Interested in starfruit tree growing? Read on to learn how to plant a starfruit tree and about starfruit tree care. About Carambola Starfruit Trees Carambola starfruit trees are subtropical and in ideal conditions can reach a height of about 25-30 feet (7.5-9 m.) and 20-25 feet (6-7.5 m.) across. The tree is an evergreen in warmer climates but will lose its leaves when temperatures drop below 27 F. (-3 C....
Stone Wall Ideas Really, stone wall garden ideas are only limited by your imagination. There are plenty of pictures on the internet to help get you started, and once you begin looking it may be difficult to settle on just one design. Garden stone walls may be made entirely out of stones or they can be a combination of stone and wood or even stone and metal. Stones may be purchased or, if you’re lucky, your property may yield enough stones for a wall....
Do You Have to Dig Up Tulip Bulbs? No law requires gardeners to dig up tulip bulbs each year, or at all. In fact, most bulbs prefer to stay in the ground, and, left in place, rebloom the following year. Gardeners only dig up tulip bulbs when the plants seem less vigorous and offer fewer flowers, which can indicate overcrowding. If you feel that your tulips aren’t doing as well as they did last year, dig them up....
Extending the Harvest in a Fall Garden Extending your growing season in the fall garden allows you to benefit from fresh vegetables longer and with more variety than you normally could. The fall garden includes most spring crops and many others that thrive in the cooler temperatures such as the following: peas broccoli cauliflower greens lettuce beans potatoes carrots onions Learning how to extend the harvest season with cold frames and greenhouses makes this endeavor easier and is inexpensive....
Holiday Poinsettia Plant Care Poinsettia care begins with proper light, water, and temperature conditions. During the holidays, while in full bloom, they typically enjoy semi-cool, humid locations in bright, indirect light with plenty of moisture. Poinsettia plants should be watered thoroughly, taking care not to drown them by ensuring adequate drainage is available. Likewise, avoid letting them sit in water-filled saucers, which can lead to root rot. Adding plants nearby can help increase humidity levels in dry rooms, as will humidifiers....
What is Castor Oil? For many of us older gardeners, castor oil represents a childhood trial. Once upon a time, mothers gave their children castor oil to regulate digestive health. It was once thought to be good for the digestive system and spoonfuls of the foul stuff were force-fed into unwilling children’s mouths. This foul-tasting practice has gone out of fashion in favor of other better-tasting and more convenient over-the-counter remedies, but that doesn’t mean we need to retire the oil....
Veggies typically grown in the United States, such as lettuce and tomatoes, are less than suitable for growing food plants in the tropics. Lettuce, for example, dislikes the heat and will bolt almost immediately. Vegetable Gardening in the Tropics Insects, both good and bad, are to be had in every garden in every area of the globe. Tropical insects tend to be rather plentiful and as such may become a plague to the garden....
Early American Vegetables When we think of native American vegetables, the three sisters often come to mind. Pre-Columbian North American civilizations grew corn (maize), beans, and squash in symbiotic companion plantings. This ingenious method of cultivation worked well as each plant contributed something which the other species required. Corn stalks provided a climbing structure for the beans. Bean plants fixed nitrogen to the soil, which corn and squash utilize for green growth....
Low Growing Viburnums When you think viburnum, you probably think of the common large viburnum shrubs, like snowball viburnum or arrowwood viburnum. Most viburnums are large deciduous or semi-evergreen shrubs hardy from zones 2 to 9. They grow in full sun to shade, depending on species. Viburnums are a popular choice because they tolerate tough conditions and poor soil, though most prefer slightly acidic soil. When established, most species of viburnum are also drought resistant....
How to Grow Water Hyacinth Growing water hyacinth plants is easy. Once established, they require no special care except occasional thinning to keep them from choking out everything else in the pond. Under perfect conditions, a colony of water hyacinths can double its size every 8 to 12 days. Water hyacinths need full sun and hot summer temperatures. Introduce them to the garden by scattering bunches of plants over the surface of the water....
Rates for Eucalyptus Tree Watering Irrigating eucalyptus trees is most important in the first couple of years, but even established trees need a regular watering schedule. Eucalyptus are evergreen trees and do not recover well from wilting. Deciduous trees have the option to drop their leaves to conserve moisture and make recovery more possible, but evergreens keep their leaves. The leaves draw much of the moisture and evaporation, which drains the tree of water....
What are Baby Veggies? Miniature vegetables stem from basically two sources: those that are harvested as immature vegetables or fruit from standard size varieties, and miniature vegetables that are dwarf varieties, wherein the mature fruit is truly smaller in size. An example of the former would be the tiny ears of corn often found canned and used in Asian cuisine or pickled in German style salads. Delicate and sweet tasting, these 2 inch (5 cm....
What are Chinch Bugs? Chinch bugs are turf grass thugs. They cause visible damage to large areas of infected law– areas that won’t come back and need to be treated and reseeded. Chinch bugs are hard to spot because they are tiny, but a giveaway is their stench. Chinch bugs in lawns that are heavily infested will emit a strong unpleasant odor if trod upon. Controlling chinch bugs begins with good cultural practices but may have to end with chemical intervention....
What are Coffeeberries? A member of the Buckthorn family, Rhamnaceae, California coffeeberry plants (Frangula californica; formerly Rhamnus californica) are an adaptable evergreen shrub useful in the garden as an informal hedge or in the understory as a backdrop for showier plants. Cultivars of growing coffeeberries range in size from 2 to 3 feet (60 to 90 cm.) tall by 3 to 4 feet (0.9 to 1.2 m.) wide to some around 4 to 10 feet (1....
What are pesticides? Why should we pay close attention to pesticide labels? And what are the dangers of pesticides if we don’t? Keep reading to learn the answers to these questions about different types of pesticide. What are Pesticides? Many people call a spray that controls the bugs in their gardens a pesticide, and that is partially true. However, that spray actually carries the sub-classification as an insecticide that is under the overall heading of pesticides....
What is a Wampi Plant? Wampi fruit have a high amount of Vitamin C, just like their citrus cousins. The plant was used traditionally as a medicinal but new Indian wampi plant info indicates it has modern applications to help sufferers of Parkinson’s, bronchitis, diabetes, hepatitis, and trichomoniasis. There are even studies related to its effectiveness in assisting in the treatment of some cancers. The jury is still out, but wampi plants are shaping up to be interesting and useful foods....
What is Lettuce Downy Mildew? Fresh, crisp lettuce is a year-round treat. A nicely made salad is a perfect start to any meal and usually features fresh lettuce. The vegetable is easy to grow, even in the home garden, but certain pests and diseases can wreak havoc on crops. One of these is downy mildew. What is lettuce downy mildew? It is a fungus that spreads easily in certain weather conditions and can be very hard to control....
What is Winter Cabbage? The varieties of cabbage that keep best have a colder tolerance and are started later in the season. Winter cabbages have smaller heads and are harder. Some types include Huron, OS Cross, and Danish Ball Head, which are long season varieties that may produce well into winter. Knowing when to plant winter cabbage for a late harvest will ensure that the timing for maturity is during the season....
Getting rid of signalgrass plants in such situations increases economic profit, but it is important in the home landscape as well. This is because broadleaf signalgrass flower spikes have two to six seed-filled spikelets and spread quickly. Identification of Broadleaf Signalgrass Signalgrass has wide, flat leaves with fine hairs along the stems and ligules. The leaves are hairless, unlike crabgrass, and usually prostrate but may occasionally get 3 feet (1 m....
Help! Why is My Watermelon Plant Not Producing? There may be a couple of reasons for no fruit set on watermelons. First of all, it’s a good idea to go over how to plant watermelon to eliminate any mistakes. You’ll want to choose the variety of watermelon to plant. They come in all different sizes, from 3 pounds to over 70 (1-30 kg.) and with red to yellow flesh. A couple of the big boys are Jubilee, Charleston Grey, and Congo while smaller, globe shaped melons include Sugar Baby and Ice Box....
