Manganese Deficiency in Palms Sometimes the soil just doesn’t have enough manganese. Other times manganese deficient sagos are seen in soils with a pH that is too high (too alkaline) or too low (too acidic) and sandy. This makes it too difficult for the soil to retain manganese. It is also more difficult for the sago palm to absorb manganese when the pH is off. Sandy soils also have a hard time retaining nutrients....
Self-Heal Weed Control Self-heal is also referred to as healall, carpenter’s weed, wild sage, or just prunella weed. Whatever you call it, the fact remains that it thrives in grassy areas and is most certainly the bane of the obsessive lawn manicurist. Managing self-heal plants, or rather eradicating them, is a difficult task. The weed is stoloniferous with a creeping habitat and shallow fibrous root system. Prior to managing self-heal plants, you need to make a clear identification of the weed since all weeds are not created equal and control methods will vary....
How to Shade Plants in the Garden Using shade cloth in gardens is a great way to provide shade for plants. Shade cloth comes in a variety of materials of different weights, strengths, and colors, including UV-stabilized polyethylene covers, aluminum shade cloth, and netting. All are available in most garden centers. For vegetable gardens planted in rows, you can use floating row covers made of garden fabric. The shade cover material is lightweight and safe to drape directly over plants such as carrots or cabbage....
Planting Fast Growing Gardens Consider growing all or at least part of your flowers, fruits, or veggies in containers so you can move them along with you. If this is not feasible for your situation, get a ground bed ready for planting. Find an area with rich soil in full to part sun. Weed it, remove rocks, then till several inches (8 cm.) deep. Add compost and further break up the ground as you work it in for your short-term gardening project....
Skunk Cabbage Facts So what is skunk cabbage? Skunk cabbage is a perennial wildflower that grows in swampy, wet areas of forest lands. This unusual plant sprouts very early in the spring, and has an odd chemistry that creates its own heat, often melting the snow around itself as it first sprouts in the spring. While the first sprout, a pod-like growth, looks like something out of a science-fiction movie, the skunk cabbage is a plain-looking green plant once the leaves appear....
What are Soil Borne Pathogens? All soil ecosystems contain various soil borne organisms. It is not until these organisms in the soil are able to infect plants via suitable conditions or susceptibility that they begin to cause issues for garden crops. Pathogens are organisms in the soil that cause problems or disease. Diseases caused by soil borne pathogens can impact plants in a variety of ways. While pre-emergent pathogens can cause damping off or failure of seedlings to thrive, other organisms in the soil may cause issues within the root zone or crown of plants....
What is Souring of Fruit? Fruit souring in plants is a very common problem and appears frequently in citrus, figs, and grapes. It’s caused by a variety of soil-borne yeasts that gain entry through the skins of ripening fruits, where they feed, resulting in the fruit’s fermentation. Wounds may be so small that they’re difficult to see with the naked eye, but soon water-soaked spots appear and spread across the infected fruit’s surface....
Growing Different Types of Spinach Why not just grow one variety? Because there are so many great options out there to discover. And, if you plant multiple spinach plant types, you can get an extended and ongoing harvest. Different varieties have different maturation times and best conditions in which to plant, so you can grow them in succession and potentially get fresh spinach from spring through fall. Of course, another reason to grow multiple varieties is simply to get different flavors and textures....
Staking an Amaryllis You’ll have to start staking an amaryllis when the stems threaten to topple under the weight of the flowers. This is especially likely if you are growing a cultivar that offers large, double blossoms, like ‘Double Dragon.’ The idea behind staking amaryllis plants is to provide them with amaryllis support stakes that are stronger and sturdier than the stems themselves. On the other hand, you don’t want to use anything so big that the amaryllis plant support detracts from the beauty of the long-legged flower....
About Storage Cabbage Varieties Storage cabbages are those that mature just prior to the fall frosts. Once the heads are harvested, they can be stored into the winter months, often as long as early spring. There are a number of storage cabbage varieties available in either red or green cabbage types. Storage No. 4 cabbage plants are one of long-term storage cabbages as are Ruby Perfection, Kaitlin, and Murdoc varieties....
What is Soil pH? Soil pH is a measurement of the alkalinity or acidity of the soil. The soil pH range is measured on a scale of 1 to 14, with 7 as the neutral mark– anything below 7 is considered acidic soil, and anything above 7 is considered alkaline soil. Importance of Soil pH for Plants The middle of the range on the soil pH scale is the best range for bacterial growth in the soil to promote decomposition....
About Top Dressing with Sand According to the Institute of Food and Agriculture at the University of Florida, top dressing home lawns with sand is more harmful than helpful. Experts agree that sand should only be used on a lawn to level low areas, cover exposed tree roots, and to fix heavy thatch build up. Even in those cases, it is recommended that you top dress with a rich, fine compost instead of sand....
Is the Fuchsia Hardy to Your Area? With so many types from which to choose, it can be difficult to determine if you have a hardy fuchsia or a semi-hardy one that acts as an herbaceous perennial, dying back in winter with new growth in spring. Additionally, a hardy fuchsia plant in Dallas may not be hardy in Detroit. Before you learn when to transplant hardy fuchsias, make sure the plant is hardy or semi-hardy to your area....
Diseases of Lantana Plants Even low-maintenance lantana will suffer if you don’t treat it appropriately. Your first defense against diseases that affect lantana is to learn what lantana needs to thrive and provide it. Generally, this includes a sunny location with well-draining soil. Otherwise, it may come down with one of the following diseases of lantana plants. Powdery Mildew – Lantana loves sun, and should not be grown in shade. If you grow this vigorous plant in a shady area, it may come down with powdery mildew....
Pinon Nut Information According to New Mexico State University Extension, the tiny, brown pinon nuts (pronounced pin-yon) saved early explorers from almost certain starvation. NMSU also notes that pinon was critical to Native Americans, who used all parts of the tree. The nuts were a major food source and the wood was used for building hogans or burned in healing ceremonies. Many area residents continue to use pinon nuts in very traditional ways....
What Causes Citrus Twig Dieback? Citrus twig dieback can be caused by common environmental conditions, disease or pests. One simple reason for any citrus dieback, including twig dieback, limb decline, and leaf or fruit drop, is that the plant is stressed from something. This could be a pest infestation, disease outbreak, old age or a sudden environmental change such as drought, flooding, or extensive root or storm damage. Basically, it is a plant’s natural defense mechanism so that it can survive whatever threat it faces....
Weather, nutrition, and the way you treat the plant can cause bud blast in daffodils, but most conditions are ones you can remedy for next year. Learn what causes daffodil buds not to open and how to prevent this condition from happening. What Causes Daffodil Buds Not to Open What is daffodil bud blast? When your daffodil plants look like they’re growing normally, until it’s time for the buds to bloom, and then your daffodil buds don’t open, bud blast has likely gotten to them....
What is Bush Basil? Basil comes in so many varieties that it can be hard to choose just one or two for a limited space. Sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum) is fairly common, a tall herb with large, glossy green leaves. Bush basil (Ocimum minimum), sometimes called dwarf basil, only grows to about 6 inches tall (15 cm.) and is compact and bushy with smaller leaves. While both are annual plants, bush basil may survive the winter in milder climates....
What is Expanded Shale? Shale is the most common sedimentary rock. It is a find-grained rock made up of mud comprised of flakes of clay and other minerals such as quartz and calcite. The resulting rock breaks readily into thin layers called fissility. Expanded shale is found in areas like Texas 10-15 feet (3 to 4.5 meters) below the soil surface. It was formed during the Cretaceous period when Texas was a huge lakebed....
What is Grasscycling? Mowing the lawn doesn’t have to be such a chore if you know how to grasscycle. Even if you don’t have a mulching mower you can grasscycle. The key is in how and when you mow so you can prevent thatch buildup, unsightly grass debris, and the clippings are returned to the earth quickly. Your grass clippings can be a precious resource rather than a pain in the neck to bag and remove....
