Posts

Reasons for Changing Clivia Colors Different flower color in Clivias from the same parent can happen because of genetic diversity, cross-pollination, or dominating color. Changing Clivia colors also happens when the plant is young and up until maturity. Even offsets from a parent may bloom with a slightly different shade than the parent. Such Clivia color change is part of the charm of the plants but is a frustration for true collectors....

What is Coconut Coir? Coconut fiber, or coir, a natural waste product resulting from the processing of coconuts, comes from the outer shell of the coconut husks. The fibers are separated, cleaned, sorted and graded before shipping. Coir mulch uses include brushes, ropes, upholstery stuffing and doormats. In recent years, coir has become widely used by gardeners as a mulch, soil amendment and potting soil ingredient. Coir Mulch Benefits Renewability – Coir mulch is a renewable resource, unlike peat moss, which comes from non-renewable, diminishing peat bogs....

Winterizing Cold Hardy Jasmine As mentioned above, jasmine may not survive winters in zone 5, which can plummet to -20 degrees F. (-29 C.). If you decide to try growing jasmine in zone 5, the plants will require plenty of winter protection. Even winter jasmine, which tolerates temperatures as cold as 0 degrees F. (-18 C.), certainly won’t make it through a tough zone 5 winter without adequate cover to protect the roots....

Can You Compost Hair? At its heart, compost is nothing more than organic materials that have broken down into their most basic components. When mixed into garden soil, compost adds needed nutrients to the soil. It will help retain water in sandy soil while adding drainage to dense clay soil. The basic formula for creating compost is to layer green or moist ingredients with brown or dry ingredients, then bury them in soil and add water....

Starting a Vegetable Garden Indoors Starting a vegetable garden indoors is easy. At its most basic, all you need is a container for soil, light, and a way to keep the water off your floor. This last one is important – you don’t want to water all your new containers and find most of the water sinking into your floorboards. Buy inexpensive dishes to put under your pots to collect extra water....

Information about Asian Jasmine Asian jasmine (Trachelospermum asiaticum) grows in the wild in Korea and Japan and is used as a groundcover in this country. It covers your backyard or the wall of your garage rapidly, and survives cooler weather better than many other jasmines. Asian jasmine is planted by homeowners as a quick, low-cost groundcover. The trick to Asiatic jasmine control is to act early to set boundaries for it....

What are Costus Plants? Costus plants are related to ginger and at one time were classified with them in the Zingiberaceae family. Now they have their own family, Costaceae. These plants are subtropical to tropical and develop from a rhizome that produces one flower on a spike. Costus plants are great for height in the landscape, as they can grow up to 6 to 10 feet (2-3 m.) tall. They are hardy to zones 7 through 12....

What Causes Oranges to Split? One of the most commonly grown citrus is the orange. Orange rinds split open, as well as mandarins and tangelos, but never grapefruit. Navel oranges are the most prone to the problem. So what causes oranges to split? The rind splits because water and plant sugars travel to the fruit too quickly for it to produce enough rind to hold the substances. The excess fluids cause the skin to burst....

What is Farmhouse Garden Design? There really are no rules and plenty of room to get creative. A farmhouse garden or outdoor space is typically more relaxed and less formal. It’s not quite as loose or free as cottage style, but the two types of gardens share many elements. Farmhouse style is also practical to some degree. Form follows function. A farmhouse garden includes vegetables and herbs, maybe even fruit. It might have flower beds for cutting....

Given suitable conditions and proper drainage, nearly anything can be grown in unusual hanging planters. Quirky Hanging Indoor Planters When fashioning DIY planters, some people exclude the drainage hole. This is sometimes an option, but in most cases, you’re risking the health and possibly the life of your plant when using a container without drainage. With succulent plants especially, water that keeps soil wet around the root system quickly leads to root rot....

Crepe Myrtle with Yellow Leaves Yellowing crepe myrtle leaves are never a very good sign. You’re used to gorgeous dark foliage, exfoliating bark, and abundant blossoms on this usually trouble-free tree, so it’s alarming to see leaves on crepe myrtle turning yellow. What is causing the yellowing crepe myrtle leaves? It could have one of several causes, each requiring a slightly different remedy. Keep in mind that if this yellowing takes place in autumn, it is normal, as the foliage begins prepping for dormancy with leaf color changing yellow to orange or red....

Why are My Cucumbers Curling? Cucumber fruit curl, properly known as crooking, is a common condition of cucumbers. There are many causes, requiring you to do a little detective work to correct the situation. Pollination Problems: Even when there are plenty of pollinators in your garden, conditions might not be right to ensure complete pollination. Pollen requires semi-humid, warm conditions to be as its best, and when it’s too dry or prolonged rains occur during flowering, cucumber ovaries may not be fully pollinated....

What Does Deadheading Bird of Paradise Flowers Mean? Deadheading bird of paradise flowers simply refers to removing bird of paradise blooms that are dead. These dead blooms are often referred to as spent blooms and are dead, wilting blooms that are generally brown in color. This encourages new and bigger blooms, not to mention the fact that this process keeps the plant visually appealing. How to Deadhead Bird of Paradise Flowers If you are going to grow bird of paradise flowers, then you must know how to deadhead them....

Deadheading Daisies One of the most commonly asked questions in the gardening realm refers to daisies, specifically Shasta daisies, which seem to be one of the more popular varieties grown. For example, we hear a lot of “when do Shasta daisies bloom?” and “should Shasta daisy be deadheaded to keep blooming all summer long?” First of all, Shastas normally bloom in summer and will continue throughout fall if regular deadheading is performed....

Closer examination of the regional to-do list shows that December is the ideal time to prune, plant, and even plan for the next growing season. December Gardening Tasks for the South-Central Region Temperatures in the month of December can vary greatly in this region from one season to the next. Even still, freezing temperatures are not uncommon. It is for this reason that South-Central gardening involves many tasks related to protection from cold....

Plants That Grow Near Dill If you’re wondering what to plant with dill, experiment and see what works best in your garden. Here are some suggested dill companion plants – and a few things that AREN’T believed to be good dill plant companions. Dill is a good neighbor and a useful plant, valued for its ability to draw beneficial insects to the garden such as: Hoverflies Parasitic wasps Ladybugs Praying mantis Honeybees Butterflies...

Making a Corn Husk Wreath Begin with a straw wreath from a craft store or hobby shop. You’ll also need plenty of dried corn husks. If you don’t have a corn crop, you can buy husks at a farmer’s market or pick up tamale wrappers in the ethnic section of your supermarket. Soak the husks in lukewarm water for a few seconds or until they’re pliable. Pat them dry with towels....

DIY Halloween Craft Ideas Try these DIY Halloween craft ideas to make the most of your garden harvest: Pumpkin baskets: If you grow pumpkins, try this unique craft. Cut the top off and scoop out the seeds, but instead of carving, add a handle to turn it into a basket. Use twine, ribbon, or fall vines.Painted pumpkins: Another alternative to the messiness of carving pumpkins is to paint them. Use acrylic or spray paints for the best results....

Cutting Roses for Bouquets The first step in making a perfect bouquet is cutting the roses. This may seem simple, but there are some important things to remember when cutting flowers. First, start with a good pair of sharp scissors or shears. If they are too dull, they will crush the stem. A curved pair of sharp gardening shears is the best tool for the job. Choose roses with petals just starting to open in order to get long-lasting blooms for your arrangement....

Do Pitcher Plants Need Fertilizer? Sarracenia is a large group of carnivorous plants found across the globe. More commonly known as pitcher plant, the genus is formed of plants that have found a unique way to survive in low nutrient soil. Sarracenia are North American natives. Nepenthes are the tropical varieties of the pitcher plant, which need warm weather and plenty of humidity. The plants harvest insects by trapping them in their pitcher-shaped leaves....