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Growing Plants from Fruit Seeds If you’ve ever wondered if it’s possible to plant seeds from fruit and grow your own fruit trees, the answer is yes. However, I would suggest a more direct approach than tossing peach pits into the raspberry patch. Before you head to the grocery on a seed scouting expedition though, there are a few things you should know about planting fruit seeds. First of all, the most common types of fruit trees are propagated by grafting or budding....

Seed Planting Times for Zone 5 Zone 5 has a shorter growing season than warmer climes. That doesn’t mean you can’t get loads of produce, but it does mean you need to check your seed packets and pay attention to the “days to maturity” portion of the instructions. This will tell you how long your seeds will take from planting to harvest. Some vegetables are cool season crops and can be started even when outdoor temperatures are still cool while others such as melons, tomatoes, and eggplant require warm soil to germinate and bright, sunny, warm conditions....

When is the Correct Time for Picking Plum Fruit? Plum trees are a fertile fruit that can yield from two to three bushels per year, so it is important to know when to harvest plum trees. The hands-down surest way to ensure the time is right for picking plum fruit is by its firmness and flavor. The plums will be becoming soft to the touch and the taste will be sweet and juicy....

Punica granatum, the pomegranate, is a tree that is native to Iran and India, hence thriving in hot, dry conditions akin to those found in the Mediterranean. While pomegranate trees are drought tolerant, they do need good, deep irrigation periodically– similar to the requirements for citrus trees. Not only is the plant grown for its delicious fruit (actually a berry), but it is cultivated for the stunning bright red flowers on pomegranate trees....

About Boysenberry Problems Once a popular garden plant, boysenberries are seldom grown in home gardens today because of their susceptibility to fungal diseases and certain insect pests. However, fungal diseases can happen to any plant. Fungal problems with boysenberries can be prevented with proper sanitation and irrigation practices. Providing plants with adequate air circulation is one such practice. Giving plants a little extra space of their own and pruning out crowded old canes can increase air circulation for plants....

What is Santolina? An herbaceous perennial suited to hot, dry summers and full sun, Santolina (Santolina chamaecyparissus) is indigent to areas of sandy, rocky infertile soils but will also do well in garden loam and even clay provided it is well amended and well-drained. These evergreen shrubs have either silvery-grey or green leaves reminiscent of conifers. Santolina has a mounded, round, and dense habit reaching only 2 feet (0.5 m.) high and wide with vibrant yellow ½-inch (1....

Signs Squirrels are Eating Tomatoes A sign of squirrel damage is medium to large holes chewed in one side of a tomato. Sometimes, a squirrel may eat a whole tomato, but in a seemingly malicious behavior, they usually take bites out of multiple tomatoes, ruining all of them for you. Squirrels are active during the daytime, so if the damage appears overnight, another mammal is the likely culprit. You may also see small holes in your garden or in nearby containers, indicating that a squirrel has been digging there....

Making a Kokedama Succulent Ball The kokedama is basically a ball of soil containing plants with peat moss combined and most often covered with sheet moss. The translation of Japanese kokedama to English means moss ball. Any number and type of plants may be incorporated into the ball. Here, we’ll be focusing on a kokedama with succulents. You will need: Small succulent plants or cuttings Potting soil for succulents Peat moss Sheet moss Water Twine, yarn, or both Rooting hormone or cinnamon (optional)...

Choosing Perennial Plants for Summer Perennials are favorites with gardeners because they come back every year, they come in so many different varieties, they add interest to beds, and they are often native plants that support the local ecosystem. A downside is that perennials don’t always bloom for as long as annuals. Pairing the right plants together in beds can give you more continuous blooms, but you can also find summer blooming perennials that will give you longer-lasting flowers....

Most Common Cabbageworm Pests The Imported cabbageworm (the larval form of the Cabbage White butterfly having white wings with one or two black spots per wing) is velvety green with a narrow, light yellow stripe down the middle of its back. These worms tend to feed closer to the center of the plant. Cross-Striped cabbageworms are bluish gray with numerous black stripes running cross-wise. A black and yellow stripe also runs along the length of the body....

Deer also rub trees during mating season to attract females or to mark their territory, warning other males to stay away. This activity can result in broken branches and torn tree bark. Damaged trees, especially young ones, cannot transport nutrients or water, which is vital for the tree’s survival. In addition to rubbing trees, deer may also paw at the soil around them and urinate on the area. They will chew on branches too; however, pruning the lower branches may help protect trees from deer chewing....

Why Grow Vertical Cantaloupe Melons? As mentioned, cantaloupes can take up a good chunk of the garden, around 3 to 4 feet (1 m.) between plants and a potential sprawl of 20 feet (6 m.)! With more and more people on the planet, space is at a premium in the garden and out. Many gardeners have to come up with creative solutions in order to grow crops on postage stamp sized plots....

What is Tufted Hairgrass? Now that you know it exists, what is tufted hairgrass (Deschampsia cespitosa)? It’s an elegant ornamental tussock form that grows in mound-shaped clumps. Borders or containers are excellent tussock grass uses. This cool-season perennial plant produces flowers from June until September. The plant is 2 to 4 feet (0.5 to 1 m.) tall with a similar spread. The flowers are feather panicles with hairy seed heads and may be brown, green, or gold, depending upon the cultivar....

Common Non-Organic Gardening Issues To put it bluntly, the only real difference between these two gardening methods lies in how fertilizer, pest control, and mulch are applied in the garden. Other than that, they’re basically the same. Fertilizer With fertilizers, organic approaches seem to fare better with fruits and vegetables, not only because it provides the best flavor but for the simple fact that people (and wildlife) are consuming them, making organic a healthier option....

What are some other ways of using peppermint herb plants? You already know about some peppermint plants uses– toothpaste, for example, but there are other ways to use peppermint. Read on to find out what to do with this herb. What to Do with Peppermint Leave the tea bags on the grocery shelves and do yourself a favor by steeping your tea with fresh mint leaves; just steep the leaves for five minutes in boiling water....

Veggie Gardening in the Mountains When high altitude vegetable gardening, the first thing is to be realistic. Higher altitudes have cooler temperatures and a shorter growing season that is often measured in weeks rather than months. Part of being realistic is knowing there is no way you are going to grow warm weather eggplant. Stick to the cool weather veggies for your mountain vegetable garden. Not only is the growing season shorter but more critters than just you will be competing for those nutrient-rich vegetables....

Care of Fish in Water Features Taking care of fish in water features isn’t difficult, and it only adds a little time to your routine pond maintenance. Fish care in garden ponds usually consists of a suitable location and plants, feeding, and cleaning. Location and Plant Selection Choosing the right location cuts down on water feature fish maintenance and may prevent disappointment later on. Here are some things to consider when choosing a location: Fish need shady areas where they can escape the relentless heat in summer, but deciduous plants can choke the water feature with leaves....

Shade Trees for Western Landscapes Nevada has five growing zones and California has more, so it’s key to know your own when you are out looking for western shade trees. All trees offer some shade, but the good ones have a canopy sufficiently large enough to offer shelter for those standing beneath. Not all trees that fit this definition are likely to work well in your yard though. Good choices for western shade trees are those that are adapted to the rural or urban setting of your location and appropriate for your growing conditions....

Using Ancient Herbs Most of the common herbs we use today are the same herbs used by our ancestors. In fact, herbal remedies were once handed down from one generation to the next like family heirlooms. In 65 A.D., Dioscorides, a Greek physician and botanist, wrote “De Materia Medica” – a guide to herbs and their uses. Many of the herbs Dioscorides wrote about are still commonly used today and some have been scientifically proven to treat exactly the same disorders that Dioscorides prescribed them for....

Choosing Evergreen Trees for Zone 6 Most evergreen trees for zone 6 are native to North America and uniquely adapted to thrive in its average annual temperatures and weather conditions, while others are from locations that have similar climates. This means there are many wonderful evergreen plant specimens from which to choose for zone 6. One of the most important choices when developing a landscape is the selection of trees. This is because trees have permanency and anchor plants in the garden....