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What is a Japanese Apricot? Japanese apricot trees are ornamental trees with many features. Their scientific name is Prunus mume, and they are native to Korea. Varieties of this tree include: ‘Benishidare’ ‘Bonita’ ‘Peggy Clarke’ ‘Alba’ They can be 12 to 20 feet (4-6 m.) tall with a spread of 15 to 20 feet (4.5-6 m.) wide. Japanese apricot trees have a round shaped crown of leaves with a serrate margin, alternate arrangement, and a leaf blade of 2 to 4 inches (5-10 cm....

What is Tree Girdling? Tree girdling for fruit production is an accepted practice in commercial peach and nectarine production. Girdling involves cutting out a thin strip of bark from around the trunk or branches. You have to use a special girdling knife and make sure you don’t cut deeper than the cambium layer, the layer of wood just under the bark. This type of girdling interrupts the flow of carbohydrates down the tree, making more food available for fruit growth....

Why are My Avocado Leaves Burnt? Avocado leaf burn is fairly easy to recognize in avocado trees. You’ll see dry and scorched avocado leaves, and the damage is especially noticeable around the tips. Leaf burn also causes the affected leaves to fall from the tree well before normal dormancy. The condition makes it look as though extra-hot sunshine has burnt avocado leaves on your trees. This condition can also appear when the sky is cloudy, and the weather is cool or mild....

Holes in Leaves of Hosta Sometimes a closer look may reveal there are holes in hosta leaves. This is not a regular occurrence, but we don’t want our plants damaged. Likely, the damage will occur as spring ends and summer comes with the high heat that attracts eggs to hatch and pests to feed on our young, growing plants. Tattered leaves may appear, ruining the appearance of our perfect shade beds and gardens....

In the meantime, here are some tips for troubleshooting a stunted houseplant. Help, My Houseplant Stopped Growing! Light: All plants need light. Some thrive in bright, direct light, but most prefer more moderate indirect light. If your houseplant stopped growing, you may need to move plants away from a too-bright window, or you can reduce the light with a sheer curtain. If, on the other hand, the light in your house is low, you may need to supplement available sunlight with grow lights or fluorescent tubes....

Getting Shasta Daisy to Bloom So your Shasta daisies won’t bloom. What should you do? Below are the most common reasons for non-blooming in these plants and the steps you can take to ensure a healthy Shasta daisy bloom time. Regular pruning and deadheading – Regular deadheading of Shastas (removal of wilted blooms) promotes healthy blooming until the end of the season. Otherwise, blooming slows and the plant directs its energy into producing seeds....

Do Cactus Spines Grow Back? Spines on cactus plants are modified leaves. These develop from living spine primordia, then die back to form hard spines. Cacti also have areoles that sit on bases called tubercules. Areoles sometimes have long, nipple-shaped tubercles, on which spines grow. Spines come in all kinds of shapes and sizes – some are thin and others thick. Some are ridged or flattened and some may be feathery or even twisted....

What is Desiccation? Desiccation, in a broad sense, is what happens when a great deal of moisture is removed from a substance. Whether that substance is a gas or a solid, it’s the same process. When we talk about desiccation in plants, we’re specifically referring to the transfer of excessive amounts of water from leaves and into the atmosphere. As a part of their normal respiratory functions, plants tend to release some moisture, but it’s usually not a problem since they’re also bringing in new fluids from their roots at the same time....

Hardy Camellia Plants Camellias for zone 6 are usually categorized as spring blooming or fall blooming, although in warmer climates of the Deep South they may bloom all throughout the winter months. Cold winter temperatures in zone 6 will usually nip the flower buds, giving zone 6 camellia plants a shorter bloom time than warm climate camellias. In zone 6, the most popular hardy camellia plants are the Winter Series, created by Dr....

About Zone 9 Blueberries Native to eastern North America, blueberries fit perfectly into zone 9 landscapes. The rabbiteye blueberry, Vaccinium ashei, can be found in river valleys in northern Florida and southeastern Georgia. In fact, there are at least eight native Vaccinium species found growing in the woods and swamps of Florida. Rabbiteye blueberries can be grown in zones 7 to 9 and can grow to over 10 feet (3 m....

Creating a Treehouse for Grownups Treehouses are great for children but have become a landscape element popular with adults. Since our fascination with these small houses never really goes away, adult treehouse ideas abound. What is an adult treehouse? It can be as simple as a tiny replica of a real house or as complex as an artistic, natural edifice perched high above the daily cares of life. If you missed out on having a treehouse as a kid, it’s still not too late....

Fall Blooming Perennials When it comes to fall blooming perennials, you have an abundance of choices for every spot in your autumn garden. Russian sage – A tough plant, Russian sage is suitable for growing in USDA plant hardiness zones 5 through 9, and produces masses of spiky bluish purple blooms with silvery foliage. Watch for hordes of butterflies and hummingbirds! Helenium – If you’re looking for a tall plant for the back of borders or flower beds, helenium reaches heights of up to 5 feet (1....

Let’s take a look at how to care for the remarkable sago palm bonsai. How to Grow a Miniature Sago Palm The stiff, palm-like leaves emerge from a swollen base, or caudex. These plants are very tough and can survive in a temperature range of 15-110 F. (-4 to 43 C.). Ideally, it is best if you can keep the minimum temperature above 50 F. (10 C.). In addition to tolerating a wide range of temperatures, it can also tolerate a large range of light conditions....

About Breadfruit Cold Tolerance Breadfruit trees are evergreen, fruiting trees of tropical islands. They thrive in hot, humid weather as understory trees in tropical forests with sandy, crushed, coral-based soils. Valued for the protein and carbohydrate rich fruit, which is actually cooked and eaten like a vegetable, in the late 1700’s and early 1800’s, immature breadfruit plants were imported all over the world for cultivation. These imported plants were a great success in regions with tropical climates but most attempts to cultivate breadfruit trees in the United States failed from environmental issues....

Effects of Sustainable Gardening Soil is the building block for plant growth. Sustainable gardening requires soil management to enhance its properties but does not have to be costly or time consuming. It is an annual check-in on soil health, and then a response to improve that health. It is a gradual process and one that needs to occur as long as you are around. However, with just a little work, your soil’s organic matter can improve, leading to numerous benefits in the garden....

Planting herbs near the home kitchen allows easy access for their delicate flavors and bright aromas. Herbs add the perfect touch to any dish and are easy to grow and use. There are many herbs with flowers you can eat, and they make an elegant garnish to foods, as well. Learn which herbs to plant that will produce beautiful and tasty blooms for your favorite foods. About Edible Herb Flowers The flowers of herbs have been used for hundreds of years as medicinals and as gastronomic additions to recipes....

Golden Euonymous Information Golden euonymous information tells you that this is a very dense shrub with an oval shape if grown in full sun. The thick foliage makes it ideal for a privacy or even a sound hedge. The shrubs are really striking in the garden. The eyonymous leaves are leathery to the touch and grow up to three inches (7.5 cm.) long. The boldly variegated foliage is the star here....

Symptoms of Rust on Mayhaw Quince rust, or cedar quince rust, is a serious disease of pome fruits, one of which is the mayhaw. The disease is a fungal issue that appears in spring. Cedar quince rust of mayhaw actually comes from cankers on cedar trees. These cankers bloom and the spores travel to pome fruit trees. The fungus also infects quince plants. Controlling mayhaw cedar rust in members of the rose family requires early pre-bloom fungicide application....

Celandine Poppy Info Celandine poppies (Stylophorum diphyllum) are also known as wood poppies and are members of the Papaveraceae family. They are found growing in damp areas of woods in shaded or partially shaded places. Commonly found in the woodlands of northern parts of the United States, this showy spring bloomer is native to Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, and Ohio. Woodland poppies have bright yellow flowers and interesting dissected leaves. This pretty wildflower blooms from March through May....

Before Getting Backyard Garden Chickens Check your city ordinance to find out how many backyard garden chickens you are allowed to keep. Some cities only allow three hens. Order day-old baby chicks from your feed store or online. Make sure you specify that you only want females. You don’t want any roosters. They are noisy and very bossy. Keeping hens in the backyard is a much better idea. Tips on Raising Chickens in Your Garden When you bring the chicks home you’ll need to keep them in a cage with a heat lamp as they get cold easily....