Posts

Shinko Asian Pear Info With shiny green leaves and masses of white blooms, Shinko Asian pear trees are a valuable addition to the landscape. Shinko Asian pear trees tend to be resistant to fire blight, which makes them a good choice for home gardeners. Height of Shinko Asian pears trees at maturity ranges from 12 to19 feet (3.5 -6 m.), with a spread of 6 to 8 feet (2-3 m.). Shinko pears are ready for harvest from mid-July through September, depending on your climate....

What are Spindle Galls? Walking through a newly leafed forest or even just around your own garden in the springtime can reveal many breathtaking and astonishing sights. If you’re very lucky, you might even find some spindle galls. Although these interesting leaf deformations can at first appear like some sort of severe plant disease, the truth is that they’re very rarely dangerous to your plants. If your favorite tree has developed strange spiky growths on the upper surfaces of its leaves, you may immediately be concerned it’s an early sign of plant disease....

What is Cercospora? Fruit and crop management is an ongoing process. One of the key aspects is inspection of fruits and vegetables for disease and preventative measures early in the season to protect the crop. Cercospora leaf spot or fruit spot is a fungus that requires moisture and is wind borne. The disease survives in dormant lesions from previous season fruit. Once warm, wet weather starts, the fungus disseminates condida, which are similar to a spore....

What is an Arborist? Arborists are tree professionals, but unlike other types of professionals like lawyers or doctors, there is no one license or certificate that helps you identify an arborist. Membership in professional organizations is one sign that an arborist is a professional, as is certification by the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA). Full-service arborists are experienced in all aspects of tree care, including transplanting, pruning, fertilizing, managing pests, diagnosing diseases, and tree removal....

How To Prepare Chestnuts Roasting chestnuts by an open fire was a common treat in our great grandparents’ time. But during 1904, a terrible blight affected the American chestnut and decimated much of their population. The trees have been reestablished in recent decades and now are more common. If you are new to the food, keep reading to learn how to harvest and store chestnuts. Ways to Roast Chestnuts at Home The “open fire” is not as common an option in modern life, but you can roast chestnuts in the oven, or use a microwave or boiling water....

About Strawberry Chill Hours Strawberry chilling is important. If the plants don’t get enough chill hours, the flower buds may not open in the spring or they may open unevenly, resulting in a reduction in yield. The production of leaves may be delayed as well. The traditional definition of a chill hour is any hour under 45 degrees F. (7 C.). That said, academics quibble over the actual temperature. In the case of chilling requirements for strawberries, the period is defined as the number of accumulated hours between 28 and 45 degrees F....

What is Chinsaga? African cabbage is an annual wildflower that has been introduced in many other tropical to subtropical parts of the world, where it is often considered an invasive weed. Chinsaga vegetable can be found growing along roads, in cultivated or fallow fields, along fences, and irrigation canals and ditches. It has an erect, branching habit that usually attains heights of between 10 to 24 inches (25-61 cm.). The branches are sparsely leafed with three to seven oval leaflets....

What are Hardy Succulent Plants? Hardy succulent plants may seem an impossibility if you consider them just warm region flora. Look outside the box and consider that some succulents actually survive in chilly alpine climates and thrive in areas where freezes are potential. Many succulents for zone 5 are available as long as you consider their hardiness range. When you purchase your plants, check the tags or ask nursery professionals to determine whether they are right for your United States Department of Agriculture zone....

Self-Sowing Perennials for Gardens Planting perennials that self-seed can be a very good thing if you have an area you want to cover with perennial blooms. However, most self-seeding perennial flowers tend to be a bit aggressive, so plan carefully before you plant. Here is a list of some of the best self-sowing perennials for gardens, along with their USDA plant hardiness zones. Sweet William (Dianthus barbatus), Zones 3-7 Four o’clock (Miribilis jalapa), Zones 8-11 Bachelor buttons (Centaurea montana), Zones 3-8 Coreopsis/Tickseed (Coreopsis spp....

Causes for a Christmas Tree Not Taking Up Water Generally, when Christmas trees have problems taking up water, it’s because we tend to add products to the tree itself or the water. Avoid spray-on fire retardants and other products advertised to keep your tree fresh. Similarly, bleach, aspirin, sugar, lime soda, copper pennies and vodka have little or no effect and some can actually slow water retention and increase moisture loss....

How to Grow Chrysanthemums in the Garden Growing mums successfully in the garden first depends on choosing the right chrysanthemum flowers. Attractive florist mums are sold widely, but are not suitable for growing in the garden as they have a limited root system. Caring for potted mums is another worthwhile endeavor for the gardener should this be the case. The right chrysanthemum flowers for your garden will come from a diverse selection of hardy or garden mums....

What Do Red Hot Poker Seeds Look Like? Red hot poker propagation can be done with seed or division. If you already have a big clump of the plants, they will need to be divided every 3 to 5 years for better flower production. The plants also produce numerous babies or offsets that can be dug out from the main clump and planted separately. These plants also produce numerous seeds, which can be collected and planted....

What is Pantone? Pantone has a color of the year, which for 2018 is a stunning purple called Ultra Violet, but it has also arranged several palettes for the year. Pantone’s Verdure palette is earthy, vegetal, and inspired by cottage gardens. The colors include rich greens, pale blues, and pretty purples, as well as cream and light yellow. Together, the colors invoke health and growth, perfect for garden design. Whether you want to use the latest color palette or a particularly favorite one from yesteryear, incorporating these colors into the garden is easy....

Common Succulent and Cactus Pest Problems While other bugs might occasionally snack on these cactus plants and succulents, they’re usually not found in high enough numbers to cause any real damage – like that of cactus beetles. However, the three most common offenders you may come across include the following: Fungus gnats Fungus gnats, similar to those pesky little fliers (fruit flies) that surround bananas and other fruit when it is a tad too ripe, may linger on or near your plants....

Issues with rhododendrons are rare as they are relatively low maintenance plants. Rhododendron pests and disease harm plants that are stressed due to environmental conditions or injury. Common problems of rhododendron bushes can be avoided by providing the best growing environment possible and maintaining a consistent pruning, mulching, and fertilizing program. Plant your rhododendron in a shady area that drains well has a pH of 4.5 to 6.0 and provide fertilizer several times during the spring and summer to encourage growth....

Disease in Watermelon Watermelons are generally pretty tough numbers, but once in a while they develop problems that can seem insurmountable. Treating watermelon problems is often a simple matter, but the first thing you’ve got to do is figure out what’s causing your problems. Look for these common watermelon diseases this summer: Anthracnose – This seed-borne fungus is hard to detect initially, as it may only appear as small spots on your plants and fruits....

If this is your situation, help is on the way as new dwarf viburnum varieties have developed. These compact viburnum plants offer the same multi-season pleasure, but in a smaller size. Read on for information about small viburnum shrubs. Dwarf Types of Viburnum If you are a gardener with a smaller yard, you won’t be able to plant the Koreanspice viburnum (Viburnum carlesii), the shade tolerant shrub with intoxicatingly fragrant spring flowers....

How to Plant a Lemon Tree in a Container When you grow a lemon tree in a pot, there are a few things you need to keep in mind. First of all, container lemon trees will not get as large as lemon trees grown in the ground. Still, it is best to seek out dwarf varieties of lemon trees. Some lemon tree varieties that do best in containers are: Meyer Improved dwarf Lisbon Ponderosa dwarf...

What are Navel Orangeworms? Navel orangeworms are the larvae of a silver-grey snout moth with black markings, which begin laying eggs within two days of adulthood. If you see these moths, you’re probably already infested with orangeworm eggs. Eggs are laid on maturing nuts as well as mummy nuts, those nuts left after previous harvests, and hatch within 23 days. The larvae emerge reddish orange, but soon mature into a grub-like white to pink caterpillar with reddish heads....

About Sicklepod Weeds If you read some sicklepod information, you will find that this is one interesting plant. Look for a stalk up to 2 ½ feet (0.75 m.) high, smooth, hairless, oval leaves and showy, buttercup-yellow flowers with five petals each. Most striking is the long, sickle-shaped seed pods that develop from each flower after it matures. The plant was used by indigenous people for medicinal purposes. However, another common name for this plant is arsenic weed, in reference to the weed’s toxicity when consumed, so it is best not to ingest it....