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What is Pea Aphanomyces Root Rot? Aphanomyces root rot of peas, sometimes also called common root rot, is a disease caused by the fungus Aphanomyces euteiches. It can be very devastating to pea crops. It lives in the soil, and symptoms are rarely seen above the soil line unless conditions are very damp or the infection is severe. When young seedlings are infected, they die quickly. When larger pea plants are infected, they usually grow poorly and have trouble forming seeds....

Talladega Plant Information Not every tomato plant thrives in the southeast, where the weather can get very hot in the summers and delay fruiting. Talladega tomato plants meet this challenge nicely. This cultivar likes hot weather. It takes about 70 to 90 days to produce fruit and they are worth the wait. Those growing Talladega tomatoes report heavy crops of large, delicious tomatoes. How to Grow Talladega Tomatoes Those interested in learning how to grow Talladega tomatoes will be pleased to learn how easy-care they are....

BBQ Herb Garden Since the major player at most barbeques is the meat, an herb garden is a must. Just think what kind of tasty marinades you can come up with when you have a garden filled with basil, rosemary, thyme, sage, parsley, oregano, and marjoram. For those who prefer fish on the grill, plant dill, chives, and tarragon. All of the above may be useful with barbecue plant based side dishes....

Rock Garden Info Rock gardens, also known as alpine gardens, began in the British Islands. Travelers who visited the Swiss Alps spread these gardens at the beginning of the twentieth century. They were so impressed by the exquisite qualities of the flowers and the foliage that they started to grow them in their homelands. In the 1890’s, the rock garden designs found in the Royal Botanic Gardens in England had finally made their way to North America....

Planting Lilac Bush Spring or fall is the best time for planting lilac bushes. Situate the lilac with its roots spread vertically in the ground and make the hole both deep and wide enough to accommodate them. If planting more than one lilac bush, space them at least 5 feet (1.5 m.) apart to prevent overcrowding, even if you plan to use them as hedges for privacy. Choose an area with plenty of afternoon sun and well-drained soil....

When and How to Harvest Rutabagas Rutabaga plants require 90 to 110 days to mature. They need at least four weeks longer to mature than turnips do. Rutabagas can usually be pulled from the ground quite easily, but care should still be taken not to bruise them in any way to avoid issues with rotting later. Although rutabagas can be harvested once the root crops have reached about 2 to 3 inches (5-7....

Problems Caused by Too Much Potassium As important as it is, too much potassium can be unhealthy for plants because it affects the way the soil absorbs other critical nutrients. Lowering soil potassium can also prevent excess phosphorus from running into the waterways where it can increase growth of algae that can eventually kill aquatic organisms. How to tell if your soil has too much potassium? The only way to know for sure is to have your soil tested....

Benefits of Growing an Organic Garden Below, I’ve outlined five of the reasons why, if you have a garden, it should be organic. The benefits of organic gardening are many. I have only listed a few of the best. Your next step is learning to preserve the excess. By simple methods of freezing, drying, and canning you can literally enjoy the fruits of your labor on the coldest days of the winter....

What is Traveler’s Joy Vine? Also known as Old Man’s Beard and Traveler’s Joy clematis, this plant is officially termed Clematis vitalba. It is a deciduous vine that flowers in the summer, producing creamy, white, or light greenish white blooms. In the fall they produce fluffy heads of seeds. Traveler’s Joy clematis is a climbing, woody vine. It can grow vines as long as 100 feet (30.5 m.). Native to Europe and Africa, it is considered an invasive weed in much of the U....

Normal Black Spots on a Banana Black spot disease in bananas is not to be confused with black spots on the fruit of a banana tree. Blackish/brown spots are common on the exterior of the banana fruit. These spots are commonly referred to as bruises. These bruises mean that the fruit is ripe and that the acid within has been converted to sugar. In other words, the banana is at the peak of its sweetness....

About Corn with Charcoal Rot Charcoal rot of sweet corn is caused by the fungus Macrophomina phaseolina. While it is a common disease of sweet corn, it also infected many other host plants including alfalfa, sorghum, sunflower, and soybean crops. Charcoal rot of sweet corn is found worldwide but is especially prevalent in the hot, dry conditions of the southern United States and Mexico. It is estimated that sweet corn charcoal rot causes about 5% of crop loss annually in the U....

About Small Summersweet Plants Also commonly known as hummingbird plant, the fragrant white flower spikes of summersweet draw hummingbirds and butterflies to the garden. When the mid to late summer blooms fade, the plant produces seeds that provide food for birds throughout winter. Summersweet grows best in part shade to shade. It also prefers consistently moist soils and cannot survive drought. Due to summersweet’s preference for moist soils and its habit of spreading by dense rhizomes, it is efficiently used for erosion control along the banks of waterways....

The Ugli fruit tree originated in Jamaica. Citrus fruits are known to naturally hybridize, and such is the case with the Ugli fruit tree. How is Ugli fruit grown today? Plants are grafted to ensure the fruit remains true. Un-grafted plants might revert to another variety of citrus. The plants can only grow in frost free regions with plenty of sunshine. What is Ugli Fruit? The Ugli fruit tree grows 15-20 feet (4....

What Are Hot Caps for Plants? Hot caps, or hot hats, for plants are just covers for plants designed to keep them warm. If you have never used a hot cap, you have probably seen them in other gardens. A plastic bucket tipped over a plant might have looked unusual, but now you know that was a hot cap. The goal of hot caps for gardens is to prevent stress and damage to plants on the edges of the growing season, most often when starting tender new plants in spring....

Mulching with Wool As with other mulch we use in the garden, sheep’s wool retains moisture and stops weeds from spouting. In the case of using sheep’s wool for mulch, it can also retain more heat during cold winters. This keeps roots warmer and can help keep crops alive past their normal growing point. Online info says mulching with wool in the vegetable garden can “increase production and plant viability against pest damage....

What is Quince? The quince is a fruit that has been forgotten by many, but it is also one that deserves a comeback. A quince is a fruit tree that grows to about 8 to 15 feet (2-5 m.) in height at maturity. It grows twisted and gnarled branches that add great visual interest to the garden at all times of the year. In spring, it blooms and in late summer it produces the quince fruit: a hard, acidic, apple-like fruit that is wonderful when cooked or baked....

What is Causing Brown Leaves on Vegetables? The symptom is obvious; now we need to diagnose what’s causing those brown leaves on your vegetables. If the entire garden has turned brown and died back, it’s highly unlikely the issue is disease since pathogens generally attack specific plants or families and not an entire garden. Irrigation Causing Leaf Browning in Vegetable Plants Too much or too little irrigation may very well be at the root of the issue and is the simplest place to start with the easiest fix....

There are in fact a plethora of fruit and vegetable peel uses. Some of the things to do with peels will surprise you, while other uses for old peels are fairly common sense. Keep reading to find out what to do with peelings. Things to Do with Peels As you prepare salad, soup, or stew, fill a container with the peelings and other discarded produce; you will be surprised at the volume of wasted food....

Vermont Gardens and the USDA Plant Map The USDA divides the country into what is called plant hardiness zones. These zones that graduate in 10-degree increments represent the culmination of weather data collected over a thirty-year period. The new map, released at the start of 2012, has changed some zones and taken into consideration factors such as elevation, urban heat, and proximity of an area to a large body of water....

When the bluish green stalk gets top-heavy, the stalk falls over, creating new roots and a new plant where the bulbs touch the ground. One Egyptian walking onion plant can travel 24 inches (61 cm.) each year, resulting in up to six new plants. Egyptian walking onions are known by several names, including top-set onions and tree onions. Need more walking onion information? Read on to learn about this interesting, attractive plant....