Growing Citrus in Zone 9 In zone 9, citrus trees are selected based on the size of the area. Dwarf or semi-dwarf varieties are best suited for small yards or containers, while a very big yard may house many large citrus tree varieties. It is also important to select citrus trees based on whether they require a second tree for pollination or not. If you have limited space, you may need to grow only self-fertile citrus trees....
Flowers for Shady Gardens in Zone 9 Zone 9 is a great place for gardeners because of the warmth and sun, but just because your climate is hot doesn’t mean you don’t have shady patches. You still want colorful blooms in those areas, and you can have them. Here are some choices for zone 9 part shade flowers: Banana shrub – This flowering shrub will thrive in your shady garden areas and grow slowly to approximately 15 feet (5 meters)....
Yellow Pear Tomato Information The yellow pear may be new to your garden this year, but it is an old, heirloom tomato. The name is descriptive, as this plant grows bright yellow tomatoes that are small and shaped like pears. They will grow to between one and two inches (2.5-5 cm.) in length when ripe. In addition to being tasty, colorful, and perfect tomatoes for snacking and salads, yellow pear plants are also desirable because they are productive....
Annual plants in the southwest have to do well in hot and dry desert climates. If you are ready to start growing desert annuals, read on for some of our favorites. About Southwestern Annuals Annual plants live and die in a single growing season. Southwestern annuals grow in spring, reach maturity and flower in summer, then set seeds and die in fall. While they don’t last for years as perennials do, annual plants fill your yard with eye-catching color....
How to Get Fruit on Apple Trees It goes without saying that most apple tree fruiting problems can be avoided by growing healthy trees. Obviously, a healthy apple tree will produce more fruit than a sick tree. Providing optimal conditions for your tree and sticking to a regular maintenance schedule will help your tree produce the most fruit possible. Address all insect or disease problems promptly, as fruit size and crop yield is dramatically influenced by both insect and disease damage....
If you are interested in learning more about growing fruit trees in New England, read on. We’ll give you advice about how to select fruit trees that will thrive in your region. Northeastern Fruit Trees The Northeast region of the country is known for its cold winters and relatively short growing season. Not every type of fruit tree will thrive in this climate. Anyone selecting fruit trees in New England needs to take the tree’s cold hardiness into account....
What Causes Kale to Bolt? When you see your kale plant flowering, it’s essential to remember kale is a biennial. Like many two-season plants, kale spends its first season growing vegetatively. Once the kale plant is exposed to wintry weather, it’s programmed to flower. Most biennials do this in their second year. So what causes kale to bolt in its first year? The simple answer is human eagerness. As a cool-season crop, we are eager to get this biennial into the ground as early in the spring as we can....
Can Plants Move? Yes, plants most definitely can move. They need to move in order to grow, catch sunlight, and for some to feed. One of the most typical ways that plants move is through a process known as phototropism. Essentially, they move and grow toward the light. You have probably seen this with a houseplant that you rotate once in a while for even growth. It will grow more to one side if facing a sunny window, for instance....
About Stella d’Oro Daylilies Most daylilies bloom for a short period of time during the summer. For this brief period they produce showy, beautiful flowers, but for the rest of the growing season all you get are spiky green leaves. In 1975, the first reblooming variety was developed by Walter Jablonski. The Stella d’Oro daylily produces bright, cheerful flowers that continue to bloom all season if you care for them correctly....
What is Stalk Rot in Celery? Rotting stalks in celery are often a sign of infection with the fungus Rhizoctonia solani. Stalk rot, also called crater rot or basal stalk rot, develops most frequently when the weather is warm and wet. The same soil-borne fungus also causes damping off in seedlings of celery and other garden vegetables. Stalk rot typically begins near the base of the outer leaf petioles (stalks) after the fungus invades through wounds or open stomata (pores)....
Christmas bushes of either variety are warm to temperate region plants. The Christmas bush Australia will thrive in United States Department of Agriculture zones 8-11, while the Chile version is a bit hardier, to zone 7. Both have excellent attributes and medium water needs. Christmas bush care is minimal, making them outstanding plants for the garden. Chile Christmas Bush Plant Baccharis magellanica is the variety from Chile. It can be relatively hard to find, but specialty nurseries may have some....
Clary Sage Herb Clary sage plant is native to the Mediterranean and parts of Europe. It is most commonly cultivated in Hungary, France, and Russia. Both the leaves and flowers are used in flavoring and teas as well as aromatherapy applications. The plant also yields an essential oil called clary oil or muscatel sage, which is used for topical afflictions and in aromatherapy applications. Growing clary sage for home use provides all these benefits and is safe for human consumption according to the Purdue University....
What is a Tarantula Cactus? There are thousands of varieties of cacti and each has its own unique aspect and habit. The tarantula cactus plant (Cleistocactus winteri) is one of the most distinctive in appearance. It produces numerous stems that trail down from the crown of the plant, covered in golden hairs. Also known as the golden rat tail cactus, the plant is easy to grow in the home and relies upon little care from its keeper....
About Costoluto Genovese Heirlooms Costoluto Genovese tomatoes are rich, meaty Italian heirloom fruits. Since these plants are open-pollinated, seeds from the plants can be saved each year and grown for generations. Their robust flavor is perfect for use on sandwiches and for fresh eating. However, these highly acidic tomatoes really shine when used for canning and for the creation of full-bodied pasta sauces. How to Grow Costoluto Genovese Tomatoes Once established, Costoluto Genovese care is quite simple....
What are Cremnophila Plants? Cremnophila is a genus of succulent plants that was proposed in 1905 by Joseph N. Rose, an American botanist. The genus is native to Mexico and has characteristics that once put it in the Sedoideae family. It has been moved to its own sub-genus because it has features that also place it with Echeveria varieties. There is one species that is available for cactus lovers. Cremnophila succulents are primarily small, desert plants that produce stems and flowers that resemble sedum....
But, what about crushed rock as mulch? There are plenty of good reasons for using crushed rock instead of mulch, but there are also a few major drawbacks. Read on to learn more. Benefits Of Crushed Rock Landscapes: Can I Use Crushed Rock Instead Of Mulch? Yes, you can definitely use crushed rock as mulch. Here are a few benefits of a crushed rock landscape: Appearance: Rock or crushed stone mulches are available in a range of sizes, shapes, and colors, including custom colors to complement your home or garden....
Why are Cucumbers Dropping Off? Like most plants, a cucumber has one goal: to reproduce. To a cucumber, that means making seeds. A cucumber plant drops fruit that doesn’t have many seeds because it has to expend a lot of energy to raise a cucumber to maturity. Allowing the fruit to remain isn’t an efficient use of energy when the fruit isn’t likely to produce many offspring. When seeds don’t form, the fruit becomes deformed and misshapen....
Removing wildflowers from their natural setting isn’t beneficial to the environment and usually isn’t successful. If you’re thinking about growing dogtooth violets in your garden, look for the bulbs or plants at nurseries that specialize in native plants. Once the plant is established in your garden, it is easily propagated by digging and replanting the offsets in late summer. What Does a Dogtooth Violet Look Like? Dogtooth violet isn’t a violet and the drooping, lily-like blooms are actually white with a subtle, violet tint....
About Elodea Plants Elodea is an aquatic plant that is found in ponds and waterways. All varieties of elodea are herbaceous perennials with a spiral pattern of dark green leaves along the stem. All are dioecious, bearing only male or female blooms. Plants reproduce by asexual fragmentation and do so rapidly. Elodea does have thin, wiry roots that attach to the soil at the bottom of the waterway, but they also grow well floating....
Flame Violet Plant Info There are several cultivars of the flame violet plant. Many trail down the sides of hanging baskets. North and South American natives, foliage of Episcia flame violet houseplants is green to bronze, red, or even chocolate. Oval shaped leaves may have silvery edges, veins, or margins. Their habit is low-growing, and they flower in colors of red, pink, orange, yellow, lavender, or white throughout the year....
