Posts

What is Hypertufa? Hypertufa is a lightweight, porous material used in craft projects. It is made from a mixture of peat moss, Portland cement, and either sand, vermiculite, or perlite. After mixing the ingredients together, they are molded into shape and allowed to dry. Hypertufa projects are limited only by your imagination. Garden containers, ornaments, and statuary are just a few of the items you can fashion from hypertufa. Check flea markets and thrift stores for inexpensive items to use as molds and let your imagination run wild....

Why is My Watermelon Hollow? Your watermelon is hollow inside. Why, you ask? It’s a good question and one that’s not exactly easy to answer. Agricultural scientists once believed that hollow heart was caused by irregular growth during key parts of the fruit’s development, but that theory is losing favor among today’s scientists. Instead, they believe that a lack of seed initiation is the cause of hollow watermelons and other cucurbits....

What is a Windowsill Garden? As the name would imply, a windowsill garden can be grown in a bright, sunny window indoors. The process of starting these small container gardens is relatively simple and cost effective. Before planting, check the windowsill to ensure that it is strong and sturdy. Growers will also need to make sure that temperatures near the window remain consistently warm. This will avoid any potential damage from excess heat or cold throughout the period of growth....

Crepe Myrtle Alternatives Why would anyone look for alternatives to crepe myrtle? This mainstay tree of the mid-South offers generous blossoms in multiple shades, including red, pink, white, and purple. But a new pest of crepe myrtle, crepe myrtle bark scale, is thinning foliage, reducing blossoms, and coating the tree with sticky honeydew and sooty mold. That’s one reason people are seeking a substitute for a crepe myrtle. Plants similar to crepe myrtle are also attractive to homeowners in climates too cool for this tree to thrive....

Annual Phlox Info Drummond’s phlox plants (Phlox drummondii) are named for Thomas Drummond. He sent seed to England from its native Texas, where trials began on their cultivation requirements. The plants don’t do well in the region due to its high rainfall and soil types, but they are still popular in the southwestern United States. When you know how to grow annual phlox, you will have a plant for life even if it dies out in the cooler season....

Seriously, has it occurred to you to eat your succulent plants? Research indicates that there are several types of succulents you can eat. Let’s take a look at edible succulents. Eating Succulent Plants Not only are some succulent plants edible, but they provide some nutritional elements to your diet. Some are said to lower cholesterol and blood pressure and reduce coughing. Here are some of the types of succulents you can eat:...

Gardening for Birds and Attracting Woodpeckers A bird-friendly garden can help promote a healthy, local ecosystem. Birds are essential elements of the environment and having them in your garden will keep it healthy and whole. You may also want to attract birds simply because you enjoy hearing and watching them. Among the most interesting and colorful you may find in the garden are woodpeckers. Enticing them into the yard isn’t that difficult either....

What Causes Avocado Rot? Avocado wood rot is a fungal disease caused by the pathogen Ganoderma lucidum. Spores of this fungal disease are carried on the wind and infect avocado trees through open wounds on the trunk or roots. The spores can live in soil for quite some time and also be carried to root wounds by flooding or splash back of rain. Avocado rot is more prevalent in weakened or damaged trees....

When to Transplant Blueberries Blueberry plant transplanting should take place when the plant is dormant. This depends upon your location, generally from early November to early March after the worst of the frost has passed. A quick light frost probably won’t hurt the plant, but extended freezes will. Blueberries can also be transplanted early in the fall after the first frost, again, when they are dormant. Dormancy is indicated when the plant has gone through leaf drop and no active growth is evident....

About Toxic Horse Chestnuts You’ll find horse chestnut trees growing across the U.S., but they originally come from Europe’s Balkan region. Brought to this country by the colonists, the trees are widely grown in America as attractive shade trees, growing to 50 feet (15 m.) tall and wide. The palmate leaves of the horse chestnuts are also attractive. They have five or seven green leaflets united in the center. The trees produce lovely white or pink spike flowers up to a foot (30....

What is canning? What is pickling? Would it surprise you to know that pickling is canning? Does that confuse the issue even more? Keep reading for the main difference between canning and pickling so you can decide how best to preserve your food. What is Canning? Canning is when you process and seal foods in a glass jar. Canned foods can keep for months and are ideal for many fruits and vegetables, as well as meats....

Devil’s Backbone Plant Info The scientific name for this plant, Pedilanthus tithymaloides, means foot-shaped flower. The plant is native to the American tropics but only hardy in USDA zones 9 and 10. It makes a superb houseplant with its 2 foot (61 cm.) tall stems, alternate leaves, and colorful “flowers” which are actually bracts or modified leaves. The leaves are lance-shaped and thick on wiry stems. The bract color may be white, green, red, or pink....

Field Mint Information Native Americans used to drink field mint tea as a remedy for colds, and it’s still used today for teas and flavorings for food. It’s an unusual-looking mint plant, with a square stem that grows from 6 to 18 inches (15 to 45 cm.) tall with tufts of flowers puffing out around the stem every few inches. As with other types of mint, you can pick mature field mint leaves first thing in the morning for the best flavor....

Chelsea Chop Pruning Method It’s named after that huge UK plant event – the Chelsea Flower Show – that takes place at the end of May. Just so, anyone wanting to try the Chelsea chop for plants should get the pruners out and ready as May comes to a close. The Chelsea chop for plants involves cutting back by half the stems of tall perennials that bloom later in summer. Simply get out your pruners, sterilize them in a mixture of denatured alcohol and water, and clip back every stem....

About Cherry Tree Irrigation Cherry trees grow wild throughout much of the United States. In the wild, they easily establish in sandy-loam or even rocky soils but struggle in heavy clay soils. This is true for the home garden and orchards as well. Cherry trees require excellent draining soil to grow, blossom, and fruit properly. If soil is too dry or cherry trees experience drought stress, leaves can curl, wilt, and drop....

Varieties of Amaryllis With so many types of amaryllis to choose from, it can be overwhelming when choosing one to grow indoors or in the garden. To make things a little easier, here are some of the most popular amaryllis varieties. Large Flowering Amaryllis Varieties These are classic flowers with big blooms in single layers of petals. Common types to choose from this group of amaryllis include: Clown – Types of amaryllis flowers include this cheery cultivar with pure white petals and bright red stripes....

Controlling Lawn Problems Most common grass diseases are caused by fungi. Although many of the different types of diseases look similar, the basic control measures are the same: Prevent the disease from spreading by keeping the grass in the affected area short. Remove the clippings, but don’t rake them across the lawn where they can infect other areas. Clean lawn care equipment before moving onto other parts of the lawn....

Oleander Plant Diseases Bacterial pathogens are the culprits behind the primary oleander plant diseases, although some fungal pathogens may also infect oleanders. These organisms can infect plants through pruning cuts, and they’re often transmitted by insects that feed on the plant tissue. Some diseases of oleander plants may look like other oleander problems, such as cultural disorders that include insufficient water or nutrient deficiencies. Troubleshooting tip: Take a plant sample to your local Extension office for their expert diagnosis of specific oleander problems....

What are Navel Orangeworms? Navel orangeworms are the larvae of a silver-grey snout moth with black markings, which begin laying eggs within two days of adulthood. If you see these moths, you’re probably already infested with orangeworm eggs. Eggs are laid on maturing nuts as well as mummy nuts, those nuts left after previous harvests, and hatch within 23 days. The larvae emerge reddish orange, but soon mature into a grub-like white to pink caterpillar with reddish heads....

Using Shrubs in a Cottage Garden While cottage gardens are trendy these days, original “cottagers” were people with very little money trying to make the most of their small yards. For that reason, they planted a happy blend of shrubs for a garden mixing fruit trees, herbs, veggies, and flowers. Everyone is trying to be more water wise now too. When you are looking for cottage garden bushes, you should also keep that in mind....