Reasons for Pea Plants Wilting If you have pea plants wilting in the garden, check first to make sure the soil isn’t dried out. Examine stems near the bottom for bright or unusual colors of yellow, orange, or red. This may only be visible by cutting the stem open as the disease begins. Wilt that is not corrected by watering is the surest sign that your plants have a form of disease....

Benefits of Winter Wheat Cover Crops Winter wheat cover crops are designed to lessen erosion from runoff of water and wind and to retain the soil. They also contribute to the reduction of mineral leaching and compaction, suppress the amount of weed growth, reduce insect pests and diseases, and increase crop yield. Commonly used on commercial farms, cover crops can also be beneficial to the home garden where soil structure tends to become damaged due to weeding, tilling, harvesting, and general foot traffic....

Recognizing Cole Crops with Wire Stem Cabbages with soft head rot and black, sunken lesions on radishes, turnips, and rutabagas are cole crops with wire stem disease. Damping off is also a symptom in wire stem of cole crops. The fungus responsible is Rhizoctonia solani, but there are several ways to prevent it from killing your plants. Wire stem of cole crops is not a common disease but can kill its host....

About Growing Blueberries in Zone 3 USDA zone 3 means that the range for minimum average temperatures is between -30 and -40 degrees F. (-34 to -40 C.). This zone has a fairly short growing season, meaning that planting cold hardy blueberry bushes is a necessity. Blueberries for zone 3 are half-high blueberries, which are crosses between high-bush varieties and low-bush, creating blueberries suitable for cold climates. Keep in mind that even if you are in USDA zone 3, climate change and microclimate may push you into a slightly different zone....

Growing Shrubs in Cold Climates Sometimes, trees are just too big and annuals are too small for that empty area of your garden. Shrubs fill that in-between slot, growing anywhere from a few feet tall (1 m.) to the size of a small tree. They work well in hedges and also for specimen planting. When you are picking shrubs for zone 3 gardens, you’ll find helpful information by looking at the zone or range of zones assigned to each one....

Zone 9 Screen Plants and Hedges Your local garden center or nursery should have plenty of choices for your area, but in the meantime, here is a brief list of zone 9 hedges and their growing conditions. Florida privet (Forestiera segregata) – Frequently grown as small trees, shrubs, or hedges, Florida privet tolerates areas with full sun to light shade and most soil types. Abelia (Abelia x. grandiflora) – Abelia is a great choice for a flowering hedge....

Heavenly Bamboo Replacement Nandina domestica can escape cultivation and outgrow native plants in the forest. It was once thought to be a great addition to the landscape, growing in many of your neighbor’s yards. It presents a constant battle with suckers and rhizomes to keep it under control. What are some good alternatives to heavenly bamboo? There are many Nandina alternatives. Native shrubs have great characteristics and won’t spread out of control....

About Apple Mint Plants Europeans introduced this member of the mint family to America where it has been embraced as a garden plant including many cultivars. Reaching about 2 feet (.60 m.) at maturity, apple mint plants have woolly stems, fragrant serrated leaves and terminal spikes that bear white or light pink flowers beginning in late summer or early fall. How to Grow an Apple Mint Herb Apple mint, known endearingly by some as the “fuzzy mint” or “woolly mint,” can be planted from seed or plant and it propagates easily by cuttings....

Artificial Lawn Installation The first thing you want is a clear, level area. Remove any existing grass or vegetation, as well as 3 to 4 inches (7.5-10 cm.) of topsoil. Pry out any rocks you may find and remove or cap any sprinkler heads in the area. Apply a base layer of crushed stone for lasting stability. Compact and smooth your base layer with a vibrating plate or roller. Give the area a slight grade, sloping away from your house to improve drainage....

Balancing Gardening and a Job If your job is a full-time occupation, you’ll only have part-time hours to do your gardening. Set a realistic goal of the hours each week you want to spend in the garden. Are you a gardener who enjoys working outside as much as possible, or do you prefer just growing only a few plants here and there? The answer to the question of how to balance work and a garden begins with identifying how much time each week you want to devote to your gardening pursuits....

What are Big Eyed Bugs? The best time to spot these tiny bugs is in the morning or evening when dew still clings to leaves and blades of grass. The insect only gets about 1/16 to ¼ inch long (1.5-6 mm.) and has wide, almost triangular, heads and huge eyes that turn slightly backwards. The big-eyed bug life cycle starts with eggs that overwinter. The nymphs go through several instars before becoming adults....

But what about shady areas – another common issue? You can actually fix both problems simply by adding shade plants bugs don’t like to alleviate the stress of insects in the yard and regain the enjoyment of outdoor spaces, even in those darkest corners. Are There Shade Plants Bugs Don’t Like? The concept of planting bug-resistant shade plants is not new. In fact, vegetable gardeners have been using companion planting techniques for decades as a means to help deter pests....

Calico Aster Plant Info Calico aster (Symphyotrichum lateriflorum) is a perennial wildflower which is native to the eastern United States. Most often occuring in USDA zones 4 through 8, this member of the aster family rewards growers with a profusion of blooms in late summer and into early fall. Although individual calico aster flowers are no larger than half an inch (1.5 cm.), large, white clusters of the flowers bloom up and down the length of each stem, making this plant a beautiful addition to ornamental flower borders....

Container Grown Pansies They certainly can! Plus, growing pansies in a pot allows for their delicate faces to shine: alone in a statement planter, or as bright patches of color or low-growing trailing plants among taller perennials. Growing pansies in a pot is an easy way to control moisture and soil type, and container grown pansies can flourish when given the right doses of those two must-haves. So here are a few tips that will keep your potted pansy plants happy:...

Using up organic odds and ends in a compost pile will result in some lovely, rich medium. It is a great way to reduce waste and return nutrients back to your soil. Can you compost straw? It is the basis of mushroom compost and will also turn your mixture into a nicely textured soil. Can I Compost Straw? Most of us are aware of the basics of compost making, but can you compost straw?...

About Cape Marigold Cutting Propagation Cape marigold plants are easily sown from the seeds. However, the resulting plants won’t be true to type, or exact replicas of the parent plants. So, can you grow cape marigold cuttings? Yes. In fact, the only way to propagate exact clones of a certain cape marigold variety is from cuttings. For example, if you wanted to do a stunning border or container filled with purple nemesia and a variety of cape marigold that bears white petals from deep purple centers, the easiest way to save money and guarantee flower color would be to root cuttings of that cape marigold – provided the plant doesn’t have a patent on it....

About Cold Hardy Bamboo Varieties Bamboo, in general, is a fast-growing evergreen. They are two ilks: Leptomorph and Pachymorph. Leptomorph bamboos have monopodial running rhizomes and spread vigorously. They need to be managed and, if not, are known to grow rampantly and willfully. Pachymorph refers to those bamboos that have sympodial clumping roots. The genus Fargesia is an example of a pachymorph or clumping variety that is also a cold tolerant bamboo variety....

Disease in Watermelon Watermelons are generally pretty tough numbers, but once in a while they develop problems that can seem insurmountable. Treating watermelon problems is often a simple matter, but the first thing you’ve got to do is figure out what’s causing your problems. Look for these common watermelon diseases this summer: Anthracnose – This seed-borne fungus is hard to detect initially, as it may only appear as small spots on your plants and fruits....

What Grows Well with Jasmine? The best companion plants for jasmine are plants that have the same sun, soil, and irrigation requirements. When you begin jasmine companion planting, it’s important to identify your jasmine first. You’ll find some 200 varieties of jasmine plants available in commerce. Some are evergreen, some semi-evergreen, and some deciduous shrubs or vines. Most, but not all, prefer a sunny location, well-draining loamy soil, and regular irrigation....

Weeping pussy willows can be very ornamental additions to your backyard in appropriate climates. You can even grow them in a pot in your garden or patio. If you are interested in growing potted Kilmarnock willows, read on for more information. Potted Weeping Pussy Willow In one sense of the word, every weeping willow has a weeping aspect since the tree’s leaves are long and pendulous. That’s what gives these beautiful trees their common name....