Why Do Squirrels Dig in Flowerpots? Squirrels dig primarily to bury their cache of food, such as acorns or nuts. Flowerpots are ideal because potting soil is so soft and easy for squirrels to dig in. Chances are, you’ll find their tasty treasure trove buried a few inches (8 cm.) deep in your containers. Unfortunately, the critters may also dig up bulbs or chew on your tender potted plants. How to Protect Container Plants from Squirrels Protecting potted plants from squirrels is basically a matter of trial and error, but the following suggestions are certainly worth a try....

What Does Plant Sunburn Look Like? Plant leaves turning white is often the first, and sometimes the only sign, of leaf sunscald in plants. You can think of this problem as plant sunburn damage and you won’t be far off from the truth. In a greenhouse, plants are exposed to high levels of filtered or artificial light, so they grow leaves that are good at soaking up those wavelengths. The problem with taking a plant straight from the greenhouse to your full sun garden is that they aren’t prepared for the extra UV rays they’re getting outside....

Plant Life of the Tundra Are there plants in the Artic? There are more than a few plants. Some 1,700 species of plants live in this ecosystem, and these include flowering plants, dwarf shrubs, herbs, grasses, mosses, and lichens. Since much of the soil is permanently frozen, plants only have a thin soil layer – termed the active layer – that thaws every summer, making shallow roots a necessary adaptation. The active layer of soil is free from ice for only 50 to 90 days....

Lily of the Valley Control For those looking for a good ground cover plant, you can still choose lily of the valley. As long as you plant it in a suitable location, one where it has plenty of space to roam without the threat of invading other plants in the garden, lily of the valley can actually be a welcome addition. Likewise, you could try using edging or sink it in containers to keep the plant in bounds....

Mexican Bean Beetle Facts Mexican bean beetles are found throughout the United States, east of the Rocky Mountains, but are believed to have originated in Mexico. These beetles thrive in locations where summers are wet or agricultural areas where a lot of heavy irrigation is required. Spotted, orange-red adults emerge by midsummer, seeking lima, snap, and soybean plantings where they lay their eggs in groups of 40 to 75 on the undersides of leaves....

Can you dig up an established plant’s roots? You can, but it’s important to do the work carefully to allow the roots to remain intact. Read on for tips on dealing with transplanting old roots. Digging Up Mature Roots In most cases, you never see the mature roots of a plant. You install the young plant in your garden bed, water, fertilize, and enjoy it. However, you may see those old plant roots when you are dividing mature plants or moving plants to another location of the garden....

Leggy Jade Plant Fix First, it is important to know why your jade plant got leggy in the first place. If your plant is not compact and looks stretched out, chances are that it has become etiolated. This just means that the plant has stretched out because of insufficient light. Jade plants like several hours of direct sunshine and should be placed right in front of a window for best results....

Most gardeners grow these flowers without problems, but what if you find nasturtium won’t bloom in your garden? Reasons for No Flowers on Nasturtium There should be a simple reason as to why your nasturtium isn’t flowering. Let’s explore the possibilities. Needs more time: The nasturtium usually starts producing flowers within four to six weeks of planting. If your plants are growing and not yet developing flowers, give them a little more time....

What is a Native Plant? The definition of “native plant” depends on who you ask. Even the government agencies responsible for the protection of the environment define it differently. For example, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service defines native plants as “A species that, other than as a result of an introduction, historically occurred or currently occurs in that ecosystem.” Some state agencies have more restrictive guidelines, maintaining that native plants are those that existed in the area before the first European contact....

Touring Gardens While Homebound While there are far too many online garden tours to include here, these are a few examples that may speak some interest: Founded in 1820, the United States Botanic Garden in Washington, D.C. is one of the oldest botanic gardens in the nation. This virtual tour of a garden includes a tropical jungle, desert succulents, rare and endangered plants, and much more. Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden, on the Big Island of Hawaii, boasts more than 2,000 species of tropical plants....

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....

About Pergola Climbing Plants Plants and vines for pergola structures vary in size, growing habit, and appearance. Many pergola plants are flowering vines that add color and interest to the landscape. Some gardener’s combine several climbing plants that bloom during different times of the season for year-round color. Be sure that your pergola structure is strong enough to support the weight of several climbers before you plant. Starting Pergola Climbing Plants Although some climbing plants are self-clinging, meaning they will hang on to something and begin to climb, others require some assistance....

How much fertilizer does a persimmon tree need? The rules for fertilizing persimmon trees are a little different than those for other fruit trees and experts differ on the need for persimmon fertilizer. Read on for more information on persimmon tree feeding. Fertilizing Persimmon Trees Many cultivars of persimmon trees are grown on rootstocks that are native plants, so they don’t need a lot of assistance to thrive. That native is the common American persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) that grows in the wild in abandoned pastures in the South....

Ping Tung Eggplant Info Ping Tung eggplant (also spelled Pingtung) is an heirloom plant originating from Ping Tung, Taiwan. The 2- to 4-foot (.61-1.21 m.) tall plants produce dozens of long, slender purple fruits. The fruit is about 12 inches (30 cm.) long and 2 inches (5 cm.) in diameter. Its tender skin is alight purple which darkens with maturity. The fruit grows from green calyxes and have a pearly white flesh which is drier than most eggplants....

What is a Pinwheel Plant? The pinwheel plant is a multi-branched, shrub-like succulent and member of the Crassulaceae family. From Tenerife in the Canary Islands, Aeonium haworthii can stay outside year-round in USDA hardiness zones 9-11. It is cold hardy to about 28 degrees F. (-2 C.). In a container or otherwise in cultivation, it may only reach one foot in height (30.5 cm.) and 18 inches (45.5 cm.) across. Also called Haworth aeonium, it has red-tipped leaves and grows in dense mounds, showing off many stems of developed rosettes of blue-green foliage....

Different Types of Zinnia As mentioned, there are 22 accepted species of zinnia, a genus of plants of the sunflower tribe within the daisy family. The Aztecs called them “plants hard on the eyes” due to their brilliantly colored blooms. These exuberantly colored blooms were named after the German botany professor, Johann Gottfried Zinn, responsible for their discovery and subsequent import to Europe in the 1700s. The original zinnia has come a long way due to hybridization and selective breeding....

What is Pipicha? If you’re a savvy reader, you may have noticed that I spelled the herb’s name two different ways. Pepicha is, indeed, also known as pepicha as well as thin papalo, tepicha, and escobeta. Sometimes confused with papalo, this native upright herb can be used similarly and is often used to flavor meat dishes. Where papalo has broad-shaped leaves and a different flavor profile, pepicha has narrow leaves, albeit a similar look to papalo....

Of concern is also the amount of water and resources required to sustain the lawn. New grasses for turf, such as Danthonia poverty grass, have shown promise in all areas of concern. What is poverty grass? It is a native perennial oatgrass with excellent site, soil, and temperature tolerance. Danthonia spicata hardiness is extremely broad ranged, and the grass can be grown in all parts of the United States....

Cause of Dry Lime Fruit Trying to determine the cause of dry lime fruit can be overwhelming unless you know what to look for. There are several reasons why limes are dry and pulpy. Dry limes may be associated with lack of water, over maturity, young trees, nutrient deficiencies, or stress– due largely in part to improper fertilizing or planting– and extreme changes in temperature. Improper watering – Improper watering is one of the most common causes of dry limes....

When and How to Propagate Jasmine Plants Jasmine originated in the tropics, so it will grow best when transplanted outdoors once the weather approaches summer temperatures. Find out when your local temperatures will average 70 F (21 C) during the day and count back from then to determine when to start your jasmine seedlings. Jasmine seeds Start jasmine seeds indoors about three months before your outdoor planting date. Soak the seeds for 24 hours before planting....