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What is Citrus Canker? Citrus canker goes way back to its discovery in Texas in 1910 and into Florida in 1914. It was introduced on seedlings imported from Japan. It is caused by the bacterium Xanthomonas citri and likely originated in southern Asia. The disease can now be found in Japan, the Middle East, central and southern Africa, and Central and South America. This bacterium is extremely contagious and is fostered when there is steady rain combined with high temperatures....

Mistakes People Make with Houseplants Growing houseplants in our homes brings us a lot of joy and appreciation for natural beauty. Not only are they beautiful, they also purify the air and create a serene atmosphere. But there are a lot of indoor plant mistakes that can derail our efforts. Let’s take a look at the most common indoor plant problems that you should be aware of. Incorrect Labeling – One of the most common houseplant mistakes is buying a plant that is poorly labeled with no specific variety listed....

Can You Grow Bachelor’s Buttons in a Pot? Bachelor’s buttons, also known as cornflowers, have an unruly appeal which makes them natural for the wildflower garden. However, they can show a little restraint and cornflower plants in containers will enhance any container display. Sowing the seeds indoors 6 weeks before you want to plant them out will provide you with large enough plants to work into your container color displays. Seeds sown indoors will need to be thinned as soon as the plants get their first true leaves....

Creating a glorious display isn’t as difficult as you might imagine, but there are several kinds of flower beds to consider. Read on for information on various flower bed styles. Different Types of Flower Beds: Borders and Islands Borders are flowerbeds sited against a backdrop such as a house, fence, hedge, or walkway. This type of flowerbed is viewed primarily from one side. Typically, flower bed designs for borders include tall plants at the back and mid-sized plants in front of the taller plants....

Deciduous Variegated Shrubs Deciduous variegated shrubs are among the most versatile and can brighten up shady areas with ease. Try some of the following: Hydrangea – Variegated hydrangea shrubs, like H. macrophylla ‘Variegata,’ not only provide stunning flower color but have attractive silver and white foliage for additional interest. Viburnum – Try the variegated viburnum shrub variety (V. Lantana ‘Variegata’) with pale, creamy yellow and green leaves. Cape Jasmine Gardenia – Cape Jasmine Gardenia, Gardenia jasminoides ‘Radicans Variegata’ (may also be called G....

How to Fertilize Eggplants Eggplants grow best in a compost-rich, fertile soil under full sun. Feeding eggplants during their growing and fruiting stages improves the overall health of the plant. Healthy plants produce larger fruit in greater quantities. In addition, when growing some varieties of eggplant, fertilizer may reduce bitterness caused by plant stress. Many gardeners begin the growing season by incorporating compost and fertilizer into the garden soil prior to planting....

What is a Trifoliate Orange? Flying dragon orange trees are cultivars of the trifoliate orange family, also known as Japanese bitter orange or hardy orange. That doesn’t really answer the question, “What is a trifoliate orange?” Trifoliate is in reference to what it sounds like– having three leaves. So, a trifoliate orange is simply a variety of orange tree with foliage emerging in groups of three. This hardy specimen of trifoliate orange, Flying Dragon (Poncirus trifoliata), has an unusual, contorted stem habit covered with thorns....

Germander herb plants are members of the Lamiaceae or Mint family, which includes lavender and salvia. This is a large genus of evergreens, from ground covers to shrubs to sub shrubs. Creeping germander (Teucrium canadense) is a woody, perennial ground cover varietal that spreads through underground rhizomes and reaches to only about 12 to 18 inches (30 to 46 cm.) tall and spreading 2 feet (61 cm.) across. Germander herb plants bloom lavender-hued flowers in the spring borne off of green serrated foliage....

Tomato Growing Tips For Beginners Tomatoes are great candidates for container gardening. However, you need to pick the right type. Let’s start with the basics. There are two types of tomatoes that you can grow: indeterminate and determinate. Indeterminate tomatoes are the most common type of tomato plant. They are vining and continue to grow and produce fruit all season until the first frost. Indeterminate varieties can grow 3 to 5 feet (0....

Can You Grow Bulbs from Seed? Flowering bulbs offer diverse color and form during several different seasons. Gardening with bulbs also allows you to experiment with plants from around the world. Many of these are banned from import or are simply difficult to find. That is where growing bulbs from seed can be advantageous. Can you grow bulbs from seed? A few tips on how to grow bulbs from seed can help start you on the road to successfully propagating your favorite plants....

Read on to learn how to plant grapes in your landscape. About Growing Grapevines Before you begin growing grapes, pinpoint what you want the grapes for. Some people want them for a privacy screen and may not even care about the quality of the fruit. Others want to make grape preserves or grape juice or even dry them to make raisins. Still other adventurous folks aim to make a great bottle of wine....

When to Plant Lima Beans As a Central American native, growing lima beans requires nice warm, sunny conditions. The pods will take 60 to 90 days to mature in preferred temperatures of around 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 C.). While not difficult to grow, the time for planting lima beans is important, as these are frost tender annuals. Also, know when to harvest lima beans to avoid woody, bitter pods and capture the nice, tender, green beans at their peak....

Oregon Sugar Pod snow peas are very popular garden plants. They produce large double pods with a delicious flavor. If you want to grow Oregon Sugar Pod peas, you’ll be delighted to learn that they are not demanding plants. Read on for information on the pea Oregon Sugar Pod. What are Oregon Sugar Pod Peas? Sugar peas are in the legume family. They not only give a wide range of vitamins and minerals to recipes, but they also fix nitrogen in soil, enhancing its nutrient capacity....

Planting Pears in the Home Garden Prior to planting pears in the home garden, pear tree size should be considered first. A full size tree can grow to 40 feet (12 m.). Depending on the size of your lot, you may want to consider a dwarf or semi-dwarf variety. While Bartlett is probably the most common home grown pear, there are several varieties available. Check with a trusted nursery in your area to discover which variety grows best....

The history behind Christmas plants is as interesting as the plants themselves. The following holiday plant history answers these questions and delves into why we have Christmas plants. Why Do We Have Christmas Plants? The holidays are a time of giving and there is no nicer gift than that of a seasonal plant, but why do we have Christmas plants? Whose idea was it to decorate a Christmas tree, hang mistletoe, or deem the amaryllis a Christmas bloom?...

Common Pests and Diseases Damaging Holly Bushes For the most part, hollies are extremely hardy, suffering from few pests or diseases. In fact, most problems that do occur are usually associated with other factors, such as environmental conditions. However, pests and diseases damaging holly bushes can happen so it’s important to become familiar with the most common ones for help in prevention as well as treatment. Holly Tree Pests Holly tree pests such as scale, mites, and holly leaf miner are the most commonly seen affecting hollies....

Pruning evergreen euonymus is not an annual event. However, it is sometimes necessary. Read on for information about how to cut back euonymus. Pruning Evergreen Euonymus Evergreen euonymus are hardy shrubs that come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. Evergreen euonymus plants are easy to grow, drought tolerant, and require little maintenance. This includes pruning evergreen euonymus, a task that only needs to be undertaken to control the shrub’s size or in the case of an overgrown plant....

Flower beds can also be changed as time goes on or as space permits. Let’s look at how to create a flower bed. How to Create a Flower Bed So you want to build a flower bed. Where do you begin? Before starting a flower bed, you need to plan ahead. Take a stroll around your property and choose a suitable location. Take note of available light and nearby structures....

What is Savoy Cabbage? Savoy cabbage belongs in the Brassica genus along with broccoli and Brussels sprouts. This low calorie veggie is used both fresh and cooked and is high in potassium and other minerals and vitamins A, K and C. The most obvious difference between common green cabbage and savoy is its appearance. It has multi-hued shades of green foliage that is typically tighter at the center, gradually unfurling to reveal curly, puckered leaves....

About Harvesting Pears There’s nothing like a pear eaten fresh at its peak, but it isn’t always possible or easy to tell when a pear is ready. Pears ripen from the inside out, so if a pear is allowed to ripen on the tree you may end up with fruit that looks good on the outside but is soft and brown on the interior. This means that pears are usually harvested when they are still firm/hard and then ripened off the tree....