Beech Tree Identification It’s easy to recognize a beech tree by its smooth, gray bark, which the tree keeps throughout its lifespan. In shady sites, beech trees have a massive, straight trunk that soars to a height of 80 feet (24 m.) or more. The crown stays small but dense in shade. The trees are shorter in full sun, but they develop a large, spreading crown. Beech tree leaves are about 6 inches (15 cm....
Bristlecone Pine Information Remarkable bristlecone pine trees grow in the mountains in the west. You’ll find them in New Mexico and Colorado, and across to the California-Nevada border. They grow in rocky, dry sites where conditions simply do not permit fast growth. And, in fact, they grow very slowly. A typical 14-year-old bristlecone pine tree growing in the wild is only about 4 feet (1.2 m.) tall. Bristlecone pine trees cannot be called classically beautiful, with their gnarled, twisted trunks, but they are certainly picturesque....
Can You Grow Beans in Autumn? Yes, fall bean crops are a great idea! Beans in general are easy to grow and yield bountiful harvests. Many people agree that the taste of a fall crop of green beans far surpasses that of spring planted beans. Most beans, with the exception of fava beans, are cold sensitive and thrive when temps are between 70-80 F. (21-27 C.) and soil temps at least 60 F....
How to Grow a Camellia in a Pot Growing camellias in containers is easy. Camellias prefer well-drained, acidic soil, preferably with a pH between 5.0 and 6.5. A commercial mix for rhododendrons or azaleas is perfect. Alternatively, make your own mix by mixing coarse peat moss or small pine bark with coarse sand in equal parts. Avoid fine peat moss, which tends to quickly become too dry or too wet and may lead to loss of the camellia....
What is Carolina Geranium? A close relative of the perennial cutleaf geranium (Geranium dissectum), Carolina geranium, also known as Carolina cranesbill, is a winter annual or biennial in some zones. Growing only 8 to 12 inches (20-31 cm.) tall, this hardy geranium is easily identified by its deeply lobed, palmate leaves, red-pink hairy stems, small, pale pink-lavender five petaled flowers that bloom in spring, and long tapered seed pods that resemble a crane’s beak....
Cephaleuros of Blackberry Very few species of algae infect plants, but one, Cephaleuros virescens, infects and causes damage in blackberry canes. When the infection is mild, it doesn’t cause much damage and the canes will still produce good fruit in abundance. However, when the infection spreads, it can girdle the canes or even cause splitting that allows other infections to set in, and ultimately this can damage the canes enough to kill them and severely limit the crop....
Grass Seed Considerations Grass seed that grows slowly, thickens easily, and discourages weeds or other pests is important for a healthy lawn. Grasses vary in color, appearance, and growth habits. Determine how much time or money you are willing to spend on your lawn. Higher-maintenance grasses mean more work for you and less money in your pocket. The type of grass seed you choose should be determined by the growing conditions of your landscape....
Is Horse Manure Good Fertilizer? Readily available in many rural areas or through reputable suppliers, horse manure makes a suitable and inexpensive fertilizer for plants. Horse manure can give new plants a jump start while providing essential nutrients for continual growth. It contains adequate amounts of organic matter and can be applied in various ways. It’s also slightly higher in nutritional value than cow or steer manure. How Do I Use Horse Manure as Fertilizer?...
Planting Poppies in Containers It is not difficult to grow poppies in containers as long as you plant them in the correct sized pot, use quality soil, and give them adequate light and water. Ask your local nursery to help you choose the variety of poppies you want. You can choose by color, height, and type of bloom – single, double or semi-double. Any medium-sized container is perfect as long as it has never contained chemicals or other toxic materials....
Spider Mite Detection Being able to effectively kill spider mites starts with good spider mite detection. Good spider mite detection starts with looking at the plant. The three most common signs of spider mites are: Yellow, tan, or white spots on the leaves of your plant. Very small white or red spots on the leaves that move (these are the mites themselves). White, cottony webbing that appears on the underside of the leaves....
With some proven planting techniques; however, gardeners may be able to reduce the occurrence of damage caused by deer. Planting deer resistant evergreen plants, for example, can help to create a beautiful green space all year long. Choosing Evergreens Deer Won’t Eat When planning a garden filled with deer proof evergreens, it is important to remember that there will always be an exception. Despite choosing deer proof evergreens for planting, these animals are known to feed on a wide range of plants during times of need....
Are There Any Zone 9 Plants Deer Won’t Eat? Deer are highly adaptive feeders. If their food of choice isn’t in season, they’ll just eat something else. This makes finding plants that deer won’t eat rather difficult. A better way of looking at tackling the problem is to find deer resistant plants for zone 9. This doesn’t mean they won’t nibble on them, but it does mean that they are less likely to....
Gardening with disabilities is not only possible, but it’s a great way to maintain one’s lifestyle and happiness during a time of physical adversity. Gardeners with disabilities are people who are very much attuned to the outdoors. Having a garden that’s suited to the needs of the disabled can be a vital part of recovery and care. What is an Enabled Garden? So what is an enabled garden? In much the same way homes and vehicles can be remodeled to accommodate people with various handicaps, so can a garden....
About The Fall Harvest Cornucopia While there is no formal record of cornucopia decorations at the original Thanksgiving holiday, horn of plenty decorations date back to the ancient Greeks and Romans. The word “cornucopia” is derived from the Latin words ‘cornu’ meaning horn and ‘copia’ meaning plenty. A fall harvest cornucopia was depicted in mythology as a symbolic accessory carried by gods and goddesses such as Hercules, Fortuna, and Demeter. The actual horn was Amalthea’s, the baby Zeus’s goat nurse....
What is Pleaching? What is pleaching? Pleaching is a very specific garden term. It refers to a way of interlacing young tree branches along a framework to produce a screen or hedge. The pleaching technique is a style of growing trees in a line with their branches tied together to form a plane above the trunk. Generally, the branches are tied onto a support to create tiers. Occasionally, they grow together as if they were grafted....
Do Cicadas Damage Trees? Cicadas can damage trees, but not in the ways you might think. The adults might feed on leaves, but not enough to cause any serious or lasting damage. The larvae drop to the ground and dig down to the roots where they feed until it’s time to pupate. While root-feeding robs the tree of nutrients that would otherwise help it grow, arborists have never documented any damage to the tree from this type of feeding....
What is Ferning Out? Ferning out in asparagus is sometimes confused with asparagus bolt. Many veggies will bolt during lengthy periods of hot weather. Meaning that plants such as lettuce, broccoli, or even rhubarb prematurely send up a flower stalk indicating the plant is finished for the season and has gone to seed. Asparagus bolt is really an incorrect term to describe what is actually happening to the asparagus patch, however....
How Does Lightning Help Plants You may be surprised to learn that a whopping 16 million thunderstorms form around our planet each year. These storms generate approximately 44 lightning strikes each second. Lightning transforms the nitrogen in our atmosphere into a form which is usable to plant life. Thinking back to your school days, you likely learned that the earth’s atmosphere is made up of 78 percent nitrogen. This gas is comprised of two strongly-bonded nitrogen atoms....
Is Colored Mulch Toxic? I sometimes encounter customers who ask, “Is colored mulch toxic?”. Most colored mulches are dyed with harmless dyes, like iron oxide-based dyes for red or carbon-based dyes for black and dark brown. Some cheap dyes, however, can be dyed with harmful or toxic chemicals. Generally, if the price of dyed mulch seems too good to be true, it probably is not good at all and you should spend the extra money on better quality and safer mulch....
Marigolds as Food Marigolds have an extensive history. They were revered by the Aztecs and used medicinally, ornamentally, and in religious rites. The Spanish and Portuguese explorers seized upon these golden blooms, not quite gold but golden nonetheless, and brought them back to Europe. There they were referred to as “Mary’s Gold” in deference to the Virgin Mary as well as a nod to their gilded hues. Marigolds are used in Pakistan and India to dye cloth and make flower garlands for harvest festivals....
