Is Dog Urine on the Grass Really the Problem? Believe it or not, dog urine is not as damaging as many people believe it is. Sometimes you may blame the dog for brown or yellow spots in the lawn when in fact it is a grass fungus causing the problem. To determine if dog urine is killing the lawn or if it’s a grass fungus, simply pull up on the affected grass....
Ericaceous Compost Info What is ericaceous compost? In simple terms, it is compost suitable for growing acid-loving plants. Plants for acidic compost (ericaceous plants) include: Rhododendron Camellia Cranberry Blueberry Azalea Gardenia Pieris Hydrangea Viburnum Magnolia Bleeding heart Holly Lupine Juniper Pachysandra Fern Aster Japanese maple How to Make Compost Acidic While there’s no ‘one size fits all’ ericaceous compost recipe, as it depends on the current pH of each individual pile, making compost for acid-loving plants is much like making regular compost....
Gray Dogwood Information Gray dogwood (Cornus racemosa) is rangy and even a little scraggly, with suckers springing up all around it. The fall leaves are dark reddish purple, and while the color is interesting, you wouldn’t call it attractive. The white winter berries only last a short time and don’t add much to the appearance of the shrub. Although you may not want to plant it in a formal garden, it is right at home in a wildlife area or a location with poor, wet soil....
In addition to enjoying its attractive, fuzzy foliage, the leaves can be used as a “band-aid” of sorts for healing wounds and in helping painful bee stings. Growing Lamb’s Ear As long as you provide suitable conditions, growing lamb’s ear in the garden is simple. It’s hardy in USDA plant hardiness zones 4-8, and the plant’s Middle East origins make it superb for growing in drought-like conditions. In fact, lamb’s ear plants are tolerant enough to grow almost anywhere....
Eye-catching indoor hanging baskets include trailing houseplants such as pothos, heart-leaf philodendron, English ivy, and lipstick plant. Many ferns also gently spill over a basket edge, creating a flowing effect. A succulent hanging basket can feature one or more succulents, combining trailing plants with erect plants. Trailing succulents such as burro’s tail or fishbone cactus have the added bonus of not needing much water. Hanging Plant Baskets Containers for hanging basket houseplants run the gamut from plastic-lined woven baskets to plastic, ceramic, or even terracotta containers....
About Cashew Harvesting When cashew nuts form, they appear growing out of the bottom of a big swollen fruit. The fruit, called a cashew apple, isn’t really a fruit at all, but is actually the swollen end of the stem just above the cashew nut. Each apple is paired with a single nut, and the visual effect is pretty bizarre. The apples and nuts will form in the winter or dry season....
When are Persimmons Ripe? American persimmons grow wild throughout a large area of the rural United States, from the Ozarks to the southern Gulf States up into parts of Michigan and the Great Lakes. They produce fruit that is plum sized and quite astringent unless fully ripe and soft. Oriental persimmons are a little larger, the size of a peach, and are not nearly as hardy as the native varieties. Oriental persimmons are of two types: astringent and non-astringent....
How to Plant Hollyhocks The first thing to understand is how to plant hollyhocks. Hollyhocks need full sun and moist, rich, well drained soil. The mistake many novice hollyhock growers make is to plant this flower in soil that’s too dry. If you are planting seeds, sow them outside about a week before last frost. If you are planting seedlings out, wait about two to three weeks after last frost. Hollyhock seeds only need to be planted right below the soil, no more than 1/4-inch (....
The flavor of the fruit is quite similar to Golden Delicious, only a bit blander. One source describes it as Golden Delicious with honey on it. Fruits have greenish yellow skin and are ready to pick in October. Growing Honeygold Apples Learning how to grow Honeygold apples is similar to growing other apple tree varieties. Apple trees are easy to grow and keep at a relatively small size with regular winter pruning....
Is Ruellia Invasive? Although plenty of gardeners have cultivated Ruellia brittoniana over the years, it has since escaped home gardens and become classified as an invasive plant in nine states, stretching from South Carolina to Texas. Due to its adaptability and rapid reproduction, Mexican petunia has managed to supplant native species in many areas and across several types of natural communities. If you want to cultivate this plant, it’s still okay to do so, provided you purchase sterile specimens from your nursery....
Chinese Vegetable Gardening Perhaps some of your family hails from China and you grew up enjoying many of their traditional veggie dishes. Now you’d like to bring some of those fond memories home by growing them in your own garden. Growing most Chinese vegetables isn’t complicated since they generally have similar growing requirements as their western counterparts. The major exceptions are water vegetables, which require conditions not found in most western gardens....
How to Use Patterned Plants Plants with variegated leaves need to be used strategically for the greatest effect. Here are some tips that can help: Add a dark background: Show off plants with variegated leaves by planting them in front of a background of contrasting color, such as an evergreen hedge or dark wall. Think about how variegated foliage works together. For instance, plants with pale white or yellow markings really pop amidst foliage with near-black, deep purple or dark green variegations....
Humilis Buckeye Info Aesculus pavia ‘Humilis’ is a dwarf form of the red buckeye tree. The red buckeye is a true tree, but a small one that grows to about 15 to 20 feet (5-6 m.) tall when cultivated, a little taller in the wild. This tree is most desirable for the showy spikes of deep red flowers it produces in the spring. Not only do they add color to the garden, but they also attract hummingbirds....
What is a Snailarium? Your snailarium is where you house pet garden snails. Pretty much an enclosure, some substrate, a food set up, and a water bowl are all you need. Pet garden snails aren’t fussy about their home but you can dress it up a bit to make it seem more natural. Adding plants, rocks, sticks or other organic material will make the container homier. Just avoid items that are sharp, as this could hurt the soft belly and foot of the snail....
Drought-Tolerant Plants for Zone 8 Growing zone 8 plants in dry gardens is easy when you know the best types to choose. Below you will find some of the more commonly grown zone 8 drought tolerant plants. Perennials Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia spp.) – Black-eyed Susan have bright, golden yellow blooms with black centers contrast with deep green foliage. Yarrow (Achillea spp.) – Yarrow is a showy native plant with fern-like leaves and clusters of tightly-packed blooms in a huge range of intense colors....
Ginger with Brown Leaves Ginger plants can be charming and exotic houseplants and garden plants; their hardy nature makes them welcome in a wide range of environments. Although they suffer few serious problems, they do complain loudly when they’re not getting what they need, with the results often being browning ginger leaves. Brown leaves on a ginger plant isn’t usually a sign that your plant is doomed, but it is a sign you should take a careful look at the conditions where it’s growing....
Narcissus Plant Info Daffodils all fall under the botanical name, Narcissus. Narcissus also often refers to the smaller variety of daffodils. Regionally, jonquils may be called daffodils, but this is botanically incorrect. There are 13 divisions of daffodils, or Narcissus. Each division has special classifications and specific Narcissus plant info that delineates which class each species falls into. Is jonquil a Narcissus? Yes. Daffodil bulbs are Narcissus and jonquils are Narcissus....
What is Peach Scab? Fruit growers in the southeastern United States continuously battle with a fungus known as scab. Scab also occurs on apricots and nectarines. Peach scab disease affects the fruit, leaves, and young twigs. Damp conditions during the spring and early summer encourage leaf scab development. Low-lying, moist, and shady areas with poor air circulation are hit the hardest. The fungus that causes scab (Cladosporium carpophilum) overwinters in twigs that were infected in the previous season....
Corkscrew Rush-Juncus Effuses Info This is one of those plants that just makes you smile, with the unruly foliage that springs unbridled from a cluster of stems. Corkscrew rush is a cultivar of a plant native to Japan. This horticultural hybrid was bred for the whimsical foliage. The round blades twist gently from the base all the way up to the top of the foliage. Deep green leaves often bear some striping, providing showy plants for partially shady areas....
What is Persian Ivy? Persian ivy’s leaves are heart shaped, making for an attractive vertical display and earning it the common name My Heart. The vine clings by aerial rootlets and can cover a fence or a wall. Originating in Turkey, Persian ivy’s spherical greenish white or yellow flowers appear in autumn. Some types are native to Southern Caucasus on the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea and Black Sea near the Caucasus Mountains....
