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Eleven essential steps for Kansas City spring and summer gardens

Stories by Kansas City Star journalists, with AI summarization

Preparing a successful Kansas City spring and summer garden means timing your planting to handle wild temperature swings, as late frosts can damage tender plants like snapdragons and magnolias. Addressing soil issues is key—knowing about blossom end rot in tomatoes and the effects of soil pH can help prevent mid-season setbacks. Removing last year’s cover crops and incorporating them into the soil supplies nutrients for upcoming vegetables and builds strong root systems.

Using mulch helps retain moisture, discourages fungal diseases, and stabilizes temperature, making it essential during rainy or hot spells. From choosing container-friendly native plants for balconies to understanding why your favorite plant might struggle in new soil, these steps set up a garden for a productive and beautiful season.

Diseases like powdery mildew, visible on this plant, can take over the garden in very moist conditions. By Heather Cwach

NO. 1: RAINY DAYS MEAN LUSH GARDENS, BUT BEWARE MOISTURE-LOVING FUNGAL, BACTERIAL DISEASES

Follow a few basic practices to protect your precious plants. | Published July 26, 2024 | Read Full Story by Anthony Reardon

A number of factors can cause blossom end rot on tomato plants.

NO. 2: ARE YOUR TOMATO PLANTS IN A SORRY STATE? HERE ARE THE CAUSES, AND THE SOLUTIONS

It’s called blossom end rot. And it isn’t pretty. | Published August 2, 2024 | Read Full Story by Anthony Reardon

Tropical milkweed is popular for its brilliant flowers and its lure to monarch butterflies. In some states, however, its long growing cycle can lead to problems.

NO. 3: TROPICAL VS. NATIVE: WHEN IT COMES TO MILKWEED, DOES IT REALLY MATTER WHAT YOU PLANT?

There is much debate between policymakers and the scientific communities that research monarch butterflies | Published September 5, 2024 | Read Full Story by Markis Hill

This evergreen in the Kansas State University Research and Extension demonstration garden is adapting well to the cold weather in the Kansas City area. By Heather Cwach

NO. 4: DO EVERGREENS HOLD NEEDLES ALL YEAR? PRO’S ANSWER TO CHILD’S QUESTION MIGHT SURPRISE

Dropping leaves allows a plant to protect itself from freezing temperatures and winter drought. | Published January 31, 2025 | Read Full Story by Markis Hill

Saucer magnolias are infamous for losing their blooms to a cold snap just as they’re opening. Experts are working hard to test plants better suited to the Kansas City area, with its wildly swinging March temperatures. By Heather Cwach

NO. 5: NOT SO FAST: BEFORE TACKLING SPRING GARDEN TASKS, CONSIDER WILD TEMPERATURE SWINGS

If your saucer magnolias are meh, there’s hope on the horizon. | Published February 28, 2025 | Read Full Story by Anthony Reardon

This cover crop consists of daikon radish, legumes and hairy vetch.

NO. 6: THE COVER CROPS YOU PUT IN LAST AUTUMN HAVE DONE THEIR JOB. HERE’S WHAT TO DO NEXT

They’ve anchored topsoil, retained soil moisture, and fixed nitrogen into the ground. | Published March 21, 2025 | Read Full Story by Anthony Reardon

A rainy and cool weekend is expected in the Kansas City metro area, according to the National Weather Service. No severe weather is expected with the wave of showers.

NO. 7: RAINY WEEKEND FORECAST: COOL WEATHER IN KANSAS CITY

Waves of rain and cool temperatures will dominate the weather in Kansas City. How will this impact your weekend fun? | Published April 4, 2025 | Read Full Story by Robert A. Cronkleton

What’s that bare stalk in front of an otherwise healthy looking garden? A hydrangea that simply didn’t make it. It’s quite possible it struggled when it was planted last year due to insufficient water.

NO. 8: HERE’S THE HIDDEN REASON YOUR PLANTS FAIL, AND A WAY TO PROTECT THEM THIS SEASON

Hint: It’s all about physics. | Published April 11, 2025 | Read Full Story by Markis Hill

Forget the yard work, Sherry Kuehl says. This spring, stop to enjoy the tulips.

NO. 9: ENJOYING A BEAUTIFUL SPRING? BEWARE THE SIREN SONG OF THE LAWN AND GARDEN STORE

Once I breached the inner sanctum of flowers, shrubs, trees, seeds, fertilizer and all sorts of yard doodads, I was a goner. | Published April 9, 2025 | Read Full Story by Sherry Kuehl

Three containers grow native plants, including columbine (left). Many plants native to the Kansas City area can thrive in container gardens on balconies, porches and roofs. By Carol Davit

NO. 10: FROM THE TOP DOWN: BUILD BALCONY BOTANICAL WONDERS AND POLLINATOR PENTHOUSES

Using plants native to your area has the added benefit of supporting the native wildlife. | Published May 9, 2025 | Read Full Story by Markis Hill

Remove the fruit in the first year of planting strawberries to encourage runners and a bountiful harvest the following year.

NO. 11: STRAWBERRY FIELDS ARE NOW OPEN AROUND KANSAS CITY. WHERE TO PICK FRUIT

Five farms within an hour of Kansas City are welcoming visitors to pick as many strawberries as they desire from their fields. | Published May 10, 2025 | Read Full Story by Joseph Hernandez

The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories listed were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.