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Cyperus Umbrella Plants The umbrella plant is a sedge and a member of the ancient Papyrus family. Cyperus umbrella plants are in a family of over 600 grass-like plants, most of which are native to the east coast of Africa and tropical zones. As such, the plant is not hardy and can only tolerate outdoor living in the tropical to sub-tropical zones of the United States. Umbrella houseplants will need moist, warm conditions such as those around an indoor pond....

Growing Tomatoes in Hot Climates Tomatoes do well in full sun in areas such as the Midwest, Northeast and Pacific Northwest, but in Southern California, the Deep South, the Desert Southwest and into Texas, sizzling temperatures require some special considerations when growing tomatoes in hot conditions like these. Plant desert tomatoes where the plants are protected from intense afternoon sunlight. If you don’t have a shady location, make some shade. To grow tomatoes in warm climates, a simple wooden frame covered with shade cloth will work....

What Does it Mean to Water Well When Planting? Before planting, it is a good idea to observe the drainage of the planting site or do a soil drainage test. Ideally, you want your planting site’s soil to drain at a rate of about 1-6” (2.5 to 15 cm.) per hour. If the area drains too quickly, you’ll need to amend the soil with organic materials or plant only drought tolerant plants....

September gardening tasks in this area include completing the summer harvest, transplanting trees and shrubs, and preparing the entire landscape for winter’s worst. Read on for details. West North Central Gardens Montana, the Dakotas, Wyoming, and Nebraska comprise the northern Rockies region of the country. Fall weather is brisk and cool, perfect for finishing up the summer harvest and getting the garden ready for winter. West North Central gardens are wrapping up in September....

What are Purple Potatoes? Purple potatoes, sometimes referred to as blue potatoes, are a type of potato which are native to South America. While very similar to their white grocery store counterparts, these potatoes exhibit a beautiful purple colored skin and flesh. Heirloom and hybrid purple potato varieties range from solid purple to a mixture of purple and white. Though quite the interesting addition to the garden, perceived nutritional blue potato benefits are numerous....

What is a Garden Mentor? A garden mentor, or coach, is a basic term for someone that helps educate another gardener, young or old, on how to become better gardeners. They are there to point you in the right direction, show you how to get started, what to plant, and how to care for the garden. You may wonder how this differs from landscape designers, and if becoming a garden mentor is the same thing....

What is Chinese Violet Weed? So what is Chinese violet and how do I recognize it? There are two forms of Chinese violet weeds. The more aggressive form is Asystasia gangetica ssp. micrantha, which features white bell-shaped flowers 2 to 2.5 cm. long, with purple stripes in two parallel lines on the inside and club-shaped seed capsules. It also has opposite leaves having an oval, sometimes nearly triangular, shape that reaches up to 6....

What is Epiphyllum? These plants are native to the tropical Americas and range from Mexico to Central America and even into the Caribbean. They are called cactus orchid plants because of the outstanding blooms which resemble some orchid species. Choosing an Epiphyllum can be tough since there are dwarf, hanging, epiphytic, and other traits, as well as numerous flower colors from which to choose. Orchid cactus have flat, fleshy stems with serrated edges....

Reasons for Wilting, Brown Aloe Plants Aloe plants feature chubby, cherubic leaves that are also a helpful medicinal. The plants tend to like to be a bit on the dry side and most problems are caused by overwatering or incorrect potting medium. Brown aloe vera plants may be suffering from too much or too little moisture, but other causes might be excess salt in soil, fungal disease, sun scorch, chemical toxicity, or nutrient deficiency....

Story of the Three Native American Sisters The three sisters way of planting originated with the Haudenosaunee tribe. The story goes that beans, corn, and squash are actually three Native American maidens. The three, while very different, love each other very much and thrive when they are near each other. It is for this reason that the Native Americans plant the three sisters together. How to Plant a Three Sisters Garden First, decide on a location....

Growing Acacia from Seed Acacia seed propagation is the preferred method for professionals and novices. Experts on how to plant acacia seeds recommend as fresh a supply as possible for the best chances of success. The shell coating is very dense and will take a long time to germinate without some attempt to break through this tough exterior. Once the shell has undergone treatments, the germination success and speed is greatly increased....

Alligatorweed Identification Alligatorweed displaces native vegetation and makes fishing difficult. It also clogs waterways and drainage systems. In irrigation situations, it reduces uptake and flow of water. Alligatorweed also provides a breeding ground for mosquitoes. For all these reasons and more, alligatorweed removal is an important conservation effort. Alligatorweed can form dense mats. The leaves may vary in shape but are generally 3 to 5 inches (8-13 cm.) long and pointed....

About Michelia Banana Shrubs Michelia banana shrubs are members of the Magnolia family, which is evident in the shape and form of their large blooms. The tree has glossy evergreen leaves and an attractive, rounded habit. The 3 inch (8 cm.) long leaves are slightly fuzzy, and buds and new leaves are covered in rusty toned fuzz. These aren’t its most spectacular attributes though. Wait until late spring when the one inch (2....

When are Berries on Lily of the Valley Ready? If you wish to try starting lily of the valley plants from seed, you should be aware of one important fact: lily of the valley seed toxicity. Those little lily of the valley seed pods are extremely dangerous to have around pets and children. Since they are so easy to just divide, planting lily of the valley berries is the slow way to go for more plants....

What is BioClay? Basically, BioClay is a clay-based RNA spray that turns off certain genes in plants and seems to be highly successful and promising. The spray was developed by the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI) and the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN). In lab testing, BioClay has been found to be very effective in reducing or eliminating a number of potential plant diseases, and could soon become an environmentally sustainable alternative to chemicals and pesticides....

Butterfly Garden Benefits Why butterflies matter? Besides being important pollinators, butterflies impact the whole environment. Their welfare is increasingly compromised by loss of habitat due to deforestation and widespread pesticide use, as well as changes in climate and weather. By planting butterfly gardens, people can help conserve butterflies as well as other native insects and help perpetuate native plant species. How are Butterflies Good for the Garden? Attracting butterflies to the garden by planting a variety of native and cultivated plant species help sustain plant diversity and attract other beneficial insects to the garden such as native bees and ladybugs....

Cacao Plant Info Cocoa beans come from cacao trees, which reside in the genus Theobroma and originated millions of years ago in South America, east of the Andes. There are 22 species of Theobroma amongst which T. cacao is the most common. Archaeological evidence suggests that the Mayan people drank cacao as early as 400 B.C. The Aztecs prized the bean as well. Christopher Columbus was the first foreigner to drink chocolate when he sailed to Nicaragua in 1502 but it wasn’t until Hernan Cortes, the leader of a 1519 expedition to the Aztec empire, that chocolate made its way back to Spain....

Can You Use Garden Soil for Containers For the most part, garden soil can be the ideal medium for growing plants in the ground. The native soil in your backyard has a natural ability to drain off excessive amounts of rainwater, yet it can also retain moisture during dry spells. It’s full of beneficial insects, fungal colonies and even burrowing rodents to aerate and break down organic matter. All these things work well together to provide in-ground plants with the things they need to grow and flourish....

Cold Climate Citrus Trees Citrons, lemons, and limes are the least cold hardy of the citrus trees and are killed or damaged when temps are in the high 20s. Sweet oranges and grapefruit are slightly more tolerant and can withstand temperatures in the mid 20’s before succumbing. Citrus trees that are cold tolerant down into the low 20s, such as tangerines and mandarins, are the most optimistic choice for planting cold climate citrus trees....

What is a Starfish Iris? Ferraria crispa, or starfish iris, blooms in late winter to early summer and then enters dormancy in summer. A single corm will develop numerous corms over time, giving a brightly colored floral display after several seasons. In spite of the plant’s exotic appearance, care of starfish iris is minimal, and the corms are easy to grow in a sunny location. However, this is a frost tender plant and cannot withstand freezes....