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What Causes Citrus Leaf Curl? Citrus leaf curl is caused by many different things, making positive identification of your problem important before you can determine how to treat leaf curling on citrus. Below are the most common causes of curling citrus, along with ways to manage them. Pests Sap-sucking pests like aphids, mites, and psyllids feed on citrus leaves by extracting the juices directly from transport tissues. As populations grow, they can cause deformations including curling and cupping in leaves, as well as discoloration....

What are Citrus Mites? While citrus mites are not damaging in small numbers, large infestations can cause damage to young plant parts, with leaf stippling and mutilated fruit the result. Citrus red mites primarily cause fruit damage, while the rust mites are responsible for leaf injury that appears as yellow, necrotic patches or the loss of glossy, epidermal layers. Citrus mites are small, usually a fraction of a millimeter long. They are found in a range of colors from brown, yellow, rust, and red....

Companion Planting with Raspberries Raspberries grow best in well-drained, slightly acidic soil that contains lots of organic material. Before planting raspberries, you may need to amend the soil to add organic material and valuable nutrients. One way to do this is to plant and grow a cover crop for one season prior to planting raspberries in that location. Cover crops like this are grown for a season and then tilled in, adding organic material and nutrients as they decompose in the soil....

Companion Planting with Horseradish Companion planting is a method of planting two or more plants that have a symbiotic relationship; that is, they mutually benefit one another is some way. Most plants benefit from this practice and planting companions for horseradish is no exception. As mentioned, horseradish contains oil that helps to curb fungal and microbial movement. While it doesn’t prevent infection, it can curtail it which makes horseradish a boon to many other plants, but what are companions for horseradish?...

Tips on Weeding Container Gardens: Getting Rid of Planter Weeds Start with weed-free containers. If your containers aren’t new, scrub them carefully, inside and out. Hot, soapy water or a weak bleach solution will remove residual plant debris. If possible, fill your containers with fresh, sterile, good quality potting mix. If used potting soil still looks viable, it’s a good idea to freshen it by replacing up to a third of the existing potting soil with fresh mix....

Some tips on how to grow pampas grass in containers should answer your question. Is Potted Pampas Grass Possible? I ordered pampas grass babies to make a “living fence” a couple of years ago. They stayed in their containers until our recent move. While growth was limited due to the size of the containers, my pampas grasses were very happy being confined. From this experience, I feel growing pampas grass in a container is possible but should probably be done in large containers to allow for better growth....

The question is not “can I prune conifers?” but “should I prune confers?”. For more information about when and how to prune conifers, read on. Pruning a Conifer Pruning a conifer is quite different from pruning a broadleaf tree. A broadleaf tree requires pruning to create a stable structure for the tree, correct the spacing of lateral branches, and to make sure no branches push out the center leader. Pruning can also be done to balance the shape of the tree or reduce its size....

Diseases on Elm Trees There are several elm tree leaf diseases that cause spotting, discoloration, and defoliation. By the time the leaves fall from the tree, the spots have often grown together, and other discolorations have developed, making it hard to differentiate between the diseases without a lab test. Most elm tree diseases that attack the leaves are caused by fungi, but elm leaf scorch, caused by a bacterium, is a little different....

However, if choosing to grow baby’s breath in the flower garden, there are some common Gypsophila diseases that may cause rapid decline in the health of the plants – problems you should be aware of. Common Problems with Baby’s Breath Baby’s breath disease issues can generally be divided into two of the most likely to occur issues– blight and rot. While these diseases of baby’s breath plants are common, prevention is often the key to avoiding the loss of plants....

Learning more about this type of growing, specifically raised beds on casters, can help gardeners to better decide if this option is right for them. Raised Bed On Wheels DIY Raised bed gardening refers to growing flowers and/or vegetables in small garden boxes filled with soil. In general, these types of beds are considered to be easier to care for and more convenient for gardeners. Traditional raised beds gardens are generally built in a permanent location....

Difference Between Wax Myrtle and Dwarf Myrtle Depending on who you talk to, dwarf myrtle is thought to be simply a smaller variety of its common sister species, Morella cerifera, or the common wax myrtle. Apparently, the genus Myrica was split into Morella and Myrica, so wax myrtle is sometimes called Morella cerifera and sometimes called Myrica cerifera. Wax myrtle will generally have larger leaves than the dwarf variety and will attain a height a couple of feet taller (5 to 6) than the dwarf....

What are Episcia Plants Episcia are a genus of brilliantly colored plants which are native to the tropical rainforests of Central and South America. Related to African violets, Episcia are herbaceous perennials which propagate by sending out stolons or runners. Caring for Episcia can be challenging, as these plants are quite particular about their environment. Episcia Plant Info Common name: Flame Violet, Carpet Plant Light: Bright, indirect Water: Consistently moist Temperature: Above 65 degrees F....

What is Fiber Optic Grass? The plant is hardy in USDA plant hardiness zones 8-11. It can be potted up and moved indoors in other areas or just enjoyed as an annual. Ornamental fiber optic grass forms a mound with sprays of errant stems springing from the center of the plant like a punk hairdo. The ends of the stems have tiny white flowers that give the overall effect of little lights at the end of the foliage....

Increase Your Home’s Curb Value “Curb value” is a term used in the real estate business to indicate the impression a house makes from the street in front of it. How attractive is your home to visitors walking in the front gate? Upkeep on the house, such as new paint, modern windows, and a finished driveway all play a role in a home’s attractiveness. Assuming the basics are in order, you can further increase your home’s curb appeal by upgrading the front yard landscaping and fixing any landscape issues....

Porches are classic bastions of neighborhood chat and quiet evening retreats. This common feature is often part of the home, but you can develop other types of seating in front of the house. These can be simple sites, or involve a landscape architect. Front yard seating locations are easy to tailor to even the smallest budget. Think comfy and let your imagination wander. Easy Front Yard Seating If you need a living space in front of the house that is simple, inexpensive, and yet hospitable, consider adding a fire feature....

Neoregelia Bromeliad Varieties Diverse and interesting patterns of the Neoregelia varieties have caused them to be the most hybridized, adding even more plants to the category. Neoregelia bromeliad facts advise this is one of the more compact of the group and typically grows in rosette form, mostly flat and spreading. Cups, called tanks, form in the center of this plant. Neoregelia bromeliad flowers emerge briefly from these tanks. Likely, the most well-known of this type is the Neoregelia carolinae, or those that look similar....

Growing Chinese Lantern in a Container Attractive, glossy heart-shaped foliage combines with detailed pods in yellow and orange, turning red and closely resembling a Chinese lantern. These are great additions when creating colorful, autumn decorations and accents. The papery pods are textured much like their namesake. These are called calyxes, which initially are green. Insignificant white flowers bloom before calyxes develop. It is a great plant to grow but is not without its challenges....

How to Make the Perfect Hanging Basket The term hanging basket is used to refer to any container planting that has been suspended. While most people are familiar with baskets designed to hang from fixed structures like porches, hanging baskets can also be placed in the garden with the use of free-standing plant hooks. Since these baskets can become quite heavy, it is important to make certain these structures are strong and sound before placing any hanging flower basket....

Beet Harvesting Info Picking the leaves for use in various culinary endeavors is also a part of harvesting beets. The attractive leaves are packed with nutrition and may be eaten raw, cooked, or used as a garnish. Making juice may be a part of your plan when harvesting beets. Picking beets is easy once you know what to look for. Shoulders of the beets will protrude from the soil. When to harvest beets depends on the size of beet you desire....

What are Cabbage Maggots? Cabbage root maggots are the larval stage of the cabbage root fly. The cabbage root fly is a small gray fly that looks like a house fly, but more slender. The cabbage root fly will lay its eggs at the base of a plant and when the eggs hatch they become small, white, legless worms. Cabbage root fly eggs can only hatch in cool weather, which is why these pests attack mostly cool weather crops....