Types of Garden Hoes All hoes have the same basic structure and purpose: a long handle with a paddle, blade, or stirrup at the end, typically at an angle to the handle. The uses for hoes are to cultivate garden soil and to remove weeds. Even with this basic design there are a few variations, and using hoes in the garden successfully means choosing the right one: Paddle, or Draw, hoe....
Fungal Sesame Disease Issues Aladdin may have said “open sesame” but growers all pray for that occurrence. Open pods signify harvest time and the gathering of the tiny, economically important seeds. While sesame plants have few disease issues, some fungal and other problems do crop up. The most serious diseases affect many types of plants but resistant varieties are available to all diseases that have occurred since 1978. A few are still a problem but can be managed....
A butterfly shelter is a dark, cozy area that provides a place for butterflies to rest safely away from birds and other predators. Some types of butterflies may use the shelter to hibernate during the winter. Keep reading for tips on creating a house for butterflies. How to Build a Butterfly House Building a butterfly house is a fun, inexpensive weekend project. All you need is a couple of pieces of lumber and a few basic tools....
Do Lilac Bushes Have Berries? If you ask: “Do lilac bushes have berries?”, the answer is no. Lilac bushes do not produce berries. However, they do produce seeds. Growing Lilac Seeds Lilacs produce seeds in seed heads. Lilac bushes can be propagated from those seeds. The seed heads form after the flowers finish blooming. They are brown, large, and not very ornamental. You will not get seed heads the first year you plant your lilacs, nor, probably, the second....
Growing Fruit Trees Inside Although it’s nice to have a lemon tree in the backyard when you need lemons, it doesn’t work in cold winter states. You’ll also have a hard time with that plan if you live in an apartment and don’t have access to a yard. However, there are fruit trees you can grow indoors as long as you give them the right indoor fruit tree care. Growing fruit trees inside eliminates the issue of climate and, as long as you select the best indoor fruit tree varieties, you should be able to pick your own lemons – or other fruit....
When to Feed a Rhododendron If your soil is fertile and your plants look happy, there’s no urgency to learn about feeding rhododendrons. No fertilizer is always better than too much fertilizer so you might do best leaving healthy plants alone. Be wary of nitrogen deficiencies, however, if you mulch with fresh sawdust or wood chips. As these materials disintegrate into the soil, they use up available nitrogen. If you see your rhododendron growth slowing and the leaves turning yellow, you’ll need to start fertilizing rhododendron bushes with a nitrogen fertilizer....
How to Plan a Flower Garden First, you’ll want to choose the appropriate location in your landscape. Both sun and partial shade will work, but you’ll need to choose flowers that are suitable to the light conditions. The most versatile location is one with morning sun and afternoon shade, especially in southern regions. The fun part is choosing which flowers to plant, but this can also be a challenge. Choose a limited number of colors and shades of those colors for best results....
Things to Consider When Forsythia Pruning Since these durable shrubs need little care in the way of soil and nutrients, forsythia pruning is a chore that can easily be done annually. With diligent trimming, forsythia can be kept from the overgrown sprawl that is a common complaint. Young plants may only need a modest trimming. Forsythia that has been untended for years may need to be lopped to the ground. Forsythias are fast growing shrubs that can grow up to 10 feet (3 m....
About Companions for Asters There are several varieties of aster that you may have in your perennial beds: New England, aromatic, smooth, purple dome, New York, East Indies, calico, and others. All of these are characterized by fall blooms in colors ranging from white to purple to vibrant blue. They grow 2 to 3 feet (61-91 cm.) tall and produce daisy-like flowers. Asters are showy, but they look best with the right companion plants to highlight their colorful abundance of blooms....
Gala Apple Fruit Tree Most apple trees dress up like ballerinas in their spring blossoms, and planting a Gala apple tree brings this show into your own backyard. Its flowers are white-pink and fragrant, giving way to young fruit in summer. As the Gala apples mature, they become ornamental too, developing attractive streaks of yellow on their firm surfaces. The harvest period is long, lasting all through autumn, and that’s when you get to taste the sweet, firm, and juicy fruit....
Planting Butternut Squash The butternut squash growing season begins when all danger of frost is past and the soil is well warmed by the sun, about 60 to 65 degrees F. (15-18 C.) at a 4-inch (10 cm.) depth. Butternut squash plants are extremely tender. The seedlings will freeze with the slightest frost, and seeds will only germinate in warm soil. Like most other vining vegetables, butternut squash cultivation begins with a hill....
What is Mesclun? Mesclun greens traditionally contain the small, young leaves of species such as endive, arugula, chervil, and leafy lettuces like baby red leaf. Today the notion of salad mixes has expanded to include many other varieties of greens and herbs. A mesclun mix may include such things as spinach, chard, frisee, mustard, dandelion greens, mizuna, mache, and radicchio among others. The huge variety in greens makes for a very interesting and wide palate pleaser....
Only long-tongued visitors can reach the nectar that deposits low in the flower. Hawk moths have the perfect size beak to reach it, and they fly at night. Other beneficial night-moving pollinators may take advantage of the open blooms. A moth garden, with a range of night opening blooms, can help keep them handily around your yard. Growing Tufted Evening Primrose Sources for this plant say it will grow in any location throughout the U....
You will have to be very lucky to find one of these plants for home cultivation. Whatever you do, don’t remove a wild plant! Growing a hart’s tongue fern in the landscape is an attractive notion, but harvesting the native plants will only further deplete their territory and help eradicate them from native environs. Recognizing Hart’s Tongue Fern Plants This fern is remarkably attractive with long, glossy, untoothed evergreen fronds....
Success in Harvesting Onions Your success in harvesting onions will depend on proper planting and care throughout the growing season. Plant onions as soon as the garden can be worked. Rich soil, consistent moisture and cool temperatures help bulb development. It’s best to create hills for onions that are to be used for green onions but do not hill those to be used for bulbs. When to Harvest Onions In addition to good planting, you need to know when to harvest onions for the best flavor....
How to Make an Elizabethan Herb Garden If you have an empty flowerbed or gardening space, you may wish to create your own Shakespearean herb garden. The Elizabethan style was formal in tone as these gardens were owned primarily by the wealthy. Symmetrical patterns using squares or rectangles were common and often contained an herbal knot garden at the center. The entire garden was usually surrounded by English holly, which was planted and pruned into a hedge....
Making a set of homemade wind chimes doesn’t have to be an elaborate project. You can create a unique and personalized wind chime with your school children as a home decoration or as gifts for friends and family. Learn how to make wind chimes with your kids for a fun summer project. Easy Garden Chimes for Kids Creating wind chimes for gardens doesn’t have to be a complex project. It can be as simple as you like it to be....
With minimal care, homeowners are able to keep their hostas looking lush and beautiful. However, there are some maintenance aspects that will be a necessity. Establishing a consistent irrigation routine will be key in keeping hostas looking their best all summer long. Read on for more info on hosta water needs. How Much Water Do Hostas Need? When it comes to growing hosta, watering requirements will vary depending upon the conditions in the garden and the time of year....
About Hostas for Sunny Spots Newer hostas for sunny spots are appearing in the market with the claim of being hostas that tolerate the sun. Yet, there are hostas for sun that have grown for decades in many well-planted gardens too. These plants can grow happily in areas that make morning sun available to them. Afternoon shade is a necessity, especially during those hot summer days. Further success comes from consistent watering and planting them in rich soil....
What is Hydrocooling? Very simply, the method of hydrocooling is a way to rapidly cool produce by running near-freezing water over fruits and vegetables immediately after they are harvested. Without hydrocooling vegetables and fruits, once they have been harvested, the quality of the produce begins to decline, hence its shelf life. So how does hydrocooling work exactly? How Does Hydrocooling Work? Temperature and relative humidity begin to affect the quality of produce immediately after being harvested....
