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Caterpillar Pests of Oleander Of all the pests of oleander, oleander caterpillar is the most damaging. Oleander caterpillar is the immature stage of the polka dot moth, also known as the wasp moth. The pests, which tend to feed in groups, chew small holes between the leaf veins, and, in severe cases, can completely strip the shrub, removing all of its leaves and small stems. Although the damage is unsightly, an established plant can usually survive the onslaught....

Scab on Willow Trees Willow scab is a fungal disease that causes leaf symptoms, followed by brown spore masses at the base of leaves. The symptoms of scab on willow start with dark spots on the leaves. These can be brown or black, and cause the leaves to wilt, shrivel up, and die. In time, as the willow scab disease progresses, the fungus spreads to the stem tissue at the bases of leave petioles....

Why Does My Parsley Have White Tips? If you see white tips on your parsley, don’t panic. The most common reasons for white parsley tips are not earth shattering and are easily remedied. More than likely, the parsley has white leaf tips because of an environmental issue. This may be overexposure to wind or sun that is damaging the plants cells. If this is the case, the plant is still edible although not as aesthetically pleasing....

What to Do When Your Pepper Drops the Flower Bud In order to fix this common problem, it helps to understand the various causes. Once you figure out why there are no flowers on pepper plants or why the buds drop off, it’s much easier to remedy the issue and encourage pepper flower production, which is required for healthy pepper yields. Bell Pepper Plants: Buds Drying Up, No Pepper Blossoms Of the different reasons for the lack of flowering or bud drop on pepper plants, the most common include the following: Temperature....

Why is My Cauliflower Curd Loose? Cauliflower is a bit picky regarding its environmental conditions. For optimal results when growing cauliflower, it is best started from transplants for both spring and fall crops. Cauliflower is far more sensitive to cold temperatures than its cabbage family counterparts, so it is imperative to only transplant two to three weeks after the last frost date for your area. Cauliflower needs to be started early enough so that it matures before the heat of summer, yet not so early that cold can potentially damage it....

What is Causing My Peppers to Rot? Pepper blossom end rot is caused simply by a calcium deficiency in the pepper plant. Calcium is needed by the plant to help form the cell walls of the pepper fruit. If the plant is lacking calcium or if the pepper fruit grows too fast for the plant to supply enough calcium, the bottom of the pepper begins to rot, because the cell walls are literally collapsing....

Choosing Yellow Apple Varieties Apple harvest means pies, cider, and delicacies like fruit and cheese pairings. Most of the commercially grown apples that are yellow are chance seedlings or sports of other varieties. Some of the classics, such as Jonagold, may be very familiar but others are relatively new yellow apple varieties. There are some real gems in the list, one of which may fit your garden needs. Classic Apples That are Yellow It is often safest to go with tried and true varieties....

Zone 8 Ornamentals for Winter If you’re interested in planting ornamentals for their flower or fruit appeal, then the following plants should work well: Witch hazels (Hamamelis species and cultivars) and their relatives are some of the best ornamental plants for zone 8 winters. These large shrubs or small trees bloom at varying times in the fall, winter, and early spring. The spicy-smelling flowers with elongated yellow or orange petals stay on the tree for up to a month....

If you have purchased zoysia grass plugs, you are probably wondering how and when to plant zoysia plugs. Keep reading for instructions on planting zoysia plugs. Planting Zoysia Plugs After planting zoysia plugs, keep watering them daily for a week or two until they are established. When to Plant Zoysia Plugs The best time when to plant zoysia plugs is in the late spring after all threat of frost has passed until midsummer....

What is Achocha? Achocha (Cyclanthera pedata), also known as caigua, caihua, korila, slipper gourd, wild cucumber, and stuffing cucumber, is a deciduous, vining edible in the cucurbit family. It is believed that achocha is native to certain regions of the Andes Mountains in Peru and Bolivia and was an important food crop to the Incas. However, achocha has been widely cultivated throughout South America, Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean for hundreds of years, so its specific origin is unclear....

If you aren’t familiar with room cooling fruit and vegetables, you may have questions such as what is room cooling or how does room cooling work? Read on for an overview of the room cooling system. What is Room Cooling? It’s not easy to transport fresh produce from the hot fields in which they grow to the marketplace while keeping the quality high and the spoilage rate low. It’s no different in larger backyard gardens or orchards either....

Aloe vs. Agave Plants – What’s the Difference? While they both require similar growing conditions and care (drought tolerant and love full sun), there are huge internal differences between aloe and agave, and it is important to know them in some situations. For instance, aloe vera plants contain a medicinal liquid we can use for burns and other minor skin irritations. We wouldn’t want to try removing this from an agave....

What Does Apple Scab Look Like? Apple scab fungus infects developing apples early in the season but may not become visible on fruits until they’ve begun to expand. Instead, apple scab first appears on the undersides of the leaves of the blossom clusters. These fuzzy, roughly circular, brown to dark olive green lesions may cause leaves to distort or crinkle. Scabs can be small and few, or so numerous that leaf tissues are completely covered in a velvety mat....

Choosing Your Astilbe Varieties I have a deep affection for astilbes. They provide me with a nearly foolproof solution for the shady and low-light areas of my garden. As an added bonus, there are many astilbe plant varieties from which to choose. Foliage hues range from bronze to deep green and even reddish tones. The size and hardiness of some of the cultivars are also broad enough to suit most gardeners’ needs....

Fast Growing Vegetables for the Garden Whether you have a short growing season, planting late in the season, or you just plain want results soon, fast growing vegetables are plentiful and deeply satisfying to grow. Here are some of the best vegetable plants with quick growth times: Radish– Ready in 20 to 30 days. Radishes are the king of fast-growing vegetables. Their seeds sprout after just a few days and the plants grow very quickly....

Growing a Kurrajong bottle tree is not difficult since the species is tolerant of most soils. Read on for more information about bottle tree care. Kurrajong Tree Info The Australian bottle tree is a pretty specimen with a rounded canopy. It rises to some 50 feet (15 m.) high and wide, offering an evergreen canopy of shiny, lance-shaped or lobed leaves several inches (8 cm.) long. It is fairly common to see leaves with three lobes or even five lobes, and Kurrajong bottle trees do not have thorns....

Backyard Movie Theater Ideas Before you dig in and build your garden theater, take inspiration for your next backyard outdoor movie night: Build community by inviting neighbors over for a viewing. You could make it an ongoing event with a summer movie series. Ask neighbors to bring popcorn and other snacks to share. Have a late night picnic date in front of the big screen.Take family dinner outside for the night with a movie and a meal....

Here are plants for a south-facing wall that can withstand summer’s heat. Heat Tolerant Plants for South-Facing Wall Plants for hot walls need to be tough, drought tolerant plants that can withstand full sun. Succulents, such as agave, aloe, yucca, bromeliad, and cactus, are some of the best plants for hot locations in the landscape. They love full sun and hardly need any water. They do require well-draining soil, however....

What is Blue Oat Grass? Native to Europe, ornamental blue oat grass (Avena sempervirens syn. Helictotrichon sempervirens) is a perennial grass with a dense, clumping habit of 1 foot (31 cm.) long, stiff, blue green foliage about ½ inch (1 cm.) wide and tapering down to a point. Blue oat grass resembles blue fescue although it is larger; the plant grows 18 to 30 inches (46-75 cm.) tall. Flowers are borne from the tips of the tapered leaves tipped with golden, oat-like seed heads....

Lilacs for Zone 9 Common lilacs (Syringa vulgaris) are the old-fashioned type of lilac and offer the biggest flowers, the best fragrance, and the most enduring blooms. They typically require chilly periods in winter and only thrive in zones 5 through 7. They are not appropriate as lilacs for zone 9. Can lilacs grow in zone 9? Some can. With just a little effort you can find lilac shrubs that thrive in U....