The Latest Breaking News from Penn State Extension

Sweet corn can turn dark after home canning even when it was processed correctly; natural compounds can react with iron and air to create the unexpected colour

Sweet corn may develop brown or black hues after home canning due to chemical reactions. These color changes often occur without spoilage, despite proper canning practices. The reactions involve enzymes and minerals, which can influence the corn's appearance. High-quality water and appropriate processing temperatures are crucial for maintaining color. It…

The Economic Times · Oct 19

How to Plant Shrubs Before the Ground Freezes

Just because temperatures are dropping doesn’t mean your landscaping projects have to stop. In fact, fall can be one of the best times to plant shrubs, especially if you’re hoping to save money on end-of-season garden center sales.

Frugal Gardening · Oct 18

White sediment at the bottom of canned green beans can resemble spoilage, but hard-water minerals may react with natural bean compounds to form a harmless deposit

When inspecting canned goods, it's common to find a white residue that forms when hard water interacts with pectin. This sediment, especially in low-acid foods like green beans, can easily be confused with spoilage. Experts advise consumers to look out for unusual smells or container swelling before eating. Typically, this…

The Economic Times · Oct 16

The First Frost Is Coming — These 7 Garden Plants Are Worth Saving Before It Hits

The first frost can turn a lush garden into a sad collection of blackened stems almost overnight, but not every plant needs to meet its chilly fate. Some garden favorites deserve a rescue mission before temperatures dip, especially plants that can move indoors, produce more food, or return next year…

Frugal Gardening · Sep 14

Don’t Compost These 7 Plants When You Clean Out the Garden This Fall

Fall garden cleanup creates a mountain of tempting compost material, but not everything that came out of the garden belongs in that pile. Some plants can carry diseases, spread from stubborn pieces of root, or dump a fresh crop of weed seeds into the compost you plan to use next…

Frugal Gardening · Sep 12

Garden Centers Are Starting to Clear Shelves, but Not Every Discount Is Worth It

Garden centers are starting to clear their shelves, and that can make late-season plant shopping feel like a joyful treasure hunt. A perennial marked down to a few dollars can become one of the smartest purchases in the garden, but a sickly plant with a dramatic discount sticker can turn…

Frugal Gardening · Sep 5

A Practical Guide to August Pruning Mistakes That May Cost You Next Year’s Flowers

August pruning can feel like harmless garden housekeeping, but the wrong cut at the wrong time can remove the flower buds that should open next spring. A shrub can look perfectly healthy after a summer haircut while quietly carrying far fewer blooms for the following season. That makes late-summer pruning…

Frugal Gardening · Aug 31

How to Reuse Rainwater Without Creating a Mosquito Problem

Rainwater can become a wonderfully useful garden resource, but a forgotten bucket of it can also become an open invitation to mosquitoes. A properly designed rain barrel lets gardeners capture roof runoff for watering plants while keeping insects out of the stored water. The trick involves treating rainwater storage as…

Frugal Gardening · Aug 27

Invasive tree of heaven is helping spotted lanternflies spread across US by feeding them its toxic sap; here’s why scientists are using it as a trap

The tree of heaven, an invasive species, facilitates the spread of the spotted lanternfly by providing an abundant source of plant sap. To help control the invasive insect, scientists and land managers use selected tree-of-heaven specimens as trap trees. However, removing the invasive tree remains essential, as it can crowd…

The Economic Times · Aug 26

Should You Cover Freshly Sown Seeds With Burlap?

Freshly sown seeds have a surprisingly difficult job. They need moisture, good contact with the soil, and protection from the kind of downpour that can turn a carefully prepared seedbed into a tiny muddy landslide. A loose piece of burlap can help with all three, making it a useful trick…

Frugal Gardening · Aug 12