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What is Blood Meal Fertilizer? Blood meal fertilizer is a nutrient-rich byproduct of animals processed at slaughterhouses or meat processing plants. The dry powder can be made from the blood of any animal, but it most often comes from pigs or cattle. Blood meal is available in nearly any garden store or nursery. The product is often used by gardeners who prefer to avoid harsh chemicals that can run off into water where it can pollute the environment and harm fish and wildlife....

Varieties of Anemones Different types of anemone flowers include perennial, non-tuberous plants that grow from fibrous roots and tuberous anemone varieties that are planted in the fall, often alongside tulips, daffodils, or other spring-blooming bulbs. Non-Tuberous Anemones Meadow anemone – An American native that produces small, white-center flowers in groups of two and three. Meadow anemone blooms profusely in spring and early summer. Mature height is 12 to 24 inches (30....

Why to Flytraps Turn Black? Each trap on a Venus flytrap plant has a limited lifespan. On average, a trap lives for about three months. The end may look dramatic, but there is usually nothing wrong with the plant. When you find that the traps on a Venus flytrap turn black much sooner than they should or when several traps die at once, check your feeding practices and growing conditions. Correcting the problem can save the plant....

Do Apple Trees Grow in the Wild? It is entirely possible to find an apple tree growing in the middle of a forest or in another location some distance from a town or farmhouse. It might be one of the original wild apple trees or it may instead be a descendent of a cultivated variety. Are wild apple trees edible? Both types of wild apple trees are edible, but the cultivated tree descendent will likely produce larger, sweeter fruit....

King of Hearts Melon Plants The watermelon ‘King of Hearts’ is ready to eat in around 85 days. What is a King of Hearts melon? Botanically known as Citrullus lanatus, this is one of the top long vine melons. By long vine, we mean it needs a lot of space in which to grow and produce those summer fruits. There are more than 50 varieties of watermelon grown around the world....

What is a Slippery Elm Tree? The scientific name for slippery elm is Ulmus rubra, but it’s generally called red elm or slippery elm. So exactly what is a slippery elm tree? It’s a tall tree indigenous to this continent with lovely arching branches. These elms can live for 200 years. The winter buds of slippery elms appear fuzzy, as they are covered with red-brown hairs. The flowers appear in spring before the leaves, each bearing at least five stamens....

What is Butternut Canker? Canker in butternut trees prevents the flow of sap up and down the tree. Without the means to transport moisture and nutrients, the tree eventually dies. There is no way to “fix” a canker or cure the disease, but you may be able to extend the life of the tree. Butternut tree cankers are caused by a fungus called Sirococcus clavigignenti-juglandacearum. Rain splashes the fungal spores onto the trunk or lower branches of a tree where it penetrates through scars left behind by buds, fallen leaves, and through wounds in the bark from insects and other injuries....

Coral Spot Fungus Information Coral spot is a disease of woody plants caused by the fungus Nectria cinnabarina. It can infect and cause disease in any woody shrub or tree, but it is most common on: Hazel Beech Hornbeam Sycamore Chestnut It is not common, although it is possible, on coniferous trees. The coral spot fungus causes branches to die back on affected trees and shrubs, but the infection mostly only impacts those plants that are already weakened....

What is Potato Leafroll? The pesky aphids strike again. Yep, aphids are responsible for plants with potato leafroll virus. The aphids transmit a Luteovirus into the vascular tissue of the potato plants. The worst culprit is the green peach aphid. The virus is introduced either by the aphids or previously infected seed tubers. The virus, unlike some other potato plant diseases, takes some time for the aphids to acquire (several minutes to hours) and process through its body before it is a vector of the disease....

Common Bergenia Diseases Treating any problems first involves recognizing common bergenia disease symptoms. Rhizome Rot – The first noticeable signs of rhizome rot are lesions on the lower stem and drooping and curling of leaves, beginning on the lower part of the plant and moving upwards. Under the ground, the disease is evidenced by browning and rotting of the roots and rhizomes, which become soft and putrid and may turn brown or orange....

Winter Damage to Arborvitae Winter injury on arborvitae bushes is not uncommon. Desiccation, or drying out, is one important cause of winter damage to arborvitae. The arborvitae dry out when the needles lose water faster than they can take it up. Arborvitae needles transpire moisture even in winter, and uptake water from the ground to replace the lost moisture. When the ground freezes below the root system, it cuts off the water supply....

About Quince Leaf Blight Quince leaf blight is the most common reason for quince leaves turning brown. Small spots on the leaves is the first sign of quince leaf blight. The tiny spots form larger blotches, and soon, the leaves turn brown and drop from the plant. Shoot tips may die back, and the fruit may be brown and distorted. In severe cases, the disease may be fatal. The fungus (Diplocarpon mespili) overwinters on diseased leaves and dead shoots that fall from the tree....

Autumn Revolution Bittersweet Info American bittersweet is a native vine in the U.S. that is known for its bright orange/red berries which attract an array of birds to the garden. It is important to note that while these berries are an important food source in autumn and winter for our feathered friends, they are toxic to humans. Unlike its non-native cousin, oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus), American bittersweet is not considered an invasive species....

Are Pesticides Bad for Plants? Are pesticides bad for plants? They certainly can be. Insecticide plant injury, or actually any kind of chemical plant injury, is known as phytotoxicity. Herbaceous plants are most vulnerable to pesticides. Woody plants tolerate them better, but new fresh growth can be damaged by these chemicals. Exactly how and to what extent you harm a plant with a pesticide depends on the type of chemical, the plant, and other factors....

Plants for Balcony Vegetable Gardening Almost any vegetable plant you can think of to grow in a backyard garden will also thrive in your balcony vegetable garden under the right conditions, including: TomatoesEggplantPeppersGreen onionsRadishesBeans These can all grow in containers, as can many herbs, and actually do quite well. Container gardening is becoming quite popular in balcony gardens. You can choose any type of container for growing a vegetable garden on a balcony....

Why Beans Fail to Bloom Beans, like other fruiting plants, require exacting conditions to set lots of blooms. Buds fail for a number of reasons, but over fertilization is a common problem among new growers. Other common reasons for beans plants not flowering are easily correctable environmental conditions. If you catch these early in the season, you may still have a decent crop. Nitrogen fertilizer stimulates plants to grow lots of vegetation at the expense of flowers....

About African Violet Soil Since these specimens demand proper watering, you’ll want to use the right African violet growing medium. You can mix your own or choose from a number of brands available online or at your local garden center. The right potting mix for African violets allows air to reach the roots. In their native environment of the “Tanga region of Tanzania in Africa,” this specimen is found growing in crevices of mossy rocks....

About the Bird’s Nest Fern Plant The bird’s nest fern plant gets its name from the fact that the center of the plant resembles a bird’s nest. It is also occasionally called a crow’s nest fern. Bird’s nest ferns (Asplenium nidus) are identified by their flat, wavy or crinkly fronds. Their appearance can bring to mind a seaweed plant growing on dry land. Bird’s nest fern is an epiphytic fern, which means in the wild it typically grows on other things, like tree trunks or buildings....

What is Black Mondo Grass? Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens,’ or black mondo grass, is a clumping plant with thick tufts of arching black leaves. The strappy leaves are about 12 inches long (30.5 cm.) when mature. Plants send out racemes to form little baby plants over time. In late spring to early summer, racemes of pink bell-like flowers appear. From these, bluish-black berries form. Mondo grass is evergreen, deer and rabbit resistant, and even salt and drought tolerant once established....

Should You Divide Calla Lilies? How often should you divide calla lilies? Calla lily division is only necessary when the clumps start to decline, but if you want more rhizomes to fill in the garden, it’s safe to divide them every three to five years. If you divide them too often, however, they will never quite reach their full potential. When to Divide Callas Calla growers have two opportunities to divide the rhizomes:...