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Understanding Fruit Tree Forms You should train and prune your fruit trees every year, but it’s an easy job to procrastinate, especially if you don’t understand the hows and whys of different fruit tree shapes. But if you don’t shape your trees, they won’t give you high-quality fruit. A tree left to its own devices will grow tall and broad. Ultimately, its dense upper canopy will shade out most of the fruit on its lower branches....

Using Wheelbarrows in Gardens With so many varieties available, choosing a wheelbarrow that properly suits your gardening needs is important. Generally, there are two types of wheelbarrow buckets to choose from: steel or plastic. Steel wheelbarrow buckets can bear more weight, but they can rust and are heavier to deal with. Steel wheelbarrows are used for heavy-duty jobs such as moving rocks, bricks, or large plants. Plastic wheelbarrow buckets are lighter and they are usually less expensive than steel, but they can crack from too much weight, extreme temperature fluctuations, or improper handling....

This exotic-looking plant with its graceful sword-like foliage has white, yellow or blue flowers that resemble a cross between those of an orchid and an iris. Although they are short lived, lasting only a day, numerous blooms continue to follow over an extended period of time throughout spring, summer and fall. Growing walking iris plants is a great way to enjoy these interesting flowers. Walking Iris Plants So what makes this plant so unusual, and how did it acquire its name?...

Groundcovers you can walk on are versatile plants that may also crowd out weeds, conserve moisture, prevent soil erosion, and provide habitat for beneficial pollinators. Here are a few examples of attractive and durable groundcovers for foot traffic. Choosing Groundcover That’s Walkable Here are some good groundcovers you can walk on: Thyme (Thymus sp.) – Includes several walkable groundcovers such as woolly thyme, red creeping thyme, and mother-of-thyme. Thyme thrives in full sunlight and nearly any well-drained soil....

Watermelons with Downy Mildew Watermelons are a symbol of summer and one of its greatest pleasures. Who can picture a picnic without these juicy, sweet fruits? In crop situations, watermelon downy mildew poses serious economic threats. Its presence can reduce yields and the disease is extremely contagious. The first signs are yellow spots on leaves but, unfortunately, this symptom mimics many other plant diseases. We’ll go through the other signs and some preventative measures you can take to reduce the chances of this disease affecting your crop....

Protecting Gardens Year-Round Each of the seasons bring a different opportunity for extreme weather conditions. Knowing your local weather patterns helps in planning and guarding against weather elements. Winter brings intense cold and heavy snows to many northern landscapes. In areas where winter weather is severe, using mostly cold hardy landscape plants can save you the time and hard work of replanting each spring. Plants that are more tender can be given extra insulation to survive low temperatures by heaping mulch over them in late fall....

History of Weeks Rose Bushes Weeks’ Roses is a Wholesale Rose Grower here in the United States. The original company was founded by O.L. and Verona Weeks in 1938. The company was located in Ontario, California. Mr. “Ollie” Weeks was recognized for his excellence in the field of commercial horticulture and was a highly respected Rosarian. He and his wife, Verona, ran and grew the rose growing business into a multi-million-dollar enterprise that spread over 250+ acres....

What are Mortgage Lifter Tomatoes? Mortgage Lifter tomatoes are an open pollinated variety which produces a pinkish red, beefsteak-shaped fruit. These meaty tomatoes have few seeds and mature in approximately 80 to 85 days. Mortgage Lifter tomato plants grow 7 to 9 foot (2-3 m.) vines and are indeterminate, meaning they set fruit continuously throughout the growing season. This variety was developed in the 1930’s by a radiator mechanic working from his home-based repair shop in Logan, West Virginia....

What are Sugar Baby Watermelons? An interesting nugget about a Sugar Baby watermelon is its very high “brix” measurement. What does “brix” measurement mean? Commercial watermelon growers value melons high in sugar and the name for this sweetness is called “brix” and can be scientifically measured. As its name implies, Sugar Baby watermelons have a brix measurement of 10.2 and rank as one of the sweetest watermelon cultivars. Citrullus lanatus, or Sugar Baby watermelon, is an incredibly productive grower as well....

Day Jasmine Varieties Day blooming jasmine is a broadleaf evergreen shrub that grows 6-8 feet (2-2.5 m.) tall and 4-6 feet (1-2 m.) wide. It is native to the West Indies and is widely cultivated in India. Day blooming jasmine is hardy in zones 8-11. In late spring to midsummer, day blooming jasmine bears clusters of tubular white flowers that are highly fragrant. At sunset, these flowers close up, capturing their fragrance within them....

What is a grow tent? The shape and design may vary, but it is basically a portable frame covered in thick plastic sheeting, designed to capture and keep in heat to encourage plants to grow longer. Grow Tent Benefits Whether they’re temporary or semi-permanent, grow tent benefits are the same. Capturing heat and holding it in an enclosed area creates a mini climate, which allows plants to grow longer than your outside environment would naturally allow....

What is a Tabebuia Tree? There are over 100 types of trumpet trees in the genus Tabebuia. Some can get up to 160 feet (49 m.) tall, but most are smaller trees of only 25 feet (7.5 m.) or less. They may produce multiple trunks or form a single leader stem. The flowers are a spring spectacle with 1 to 4 inch (2.5 to 10 cm.) wide blooms that hang in clusters....

What is Cherry Leaf Spot? Leaf spots on cherries are caused by the fungus Blumeriella jaapi. The disease is also known as “yellow leaf” or “shot hole” disease and also affects plums. English Morello cherry trees are most commonly afflicted with leaf spot, and the disease is considered to be serious in the Midwest, New England states, and Canada. The disease is so prevalent that it has been estimated to infect 80% of eastern United States orchards....

What is Soil Temperature? So what is soil temperature? Soil temperature is simply the measurement of the warmth in the soil. Ideal soil temperatures for planting most plants are 65 to 75 degrees F. (18-24 C.). Nighttime and daytime soil temperatures are both important. When are soil temperatures taken? Soil temperatures are measured once soils are workable. The exact time will depend upon your USDA plant hardiness zone. In zones with higher numbers, the soil temperature will warm up quickly and earlier in the season....

How Far to Plant from an AC Unit Did you know that properly implemented air-conditioner landscaping can make your condensing unit work more efficiently? When situated in direct sunlight, the condensing unit is less able to dissipate heat removed from the house. Thus, the air conditioner must work harder to keep the house cooler. Obstructing the air flow around the unit has a similar effect. Crowding plants too near the condenser can result in higher repair costs and reduce the life of the AC....

What is Horticultural Sand? Horticultural sand is very gritty sand made from substances such as crushed granite, quartz, or sandstone. Horticultural sand for plants is often known as sharp sand, coarse sand, or quartz sand. Usually when used for plants, sand consists of both large and small particles. If you have difficulty finding horticultural sand, you can substitute horticultural grit or builders’ sand. Although the substances may not be exactly the same, all can be used to improve soil drainage....

Let’s take a look at how wind affects plant size, plant wind protection for your garden, and plants that do well in windy places. How Does Wind Affect Plant Size? Wind affects the growth and development of plants in many ways. Shorter growth and abnormal development results from excessive movement caused by wind. This is a common occurrence seen in plants grown in windy areas. In addition to disrupting the root-soil relationship, the combination of wind and sun affects plant size....

About Peaches That are Yellow There are over 4,000 peach and nectarine varieties with new ones constantly being bred. Of course, not all of these cultivars are available on the market. Unlike apple varieties, most peaches look similar to the average person, so no singular variety has dominated the market, which allows peach tree breeders to continue to come up with new improved varieties. Perhaps the biggest choice a prospective grower must make is whether to grow clingstone, freestone, or semi-clingstone fruit....

An excellent source of beta-carotene (vitamin A) and vitamin C, iron, potassium, and fiber, the questions addressed herein pertain to apricot harvest: when to harvest apricots and how to harvest an apricot. How and When to Pick Apricots Apricot harvest is best accomplished when they are completely ripe on the tree. The ripening period of the fruit may extend over a three week period for some varieties, so picking apricots may span this time frame....

Managing Shade Vegetables, Fruit and Herbs Sunlight comes in many forms. It can be direct or it can be filtered through the canopy of overhead trees. It can be more or less intense, depending upon the time of day. Sunlight can also be reflected off nearby objects, such as a light-colored wall or body of water. Before gardeners begin the process of selecting vegetables, fruits and herbs that grow in shade, it’s advisable to determine how much and how many hours of sunlight the garden receives....