Planting St Augustine Grass St. Augustine grass lawn is grown in coastal areas due to its salt tolerance. Also known as carpetgrass, St. Augustine creates a smooth even turf which is tolerant to extremely high temperatures and low moisture. It retains its color longer than other warm season grasses when exposed to cool temperatures and requires infrequent mowing. The propagation of St. Augustine grass is usually vegetative through stolens, plugs, and sod....
What is a Jatropha Curcas Tree? Jatropha is a perennial shrub or tree. It is drought-resistant and easy to grow in tropical to semi-tropical locations. The plant lives for up to 50 years and may grow nearly 20 feet (6 m.) tall. It has a deep, thick taproot which makes it adaptable to poor, dry soil. The leaves are oval, lobed, and deciduous. Overall, the plant is not particularly visually appealing, but it does get attractive green cymes of flowerets which turn into a tri-compartment fruit with large black seeds....
About Podocarpus Plants Podocarpus is an especially easy-to-grow plant in temperate to mildly warm regions. It is quite unfussy about its lighting situation, although brighter light brings faster growth. Originally from Asia, the plant is a darling of landscapers, both for its adaptability but also the way in which it can be grown. Pruning the plant to any desired shape does not offend it and even espaliering is an option. It is also tolerant of air pollution, poor drainage, compact soil, and even drought once established....
What is a Lotus Vine? Also known as parrot’s beak, this lovely little plant is an excellent summer container filler and adaptive as a trailing or border plant. It may be used as a summer annual in the warmer regions of the United States. Summer containers are a wonderful way to capture the season and brighten patios, decks, and lanais. Some of the standby plants (such as petunias, violas, zinnia, and snapdragons) have their own appeal and combine with foliage plants and trailing specimens for absolutely beautiful displays....
Mango tree planting is suitable in zones where temperatures do not usually dip below 40 F (4 C.). If you’re lucky enough to live in a tropical to sub-tropical climate, take these tips for mango tree care and enjoy the fruits of your labors in just a few years. How Do You Grow a Mango Tree? Mango trees (Mangifera indica) are deep-rooted plants that may become large specimens in the landscape....
Identifying Mealybugs in the Garden Mealybugs are piercing, sucking members of the insect superfamily Coccoidea. Common in houseplants, they also affect plants growing in the garden. They range in size from 3/16 to 5/32 inches (1 to 4 mm.) long, depending upon their maturity level and species. Mealybugs on outdoor plants tend to live in colonies. The females can look like small patches of cotton, especially when laying eggs. The short-lived adult male mealybug resembles a two-winged fly and is rarely seen....
Memorial Day Rose Bushes The Remember Me series of rose selections all started as a project of the heart by Sue Casey of Portland, Oregon. This series of rose bushes are fine memorials to the many people that lost their lives in the terrible 911 attacks upon our country. Not only do these roses make grand memorials to all of those people, but they also bring the beauty and hope for a better tomorrow....
Should I Mulch My Vegetable Garden? Vegetable garden preparation is crucial to getting a bumper crop and large perfect fruit. There are many ways to prepare for the growing season. Amending soil with organic additions, weeding, fertilizing, putting in drip irrigation, and planting companion plants for insect control are all part of the kickoff for edible gardening. Adding mulch for vegetable plants isn’t necessary, but it may be the key to larger fruits and vegetables and easy-care beds....
About Annuals Perennials are long lasting and give year after year, but annuals will always be a favorite in the garden of those who love flowers. Annuals are quick growing with brilliant color, versatile, often less expensive, and adaptable for planting over waning spring blooming bulbs. Low maintenance annuals come in an array of hues, textures, sizes, and sun exposures. Some like full sun while others thrive in shade to part shade....
Ornamental Sweet Potato Winter Care Ipomoea batatas, or sweet potato vine, thrives in hot, tropical climates and is an ornamental foliage plant often used as a foil for flowering displays. This heat-loving perennial will die back if the plant experiences hard freezes below 32 degrees Fahrenheit (0 C.). Yet, the tubers and even the plant in some cases, are easy to save for another season. Overwintering ornamental sweet potatoes can be done by heeling them in where temperatures don’t often stay chilly, bringing them indoors, or by harvesting and storing the tubers....
Overwatering really is a fine line with many species of plant. While we know plants need water, even cacti, the exact amount and frequency may be something of a mystery. Container plants with too much water may experience foliage die off, rotten roots and tubers, and promotion of some pests or mold issues. All of these stress the plant and compromise its health. Potted plants that are too wet may even simply rot off at the crown or base....
Summer brings all nature’s tasty fruits, peaches being chief among them. Since peaches don’t last very long, it is often best to preserve them in some way for later use. Peaches may be dried, frozen, or canned as preserves, whole fruit, or slices. Selecting the right varieties will ensure firm fruit that holds its shape after canning. White fleshed peaches simply don’t hold up due to their lack of acidity, but many others are perfect preserve peaches....
Common Plum Tree Diseases The most common plum tree diseases include black knot, plum pocket, brown rot, plum pox virus, perennial canker, and bacterial leaf spot. Black Knot Plum Disease Black knot is a plum tree problem that begins as a velvet green knot in spring then turns black and swollen. Black rot may girdle limbs and in severe cases form on the tree’s trunk. This plum tree problem gets progressively worse without treatment and may halt useable fruit production....
It’s a lot of fun to bring naranjilla into your garden, and inexpensive too, since you can easily grow naranjilla from seed. Read on for information about naranjilla seed germination as well as tips for propagating naranjilla seeds. Growing Naranjilla from Seed Naranjilla is a uniquely ornamental plant with an edible fruit that looks cool and tastes delicious. It’s a perennial shrub that doesn’t normally get above 8 feet (2 m....
Reasons a Radish Does Not Form Bulbs With their nippy flavor and chubby rounded bodies, radishes are pleasing even to children and picky vegetable eaters. Another attractive attribute is how quickly you can eat them from seed to edible root. Most varieties are ready in 3 to 4 weeks, a relatively low seed to produce time when compared to many crops. If you are wondering why do radishes not form in your seedbed, perhaps you haven’t prepared the soil correctly or you may be combating Mother Nature....
Growing a garden provides the opportunity to season with organic ingredients just outside the door. It is not only a joy to produce one’s own food, but a frugal tip that can stretch the budget. For example, just one garlic chives bulb will produce tons of slender, green leaves to zest up recipes. Re-growing kitchen scraps is one easy way to keep flavor fresh in favorite recipes. Growing a Garlic Chives Bulb Growing garlic chives from seed will result in spindly little shoots eventually, but the wanted bulb will take a very long time....
Dividing plants is a common method of plant propagation that most gardeners are familiar with. Yet, not all plants can be divided as simply and successfully as hosta or daylily. Instead, woody shrubs or cane-bearing fruits are multiplied by layering techniques, such as tip layering. Continue reading for tip layering info and instructions on how to tip layer propagate. What is Tip Rooting? Mother Nature gifted many plants with the ability to regenerate when damaged and to multiply on their own....
Best Plants for South-Facing Gardens There are plenty of plants that tolerate south-facing light, and many that will thrive. You need plants that enjoy full sun but also do well in the heat. During the summer, even in northern climates, sunny, southern areas can get very hot. Here are some great choices for your south-facing border, bed, or lawn: Sunflower: A classic plant for bright, sunny locations, the sunflower comes in a number of varieties and sizes for nearly any garden space....
Spanish Peanut Information Spanish peanuts are one of four main types of peanuts grown in the U.S. and are distinguishable from their other counterparts (Runner, Valencia, and Virginia) by their smaller kernels, reddish brown skin, and higher oil content. Depending on the cultivar selected, Spanish peanuts can take 105 to 115 days to mature. Of the Spanish peanut varieties available, ‘Early Spanish’ is the easiest to find and, as the name suggests, is on the lower end of the days to mature spectrum....
How to Care for a Lily Plant Over Winter As a tender plant, it is a good idea to dig up and store your lily bulbs to ensure year after year beauty. Most lilies are hardy to United States Department of Agriculture zone 8 with good mulching. However, bulbs left in the ground during winter freezes may not come back in spring and can even rot. The process is simple and can save the life of a magical flowering plant that has unabashed appeal....
