Can You eat Green Pumpkins? Nothing says fall like squash and pumpkins. Unfortunately, the colder weather and lack of sunshine can mean much of our produce didn’t ripen properly. It doesn’t have to go to waste though. Consider the fried green tomato, a thing of such delicate flavor as to make your mouth sing. Are green pumpkins edible? Well, they won’t kill you, but the flavor may lack sweetness. Green pumpkins happen....
Can You Grow Nut Trees in Pots? Well, growing nut trees in containers is generally a little problematic. You see, typically nut trees run about 25 to 30 feet (8-9 m.) in height, making container grown nut trees size prohibitive. That said, there are some nut varieties that have better potential for use as container grown nut trees than others. Read on to find out how to grow a nut tree in a pot....
Growing Seeds from Oranges It’s no surprise that you can grow orange trees from seeds inside the fruit. Every other fruit grows that way, so why not oranges? Anyone who has ever peeled and eaten an orange knows that the fruit can have a dozen seeds in it, or even more. The bigger news is that most seeds from oranges can grow into plants; you can even grow store bought orange seeds....
What is a Cat Whiskers Plant? Cat whiskers (Orthosiphon aristatus) is an evergreen member of the mint family and its showy white blossoms set it apart from the crowd. The flowers stand above the plant’s shiny, dark-green leaves, and the color contrast sets off the snowy blooms beautifully. The long, elegant stamens look just like white cat whiskers, which is how the plant got its name. A cat whiskers plant is an upright plant that looks stunning beside trailing and mounding plants....
Cucurbit Charcoal Rot Charcoal rot, or dry-weather wilt, is a disease that affects all cucurbits. Cantaloupe is a cucurbit along with other plants of the gourd family, including watermelons, pumpkins, cucumbers, zucchini and other squash. The soil-borne fungus, Macrophomina phaseolina, is the culprit for cucurbits with charcoal rot. This fungus can reside in the soil for 3 to 12 years, where it lies in wait to invade plants that are under duress from hot, dry weather....
Citrus Phytophthora Info Feeder root rot of citrus causes a slow decline of the tree. Citrus root weevils sometimes attack feeder roots and encourage the progression of decline. Citrus trees with feeder root rot may also display damage on the trunk. At first, you may notice leaves yellowing and dropping. If the trunk stays wet, the water mold (Phytophthora parasitica) can spread and cause significantly more damage. Severe cases may cause defoliation of the entire tree....
Using Vinegar on Flowerpots Ceramic and plastic pots are relatively easy to clean with dish soap, hot water, and a scrubber or old toothbrush, but terracotta pots with layers of crusty residue can be a challenge. Unfortunately, it’s common for terracotta containers to develop a very noticeable layer of unsightly mineral and salt deposits. Although you can probably remove the crud with strong cleaning products and elbow grease, using vinegar to clean pots is an effective, environmentally friendly alternative to toxic chemicals....
What Causes Turnips to Crack? Turnips prefer full sun exposure in fertile, deep, well drained soils. Turnips are started from seed two to three weeks before the last frost of the season. Soil temps should be at least 40 degrees F. (4 C.). Seeds will germinate best at 60 to 85 degrees F. (15-29 C.) and will take seven to ten days. If your soil is a heavy clay, it’s best to amend it with plenty of organic matter, 2 to 4 inches (5-10 cm....
About Cold Hardy Deciduous Trees If you live in the north-central section of the country or in the northern tip of New England, you might be a zone 4 gardener. You already know that you can’t plant just any tree and expect it to thrive. Temperatures in zone 4 can drop to -30 degrees Fahrenheit (-34 C.) in the winter. But many deciduous trees thrive in cooler climates. If you are growing deciduous trees in zone 4, you’ll have quite a large selection to choose from....
Dichondra Plant Info Dichondra (Dichondra repens) is a perennial groundcover plant (in USDA zones 7-11) that has a somewhat upright, creeping habit with circular leaves. It is not usually over 2 inches (5 cm.) in height and retains its bright green color in temperatures as low as 25 degrees F. (-3 C.). When this groundcover becomes full, it appears as a dense, carpet-like grass and is often planted in places where other turf-type grass does not grow well....
Do clouds affect photosynthesis though? Do plants grow on cloudy days as well as sunny ones? Read on to learn about cloudy days and plants, including how cloudy days affect plants. Clouds and Photosynthesis Plants feed themselves by a chemical process called photosynthesis. They mix carbon dioxide, water, and sunlight and, from the blend, construct the food they need to thrive. The byproduct of photosynthesis is the oxygen plants release that humans and animals require to breathe....
Creating an Egyptian garden in the backyard is as simple as incorporating the plants and elements of design from this region. Egyptian Garden Elements From a civilization born around the fertile offerings of a river and its delta, water features are a staple of Egyptian garden design. Rectangular fish and duck ponds lined with fruit-bearing trees were commonplace in the ancient gardens of wealthy Egyptians. Fed by irrigation channels, which eliminated the need to manually transport water from the river, manmade ponds allowed ancient Egyptians the opportunity to expand agriculture away from the flood basin of the Nile....
Where do Engelmann Spruce Grow? Engelmann spruce trees are large, narrowly pyramidal evergreen trees that can reach heights of over 100 feet (35 m.) tall. They have gray brown or russet bark, ascending or horizontal branches and bluish green four-sided needles. Here are facts about Engelmann spruce’s native range: The trees grow in the wild from central British Columbia and southwest Alberta, south through the Cascade Mountains of Washington and Oregon and eastward to the Rocky Mountains....
Fast-Growing Houseplants Pothos is an extremely fast-growing vine that has the added bonus of being easy to grow. If you give your pothos (also known as Devil’s Ivy) good growing conditions, it can grow substantially in just a few weeks. Pothos prefers shadier conditions, and you should water when the soil surface dries. A variety of ferns, including the popular, yet elusive, maidenhair fern, are fast growers. The key to ferns is ensuring that their soil never completely dries out....
What is Fig Mosaic? If you suspect the virus is the issue with your fig tree, it will be helpful to establish exactly what fig mosaic is. Fig tree mosaic is caused by several indeterminate viruses. Recently, one virus, closteovirus or fig leaf mottle, has been associated with fig tree mosaic just as it is with almost all diseased fig trees. Fig tree virus is almost surely introduced into the plant via the eriophyid mite (Aceria fici) and additionally through vegetative cuttings and grafting....
Growing Flowering Trees in Zone 8 Zone 8 is a pretty great climate for gardening. You get a nice, long growing season with plenty of warmth and mild winters that don’t get too cold. If you’re in zone 8, you have a lot of options for growing flowering trees and doing so is easy. Be sure that you do your research on what the zone 8 flowering tree varieties that you choose need to thrive: the right amount of sun or shade, the best kind of soil, sheltered or open space, and the level of drought tolerance....
Fountain Grass Plants This ornamental has astounding inflorescences that look like purple squirrel tales. The foliage is a wide grassy blade with a swath of deep purplish red along the edges. Fountain grass plants may get 2 to 5 feet (61 cm. to 1.5 m.) tall, in a clumping habit. The arching leaves that radiate from the center of the plant give it its name. Mature fountain grass plants may get up to 4 feet (1 m....
What is Fuchsia Rust? Fuchsia plants are among the most beloved plants in gardening circles, but despite their beauty and general hardiness, they can contract a few troubling illnesses. For example, fuchsia rust may make fuchsia plants look very sickly, so much so that gardeners are disheartened and discard them. Luckily, it’s not as bad as it can look. Arming yourself with fuchsia rust information will help you better defeat this annoying fungal disease....
What is Soil Fumigation? Fumigating soil means applying a special type of pesticide that turns into a gas. The gas passes through the soil and controls pests that live there, including nematodes, fungi, bacteria, insects, and weeds. Should You Fumigate Soil? The pesticides you use when you are fumigating soil turn into gas once you apply them. The gases pass into the air above the area where they were applied. They can also be pushed by the wind to other nearby areas....
How to Host a Garden Party People Will Love When you’re throwing a backyard party, you should keep one word in mind: effortless. Does this mean you shouldn’t put much effort in? Of course not! But you want your guests to feel comfortable and at ease, and your setup to have a rustic, almost wild element to it. You’re out in nature, after all. This means flower arrangements that are cheerful, bright, and maybe a little thrown together....
