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Anthracnose is a serious disease of many crop and ornamental plants. On tomato plants, it can decimate the crop, producing inedible fruits. This is a disaster for commercial growers but also affects home gardeners. Anthracnose of tomatoes results in lesions on both green and ripe fruit. Continue reading for important tomato anthracnose info, including how to prevent and treat the disease. What is Anthracnose on a Tomato? Essentially, anthracnose is a fruit rot....

Fun Garden Crafts for Winter Winter gardening crafts for kids help them pass the time until the sunshine is back, and the plants are blooming. It is also an important teaching opportunity. Kids can learn about different plants, foods, and bugs. Kid’s winter crafts are also a great family activity in which all ages can participate. The holidays are coming and that means time for wrapping paper. Collect any leaves that remain or press some in fall....

Why Tomato Plant Leaves Turn Yellow There are a number of reasons why tomato plant leaves turn yellow, most of which are easily rectified. Below are the most common causes for yellowing tomato leaves and what you can do about the issue. Fungal Diseases Fungal diseases are a common reason for yellow leaves on tomatoes. For example, early blight is evidenced by yellow leaves and small spots or lesions that grow larger, eventually taking on a bulls-eye appearance....

What Makes Clematis Leaves Turn Yellow? The delicate trailing, climbing stems, and leaves of clematis create a fairytale look draped over a trellis or trained to an arbor. Once the elegant flowers appear, the entire vision is of dancing blooms and a riot of color and texture. If a clematis vine has yellow leaves, you might look first to the soil and drainage, site, and lighting. If correct cultivation conditions exist, the problem may be pests or even disease....

Tips for Growing Lavender in Zone 4 Lavender requires plenty of sun, well-draining soil, and excellent air circulation. Prepare the soil by tilling down 6 to 8 inches (15-20 cm.) and working in some compost and potash. Plant the lavender out when all danger of frost has passed for your area. Lavender does not need lots of water. Water and then allow the soil to dry out before watering again. In the winter, prune back the herb’s new growth by 2/3 of the stem length, avoiding cutting into the old wood....

ZZ Plant Leaf Propagation It is common to find a ZZ plant in an office setting with low light and no fresh air. The uncomplaining plant, Zamioculcus zamiifolia, is also known as eternity plant, fat boy, aroid palm, and many more common names. It hails from the southeast coast of Africa and has been an important houseplant in the industry for years. ZZ plants grow from large thick rhizomes. Propagating ZZ plants is as easy as separating these or you can try rooting leaf cuttings....

Snout weevil control is essential in southwestern areas, especially where agave is grown to make tequila. A population of agave snout weevils can decimate the agave crop and then what will we put in margaritas? What is the Agave Snout Weevil? The weevil is a form of beetle and grows approximately an inch (2.5 cm.) long. It is a black insect with the scientific name Scyphophorus acupuntatus. The insects usually choose unhealthy or old agaves to deposit their eggs....

Albuca Information There are many forms of Albuca. These flowering plants all have similar flowers but can grow extremely varied forms of foliage dependent upon the variety. Albuca is also known as Soldier-in-the box and Slime lily. The latter is due to the slimy sap the plant exudes when broken or damaged. Despite the rather disgusting name, Albuca leaves and blooms are covered in downy hairs that emit a pleasant scent when touched and the flowers are simple and elegant....

Almond Propagation Methods Most almond cultivars cannot be propagated by seed. The seeds of some hybrids are sterile, while other almond cultivar seeds may be viable but will not produce true to type plants. The plants that result from seed may revert to an original parent plant, which though related, might not even be an almond plant. Therefore, the most common almond propagation methods are softwood cuttings or bud grafting....

Orchid Tree Info The Anacacho orchid tree is a member of the pea family and while some authorities claim it hails from the tropical and subtropical areas of India and China, south Texans claim it as their own. It is found growing wild there in two distinct locations: the Anacacho Mountains of Kinney County, Texas and a small area along the Devil’s River where this orchid tree is also known as Texas Plume....

Attracting butterflies in gardens is easy to do with the right plants. Keep reading for info on how to attract butterflies to your garden. Butterfly Garden Plants The butterfly garden itself is a spectacular thing to behold as butterflies are attracted to some of the most striking flowers. Some of these common butterfly garden plants include: Zinnia Marigold Rudbeckia Coreopsis Aster Sunflower Liatris Purple coneflower Wonderfully fragrant choices to add to the butterfly garden design include the following:...

Help, My Butternut Squash is Splitting! Cracking squash fruit is not an uncommon occurrence; in fact, it happens to other vine fruits too, including melons, pumpkins, cucumbers and even tomatoes. As the squash reach maturity, the outer skins harden. This hard outer layer allows for a long storage period of several months. However, once the hardening process begins, anything that elicits additional growth can result in cracking squash fruit. What can facilitate late growth in butternut squash?...

About Olive Pit Propagation Yes, you can grow an olive pit, but there’s one caveat – it has to be a “fresh” pit. By this I mean not a pit from a store bought olive. The olives that we eat are treated with lye, among other things, and are unlikely to engender olive pit propagation. Oh, by the way, did you know that both green and black olives are the same?...

Growing Palms Indoors The most demanding and biggest palms were grown in glass houses back in the Victorian and Edwardian times. The glass houses provided the warmth and lush humidity that they needed. The most resilient of the palms swayed over the comings and goings of the people through the hotel foyers and restaurants in all sorts of public places. Parlor palms graced the entrance halls and drawing rooms of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century homes....

As we opened my door to investigate, we realized we couldn’t open the door wide enough to get out because a very large limb of the old silver maple in my front yard had come down just inches from my door and home. I was all too aware that if these tree branches had fallen in just a slightly different direction, it would have crashed right through my son’s bedroom upstairs....

According to the history of green beans, they have been a part of our diet for thousands of years, although their appearance has changed somewhat. Let’s take a look at the evolution of green beans in history. Green Beans in History There are actually more than 500 types of green beans available for cultivation. Not every cultivar is green, some are purple, red, or even striated, although the bean inside will always be green....

Tips for Growing Chinese Evergreens Indoors Growing Chinese evergreens (Aglaonema) is easy. This gem of a plant is one of the most popular houseplants grown in the home due to its ease of care. You can find Chinese evergreen plants in many varieties, including variegated forms. Although they are tolerant of many growing conditions, following certain recommendations will yield greater results. This includes placing them in well-draining soil, preferably an equal mix of potting soil, perlite, and sand....

About Pear Trees for Zone 4 Pear trees suited for zone 4 are those that can withstand winter temperatures between -20 and -30 degrees F. (-28 and -34 C.). Some pear trees are self-fertile, but the majority of them need a pollinating buddy nearby. Some are more compatible than others too, so it’s important to do some research regarding which to plant together if you want a good fruit set. Pear trees can also get quite large, up to 40 feet (12 m....

Growing craft supplies combines kids’ love of crafty projects with a growing interest in gardening. Next winter, when you’re planning your vegetable garden, plan and order supplies and learn how to create an arts and crafts garden. Tips on Creating a Craft Garden Theme What is a craft garden? It looks like any other garden plot, but the plants grown inside it are used as supplies for craft projects instead of as food or flowers....

What is a Saint Garden? A garden of saints is an area for reflection and prayer that has inspirational items in it that are related to one or more saints. Religious garden statues are often centerpieces of a saint garden. Often, this statuary is of the Virgin Mary or of a particular saint, or even an entire garden of saints. Each saint is a patron of something, and many of them are patrons of things related to nature, which make excellent choices for inclusion in the saint garden....