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However, did you know that there are many bush vegetables suitable for urban gardens? What are bush vegetables and which bush vegetable plants work for a small garden? Read on to learn more. What are Bush Vegetables? Fear not; if you have a balcony, stoop, or access to the roof that has six to eight hours of sun, you too can have fresh herbs and vegetables. There are many dwarf varieties available, or you can vertically grow many vegetables— or you can plant bush varieties....

Find the Best Vegetable Garden Size for You Normally, a garden of about 10 feet by 10 feet (3 x 3 m.) is considered to be manageable, provided your landscape permits the space. You should try sketching out a small diagram noting the area of each vegetable to be planted. If something a little less is preferred, try working vegetables within smaller-sized plots. Since there are many vegetables that are also considered ornamental in appearance, there’s no need to hide them from view....

Bunch Disease in Walnut Trees Bunch disease in walnut trees is characterized by stunted leaves and deformed stems. Clusters of fast-growing, wiry shoots take on a bushy, “witches’ broom” appearance when lateral buds produce growth instead of remaining dormant. Symptoms of bunch disease also include growth that appears earlier in spring and extends later into fall; thus, trees lack cold-hardiness and are highly susceptible to damage in winter. Wood is weakened and prone to wind damage....

Water lily plants can be divided into two types: Hardy – Hardy types are best for northern climates where the water freezes in winter. As long as the roots of hardy specimens are below the level where the water freezes, they will reappear the following spring. Tropical – Tropical water lilies won’t survive in cold water and must be brought indoors for winter in all but the warmest areas. Many growers treat them as annuals, replanting them each year....

In order to get juicy, sweet watermelon, you need to select the right option and time your planting to suit your zone. These fruits need anywhere from 90 to 130 days from seed to harvest, making them a tough plant to grow in cooler climes. Short Season Watermelon Growing Big melons need about 4 months of warm, frost free weather. In cooler climates, the seeds will need to be started indoors and planted out after any danger of frost has passed, usually 6 weeks prior....

Removing Weeds from Tight Spots Some weed killers efficiently kill perennial and woody weeds after a couple weeks, or a couple applications. These herbicides are absorbed by the foliage and root zone of weeds, eventually killing the weed off. However, in tight areas like along a fence, spray drift and run off can harm any nearby desirable plants, including your neighbor’s beautiful garden on the other side of the fence. Whenever possible, pulling annual and some perennial weeds works best....

What are German Green Tomatoes? This is a truly unique heirloom tomato that is green when ripe, although it will develop a blush color as it softens further. The variety came from Germany but was cultivated in the U.S. by Ruby Arnold in Tennessee. Her relatives always called it Aunt Ruby’s tomato, and the name stuck. Aunt Ruby’s tomatoes are large, growing up to a pound (453 grams) or even more....

Heartnut Tree Information Heartnut trees can grow to 50 feet tall (15 m.) with a spread of 65-100 feet (20-30.5 m.). They are hardy to cold and most pests. They get their name from their prolific production of a nut that looks, both inside and out, like a heart. The nuts taste similar to walnuts and are extremely hard to crack open. Growing heartnuts in well-drained soil will produce the best results, but they will grow in loamier soils....

What are Maestro Peas? Maestro pea plants are a robust, medium sized heirloom variety of garden pea. Used in the kitchen as a shelling pea, this variety produces large pods which average around ten peas in each. High yielding pods make Maestro shelling peas an especially popular choice for growers in urban areas or with smaller garden spaces. Like many other varieties of pea plant, Maestro plants are relatively small and compact, usually growing only to 30 inches (76 cm....

What are Softwood Trees? Softwood tree lumber is regularly used to build houses and boats, decks, and stairwells. That means that softwood characteristics of trees do not include weakness. Rather, the classification of trees into softwood and hardwood is premised on a biological distinction. Softwood tree information tells us that softwoods, also called gymnosperms, are needle-bearing trees, or conifers. Softwood tree species, including pines, cedar, and cypress, are usually evergreens. That means that they do not lose their needles in fall and go dormant for the winter....

What is Woad? Woad, Isatis tinctoria, is a plant that is easy to grow and is often considered a weed. It is also an herb. Known as dyer’s woad, it has been used for millennia as a blue dye. It is native to Europe and Asia, and in the U.S. woad can be seen as invasive. In many places, you can harvest it to use just by foraging for woad in the wild....

What are Stunt Nematodes? Stunt nematodes are not big bugs that you can readily spot on your veggie vegetation. They are tiny worms, microscopic, termed Tylenchorhynchus spp. by scientists. Stunt nematodes are parasites that damage the roots of vegetables in your garden, exposing the plants to various destructive pathogens in the soil. They are not limited to backyard gardens. In this country, these pests cause almost $10 billion in economic loss....

What is a Beauty Leaf Tree? Beauty leaf tree (Calophyllum inophyllum) is a broadleaf evergreen native to Australia, Eastern Africa and Southern India to Malaysia. According to most Calophyllum tree info, lumber from a beauty leaf is very hard and of high quality. In shipbuilding it is used to make masts and planks, and it is also used to build fine furniture. All parts of the Calophyllum beauty leaf are considered poisonous....

False Dandelion Info What is a cat’s ear plant? As suggested by their other name, false dandelion, cat’s ears are very similar in appearance to dandelions. Both have low rosettes that put up long stems with yellow flowers that give way to white, puffy, wind-borne seed heads. Cat’s ears do have their own distinct look though. While dandelions have hollow, unforked stems, cat’s ear plants have solid, forked stems. Cat’s ear flowers are native to Eurasia and Northern Africa, although they have since become naturalized in Oceania, the eastern half of North America, and the Pacific Northwest of the U....

What is Clara Eggplant? The eggplant variety, Clara, is an Italian hybrid that produces gorgeous, brilliantly white fruit offset by a bright green calyx. The oval-shaped fruit grows to around 6 or 7 inches (15-18 cm.) in length by 4 or 5 inches (10-13 cm.) across. Clara eggplant is an early season crop that matures in approximately 65 days. Since Clara eggplant has thin skin, it is best suited for the home garden, as the delicate exterior bruises easily during shipping....

What is a Larch Tree? Larch trees are large deciduous trees with short needles and cones. The needles are only an inch (2.5 cm.) or so long, and sprout in little clusters along the length of the stems. Each cluster has 30 to 40 needles. Tucked in among the needles you can find pink flowers that eventually become cones. The cones start out red or yellow, turning to brown as they mature....

What is American Wisteria? Using native plants in the garden is a smart choice. This is because native plants are uniquely adapted to the region and require less specialized care. They also won’t harm the wild flora if they happen to escape cultivation. American wisteria is one such indigenous plant. What is American wisteria? It is a friendly local vine with gregarious blue-flowered charm and might be perfect in your garden....

What is Bactericide? It’s not only animals that get bacterial problems. Plants can suffer from these tiny organisms too. There are beneficial bacteria that naturally occur and do things like break down organic matter and facilitate nutrient and moisture uptake. Just as you must take the good with the bad though, there are also destructive bacteria. Applying bactericide is often the necessary way to combat these villains of the garden. Bacteria can move quickly from plant to plant, especially in crop situations....

What Does it Mean to Clear and Grub? Once a site has been surveyed and any necessary demo has been done, vegetation and surface debris are removed by clearing and grubbing the landscape. Clearing means what it sounds like, removing all vegetation. Grubbing refers to the removal of the roots that remain in the soil after clearing. Grubbing removes logs, brush, and debris. Stumps are then ground or removed with a root rake or similar machine....

Growing Denniston’s Superb Plums Denniston’s Superb plum care is easy when your provide the tree with adequate growing conditions. Denniston’s Superb Plum trees are self-fertile, but you’ll enjoy a larger harvest if a pollinator is located nearby. Good pollinators include Avalon, Golden Sphere, Farleigh, Jubilee, Gypsy and many others. Be sure your plum tree receives at least six to eight hours of sunlight per day. These plum trees are adaptable to nearly any well-drained soil....