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Apple of Peru Plant Info Apple of Peru (shoofly plant to some) is a half hardy perennial that’s usually grown as an annual in USDA zones 3 through 8. It can reach 5 feet (1.5 m.) in height by the end of the summer, and blooms for two to three months during the summer. It produces light purple to blue flowers that grow in a bell shape. Even though it blooms constantly, the flowers only last for about a day, and the apple of Peru plant only ever has one or two flowers in bloom at a time....

Apricot Handling Tips Commercial growers must pay special attention to packing, temperature, and humidity when storing apricots for the market. Apricots must also be kept separate from fruits that emit ethylene, which will hasten their ripening and diminish quality by the time they arrive at stores. Home gardeners must also be sensitive to these issues if they want their hard earned fruits to last. Think of apricots as almost egg-like in their delicacy....

Indoor Pond Flowers Outdoor Pond Flowers If you’re wanting to incorporate flowering water plants into outdoor spaces, you should always consider the potential environmental impacts first. This includes potential for harm to native plant and animal species, as well as heeding local regulations related to invasive species or noxious weeds. Larger Pond Plants If you’re looking to increase visual interest around natural ponds, you may want to consider larger species of aquatic flowering plants....

The key to successfully using arborvitae in the landscape is selecting the proper varieties. This article is about the popular variety of arborvitae commonly known as ‘Emerald Green’ or ‘Smaragd’ (Thuja occidentalis ‘Smaragd’). Continue reading for Emerald Green arborvitae info. About Emerald Green Arborvitae Varieties Also known as Smaragd arborvitae or Emerald arborvitae, Emerald Green arborvitae is one of the most popular varieties of arborvitae for the landscape. It is often selected for its narrow, pyramidal shape and deep green color....

When to Transplant Blueberries Blueberry plant transplanting should take place when the plant is dormant. This depends upon your location, generally from early November to early March after the worst of the frost has passed. A quick light frost probably won’t hurt the plant, but extended freezes will. Blueberries can also be transplanted early in the fall after the first frost, again, when they are dormant. Dormancy is indicated when the plant has gone through leaf drop and no active growth is evident....

Growing Sun King Broccoli Before getting this broccoli started, choose a planting spot with sun most of the day. Prepare the ground so it is well-draining with rich soil. Turn soil 8 inches down (20.5 cm.), removing any rocks. Work in compost or a thin layer of well-rotted manure to add organic goodness to the growing bed. A pH of 6.5 to 6.8 is desirable when growing Sun King. If you don’t know your soil pH, it is time to take a soil test....

Propping Plants in Forcing Jars and Pots Whether you are a passionate gardener or just a fan of flowers, forced bulbs can provide an interior display of out of season color and the process is so easy even a novice can succeed. There are numerous tutorials on the process as well as special kits and forcing jars you can purchase to facilitate your flower growth. However, even professionals are confronted with the problem of nodding narcissus and flopping freesia....

Moving Amsonia Plants In all my years working in garden centers and landscaping, I noticed a curious thing. When moving to a new home, many gardeners will dig up their favorite perennials, herbs or other landscape plants and take them, rather than purchasing or propagating new plants for the new landscape. While herbs or perennials, such as amsonia, are certainly easier to transplant than trees or shrubs, there are still some risks when transplanting any plant....

Saving Dried Plants You may be able to revive dried-out plants if they aren’t too far gone or if the roots haven’t been affected. Drought is especially harmful when plants are actively growing early in the season. Plants stressed from drought generally show damage in older leaves first, then moving on to younger leaves as drought continues. The leaves typically turn yellow before they dry up and fall off the plant....

Canadian Red Rhubarb Information Rhubarb is a classic spring vegetable, but one that is treated more like a fruit in the kitchen. The leaves are not edible and are, in fact, toxic, but the stalks can be used in sauces, jams, pies, cakes, and other baked goods. The bright red stalks of the Canada Red rhubarb variety work especially well in desserts because they have a high sugar content. With these rhubarb stalks, you can make your favorite recipe with less sugar....

How to Grow Mums in Pots When growing mums in containers, half the battle takes place before you even get the plant home. Since mums are so popular in the fall, you can buy them at all kinds of stores that may not necessarily know about or even practice good plant care. Even at garden centers and nurseries, plants can be severely underwatered, and mums, in particular, can dry out very easily....

Coreopsis flowers may be annual or perennial and come in a variety of heights. A member of the Asteraceae family, blooms of growing coreopsis are similar to those of the daisy. Colors of petals include red, pink, white and yellow, many with dark brown or maroon centers, which makes an interesting contrast to the petals. Coreopsis is native to the United States and 33 species are known and listed by the Natural Resources Conservation Service of USDA on their website’s plant database....

Available in a variety of hues from white or yellow to pink or purple depending on the species, these daisies are similar in appearance to the Shasta daisy. The various species and subspecies result from hybridization, and thus, may be imports from several spots around the globe. Two examples of this are the blue marguerite daisy, which hails from South Africa, and the white harvest snow daisy, which was brought from Germany....

Tips for Urn Plant Care In the rainforests, rainwater gathers in the stiff rosette of leaves that form the urn. Plant care in the home consists of keeping the center filled with water at all times. For a healthy plant, the water should be emptied and refilled once a week to prevent stagnation. Watch out for dry brown edges of the leaves. It’s a sign of dehydration in your urn plant....

How to Grow Boysenberries in Pots Boysenberries are well suited to life in containers, but they need ample room to grow. Choose a pot that’s at least 12 inches (30.5 cm.) deep and 16 to 18 inches (41-45.5 cm.) in diameter. Make sure it has multiple drainage holes too. Put a couple inches (5 cm.) of small rocks in the bottom to weigh the container down and counterbalance the height of the trellis....

What is a Chamiskuri Garlic? Garlic lovers have many different varieties from which to choose. A quick glance at Chamiskuri garlic info indicates it was collected in 1983 and is classed as an “artichoke” variety. It produces shoots earlier than many other softneck cultivars and has a nice mild flavor. This is an easy variety to grow provided you have the right soil, site, and planting time. Artichoke varieties of garlic often develop purplish streaks on the bulb skins....

There are two Chinese kale varieties, one with white flowers and one with yellow flowers. The white flower variety is popular and grows up to 19 inches (48 cm.) high. The yellow flower plant only grows to about 8 inches (20 cm.) tall. Both varieties are heat resistant and will grow through the winter in most areas. Growing Chinese Broccoli Plants Growing Chinese broccoli plants is extremely easy. These plants are very forgiving and do well with minimal care....

Plant nutrition is essential to vitality and good growth. Feeding mum plants will help ensure their continued health and a steady supply of those lovely, rayed flowers. Read on to learn when to fertilize mums and how to fertilize mum plants for years of beautiful healthy plants. When to Fertilize Mums It is important to provide nitrogen and potassium to chrysanthemums during their vegetative phase. Feed the plants before flower buds form to promote healthy roots, bud development, and a vigorous plant....

Soil Microbe Adaptation A group of microbes called Rhizobia are among the most important in nature’s soils and also in agricultural systems. These are adaptable to different regions in some situations. These form symbiotic relationships with a variety of plants, especially those categorized as legumes. Rhizobia helps these plants, such as peas and beans, get necessary nutrients. Primarily nitrogen in this case, most all plants need this nutrient to survive and grow....

Cockspur Hawthorn Info The Cockspur hawthorn is just one of several varieties of hawthorn tree. It is native to the eastern U.S. and Canada and is hardy to zone 4. Growing a Cockspur hawthorn isn’t difficult, but it can be prickly. The large thorns that grow all over the stems mean that this is not a great choice for yards where small children or pets will be playing. The branches grow low to the ground, so thorns can be a real problem for kids....