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What is a Rugosa Rose? Also known as Japanese rose, rugosa rose bushes are beloved for their adaptability and floriferous habit. Quickly forming dense thickets of growth, these bushes are especially attractive to pollinators. Flowers, usually ranging in shades of white, pink, and red, bloom profusely early in the summer season and continue until the fall. Beyond flowering, these rose bushes create large quantities of brightly colored rose hips. These hips add considerable ornamental value from fall into winter....

About Red Fescue Grass What is Red Fescue? Creeping red fescue grass (Festuca rubra) is a perennial lawn grass in USDA planting zones 1-7 and an annual grass in zones 8-10. Native to Europe, this cool season grass needs moist soil until it is established. However, once it is established, it has a very deep root system and is very resistant to wear and drought. Red fescue has very fine blades and a very attractive emerald green color when well irrigated....

About Fig Tree Insect Pests Among common pest insects of figs, the fig borers (family Ceramycidae) are unquestionably the most annoying and frustrating to manage. These long-horned beetles lay their eggs under the fig bark near the base of the trunk in early summer, giving their larvae plenty of time to develop before cooler temperatures set in. At about two weeks old, the white grub-like larvae will begin to bore into the wood of infected figs, where they quickly take up residence....

When to Plant Mint Seeds Mint is a culinary herb of the Mediterranean and Asian regions. It is featured prominently in many recipes from savory to sweet and even in beverages. It is a hardy perennial herb and grows quickly, often becoming invasive. There are over 3,500 varieties with special characteristics which makes variety selection important. Once you have your cultivar, sowing mint seeds at the right time will ensure a big, beautiful crop of this versatile herb....

Why Does Heather Bloom in Winter? Heather is a low-growing, flowering evergreen shrub. Heather that flowers in winter is likely Erica carnea (actually a type of winter-blooming heath), which grows in USDA plant hardiness zones 5 through 7. Some sources indicate Erica carnea survives in zone 4, and maybe even zone 3 with adequate protection. Alternatively, your winter-blooming heather may be Erica darleyensis, which is hardy to zone 6, or possibly even zone 5 with winter protection....

Outdoor Heater Ideas If you have only just begun looking into this, you may be surprised to discover how many outdoor heating solutions are available. You should be able to find something to suit your garden or patio, your preferences, and your budget. Here are some ideas and categories of outdoor heater: Gas Heater. The most common outdoor heater for patios is the type that takes a 20-pound liquid propane tank....

About Cherry Trees for Zone 3 Before you dive in and buy a cold hardy zone 3 cherry tree, there are a few things to consider. First of all, make sure you are identifying your correct USDA zone. USDA zone 3 has minimum temperatures that reach between 30-40 degrees F. (-34 to -40 C.) on average. These conditions are found in the far northern hemisphere and the tip of South America....

White Berry Bushes A bush with white berries is not that common, but you can find a few types with this unusual fruit color: Beautyberry. This shrub describes a family of multiple varieties native to Asia, Central America, and southeastern North America. American beautyberry, Callicarpa americana, is known for its striking, bright purple berries, but you can also find white cultivars of a few species. These include the C. dichotoma cultivar ‘Albifructus’ and the C....

What is a Biofungicide? A biofungicide is made up of beneficial fungi and bacteria that colonize and assail plant pathogens, thereby thwarting the diseases they cause. These microorganisms are commonly and naturally found in soil, making them an environmentally friendly alternative to chemical fungicides. Additionally, using biofungicides in gardens as an incorporated disease management program reduces the risk of pathogens becoming resistant to chemical fungicides. How Do Biofungicides Work? Biofungicides control other microorganisms in the four following ways:...

If you aren’t familiar with room-cooling fruit and vegetables, you may have questions such as what is room cooling or how does room cooling work? Read on for an overview of the room cooling system. What is Room Cooling? It’s not easy to transport fresh produce from the hot fields in which they grow to the marketplace while keeping the quality high and the spoilage rate low. And it’s no different in larger backyard gardens or orchards....

African Violet Sucker Propagation Exactly what are African violet pups? Pups, also known as suckers, are miniature plants that grow from the base of the mother plant. A pup grows from the plant’s main stem– not from a leaf or the crown. A mature African violet might have one pup or it may have several. Removing suckers is a good way to propagate a new plant, but it also keeps the mother plant healthy, as suckers can rob the plant of nutrients and energy, thus reducing flowering and shortening the life of the plant....

What is an African Water Fern? Fish keepers will know the Bolbitis water fern, or African fern (Bolbitis heudelotii). It is a tropical shade epiphyte found around bodies of water and boggy regions. The fern is a robust specimen and useful as a natural plant in fish tanks. It will grow on a rock or piece of wood, which helps anchor the plant to the floor of the tank or even the wall....

Determining which animals are the culprit and, more importantly, how to control them will be essential to a successful start to the garden season. Read on for tips on what to do about small animals eating seedlings in your garden. What Animal is Eating My Seedlings? While garden seeds are commonly eaten by mice, most seedlings are damaged by voles, chipmunks, rabbits, or squirrels. To determine the small animals eating seedlings in your own garden, it will be important to observe the area carefully....

What is Apricot Armillaria Root Rot? This disease is a fungal infection and is also known as apricot mushroom root rot and apricot oak root rot. The fungal species that causes the disease is called Armillaria mellea and it deeply infects the roots of the tree, spreading through fungal networks to the healthy roots of other trees. In affected orchards, trees tend to die in a circular pattern as the fungus makes its way further outward each season....

Unfortunately, it has a rough, unattractive appearance that can invade green lawns. Control of bahiagrass is important in lawns to minimize competition. Bahiagrass control is achieved with a two-prong method of cultural and chemical means. Recognizing Bahia Grass The Y-shaped seed heads it produces easily identify bahiagrass. Unfortunately, the species is at its most invasive by the time you see the seeds. Control of bahiagrass rests on identification of the plant....

Bracken Fern Information Bracken fern uses may be somewhat limited in the garden, but once you’ve found the right spot and the proper use for them, they are easy to get started. Growing bracken fern in gardens is often not a good idea because it can usually outcompete other plants growing in the same area. Bracken ferns in gardens and other areas are attractive plants with delicate-looking fronds. Plants normally reach from 3 to 4 feet (1 m....

What is a Camperdown Elm Tree? Camperdown is a weeping elm tree with gorgeous twisted branches and dense foliage. Camperdown elm information tells us that the tree only grows to 25 feet (7.5 m.) tall, but can spread even wider than its height. The tree you’ll find in commerce in this country is generally a Camperdown weeping elm crown grafted to an Ulmus americana rootstock. Camperdown elm information gives you an idea of why the tree is so popular....

Hand pollinating stone fruit trees is not as unusual as you might think. Some gardeners self-pollinate trees that can pollinate themselves just to be sure of getting a good crop. Read on for information about how to hand pollinate stone fruit. Understanding Stone Fruit Hand Pollination Gardeners rely heavily on honeybees, bumblebees, and mason bees to pollinate their fruit trees. But, in a pinch, it’s entirely possible to fertilize the blossoms of some types of fruit trees yourself....

Planting American Chestnut Trees in Landscapes Before you go about planting American chestnut trees (Castanea dentata), you should have a little American chestnut tree information. American chestnut trees used to be found all over the eastern United States. In 1904, however, a fungus all but wiped them out. The fungus is difficult to manage. It can take ten years to appear, at which time, it kills the aboveground part of the tree....

Cereal Cyst Nematode Info Nematodes are tiny worms, often roundworms and cutworms. Some are free-living, feeding on plant materials such as wheat, oats, and barley. These can cause extreme damage and make crops unsaleable. Yellowing patches above ground can indicate you have this nematode in the crop. Roots may be swollen, ropey, or knotted with shallow growth. Small white cysts on the root system are female nematodes, loaded with hundreds of eggs....