Posts

Common Dahlia Diseases Below you will find the most common diseases in dahlia plants: Powdery mildew – This fungal disease is easy to spot by a mealy, powdery growth that appears on leaves, usually late in the growing season. Although powdery mildew is rarely fatal, it can definitely affect the appearance of the plant. Botrytis blight – A fungal disease commonly known as gray mold, botrytis blight is initially evidenced by brown, water-soaked spots that enlarge and develop a fuzzy, gray or tan mold as the disease progresses....

Facts on Veltheimia Plants Veltheimia lilies are bulb plants of the cape of Africa. They look quite different from other bulb flowers. Those differences have earned them a variety of common names including winter Veltheimia, forest lily, sand onion, sand lily, red hot poker, and elephant’s eye. Different species of Veltheimia lilies bloom at different times. Forest lilies (Veltheimia bracteata) bloom in the late winter or early spring, while Veltheimia capensis blooms in autumn and winter....

Ways to Kill Your Grass Naturally There are many reasons to get rid of grass in the landscape. The trick is in how to kill grass naturally without resorting to dangerous chemical preparations. The good news is that there are several natural ways to kill grass, all using items normally found in the home. Once the deed is done, you will be left with a safe, weed, and grass free zone ready for planting....

About Aquatic Limnophila It is very common that exotic plants arrive in an area and then become nuisances when they overpopulate wild regions and out compete native plants. Limnophila plants are just such aliens. There are over 40 varieties in the genus, which are either perennial or annual. They grow in wet conditions and are very uncomplaining and low maintenance. Growing Limnophila in aquariums is a common scenario. Since they do well in such conditions and need little specialized care, they make excellent cover for fish....

About the Lungwort Flower Lungwort (Pulmonaria spp.) gets its name from the fact that herbalists from long ago thought the leaves of the plant looked like a lung and therefore would treat lung disorders. The less-than-attractive name has stuck, but they also are referred to as Bethlehem sage, Jerusalem cowslip, spotted dog, and soldiers and sailors. Lungwort plants are most often grown for their interesting leaves, which are green with random white spots, looking as though someone liberally splashed bleach on them....

If you’re interested in the making of chocolate, read on to learn how to process cacao pods. About Cacao Bean Preparation Proper processing of cacao beans is as important as that of coffee beans, and just as time consuming and complex. The first order of business is harvesting. Cocoa trees bear fruit when they are three to four years old. The pods grow straight out from the trunk of the tree and can yield 20 to 30 pods per year....

How to Grow a Cress Head Cress seeds grow very quickly and are a magical way to show seed to food production in a truly short time. Once the plants have grown, they may be eaten, with the resulting “haircuts” as part of the fun! Some tips on how to grow a cress head will get you and your family on their way to enjoying this little growing project. You can make cress heads in spent eggshells, coir pots, or almost anything else that can be grown in, including egg cartons....

Propagating money trees isn’t difficult if you follow a few guidelines. If you are interested in learning about money tree propagation, read on. About Money Tree Reproduction Money trees get their catchy nickname from a feng shui belief that the tree is lucky as well as a legend that cultivating the plant brings great fortune. The young trees have flexible trunks that are often braided together to “lock in” the financial luck....

For example, it is possible to examine the trees around you to determine a rough estimate of direction. Plant leaves can give you an idea of north and south. While navigating with plants may not be an exact science, you never know when this invaluable knowledge will come in handy. It could even save a life if someone is lost without a map or compass. Natural Navigation Tips Learn how to find your way with plants by unlocking the secrets of nature....

Growing Crocus in Lawns If you’re thinking about growing crocus in the yard, there are several things to consider. If you like a lawn that is luxurious, lush, and heavily fertilized, planting handfuls of crocus may be a waste of time because the bulbs have little chance of competing with a stand of thick grass. If you’re fussy about your lawn and you like it perfectly manicured, you may not be happy with the little guys popping up all over the place....

Nature Crafts for Kids You’ll probably find plenty of inspiration for kid’s garden projects in your own backyard or you may want to take your kids on a socially distanced nature walk around your neighborhood or local park. Here are three imaginative children’s activities for autumn: Fun with Terrariums Terrariums are fun projects for kids of any age. A quart or one-gallon jar works well, or you can use an old goldfish bowl or aquarium....

Tips for Choosing a Shade Tree Whether you’re planting shade trees for Central U.S. or Ohio Valley gardening, local plant shops and nurseries are a handy source for trees suitable for your climate. While the criteria gardeners use when choosing a shade tree is similar to other types of gardening plants, it’s important to remember that a tree is a long-term landscaping investment. When selecting a shade tree for Ohio Valley areas or Central U....

About Othonna ‘Little Pickles’ Othonna capensis is a fairly slow-growing evergreen succulent. ‘Little Pickles’ is so named for its one-inch (2.5 cm.), pudgy, blue-green leaves that do, indeed, resemble tiny pickles. Indigenous to the Drakensberg Mountains of South Africa, the plant grows in low-growing clumps of about 4 inches (10 cm.) in height and a foot (30.5 cm.) across. Yellow, daisy-like blooms emerge and wave cheerily an inch (2.5 cm.) or so from above the foliage....

Why Are My Leaves Dry and Paper Like? Below are the most common reasons for papery spots on leaves and how to fix them: Lack of moisture – Papery leaves on plants are often caused by leaf scorch. This is a distinct possibility if the crispy, dry appearance shows up on leaf tips first, then progresses to the entire leaf. This often happens during hot, dry weather when moisture evaporates before the plant can absorb it through the roots....

Partridgeberry Facts Partridgeberry information tells us that the vine is native to North America. It grows in the wild from Newfoundland to Minnesota and south to Florida and Texas. Partridgeberry might have more common names than any other vine, however, so you may know the plant by another name. The vine is also called squaw vine, deerberry, checkerberry, running box, winter clover, one berry, and twinberry. The name partridgeberry came from the belief in Europe that the berries were eaten by partridges....

Of course, over years of attempts, we’ve learned a few tricks to keep the weeds at bay. In addition to pulling, digging, and spraying with homemade weed killers, there’s another simple tool we might add to our weed-killing toolbelt – boiling water weed control. It makes sense, as even those irritating weeds cannot exist after being scalded. If you’re new to using boiling water in the garden, you may have questions or wonder if this method really works....

Passion Flower Vine Problems All passion flowers are frost tender. They must be protected in the winter. They are also susceptible to soil-borne diseases, fungi, viruses, bacteria, and nematodes. One of the issues affecting passion flower vines is that the sweet-tasting, purple-fruited subspecies are highly susceptible to the root-knot nematode. Root-knot nematode causes a severe thickening of the roots and even death. Fortunately, the more acidic, yellow-fruited subspecies are resistant to nematodes and can be used for rootstock and disease-resistant hybridization....

How to Trim a Basil Plant Basil is grown for its flavorful leaves, which can be used fresh or dried. However, there is no comparison, and fresh is better than dried. There are a number of different varieties of basil, with the most common being Sweet Basil, used to make magnificent pesto sauce. Basil is a very easy herb to grow and can be started indoors in flats or outside in the garden after the danger of the last frost has passed....

How Do I Get Rid of a Yucca Plant? Unbeknownst to many people, getting rid of yucca plants is not a one-time deal. In fact, simply digging them up or cutting them down may not always be enough. Yucca plants have an extensive root system and will continue to grow long after the plant has been removed. For instance, where one yucca plant is dug up, numerous yucca sprouts may appear again and again....

Southern Magnolia Facts Magnolias are named after French botanist Pierre Magnol. He spotted the trees and liked them so much that he brought some to Europe three centuries ago. Before you start growing southern magnolias, you need to realize that your slender saplings will mature into very large trees. Check the size of your planting site before you proceed. These trees grow to a height of 80 feet (24 m.) tall with a spread of some 40 feet (12 m....