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Fruit Tree Grease for Insect Control Insects use fruit trees as a place to lay their eggs as well as get some lunch. They can damage your precious fruit trees in the process. Applying fruit tree grease or fruit tree grease bands is one way to stop this kind of insect damage without spraying pesticides in the garden. It is easy and the resulting produce contains no pesticides. You can buy fruit tree grease bands, also known as gel bands, in your local garden store....

Is Peppermint Good for You? Peppermint is a naturally occurring hybrid of spearmint (Mentha spicata) and watermint (Mentha aquatic). The benefits of peppermint have been hyped for centuries for everything from gastrointestinal distress to relaxation. While some ancient remedies utilizing peppermint for health may be questionable, modern science has proven that, yes, peppermint is good for you, although there are some cautions to that statement. Read on to learn about the benefits of peppermint as well as its limitations....

What is Usnea Lichen? Usnea is a genus of lichen that hangs in clumps of filaments on trees. Lichen is not a plant, although it is often mistaken for one. It is also not a single organism; it is a combination of two: algae and fungi. These two organisms grow together symbiotically, the fungus getting energy from the algae and the algae getting a structure on which it can grow. Usnea is most often found in coniferous forests....

Root Maggot Lifecycle Vegetable root maggots are the larva of a type of fly called a root maggot fly. There are several kinds with different preferred host plants. The eggs of these root eating insects are laid in the soil and hatch into larva. The larva are the little worms you see on the roots of your plant. The larva will come to the surface to pupate and then they are adults who will start the process all over again....

How to Stop Wallabies from Eating My Plants Wallabies are smaller relatives of kangaroos and are also marsupials. Their foraging activities often drive them into human terrain, and a clash of needs and wants ensues. The animals are only trying to keep their bellies full, but this can result in invasion of planned food crops necessary for our own survival and well-being. While their marauding can be frustrating, there are barriers and wallaby deterrents that will protect the garden and still let wild animals go about their business....

Wallis’s Wonder Plum Information The Wallis’s Wonder plum variety originates from England, the Cambridgeshire region. It was intentionally created by Eric Wallis and his son, John, in 1960. The fruit growers working at Heath Farm crossed a Victoria plum with a Severn Cross plum. The result was a fruit that ripened later than most other plums and that stored well for a month or two. Wallis’s Wonder plums are juice and have a high-quality, tasty flavor....

Wando Pea Information What are Wando peas? Developed at the Southeastern Vegetable Breeding Laboratory as a cross between the varieties ‘Laxton’s Progress’ and ‘Perfection,’ Wando peas were first released to the public in 1943. Since then, they have been a favorite of gardeners in the American South, even in zones 9 through 11, where they can be sown in midsummer to be harvested as a winter crop. Despite their heat resistance, Wando garden pea plants are also very cold tolerant, which means they can be grown just as well in cooler climates....

When to Water Gardens “When and how often should I water a garden?” While the general rule of thumb is about an inch or two (2.5-5 cm.) of water each week with deep, infrequent watering as opposed to the more frequent shallow watering, this really depends on a number of factors. First, consider your soil. Sandy soil is going to hold less water than heavier clay soil. Therefore, it’s going to dry out faster while the clay-like soil will hold moisture longer (and is more susceptible to overwatering)....

What are Desert Bluebells? So exactly what are desert bluebells? With the scientific name of Phacelia campanularia ssp. vasiformis, these plants are native annual herbs that like sun and dry soil. The plants themselves are stiff and erect. If you start growing desert bluebells, you’ll find that the oval leaves are rounded and covered with fine hairs. Desert bluebell flowers are large, bell-shaped, and a vivid shade of blue. They have yellow anthers that protrude from the bell of the petals....

What are Hardy Succulents? Many people are intrigued by the unusual plants that are unique to them and they are certainly appreciative of the low maintenance needed by succulent plants. As they impatiently wait for temperatures to rise so indoor (soft) succulents can move out to the deck or porch, they could be planting cold hardy succulents to liven up the outside beds. Cold hardy succulents are those that are tolerant of growing in temperatures that are freezing and below....

What are Oil Bees? Oil collecting bees have a symbiotic relationship with floral oil producing plants. First discovered over 40 years ago by Stefan Vogel, this mutualism has evolved through various adaptations. Over the course of history, floral oil production and oil collecting on the part of certain species of bees has waxed and waned. There are 447 species of apid bees that collect oil from about 2,000 species of angiosperms, wetland plants that reproduce both sexually and asexually....

What are Orient Express Eggplants? Orient Express is an Asian variety of eggplant known as Solanum melongena. It is a dependable, high-yield type of eggplant with pretty, deep purple-black fruits with a delicate skin. They are longer and narrower than typical eggplants. For cooking, the Orient Express Asian eggplant is desirable for its light flavor and thin skin. Because it is narrow, only about 1.5 to 2.5 inches (4 to 6 cm....

Sub-Zero Rose Information When I first heard the term “Sub-Zero” roses, it brought to mind those developed by Dr. Griffith Buck. His roses grow in many rose beds today and very hardy choices for cold climates. One of Dr. Buck’s main goals was to breed roses that could survive harsh cold winter climates, which he achieved. Some of his more popular Buck roses are: Distant Drums Lobelle Prairie Princess Pearlie Mae Applejack Quietness Summer Honey...

Aster Foot Rot Symptoms What causes aster foot rot? Aster foot rot is most common in damp weather. The disease is favored by poorly drained soil and overwatering. Once aster foot rot is in the soil, it spreads quickly, even in very small amounts of water. Symptoms of asters with foot rot include sudden wilting of leaves and a brownish black discoloration of the lower part of the stems. Plants often shrivel and collapse at soil level....

Weather, nutrition, and the way you treat the plant can cause bud blast in daffodils, but most conditions are ones you can remedy for next year. Learn what causes daffodil buds not to open and how to prevent this condition from happening. What Causes Daffodil Buds Not to Open What is daffodil bud blast? When your daffodil plants look like they’re growing normally, until it’s time for the buds to bloom, and then your daffodil buds don’t open, bud blast has likely gotten to them....

Bacterial Canker Symptoms Peach bacterial canker is associated with a syndrome called Peach Tree Short Life. With a name like that, it is evident what the ultimate outcome is without adequate peach bacterial canker control. It is a slow death that results in an unhealthy tree with little to no fruit and an untimely demise. It can be hard to initially recognize bacterial canker on peach trees. By the time your eyes can see the signs, the tree is likely in great distress....

What is a Beatrice Eggplant? Eggplants come in so many sizes and shapes that there is literally a type suited to any garden. Given the number of eggplant varieties out there, you may not have heard about the joys of growing Beatrice eggplants (Solanum melongena var. esculentum). But it’s worth a look. This is a stately, upright garden plant that produces large, round, bright lavender fruit. The plants can grow to 36 inches (91....

What is a Cobweb Houseleek? A favorite outdoor plant, cobweb hens and chicks may already be growing in your garden or container. This interesting plant is covered with a cobweb-like substance, making it much sought after by many growers. Scientifically named Sempervivum arachnoideum, this is a low-growing rosette covered with the web. Webs stretch from leaf tip to tip and mass in the middle. Leaves of this plant may be tinted red or remain green, but the center is covered with the webby substance....

What is a Parterre Garden? The Victorian era began in 1837 and ended with the reign of Queen Victoria in 1901. The period emphasized the importance of what was considered “English” and was characterized by rigid models of behavior. This uptight notion led to similar strict artistic standards. Enter the Parterre garden design. Such garden plans contained plants in a very controlled pattern and allowed the growing middle class of the period to conform to popular English standards in ways that were once the province only of the upper class....

Egret Flower Information Native to Asia, egret flower is a type of terrestrial orchid that grows from fleshy, pea-sized tubers. It grows primarily in grassy wetlands, shady glades, or bogs. Egret flower is endangered in its natural habitat, probably due to urbanization, habitat destruction, and over collecting. Egret flower is suitable for growing in USDA plant hardiness zones 5 through 10, although with proper care and ample mulch, it may tolerate more northern climes....