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Does Hyacinth Bean Need Pruning? Hyacinth bean, also known as Lablab, is a vigorous climbing annual. It is a warm season plant native to Africa, but it has become an established food crop in many other countries. The ornamental aspect of the plant has taken off in warmer parts of the Americas. Deeply purple beans and amethyst and violet blossoms make the plant an attractive addition to any landscape. Hyacinth bean pruning isn’t strictly mandatory, but it does help keep the growth of this speedy sprouter in check, so it’s always a good idea to learn how to prune a hyacinth bean and establish a healthier, more sturdy set of vines....

Shrub-like dogwoods do exist and work well in smaller gardens. In fact, there are many types of dogwood shrubs, each with its own unique characteristics. For more information, read on. Is There a Dogwood Shrub? The genus Cornus includes many different dogwood shrub varieties, including some that could be called subshrubs. They grow fast and provide year-round garden interest with spring flowers, summer berries, and exceptional fall color. However, shrubby dogwoods do not grow the showy bracts that the taller dogwood trees do....

When to Divide Elephant Ears Elephant ears can become huge plants with gigantic leaves. Many spread through underground runners, or stolons, and send up baby plants along the way. These babies can be separated from the parent plant and installed elsewhere. Dividing elephant ears requires sterile, sharp instruments to prevent transferring disease and causing injury. Elephant ear division isn’t necessary, but it helps rejuvenate old plants that may be performing poorly....

How to get rid of wintercreeper? Managing this bully of the plant world isn’t easy. It requires hard work, persistence, and patience. Read on to learn about wintercreeper management. About Wintercreeper Control Invasive wintercreeper was introduced in North America from Asia in the early 1900s. It is an opportunistic plant that invades forests damaged by insects or fires. The dense mat of vines prevents the growth of seedlings, robbing moisture and nutrients from the soil....

Why Warm the Soil in Winter? There are many reasons people use heating cables and other methods to warm soil in winter: • Extending the growing season later into the fall, earlier in spring, or year-round• Overwintering plants that are not fully hardy• Starting transplants or root cuttings• Hardening off transplants begun indoors Extending the growing season is the primary reason to warm soil. It allows you to get a longer harvest or to grow more delicate plants than you would be able to otherwise....

Why is My Fennel not Producing Bulbs? Okay, a little information about fennel. You know that you can eat the stems, leaves, seeds, and bulbs of fennel, but what you may not know is that there are two types of fennel. Foeniculum vulgare is harvested like an herb – the stems, leaves, and seeds are utilized. This type of fennel grows 3-5 feet (1-2 m.) in height, with feathery foliage much like dill....

Growing Edible Taro in the Garden for Food Taro, a member of the family Araceae, is the common name under which a large number of plants reside. Within the family, there are many cultivars of edible taro varieties suited to the garden. Sometimes referred to as ‘elephant ears’ due to the plants large leaves, taro is also called ‘dasheen.’ This perennial tropical to subtropical plant is cultivated for its starchy sweet tuber....

What is Escarole? Escarole, related to endive, is a cool season biennial commonly cultivated as an annual. Like chard, kale, and radicchio, escarole is a hearty green that thrives late in the growing season. Escarole has smooth, broad, green leaves that are commonly used in salad. The flavor of escarole is less bitter than other members of the endive family, very much akin to the taste of radicchio. It grows from a large rosette of light green leaves that gradate outwards to dark green on the outer edges....

What is Ornamental Okra? Okra is a heat-loving, tropical plant that displays big, bold, maple-like leaves and tall, sturdy stems. The delicate, almost otherworldly flowers, which last only a single day, appear from early summer until the first frost. All okra plants are ornamental, but certain varieties are showier than others. For example, cultivars such as ‘Royal Burgundy’ or ‘Red Velvet’ display bright green foliage with deep red veins, stems, and pods....

Rhubarb Growing in Hot Climates Since I’m from one of the northern states, I just assumed that growing rhubarb in warm climates, such as most of the southern regions of the nation, was out of the question. Good news! I’m wrong! Before we dive into just how growing rhubarb in warm regions is possible, read on for some fascinating facts regarding this vegetable; yes, it’s a vegetable. It is also a cousin to buckwheat and garden sorrel and is native to China where it dates back to 2,700 B....

Growing Tropical Plants in Zone 6 Who doesn’t love the look of a tropical island, with its echoes of softly whispering surf and verdant green forests? Bringing these notes into the zone 6 garden is not as impossible as it once was due to hardier cultivars and hardy, tropical-looking plants. Another way to utilize zone 6 tropical plants is by taking advantage of microclimates. These vary depending upon elevation, topography, sun and wind exposure, humidity, and proximate shelters....

About Zone 9 Onions Onions feature prominently in almost every cuisine. Members of the lily family, Amaryllidaceae, onions are close relatives to leeks, shallots, and garlic. Bulbing onions likely arose from the region of the world now known as Pakistan and have been an important food source since the time of the ancient Egyptians, around 3,200 BC. Onions were later brought to the New World by the Spaniards. Today, most folks probably have onions in some food item we eat every day, albeit it may be onion powder....

What to Do About Garden Scorpions Scorpions are recognizable by their crab-like appearance and long slim tail tipped with a poisonous barb. Are garden scorpions poisonous? The most dangerous scorpion, the bark scorpion, only lives in a small area of Arizona. The other species simply deliver a vicious sting which causes redness and swelling. In rare cases, people may experience an allergic reaction, much like a bee sting. Nonetheless, it is unpleasant to get stung, so caution should be taken to minimize scorpions in the garden if you reside in areas known for their presence....

Growing Ageratum from Seed Commonly called floss flower, ageratum has fuzzy, button-like blooms that attract pollinators to the yard. The quarter-inch (6 mm.) fringed flowers grow in dense, one-inch (2.5 cm.) clusters from midsummer to fall. Green leaves are oval to heart-shaped. Besides blue, ageratum cultivars include shades of white, pink, and bicolor in dwarf plants as well as tall plants ideal for cutting. Choose a sunny site to grow ageratum or if summers are really hot, part shade is preferred....

Fertilizing Jasmines Jasmine fertilizing time is spring or late winter if you live in a mild climate. The goal is to give the plant the nutrients needed for foliar formation, healthy roots, and pest/disease resistance, and, of course, flowering. Phosphorus is the macro-nutrient responsible for fruiting and flowering production in plants. True jasmine, or Jasminum officinale, should not be confused with star jasmine. The true jasmines are the plants with the heavenly scent....

Can You Divide Lenten Rose? Hellebores form dusky bronze to creamy white blooms. They are native to central and south Europe where they grow in poor soils in mountain regions. These plants are very tough and need little care. They are hardy to zone 4, and deer and rabbits ignore them in favor of tastier treats. The plants can be a bit on the costly side, so knowing how to propagate hellebores can increase your stock without breaking the bank....

If you are interested in growing deciduous shrubs, it’s helpful to have a few in mind before you begin shopping. Read on for a short list of deciduous shrubs that are hard to resist. Growing Deciduous Shrubs Popular with homeowners, shrubs are multi-stemmed plants that are shorter than most trees and can fit into almost any garden. They range from small to tall, from dense to sparse. There are two basic types: evergreen – that bear foliage all year long – and deciduous, that lose their foliage during the cold season That’s why it’s easier to identify deciduous shrubs in winter....

Differences Between Jams, Jellies, and Preserves Jam is made of chopped or pureed fruit, while jelly is smoother and comes mainly from the juice of fruit. Preserves cover other types of processed fruits such as compotes and chutneys. These have more body than jam and are much more robust. Each has a slightly different process but learning how to make preserves also requires some canning knowledge for long term storage, unless you plan on freezing your fruit....

What Does Monocarpic Mean? Many plants in the succulent family and others are monocarpic. What does monocarpic mean? That means they flower once and then die. While this may seem a shame, it is a natural strategy the plant uses to produce progeny. Not only succulents are monocarpic, but many other species in different families. The notion that monocarpic means single flowering is all in the word. ‘Mono’ means once and ‘caprice’ means fruit....

Why Won’t My Guava Bloom? As with many plants, guavas wait to bloom until they detect that conditions are right for their offspring to develop and succeed. Otherwise, why waste the effort that goes into producing seeds? No blossoms on guava usually points to an environmental problem, rather than a pest or disease, but you still have no blossoms on guava! Here are some common factors to consider: Plant age. Fruit plants need several years to mature before they can bear....