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Parsley Container Gardening Parsley herbs (Petroselinum crispum) grow best in a sunny, preferably south-facing window where they will receive six to eight hours of direct sunlight every day. If your window doesn’t provide that much light, you’ll have to supplement it with fluorescent lighting. Turn the pot every three or four days so that the plant doesn’t lean into the sun. Parsley container gardening is no different than growing any other potted herbs....

Flowering Tops on Herbs In the early stages of plant growth, the herb plants put all of their energy into producing leaves and roots. This is because the leaves and root will produce energy for a plant– enough energy so that the plant can do what a plant thinks it should do. To a plant, its only reason to exist is to produce other plants. In order to do this, most plants must produce seeds....

Downy Mildew of Cucurbit Crops Cucurbits, which include the previously mentioned crops as well as melons and zucchini, are a group of plants that together make up a big portion of many people’s gardens. If you grow anything from the cucurbit family, your harvest could be limited or destroyed by the onset of downy mildew. A pathogen that is similar to fungus, called Pseudoperonospora cubensis, causes cucurbit downy mildew. The symptoms of an infection are seen in the leaves....

What is Molybdenum? Molybdenum is important for both plants and animals. In plant growth, it helps in the nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur cycles. Soils are the molybdenum sources for plants. Molybdate is the form that plants can uptake to get the element. Sandy soils and acidic soils contain less available molybdenum for plant growth. The element is crucial to the functions of nitrogenase and nitrate reductase, two enzymes important for nitrogen-fixing and nitrogen reduction....

Using Fruit Tree Spray for Nectarines Spraying nectarine trees with the right insecticides and at the right time is essential to growing a good crop. Here are our recommendations for nectarine fruit tree spraying: The first spray of the season is in early spring, before the buds begin to swell. There are two fruit tree sprays for nectarines that should be used when temperatures are between 45 and 55 degrees F....

Reasons for an Avocado Tree with no Fruit There are several reasons for a fruitless avocado. First of all, grafted trees usually begin to produce fruit in three to four years while avocado seedlings (non-grafted) take much longer to produce (7-10 years), if at all. So one reason why an avocado won’t produce fruit is simply because it is not a mature grafted variety. Also, avocados planted in USDA zones 9 through 11 can bear fruit, but if you are in a chillier region, the tree may survive but never set fruit....

What Animal is Eating My Plants at Night? Many animals come out at night to eat under the safe cover of darkness, so your pest might not be an insect. Some common nighttime feeders are deer, groundhogs, rabbits, raccoons, opossums, and skunks. Deer and rabbits tend to do the most damage. Deer nibbling leaves behind ragged edges, while rabbits leave a distinctive 45-degree angle cut. The best way to deter animal feeders at night is a barrier....

Pepper Gender Myth It’s believed that the number of bell pepper lobes has something to do with its sex (gender). Females supposedly have four lobes, are full of seeds and sweeter tasting while males have three lobes and are less sweet. So is this a true indicator of pepper plant gender? Fact: It is the flower, not the fruit, which is the sexual organ in plants. Bell peppers produce flowers having both male and female parts (known as “perfect” flowers)....

Bark forms in thick square blocks that resemble alligator skin. The wood is strong and resistant, used to make golf club heads, flooring, veneers, and billiard cues. The fruit is sweet when left to ripen and is similar in taste to an apricot. Growing persimmons is a fun and rewarding project for the home gardener. Learn more about persimmon tree growing conditions so you can grow these amazing fruits yourself....

Elements of Philippine Landscaping If you have ever traveled to the Philippines and gotten out into nature, you were probably drawn to the amazing variety of plants exhibited. The Philippines are home to many understory tropical species and full sun specimens that are both local and imported. Experts report that gardening in the Philippines is a dream due to the warm year-round weather. For an exotic feel in warm regions, try a Philippine garden design....

London Plane Tree History It appears that London plane trees are unknown in the wild. So, where do London plane trees come from? The current consensus among horticulturalists is that the London plane tree is a hybrid of the American sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) and the Oriental plane tree (Platanus orientalis). The Oriental plane tree has been cultivated around the world for centuries, and is still favored in many parts of the world....

Planting a Tuberose Bulb Not technically a bulb, tuberoses are perennial flowering plants which are native to warm weather regions. For those living outside its warmer hardiness zone, tuberose can also be grown as an annual. However, they will need to be lifted and stored for the winter. Tuberose bulb planting is an excellent option for those with summer temperatures that are exceptionally hot and humid. How and when to plant tuberose in the garden will be the key to success in growing these beautiful plants....

Avoiding Poinsettia Cold Damage It’s better, of course, to prevent damage from the cold than to try and correct it. This popular seasonal plant is common in cold climates around Christmas, but it is actually a warm weather species. Native to Mexico and Central America, poinsettias should not be exposed to temperatures below 50 degrees F. (10 C.). Even leaving a poinsettia outside when it’s around 50 degrees regularly or for extended periods of time can cause damage....

What are Pollenless Sunflowers? The name is self-explanatory; pollenless sunflowers are sunflowers that are sterile males and do not produce pollen. In the wild, sunflowers without pollen would be a tragedy, but for the sake of brides everywhere, pollenless sunflowers for cutting are a boon that almost didn’t come into being. Pollenless Sunflower Info Pollenless sunflowers were introduced to the market in 1988 but they were actually an accidental discovery. They originated as a mutation or genetic error that was soon seen as a major marketing coupe....

In spite of the obstacles, July in the Northern Rockies is glorious, and there’s still plenty of time to enjoy the great outdoors and to take care of a few July gardening tasks before the weather turns cold in autumn. Here is your regional to-do list. July Gardening Tasks for Northern Rockies and Great Plains Gardens Water shrubs and trees during extended dry periods. Newly planted shrubs and trees should be watered regularly until the roots are well established....

Can You Prune a Cypress? Cypress trees are narrow-leaf evergreens. Like other narrow-leaf evergreens, cypress do not develop new buds on the older wood. That means that cutting new shoots back to the branch may result in bare spots on the tree. On the other hand, cypress tree trimming is entirely feasible if you know what you are doing. Cypress are one of several species classified as “scale-leaf” needled evergreens. Unlike pine trees, with leaves that look like needles, cypress leaves appear more like scales....

Best Fertilizer for Rhododendrons If you have planted your shrubs in fertile soil, fertilizing rhododendrons is not a necessity. However, those rhododendrons growing in poor soil need feeding. Likewise, plants grown with mulch that depletes nitrogen in the soil, such as fresh wood chips, will probably do better with a regular rhododendron fertilizer schedule. If your shrubs require feeding, you not only need to know when and how to fertilize rhododendron bushes, but you’ll want to use the best fertilizer for rhododendrons....

Can You Plant Cut Flowers? It’s always a little sad to cut flowers in the garden. A clip of the garden scissors transforms a rose or hydrangea blossom from a living plant into a short-lived (yet beautiful) indoor display. You may even feel a twinge of regret when someone brings you gorgeous cut flowers. Can you plant cut flowers? Not in the normal sense of the word, since sinking your bouquet into a garden bed won’t have a positive effect....

How to Grow a Rose of Sharon Care for rose of Sharon, botanically named Hibiscus syriacus, is minimal. After planting rose of Sharon, this attractive specimen may thrive with neglect. However, some care, especially pruning for shape, will likely be needed for this showy shrub to add value to your landscape display. Also known as shrub Althea, this 9- to 12-foot (2.5 to 3.5 m.) specimen is a native of eastern Asia that is well adapted to growing in most USDA plant hardiness zones....

What are Sap Beetles? Sap beetles are also known as picnic beetles. There are several species with the largest only ¼ inch (0.5 cm.) long. These tiny insects hide in winter and emerge when temperatures warm in spring. The hard carapace is oval to oblong and either mottled brown or black. The easiest way to distinguish sap beetles from other beetles is their club-shaped antennae. You will see the insects in rotting vegetation, under fruit trees where overripe fruit drops, and even compost bins....