Posts

What is an ISD Treatment? ISD is an acronym for imidichloprid soil drench, which is a systemic insecticide for citrus trees. Citrus propagating nurseries in Florida are required by law to use an ISD treatment on citrus trees before selling them. ISD tags on citrus trees are put on to let the buyer know when the tree was treated and when the treatment expires. It’s recommended that the consumer treat the tree again before the expiration date....

In some zones, this plant is considered invasive so check with your local extension office before purchase. Otherwise, throw caution to the wind and check out Arizona grape ivy plants (Cissus trifoliata). What is Arizona Grape Ivy? Vertical spaces with green vines spilling over them accent the garden and lend lushness that bare wall or trellis simply can’t fake. Arizona grape ivy plants are fast growing, easy care vines with tiny flowers and pretty lobed leaves....

What is Botanical Art? Botanical art is any kind of artistic, accurate representation of plants. Artists and experts in this field would distinguish between botanical art and botanical illustration. Both should be botanically and scientifically accurate, but art can be more subjective and focused on aesthetics; it does not have to be a complete representation. A botanical illustration, on the other hand, is for the purpose of showing all parts of a plant so that it can be identified....

Crinkle-leaf Creeper Info The family Rosaceae includes many of our favorite fruits as well as roses. Creeping raspberry is one of the family but it has a growth habit more closely aligned with wild strawberries. The plant merrily rambles over rocks, hills, depressions, and wide spaces but is easygoing and can be controlled mechanically. Rubus calycinoides (syn. Rubus hayata-koidzumii, Rubus pentalobus, Rubus rolfei) is native to Taiwan and provides an excellent low maintenance groundcover in the landscape....

Mushroom Herb Info An attractive plant with shiny, deep green leaves and blue-violet flowers in springtime, mushroom herb plants usually top out at about 24 inches (61 cm.) at maturity. However, regular pinching and frequent harvesting prevents legginess and keeps the plant bushy and compact. Mushroom plant thrives in rich soil, so dig 2 or 3 inches (5-8 cm.) of compost into the soil at planting time. Find a location where the plant is in partial shade or light sunlight, as mushroom herb plants tend to be smaller when exposed to a lot of direct sunlight or intense heat....

About Mosaic Virus on Peaches Peach trees can develop numerous diseases. Peach Texas mosaic virus stems from a vector, Eriophyes insidiosus, a tiny mite. It can also occur during grafting where infected plant material is used as either the scion or the rootstock. The symptoms are fairly obvious once you know what signs to watch for, but once a tree has the disease there are no current treatments. The two types of peach mosaic virus are hairy break and plum....

What is Timothy Grass? The benefits of Timothy grass are numerous. It has broad appeal as hay for and horses, but when combined with alfalfa, it makes nutritious forage for sheep and other grazing animals. It is also made into food for guinea pigs, rabbits and other domesticated pets. The plant is easily recognized when it blooms by its long narrow seed head. When does Timothy grass bloom? The inflorescence is produced in late spring to early summer or within 50 days of sowing....

White Sweetclover Info What is white sweetclover? White sweetclover (Melilotus alba) is a legume that is biennial and often used in farming. The plant has a big root system and deep taproots. Although it is called a clover, this plant is more closely related to alfalfa. White sweetclover will grow to about three to five feet (1 to 1.5 m.) in height, and the taproot extends nearly as deep into the soil....

What is an Agrihood? “Agrihood” is a portmanteau of the words “agriculture” and “neighborhood.” But it’s not just a neighborhood near farmland. An agrihood is a residential neighborhood specially designed to integrate gardening or farming in some way. Just like some residential communities have communal tennis courts or gyms, an agrihood might include a series of raised beds or even an entire working farm complete with animals and long rows of vegetables....

When Do Kiwis Flower? Kiwi fruits grow on vigorous vines that require a strong support structure. You can grow them on a sturdy arbor, trellis, or fence. Each vine can grow 15 feet (4.5 m.) long. Most kiwi plants are specifically male or female. You need both to produce fruit. One male plant can fertilize up to eight female plants. There are many cultivars. Some are self-fertile cultivars. In that case, you only need one plant, which saves space....

About Harvesting Tangerines Tangerines, also called mandarin oranges, are more cold-hardy than oranges and can be grown in USDA zones 8-11. They require full sun, consistent irrigation, and, like any other citrus, well-draining soil. They make excellent container citrus, as there are several dwarf varieties available. Most varieties are self-fertile and are well-suited for those lacking in garden space. So when can you begin harvesting tangerines? It takes about 3 years for a tangerine to begin producing a crop....

Mayhaw Harvest Time Mayhaws are small trees with rounded canopies that grow wild in the East and Southeast parts of the United States. The mayhaw fruit typically appears on the trees in May. Fruits are the size of cherries and the shape of crabapples, usually colored pink or red. The fruit is edible but not very good eaten right from the tree. However, it makes delicious jellies, jams, desserts and even wine....

Why is My Plane Tree Losing Bark? The sudden or unexpected loss of bark in mature trees can be quite the cause for concern for many homeowners. Commonly used in landscaping and along busy city streets, one specific variety of tree, the London plane tree, is known for its habit of drastic bark shed. In fact, the London plane tree, as well as others such as the sycamore and some types of maples, will shed their bark at varying rates....

Sticky Residue on Spider Plants Sticky spider plant leaves are a signal that the piercing, sucking insect known as scale has come to live on your spider plant, making it sticky. There are different kinds of scale, and all are invisible to the naked eye until they form colonies of many. When colonies form on spider plant leaves, a sticky residue remains. Colonies will be visible as small brown patches, usually underneath the leaves of the sticky spider plant....

How to Grow Window Box Garden Vegetables First, you’ll need to install window boxes if you don’t already have them. If you rent your home or you live in an apartment type building, you may need to secure permission from the owner or tenant’s association. Here are other considerations to keep in mind: Consider the weight and durability of the window box. Plastic or fiberglass window boxes weigh less than wood or stoneware, but the former may become brittle when exposed to sun or freezing temperatures....

How to Winterize Water Lily Plants The steps for wintering water lilies starts long before winter actually arrives, regardless of whether you grow hardy or tropical water lilies. In late summer, stop fertilizing your water lilies. This will signal to your water lily plants that it’s time to start getting ready for cold weather. A few things will happen after this. First, the water lily will start to grow tubers. This will provide food for them over the winter....

Preparing Delphinium Plants for Winter In preparation for winterizing delphiniums, water the plants regularly as winter approaches and continue until the ground freezes so hard it can no longer absorb moisture. Don’t water with a sprinkler; get in there with a hose and let it trickle until the roots are thoroughly saturated. It’s important that the ground is damp going into winter so the roots don’t become too dry. The plant will continue to evaporate moisture through the leaves, but the frozen ground won’t accept water to replace the lost moisture....

Woad Plant Reproduction Methods If you are looking to start dyer’s woad for the first time, there’s really only one tried and true method – sowing seeds. Woad seeds are really only viable for one year, so make sure you get fresh seeds. The seed pods contain a natural chemical that inhibits germination and washes away in the rain. This allows them to hold off on sprouting until conditions are wet enough to encourage good growth....

Why are Leaves on My Beans Turning Yellow? There is a wide variety of beans for the home gardener. Any type of bean can get yellow leaves, including any of the following: Bush beans produce the long classic green beans good for canning, freezing or eating fresh. Pole beans grow in a vined habit and produce dangling green pods. Snap peas are smaller and have been engineered without the “strings” to make them less fibrous....

Cold Hardy Gardenias The term “cold hardy” when applied to gardenias does not mean zone 5 gardenia shrubs. It simply means shrubs that can tolerate cooler zones than the toasty areas in which they typically thrive. Some hardy gardenias grow in zone 8, and a few new ones survive in zone 7. For example, the cultivar ‘Frost Proof’ offers cold hardy gardenias. However, the plants thrive only to zone 7. Likewise, ‘Jubilation,” reputedly one of the hardiest gardenias, grows in zones 7 through 10....