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What is an Asian Citrus Psyllid? The Asian citrus psyllium is an insect pest threatening the future of our citrus trees. Asian citrus psyllid feeds on citrus tree leaves during its adult and nymph stages. While feeding, the adult Asian citrus psyllid injects a toxin into the leaves. This toxin causes the leaf tips to break off or grow curled and twisted. While this curling of the leaves does not kill the tree, the insect can also spread the disease Huanglongbing (HLB)....

Apple Chilling Info So, you’re immersed in choosing bare root apple trees from a catalogue for your particular USDA zone and notice that not only is the hardiness zone listed but another number as well. In the case of apples, these are the number of apple chill hours needed for the tree. Okay, but what the heck are chill hours for apple trees? Chill hours or chill units (CU) are the number of hours when temperatures stay at 32 to 45 degrees F....

What Causes Dahlia Leaves to Turn Yellow Plants can become ill for a host of reasons. The actual cause may take some sleuthing to discover. Keep in mind that if this occurs towards the end of the growing season, it is likely due to the plant getting ready for its normal dormancy period. Cultural Reasons for Dahlia Leaves Yellowing If you notice your dahlias turning yellow early in their growth cycle, it could be the soil or cultural problems....

About Planting Apple Trees in Zone 3 There are thousands of different cultivars of apples grown in North America with quite a few zone 3 apple varieties. The rootstock that a tree is grafted onto may be chosen due to tree size, to encourage early bearing, or to foster disease and pest resistance. In the case of zone 3 apple varieties, the rootstock is chosen to promote hardiness. Before you make a decision regarding what variety of apple you want to plant, you should consider a few other factors besides the fact that they are listed as apple trees for zone 3....

What is Eco-Friendly Outdoor Furniture? The main underlying idea behind anything eco-friendly or sustainable is that resources are finite. Sustainability means processes that limit the depletion of natural resources and support environmentally-friendly practices. Eco outdoor furniture can be more sustainable in several ways. The materials from which furniture is made is one example. Bamboo is more sustainable than wood because it requires less energy to grow and use. Bamboo grows more quickly than trees and can be replaced more efficiently....

Pros and Cons – Raised Garden Beds Raised garden beds are often seen in community and school gardens. These can be installed in areas with poor soil or on top of pavement. Plus, it’s easy to assign raised beds to individuals or classrooms. Many home gardeners have adopted this style of gardening for the benefits it provides. Why use raised garden beds? Fast track to quality soil – It can take years to amend rocky or clay-based garden soil....

How to Grow an Almond Tree When growing almond trees, it’s helpful to know that the trees don’t tolerate overly wet soil and are extremely susceptible to spring frost. They thrive in mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers in full sun. If your region doesn’t fall within these parameters, it’s unlikely an almond tree will set fruit for you. Additionally, very few varieties of almond tree are self fertile, and therefore need cross pollination for fruit production, so you’ll need to plant at least two trees....

Are Orange Vegetables Good For You? When we look at our orange vegetables list, we find food which is packed with beta-carotene. This precursor of vitamin A is a powerful antioxidant associated with a reduced risk of cancer. Additionally, vitamin A is credited with preserving our vision and improving our dental health. Eating plenty of dark orange vegetables also helps supply our bodies with vitamins C and K. In addition to being an immunity booster, vitamin C is essential for dental health....

What are Pheromone Traps? Since insects don’t have organs to detect smells like our noses do, it’s more accurate to think of pheromones as communication chemicals rather than scents. An insect releases the chemicals into the air in hopes that another insect will receive the message through sensors on their antennae. Insects use pheromones to send messages such as the location of territorial boundaries and food sources as well as to announce their availability as a mate....

Praying Mantis Information Praying mantids are carnivorous insects consisting of numerous species – with the European mantis, Carolina mantis, and Chinese mantis being the most prevalent, especially here in the United States. Most species resemble ants when young and can take all summer before reaching maturity, with only one generation each season. These young nymphs will eventually grow into the adult mantids from which we are familiar, ranging in size from about 2/5 to 12 inches (1-30....

When to Fertilize Azalea Shrubs If you work organic compost or dried, chopped leaves into well-draining garden soil before planting your azalea shrubs, this may be all of the fertilizer for azaleas that’s required. It is only if the plants show signs of nutritional deficiency or are growing too slowly that you may need to set up an azalea fertilizing schedule. An azalea with a nutritional deficiency shows signs that it has a problem....

What is a Bailey Acacia? The acacia tree is native to Australia where it is called a wattle. According to Bailey acacia information, the tree is called the Cootamundra wattle, whose town by the name in South Wales claims it as a native species. Would you like to know how to grow Bailey acacia? It is quite a fascinating plant, good for soil health, as a shade tree, wildlife habitat and food, and for its wood....

Hardy Banana Tree Growing Hardy banana trees like to be grown in full to partial sun and well-drained, moist soil. The hardy banana tree is actually an herbaceous perennial (the world’s largest) despite being referred to as a tree. What looks like a trunk is actually tightly bound banana tree leaves. This “trunk” is botanically referred to as pseudostem, which means false stem. The interior of the banana tree pseudostem is where all the growth of the plant takes place, similar to a canna lily....

Does Basil Like Cold Weather? Basil is an easy and popular herb to grow, especially common or sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum). This member of the mint family is grown for its sweetly scented leaves used either fresh or dried that compliment a variety of foods. A member of the mint or Lamiaceae family, basil is usually grown as a tender annual. Generally, its growth cycle doesn’t include overwintering; rather it dies down and the hard seeds wait in the ground over winter and then germinate during the spring thaw....

Ten Shade Loving Annuals Ageratum – Ageratum is a highly adaptable annual. Though it will grow in full sun, it can also be grown as an annual shade plant. Commonly referred to as flossflower, these full shade annuals produce a profusion of fuzzy flower clusters in shades of white, pink, red, and blue. Begonia – Begonias are the most numerous species of annual flowers for shade. Tuberous begonias and wax begonias are among those which are most commonly found at garden centers....

There are not many more disappointing things than finding fruit rot of blackberries. It may occur in already picked fruit or it may be seen on the plant. In either case, it makes the fruit soft, moldy, and inedible. A few tips can help you preserve your harvest and prevent Penicillium fruit rot on blackberry. Signs of Blackberry Penicillium Fruit Rot Penicillium is not the only fungus that produces rot on berries....

Neoregelia bromeliads are among the largest category of those that are sensitive to the cold. Size of the grouping may change as hybrids are developed and added. In fact, current categorization research says that hybrids encompass the majority of those available for use. Not all of them balk at cold temperatures, however, with some bromeliads having cold tolerance as low as 20 degrees F (-6.66 C). If you’re interested in moving your bromeliads outside to grow in the landscape, consider the plants discussed below....

What is Calabrese Broccoli Calabrese is an old-fashioned variety of broccoli renowned for its bluish green heads and multiple side shoots. It can be grown as an early spring or fall crop. Its flavorful five inch (13 cm.) central heads are ready for harvest in 60 to 90 days. This cool season member of the Brassicaceae family is thought to contain natural cancer fighting substances. Calabrese Broccoli Growing Info To prevent spring planted calabrese sprouting broccoli from flowering during summer harvest, start plants indoors six to eight weeks before the final frost....

How to Plant Caladiums Caladiums can be purchased as potted plants or dormant tubers. Their size depends on the variety. For the most part, each tuber has a large bud, which is often surrounded by smaller ones. To make it easier for these smaller buds to grow after planting caladium bulbs, many gardeners find it helpful to lift out the large bud with a knife. Of course, this is up to the individual and will not adversely affect the overall growth of your caladiums....

Can You Grow a Pawpaw Tree from Seed? If you are seeking instant gratification and hoping to immediately enjoy its fruits, then purchasing a growing rootstock cloned pawpaw tree may be the best option for you. When growing pawpaw trees from seed, the more pertinent question is when to sow pawpaw seeds, rather than how to plant pawpaw tree seeds. Most gardeners have heard the old Chinese proverb, “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago”....