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While the orchids we purchase at nurseries or garden centers have probably never experienced growing wildly in rainforests, confining their roots to a pot goes against their true primal nature. Due to this, as orchid growers, we must do our best to select pots that allow them to grow to their full potential. About Orchid Containers When you purchase an orchid from a greenhouse or garden center, they are usually sold in clear plastic pots with several drainage holes....

Growing Peppers in Containers Container garden peppers need two important things: water and light. These two things will determine where you will grow pepper plants in a container. First, your peppers will need five or more hours of direct sunlight. The more light they can get, the better they will grow. Second, your pepper plant is entirely dependent on you for water, so make sure that your container growing pepper plant is located somewhere that you will be able to easily get water to it on a daily basis....

Whether you pick a specific theme for your garden or plant a variety of herbs and vegetables, a winter windowsill garden is a practical and decorative solution to year-round gardening. How to Grow a Window Box Veggie Garden The shorter days of winter do not provide the required six to eight hours of sun for vegetables, so you will need to use a supplemental light source that provides full UV spectrum light, in addition to placing your window box veggie garden in a southern or eastern facing window....

Saguaro Cactus Characteristics Saguaro have barrel-shaped bodies with peripheral stems called arms. The exterior of the trunk is pleated due to the way it grows. The pleats expand, allowing the cactus to gather extra water in the rainy season and storing it in its tissues. An adult cactus may weigh six tons or more when filled with water and requires a strong internal support skeleton of connected ribs. A young growing Saguaro cactus may only be a few inches (8 cm....

Growing Seaberries in Containers Can I grow seaberries in pots? That’s a good question, and one that doesn’t have an easy answer. The temptation to grow seaberries in containers is clear– the plants multiply by suckers shot up from huge root systems. The tree aboveground can get very large as well. If you don’t want your garden to be overrun, container grown seaberry plants make a lot of sense. However, the very fact that they spread out makes keeping sea buckthorn in pots something of a problem....

About Sesame Seed Propagation The sesame plant (Sesamum indicum) is grown for its seeds. Commercial sesame production is largely for producing oil from the seeds. It is used in a variety of products, including soaps and pharmaceuticals. For the home gardener, this can be a fun plant to grow for the seeds and cooking. You can grow sesame seeds easily too, as long as you have the right climate for it....

How to Grow Snow Peas Before planting snow peas, be sure temperatures are at least 45 F. (7 C.) and that all chance of frost for your area has passed. Although snow peas can survive frost, it’s better if it can be avoided. Your soil should be ready for planting snow peas. Make sure it is dry enough; if the soil is sticking to your rake, it’s too wet to plant....

How to Grow Wedelia Wedelia (Wedelia trilobata) is an herbaceous perennial that’s hardy in USDA zones 8b through 11. It tends to grow to between 18 and 24 inches (45.5-61 cm.) high. It thrives in full shade, full sun, and everything in between, but it produces flowers most impressively in full sun. Its flowers are its most appealing feature: small, yellow, daisy-like, and very prolific. It can handle a wide range of pH levels and will perform well in virtually any soil....

Choosing Zone 7 Evergreen Trees The following list contains some popular selections of evergreen trees for zone 7 landscapes: Thuja Thuja green giant, zones 5-9 American arborvitae, zones 3-7 Emerald green arborvitae, zones 3-8 Cedar Cedar deodar, zones 7-9 Spruce Blue wonder spruce, zones 3-8 Montgomery spruce, zones 3-8 Fir ‘Horstmann’s silberlocke Korean fir,’ zones 5-8 Golden Korean fir, zones 5-8 Fraser fir, zones 4-7 Pine Austrian pine, zones 4-8 Japanese umbrella pine, zones 4-8 Eastern white pine, zones 3-8 Bristlecone pine, zones 4-8 Contorted white pine, zones 3-9 Pendula weeping white pine, zones 4-9...

Chive Plant Harvest A member of the onion family Alliaceae, chives (Allium schoenoprasum) are cultivated for their grass-like hollow leaves, which impart a subtle onion flavor to a variety of dishes. The plant is low maintenance and easy to grow but thrives in full sun and well-draining rich soil with a pH of 6.0-7.0. The plant grows in a grass-like tuft that can attain heights of 20 inches (50 cm.). Of course, if you are picking chives, the plant can be maintained at a much lower height....

As with most vegetables, learning how to pick Brussels sprouts at the right time is a worthwhile endeavor. When to Harvest Brussels Sprouts Picking Brussels sprouts should begin when the sprouts are one inch (2.5 cm.) in diameter. Harvesting Brussels sprouts is best done when maturity occurs in cooler weather. Lower sprouts will mature first, with upper sprouts maturing a day to a few days later. With most hybrid varieties it takes upwards of 85 days for the sprout to reach maturity....

How to Harvest Dill Dill weed is preserved by drying the leaves, seeds or entire stem of the herb. Use pruners or sharp scissors when harvesting dill weed for drying. Cut just the leafy foliage or remove entire stems to dry for canning and seeds. Remove the stems when the seeds are brown and ripe. Dill flavor is best when it just begins to flower. Wash the herbs after harvesting dill weed to remove dirt and insects....

When to Harvest Horseradish Horseradish is cultivated for its pungent root. The plant is a large leaved herb that thrives in full sun but tolerates some shade. Hardy to USDA zone 3, horseradish is resistant to most diseases and adaptable to many soil types. Plant horseradish in the spring as soon as the soil can be worked. Prepare the soil by digging down 8 to 10 inches (20-25 cm.) and incorporating a generous amount of compost....

How to Find Cold-Hardy Sun Plants When searching for cold tolerant plants for sun flowerbeds, many gardeners pay attention to the USDA hardiness zones for their location. These maps are derived from the average temperature ranges for the area. Most plant tags and online plant catalogs contain hardiness information. Sunset climate zones are a different type of mapping system based more closely on microclimates within a region. This system can give gardeners a better view of their own backyard and can be helpful when choosing full sun plants in cold climates....

Read on for tips on how to get rid of Nandina. Heavenly Bamboo Invasiveness Nandina is an evergreen to semi-evergreen, woody shrub that grows to around 6-8 feet (1-2.5 m.) in height. Originally from China and Japan, heavenly bamboo was introduced to the States in 1804 for use as an ornamental due to its attractive foliage and lovely berries. Unfortunately, Nandina also has the attributes of growing rapidly, reproducing via seed and root fragments....

While it does take longer to grow hibiscus from seed, it can be a rewarding, productive activity, and an inexpensive way to fill your garden with these amazing plants. Let’s learn how to plant hibiscus seeds, step by step. Hibiscus Seed Propagation You can plant freshly harvested hibiscus seeds directly in the garden in autumn if you live in a very warm, frost-free climate. However, most gardeners prefer to start seeds indoors....

All of these differences are the result of numerous factors that affect a property. In urban settings, microclimate swings can be severe as a result of increased temperatures which create high wind microclimates around buildings. About Urban Microclimate Wind Interestingly, urban microclimate wind speeds are usually less than surrounding rural areas. That said, because of the topography of a high-rise downtown corridor, microclimate wind speeds can also exceed those found in rural areas....

When to Prune Holly Bushes A common question is when to prune a holly bush plant. Most people can prune a holly bush while the plant is dormant (in winter). In fact, December is actually a great time for holly bush pruning. Trimming holly bushes helps them keep their shape and appearance looking neat. However, not all varieties are pruned at the same time. It is important to know when to prune holly bush varieties....

Planting Space Along Sidewalks Trees usually have one of two root types, either they have deep taproots or they have lateral, fibrous roots. Trees with deep taproots send their roots deep within the earth to seek out water and nutrients. Trees with fibrous, lateral roots spread their roots horizontally near the soil surface to absorb rain runoff from the tree’s canopy. These lateral roots can grow quite large and heave up heavy cement sidewalks....

Feeding a Canna Lily Plant These beautiful flowering perennials are a staple in warm-climate gardens because they provide color, flowers, height, and pretty, striking leaves. They also pack a lot of punch for little effort. The flowers are fairly low maintenance, but they do require a good supply of nutrients to thrive. Since they love rich, nutrient-dense soil, it’s best to start with a good layer of organic matter. Use 2 to 4 inches (5-10 cm....