About Growing New-to-You Crops There are probably hundreds, if not more, unusual edible plants that have never found a place in your garden. When looking for exotic vegetables to grow, be sure that they are well suited to your USDA hardiness zone and that you have the proper length growing season for a new and unusual crop. There may be a reason that you have never grown dragon fruit, for instance, which is hardy to zones 9-11....

How to Photograph Vegetables With today’s smart device technology, anyone can learn how to photograph vegetables. Start by taking a few minutes to familiarize yourself with your camera’s features, then follow these simple vegetable photography tips for the best results: Use perfect veggies – Nothing is more disappointing than getting that ideal shot, only to have it marred by a misshapen or blemished vegetable. Harvest in the morning for the freshest-looking veggies and soak them in ice water to brighten colors and crispness....

Solving the Mystery of Empty Pods When gardeners find no seeds in pod varieties of vegetables, it’s easy to blame the problem on a lack of pollinators. After all, pesticide use and diseases have reduced honeybee populations among producers in recent years. A lack of pollinators does reduce yields in many types of crops, but most pea and bean varieties are self-pollinating. Often, this process occurs before the flower opens. Additionally, lack of pollination in pod-forming plants usually causes flower drop with no pod formation, not empty pods....

Watermelon Fertilizer Schedule There is no set watermelon fertilizer schedule. Fertilizing is determined by the current soil condition and, thereafter, by the stage at which the watermelon plant is growing. For example, is it an emergent seedling or is it in bloom? Both stages have different nutritional needs. When fertilizing watermelon plants, use nitrogen based fertilizer at the onset. Once the plant begins flowering, however, switch to feeding the watermelon a phosphorus and potassium based fertilizer....

Weed Killer in Soil The first thing to realize is if the weed killer was still present, chances are your plants would not be able to survive. Very few plants can survive a weed killer chemical, and the ones that do are either genetically modified to do so or are weeds that have become resistant. Chances are, the fruit or vegetable plant you are growing isn’t resistant to weed killer, or most herbicides in general....

Weeping Cherry Growing Tips If you are considering planting weeping cherries in the landscape, it helps to become familiar with weeping cherry growing tips. Weeping cherries grow and bloom best in full sun, but they tolerate light shade. Well-drained soil is essential in the care of weeping cherries, especially to prevent rot. Good air circulation around the canopy of the tree is important and helps prevent diseases. Therefore, when planting weeping cherries, you should consider the ultimate size of the cultivar and plant the tree far enough from structures and other trees so that you won’t have to shorten the attractive branches....

Tomato Fruit Problems Almost every gardener has tried at one time or another to grow tomatoes. Most of us then, know that tomatoes can be rife with tomato fruit problems. These can be the result of a bacterial or fungal virus, insect infestation, mineral deficiency, or environmental stress such as lack of water. Some problems affect the entire fruit while others affect the top and shoulders, the blossom end, the stem end, or the calyx....

Attracting Ducks to Your Property Waterfowl management isn’t just something for which the National Parks Department is responsible. As good stewards of land, it is incumbent for us to aid in the regulation and provision of wild animals. Attracting ducks to your property may be for purposes of bird watching, hunting or simply as a distraction. No matter your goal, wild ducks in garden ponds are lively additions to the landscape and you can feel good about providing them with their food, water and housing needs....

Winter Gardening in Desert Climates The extra heat and light of desert zones sound great to a cold-season gardener like me. However, desert environments have a widely fluctuating temperature during the winter which can cause stress on plants. The movement of the sun during the winter solstice brings diminished sunlight and less angled rays that produce less light than spring and summer sun exposure. On the plus side, freezing temperatures are not the norm and average daily temperatures are still warm enough to allow plants to grow, albeit slower....

Winter Palm Tree Care Frost and freezing temperatures damage the tissue of plants, in general weakening them and leaving them susceptible to diseases. Cold snaps, in particular, are of concern. Winterizing your palm tree to protect it from cold damage may be of paramount importance, especially depending on your region. Winter palm tree care usually requires wrapping palm trees in winter. The question is how to wrap the palm tree for winter and with what?...

How Hardy are Apricot Trees? Since they blossom early, in February or late March, the trees can be susceptible to late frosts and are generally only suited to USDA zones 5 to 8. That said, there are some cold hardy apricot trees – zone 4 suitable apricot trees. Apricot trees as a general rule are fairly hardy. It’s just the flowers that can get blasted by a late frost. The tree itself will likely sail through the frosts, but you may not get any fruit....

Help, My Zucchini has Yellow Leaves! If you notice your zucchini leaves are turning yellow, it may not be too late to save the plants. The likely culprits are either insects or disease, and sometimes, disease caused by insects. Cucumber Mosaic Virus One of the more common diseases caused by the presence of insect pests is cucumber mosaic virus which, as its name suggests, also afflicts cucumbers, which are in the same family....

1920s Landscaping Trends Early gardens usually focused on the back of the home. This is where life was lived, parties occurred, and children played. Around the early part of the 1900s, lawns were a must-have feature of the landscape. Cavorting around these were flower beds, bushes, evergreen shrubs, and smaller trees. The heritage garden also featured hardscape details and items like bird baths. The early 1900s saw gardening as a pleasure, where plants and other features lived in harmony....

Growing creeping phlox over a rockery or in tough soil conditions provides a nearly carefree ground cover or cascading plant. Consider growing it in between pavers, in a planter or just as a part of a bright spring bed as well. About Creeping Phlox A perennial nature and semi-evergreen habit are important facts about creeping phlox. These plants have needle-like foliage with small starry, five-pointed flowers in red, lavender, pink, white or bluish-purple....

Amaryllis Bulbs Propagation Through Seeds While you can propagate amaryllis by seed, it will take them at least three to five years to mature, or flower. You should look for seedpods within four weeks of flowering. Once the pods are ready to harvest, they will turn yellow and begin splitting open. Gently shake out the black seeds into pots or flats. Seeds should be sown in shallow, well-draining soil and lightly covered....

Anyone with apple trees in a home garden needs to learn about cankers in apple trees. Read on for information on apple cankers and tips for apple canker control. Reasons for Apple Cankers Think of canker in apple trees as evidence of tree injury. The reasons for these cankers are many and varied. Cankers can be caused by fungi or bacteria that attack the trunk or branches. Injury from extremely hot or cold weather, hail, or a pruning cut can also result in cankers....

Pests on Apricot Trees Below are some of the most common insects that cause apricot tree problems. Sap-Feeding Insects An important keystone to successful apricot tree bug control is recognizing the sap-feeding insects, an overwhelmingly common group of pests. These insects hide on the undersides of leaves or disguise themselves as waxy, cottony, or wooly bumps on stems, shoots, and twigs while feeding directly on plant juices. Aphids, mealybugs, and a variety of scale insects are some of the most common apricot tree insects, but you may see signs of their feeding like yellowing and dropping leaves, sticky honeydew on leaves, or ants on your trees long before you notice sap-feeding pests....

What is a Systemic Pesticide? A systemic pesticide is any pesticide that is absorbed into a plant and distributed throughout its tissues, reaching the plant’s stem, leaves, roots, and any fruits or flowers. Systemic pesticides are water-soluble, so they easily move throughout a plant as it absorbs water and transports it to its tissues. Typically, these chemicals are applied to soil and taken up through plants’ roots; less commonly, they are applied to foliage or injected into tree trunks....

Common Diseases of an Avocado Tree Cankers – Cankers are usually only minor diseases of an avocado tree, but they’re highly visible. These sores on tree trunks and branches may sink slightly and ooze gum, giving the sore a rusty appearance. Cankers can often be cut out of limbs, but cankers in trunks often kill affected trees. Fruit rots – Fruit rots, caused by fungal pathogens, typically occur where sanitation is poor and tree stressors are high....

Effects of Home Construction and Gardens Every plant in the garden has the potential to become injured during construction. While plants becoming trampled or simply being run over are obvious causes, roots, stems and branches of trees are also at risk. Simply allowing the construction crew to run rough shod over the property can cause any amount of damage and even plant death. Avoiding construction damage to plants ensures continued ecosystem balance and preserves the appearance of the property....