Healing with Plants It is foolish to pass up a visit to the doctor if you are seriously wounded. Nothing beats a tetanus shot for preventing that disease. However, there is definitely a place in the world for treatment using plants with healing properties. Once you’ve seen a doctor, you’ll want to follow their advice. You can also use herbs or other wound-healing plants to supplement the wound care process....
Yucca Growing Outdoors As it is a native of the southwestern United States, yucca thrives in soil that drains well and can be in full sun. It is also able to withstand temperatures as cold as 10 F. (-12 C.), so you can grow a yucca plant in many different climates. The creamy-white flowers bloom best in full sun, during mid to late summer, with some yucca growing as tall as 10 feet (3 m....
About Winesap Apples Mixing sweet and tart flavors, the flavor of Winesap apples has many of the qualities of a fine wine, resulting in the common name of the tree. It originated in New Jersey over 200 years ago and has won the loyalty of many gardeners since. What makes Winesap apples so appealing? The fruit itself is a draw, delicious and crunchy, yet keeping well in storage up to six months....
Accidental Herbicide Injury The type of injury can be determined by the time symptoms begin to show. Problems that appear right after new plants begin to germinate are often the result of carry-over from previous applications, high rates of application, shallow planting, and even poor timing. Herbicide plant damage that appears on mature plants may be due to drift, misapplication, high temperatures or humidity, incorrect treatment, and tank contamination. The home gardener will usually notice accidental herbicide injury on mature plants due to misapplication and timing....
What is Passive Composting? What is passive composting? It is add as you go composting, and the process is as it sounds. A passive compost pile will break down slower in cooler temperatures but the little bacteria and microbes will still do their work. The result takes longer than traditional methods but is a good way to reuse yard and kitchen scraps in the winter or cooler seasons. A passive compost pile allows you to use up yard and kitchen scraps as they occur....
Fish Plant Food Info Edible plants for fish should be sturdy and safe, and if you’re feeding fish plants in an aquarium, they should be attractive to look at, even when they’ve been nibbled on. Plants that fish eat should also be fast growing, but not so aggressive that they take over the water habitat. Plants That Fish Eat Below are a few ideas of edible plants for fish: Duckweed: Also known as “water lense,” duckweed is an attractive plant that grows quickly, especially if exposed to bright light....
If you’re planting trees to light up the yard in March or April, you’ll be interested to learn about the different types of flowering trees out there. Read on for an overview. Spring Flowering Trees When you are ready for spring flowering trees in your backyard, you may want to grab the first one you see in the garden store. But that kind of spontaneity may be unwise when it comes to selecting trees....
What is Begonia Aster Yellows Disease? Aster yellows disease on begonias is caused by a phytoplasma (formerly referred to as a mycoplasma) that is spread by leafhoppers. This bacterium-like organism causes virus-like symptoms in a huge host range of more than 300 plant species in 48 plant families. Symptoms of a Begonia with Aster Yellows The symptoms of aster yellows vary depending upon the host species combined with the temperature, age, and size of the infected plant....
Composting Plants and Biodynamic Gardening Compost is a great way to avoid waste and also to enrich your gardening, but some gardeners practice more intensive organic methods that include specifically growing plants for the compost pile. Basic composting is pretty simple, and it involves starting a pile of organic waste that can include food waste, grass clippings, twigs, and other garden waste. There are some important steps you have to take, such as turning your compost, but basically the recipe is to throw in whatever waste you have to hand....
Growing spinach inside is easier than you might think, especially baby varieties. Get some tips on indoor spinach plants and start planning your salad now. Can Spinach Grow Indoors? Spinach is a versatile green that is useful in salads, stews, soups, and stir fries. It is also quite easy to grow from seed. Most seeds will sprout in a week, and they grow rapidly, with leaves ready for use in a month....
Mesquite Pod Uses Are mesquite trees edible? Why, yes, they are, if you’re willing to put in a little elbow grease. Mesquite trees produce sweet seed pods which can be milled into flour. The seed pods should be harvested, when they are ripe, between the months of June and September (in the U.S.). It is recommended to harvest pods when they are dry and brittle, and to collect them directly from the tree branches in lieu of the ground to avoid contamination with fungi and bacteria....
About Coreopsis Overwintering Care of coreopsis in winter actually takes place during autumn. Once you’ve taken care of a few critical steps, you can stay indoors and enjoy a good book with the assurance that you, and your coreopsis plant, are snug and warm. The number one question when it comes to getting coreopsis plants ready for winter is “Should coreopsis be cut back in autumn?”. Many sources will tell you to cut coreopsis nearly to the ground in autumn....
Cherry Tree Borer Damage The larvae of the borers are responsible for cherry tree borer damage, as the pests feed on the wood, unlike other pests that feed on the plant juices or foliage. If your trees are affected by cherry tree wood borers, you may notice a gummy sap oozing from small holes in the trunk. The small holes are a sign of big trouble, as shot-hole borer larvae (adults are brown or black beetles with striped wings) create tunnels that block the free flow of nutrients and water....
Chinese Trumpet Creeper Plant Info Chinese trumpet creeper vines (Campus grandiflora) can be grown in USDA zones 6-9. They grow rapidly once established and can attain lengths of 13-30 feet (4-9 m.) in an ideally sunny area. This vigorous woody vine bears blossoms in the early summer in a profusion of 3-inch (7.5 cm.), red or orange blossoms. The trumpet-shaped flowers are borne off of new growth beginning in early June and the profusion lasts for about a month....
Chir Pine Information Chir pine, also known as Indian Longleaf pine, is common to the most southern U.S. forests, although it is native to the Himalayas, where it is widely used for lumber. Needles of Pinus roxburghii are long and deciduous during dry seasons, but they usually remain on the tree for the better part of the year. Evergreen and coniferous, the trunk can grow to 6 feet (2 m.) around....
How to Grow Chrysanthemums in the Garden Growing mums successfully in the garden first depends on choosing the right chrysanthemum flowers. Attractive florist mums are sold widely, but are not suitable for growing in the garden as they have a limited root system. Caring for potted mums is another worthwhile endeavor for the gardener should this be the case. The right chrysanthemum flowers for your garden will come from a diverse selection of hardy or garden mums....
Growing Nut Trees in Zone 3 There are three common zone 3 tree nuts: walnuts, hazelnuts, and pecans. There are two species of walnut that are cold-hardy nut trees and can both be grown in zones 3 or warmer. Given protection, they can even be attempted in zone 2, although the nuts may not fully ripen. The first species is the black walnut (Juglans nigra) and the other is butternut, or white walnut, (Juglans cinerea)....
Avoiding Problems with Sycamore Trees Sycamore trees are vulnerable to diseases and insect pests, just like almost every variety of tree you can plant. Experts advise that you keep your tree healthy, with good cultural practices, as a first line of defense against problems with sycamore trees. Generally, the healthier and more vital the tree, the less it will experience sycamore tree problems. However, even well placed, irrigated, and fertilized sycamore trees can get some pests and diseases....
White Scale on Crepe Myrtles Adult white scale is a tiny gray or whitish pest easily identified by its waxy, crust-like covering. It can appear anywhere but is often seen on branch crotches or near pruning wounds. If you look closely under the waxy covering, you may notice clusters of pink eggs or tiny nymphs, which are known as “crawlers.” Female pests exude a pinkish liquid when crushed. How to Treat Crepe Myrtle Bark Scale Crepe myrtle bark scale treatment may require several different techniques, and management of the pest requires persistence....
The Problem with Cutting Back Cedar Trees The problem with trimming a cedar tree is that every cedar has a dead zone in the center of the canopy. The new green growth is dense. It blocks the sunlight from the older growth beneath and without light, it dies. The outer green growth does not extend very deep into the tree. If you are pruning cedar trees and you cut branches back into the dead zone, they will not regrow....
