Agriculture

Gorgeous satsuma fruit ready to be eaten. (Photo by Heather Kirk-Ballard/LSU AgCenter)

Gorgeous satsuma fruit ready to be eaten. (Photo by Heather Kirk-Ballard/LSU AgCenter)

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Citrus holds year-round interest

Heather Kirk-Ballard / LSU AgCenter horticulturist
Friday, January 21, 2022
Citrus holds year-round interest in the garden and landscape. For starters, citrus are evergreen trees and shrubs native to subtropical and tropical regions of Asia. They originated at the foothills of the Himalayan mountains from trifoliate citrus (Citrus trifoliate).
Find stress relief and relaxation by visiting botanical gardens found across the United States. (Photo by Heather Kirk-Ballard/LSU AgCenter)

Find stress relief and relaxation by visiting botanical gardens found across the United States. (Photo by Heather Kirk-Ballard/LSU AgCenter)

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Gardening resolutions for the new year

Heather Kirk-Ballard / LSU AgCenter horticulturist
Friday, January 14, 2022
With the arrival of 2022, it’s time to reflect on the past year and decide on goals for the new year. Research has shown that new beginnings and dates like New Year’s, your birthday and even Mondays are motivational when trying to tackle new goals. Consider your gardening goals this year.
When pruning trees, work with their natural form. Do not butcher trees as has been done to these crape myrtles. (LSU AgCenter file photo by Dan Gill)

When pruning trees, work with their natural form. Do not butcher trees as has been done to these crape myrtles. (LSU AgCenter file photo by Dan Gill)

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The great crape myrtle controversies

Heather Kirk-Ballard / LSU AgCenter horticulturist
Friday, January 7, 2022
Crape myrtles (Lagerstroemia indica) are one of the most controversial and often-discussed ornamental plants among gardeners, landscapers, conservationists, naturalists, growers, researchers and educators. How did the crape myrtle become such a hot topic for discussion?
USDA hardiness zones maps are a useful tool for gardeners, dividing the country into climatic zones that can help determine what plants will perform best where. (Graphic by the U.S. Department of Agriculture)

USDA hardiness zones maps are a useful tool for gardeners, dividing the country into climatic zones that can help determine what plants will perform best where. (Graphic by the U.S. Department of Agriculture)

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Navigating weather in Louisiana gardens

Heather Kirk-Ballard, LSU AgCenter horticulturist
Thursday, December 23, 2021
One of the most important factors that influences a garden’s success is the weather. Temperatures have a major impact on the growth and survival of our plants. Preparing gardens for various weather conditions is both a discipline and an art — and there are many tools out there to help you get ready.
Bright yellow flower clusters on long stems make the flowers of ligularia an excellent cut flower plant. (Photos by Heather Kirk-Ballard/LSU AgCenter)

Bright yellow flower clusters on long stems make the flowers of ligularia an excellent cut flower plant. (Photos by Heather Kirk-Ballard/LSU AgCenter)

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Tractor seat plant brings color to fall, winter landscapes

Heather Kirk-Ballard / LSU AgCenter horticulturist
Friday, December 17, 2021
If you are looking to add a splash of bright color to shaded areas in the fall and early winter, ligularia is an excellent choice. Many people commonly refer to it as tractor seat plant, as the shape of the leaf resembles one.
Pollinators like this bee enjoy roses. (Photos by Olivia McClure/LSU AgCenter)

Pollinators like this bee enjoy roses. (Photos by Olivia McClure/LSU AgCenter)

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Stop and smell the roses this fall

Heather Kirk-Ballard / LSU AgCenter horticulturist
Friday, December 3, 2021
If you’ve been keeping up with your roses, you took care of fertilizing and trimming them in late summer during August or, at the latest, September. Undoubtedly, your repeat-blooming roses like Knockout and Louisiana Super Plant drift roses are looking gorgeous right now.
Crotons sport gorgeous colors of fall such as yellow, red, orange and green. (Photo by Randy LaBauve/LSU AgCenter)

Crotons sport gorgeous colors of fall such as yellow, red, orange and green. (Photo by Randy LaBauve/LSU AgCenter)

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Crotons, a tropical fall plant

Heather Kirk-Ballard / LSU AgCenter horticulturist
Wednesday, November 24, 2021
Fall conjures thoughts of gorgeous landscapes dressed with the colors of the season: yellow, orange and red. During the fall holidays, there are a couple of traditional plants you may see used to create festive décor for our homes. One is mums, and the other is a tropical plant called crotons.
By Heather Kirk-Ballard LSU AgCenter horticulturist There are those who say you cannot force beauty — but I beg to differ. There are many beautiful bulbs out there that we can encourage to come out of dormancy by manipulating their environment, coaxing them to share their beauty even before they are naturally ready. Spring-flowering bulbs can be tricked, or “forced,” into blooming indoors. The term forcing refers to the act of tricking bulbs into believing that it’s time to bloom. This can be done both i

By Heather Kirk-Ballard LSU AgCenter horticulturist There are those who say you cannot force beauty — but I beg to differ. There are many beautiful bulbs out there that we can encourage to come out of dormancy by manipulating their environment, coaxing them to share their beauty even before they are naturally ready. Spring-flowering bulbs can be tricked, or “forced,” into blooming indoors. The term forcing refers to the act of tricking bulbs into believing that it’s time to bloom. This can be done both i

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Can you force beauty?

Heather Kirk-Ballard / LSU AgCenter horticulturist
Friday, November 19, 2021
There are those who say you cannot force beauty — but I beg to differ. There are many beautiful bulbs out there that we can encourage to come out of dormancy by manipulating their environment, coaxing them to share their beauty even before they are naturally ready.
Pollinators love cosmos. They attract bees, butterflies, hummingbirds and many other types of pollinators. (Photos by Heather Kirk-Ballard/LSU AgCenter)

Pollinators love cosmos. They attract bees, butterflies, hummingbirds and many other types of pollinators. (Photos by Heather Kirk-Ballard/LSU AgCenter)

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A cosmopolitan flower that thrives on neglect

Heather Kirk-Ballard, LSU AgCenter horticulturist
Saturday, November 13, 2021
Are you looking for a gorgeous flower that thrives on pure neglect? Try cosmos. They are one of the most beautiful and easiest flowers to grow. While you’ll have to wait until the spring to plant seeds, look around this fall, and you may notice these flowers blooming profusely in local gardens.
Citrus trees at the Becnel’s family orchard were killed by a 10-foot storm surge brought by Hurricane Ida. Ben Becnel Jr. estimates that nearly 2,000 citrus trees were destroyed by the storm and 75% of his fruit was lost. (Photos by Craig Gautreaux/LSU AgCenter)

Citrus trees at the Becnel’s family orchard were killed by a 10-foot storm surge brought by Hurricane Ida. Ben Becnel Jr. estimates that nearly 2,000 citrus trees were destroyed by the storm and 75% of his fruit was lost. (Photos by Craig Gautreaux/LSU AgCenter)

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Louisiana citrus growers reeling from Ida damage

Craig Gautreaux/ cgautreaux@agcenter.lsu.edu
Friday, November 5, 2021
While Hurricane Ida came ashore more than two months ago, its effect on the Louisiana citrus and vegetable industry will be measured in years. Thousands of citrus trees were lost along with many fall vegetable crops across Plaquemines and St.