What are Mung Beans? Mung bean seeds are sprouted for use either fresh or canned. These high protein, 21-28% beans are also rich sources of calcium, phosphorus, and other vitamins. For people in regions where animal protein is scarce, mung beans are an important source of protein. Mung beans are members of the Legume family and related to adzuki and cowpea. These warm-season annuals may be either upright or vine types....
What is a Medicine Wheel Garden? There are several different medicine wheel garden ideas but all contain the same basic element – a circle that is bisected into four distinct garden areas and filled with medicine wheel garden plants. The medicine wheel garden, or sacred hoop, originates with Native American culture. It represented their relationship with the cosmos and the Creator. Many activities, from ceremony gatherings to eating and dancing, revolved around this central theme of a circle....
What is a Pickling Cucumber? Cucumbers for pickling refer to cucumbers that are used for processing or making pickles. This doesn’t mean they can’t be eaten fresh, but their thinner skins, crunchy texture, and smaller seeds make them ideal for pickling. That and their small size which means there is little prep work involved. Pickling cucumbers are short with graduating hues of dark green at the stem to light green at the blossom end....
What is Buddha’s Hand Fruit? Buddha’s hand fruit (Citrus medica var. sarcodactylis) is a citron fruit that looks like a ghoulish, lemony hand made up of between 5-20 “fingers” (carpels) dangling from a small distorted lemon. Think lemon colored calamari. Unlike other citron, there is little to no juicy pulp inside the leathery rind. But like other citrus, Buddha’s hand fruit is rife with essential oils responsible for its heavenly lavender-citrus scent....
What is Red Stele Disease? Red stele root rot afflicts strawberry plants in the northern regions of the United States. It is caused by the fungus Phytophthora fragariae. The disease afflicts not only strawberries, but loganberries and potentilla as well, although to a lesser extent. As mentioned, the disease is most common when conditions are cool and wet. During such periods, the fungus begins to move through the soil, infesting the root system of the strawberries....
Regional Gardening To-Do List Here are a few more region-specific gardening tips for August: Northeast Beat the heat and humidity this month in the Northeastern states by reserving the cooler morning and evening hours to tackle these garden chores on your August to-do list: Harvest and dry herbs for cooking, potpourri, and herbal teas.Continue hilling potatoes to increase yields.Make a note of perennials that need to be thinned or moved....
Planting Vegetables in a Wildlife Garden There is an old concept about taking some harvest for yourself but leaving at least half for the wildlife. Along those lines, you can create a wildlife garden and veggie plot. Your vegetable and wildlife garden can coexist, without sacrificing your harvest while providing for nature’s fauna. Applying some simple rules can see both goals coexisting in a safe and productive manner. If you are like me, you always plant more than your family can eat....
What are Japanese Scout Beetles? Japanese beetles are a metallic green, oval, and less than ½ inch (1 cm.) long. The copper-colored wings do not entirely cover the abdomen, which has a row of five tufted hairs on either side. Both males and females have this distinctive color and marking, although females are slightly larger. Newly hatched larvae are about 1/8 inch (3 mm.) in length and a semi-transparent creamy color....
Whether you are planting a summer or winter annual garden, you’ll find information here about easy-care annuals for western U.S. gardens. Annuals in Western Region Annuals are plants that complete a life cycle in one growing season. This means they germinate, flower, seed, and die all in one year. Most gardeners think of annuals for western U.S. gardens in terms of summer or winter annuals. Summer annuals are plants that light up your summer garden then die off in fall....
Why Should I Attract Penguins? Why should I attract penguins, you ask? Good question. Attracting penguins to the garden can be a fun way to explore their habits – up close and personal. Penguins call out to each other frequently throughout the day. Watch closely and you’ll see lots of body language such as dipping their heads down and bobbing them back up as their flippers flap at one another. Since penguins have no teeth, there is no need to worry about being bitten....
An autumn leaf wreath utilizes the colorful bounty of natural fall leaves, but don’t worry if availability of real leaves is a problem. You can also use faux fall leaves in a wreath. Supplies for a DIY Autumn Leaf Wreath Before you make an autumn leaf wreath with the real thing, you’ll first need to gather a bagful of colorful leaves. Make sure the leaves are fresh or they will crumble when you are stringing the fall leaves in a wreath shape....
Is Garden Compost Beneficial? There are a slew of ways in which gardening with compost is valuable. Simply put, the advantages of using compost are to improve soil quality, enabling it to better retain air, nutrients, and moisture and resulting in healthier, thriving plants. Additionally, when you make and use compost, you are recycling instead of contributing to solid waste landfills. So how does compost help nourish, aerate, and hydrate soil medium?...
Propping Plants in Forcing Jars and Pots Whether you are a passionate gardener or just a fan of flowers, forced bulbs can provide an interior display of out of season color and the process is so easy even a novice can succeed. There are numerous tutorials on the process as well as special kits and forcing jars you can purchase to facilitate your flower growth. However, even professionals are confronted with the problem of nodding narcissus and flopping freesia....
Bunny Ears Cactus Information Bunny ears cactus (Opuntia microdasys) originated in Mexico and is a denizen of arid, desert-like areas. Growing bunny ears cactus is as simple as mimicking its native regional conditions. So if you have a dry, low humidity home and plenty of sunny exposure, bunny ears cactus plant might be the perfect plant for you. Bunny ears forms a 2 to 3 foot (61-91 cm.) tall plant with a spread of 4 to 5 feet (1- 1....
Can You Propagate Burning Bush from Seeds? The easiest and surest way to propagate a burning bush is from cuttings taken in spring. These cuttings from new growth are called softwood cuttings. The stem is at the right stage of maturity to root easily if the tip snaps in two when you bend it in half. Rooting a burning bush from softwood cuttings is not only faster, but it also ensures that you’ll get a plant with the same characteristics as the parent shrub....
What is a Climate Victory Garden? Natural fluctuations in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels and subsequent warming trends have cycled throughout the history of our planet. Since the 1950’s, the amount of heat-trapping gases has skyrocketed to unprecedented levels. The result is imminent climate change in the form of global warming. Scientists link this upward trend to our modern lifestyle and the burning of fossil fuels. Reducing our carbon footprint is one way to slow the progression of climate change....
How to Have a Safe Seed Swap Many garden clubs, learning institutions, and other groups have annual plant and seed swaps. Are seed swaps safe to attend? In this year, 2021, there will have to be a different approach to such events. A safe Covid seed exchange will take planning, placing safety protocols in place, and organizing special steps to ensure a social distance seed swap. Organizers of seed exchanges will have their work cut out for them....
What Causes Pumpkin/Squash Rot on Vines? There are a number of diseases that can afflict a cucurbit crop. Black rot – One of the more prevalent diseases resulting in pumpkin or squash rotting on the vine is called gummy stem blight, or black rot, and is caused by the fungus Didymella bryonia. This disease is particularly fond of pumpkins and squash, so if your pumpkin fruits are rotting, this is a likely culprit....
How to Grow Edible Plants and Flowers in the Desert Before growing plants in desert climates, consider the following list before attempting to grow plants in a desert climate: Soil Nutrition There are a number of factors to consider before growing plants in a desert climate. Primarily, one will want to be concerned with the nutrient levels in one’s soil. Although a good quality organic/compost will usually meet your soil’s needs, the best way to determine levels suitable for desert vegetables and flowers is to have the soil tested....
What is Diatomaceous Earth? Diatomaceous earth is made from fossilized water plants and is a naturally occurring siliceous sedimentary mineral compound from the remains of algae-like plants called diatoms. The plants have been part of Earth’s ecology system dating back to prehistoric times. The chalky deposits the diatoms left are called diatomite. The diatoms are mined and ground up to make a powder that has a look and feel much like talcum powder....
