Fern Plant Information There are many kinds of ferns from which to choose. Most outdoor ferns prefer rich, well-composted soil and gentle morning sun. Dappled sun that reaches the plants for a couple of hours each day is plenty. Avoid full sun, unless it is in the morning and only reaches the plant for a short time. Choose an area with moist soil or water regularly for the best performance of fern varieties....
Kinds of Catalpa Trees People either love catalpa trees or they hate them. These trees are tough and adaptable, so much so that they have been labeled “weed trees.” It doesn’t help that the tree is messy, dropping its large leaves, flower petals, and cigar-shaped seed pods as they fade. Still, the catalpa is a resilient, drought tolerant, and attractive tree used by indigenous people for medicinal purposes. It grows fast, putting down an extensive root system, and can be used to stabilize soil that may be subject to landslides or erosion....
Wax Mallow Information Wax mallow shrub grows in the wild in the southeastern United States, Mexico, Central America, and South America. It often stays around 4 feet (1 m.) tall, but can grow to 10 feet (3 m.) tall with an equal spread. You’ll find that wax mallow plant care won’t take much of your time. The stems of the wax mallow are woody toward the plant’s base, but fuzzier and greener toward the branch tips....
What are Ornamental Peanuts? Due to the high nutritive value, perennial peanuts are grown primarily for hay and are often used as a grazing crop for livestock. Perennial peanuts are suitable for growing in the warm, non-freezing climates of USDA plant hardiness zones 8b through 11. In the garden, perennial peanut plants are highly effective as a groundcover and soil stabilizer in sunny areas. They are often grown for their ornamental value and can be used as a lawn substitute....
What are Predatory Mites? Look really closely if you want to see these little guys, even though they are slightly larger than their prey. Mites are wingless insects with a solid one-piece body and no antennae. The predatory mites feed on spider mites and other pest mites as well as thrips and some other small insects. In the absence of prey, predatory mites eat pollen and nectar and can revert to sucking plant juices....
While tasks such as weeding and irrigation often take precedent, many are starting to take a closer look into what it takes to create healthy and thriving garden soil. Learning more about the role of microbes in the soil is just one way to increase the overall health of the garden. Can plants benefit from soil microbes though? Let’s learn more about soil microbes and nutrients. What Do Soil Microbes Do?...
What is a Japanese Horse Chestnut? The Japanese horse chestnut (Aesculus turbinata) is a member of the family Hippocastanaceae along with other varieties of horse chestnut and buckeye. It is native only to Japan, on the island of Hokkaido and the central and northern regions of Honshu. Under ideal conditions, Turbinata chestnut trees can grow rapidly and attain heights of up to 10 feet (30 m.). It has compound, palmate leaves with five to seven toothed leaflets attached at the same point on a central stalk....
What is Blood Meal? Blood meal is pretty much as the name says. It is dried animal blood, typically cow blood, but it can also be the blood of any animal that goes through meat packing plants. The blood is collected after the animals are killed and then dried to make a powder. What is Blood Meal Used For? Blood meal is a nitrogen amendment that you can add to your garden....
What Does it Mean to Clear and Grub? Once a site has been surveyed and any necessary demo has been done, vegetation and surface debris are removed by clearing and grubbing the landscape. Clearing means what it sounds like, removing all vegetation. Grubbing refers to the removal of the roots that remain in the soil after clearing. Grubbing removes logs, brush, and debris. Stumps are then ground or removed with a root rake or similar machine....
What is Hollyhock Rust? Caused by the fungus Puccinia heterospora, hollyhock rust is a disfiguring disease that infects members of the Alcea (hollyhock) family. It begins as yellow spots on top of the leaves with rusty pustules on the undersides. Over time the spots can grow together and destroy large sections of the leaves, causing them to die and drop off. At this point, the stems may also develop spots. Although the plant may not die, you may want to put hollyhocks with rust fungus out of their misery because of the severe disfigurement....
Why Does My Parsley Have White Tips? If you see white tips on your parsley, don’t panic. The most common reasons for white parsley tips are not earth shattering and are easily remedied. More than likely, the parsley has white leaf tips because of an environmental issue. This may be overexposure to wind or sun that is damaging the plants cells. If this is the case, the plant is still edible although not as aesthetically pleasing....
An indoor winter garden won’t provide you with all the produce you need but can flesh out the produce you purchase from the store. Plus, growing winter indoor plants allows you to keep your thumbs green, so to speak. Read on to learn how to grow food inside during winter. Can You Garden Inside During Winter? Yes, you can garden inside during winter and it’s a great way to beat back the winter blues while providing your family with fresh produce and herbs....
Yucca Baccata Information Like all types of yucca, banana yucca consists of mounded clumps of stiff, sword-shaped leaves. Tall, attractive spikes of creamy flowers appear in spring, although usually not every year. Plant experts think the plant sometimes needs to recuperate and rebuild a healthy store of carbohydrates before resuming blooming. In its natural environment, banana yucca often grows alongside sagebrush, pinyon juniper, or ponderosa pine. Although banana yucca is a desert plant, it is hardy and tolerates cold to -20 degrees F....
Hardy Holly Varieties You’ll find over 400 species of holly in the world. Many are broadleaf evergreens and offer glossy leaves and bright, bird-pleasing berries. The species range in zone, shape, and cold hardiness. Hollies are not demanding or difficult plants to grow. However, before you start growing holly plants in zone 5, you’ll want to check their cold hardiness. Chinese, English, and Japanese holly shrubs are not hardy holly varieties....
Zone 9 Evergreen Groundcovers Interested in growing zone 9 evergreen groundcovers? The following plants are certain to thrive in your region and provide year-round coverage: Beach morning glory – Also known as bayhops or railroad vine (Ipomoea pes-caprae), this is among the most prolific creeping evergreen plants for zone 9. The plant, which grows in a variety of difficult conditions, produces bright pink blooms sporadically all year long. Although the vine is a native plant and isn’t considered invasive, beach morning glory is a fast-growing plant that requires plenty of room to spread....
Growing Japanese lilac trees near a window allows you to enjoy the flowers and fragrance indoors, but make sure you leave plenty of room for the tree’s 20 foot (6 m.) spread. After the flowers fade, the tree produces seed capsules that attract songbirds to the garden. What is a Japanese Lilac Tree? Japanese lilacs are trees or very large shrubs that grow to a height of up to 30 feet (9 m....
When attempting angelica propagation, you should be aware that growing angelica cuttings is difficult because the stems usually fail to root. Instead, start new plants from angelica seeds or divisions of two or three year old plants. The plants bloom every other year, so plant angelica in two consecutive years for a constant supply of flowers. Starting Angelica Seeds Angelica seeds grow best when planted as soon as they mature....
Aronia Berry Information Aronia berries contain as much sugar as grapes or sweet cherries when fully ripe, but the bitter flavor makes it unpleasant to eat out of hand. Mixing the berries in dishes with other fruit makes it more tolerable. A mixture of half Aronia berry juice and half apple juice makes a refreshing, healthful drink. Add milk to Aronia berry tea to neutralize the bitterness. A good reason to consider growing Aronia berries is that they never need insecticides or fungicides thanks to their natural resistance to insects and diseases....
Jack Jumper Ant Facts What is a jack jumper ant? Jack jumper ants belong to a genus of jumping ants found in Australia. They are large ants, measuring about one-half inch (4 cm.), although the queens are even longer. When they’re threatened, jack jumper ants can jump 3 to 4 inches (7.5-10 cm.). The natural habitat for jack jumper ants is open forests and woodlands, although they can sometimes be found in more open habitats such as pastures and, unfortunately, lawns and gardens....
Succulent Water Problems If there are spots on the leaves of your succulents or a white buildup on the soil or terracotta container, you may be using inappropriate water for succulents. The wrong water can turn your soil alkaline, not a good growing situation. Many home growers have unknowingly caused damage to plants when watering cacti and succulents with tap water. If your tap water is from a municipal source (city water), it likely contains chlorine and fluoride, neither of which have beneficial nutrients for your plants....
