Which turfgrasses perform best in shady areas? 

One key to successfully growing grass in shady areas is to select the proper turfgrass species for the site. Kentucky bluegrass is the most widely grown turfgrass in Iowa.  However, most Kentucky bluegrass varieties do not perform well in shady areas. The fine-leaf fescues (creeping red fescue, hard fescue, chewings fescue, etc.) are the most shade tolerant of the cool-season turfgrasses. When attempting to establish grass in a shady area, select a grass seed mix that contains a high percentage (at least 50 percent) of the fine-leaf fescues.  Late summer (mid-August to early September) and April are the best times to establish grass in shady areas. 

How do gynoecious cucumber varieties differ from other varieties? 

Cucumbers and other vine crops are monoecious.  Monoecious plants have separate male and female flowers on the same plant.  Male and female flowers are similar in appearance.  However, the female flowers have small, immature fruits at their base.  Pollen is transferred from the male to the female flowers by bees. When properly pollinated and fertilized, the female flowers develop into fruit.  The first flowers to appear on cucumbers and other vine crops are male. Female flowers appear shortly thereafter.

Gynoecious varieties are special hybrids which produce predominantly female flowers.  Seeds of a standard monoecious variety are commonly included in the seed packet to ensure adequate pollination.  (The seeds of the monoecious variety may be dyed or placed in a separate packet.)  Gynoecious varieties often outproduce standard varieties when a pollenizer (monoecious variety) is present. 

How can I keep raccoons out of my sweet corn? 

The most effective way to prevent damage to the sweet corn crop is to encircle the area with an electric fence.  A two-wire fence with one wire 4 to 6 inches above the ground and the other at 12 inches should keep the raccoons out of the sweet corn.  To be effective, the electric fence should be installed about two weeks before the sweet corn reaches the milk stage.

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