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What Causes Purple Leaf Color on Hydrangeas? Purple leaf color on hydrangeas isn’t normal and may indicate fungal disease or simple environmental problems. Fungal Disease Purple spots on hydrangea leaves are a good indicator of cercospora leaf spot, a common leaf fungus in these plants. Plants are rarely killed, but spotted leaves may shed prematurely, weakening the plant and reducing viable buds. The small purple to brown spots usually start near the base of the plant, spreading outward and upward as water splashes the spores to other leaves....

Where Do Rainbow Eucalyptus Grow? Rainbow eucalyptus (Eucalyptus deglupta) is the only eucalyptus tree indigenous to the northern hemisphere. It grows in the Philippines, New Guinea, and Indonesia where it thrives in tropical forests that get a lot of rain. The tree grows up to 250 feet (76 m.) tall in its native environment. In the U.S., rainbow eucalyptus grows in the frost-free climates found in Hawaii and the southern portions of California, Texas and Florida....

Planting Rosemary in a Pot Rosemary in a pot requires a good quality commercial potting mixture with ingredients such as fine pine bark or peat moss with vermiculite or perlite. Growing rosemary in a pot with a diameter of at least 12 inches (30 cm.) allows enough space for the roots to grow and expand. Be sure the container has a drainage hole because rosemary grown in containers will rot in soggy, poorly drained soil....

Salvia Plant Types for the Garden Blooms of most salvia plants are long lasting and attract butterflies and pollinators, which are always good for the garden. Salvia plant types may be annual or perennial, most are rapid growers and tolerate summer heat with more graceful, spiky blooms. Many colors are available from different types of salvia and these include blues, purples, pinks, and reds as well as some whites and yellows....

What is a Sausage Tree? Kigelia is found from Eritrea and Chad south to northern South Africa and west to Senegal and Namibia. It is a tree that can grow up to 66 feet (20 m.) in height with smooth, gray bark on juvenile trees that peels as the tree matures. In areas of plentiful rainfall, the Kigelia is an evergreen. In areas of scant rain, sausage trees are deciduous. The leaves are set in whorls of three, 12 to 20 inches (31-50 cm....

Cold Hardy Japanese Maples Here are some of the best zone 6 Japanese maples: Waterfall – A short tree at 6 to 8 feet (2 to 2.5 m.), this Japanese maple gets its name from the domed, cascading shape of its branches. Its delicate leaves are green through spring and summer but turn stunning shades of red and yellow in the fall. Mikawa Yatsubusa – A dwarf tree that reaches only 3 to 4 feet (1 m....

Silver Squill Information Silver squill (Ledebouria socialis) is related to hyacinth. It is commonly sold as a houseplant but would make an excellent ground cover in warm-season regions. These are drought-tolerant and would be perfect in xeriscape gardens. A unique bit of silver squill information is that it is not a succulent, although it resembles one and has the drought tolerance of the group. Silver squill has unique, teardrop-shaped bulbs that form above the ground....

Getting Rid of Slugs in Container Plants Before resorting to toxic chemicals, try non-toxic solutions to deter slugs from pot plants. Slug Proofing Containers with Copper Copper discourages slugs because the slime from the pest’s body reacts with the copper, which creates an unpleasant electric shock to slugs in container plants. Purchase copper rings large enough to fit around single plants or small plant groupings. You can also place thin, self-adhesive copper tape around containers....

Leggy Monstera deliciosa is a common occurrence. Houseplant growers may wonder, “why is my Monstera leggy?” The plant has a rapid growth rate and low light requirements. In severely dim rooms, the plant will naturally stretch to get some light. It may also have an excess of nitrogen, fueling vegetative growth. Fortunately, fixing a leggy Monstera is as simple as arming oneself with nice, sharp pruners and a little know how....

The Importance of Spacing for Herb Gardens All plants need to be spaced correctly. The biggest problem in spacing is putting plants too close together. If the spacing between herb plants is too tight, they suffer in several ways: They compete with each other for nutrients. Any disease the develops can pass quickly from one plant to the next. Less airflow promotes fungal diseases and rot. It’s more difficult to remove weeds, which compete with the herbs for nutrients....

Spring vs. Summer Titi How to tell spring and summer titi apart? What are the differences between spring and summer titi? Let’s begin with the similarities: Summer titi and spring titi are both shrubby, moisture-loving plants that grow best in riparian areas, such as bogs or along stream banks. Both are native to the warm, tropical climates of the southeastern United States, as well as parts of Mexico and South America....

Growing a Sunroom Garden in Winter Architecturally speaking, a sunroom is a catch-all phrase for any type of room designed to allow in an abundance of natural sunlight. If you’re lucky enough to have such a room, it’s important to distinguish whether you have a three-season or four-season room before you begin planting winter sunroom vegetables. A three-season sunroom is not climate controlled. It has no air conditioning in the summer and no heat in the winter....

Yellow Shoulder Disorder Yellow or green tomato shoulders are the result of high heat. The shoulder of a tomato is that soft rounded area at the top that borders the stem scar. When it fails to color, the tomato isn’t as visually appealing and lacks flavor and vitamins in that area. This is not a failure to ripen but an interior problem with the tissues. Yellow shoulder in tomatoes can also be caused by seeds susceptible to the disease, low levels of potassium in soil, and alkaline pH levels....

The perennial bergenia may bloom and grow beautifully for several years, then suddenly stop performing. This could be because it is choking itself out and needs to be divided or because something in its environment changed and it needs to be moved. Continue reading to learn how to transplant bergenia, as well as when to divide bergenia plants. Dividing and Moving Bergenia Plants Bergenia is a perennial for shade to part shade in USDA hardiness zones 3 through 9....

Should I Prune My Lobelia? Yes. Cutting back lobelia plants improves their appearance and health. It also encourages the plant to produce more flowers over a longer period of time. The three types of pruning that benefit lobelia plants are removing spent flowers, pinching, and cutting back. When to Trim Lobelia The timing depends on the type of pruning. Pinching is an early spring task. Pinch back newly emerging stems when they are about six inches (15 cm....

Common Diseases of Pears There are a few very common and easily identifiable diseases of pears. Of these, fire blight is the worst, as it can spread very rapidly. It appears as cankers that leak out a creamy ooze on any or all parts of the tree, blossoms, and fruit. The area around the canker takes on a blackened or burned appearance, hence the name. Fabraea leaf spot, leaf blight, and black spot are all names for a spread of brown and black spots that form on the leaves late in the summer and cause them to drop....

Troubleshooting Lupine Disease Problems There are quite a few possible diseases of lupines, some more common than others. Each should be handled accordingly: Brown spot – Leaves, stems, and seed pods can all develop brown spots and cankers and suffer premature dropping. The disease is spread through spores that live in the soil under plants. After an outbreak of brown spot, don’t plant lupines in the same location again for several years to give the spores time to die out....

Vegetable Gardening Advice Choose the location of a vegetable garden One of the vegetable gardening basics is choosing a location for your garden. There are four things to consider when choosing the location for a vegetable garden. They are: Convenience Sun Drainage Soil type You can learn more about these things by reading this article on choosing the location of a vegetable garden. Choose the vegetables to grow Many people seeking vegetable gardening tips wonder which vegetable they should grow....

Zone 8 Vegetable Gardening It’s a perfect scenario for vegetable gardens; the long, warm summers and cooler shoulder seasons that are typical in zone 8. In this zone, the last spring frost date is generally April 1st and the first winter frost date is December 1st. That leaves eight solid frost-free months for growing vegetables in zone 8. You can even start your crops earlier indoors. Vegetable Planting Guide for Zone 8 A common question regarding planting is when to plant vegetables in zone 8....

Watermelon Leaf Curl Symptoms Watermelon leaf curl, also known as squash leaf curl or watermelon curly mottle, is a viral disease that is spread from plant to plant by the saliva and piercing mouthparts of the insect vectors whiteflies. Whiteflies are tiny, winged insects that feed on the sap of many vegetable and ornamental plants. As they feed, they inadvertently spread diseases. The whiteflies thought to be responsible for spreading watermelon curl are Bemisia tabaci, which are native to desert areas of the southwestern United States and Mexico....