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What is Potato Early Blight? Early blight of potato is a common disease found in most potato growing regions. The disease is caused by the fungus Alternaria solani, which can also afflict tomatoes and other members of the potato family. Potatoes become infected with early blight when foliage has become excessively wet due to rain, fog, dew, or irrigation. Although not a terminal disease, severe infections can be fairly detrimental. In contrast to its name, early blight rarely develops early; it actually usually affects mature foliage rather than young, tender leaves....

What is Ruby Grass? The name ruby grass ‘Pink Crystals’ refers to the attractive pink flower panicles that soar in airy magnificence a foot (31 cm.) above the slender green foliage. What is ruby grass? This plant is a tropical tufting grass that is easy to grow and divide after a few seasons for more of the finely foliaged plants. Ruby grass care is minimal and the plants keep a compact habit that is perfect for the detail oriented gardener....

Why are My Peony Leaves Spotted? Spotted peony leaves is usually an indicator of fungal disease. Once a fungal disease is present, there is very little that can be done to treat it. However, preventative measures can be taken to ensure that plants do not get fungal diseases. Preventative use of fungicides in early spring is one method. When using any product, it is important to follow all labeling instructions thoroughly....

Why Gladioli Has Yellow Foliage Gladioli produce best in well draining loamy soil. They require full sun for abundant colorful blooms and need additional nutrients in the form of bulb food or worked in organic material. If your gladiolus turns yellow in the leaf area, several conditions may be the cause. Prevention starts with choosing healthy corms with no blemishes and a firm texture and good color. Often bacterial, fungal or viral diseases hitchhike into your garden on unhealthy corms which develop into sick plants....

Check out these potential wild vegetable plants and get tips on their care. What are Wild Vegetables? Foraging is a fun way to introduce wild and natural foods to your family, but you might also consider growing wild vegetables. Since these foods are native and have been adapted to local weather and other conditions, wild vegetable care is minimal. This makes eating wild vegetables as easy as walking out your back door and harvesting them....

Cottage gardens are known for their carefree elegance. There is so much going on in these small spaces that the effect can be chaotic without some balancing influences. Spring and summer bulbs and flowers abound, while smaller fruiting bushes or trees and herbs lend a culinary aspect. Much of this dies back when cold temperatures arrive, however, leaving a cottage garden in winter a bit dull. A few suggestions can help perk up the winter garden....

Earthworm Benefits Worms tunnel in soil and eat organic matter, which they excrete as castings. Worms abound in soils that are around 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 C.). Any extremes of cold, heat or moisture are not good for worm activity. Worms in gardens are most active when soil is moderately warm and moist. Their tunneling behavior accentuates the percolation of water into the soil. They also loosen soil so oxygen and aerobic bacteria can get into plant roots....

Pet owners and gardeners searching for the magic potion and “fix-it-all” for this problem often wonder how to keep a dog out of a garden bed. Their goal is to find a solution that will protect the tender shoots of their rhubarb, their sweet & juicy strawberries, and their fragile and rare plants they acquired by trading seeds with a fellow gardener living in New Zealand. As a vet and a lover of all living creatures, my first priority is the welfare of your dog; therefore, their safety becomes primary in making any recommendation for protecting your edible gardens from your dog....

Ants in a greenhouse can do a lot of damage to plants. You may ask yourself, “how do I keep ants out of my greenhouse?” Read on for information about the prevention of ants entering greenhouse areas as well as tips on ant control in greenhouses. How Do I Keep Ants Out of My Greenhouse? It’s helpful to take preventative action before you see ants in your greenhouse. You can surround the greenhouse with coffee grounds, a product the insects do not like....

Apricot Tree Facts The blushed orange, velvety skinned apricot has been cultivated for centuries and is an important food in many international cuisines. Apricot tree growing is suitable in most western states and regions with plenty of heat and sunshine. As a Mediterranean crop, apricots grow well where spring and summer are warm and plenty of water is available. Apricots are stone fruits, similar to plums, cherries and peaches. They can be grown from that stone or pit, but trees are not true to the parent and rarely produce fruit....

Since plants only carry flowers for part of the year, leaf identification is often more useful. Read on for information on how to tell plant leaves apart, including tips on identifying flowers by their leaves. How to Identify Plant Leaves There are some plants with such unique leaves that most people can identify them. For example, the sugar maple leaf (the central image on the Canadian flag) is quite well known....

A common rose disease is known as black spot (Diplocarpon rosae). The name is very appropriate, as this fungal disease forms black spots all over the foliage of rose bushes. If left unchecked, it can cause a rose bush to totally defoliate. Let’s look at what causes black spots on rose bush leaves and steps for treating black spot roses. What Causes Black Spots on Rose Bush Leaves? Many frustrated gardeners wonder, “What causes black spots on rose bush leaves?...

To achieve this spatial illusion when designing a blue colored garden, concentrate the more brilliant, bold blue blooms at one end of the garden area and graduate, blending lighter shades at the other end. The blue garden plan will appear bigger from the bolder end of the spectrum and as such should be the area that is most used. Designing a Blue Colored Garden An overabundance of blue can seem cold and icy, so accents of purple and yellow can warm up the blue garden plan....

What are Blueberry Maggots? Blueberry maggots are the larval stage of a 3/16 inch (5 mm.) long, black fly marked with black, horizontal bands across its wings. Maggots in blueberries are found across the eastern United States, as well as the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, and Prince Edward Island. Careful monitoring of your blueberry bushes for adults can aid in swift blueberry maggot identification. Adult flies appear in the summer, feeding for up to two weeks before they begin searching for mates....

Using Plant with Life-Like Qualities You may not know it, but plants are not lifeless. They can see, hear, taste, smell, feel, walk, creep, tumble, set traps, kill and more. In fact, plants are actually rather smart (as in the brain cactus) and more in tune with their surroundings than we are, making them wonderful in keeping pests and intruders away. That said, you want to take good care of your garden plants; otherwise, they may put a target on your back....

Basket Plant Information Hardy in zone 10 and higher, basket plants (Callisia fragrans) can be found growing as a shady ground cover in tropical locations. There they are commonly called “inch plants” because of how they inch along the ground, rooting wherever their plantlets come into contact with soil. This Callisia plant is native to Mexico and South America. In cooler climates, Callisia basket plant is more commonly grown as a houseplant in hanging baskets....

Can Snapdragons Survive Winter? The United States Department of Agriculture lists snapdragons as hardy in zones 7 to 11. Everyone else will have to treat them as an annual. Snapdragons in the cooler zones can benefit from some protection from winter’s chill. Snapdragon winter care is a “snap,” but you have to be proactive and apply a little TLC to these babies before freezing temperatures make their appearance. Snapdragons grown in hotter zones perform best when planted in the cool season....

Can You Eat Juniper Berries? Yes, juniper berries are edible. In fact, you may have tasted them before without even knowing it if you drink alcoholic beverages. Juniper berries are what gives a gin martini its unique flavoring. While gin has been a popular intoxicant for over 300 years in western culture, juniper berries have actually been used medicinally since the 16th century. How to Use Juniper Berries Common juniper, Juniperus comunis, belongs to the family Cupressaceae that encompasses around 60 to 70 species of aromatic evergreens throughout the Northern Hemisphere....

Croton in the Garden Crotons are thought to be native to Malaysia, India, and some of the South Pacific Islands. There are many species and cultivars, but the plants are most known for their easy maintenance and colorful foliage, often with interesting variegation or speckling. Can you grow a croton outdoors? It depends where your zone is located and what your average low temperatures are per year. Croton is very frost tender and will not survive freezing temperatures....

Composting Coffee Grounds Composting with coffee is a great way to make use of something that would otherwise end up taking up space in a landfill. Composting coffee grounds helps to add nitrogen to your compost pile. Composting coffee grounds is as easy as throwing the used coffee grounds onto your compost pile. Used coffee filters can be composted as well. If you will be adding used coffee grounds to your compost pile, keep in mind that they are considered green compost material and will need to be balanced with the addition of some brown compost material....