Fungal Issues and Brown Edges on Roses Fungal attacks can cause the edges of rose leaves to turn brown but usually, the brown edges on roses are not the only sign of the attack. Most fungal attacks leave their mark on the overall leaf or leaves as well. Black Spot will leave black spots on the leaves usually followed by a yellowing of the leaf once it has a firm hold on the leaf or leaves....

Help, My Loquat Did Not Bear Fruit! There may be a few reasons for a fruitless loquat tree. As mentioned, lack of fruit set is often in conjunction with a loquat tree that won’t flower. Probably the most common reason for a loquat not blooming, or any fruiting tree for that matter, is improper planting. Let’s take a look at the correct way to plant a loquat. Loquat fruits (Eriobotrya japonica) are subtropical trees that are native to Southeast Asia....

Malanga Plant Info Malanga is very similar to taro and eddo, and can be easily confused with them. In fact, in some areas malanga root is called eddo, as well as yautia, cocoyam, coco, tannia, sato-imo, and Japanese potato. The plant is grown for its tubers, belembe or calalous, which are used in a variety of dishes. What is a Malanga Root? In North America, malanga is more commonly referred to as “elephant ear” and is generally grown as an ornamental....

Mulch is any type of material, either organic or inorganic, that is put atop soil in the garden or landscape to suppress weeds and conserve moisture. Generally speaking, it is one of the gardener’s most prized tools, but on occasion, you may incur mulch problems in the garden. Mulch quality varies depending upon the type and/or supplier, either of which may create problems with mulch. Common Issues Associated with Mulch First of all, too much of a good thing is just that — too much....

About Staghorn Fern Leaf Drop Staghorn ferns have evolved to thrive in their natural habitat as epiphytes that live in the nooks and crannies in tropical forests. Instead of rooting in soil, they secure themselves to tree bark where they can take advantage of small dribblings of water and the decay of leaves and other organic matter. Living among the branches is quite the life for them, which makes their transplantation into a home environment a challenging one....

Help, My Tree’s Needles are Changing Color! There are numerous reasons for discolored needles. Needles turning color may be the result of environmental conditions, disease or insects. A common culprit is winter drying. Conifers transpire through their needles during the winter, which results in water loss. Usually, it’s nothing the tree can’t handle, but sometimes during the late winter to early spring when the root system is still frozen, warm, dry winds exacerbate water loss....

What Do the Numbers on Fertilizer Mean? The three numbers on fertilizer represents the value of the three macro-nutrients used by plants. These macro-nutrients are nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K), or NPK for short. The higher the number, the more concentrated the nutrient is in the fertilizer. For example, numbers on fertilizer listed as 20-5-5 has four times more nitrogen in it than phosphorus and potassium. A 20-20-20 fertilizer has twice as much concentration of all three nutrients than 10-10-10....

What are Organic Seeds? The natural gardener has an eye for healthy gardening practices and seed varieties that have no chemicals and strains of pure wild foods with no genetic altering. This is a tall order in today’s agricultural market where big companies control most of the seed that comes to the marketplace, introducing their own adjustments to these seeds in a bid to control aspects of these plants. What are organic seeds?...

In fact, a lot of winter peony protection is ill-advised because these tough plants actually need about six weeks of temperatures below 40 degrees F. (4 C.) in order to produce blooms the following year. Read on for more information about peony cold tolerance. Caring for Peonies in Winter Peonies love cold weather and they don’t need much protection. However, there are a few things you can do to ensure your plant remains healthy throughout the winter....

Why is There a Small Pepper in My Bell Pepper? This little pepper inside a pepper is referred to as an internal proliferation. It varies from an irregular fruit to an almost carbon copy of the larger pepper. In either case, the little fruit is sterile and its cause is possibly genetic. It may also be due to rapid temperature or humidity fluxes, or even because of the ethylene gas used to hasten ripening....

What is Phenology? Everything in nature is the result of phenology. Granted, human involvement and natural disasters can alter the natural order of phenology but, generally speaking, organisms, including human beings, rely on and act according to the predictable nature of seasonal changes. Modern phenology began in 1736 with the observations of English naturalist Rober Marsham. His records of the connections between natural and seasonal occurrences began that year and spanned another 60 years....

How Plants That Aren’t Green Photosynthesize If plants require chlorophyll to produce energy from sunlight, it’s logical to wonder if photosynthesis without chlorophyll can occur. The answer is yes. Other photopigments can also utilize photosynthesis to convert the sun’s energy. Plants that have purplish-red leaves, like Japanese maples, use the photopigments that are available in their leaves for the process of plant photosynthesis. In fact, even plants that are green have these other pigments....

Phyllosticta Symptoms in Prickly Pears Prickly pear leaf spot is a disease of that plant and others in the Opuntia family. The disease is brought about by tiny spores from the Phyllostica fungus. These colonize the tissues, primarily the pads, of the cactus and eat into it causing lesions. There is no recommended treatment for Phyllosticta fungus, but it can spread to other ornamental plants, and the removal of infected pads and plant material is suggested to prevent the disease from reaching other species....

One of the most ecologically important groups of plants is the conifers, or plants that have cones, and one conifer that is familiar to everyone is the pine tree. Growing and caring for pine trees is easy. Pine trees (Pinus spp.) range in size from the 4 foot (1 m.) dwarf mugo to the white pine, which soars to heights of over 100 feet (30 m.). The trees vary in other subtle ways as well, including the length, shape, and texture of their needles and cones....

USDA guidelines for plant hardiness are just that, guidelines. The actual hardiness of a plant will fluctuate according to the microclimate, exposure, water, and nutrient intake, and the overall health of a plant. The reasons cold affects plants abound, but we will try to narrow down the most obvious culprits. Why Does Cold Affect Plants? All conditions experienced by a plant affect its health and hardiness. A lack of water may cause wilting and sometimes death in plants....

What is a Plant Pup? Plant pups may also be referred to as offshoots, sister plants, or even suckers. Though “suckers” can have a negative connotation, plants do have very good reasons for producing these offshoots. Plants that are dying back from illness or old age will sometimes produce new plant pups from their root structures in an attempt to carry on their legacy. For example, bromeliads tend to be short-lived plants that die back after only flowering once....

Most evergreen plants, both broadleaf and needle-like, make excellent frost plants. Frost tolerant fall vegetables will extend the growing season, especially with the help of cloches or row covers. Many frost tolerant flowers will enliven the dismal cold season landscape and produce the first hints of color in late winter or earliest spring as well. Frost Resistant Plants Resistant plants are indicated by their hardiness rating. This is a number found on the plant tag or in horticultural references as the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) zone rating....

While there are many ways to beat cabin fever, with the rule to keep six feet between us, the list starts getting smaller. One way to adhere to the six-foot mandate and stay sane is by interacting with nature on the small scale. I don’t mean you should be going to a National Park and hiking (some are closed anyway) but, instead, try growing some plants to beat those quarantine blues....

Can You Grow Potatoes in a Cardboard Box? Can you really grow potatoes in a cardboard box? Yes. In fact, growing potatoes in cardboard boxes couldn’t be simpler and with little to no cost to the grower. Cardboard for your potato plant box can often be obtained for free from a grocery store or the like, or even from someone who has recently moved and wants those moving boxes gone. Potato seed for planting potatoes in cardboard boxes can be obtained at nearly any garden center or nursery for very little or, for an experiment with the kids, culled from some old spuds you’ve let go past their prime....

What do praying mantis egg sacs look like and when do mantis egg sacs hatch? Read on to learn how to find and care for these amazing insect eggs. Praying Mantis Egg Sac Info Praying mantis in the garden provide a safe, biological weapon to combat the summer’s onslaught of pesky insects. They will eat almost anything, including each other, but their pest control of flies, crickets, moths and mosquitoes makes them incomparable natural assistants in the landscape....