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Grass Fertilizer Numbers Lawn maintenance is more than just mowing, thatching, and aerating. Turfgrass is a heavy feeder and requires regular moisture to look its best. All plants benefit from basic macro- and micro-nutrients. Grass, in particular, needs extra macro-nutrients which can come from air and water, but which are used in such quantity that supplemental applications are beneficial. These main nutrients are nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium and are symbolized on grass foods as N-P-K....

Understanding the Oklahoma USDA Planting Map While there are many factors that determine how well plants do, in particular parts of the country, the USDA has been issuing a plant hardiness map since 1960 that has come to play a major factor in this determination. The planting map divides the country into hardiness zones based on average extreme winter low temperature data collected over a period. The Oklahoma planting map is featured above and you can click on it to enlarge it and locate your growing zone....

Using Sawdust in Compost These days, woodworking is a popular pastime (though not as popular as gardening). A great many people enjoy putting objects together with their own two hands and enjoy the feeling of accomplishment that comes from taking a pile of wood planks and turning them into something lovely and useful. Besides a feeling of pride, the other byproduct of a woodworking hobby is a whole lot of sawdust....

Van Cherry Uses Van cherries are firm, sweet, and juicy. Although they’re delicious eaten fresh, they can also be incorporated into cooked dishes and a variety of desserts, including pies and sorbets. The cherries are often used in jams, jellies, and sauces and can be preserved by freezing or drying. Van cherries pair well with a number of sweet and savory foods, including smoked meats, cheese, pork, poultry, or leafy greens....

Veggies typically grown in the United States, such as lettuce and tomatoes, are less than suitable for growing food plants in the tropics. Lettuce, for example, dislikes the heat and will bolt almost immediately. Vegetable Gardening in the Tropics Insects, both good and bad, are to be had in every garden in every area of the globe. Tropical insects tend to be rather plentiful and as such may become a plague to the garden....

When to Water Houseplants There are several ways to determine when your plants truly need water. First, if you rub your thumb on the surface of the compost, you can tell if the plant needs water. Using this method, you only want to water when the compost feels dry and has no sponginess left. You can tap on clay pots with a cotton reel attached to a pencil. A dull note will tell you the compost is moist....

Tastigold Watermelon Info Similar in shape to most other watermelons, Tastigold melons may be round or oblong, and the weight, at 20 pounds (9 kg.), is also about average. Some people think the flavor is slightly sweeter than standard melons, but you’ll have to try them for yourself. The only significant difference between Tastigold melons and standard red watermelons is the bright yellow color, which is attributed to the absence of lycopene, the red carotenoid pigment found in tomatoes and many other fruit and berries....

Effects of Wet Weather in Gardens As mentioned above, excessive rain on plants promotes disease often evidenced in stunting, spots on foliage, decay on leaves, stems, or fruit, wilting, and, in severe cases, death of the entire plant. Extreme wet weather also keeps pollinators at bay affecting bloom and fruiting. If your plants exhibit these symptoms, it may be too late to save them. However, by monitoring and early recognition, you may be able to avert disaster in the garden due to excessive rain on plants and the resulting diseases that plague them....

Chelan Cherry Tree Info It is always hard to wait for cherry season. Those juicy, sweet fruits burst with flavor either fresh or in pies and other preparations. Cherries are big business and much money has been expended to find resistant varieties, improve characteristics, and even hasten the harvest season. The cherry Chelan variety is the result of trials through Washington State University at the Prosser Research and Extension Center. The Chelan cherry produces deep, mahogany red, heart-shaped fruits, much like Bing....

What are Cruciferous Vegetables? Broadly, cruciferous vegetables belong to the Cruciferae family, which mostly contains the Brassica genus, but does include a few other genuses. In general, cruciferous vegetables are cool weather vegetables and have flowers that have four petals so that they resemble a cross. In most cases, the leaves or flower buds of cruciferous vegetables are eaten, but there are a few where either the roots or seeds are also eaten....

What are Dinnerplate Dahlias? The dinnerplate dahlia (also spelled dinner plate) is simply a variety of dahlia that produces big, plate-sized blooms. You can find them in a range of colors and forms, and they are essentially just larger versions of the many varieties of dahlia. Dahlias are already spectacular and showy flowers, so adding dinnerplate varieties to your beds adds even more drama. Dahlias offer a greater range of color and form than most other flower types, so if you want some dinnerplate blooms in your garden, you have a lot of options....

What are Flower Bracts? What is a bract on a plant? The simple answer is that it’s the part that’s found above the leaves but below the flower. What does it look like? The answer to that question is a little tougher. Plants are unbelievably diverse, and that diversity comes from evolution. Flowers evolve to attract pollinators, and they go to some pretty incredible lengths to do it, including growing bracts that look nothing like their neighbors....

What are Serrano Peppers? Originating in the mountains of Mexico, the serrano is one of the spicy hot types of chili peppers. Their hotness ranges between 10,000 and 23,000 on the Scoville heat scale. This makes the serrano about twice as hot as the jalapeno. Although nowhere near as hot as the habanero, the serrano still packs a punch. So much so that gardeners and home cooks are advised to wear disposable gloves when picking, handling, and cutting serrano peppers....

What is Grape Chlorosis? While European (vinifera) varieties of grape have resistance to chlorosis, it is a common ailment afflicting American (labrusca) grapes. It is usually the result of an iron deficiency. Grape leaves begin losing their green color and turn yellow while the veins remain green. What Causes Grape Chlorosis? Chlorosis of grape leaves is the result of high pH soils which have very little available iron. It is sometimes referred to as ‘lime chlorosis....

What is a Capsid Bug? There are any number of pests that can do damage to your plants. Capsid damage is usually not deadly, but it can seriously reduce the beauty of your plants and make fruit corky and rough. The capsid life cycle spans from larval to nymph to adult. These bugs overwinter in plant material or in trees and bushes. Feeding activity is at its peak from April to May for nymphs and June and July as adults....

What is a Mandala Garden? By definition, a mandala is “a geometric shape or pattern that symbolizes the universe; a meditation tool for creating sacred spaces, relaxation, and focusing the mind; or a symbol used as a gateway to a spiritual journey.” Mandalas are usually a circle that contain starburst, floral, wheel, or spiral patterns within it. A mandala garden is simply a garden space with plants that take on this design principle....

What is a Mangold Root Vegetable? Mangel-wurzel (mangelwurzel) is also referred to as mangold-wurzel or simply mangold and hails from Germany. The word ‘mangold’ means “beet” and ‘wurzel’ means “root,” which is exactly what mangold vegetables are. They are often confused with turnips or even “Swedes,” the British term for rutabagas, but are, in fact, related to the sugar beet and the red beet. They tend to be larger than regular beets, however, and reddish yellow in color....

The saucer plant Aeonium is a native of the Canary Islands. As such, it needs warm but not hot temperatures to thrive and has little to no cold tolerance. It is one of the largest specimens in the genus and can reach 6 feet (2 m.) tall when mature. The saucer plant succulent is not only architecturally appealing but also bears a striking inflorescence in pastel hues. What is a Saucer Plant?...

What is a Tapeworm Plant? The tapeworm plant (Homalocladium platycladum) is also referred to as the ribbon bush, although the latter name is more appropriate as you will find out. Native to the Solomon Islands, this plant is a member of the Polygonaceae or knotweed family amongst which rhubarb and buckwheat count as relations. It is categorized as a shrub, but a shrub like no other. This plant is more or less leafless....

Turf Bench Info Turf benches began with a frame constructed of various materials such as wood, stone, brick, or woven reeds, twigs, and branches. According to turf bench information, the benches were often simple rectangles, although fancier turf benches could be curved or circular. Trellises or arbors were often added to turf seats, adorned with climbing roses or other vining plants. Turf benches were placed strategically around the circumference of a garden, or as a focal point in the center....