Posts

What are Lingonberries? Lingonberries are commonly used in Swedish food and are considered to be a crucial accompaniment to many Swedish dishes such as potato pancakes, Swedish meatballs, and stuffed cabbage rolls. Lingonberries (Vaccinum vitas-idaea) are also referred to as cowberries, mountain or lowbush cranberries, red bilberries, or whortleberries. They are a close relative of the cranberry and blueberry. Native species of lingonberry bear an annual crop of small, red berries that taste much like cranberries....

Tropical Monstera plants (Monstera deliciosa) thrive in most home interiors. The plants are thick-stemmed vines that support themselves on other vegetation in nature and produce long roots from the stem to supplement that support. Houseplant Monstera may require staking but they still produce stiff roots from the trunk. This can make repotting cheese plants something of a challenge. When to Repot Monstera Monstera plant care is relatively low maintenance. The plant needs warm interior temperatures of at least 65 degrees Fahrenheit (18 C....

Help, My Coconut Fruit is Wilting! If you are lucky enough to have a coconut tree in your landscape, you may witness coconut fruit tree wilting. What might be some reasons for a wilting coconut and are there any methods for treating a wilting coconut tree? The first order of business is to figure out why the coconut is wilting. As mentioned, the weather may be a consideration. Not just overly cold temps, but plants — especially young palms, can get sunburned, which will adversely affect foliage....

You’re going to be using natural ingredients and nature itself to keep your garden pest-free. So, the question is: what works and what doesn’t? Keep reading to learn more about natural pest control in an organic garden. Tips for Natural Pest Control The best defense against garden pests is good soil and healthy plants. Following that, simple garden protection includes items you can safely use to deter pests as well as the addition of certain plants that repel insect pests or attract the predators which feed on them....

While tilling the soil seems to be a good starting point, it may cause over-tilling garden problems rather than the benefits you are looking to achieve. The effects of over tillage too early in the season include a host of issues such as: clumping compaction loss of nutrients diminished germination Proper tillage practices force the eager gardener to remain stoic and wait until the sun-kissed earth has dried out enough for working the soil....

What is Frizzle Top? What is frizzle top? It is a disease of palm trees, which is caused by manganese deficiency. Frizzle top on palm trees is most common on Queen and Royal palms, but other species, including sagos, may also be affected. Coconut palms exhibit problems after periods of cold. Cold temperatures minimize the effectiveness of roots to draw manganese into the tree’s vascular system. Early diagnosis will enhance frizzle top treatment to preserve the plant’s health....

Definition of Perennial Plants Simply put, unlike annuals or biennials, perennials are plants that live year after year. Some perennials, such as trees and shrubs, have significant life spans. Others, like many flowering perennials, may need to be replaced every three or more years. Some trees and shrubs retain their foliage throughout the year, but most herbaceous perennials, including many flowering perennials, die back to the ground during the first fall freezes....

Is There a Perennial Sunflower? Flowers in the Helianthus genus number about 50 and include annuals, those large, sunny yellow blooms you mostly see in gardens. They also include Helianthus perennial sunflower varieties. Perennial sunflower plants actually make up the majority of sunflower varieties native to North America. Most of the popular garden varieties that you see are annuals, but you can get a lot more range of size and even color when you look into perennial sunflowers....

Why Use Permaculture? Permaculture gardens serve many functions. Rather than limit the garden to only one use, permaculture gardens employ a variety of uses. A permaculture garden provides food and medicinal crops, wildlife habitats, crafting materials, an attractive appearance, and a private, relaxing atmosphere throughout every season. These types of gardens produce food by using a variety of vegetables, herbs, fruits, and flowers. Flowers are not only grown for their edible or medicinal properties but also for use as cut flowers for beautiful bouquets or dried out for additional longer-lasting displays, and numerous plant materials are used for crafts as well....

What is a Cocktail Garden? It is simply a way to make the freshest, most personal drinks for yourself or a crowd. For a garden-to-glass drink, plant the fruits, vegetables, or herbs you would like to add to your drinks or cocktails for the freshest experience possible. Experiment to find the unique flavors you enjoy. Ramp up the taste with fresh juices, purees, infusions, syrups, or garnishes. How do you plant a cocktail garden?...

Life Cycle of Plum Curculio Worm The adult is a 4 to 6 millimeter long beetle with a rough covering of mottle black, gray, brown, and orange. Wicked looking jaws are located at the tip of a long snout. These insects overwinter under debris in and around the yard. Plum curculio damage begins as soon as the adults emerge in the spring, soon after peaches bloom. The adults feed on buds, flowers, and newly set fruit as well as mate and lay eggs in the newly emerging fruit....

What are Rose Beads? Preserving rose petals is a common sentimental process. You may also want to try making rose beads from these lovely flowers. They are easy to make, take few tools and very little skill, but can make an interesting way to save a treasured memory. Rose beads may become part of a necklace or bracelet, something that will stand the test of time and can be passed down to your children....

Tips on Gardening in Fall In some regions, gardening in fall is still a daily activity. In the Northwest, however, gardens in many areas are resting up for spring. Regional gardening tasks differ by zone, but one thing we are all focused on is clean up and maintenance. November is a good time to straighten up the potting shed, clean and sharpen tools, and do a general cleanup outdoors. One of the more obvious tasks is cleanup....

What are Rose Borers? There are actually several wasps and bees that nest in the center pith of cut rose bush canes. The cane boring insects bore a hole down into the center pith of the rose canes in order to create nests for their young. The two most common cane borers are actually small wasps. They are very active at seeking out the cut ends of rose canes to bore down into from early spring all the way through early fall....

About Rose Plant Iron Deficiencies What does iron do for the overall rose bush you may ask? Iron aids in chlorophyll formation and activates other enzymes, which help activate nitrogen used by the bush. In other words, iron helps promote that nice dark green foliage that is one of the signs of happy, healthy rose bushes or other plants in our gardens. It is rare that iron is actually deficient in the soil; more often it is something about the soil’s makeup that is locking up the iron and not allowing it to be readily available to the plant....

Rose Preservation with Wax Preserving rose flowers with wax isn’t too complicated but before you take this project on, you’ll want to get everything you need together. Below you will find the items necessary for rose preservation with wax: Paraffin, bees wax, or soy wax (Paraffin and soy wax work well) Roses of choice (Leave the stems on the roses 8 to 9 inches (20-23 cm.) long for finished vase displays) A double boiler or other means to melt the wax Clothespins Toothpicks Q-tips Wax paper (optional) Narrow necked bottles or vases (glass soda pop bottles work great) Candy thermometer (to heat the wax to just the right temperature)...

Safeguarding Plants from Cats Cats commonly chew on houseplants and wreck their foliage, use them as litter boxes, or play with them until their leaves fall off. This makes it tough to successfully grow houseplants and enjoy your feline friends. While many cat owners just give up on growing indoor plants, there’s no reason to do so. Fortunately, there are ways of safeguarding plants from cats so that you don’t have to forgo your greenery, or your cats....

Easy Care Indoor Plants for Shade Houseplants that like shade may be a little hard to pinpoint but actually there are many that can tolerate low light situations. The key to keeping them healthy is to supplement light levels with artificial lighting. Any plant needs a certain number of foot candles of light per day for optimum health. Foot candles measure the amount of light given off by a candle one foot away and increase as light intensity increases....

Normal Black Spots on a Banana Black spot disease in bananas is not to be confused with black spots on the fruit of a banana tree. Blackish/brown spots are common on the exterior of the banana fruit. These spots are commonly referred to as bruises. These bruises mean that the fruit is ripe and that the acid within has been converted to sugar. In other words, the banana is at the peak of its sweetness....

Common Fuchsia Diseases Diseases that affect fuchsia plants include both fungal and viral infections. Fungal diseases of fuchsia Botrytis blight – Grayish brown mold is often the first sign of botrytis blight, a fungal disease that results in spotted, discolored flowers. In time, buds rot and fail to open. Leaves and stems wilt and drop from the plant. Rust – This fungal disease begins as small, orange-brown spore masses, primarily on the underside of fuchsia leaves....