Why is it important to rotate crops in the vegetable garden? 
Many disease organisms are soil-borne and may persist in the soil for several years. Disease problems often increase when the same crop is planted in the same area in successive years.  Annually rotating your vegetables in the garden can help reduce the severity of diseases.  Rotation also may help curb insect infestations. Insect populations and plant damage may increase when the same crop is planted in the same area over several years. 

Vegetable crops in the same botanical family are often susceptible to the same diseases and insects. For crop rotation to be effective, gardeners should not plant vegetables belonging to the same plant family in the same location for two or three years. Obviously, crop rotation in a small garden may be difficult. However, home gardeners should rotate their vegetable crops as best they can. 
 
To assist crop rotation efforts, the following list places the commonly grown vegetables in their proper botanical families. Onions and garlic are members of the Alliaceae (Onion) Family.  The Apiaceae (Carrot) Family includes carrots and parsnips. Cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, kale and collards are members of the Brassicaceae (Mustard) Family. The Cucurbitaceae (Gourd) Family includes cucumber, muskmelon, watermelon, squash, pumpkin and gourd. Garden peas and snap beans are in the Fabaceae (Pea) Family.  Members of the Solanaceae (Nightshade) Family include tomato, pepper, eggplant and potato. 

Is the Scotch pine a good tree for the home landscape? 
In the last 15 to 20 years, pine wilt has become a serious disease of Scotch pine (Pinus sylvestris) in Iowa and other Midwestern states. Pine wilt is a fatal disease that quickly kills infected Scotch pines. Other pine species that are occasional victims of pine wilt include jack (Pinus banksiana), mugo (Pinus mugo), Austrian (Pinus nigra), and red (Pinus resinosa) pine. Unfortunately, there are no effective treatments for the prevention or control of pine wilt. The best strategy is to contain the disease by promptly removing and destroying dead or dying Scotch pines. Because of pine wilt, Scotch pines are no longer recommended for windbreaks and home landscapes in Iowa. 

Which sour (tart) cherry varieties perform well in Iowa? 
‘Northstar’ and ‘Meteor’ are two of the best performing sour cherry varieties in Iowa. Both varieties were introduced by the University of Minnesota and possess excellent cold hardiness. ‘Northstar’ is a dwarf tree that commonly grows 8 to 10 feet tall. Its fruit have a mahogany red skin and red flesh, and are 3/4 inch in diameter. ‘Meteor’ is a semi-dwarf tree.  Trees may eventually reach a height of 10 to 14 feet. The fruit of ‘Meteor’ are slightly larger than ‘Northstar’ and have bright red skin and yellow flesh.  Another possibility is ‘Mesabi.’ ‘Mesabi’ is a cross between a sweet and tart cherry. Its red-fleshed fruit are sweeter than ‘Northstar’ and ‘Meteor.’

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