Home and Garden Information Center

There are three methods of lawn renovation: Complete renovation (starting over from scratch). Overseeding into an existing lawn. Repairing bare spots. Why do lawns fail? Weed infestation. Reseed bare areas otherwise, weeds such as crabgrass will invade. Drought. Lawns often recover after a drought...

Photo: Pixabay Sod advantages and disadvantages Advantages Disadvantages A longer window of opportunity to install sod than with seeding. More expensive. An instant lawn and faster establishment. Limited choice of turf cultivars. Immediate erosion control and soil stabilization. Not always readily...

Most Maryland lawns are started from seed. Turf-type tall fescue is the recommended type of grass for the entire state. Timing is critical for success. Late summer to early fall (mid-August to mid-October) is the best time for seeding cool-season grasses like tall fescue. Seed in August if autumn...

Moss, a native plant, commonly grows in areas where turfgrass does not thrive. Mosses move into areas of thinning turf because the growing conditions favor the moss over turfgrass. In some cases, moss is an attractive groundcover and it is perfectly suitable to let it grow. This page will provide...

Glyphosate, is the active ingredient in Roundup® and other herbicide (weed killer) products. It is systemic (absorbed by foliage and moves throughout the plant) and non-selective (can stunt and kill any plant). But, it has been in the spotlight as a possible cancer-causing compound. This has raised...

Photo: Pixabay Hydrangeas add beauty to any landscape. They have attractive foliage and produce large, striking blossoms. Hydrangeas are also hardy, insect, and disease resistant, and versatile. They grow well in a variety of soils and tolerate wetness better than most other woody plants. One...

Pruning Tree and Shrub Basics Pruning Trees Pruning Shrubs and Hedges Pruning Tools Guide to Pruning Hydrangeas

Whether in natural areas or in our gardens, climate change is affecting native plants. According to the Maryland Climate Summary, our temperatures are expected to increase 5⁰ F to 11⁰ F by 2100. Higher temperatures cause native plants to experience more heat-related stress. Heat stress causes...

Why are Invasive Plants a Problem? Invasive plants displace native plants, reducing both the amount of native plant cover and the number of native species present in an ecosystem. This decline reverberates up the food web, causing, for example, losses in insect and songbird diversity. This type of...

Tips Methods Shrubs Hedges Evergreens When to Prune Videos Pruning Tips Before you plant know the mature height and width of the plants you choose. Pruning will not keep a plant too large for its space the correct size. Pruning actually stimulates growth. Pruning and thinning shrubs reduces disease...