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Types of Fruit for North Central Regions The best types of fruit trees to plant in upper northern U.S. regions include apples, pears, plums and sour cherries. These types of fruit trees originated in the mountains of Central Asia where cold winters are the norm. Apples, for instance, grow best in USDA hardiness zones 4 through 7, but several varieties can be successfully cultivated in zone 3. Depending upon your hardiness zone, gardeners may also be able to grow other types of fruit trees in North Central states....

Carnivorous Plants in the Garden Here are the most common species for carnivorous plant gardens: Pitcher plants are easy to identify by a long tube, which contains liquid that traps and digests insects. This is a large group of plants that includes American pitcher plant (Sarracenia spp.) and tropical pitcher plants (Nepenthes spp.), among others. Sundews are attractive little plants that grow in various climates around the world. Although the plants appear to be innocent, they have tentacles with sticky, thick drops that look like nectar to unsuspecting insects....

During pitcher plant dormancy, some exposure to chilly temperatures is necessary but most are not hardy below USDA zone 7. Over-wintering pitcher plants in colder zones will require moving the plants or providing them with protection from the cold weather. A Word About Pitcher Plants Pitcher plants are bog plants and are often grown as part of a water garden or at the edge of a water feature. The genus Sarracenia supports 15 different varieties scattered across North America....

How to Winterize Pond Plants The question of what to do with pond plants in the winter depends upon the plant. Some plants will not tolerate winter temps and must be removed from the pond. For cold hardy specimens, overwintering pond plants may simply mean immersion in the pond. Before winterizing water plants, it is a good idea to manage the water garden itself. Remove dead leaves and dying plants. Inspect any pumps and change filters as needed....

What to Do With Pawpaws You may be new to pawpaw fruit or have a pawpaw tree in your backyard. Either way, pawpaw benefits transcend the culinary and their applications have the ability to skyrocket health. The most common pawpaw fruit uses are in recipes where their custard-like texture and mild tropical flavor enhance beverages, candies, pies, puddings, cocktails, and other dishes. The internet is filled with pawpaw fruit ideas, recipes of which your doctor would approve, and topical remedies that can save your pocketbook....

Philodendron houseplants thrive indoors year round without complaint, but they enjoy an occasional stay outdoors in a shady spot when the weather permits. Taking the plant outdoors also gives you a chance to flush the soil with plenty of fresh water and clean the leaves. Unlike most houseplants, philodendrons don’t experience as much stress when moving from indoor to outdoor settings. How to Care for a Philodendron Philodendron care incorporates three basic needs: sunlight, water and fertilizer....

Meeting the Needs of Potted Veggies Plants require water to absorb nutrients from the soil as well as for photosynthesis. However, too much water is as detrimental to plant health as too little. This makes good drainage essential whether garden veggies are planted in the ground or in pots. Yet, soil from the garden is seldom a wise choice for a container garden. When used in potted plants, garden soil tends to be very dense or heavy....

Is Pine Straw Good Mulch? Pine straw is freely available in areas with pine trees and is inexpensive to purchase in bales. Pine straw mulch benefits are plentiful and said to help create ideal conditions for acid-loving plants. Some would argue that they may even help acidify alkaline soils, although this has been highly debated, dependent on your location and current soil conditions. Many gardeners find the constant pine needles under their trees an unsightly mess, but using pine straw for garden mulch is effective for winter protection and a host of other uses....

Red and Green Centerpiece Plant Arrangements Changing up the plants for Christmas table arrangements doesn’t necessarily mean ditching that traditional red and green centerpiece. Plant arrangements for that special holiday floral centerpiece can include some not-so-traditional reds and greens: Roses – Rose, the flower of love, beautifully expresses the romance of the Christmas season. Use solid, red roses accented with greenery for an elegant look or arrange white roses with red tips in a decorative sleigh to create that wintry feel....

When to Harvest Poppy Seeds Who among us hasn’t had a wonderful lemon or almond poppy seed muffin? The delicate seeds impart a rich flavor and gentle crunch that adds unique dimension to baked goods. Poppies have a bad reputation as part of the opium trade, but for gardeners, they are simply lovely papery blooms in brilliant colors. These easy-to-grow plants are also simple to propagate from seed. Poppies generally flower in late spring to early summer....

Butterfly Bush Winter Kill Even in a temperate zone, there are chores to do to help plants withstand winter storms and weather. Butterfly bush winter protection in warmer climates usually just amounts to some extra mulch around the root zone. We’ve been asked, “do I prune my butterfly bush for winter and what other preparation should I take?” The extent of overwintering preparation depends upon the severity of the weather the plant will experience....

Old wood must be cut away to make room for new growth, as it is new growth that produces fruit. Vines with too much old wood will not bloom and bear fruit. Those with too much growth will not produce well either. Therefore, pruning muscadine grapes not only controls growth, but also increases the productivity of the plant. Trimming Muscadine Vines Before you can discuss how to prune muscadine grapevines, it’s important to understand the vine’s natural growth and the framework that should be imposed upon it....

What is a Reading Garden? So, “what is a reading garden?” you ask. Reading garden ideas can be as simple as a single bench situated amidst, say the rose garden, to more grandiose plans involving water features, statuary, rockery, etc. Really, your imagination, and maybe your wallet, are the only limitations to creating a reading garden. The idea is simply to create an extension of your indoor living space, making it a comforting area in which to relax and read....

When renovating the garden, there are some specific things to keep in mind, such as the time of year, location, maturity, usefulness, health, and safety in removal or major amendment of the plant or area. How to Remove Plants That Have Outgrown Gardens: Perennials Perennial gardens may need to be revamped by removing existing plants. The goal may be to transplant elsewhere or do away with the specimen entirely. The practice of removing existing plants remains the same, generally undertaken in April or May and again optimally in the fall months of late August to September....

What are Rosette Bud Mites? Rosette bud mites are eriophyid mites that live inside Fraser fir buds. Eriophyid mites are different than other mites, such as spider mites. They are worm-like with a wedge shaped body and four legs on their anterior end. They can only be seen with the aid of a microscope or hand lens. Their feeding causes galls to form in the vegetative buds. The mites emerge from the prior year’s gall during spring bud break and then either drop to the ground or are windblown onto healthy shoots....

Are mountain ash and rowan trees the same? They are exactly the same tree. Read on for more information on these trees. European Mountain Ash European mountain ash trees are not true ash trees, nor is the tree found in the ash genus, Fraxinus. Rather, the tree’s botanical name is Sorbus aucuparia and it is native to Europe and Asia, not North America. However, the tree has been planted in Canada and the northern US as an ornamental and it has naturalized there....

Are Rocks Glued to Soil Okay? Why, why, why, is my question. Apparently, basic plant retailers find gluing rocks to the top of the container and soil a method to reduce soil loss during transport. They may also do it as an aesthetic practice. Either way you may wonder, “should I remove glued down rocks in my plants?” That may depend upon the type of plant and whether it needs transplanting....

We watch with excitement as the seedlings grow taller, only to realize that they have grown too tall and are now a bit floppy. This is known as leggy seedlings. If you are wondering what causes leggy seedlings, and more importantly, how to prevent leggy seedlings, keep reading. What Causes Leggy Seedlings? At the most basic level, leggy seedlings are caused by a lack of light. It could be that the window you are growing your seedlings in does not provide enough light or it could be that the lights you are using as grow lights aren’t close enough to the seedling....

Are you gardening in your yard, nurturing plants in pots, using containers on an urban deck or balcony, or gardening on a grand scale? We understand that a vital part of your gardening success is having the best tools for the tasks. Deadheading tiny blossoms, pruning bushes and trees, digging and turning soil, watering and weeding – Centurion has developed a perfect, precisely engineered tool for every DIY job related to your gardening projects, large or small....

Clay Heavy Soil How can you tell if your garden has clay heavy soil? One of the biggest indicators is if you take a handful of damp soil and squish it in your hands for a second, when you open your hands and that soil ball you just formed does not crumble, you most likely have clay heavy soil. Some other indicators are a greasy or slimy feel when the soil is wet, a dusty but hard appearance when the soil is dry, or if you have drainage issues....