About Woody Herb Pruning As they say, there is a time and place for everything, and woody herb pruning is no exception. The best time to prune woody herbs is the spring once new growth can be seen at the base of the plant. A second chance to prune will be when the plant is done flowering. Never prune woody herb plants late in the season. Pruning will just encourage new growth at the same time the plant wants to become dormant....
Growing a Majesty Palm While majesty palms are somewhat more demanding than most houseplants, it is possible to grow them successfully in containers. First and foremost, it’s important to select a container large enough to contain the plant’s robust root system. Well amended soil, as well as frequent treatment with fertilizer, is essential for this heavy feeding plant. One of the most common issues growers of majesty palm may encounter are yellowing leaves....
About Queen Lime Zinnias Green flowers are rare but stunning. That’s what makes the green Queen Lime zinnia cultivar so popular, as it produces beautiful double blooms in a shade of green that can be described as lime or chartreuse. There is also a Queen Red Lime zinnia that offers the same double flowering but with an exceptional color changing wow factor–going from lime green to shades of rose, pink, and soft chartreuse in between....
Zone 3 Plants for Shade Growing shade-tolerant plants in zone 3 is more than possible with the following selections: Northern maidenhair fern may look delicate, but it’s a shade-loving plant that tolerates frigid temperatures. Astilbe is a tall, summertime bloomer that adds interest and texture to the garden even after the pink and white flowers have dried up and turned brown. Carpathian bellflower produces cheery blue, pink, or purple flowers that add a spark of color to shady corners....
Winter Flowers for Zone 6 Climates Zone 6 is a pretty medium climate in the United States and winter temperatures don’t usually go below 0 to -10 degrees F. (-18 to -23 C.). Zone 6 gardeners can enjoy a nice mix of cold climate-loving plants, as well as some warmer climate-loving plants. In zone 6 you also have a longer growing season in which to enjoy your plants. While northern gardeners are pretty much stuck with only houseplants to enjoy in winter, zone 6 gardeners may get blooms on winter hardy flowers as early as February....
What are Hardy Succulent Plants? Zone 7 is a fortunate growing zone in which to live. The temperatures are mild, and the coldest days of the year rarely drop to 10 degrees F. (-12 C.). The growing season is long, and the average days of sun are off the chart when compared to places like the Pacific Northwest. Therefore, suitable succulent plants for zone 7 offers a broad list from which to choose....
Aristolochia Pipevine Plant Darth Vader plant (Aristolochia salvadorensis syn. Aristolochia Salvador platensis), a woody climber native to the humid meadows and soggy flood plains of Brazil, belongs to the Aristolochiaceae family of plants, which includes pipevines, birthworts, and Dutchman’s pipe. Like many plants that grow in challenging environments, the weird, corpse-like appearance of Darth Vader pipevine flowers is due to adaptations that ensure its survival. The helmet-like shape and purple coloration of the blooms, combined with the powerful aroma of rotting flesh, tend to attract insect pollinators....
Succulent Water Problems If there are spots on the leaves of your succulents or a white buildup on the soil or terracotta container, you may be using inappropriate water for succulents. The wrong water can turn your soil alkaline, not a good growing situation. Many home growers have unknowingly caused damage to plants when watering cacti and succulents with tap water. If your tap water is from a municipal source (city water), it likely contains chlorine and fluoride, neither of which have beneficial nutrients for your plants....
What is Baby Bok Choy? A cool season vegetable, baby bok choy forms smaller heads than the taller bok choy varietals, about half the size of standard bok choy. Pretty much any variety of bok choy can be grown as baby bok choy but some types, like “Shanghai,” are bred specifically to be harvested at their diminutive height for maximum sweetness. Bok Choy vs. Baby Bok Choy Plants So yes, bok choy and baby bok choy are basically the same....
What is Plum Bacterial Canker? Bacterial canker of plum is actually a disease that can affect any tree from the Prunus genus. These include plums as well as peaches and cherries. Other names for the disease are blossom blast, spur blight, twig blight, and gummosis. The cause of the disease is a bacterial infection triggered by Pseudomonas syringae. Bacterial Canker Plum Symptoms Plums with bacterial canker show most obvious signs of disease in spring....
Every year there are new releases of hybrids and specialized bedding plants. Many are award winning performers, while others are simply new plays on the old species. Choosing good plants for flower beds relies upon knowing your zone, soil type, and sun exposure. There truly is something for everybody in the annual plant selection. Fun New Releases in Bedding Plants The name “bedding plants” is not a botanical moniker, but simply refers to the way in which they are commercially grown....
Is Mulching Berms a Good Idea? What is a berm? A berm is a manmade mound of earth that serves some purpose in the landscape. Some berms are meant to create a sense of elevation in an otherwise flat garden or yard. Some are meant to retain or direct water, such as around a tree or away from a house. Some are meant just to create a rise in the landscape, subtly but effectively blocking out whatever is on the other side....
Offseason Gardening Bargains Include Plants Once the fall stock hits the shelves – think hardy mums – gardening stores and nurseries will begin marking down the summer stock. This means you have a last chance this season to get a great deal on a pricier kind of plant for the garden, like a new tree or shrub. The longer you wait, the lower the prices will get, and there is usually room for negotiation....
What is Pink Fig Tree Blight? Pink blight in figs is fairly common in the Eastern U.S. where summers are hot and humid. It is caused by the fungus Erythricium salmonicolor, also known as Corticum salmonicolor. There is no fungicide approved by the EPA for use on edible figs, so growers must rely on proper pruning to prevent and treat pink blight fig disease. Fungal diseases of fig trees thrive in unpruned trees where air can’t circulate freely....
What is Bot Rot? Bot rot is a disease caused by the fungus Botryosphaeria dothidea. It’s also called white rot or botryosphaeria rot and attacks not just apples, but also pears, chestnuts, and grapes. Bot rot in apple orchards can cause a huge loss of fruit. This has been especially damaging in orchards in the Piedmont region of Georgia and the Carolinas, causing losses of up to half of the apple crops in some orchards....
For those who aren’t familiar with what a bottlebrush plant is, a brief description is in order here. These are of the Callistemon genus. Bottlebrush type blooms can be 4 inches (10 cm.) around and 12 inches (31 cm.) long. Bottlebrush pruning varies with the family and, of course, the particular plant. Bottlebrush plants are native to Australia with various cultivars that vary in size. Bottlebrush Pruning for Health Bottlebrush pruning that helps plants to maintain good health should be looked at in spring and late summer....
Budding Propagation Technique What is budding propagation? Propagation by budding is a pretty common method of plant propagation, in which a plant bud is grafted onto the stem of a rootstock plant. Creating bizarre fruit trees that bear many types of fruit is not the only reason for propagation by budding. Orchard growers frequently use the budding propagation technique to quickly create new dwarf or semi-dwarf fruit trees that take less time to fruit and require less space in the orchard....
Grow Your Own Easter Egg Dyes You can get plenty of natural Easter egg dyes right from your garden. The colors most of them produce may not be as intense as the synthetic dyes you buy in Easter egg kits, but they are even more beautiful and natural in appearance. Below are some plants you can try when dyeing eggs naturally and the colors they will produce on a white egg:...
Ideas for Shoe Garden Planters When it comes to shoes as plant containers, think fun and fanciful, quirky and cute! Pull those old purple crocs from the bottom of your closet and turn them into miniature hanging baskets for herbs or trailing lobelia. Has your six year old outgrown her neon yellow rain boots? Will you really wear those orange high heels again? If the footwear holds potting soil, it will work....
How to Transplant a Pawpaw Tree Can you transplant a pawpaw tree? Maybe. Pawpaws have an unusually long taproot surrounded by smaller, brittle roots covered in delicate hairs. These factors combine to make the trees very difficult to dig up without damaging the roots and killing the tree. If you do want to try transplanting a pawpaw (say from a wild grove), take care to dig down as deeply as possible....
