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Sticky Stuff on Orchids Many people who are new to growing orchids panic at the first sight of any sticky stuff on orchids. Avid gardeners know that sticky substances on plants are oftentimes the secretions, or ‘honeydew,’ of insect pests such as aphids, mealybugs, or scale insects. Although these pests certainly can cause a sticky substance on orchid plants, there is a natural sap that is produced by some orchid flowers and buds....

Nectarine Harvest Season Knowing exactly when to pick a nectarine isn’t as simple as looking at the calendar. Nectarine harvest season runs anywhere from midsummer to mid-autumn, depending upon the cultivar and USDA growing zone. So what are some of the characteristics of ripeness that will indicate it is time for nectarine tree harvesting? How to Harvest Nectarines Nectarines can be picked when they are close to being ripe and then ripened indoors in a brown paper bag or on the counter....

Choosing Nut Trees for Zone 5 Many nuts would be perfect for the cold winters and warm growing seasons in zone 5 if it weren’t for the possibility of an early warm spell followed by another freeze. During a warm spell, the buds on a tree begin to swell, and refreezing damages or kills the nut buds. Nuts such as almonds and pecans may not die, but they won’t fill out completely....

Winter Plant Care How to keep plants alive over winter (by overwintering plants in pots indoors) means you first have to make room for the plants, which is sometimes easier said than done. Although you may have enough room in certain locations in your house, if the plants don’t receive enough light, they may begin to decline. Tip: Before bringing plants indoors, install some hanging basket hooks or shelves in front of bright windows....

Peach Trees in Winter Peach tree winter care starts by choosing a variety of peach that is rated hardy enough for your climate. A common mistake is to buy a generic peach only to find out it is only hardy to zone 9 and your zone is a 7. Peach trees in winter are exposed to a lot of stress. Choose a site on your land that is not overly exposed to wind, flooding, or full winter sun (to avoid winter scald)....

Cooking with pecans is, of course, the most common of pecan uses, but there are other ways of using pecans. If you are lucky enough to have access to a pecan tree, read on to learn how to use pecans. What to Do with Pecans When we think of pecans, we may think of eating the nuts, but many species of wildlife also enjoy not only the pecan fruit, but foliage as well....

Planting Coconut Trees To start to grow a coconut plant, begin with a fresh coconut that still has the husk on it. When you shake it, it still should sound like it has water in it. Soak it in water for two to three days. After the coconut has soaked, place it in a container filled with well-draining potting soil. It is best to mix in a little sand or vermiculite to make sure the soil you will be growing coconut trees in drains well....

Can You Grow Grocery Store Herbs? There are a few types of herbs you’ll see at the grocery store: fresh cuttings with no roots, small bundles of herbs with some roots still attached, and small potted herbs. With the right strategy, you can potentially take any one of these and turn them into a new plant for your home herb garden, but the simplest to grow are the potted herbs from the grocery store....

Can I Replant My Ponytail Palm? It is entirely possible to repot or transplant a ponytail palm, no matter how large it is. You can undertake ponytail palm replanting yourself, as long as you follow the general guidelines. Transplanting large ponytail palms, however, requires the assistance of many strong arms and even a tractor. If you have a potted ponytail palm, consider well before moving it to a bigger pot. Potted ponytail palms are happiest when root-bound....

What Causes Sweet Pea Bud Drop? We all hate to see the sweet pea flowers falling off, but it’s even more distressing when the buds drop off before the flowers begin to bloom. Insect invasions and plant diseases don’t cause sweet pea bud drop. It’s simply the result of the weather and environment. You can expect to see sweet peas dropping buds when night temperatures below 30 degrees Fahrenheit (-1 C....

Pruning an Empress Tree The royal empress tree is dramatic and impressive, with large, heart-shaped leaves and lavender flowers. Since blossoms appear before the leaves open, they are especially showy and impressive. The royal empress tree grows extremely fast, up to 15 feet (4.5 m.) per year. One result of that speedy development is weak wood that is vulnerable to breakage. Poor collar formation can also make branches vulnerable to breaking off at the branch crotch....

Aporocactus Rat Tail Cactus Facts Rat tail cactus is a trailing plant that sends out long stems with short, fine spines. The overall color of the plant is green when young but the stems age to an almost beige color. Flowers are rare but when they arrive, they are a glorious bright pink to red hue. Blooms are up to 3 inches (8 cm.) long, tube-shaped, and arise on mature stems....

If you are wondering what to do for West Coast gardening in October, we’re here to tell you. Read on for your very own regional to-do list. Regional To-Do List Your October garden tasks include harvesting the fruits and vegetables you worked so hard on during the summer growing season. In the West, this includes apples— that should be stored at 40 degrees F. (5 C.), potatoes (that must go into storage in a dark area), and pumpkins (just in time for Halloween)....

About Ruby Cherry Plum Tree Is it a plum or is it a cherry? If you can’t tell, it is likely a cherry plum. Ruby cherry plum trees are an example of early season fruits that are partially self-fruitful. Better yields will come with a pollinating partner, but you can grow the tree without another plum variety nearby and still get small crops. The cherry plum ‘Ruby’ is an outstanding variety that needs little maintenance or special care if situated correctly....

Growing Roses in Zone 7 I often suggest growing roses to my landscape customers. This suggestion is sometimes met with great protest because roses sometimes have a reputation of being high maintenance. Not all roses require extra care though. There are six main types of roses for zone 7 gardens: Hybrid tea Floribunda Grandiflora Climbers Miniature Shrub roses Hybrid tea roses produce florist and show quality roses. They are the type that require the most care and maintenance but often offer gardeners the greatest reward....

Read on to learn about fairy gardening in the shade. Fairy Gardening in the Shade More and more people are living in condos, small bungalows, and even tiny houses. This means that their garden spaces are often equally tiny, perfect for a fairy garden, and some of these are in shade. Good news, though. Many of the miniature plants available are aptly suited for shady conditions, which mean finding shade plants for a fairy garden is not only simple but lots of fun....

What is Sneezeweed? Sneezeweed plants (Helenium autumnale) produce pretty little daisy-like flowers, sometimes in shades of pale yellow and sometimes in rich, autumn shades such as gold and reddish brown. The flowers cover 3 to 5 foot (1-1.5 m.) tall mounds of foliage for about three months in the fall. Aside from the name, sneezeweed’s reputation suffers from the fact that it blooms at the same time as some of our worst fall allergy plants....

Lawn Spurweed Information Spurweed plants, also known as lawn burweed, are found in ditches, meadows, turf, roadsides, and damaged plots. The plants are low growing and produce long, rangy stems filled with hairy leaves and sticky stems. The stems have purple mottling and alternate palmate leaves. Spurweed is predominant in the warmer climates of the United States and emerges in winter as an annual plant. In late spring the real nuisance begins when the plant sets fruit....

Keeping kids busy and entertained is important to their health and well being. Creating art for the solstice is just one way to teach them about the seasonal change while also keeping them occupied. Drawing is a simple craft, or you can get more creative and develop more intricate summer solstice projects. Solstice with kids is an opportunity to celebrate the best part of the year and make art that will last for years....

Ideas for a Thanksgiving Fairy Garden If you already have a fairy garden, changing it over to a fall theme could be as easy as switching out a few of the fairy garden decorations. Making a new Thanksgiving fairy garden is a lot more fun though! To start, choose a vessel to house the fairy garden. Try these seasonal ideas to inspire your creativity: Cornucopia shaped basket – Use a coir planter liner, trimmed to fit....