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About Xanthomonas Leaf Blight Onion bacterial blight was first reported in the U.S. in Colorado but has now also been found in Hawaii, Texas, California, and Georgia. It also affects onions in South America, the Caribbean, South Africa, and parts of Asia. The disease is a bacterial infection caused by Xanthomonas axonopodis. The conditions favorable to an infection include moderately warm temperatures and high moisture or humidity. Plants with leaf wounds are more susceptible to infection....

Planting Trees Near Black Walnuts You may have heard that nothing will grow near or under black walnut trees. Their roots exude juglone, a substance that is toxic to many plants. It prevents new seeds from germinating and also prevents existing trees from growing well. When you have a black walnut tree in your garden, any nearby plants that are sensitive to juglone will wither and often die. Symptoms of juglone poisoning include withering leaves and stunted growth....

What are Blister Beetles? The aptly named blister beetles measure one-half to one inch (1.5 to 2.5 cm.) long. They are often colorful with bright stripes running lengthwise along the body. The adult form of these skinny, long-legged insects feeds on plants while the larvae feed on the larvae of other insects. There are over 2,500 species of blister beetles around the world, and their colors and markings vary quite a bit....

If you decide to try to use fruit trees as bonsai, remember that they’ll require more maintenance than full-size fruit trees. Read on for some bonsai tree growing tips and information on the best fruit trees for bonsai. Fruit Trees as Bonsai You can plant an apple tree right in your backyard, but not a bonsai apple tree. Bonsai trees are grown in containers with a good root space and sufficient nutrients to flourish....

Butterfly Bush Problems Butterfly bushes are truly tough plants and grow well under a variety of conditions. In fact, they grow so well and spread so easily that, in some locations, they are considered invasive. Generally, you’ll experience few problems with butterfly bushes, as long as they are planted correctly. If you find that your bush is not flowering, for example, it probably is not getting enough sunlight. They absolutely must have full sun if you want maximum flowering....

Propagation of Calathea Of the same family as the prayer plant, the two are sometimes mistaken at retail. Except for C. crocata, calathea are not grown for their flowers. While these plants are not complicated for most to keep indoors, they do require humidity, regular watering, and must be kept from direct sunlight. If you’ve gotten these requirements right and have a mature plant, you can consider calathea plant propagation. Division in spring or summer is the best type of calathea propagation method....

Can You Prune Potato Plants? The answer to, “Can you prune potato plants?” is yes, but perhaps that is not the right question. After all, you can pretty much prune anything, although it’s not always the best idea. The correct question is, “Should I cut back the potato plants?” For the most part, potato plants use the nutrients from the foliage to grow healthy spuds. That said, there are some instances where it may be beneficial to prune the tubers to restrain the potato plant growth....

What is a Candelilla? Succulent lovers should definitely have a wax euphorbia succulent in their collection. According to wax euphorbia info, there are no serious pests or diseases associated with this plant and it has an ease of care which appeals to forgetful gardeners. Try growing a candelilla euphorbia (Euphorbia antisyphilitica) as a houseplant or outdoors in warmer regions. Candelilla means ‘little candle’ in Spanish and refers to the slender stems and waxy coating....

Many times it’s possible to relocate some of your dearest plants to your new home if it is done at the right time and with the right amount of attention. Of course, you will have to make sure that whoever purchased your home is okay with you taking a little bit of your garden with you. When to Move Plants If possible, it’s best to move perennials during the early spring and fall when temperatures are not overly warm....

Partridge Flower Info Interestingly, partridge feather ground cover (Tanacetum densum) was introduced to the U.S. from Southeastern Turkey in the 1950s but for some reason no one thought to name the plant “turkey feather.” Regardless, the use of the term “feather” is definitely apt. The leaves of the partridge plant look very much like fuzzy, silvery feathers. An evergreen, the plant might, and more appropriately, be referred to as a low-growing shrub, albeit a very short one....

About Garden Tools for Kids A few ideas for child-sized gardening tools include rakes, hoes, and spades. These are basic necessities and are often sold in sets. These smaller versions of grown-up tools are best for kids ages seven and up. Watering cans are fun (especially for toddlers) and in this case, a sturdy, lightweight plastic watering can is more practical. Make sure the size is appropriate, as full watering cans can be too heavy for little ones....

When you see citrus bud drop, take a deep breath. It doesn’t necessarily mean that things are terribly wrong. It could mean that nature is doing its thing, but it may also mean that a change in cultural care might be indicated. Read on for the scoop on why citrus buds are disappearing. Citrus Tree Losing Buds If you aren’t new to citrus trees, you know that the fruit matures to a much larger size than a citrus bud....

There may be other types of thrips on citrus trees, but this variety has the potential to cause the most economic damage. For this reason, control of citrus thrips is vital in areas where wide scale production of citrus fruit is common. What are Citrus Thrips? What are citrus thrips? They are tiny orange-yellow insects whose feeding activities scar and damage the surface of the fruit. It is important to know what citrus thrips look like, as there are other thrip pests on citrus trees, which do little damage to the fruit and require no treatment....

How to Fix Pollution in a City Garden Smog and ozone damage to plants is common in urban areas. In fact, the haze or smog often seen in many cities is normally contributed to ground-level ozone, especially in summer, and is made up of various pollutants. It is also responsible for coughing and stinging eyes, among other things, which many urbanites suffer from. As to gardening in areas with smog, it’s not so much about what’s in the air affecting our plants, but what’s in the ground where they grow....

How to Plant a Lemon Tree in a Container When you grow a lemon tree in a pot, there are a few things you need to keep in mind. First of all, container lemon trees will not get as large as lemon trees grown in the ground. Still, it is best to seek out dwarf varieties of lemon trees. Some lemon tree varieties that do best in containers are: Meyer Improved dwarf Lisbon Ponderosa dwarf...

What is Soil Contamination? Before you begin to plan and construct your garden, it’s always wise to have a soil sample analyzed. The quality of soil can be affected by many things. It is important to determine what nearby land was used for in the past and assess the impact of any nearby industry. Oftentimes, the causes of soil contamination result from dangerous chemicals that find their way into the soil and disrupt the soil structure....

What is a Crevice Garden? A crevice garden is a garden that takes inspiration from natural areas where plants grow in spaces between rocks. You can build an alpine crevice garden, with plants from mountain ecosystems or create a desert rock garden. Crevice gardens also do well with native plants designed for xeriscaping. With well-drained soil, a native crevice garden does not use much water and should thrive. How to Make a Crevice Garden Building a crevice garden requires rocks and an appropriate soil mix....

What is Habiturf Grass? If you have looked into earth-friendly lawns, you may have come across the term habiturf and wondered what is habiturf? In 2007, the Ecosystem Design Group of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, TX. created and began testing what they named the Habiturf lawn. This alternative to the traditional non-native lawn was made from a mixture of grasses native to the south and midwestern United States....

Celery Types Grown for its succulent stalks or petioles, celery dates as far back as 850 B.C. and was cultivated not for its culinary use, but its medicinal purposes. Today, there are three different kinds of celery: self-blanching or yellow (leaf celery), green or Pascal celery, and celeriac. In the United States, green stalk celery is the usual choice and used both raw and cooked. Stalk celery originally had a tendency to produce hollow, bitter stalks....

Separating Amaryllis Plants In the United States, amaryllis bulbs can grow well outdoors in most parts of zones 8 through 11, with some varieties even overwintering in zone 7. In the right conditions, outdoor amaryllis plants will produce new bulbs each year, naturalizing into dense colonies. When too many bulbs form underground in a spot, they can begin to choke each other out. Like lilies, hosta, daffodils, or many other plants, the overgrown clumps can be divided to space plants out and rejuvenate them....