Insects on Poplar Trees If you see woody galls developing on the leaf buds of your poplars, you’re probably dealing with poplar tree pests called bud gall mites. Galls are cauliflower-textured growths you see developing in the branches of your trees. These mites stop leaf buds from growing the normal leaves and stems you might expect from a poplar tree. Instead, gall mites on poplar trees cause the buds to develop into woody galls, usually less than 2 inches (5 cm....

What is a Garden Peach Tomato? These little beauties really do look much like a peach right down to the downy fuzz. They produce small fruit with the aforementioned yellow peach-like fuzz often tinged oh so lightly with the barest blush of pink. They have a fresh, slightly fruity flavor that’s sure to please the adventurous tomato grower. Garden Peach Tomato Facts Garden Peach tomatoes are indeterminate; this means that they produce fruit over an extended period of time which is good for tomato lovers....

Tornado Proof Gardening You may be wondering how to protect your garden from a tornado or if it’s even possible. When homeowners decide to plant trees or a garden, they often choose plants based on fall color, flowering, fragrance, etc. By also considering a tree’s strength against raging wind, such as during a tornado, the homeowner can minimize storm damage. Here’s how: Research trees in your climate zone that are wind resistant....

Let’s start with the basics: Can you garden in the arctic? Yes you can, and people in the far north are excited about arctic gardening. Gardening in the arctic is a matter of adjusting your routine to the climate and selecting appropriate arctic circle plants. Can You Garden in the Arctic? People living in the far north, including Alaska, Iceland and Scandinavia, enjoy gardening as much as much as those dwelling in warmer climes....

Garlic Problems in the Garden Garlic pests and diseases can ruin your harvest, sometimes without you even knowing it until it’s too late. Others wait to emerge until later, causing problems when drying garlic. Either way, it’s a huge headache. The most common problems of garlic are caused by these common types of pathogens: Fungal By far, fungal problems are the most common garlic plant problems. You may get an early hint that something’s wrong, like early yellowing of foliage or white or gray, fluffy growth low on the stem....

Growing an Indoor Farm There are many great reasons to consider veggie farming indoors: Grow your own food and know where it comes from and that it is organic.You can grow food year-round, regardless of climate and weather.Growing your own food minimizes carbon emissions from food transport.Indoor farming is an option if your garden space is limited. There are potential issues too. Do you have enough space? Can you afford the equipment and tools needed to get started?...

Growing Pink Cacti Ready to get started? Here are several pink cactus plants to consider: The grafted moon cactus, botanically called Gymnocalycium cacti, comes with pink heads. This specimen comes in 80 types and is becoming more common in-home collections. The most often available of this group is the moon or Hibotan cacti, found at mass retailers. “Flowers” bloom on the colorful heads that are grafted onto a taller, green base....

Caution: Before Collecting Hellebore Seeds Safety first! Hellebore is a poisonous plant, so it is strongly advised that you wear gloves when handling this plant for the harvesting of hellebore seeds, as it will cause skin irritation and burning in varying degrees of severity depending on the level and duration of exposure. How to Collect Hellebore Seeds Collecting hellebore seeds is easy. Hellebore seed harvest typically occurs during the late spring to early summer timeframe....

How to Harvest Herbs – General Tips Your herb harvest will vary a little bit by type of plant. There are also general guidelines for all herbs grown in the garden. Here are some important tips to maximize your harvest: Harvest leafy annual herbs, like basil, by pinching off leaves at the tips of stems.Harvest leafy perennials – sage, tarragon, thyme, oregano – by removing longer stems of leaves.The stemmed herbs, like lavender, rosemary, parsley, and cilantro, should be harvested by cutting off stems at the base....

Hosta Cold Tolerance Prized for their color and texture, hostas can be grown in USDA zones 4 through 9. In these zones, the hosta growing season ends when temperatures dip below 50 degrees F. (10 C.) at night. Hostas in winter go into a kind of stasis and this temperature dip is a signal to the plant to become dormant until temperatures warm in the spring. All hostas thrive when subjected to freezing or near freezing temperatures during their dormant phase....

Indoor Aphid Control There are many mechanical and non-toxic methods to address your houseplant aphid problems. Light aphid infestations The simplest way, especially if you only have a light aphid infestation, is to simply squash the aphids with your fingers. Aphids are very soft bodied and if you only see a few of them on your plants, this is probably the easiest method. Another method that you can use for lighter infestations, especially if you don’t want to squash them with your fingers, is to wash them away with a stream of water....

About Calibrachoa Cutting Propagation Calibrachoa plants were first collected wild in the late 1980’s. They hail from South America and are also sold as million bells due to the many tiny blooms. There are numerous colors from which to choose as well as double petal varieties. Preserving your favorite is as simple as taking cuttings and providing certain cultural conditions. Calibrachoa cutting propagation is the method preferred by professional growers. While calibrachoa growers take cuttings in late winter in order to achieve sellable plants by spring, gardeners can take cuttings in spring for late summer plants....

What are Cycads? Cycad plants are hardy, evergreen gymnosperms (cone-bearing plants) that grow in sand or hard rock. Cycads are dioecious plants; there are separate male and female plants. The female plant produces seeds, and the male plant produces cones filled with pollen. The most popular cycad is the sago palm. They are slow growing and have a long life. They usually grow to 3 to 5 feet (91 cm-1-1/2 m....

When to Harvest an Orange Times for harvesting oranges vary depending upon the variety. Picking oranges may occur any time from as early as March to as late as December or January. It’s helpful to know what variety of orange you have to determine the right time for picking oranges. To be more specific, these tips should help: Navel oranges are ready for harvest from November to June. Valencia oranges are ready in March into October....

Why Won’t My Succulent Bloom? Flowers usually appear on mature and properly located succulents. If you start new plants from leaves or cuttings, it might be five years or more before blooms appear. This time-frame is even longer for cactus, as some varieties don’t flower until the plant is 30 years old. If you know the name of your succulent or cactus, try searching for bloom information for the individual plant....

Five Spot Seed Propagation For those of us thrifty gardeners, starting our own plants from seed is an economical way to produce our own flowers, fruits, and more. Growing baby blue eyes from seeds is quite simple and soon you will have a lovely group of these charming flowers. Also called five spot, these annuals tend to self-seed, but you have to have a mature crop first. Sow five spot seeds in containers indoors and move them outside to bloom and establish....

Taking small steps towards these goals will ensure that new homesteaders are able to begin the process of building their own sustainable space safely and efficiently, without becoming overwhelmed. How to Start Homesteading Learning how to start homesteading sounds wonderful. However, it will actually involve hours upon hours of hard work and effort. For many, starting a homestead means the production of their own food as well as activities like preserving the harvest and rearing animals....

Surprisingly, the leaf eater is not an insect, but probably a bird called the lesser goldfinch. While it enjoys seeds of plants in the daisy family, the lesser goldfinch also dines on sunflower foliage, leaving tattered greens in its wake. Identify Damage from a Goldfinch on Sunflower Leaves The range of the lesser goldfinch extends from the Western U.S. south into Mexico and as far as the Peruvian Andes in oak, cottonwood, and willow habitats....

About Keeping Insects in a Terrarium A terrarium is essentially an enclosed garden. They usually include plants that prefer humidity and indirect light. With the right plants and insects together, you can create a more complete ecosystem. Keeping wild animals as pets is not ethical, and while there is some leeway for insects, help kids understand this general idea. Give kids the message that this is not an insect pet enclosure so much as a natural ecosystem for study....

Importance of Sprout Identification When planning a vegetable bed, you may decide to start from seeds directly in the garden. There are benefits to this, and it eliminates the step of moving transplants from indoors. One issue comes up though – how can you identify seedlings from little veggie sprouts? Make the wrong identification and you’ll pluck what you think is a weed only to find you pulled out your vegetable seedlings....