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Mosquito Control Information Begin your program of backyard mosquito control by eliminating all sources of standing water. Anywhere water stands for four days or more is a potential breeding ground for mosquitoes. Therefore, controlling mosquitoes in the lawn can easily be accomplished simply by eliminating unwanted water sources. Breeding areas that you might overlook include the following: Clogged gutters Air conditioner drains Birdbaths Tarps Flower pot saucers Old tires Children’s wading pools Wheelbarrows Pet water dishes Watering cans...

Astilbe Transplanting You can transplant most flowers, including astilbe, whenever you want to give them more advantageous positions in the garden. Moving astilbe plants is the right thing to do when the flowers have been planted in inappropriate spots, or have been overshadowed by neighboring plants. Perennials that bloom in the spring, including astilbe, should be transplanted in late summer or fall. This is the right time to divide too, if necessary....

Before you rush your houseplants to the great outdoors, they need to be gradually acclimated to their new environment. Acclimating houseplants to outdoor conditions is the best way to lessen the amount of shock and achieve successful adjustment to this new environment. Moving Houseplants Outside Light is one of the biggest factors contributing to plant shock. In fact, the intensity of sunlight outdoors is far greater than that found within the home....

Easy Mum Propagation Through Division Propagating mums is fast and easy when done through division. Mums benefit from division every three to four years to enhance the form and flowering of the plant. This is done in spring and yields a spare plant or two. The centers of mums can begin to get leggy and may even die out when they get older. In spring, when the mum begins to show signs of sprouting, dig out the entire root ball of the plant....

Cherry with Armillaria Root Rot Armillaria rot of cherries can live in the ground for many years, often on decayed roots. Thriving colonies of the fungus can exist underground before any symptoms are visible above ground. Mushroom rot of cherry is often transmitted to new trees when gardeners unknowingly plant trees in infected soil. Once a tree is infected, it spreads, via the roots, to neighboring trees, even if the tree is dead....

What are Nectaroscordum Lilies? Honey lily (Nectaroscordum siculum) have many names including Sicilian honey garlic or Sicilian honey lily plants, and they are not often seen in spring bulb beds. They’re worth tracking down, though, as you will get some showy flowers with these bulbs. Honey lilies grow up to four feet (1.2 m.) tall and have clusters of small flowers at the top. Each little bloom is a pretty shade of purple to green with white edging the petals....

Reasons for No Blooms on Flowering Bulbs Sunlight: Are your bulbs planted under the shade of a tall tree, or is something else blocking sunlight? Flowering bulbs need at least six hours of bright sunlight per day. Poorly drained soil: Bulbs need regular moisture, but they won’t tolerate soggy soil. If you think this may be the reason why bulbs won’t bloom, dig up a couple and see if they have rotted....

Invasive Plant Species in Your Zone If you aren’t sure if a plant is potentially problematic in your area, it’s always best to check with your local Cooperative Extension office regarding invasive plant species in your zone. Keep in mind that once established, controlling invasive plants is extremely difficult and, sometimes, nearly impossible. Your extension office or a reputable nursery can advise you about non-invasive alternatives. In the meantime, read on for a short list of the many zone 8 invasive plants....

Okra Blight Information So, what causes okra blossom blight? The disease organism is known as Choanephora cucurbitarum. This fungus thrives when warmth and moisture are available. Though it is present throughout most of the world, it is most prevalent, and most troublesome, in warm and humid regions, such as the Carolinas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Florida, and other parts of the American south. The same fungus affects other vegetable plants including eggplants, green beans, watermelons, and summer squash, and is common on these plants in the same geographic regions....

Orange Fruit and Flowers Deciduous fruit trees bear one crop a year. Take apple trees, for example. They produce white blossoms in spring that develop into tiny fruit. Over the season those apples grow and mature until at last autumn comes and they are ready for harvest. In autumn, the leaves fall, and the tree goes dormant until the following spring. Orange trees also produce blossoms that grow into developing fruit....

Overwintering Milkweed Plants With over 140 different types of milkweed, there are milkweeds that grow well in almost every hardiness zone. Winter care of milkweed depends on your zone and which milkweed you have. Milkweeds are herbaceous perennials that flower throughout the summer, set seed, and then naturally die back in fall, going dormant to sprout anew in spring. In summer, spent milkweed flowers can be deadheaded to prolong the blooming period....

Overtime, continuous investment in annual tropical plants can become quite costly. It is only logical that many gardeners are left to ask how to overwinter a penta plant indoors. How to Overwinter a Penta When growing any plant, first consider the growing zone of each. Native to tropical regions, pentas will perform best in frost free growing zones. In areas which experience cool winter temperatures, penta cold hardiness can be a major obstacle....

First Things First If you’re a diehard gardener who’s been itching to dig in the dirt all winter, you’ve no doubt already compiled a to-do list for March gardening chores but if not it’s time to sit down and make one. The first thing you want to consider is your soil. Send a soil sample to your local extension office to see if it needs to be amended in any way....

Common Diseased Pansy Symptoms Alternaria Leaf Spot – The first symptoms of alternaria leaf spot include tan or greenish yellow lesions turning dark brown. As the lesions mature, they may appear sunken or as concentric brown rings, often with a yellow halo. The centers of the spots may drop out. Cercospora Leaf Spot – Symptoms of cercospora leaf spot begin with purple-black lesions on lower leaves, eventually developing pale tan centers with bluish black rings and greasy looking, water-soaked lesions....

Partridgeberry Facts Partridgeberry information tells us that the vine is native to North America. It grows in the wild from Newfoundland to Minnesota and south to Florida and Texas. Partridgeberry might have more common names than any other vine, however, so you may know the plant by another name. The vine is also called squaw vine, deerberry, checkerberry, running box, winter clover, one berry, and twinberry. The name partridgeberry came from the belief in Europe that the berries were eaten by partridges....

Planning a Patriotic Flower Garden Making a political statement with gardening may seem a bit much, but it can be a fun and beautiful addition to the landscape. A red, white, and blue garden is about so much more than a partisan statement. It is an expression of love and devotion to the land in which you live. American flag flowers may be perennials, annuals, or an entire bulb garden. You may even opt for bushes with colorful leaves and blooms....

What is Armillaria Peach Rot? Armillaria rot of peach is a fungal disease spread from mycelium growing in the soil. The symptoms of armillaria root rot vary from species to species. When the roots of infected trees are examined, white to yellowish, fan-shaped mycelia mats can be viewed between the bark and the wood with a definitive mushroom-like aroma. The fungus is spread through stands of trees through rhizomorphs which are similar to rhizomes....

Peacock Echeveria Info Found under the names Cotyledon peacockii or Echeveria desmetiana ‘Peacockii,’ this plant is advertised as rare. Some sell seeds online at the same price as most sell the plants, under $5. I personally have never grown a succulent from a seed but, as a horticulturist, I assume it is possible. All my young succulents are started from leaves or cuttings. Think it through before making any purchase online and always seek out reputable suppliers....

How Long Do Pear Trees Live? With optimal conditions, wild pear trees can live upwards of 50 years. Among cultivated pears, however, this is rarely the case. Often orchards will replace a pear tree before the end of its natural lifespan when fruit production slows. As fruit trees go, pears have a long period of production, but they will eventually slack and then stop. Many home fruit trees slow down considerably in putting out fruit after 10 years, but pear trees will often outstrip them by quite a few years....

Learning more about PeeGee hydrangea care will help homeowners decide whether growing this shrub in their yard is doable. Growing PeeGee Hydrangea Also known as Hydrangea paniculata ‘grandiflora,’ PeeGee hydrangeas may reach upwards of 15 feet (5 m.) at maturity. These hardy plants produce a profusion of sizably white panicles each growing season, which usually begin to show a subtle pink blush tint as they age. Their size and visual appeal makes them ideal for use as hedges and against walls or fences....