Vine Borer Causing Zucchini to Suddenly Die If you have zucchini leaves wilting, it’s probably the vine borer. These are larvae of a moth. This particular moth has clear wings and is sometimes mistaken for wasps. The vine borer overwinters in cocoons in the soil and come out as adults in late spring. They deposit eggs on the underside of the leaves. When they hatch, the larva cause yellow leaves on zucchini and the zucchini to suddenly die....

Understanding Crested Succulent Mutations “Cristate” is another term for when the succulent is cresting. This happens when something has affected the single growing point (growth center) of the plant, creating multiple growing points. Typically, this involves the apical meristem. When this happens along a line or a plane, stems are flattened, sprouting new growth on the top of the stem, and creating a bunching effect. Numerous new leaves appear and make the cristate plant look totally different than the standard....

What is a Tuberous Begonia? Types of tuberous begonias include upright or trailing varieties with single, double, or ruffled blooms in tropical shades of pink, yellow, orange, red, and white. The gold, purple, green, or burgundy leaves are nearly as attractive as the flowers. Tuberous begonias are frost-tender. If you live in USDA plant hardiness zone 10 and above, you can grow tuberous begonias outdoors year-round. Otherwise, you’ll need to dig the tubers and store them during the winter....

Keep reading to find out if there is any prevention or treatment for this serious geranium disease. What is Geranium Blackleg? By the time you discover your plant has blackleg disease, it is usually too late to save it. This is because the pathogen attacks the root, where it is impossible to observe. Once it creeps up the stem, it has already affected the plant badly enough that nothing can be done....

What is Manganese? Manganese is one of nine essential nutrients that plants require for growth. Many processes are dependent on this nutrient, including chloroplast formation, photosynthesis, nitrogen metabolism, and synthesis of some enzymes. This role of manganese in plants is extremely crucial. Deficiency, which is common in soils that have neutral to high pH or a substantial deal of organic matter, can cause serious problems with plants. Manganese and Magnesium It’s necessary to note the difference between magnesium and manganese, as some people tend to get them confused....

What is Peach Brown Rot? Brown rot is a fungal infection that can impact peaches and other stone fruits. Brown rot of peaches is caused by the fungus Monilinia fructicola. It infects trees in two stages. During blossoming, flowers will develop brown spots and quickly die. Look for dusty fungal growth on the dead blooms and cankers on the twigs. The infection can also set in during peach ripening, triggered by the fungal growth on the flowers and twigs in the spring....

About Phalsa Sherbet Berries If you’re looking for something a little different in the landscape, then you certainly can’t go wrong with growing sherbet berry plants (Grewia asiatica). This southern Asian native shrub or small tree produces edible drupes that start out green before turning red and then deep purple to black as they ripen. The sherbet berries, which are preceded by masses of bright yellow springtime flowers, are similar in both appearance and taste to grapes – said to be rich and sweet with a hint of citrusy tartness....

What is Vernalization in Plants? Vernalization is a process of going dormant in cold temperatures, which helps certain plants prepare for the following year. Plants that have vernalization requirements must be exposed to a certain number of days of cold temperatures below a certain threshold. The required temperatures and lengths of chilling depend on the plant species and variety. This is one reason gardeners need to choose plant varieties that are suited to their climate for the best results and the healthiest plants....

Why Won’t My Cannas Bloom? Canna lilies produce beautiful tropical blooms in bright shades of red, orange, yellow and white. Different varieties of canna may also have very colorful or unique foliage. For example, Tropicanna has stripes of green, red, orange, pink, purple and yellow on their foliage. While many varieties of canna can be enjoyed strictly for their colorful foliage, we usually plant these hoping for an abundance of blooms in addition to the nifty tropical-like leaves....

How to Grow a Vertical Onion Garden Vertical gardening with onions is a great way to garden for those with limited space. It’s also a great wintertime project when you’re yearning to see something green growing amidst the freezing temps and snowstorms. This project is fun to do with the kids, although the first part should be done by an adult. It is also an awesome way to recycle and repurpose something we have far too much of on this planet — plastic bottles....

Hydrangea Cold Tolerance Hydrangeas are among the easiest shrubs to grow. Easy care and undemanding, hydrangeas decorate your garden with their big, bold flowers for months on end. But when summer ends and winter sneaks in, it’s important to know how to protect hydrangeas from cold, and this involves hydrangea cold tolerance. Some varieties, like smooth hydrangea (“Annabelle”) and panicle, or PG hydrangea, are very cold-hardy and bloom on new wood....

Winterizing hops plants is easy and fast but the small effort will protect the roots and crown and ensure new sprouts in spring. Once you understand how to winter over hop plants, these attractive and useful vines can be yours to use and enjoy season after season. Hops Plants Over Winter Once temperatures get below freezing, hops plant leaves fall off and the vine dies back. In temperate zones, the roots and crown rarely receive a lethal freeze, but it’s best to be safe and protect the growth zone during the cold season....

Variegated Hydrangea Hydrangea is a small-medium flowering, ornamental shrub with large clusters of four-petalled flowers. It grows well in zones 6 through 9 and is prized for its showy flowers that can range from deep magenta or blue to palest green and white. Most hydrangeas have solid green leaves, but this variegated type has foliage as striking as its blooms. They are bright green with white margins that perfectly set off pink-white flowers....

What is a Coyote Bush? An interesting note about coyote bushes is their close relation to sunflowers. The plant is scraggly and wiry, with stiff branches and small, grayish serrated leaves along the woody stems. An herbaceous perennial, coyote bush has evolved several adaptive strategies to thrive in poor soils with loose vertical soil. It has a wide root system and waxy leaves, which protect it from moisture loss. Chaparral zones frequently experience wildfires to which the plant is equally well adapted....

The ageratum flower most commonly found in the garden is a hybrid, growing in a petite and compact form. When you learn how to plant ageratum and grow it successfully, you will always have a blue flower option for the bed or border. What is Ageratum? For those new to flower gardening, you may be wondering, “What is ageratum and how is it cultivated?” Ageratum houstonianum, a native of Mexico, is among the most commonly planted ageratum varieties....

Autumn Blaze Tree Attributes Whether you want a shade tree, spring blossoms, or a stunning fall display, Autumn Blaze pear trees (Pyrus calleryana ‘Autumn Blaze’) will provide. This is a cultivar of the Callery pear and shares its best characteristics. These trees overflow with frothy white flowers in early spring. Their dark leaves provide ample shade in summer before turning brilliant crimson in autumn. These Autumn Blaze tree attributes can also be found in the species plant....

When to Harvest Grain Learning how to harvest grains is crucial for the small farmer. Each type of grain will ripen at a slightly different time, so you need to know how to recognize ripe seeds and then step into the world of reaping. If you are lucky, you will have a small combine and the grain harvest is a breeze. The rest of us will have to do it the old-fashioned way....

What is a Balcony Garden? Think you can’t have a garden on a balcony? You just need some tips on how to garden on a balcony while you also think outside the box. You can design a traditional, retro, edible, flowering, or other planting scheme. Or mix it up. Just be prepared to haul a bit of potting soil to your space. Your balcony can be a place to bring nature in and provide a peaceful retreat....

Choosing Shade Tolerant Flowers for Containers Before growing shade flowers in containers, it’s good to have a basic understanding of the various levels of shade. For instance, partial shade generally denotes an area that receives three or four hours of sun per day but not in the middle of the day. Partial shade, suitable for many potted shade flowers, can also include dappled light filtered through the branches of deciduous trees....

About Mr. Bowling Ball Thuja Arborvitae are common ornamental shrubs. The specimen Mr. Bowling Ball arborvitae has curved appeal that needs no pruning to keep it in true form. This charming shrub is a rounded ball-like plant with a perky appearance and compact shape. While not readily available at many nursery centers, the plant is easy to order from online catalogs. What’s in a name? This arborvitae is also known as Bobozam arborvitae....