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Symptoms for Eggplants with Verticillium Wilt Verticillium wilt in eggplants is caused by a fungus that lives and overwinters in the soil for years. It not only occurs in nightshades but also cucurbits, evergreens, herbs, flowering ornamentals, and even trees. The disease attacks vascular tissue, disrupting the movement of nutrients and water. Over time, the plant will become stunted, fail to produce useable fruit, and eventually die. The plant material is still very contagious and has to be destroyed rather than go into the compost heap....

What to Do with Starfruit Starfruit grows on tropical trees which were native to Sri Lanka and the Spice Islands. It’s been cultivated for centuries in China and Malaysia. The fruit of the carambola tree can reach 8 inches (20.5 cm.) long and changes from green to yellow as it ripens. Starfruits are oval-shaped and have five ridges which give the fruit its characteristic star shape when sliced. If you’re wondering how to use starfruit, here are ways carambola has been used around the world:...

Drought Tolerant Bushes With climate change concerns, unpredictable droughts and high energy prices across the country, most gardeners are struggling to conserve water usage in the landscape. One of the best ways to do this is to select drought-tolerant plants. Drought-tolerant plants need water to survive, just like all plants. But they have adapted to low-water conditions by developing features that minimize their water use. For example, some have developed smaller leaves or needles that require less water, or even reduce leaf area with large spaces between leaf lobes....

How to Create a Year-Round Backyard Can you have a four-season outdoor space, even in cold climates? The answer is yes. By simply adding a few design elements to an existing porch or patio, you can turn your summertime entertainment spot into usable living space all year-round: Add warmth – A fire pit, outdoor fireplace or a patio heater is a must-have to chase away the chill of winter temps and make sitting outdoors more comfortable....

Choosing Yellow Apple Varieties Apple harvest means pies, cider, and delicacies like fruit and cheese pairings. Most of the commercially grown apples that are yellow are chance seedlings or sports of other varieties. Some of the classics, such as Jonagold, may be very familiar but others are relatively new yellow apple varieties. There are some real gems in the list, one of which may fit your garden needs. Classic Apples That are Yellow It is often safest to go with tried and true varieties....

How to Create an All Green Foliage Garden Designing a garden with foliage plants is not only easy but when all the elements of foliage are incorporated, it can also be quite impressive. So don’t think of all green gardens as dull or unappealing. With or without flowers, a foliage garden can be filled with interesting textures, forms, and colors. Texture Leaf texture is an important element in the foliage garden....

What is Aprium Fruit? As mentioned, aprium fruit is a hybrid between a plum and an apricot, except additional aprium tree info enlightens us that it’s a little more complicated than that. Botanists call such hybrids an “interspecific.” Both apriums and better known pluots are interspecific. They are complex genetic crosses wherein dozens of generations of crossing plum and apricots with other plum-apricot hybrids results in a fruit with premium flavor and texture....

For this reason, many are eager to learn more about the native wildlife which lives all around us, including insects, birds, smaller animals, and even the occasional predator. In doing so, however, it is our responsibility to practice safe wildlife viewing. Enjoying Wildlife in the Garden Enjoying wildlife in the garden, or any green space, will vary depending upon where you live. While the city offers an abundance of smaller creatures, those living in more rural areas will frequently see a greater variety of wildlife....

Bald Cypress Information A bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) isn’t actually bald. Like every living tree, it grows foliage that helps it with photosynthesis. It’s a conifer, so its foliage consists of needles, not leaves. However, unlike many conifers, bald cypress is deciduous. That means that it loses its needles before winter. Bald cypress information suggests that the needles are flat and yellow-green in summer, turning rusty orange and falling in autumn....

Herbal tea plants can be key to some of that. Teas to fight viruses may be your first line of defense in a time of such widespread illness. Herbal Teas for Health Taking care of yourself is always at the core of a well lived life. Using herbal teas for health is an ancient practice that should see a resurgence. If it was good enough for our ancestors, there must be something to the exercise....

Black Succulent Varieties Keep in mind that black colored succulents are not really black, but a deep purple that can appear black in some lighting situations. Getting them to their darkest shade may require adjusting their lighting, water, and sometimes their temperature conditions. This is sometimes called stress. It’s acceptable to stress out your succulents to a point. Aeonium arboreum ‘Zwartkop’ – Commonly called Black Rose aeonium, this dark leaved plant is beautiful in the outdoor planting bed or container....

Bladderpod is a California native that holds up very well to drought conditions and produces beautiful yellow flowers that last almost all year long. If you are looking for an easy-to-grow plant with low water needs and lots of visual interest, this is the plant for you. While it looks a bit like someone crossed an evening gown with something Dr. Seuss dreamed up, the plant also has elegant ornamental appeal and provides wild interest in the landscape....

What is a Bottle Tree? The bottle tree has a link to African beliefs and practices. It was thought the bottles trapped evil spirits that were killed when the sun’s rays pierced through the glass exterior. The practice moved to the United States southern region, where, originally, they were made from blue Milk of Magnesia bottles hung on a dead crape myrtle tree skeleton. Modern versions may feature brown or multicolored bottles ranged around a spoked pole....

What is a Chaparral? Chaparral is as much a place as it is a thing. Defined as an ecological area composed of scrub brush and dwarf trees, chaparral environments are found primarily in California foothills and dry coastal areas. Marked by mild, wet winters and warm, dry summers, a chaparral native habitat includes a diverse group of plants adapted to the environmental challenges of this area. Plants that grow in the chaparral native habitat have thick, waxy leaves with deep stomata for improved water retention....

What is Pokeweed? Pokeweed or pokeberry (Phytolacca americana) is a native plant that grows in disturbed soils, such as fields and pastures. The plant is hazardous to livestock and all parts of the plant are considered toxic. It is a perennial with a red, woody stem boasting long, oval leaves that may get up to ten inches (25 cm.) long. Greenish flowers appear in July to September and yield to grape-like clusters of berries....

Information on Shooting Star Plants Common shooting star blooms in mid-spring from May to June. The plant forms rosettes of long narrow leaves and singular slender stems. The flowers hang in umbels from the stems and are white to bright pink. The petals grow backward and up, away from the reproductive organs of the plant. These dangle down from the center and may be a pale yellow, pink, or even soft purple color....

Benefits of a Salad Bowl Garden While supermarket selection is expanding all the time, there are still usually only a handful of greens available at the grocers. That’s only the tip of the iceberg. There are so many more greens to choose from and many of them are more colorful (i.e. not only more flavorful but higher in nutrition than store-bought greens). Plus, it’s easy to grow your own microgreens at a fraction of the cost....

Scotch broom shrub was introduced as a landscape ornamental as early as the 1800’s, then used extensively for erosion control in public landscapes, such as roadside plantings, but quickly became a nuisance. Once established, it is difficult to kill scotch broom. Scotch Boom Identification Scotch broom is a deciduous shrub that can be found on the edges of wooded areas and in open fields. It is an aggressively invasive plant that will grow thickly rather quickly....

Wild Garlic in Landscapes Wild garlic (Allium vineale) in lawns and garden areas can be found throughout the southeastern United States along with its almost indistinguishable relation, the wild onion (Allium canadense). A true annoyance, wild garlic grows rampantly during the cooler months and controlling wild garlic can be a challenge, not to mention the stench that may linger for hours after mowing or cutting. As they are both similar in nature, wild onion and wild garlic control are also similar with a few exceptions– wild garlic is more commonly seen in crop-like areas and wild onion most common in lawns....

With spring on the way, you might consider growing all you need to make your cooking sing in your own garden or backyard. Herbs don’t need much space and you don’t need to be a green-fingered wizard either. You don’t even need a garden! In fact, you can start with a few pots on a windowsill or in a small sunny corner. Which Herbs to Grow Most herbs can be grown in containers or outdoors and don’t need too much looking after....