Posts

Diseases of Hops Plant Poorly drained soil can lead to fungal diseases affecting hops. Black root rot – One such disease of hops plants is called Black root rot or Phytophthora citricola. This fungal disease causes water lesions on the roots of the plants, blackened or yellow leaves, and wilting stems. This hops plant disease is easily mistaken for Verticillium wilt or Fusarium canker. Fusarium canker – Fusarium canker, or Con tip blight, forms cankers at the base of the bine accompanied by the sudden wilting of the bines when flowering or when temperatures soar....

Growing Shrubs in Zone 4 Gardens Growing shrubs in zone 4 is not much different than growing shrubs in any zone. Cold hardy shrubs will benefit from an extra heap of mulch around the root zone in late fall for insulation in winter. Most shrubs can be pruned back when they go dormant in late autumn, except for evergreens, lilacs and weigela. Spirea, potentilla and ninebark should be cut back hard every couple years to keep them full and healthy....

What’s Wrong with My Plant? Good question! There are many possible reasons why your plant is looking sick, but you can usually narrow it down to common houseplant problems with water, light, pests, or disease. Learning basic houseplant troubleshooting may help you determine if your plant can be saved, or if all hope is lost. Environmental Problems Light – Environmental issues indoors often include problems with light. For example, a plant that looks long and spindly may be stretching to reach available light....

What are “Full Sun” Vegetables Simply put, full sun veggies are those that require a minimum of 6 hours of direct sunlight per day. Direct sunlight is not shaded or filtered by buildings, trees, fences, trellises or other garden vegetable plants. And while 6 hours is considered the minimum, the best full sun vegetables may require 8 or more hours of sunlight in cloudy or northern climates. You’ll find the list of full sun vegetables includes many garden favorites....

Why are My Irises Not Blooming? Bearded or Asian, classic or designer, irises are a pleasure to have in the garden. They provide a long term display of tall, glorious sword-like leaves and boldly featured blooms. Most irises have a wide hardiness range from USDA zone 4 to 9. When iris does not bloom, you still have beautiful foliage but the long waited for flowers refuse to appear. Frustrating as this is, it is generally something that can be fixed and flowers will appear the following year....

Why a Petunia Has Yellow Leaves In many cases, yellow leaves on petunia plants are cultural in nature but sometimes the cause is a common disease that can be spread from cucurbits. Some information on the exact symptoms and causes can help you determine if your petunia is destined for the rubbish bin or if you can save the plant to bloom another day. Petunias need well-drained soil, bright sunlight, and warm temperatures for best performance....

Planting Yellow Wax Beans There are both bush and pole yellow wax bean varieties. The basic sowing and cultivating techniques are similar to green beans, but it’s advisable to provide pole beans with a vertical surface for climbing. Yellow wax beans grow best in a sunny garden spot. They can be planted in the spring as soon as the soil warms and after the last frost date. Good drainage and warm soil are key elements for germinating seeds....

Choosing Your Astilbe Varieties I have a deep affection for astilbes. They provide me with a nearly foolproof solution for the shady and low-light areas of my garden. As an added bonus, there are many astilbe plant varieties from which to choose. Foliage hues range from bronze to deep green and even reddish tones. The size and hardiness of some of the cultivars are also broad enough to suit most gardeners’ needs....

So how do you keep houseplants looking healthy when faced with these obstacles? Simple. With adequate care of houseplants and a little know how into common houseplant issues, you’ll be better able to grow healthy houseplants. Common Houseplant Issues Pests are mainly insects that cause damage. There are a number of pests that can affect houseplants. Some of these may include: Aphids Scale Mealybugs Spider mites Diseases in houseplants are as varied as they are with humans....

What’s Eating My Basil Leaves? Generally speaking, basil plant leaves are not susceptible to many issues as long as you rotate plantings and maintain hygiene surrounding the plant. That said, you may on occasion notice that something is taking a nibble or two from your soon-to-be pesto. What basil pests are capable of this relentless infraction? Let’s learn more about the pests associated with most basil leaf damage. Holes in Basil Leaves and Basil Pests When gaps or holes in basil leaves have been discovered, the time for action is now!...

Can You Grow Beets from Seeds? Yes, the common method for propagation is via beet seed planting. Beetroot seed production is different in structure than other garden seeds. Each seed is actually a group of flowers melded together by the petals, which create a multi-germ cluster. In other words, each “seed” contains two to five seeds; hence, beetroot seed production may engender multiple beet seedlings. Therefore, thinning a beet seedling row is crucial to a vigorous beet crop....

Many gardeners think that when they see bugs in the garden it’s a bad thing, but the truth of the matter is that a few bugs are not going to hurt your garden. It is best if there is a balance between harmful insects and beneficial garden bugs. After all, if there are no bad bugs for the good bugs to eat, they’re not going to stay around for long, which means your garden won’t benefit from their presence....

Bird Feeder Problems Bird watching is a time-honored tradition and puts the gardener more in touch with nature and its denizens. Erecting bird feeders enhances the garden and persuades different species of Aves to make your landscape their home. Unfortunately, birds are not the tidiest of eaters and even a catch tray under the feeder is often not effective to prevent the spread of debris. Purchase hull free food without sunflower seeds to minimize the damage....

Although chicory is easy to grow, it is sometimes plagued by certain chicory insects and chicory plant pests. Read on for information about a few of the most common chicory pest problems. Chicory Pest Problems Below are some of the more common pests and bugs that eat chicory plants: Slugs – Slugs are number one when it comes to pests of chicory because they chew raggedy holes in the leaves....

There are six types of corn: dent, flint, flour, pop, sweet and waxy. The color of the ear has nothing to do with its classification; instead, corn is grouped by kernel type (endosperm). Most ornamental corn varieties are derived from pop type corn as a result of its smaller ears more suitable for indoor decorative purposes. Also called ornamental Indian corn, there are a multitude of ornamental corn plants valued for ear size; plant height; or color of kernel, husk or stalk....

Why have a national honeybee day, you might ask. The simple answer is that these bees play a large part in making our world the beautiful planet it is. Honeybee Facts If you take the time to learn about honeybees and the pollination they are responsible for, you will better understand why there should be a National Honeybee Day. Honeybees make honey, as their name indicates, but did you know that they are the sole insect to actually produce food that people eat?...

Common Hosta Pests What causes holes in hosta leaves? This is one of the most common questions associated with hosta plants. Essentially when bugs are eating hostas, slugs or snails are usually to blame. These nighttime foragers are probably considered the most common of hosta pests, eating small holes in the leaves. Silvery colored slime or snail trail throughout the garden area is a good indication of their presence. Control of these slugs may include the use of beer traps, which they crawl into and die....

Succulents are well suited to the confines of a potted environment, even unusual containers, provided that adequate care is given. How to Care for Succulents in Containers When you’re growing succulents in pots, they will need to be watered more often than those growing in the ground. However, since these plants need little watering in the first place, container gardening with succulents is a good choice, especially for those who tend to forget to water....

Creative Edging Ideas Are you a collector of bottles, shells, or rocks? These can make attention-grabbing edgings for beds, borders, or walkways. Bottles can be turned downside and put into the ground as a border. They can also be lined up along the front border and filled with lights, sand, or even colored glass. If you have an excessive supply of glass canning jars, drop some tea light candles into them to line borders or walkways....

Companion Planting with Daffodils Companion planting is planting different plants near each other to enhance each other’s beauty, growth, and flavor or to protect each other from pests. Companion planting is also used to maximize space in the garden. Daffodils make great companion plants because they provide warm, sunny color in the spring, are easy to tuck in amongst already established plants, and deter pests. Daffodils bloom when many flowering shrubs and perennials are just waking from their winter dormancy....