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Christmas Cactus Cold Hardiness Holiday cacti are popular houseplants that bloom around the holiday in their name. Christmas cacti tend to flower around the winter months and produce bright, bountiful, pink blooms. As exterior plants, they are only hardy in USDA zones 9 to 11. How cold can Christmas cactus get? Cold hardiness in Christmas cactus is greater than in some cacti, but they are tropical. They can’t tolerate frost, but they need cold temperatures to force blooms....

Crepe Myrtle Tree Problems When pruning crepe myrtle, you have to be careful not to cause any crepe myrtle problems. What happens is if you heavily prune your crepe myrtle tree, it will cause the tree to put all their energy into growing new leaves and limbs. This means that no energy will be expended by the tree for flowers, which causes the crepe myrtle problems. When planting a new crepe myrtle, be careful not to plant the tree too deep into the soil....

Growing moonwort ferns are not commonly found in domestic gardens, as they are difficult to locate in nurseries and garden centers. Even in the wild, botanists sometimes have trouble finding the small plant. If you find one though, moonwort fern care is fairly simple once the plant is established. What is Moonwort? Simply put, moonwort is a small, perennial fern, with leaflets shaped like a half-moon, hence the common name....

Companion Plants for Summer Squash Here are some good zucchini plant companions for the garden: Radishes – Often considered the workhorse of the garden, radishes are small plants that are easily planted amid zucchini plants. These companion plants for summer squash and zucchini help repel common zucchini pests such as aphids, squash bugs, cucumber beetles, and others. Radishes are good to eat, but they’ll help your zucchini more effectively if you allow a few plants to bloom and go to seed....

What Is A Conservatory Perhaps you’re wondering, “What is a conservatory?” In the simplest terms, a conservatory is basically greenhouse living space. While both are often glass buildings with glass roofs, a greenhouse tends to look and feel more utilitarian. It’s a place to start seedlings and grow plants. It’s also a place where people primarily visit to look at or work with plants. On the other hand, a conservatory is a room also designed for human use....

Should My Compost Bin Have Bugs? Many people ask, “Should my compost bin have bugs?” If you have a compost pile, you are likely to have some bugs. If your compost pile is not constructed properly, or you only turn it infrequently, it can become a breeding ground for insects. The following are common bugs in compost: Stable flies – These are similar to house flies except that they have a needle-type beak that protrudes from the front of their head....

Spider Mite Detection Being able to effectively kill spider mites starts with good spider mite detection. Good spider mite detection starts with looking at the plant. The three most common signs of spider mites are: Yellow, tan, or white spots on the leaves of your plant. Very small white or red spots on the leaves that move (these are the mites themselves). White, cottony webbing that appears on the underside of the leaves....

Do You Cut Back Red Hot Poker Plants After Flowering? Red hot poker plants form clumps of slender, grass-like foliage. The stems rise above the foliage and bear the long, colorful blossoms. Most cultivars start flowering by late June and some re-bloom until frost. Do you cut back red hot poker plants when the flowers fade? The answer is a decisive no. Pruning a red hot poker plant’s foliage at this time is not a good idea....

What are Desmodium Plants? Desmodium is an herby perennial. Some varieties grow tall, up to 2 to 4 feet (61 cm. to 1 m.), but they tend to grow more like a trailing groundcover. They will climb if given the right support. Desmodium varieties are legumes, so they fix nitrogen in the soil, and this has made them a popular choice as an intercrop, especially with corn where they prevent the growth of weeds....

Chasmanthe plants are prized in the ornamental landscape for their broad foliage and vibrant orange-red flowers. Growth of the plant emerges from corms in fall in regions with only light frost. From late winter into early spring, the plant will burst into bloom before once again going into dormancy. This period of warm weather dormancy is what allows the plant to continue to grow and multiply in the landscape. Digging up Chasmanthe corms and then dividing them once every four years will be essential to maintain bloom and promoting overall plant health....

What Types of Annuals Do Well in Full Sun? Hot summer temperatures and ample hours of sunlight are often considered to be quite difficult growing conditions for many species of plants. Fortunately, if you have exceptionally sunny garden spaces, options for full sun annual flowers abound. In determining which annuals like full sun, it’s important to also consider other characteristics, including the plants’ needs for irrigation, as well as their preferred temperatures....

How to Grow Cryptanthus Cryptanthus plants prefer a well-draining, but moist growing medium. A rich, organic soil works well for most varieties, but gardeners can also use a mix of sand, peat, and perlite. Most varieties remain small and only require a 4- to 6-inch (10-15 cm.) pot. Planter size for larger types of Cryptanthus bromeliads can be determined by matching foliage size to pot width. Place your potted Earth Star where it can receive levels of light and humidity similar to its native environment on the Brazilian rainforest floor – bright but not direct....

Organic Bug Spray for Plants There are many organic insect sprays for humans and pets available at health food stores. Even the big brands like Off, Cutter, and Avon have jumped on the organic bandwagon. When purchasing organic and eco-friendly insect sprays, be sure to read the labels. If a product has understandable ingredients like lemon eucalyptus oil, citronella, or rosemary extract, it probably is truly organic. If the product’s ingredients contain complex chemical compounds or DEET, keep browsing....

Can You Eat Flower Bulbs? One of the more common questions we hear is “are bulbs edible?” When it comes to flowering bulbs, there are indeed a few that may be eaten. Here are some of the types of flower bulbs you can eat – but only if approved by someone knowledgeable in this practice: Grape hyacinth – Some sources indicate that grape hyacinth bulbs may be edible. In fact, Bucknell University relates that an ancient Roman physician double-boiled the bulbs and enjoyed eating them with vinegar, fish sauce, and oil....

How to Fertilize Eggplants Eggplants grow best in a compost-rich, fertile soil under full sun. Feeding eggplants during their growing and fruiting stages improves the overall health of the plant. Healthy plants produce larger fruit in greater quantities. In addition, when growing some varieties of eggplant, fertilizer may reduce bitterness caused by plant stress. Many gardeners begin the growing season by incorporating compost and fertilizer into the garden soil prior to planting....

Facts About Emu Bush Hundreds of species belong to the genus Eremophila, and some call the plant Eremophila emu bush. All emus are native to Australia’s dry inland areas. They vary significantly in size and growth habit, ranging from prostrate shrubs to 15-foot-high (5 m.) trees. Most grow from 3 to 10 feet (1-3 m.) high and 3 to 6 feet (1-2 m.) wide. An Eremophilia emu bush will bloom in winter months in this country, from December through April, which happens to be Australia’s summer....

Excalibur Plum Facts Excalibur is a cultivar that was developed about 30 years ago to improve upon the Victoria plum. The fruits are larger and also are generally considered tastier than those from the Victoria tree. Excalibur plums are large, red, and sweet, with a yellow flesh. You can enjoy them fresh, but Excalibur plums also stand up well to cooking and baking. They can be canned or frozen to preserve them through the winter....

Monstera deliciosa Varieties Of all the types of monstera available in garden centers, this is probably the most popular. Also known as Swiss cheese plant, M. deliciosa is characterized by deep lobes and perforations in its leaves. The holes are known as fenestrations. You can find several varieties of this species now: ‘Thai Constellation.’ This striking variegated monstera has large green leaves with cream variegations. This monstera is a statement piece among houseplants....

Zoysia Grass Problems Invasive – Zoysia grass is a very invasive grass. The reason you can plant plugs and not have to seed the lawn is because zoysia grass will crowd out all other species in the lawn. Then when it has taken over your lawn, it will start in on your flower beds and your neighbor’s lawn. Temperamental color – Another one of the zoysia grass problems is that unless you live in a consistently warm climate, the color of your lawn can go rapidly from green to brown at the first sign of cool weather....

What is Fenugreek? Native to southern Europe and Asia, fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) has been cultivated for centuries as a spice and for its medicinal qualities. Herbal fenugreek is used to treat a variety of conditions, including coughs, sore throat, bronchitis, constipation, and minor skin irritations. In the kitchen, fresh fenugreek leaves are cooked like spinach and the tangy, mustard-yellow fenugreek seeds are used as a spice, often in Middle Eastern dishes....