Cleaning Containers in Autumn In the fall, before you store your containers for the winter, you need to clean your containers. This will ensure that you do not accidentally help diseases and pests survive the winter. Start by emptying your container. Remove the dead vegetation, and if the plant that was in the pot didn’t have any disease issues, compost the vegetation. If the plant was diseased, throw the vegetation away....
What is Pea Asochyta Blight? Ascochyta blight of peas is a fungal infection that can be caused by three different fungus species. Each produces a different set of symptoms, but it is also possible to see all three infections in one plant or bed: Mycosphaerella blight. This infection produces small purple spots on pea plant leaves as well as on the stems and pea pods. On the leaves, the spots grow larger over time and turn black....
What is a Periodic Cicada? Periodic cicada is a specific species that appears like clockwork every 13 or 17 years. These are the pests that can harm oaks and other deciduous trees, usually when the females lay eggs in the young shoots. However, because periodic cicada emergence is spaced so far apart, healthy trees are able to rebound with little ill effect. Some trees, including mesquite, may lose branches when the females make small slits where she deposits her eggs....
How to Grow Chinese Cabbage When considering planting Chinese cabbage, you have to remember that you can grow an early winter or mid-winter crop or a spring crop. Just don’t plant your cabbage too late or it will send up flower stalks before making heads, which robs the plant of nutrients. One of the steps to grow Chinese cabbage is to prepare the soil. Planting Chinese cabbage requires heavy soil that holds moisture....
Basics of Growing Gardens Under Trees Below are some of the basic guidelines to keep in mind when planting under trees. Do trim away lower branches. Trimming away a few of the lower branches will give you more space for planting and allow light to come under the tree. Even if the plants you want to use are shade tolerant, they too need a little light to survive. Don’t build a raised bed....
What Shouldn’t You Put in a Fish Tank? Buying aquatic plants for the aquarium can add a unique design to tanks. Not only can live aquatic plants provide natural habitat for fish, but may also improve the overall water quality of your tank. While bright and vibrant foliage is appealing and adds visual interest, owners may frequently find that these are plants that die in aquariums. When purchasing plants for the aquarium, it is important to thoroughly research each type to be used....
Plants with Iridescent Foliage Iridescence in nature is not uncommon. Japanese beetles are a prime example. These shimmering bugs have bluish-green and coppery exoskeletons that seem to shift color as the angle of light changes. Scientists aren’t totally sure why some bugs and birds have iridescent coloration. Perhaps, it evolved as a way to attract mates or distract predators. However, scientists have learned how iridescent foliage benefits plants. Most species with iridescent leaves live in low light environments, such as tropical rainforests....
Treating Powdery Mildew on Grass When your grass has white powder, fungicides for powdery mildew treatment do a good job of temporarily eliminating the symptoms, but the disease returns if the growing conditions don’t improve. Grass is a sun-loving plant that grows best in open locations with good air circulation and plenty of light. Powdery mildew grass disease takes hold in shady locations with little air movement. Watering late in the evening, so that the grass doesn’t have time to dry before nightfall, further encourages this disease....
Pre-emergence weed killers are used on established lawns as part of an annual effort to combat plant pests. What are pre-emergent herbicides? These chemical compositions are used before weeds take hold to kill off infant root systems and keep them from growing. Learn how pre-emergent herbicides work so you can decide if they are the right method for you. What are Pre-Emergent Herbicides? Pre-emergence weed killers are used before you see the weeds to prevent them from showing up in the garden or lawn....
When to Prune a Crabapple Tree The time for crabapple pruning is when the tree is dormant, but when the possibility of severely cold weather has passed. This means pruning should be done in late winter or early spring, depending on your local climate and temperatures. Suckers, the little shoots that come straight out of the ground around the base of the tree, can be pruned away at any time of year....
Basics of Rain Garden Design Before you build a rain garden, you need to decide where you will be placing your rain garden. Where to place your rain garden is as important as how to build a rain garden. There are a few things to keep in mind when deciding where your rain garden will go. Away from the house– While rain gardens are lovely, the point of them is to help draw away water runoff....
What are Ramp Vegetables? Ramp vegetable plants (Allium tricoccum) are native to the Appalachian Mountains, north into Canada, west into Missouri and Minnesota, and south to North Carolina and Tennessee. Growing ramps are commonly found in groups in rich, moist, deciduous forests. A cousin of the onion, leek, and garlic plant, the ramp is also a pungent vegetable that is enjoying a resurgence in popularity. Ramps have been traditionally foraged rather than cultivated and are easily identified by their leaves, usually two broad, flat leaves are produced from each bulb....
Urban Garden Rat Problem I live in a large city, albeit in a suburb. The suburb is a microcosm of the city and, as such, is a reflection of the inner-city problems. So, yes, we get rats. We also have nearby greenbelts that are home to coyotes and streams home to river otters, but I digress. We are talking rats. Given that urban gardening and rats go hand in hand, what steps can be taken to prevent infestation or control rats?...
Brown Leaves on Burning Bush When a shrub is said to be “resistant” to insects and disease, it doesn’t mean that it can’t happen. Even the most resistant of plants can have problems when they are weak or in poor conditions. Water Regular watering and a layer of mulch to prevent cycles of dry and moist soil go a long way toward keeping the shrub healthy so that you’ll never see burning bush leaves turning brown....
What are Honeysuckle Azalea Plants? Honeysuckle azalea (Rhododendron luteum), also known commonly as pontic azalea, is native to Eastern Europe, this deciduous flowering shrub has become popular in the U.S. in zones 6-9. Its cheerful flowers attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. It is known as honeysuckle azalea because the shrub produces pretty, yellow flowers that give off a sweet, delicious scent – akin to that of honeysuckles. Plant this azalea near a patio or porch to enjoy the smell....
Is Rosinweed a Weed? Rosinweed is an aggressive plant that spreads by seed, and to a lesser degree, by underground rhizomes. The plant shouldn’t be planted with smaller, less vibrant plants, but will do well where it has room to spread, such as a wildflower garden, prairie, meadow, or other area where it can naturalize freely. Rosinweed Plant Information Native to much of North America, rosinweed is hardy and drought tolerant, thanks to its long, sturdy root that taps into moisture deep in the soil....
Sweet Potatoes with Fusarium Rot The signs of a Fusarium infection, also known as root rot or stem rot, may be seen in the plants in your garden or later in the potatoes that you store. Rotting sweet potato plants will show early signs on the tips of young leaves, which turn yellow. Older leaves will then begin to drop prematurely. This can result in a plant with a bare center....
Self-Heal Weed Control Self-heal is also referred to as healall, carpenter’s weed, wild sage, or just prunella weed. Whatever you call it, the fact remains that it thrives in grassy areas and is most certainly the bane of the obsessive lawn manicurist. Managing self-heal plants, or rather eradicating them, is a difficult task. The weed is stoloniferous with a creeping habitat and shallow fibrous root system. Prior to managing self-heal plants, you need to make a clear identification of the weed since all weeds are not created equal and control methods will vary....
Tiger Lily Mosaic Virus Lilies are some of the most regal and beautiful flowers in the garden but, unfortunately, most of them are susceptible to a disease called mosaic virus. Tiger lily is particularly notorious for carrying this disease and spreading it to other lilies in a garden. Tiger lilies will not be affected by the disease they carry but will cause damage by spreading it to the other plants that are nearby....
What is Siberian Melic? Siberian melic grass is an ornamental grass with the scientific name Melica altissima. Native to Siberia, this pretty grass adapts well to many other areas and makes a nice decorative accent or focal point in beds with flowers. The perennial grass grows in attractive, neat clumps as tall as five feet (1.5 m.) by the second season in the garden. Each clump is approximately 20 inches (51 cm....
