been a popular backyard garden crop in the southern United States, much to the envy of northern gardeners. But since some garden seed catalogs make peanuts available all over the county, peanuts &emdash; also known as goober peas &emdash; are making their way north. Peanuts do require a long, warm growing season of about 120 days. Bright yellow flowers begin to form about seven weeks […]