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	Compositing With limits being placed on dumping leaves and grass, composting has become the logical alternative for disposing yard waste.



	Cottonwood Galls The galls that are found on cottonwoods in Montana are of several kinds. Three of the most important are pictured. Others often occur as blisters on the leaves, swollen stems or branches, or rolled leaves.



	Dormant Spraying Dormant spraying is one of the easiest, most effective of all the spraying you will do in a growing season. Dormant disease control spray is lime sulphur. Lime sulphur helps to prevent diseases from occurring during the growing season by killing disease causing spores that over winter on tree and shrub buds, twigs and bark. These same spores can also over winter on fallen leaves. Be sure to rake and dispose of leaves if you know you have a disease problem.



	Fertilization of Trees, Evergreens and Shrubs Soil type is important in determining the need for fertilizer. A fine textured, clay-loam soil will hold more nutrients than a coarse textured sandy loam. However, a tree growing in a heavy compacted soil may still be stunted because of restricted root growth and lack of soil oxygen to facilitate nutrient uptake. Light sandy soils will be low in nutrients and may also restrict growth because of low moisture levels. Alkaline soils may cause iron deficiencies on oaks, birch and silver maples.



	Fire Blight Fire blight is a common bacterial disease affecting apples, pears and over 75 other host plants, mostly in a section of the Rose family. Apples, pears, cotoneaster and mountain ash are affected most severely. The blight damages susceptible hosts by killing flowers and twigs and by girdling large branches and trunks. Late in the summer trees may look as if they had been scorched by fire, thus the name "fire blight."





	Annuals Nothing will add as much color to the landscape as annual flowers. Annuals come in virtually every color and in heights ranging from 2 inches to 6 feet. There are varieties of annuals that will grow and bloom in the hottest sun while others will thrive in the deepest shade. With such a wide variety to work with it is easy to design beautiful flower beds for your home.



	Perennials Perennials are herbaceous plants that die to the ground each fall and come up again each spring. Most perennials are valued in the landscape for their colorful blossoms. Some make excellent cutflowers as well, while others are valued for their foliage that can add color and texture to the garden, such as Silver Mound or the ornamental grasses. there are literally hundreds of varieties of perennials to choose from, with an almost infinite variety of blooming times, color and texture. With just a small assortment of perennials, you can have a variety of color throughout the season.



	Roses The rose has been referred to as the 'queen of flowers' for over 2,500 years, since long before they reached their present point of refinement. Today's roses have inherited more from their revered ancestors than the concrete characteristics of basic flower form and leaf shape. As the worldwide love of roses attests, they are also heirs to a special regard stretching far back in time. The 'modern' era of rose growing began in 1867, with the introduction of what is now designated the first of the hybrid tea roses-the class that dominates present-day gardens.



	Geraniums The popular geranium is one of the most versatile plants grown. It is equally effective when grown in borders, in mass display, window boxes, planters, or as a house-plant. The huge variety of leaf forms and flower colors makes its inclusion in the garden a must. Geraniums can be successfully mixed with garden perennials and annuals for sure color additions or grouped with other plants in patio pots.



	Gypsum Gypsum additions are food for improving clay and alkali type soils. Clay soils often contain high magnesium levels and little organic matter. This condition tends to make the soil particles so tight that air and water cannot penetrate it. Alkali soils have high sodium levels which prevent plant, crop or turf production. By the proper use of gypsum, these soils can be returned to production. By adding gypsum to soils, an ion exchange results which dramatically improves soil friability and tilth.





	Grapes, Gooseberries & Currants Grapes need full sunlight and high temperatures to ripen, so plant on southern slopes, the south side of windbreaks or the south sides of buildings. Avoid northern slopes and low ground since these will be cooler throughout the growing season, delaying ripening of the fruit. Choose deep, well-drained soils to avoid standing water in the spring and encourage early growth.



	Juneberries The Juneberry or saskatoon is a native fruit-bearing shrub of the Northern Great Plains with its range extending northward through the Canadian prairie provinces into the southern Yukon and Northwest Territories. This extremely adaptable plant will grow under a wide range of climatic conditions.



	Pollination of Fruit Trees & Small Fruits Apples, apricots, blueberries, cherries, plums, cherry plums, pears, small fruits, sour cherries and peaches.



	Raspberries Raspberries may be grown successfully at an elevation as high as 7,000 feet. They do best in full sun on non-alkaline "fertile" loam soil. However, they may be grown in partial shade or under other environmental constraints. Natural protection against strong winter winds are provided by some valleys, but in other areas it is necessary to provide artificial protection during winter months (see topic on "Winter Protection").



	Strawberries A small plot of ground can produce an appreciable amount of strawberries. About 100 square feet of garden can produce 5 to 10 pounds of fruit, while an acre can produce 1500 to 4000 pounds of fruit, depending upon growing conditions. The following cultural practices and measures are recommended for growing strawberries in Montana.





	Do It Yourself Landscaping Site Plan All you need is a tape measure, architect's scale or ruler, pencil and eraser, and grid paper.



	Installing Landscaping Edging In order to create a low-maintenance landscape, it is essential to include lawn edging, weed barrier fabric, and a mulch in your planning. The use of these materials can add the finishing touch to your landscape as well as making maintenance chores such as watering, weeding, and hand-edging of grass less time-consuming.



	Xeriscape A “xeriscape” is a landscape which uses plants that have low water requirements. Any home-owner who has experienced drought, high summer water bills, or dissatisfaction with a stressed-looking landscape, despite the care given to it, can appreciate the benefits of drought-tolerant landscaping.



	Ornamental Grasses Grasses have always been the predominate part of our native prairies. We are most familiar with the use of them in the landscape as ground covers, or what we would normally refer to as lawns. However, when used in the landscape certain varieties of grasses can add a great deal to the texture, color, motion and even sound of the garden. They can be used as individual specimens, in mass plantings or as border plants. Many of them are also a good source of dried materials for arrangements.





	Caring for Established Lawns The key to a healthy, attractive lawn is a balanced approach to maintenance. A lawn that is properly watered and fertilized will have fewer problems with weeds and disease.



	Planting a New Lawn There are only a few steps in creating a new beautiful lawn. From different varieties, to preparation, and plating, user our easy to follow checklist.



	Tree, Shrub, and Lawn Problems Most damage or stress to plants in Montana is caused by non-infectious conditions. Insects, disease, animals, chemical and/or mechanical problems are expanded by environmental and soil conditions. Problems most often affecting Montana landscape plants are frost injury,winter injury, crown dieback, sun scorch, sun scald, inadequate pollination, thatch buildup in turf, yellowing and poor drainage.





	Growing Acid-Loving Plants in Montana Each of these are acid-loving plants that will do well in Montana, when correct conditions are provided. Azaleas and rhododendrons are highly desired for their showy, colorful blossoms while blueberries are grown for their flavorful fruit. Care should be taken to ensure that you select cultivars that are adapted to your area.



	Clematis Clematis is the perfect plant to beautify chain link or other fences thereby providing a soft, natural backdrop for your other plants in the flowering border.



	Poinsettias The assigned botanical name is Euphorbia pulcherrima. The United States’ first ambassador to Mexico, Joel Robert Poinsett, sent several plants back to his home in Greenville, South Carolina in 1825. The common name, poinsettia, comes from his last name.





	Basic Pruning Techniques Of all the gardening practices, pruning is probably the most misunderstood and neglected. By understanding a few basic pruning fundamentals and practices, anyone can become efficient and skilled at pruning.



	Pruning an Evergreen Tree Pruning an evergreen tree or shrub is often necessary in order to limit the size of the plant, correct irregular growth, or maintain a desired form (such as a hedge). Normally, the natural form of most evergreens is the most desirable. Generally, there are two main types of evergreens, and because of their different habits of growth, they must be pruned differently.



	Pruning a Fruit Tree The best time to prune fruit trees in Montana is late winter or early spring before the blossoms open. This is also a good time to apply an application of dormant oil/lime sulphur to kill insect eggs and fungal spores. If you are pruning out dead or diseased wood, it is easy to spot by late winter because it appears shriveled and its buds are dried as compared to live wood with its healthy, swelling buds.





	Planting New Shrubs We've put together an easy to follow guide on planting new shrubs.



	Tree, Shrub and Lawn Problems Most damage or stress to plants in Montana is caused by non-infectious conditions. Insects, disease, animals, chemical and/or mechanical problems are expanded by environmental and soil conditions. Problems most often affecting Montana landscape plants are frost injury, winter injury, crown dieback, sun scorch, sun scald, inadequate pollination, thatch buildup in turf, yellowing and poor drainage.



	Planting a New Tree Planting a tree has many intricate steps. We've put together an easy to follow guide on planting a new tree into your landscaping.





	Asparagus Asparagus grows well at elevations up to 5,500 feet in Montana. It requires very moist soil and needs a fairly sunny area and does better in full sun. It takes at least three years to establish a good hill of asparagus in good production. Yield can be up to 2,000 pounds per acre when a bed is at its "peak". However, seven or eight years may be required to bring it to "peak" production. If properly managed, a bed will last 12 to 15 years. Some over 30 years old are still good.



	Potatoes Potatoes can be a rewarding crop if you have room in your garden. Each plant takes up four square feet of garden space with vines growing about two feet high; however, for each pound of seed potatoes planted, the average yield is 10 pounds of potatoes. Planting dates Potatoes can be planted from March to June.



	Tomatoes Tomatoes are probably the most popular vegetable grown by the home gardener. Success in growing good tomato transplants from seed depends on how well these basic requirements are met.



	Vegetable Gardening in Yellowstone County By growing vegetables the new, wide-row way, you can expect your garden to yield 2 to 3 times more than the conventional, single row way - in the same amount of space.