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Harvest Tips for Fresher Lettuce Keeping lettuce fresh after picking actually starts before the harvest. Since lettuce is a shallow-rooted plant it requires a moist soil. This may mean watering twice daily when the weather is warm and dry. Additionally, mulching lettuce beds will slow down the process of soil moisture evaporation. Early morning is the best time to harvest leafy greens. It’s usually the coolest time of the day and the dew helps keep lettuce leaves hydrated....

There are several ways how to kill trees; let’s take a look at a few. Killing a Tree by Girdling Remove the bark completely around the circumference of the trees. This way how to kill a tree is called girdling. This is one of the most effective methods for killing trees as it will always work. The tree will be unable to transport nutrients from the leaves to the roots and will die in a matter of weeks....

As the name would suggest, each daylily flower remains open for only one day. The profusion of blooms produced on a single plant make this flower a garden favorite. That’s why a daylily not flowering can be upsetting. Why Daylilies Won’t Flower Finding that there are no blooms on daylilies may be quite alarming for many home gardeners. While the plants themselves can create nice visual interest in flower borders, when daylilies won’t flower, it can be rather disappointing....

What is Mushroom Coffee? Mushroom coffee is a blend of ground coffee beans and mushroom powder. Known as functional mushrooms, these fungal species are valued for the health benefits they provide as well as their nutritional value. From a nutritional standpoint, adding mushroom powder to coffee provides fiber and complex B vitamins to the daily diet. Most functional mushrooms contain niacin, riboflavin, and pantothenic acid, which work with the B vitamins in coffee beans to boost the body’s ability to release energy from fat....

How to Plan a Seed Swap Hosting a seed swap in your community is not too difficult. Here are some tips to help get you started: Plan a seed swap in fall, after seeds have been collected, or in spring around planting time. Determine the best place to hold the sale. A small group can gather in your backyard, but if you expect a lot of people, a public space is better....

Cane Cuttings Cane cuttings involve taking bare stems and cutting them into 8 to 13 cm long pieces and either sticking them vertically into pots of compost or pressing them horizontally into the surface of the compost to root. This is how you would propagate plants like the yucca or dieffenbachia. Sometimes you can simply purchase already prepared cuttings of yucca at the store. If you purchase these, just stick them vertically into cuttings compost and keep it at gentle temperatures until roots and shoots start to form....

What is a Garden Quadcopter? A garden quadcopter is an unmanned drone somewhat like a mini-helicopter but with four rotors. It flies autonomously and can be controlled with a smartphone. They go by various names, including but not limited to quadrotor, UAV, and drone. The price of these units has dropped considerably, which probably accounts for their varied uses from photography and video uses to police or military engagements, disaster management and, yes, even gardening with drones....

About Different Pine Trees While the group of pine trees are all found in the family Pinaceae, they are not all the same. They are grouped into nine genera. Those in the genus Pinus are referred to as pine, while others in the Pinacea family include larch, spruce, and hemlock. A key to identifying pine trees is the fact that the pine needles are attached together in bundles. The sheath holding them together is called a fascicle....

Soil Health Information So the big question is exactly what are macro and micro elements in plants? Macro nutrients are found in large quantities in plants, usually at least 0.1%. Micro nutrients are needed only in trace amounts and are usually counted in parts per million. Both are essential for happy, healthy plants. What are Macro Nutrients? Here are the most common macro nutrients found in soil: Nitrogen – Nitrogen is crucial to plants....

What are Neonicotinoids? So the first question that needs to be clarified, obviously, is “what are neonicotinoids?” If you haven’t heard this term, that’s probably due to the fact that it’s a relatively new class of synthetic insecticides. Neonicotinoid pesticides (aka neonics) are similar to nicotine, which is naturally found in nightshade plants like tobacco, and supposedly less harmful to humans but is poisonous to bees and many other insects and animals....

Iris Leaf Disease One of the most common diseases affecting irises is fungal leaf spot. Iris leaves develop small brown spots. These spots can enlarge quite quickly, turning gray and developing reddish-brown edges. Eventually, the leaves will die. Moist, humid conditions are favorable for this fungal infection. Leaf spotting is most common during wet conditions, as rain or water splashed on the leaves can spread the spores. While infection of iris leaf spot generally targets the leaves, it will occasionally affect the stems and buds as well....

Irish Moss Growing Zones and Info A member of the Caryophyllaceae family, Irish moss (Sagina subulata), which is not a moss at all, is also called Corsican pearlwort or Scot’s moss. Irish moss plants perform in a manner similar to moss, however. They do need some light to maintain the most amazing of emerald green colors found in its foliage. This herbaceous perennial (evergreen in warmer zones) turns green as temperatures warm....

What is Algae? There are numerous types of algae, divided into 11 phyla. Many species live in saltwater, so are not something you’ll run into often, but three main groups make their homes in fresh water. These algae belong to: Phylum Chlorophyta Phylum Euglenophyta Phylum Chrysophyta The types of algae growth you see in your backyard pond is due to one of these three groups, most often the green algae in Phylum Chlorophyta or the diatoms belonging to Phylum Chrysophyta....

Is Baby’s Breath Bad for Your Skin? The previous statement may be a bit dramatic, but the fact is that baby’s breath can cause skin irritation. Baby’s breath (Gypsophila elegans) contains saponins that when ingested by animals may cause minor gastrointestinal upset. In the case of humans, the sap from baby’s breath can cause contact dermatitis, so yes, baby’s breath may be irritating to the skin and result in itching and/or a rash....

Can Pets Eat Dracaena Plants? The short answer is no. Dracaena is toxic to both cats and dogs. Or rather saponin, a chemical compound that is found in the plant, is toxic to them. A dog eating dracaena leaves can result in vomiting (sometimes with and sometimes without blood), diarrhea, weakness, drooling, loss of appetite, and depression. A cat eating dracaena will result in the same symptoms, possibly with the addition of dilated pupils....

Japanese Maple Tree Facts In the United States, the Japanese maple is considered to be a small tree, typically growing from 5 to 25 feet (1.5-7.5 m.) tall. They prefer rich, acidic, well-draining soil. They also like partly shady settings and regular irrigation water. Drought is moderately tolerated but boggy soil is really bad for these trees. In Japan, these trees can grow to 50 feet (15 m.) or more. Japanese maples typically grow one foot (31 cm....

When to Prune Jasmine When young plants begin to put out new growth, start pinching out the top half-inch (1 cm.) of the stems by squeezing them between your thumbnail and finger. Pinching the tips, especially in the first two years, promotes rapid growth and lush foliage. Pinch lateral stems as well as the main, upright stem. Summer jasmine blooms in summer and early fall, and winter jasmine blooms in late winter and early spring on vines that developed the previous season....

What to Grow in a Keto Garden Are you wondering what to grow in a keto-friendly vegetable garden? The following suggestions should pique your interest. Swiss chard – Swiss chard is healthy and easy to grow, and it’s also pretty to look at. The stalks can be eaten like celery, and the leafy tops are delicious raw or sautéed. Unlike many leafy vegetables, Swiss chard requires plenty of sunlight and tolerates heat as long as it’s well watered....

How to Contain Trumpet Vine If you are not ready to kill trumpet vine, but are just looking to contain trumpet vine, there are many things you can do to accomplish this. The first thing you can do to contain trumpet vine is to place it in a container. To plant trumpet vine in the ground, simply dig a hole and place a sturdy container into the hole. Fill the container with soil and plant the trumpet vine in the container....

Kratom Plant Information What is a kratom plant? Native to the tropics, this tree can grow very tall in its natural habitat. In cooler climates, it has to be protected from the cold, which means it will likely have to be grown in a container. This will keep it from reaching its full height, which is probably a good thing unless you have the space for a very large tree. It can also be treated like a houseplant, spending spring and summer outdoors, and then bringing the plant inside with the onset of cooler temps in fall for overwintering....