Tips for Growing Begonia Plants from Corms Begonia care begins with proper planting. As many people grow them as annuals, some may not be as familiar with begonia corms; therefore, it may be helpful to share some tips for growing begonia plants from corms. First, always plant begonia corms concave side up (depression on top) either slightly above or level with the compost/soil surface. Gently push the corms into place and once planted, water thoroughly....

What is Lethal Yellowing? As the name implies, lethal yellowing is a fatal disease. It is caused by a phytoplasma, which is a microscopic organism a little less sophisticated than a bacteria. Insects called planthoppers carry the phytoplasma from tree to tree. Planthoppers can’t survive at temperatures below freezing, and this prevents the disease from spreading into other parts of the country. Lethal yellowing disease can’t be controlled by killing the insect vector because insecticides often fail to come into contact with these constantly moving, flying insects....

Why Choose Mazus as a Lawn Substitute? Lawn substitutes are chosen for a variety of reasons. Perhaps you are just sick and tired of all the work it takes to maintain a lawn that rivals the Jones.’ Maybe the amount of weeding required between lawn and pavers has given you the blues. Perhaps, you would just like to enliven an area. Remodel a bit. Certainly the added benefit of mazus lawn alternative is that it is a seasonal prolific bloomer....

Picking Melons for Zone 5 Can you grow melons in zone 5 gardens? Yes, you can. One of the key components to growing melons in zone 5 is making sure to select varieties that will perform well. Since the growing season is generally shorter, be sure to choose melons which have lower number of “days to maturity.” Most often, these short summer melon plants will produce smaller fruits, as they will take less time to completely ripen than their larger counterparts....

My Impatiens Have Yellow Leaves It’s a sad day in the garden when you see your impatiens getting yellow leaves. Generally, impatiens are disease-free annuals in the backyard beds, showing off healthy, dark-green leaves. The plant is, however, very sensitive to water stress. The key to healthy impatiens is to keep the soil moist at all times but never soggy. Overwatering and underwatering can result in the leaves of impatiens turning yellow....

Cleaning Containers in Autumn In the fall, before you store your containers for the winter, you need to clean your containers. This will ensure that you do not accidentally help diseases and pests survive the winter. Start by emptying your container. Remove the dead vegetation, and if the plant that was in the pot didn’t have any disease issues, compost the vegetation. If the plant was diseased, throw the vegetation away....

Choosing Perennials for the Pacific Northwest Native flowering plants are a good place to start when choosing perennials for northwestern U.S. Perennial flowers in this area have several advantages. They have acclimated to conditions domestic to this region such as the amount of rainfall and soil conditions. This means they are guaranteed to return reliably year after year, unlike more exotic subtropical perennial choices. However, many subtropical plants will not only survive year after year but thrive....

Pineapple Broom Tree Information This tall shrub or small tree hails from Morocco. Moroccan pineapple broom plants (Cytisus battandieri syn. Argyrocytisus battandieri) were named after French pharmacist and botanist, Jules Aimé Battandier, who was an authority on North-West African plants. It was introduced to European horticulture in 1922. For many years, the plant was grown in greenhouses, as it was thought to be less hardy than has been more recently shown....

About Boosting Immunity Naturally Over 80% of the earth’s population depends on plants that increase immunity and promote healing. The immune system is one of the more complex systems within the human body. It helps keep you healthy by tackling viruses, bacteria and abnormal cells, all while distinguishing between your own healthy tissue and the invading pathogen. Plants that boost the immune system naturally help keep you healthy. The key to using these plants is prevention....

Signs and Causes of Rhododendron Stress Burn Stress burn or scorch is a phenomenon that is not uncommon in broadleaf evergreens like rhododendron. The stresses triggered by unfavorable weather can cause: Browning on the tips of leaves Browning along the margins of leaves Extended browning and crispy leaves Curled leaves Scorch can be caused by dryness in winter. Especially windy and cold conditions can cause the leaves to lose more water than the roots can take up in frozen soil....

Snail Vine Info The Vigna caracalla snail vine is an attractive evergreen vine in USDA zones 9 through 11 and will die back in cooler regions for the winter. Many people that live in cooler regions will set this interesting plant out for the summer and grow it indoors for the winter. This beautiful tropical vine, with lavender and white flowers, is native to Central and South America and thrives in full sun and high humidity....

Choosing Landscape Hedges Here’s something you need to do before you start growing hedges in zone 7 or even selecting hedge plants for zone 7. You’ll need to invest some time into choosing landscape hedges and consider what it is exactly you want to use them for. For example, do you want a single row of similar bushes to create a “green wall” effect? Perhaps you’re looking for a very tall, tight line of evergreens....

Plants in a Boreal Forest The wide ribbon of taiga boreal forest extends across the top of North America, Europe, and Asia, just south of the arctic tundra. Additional taiga can be found at high elevations in the mountainous western region of North America. North American taiga was covered with glaciers at one time, and as these glaciers receded, they left gouges that filled with rainwater, creating lakes and bogs. Taiga plants have to tolerate very harsh growing conditions in order to survive....

Benefits of Cinnamon on Plants The benefits of cinnamon on plants is widespread and you may end up reaching for the spice almost daily. Here are some of the most common uses of cinnamon in gardens: Cinnamon for pests If you have a problem with ants in your home or greenhouse, cinnamon is a good deterrent. Ants don’t like to walk where cinnamon powder lays, so summer ant problems will be decreased....

Reversion of Variegated Leaves Variegation may be the result of a natural anomaly or carefully engineered breeding. Whichever the case, variegated leaves may turn completely green for a number of reasons. The coloring results from unstable changes in the leaf’s cells. One of the most common variegated plant problems is limited chlorophyll in the leaves. Less chlorophyll means less solar energy, as it is a primary component in photosynthesis. Variegated plants are less vigorous than green specimens are....

What’s in a Name – Pink Lady vs. Cripps The apples that we know as Pink Lady were first developed in Australia in 1973 by John Cripps, who crossed a Golden Delicious tree with a Lady Williams. The result was a shockingly pink apple with a distinctly tart but sweet flavor, and it began being sold in Australia in 1989 under the trademarked name Cripps Pink. In fact, it was the very first trademarked apple....

What is Garden Soil? Unlike regular topsoil, bagged products labeled as garden soil are generally pre-mixed soil products that are intended to be added to the existing soil in a garden or flower bed. What’s in garden soil usually depends on what they are intended to have grown in them. Topsoil is harvested from the first foot or two of the earth, then shredded and screened to remove stones or other large particles....

Symptoms of Lettuce Damping Off When lettuce seedlings are afflicted by damping off, the stem develops brown areas or white, moldy patches, then weakens and falls over, and the plant dies. You may also see mold growing on the soil surface. Sometimes you won’t see the infection on the stem, but the roots are infected. If you pull up a dead seedling, you’ll see that the roots are black or brown....

Daffodil Care Post Bloom Remove daffodil blooms as soon as they fade, otherwise, the bulbs will exert considerable energy attempting to create seeds. However, remove only the bloom and stem, not the leaves. This is the critical aspect of daffodil care after they bloom. Why do we leave the unsightly foliage in place? In simple terms, the leaves absorb energy from sunlight, and through the process of photosynthesis, the energy is converted into chemicals that produce sugar — the food that keeps bulbs blooming year after year....

Growing Azaleas in Zone 5 Azaleas are members of the Rhododendron family. They are so closely related to rhododendrons that it is sometimes hard to tell the difference. Rhododendrons are broadleaf evergreens in all climates. Certain azaleas can also be broadleaf evergreens in southern climates, but most zone 5 azalea shrubs are deciduous. They lose their leaves each fall, then in the spring, the flowers bloom before the foliage comes in, creating quite a display....