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Best Time to Pick Berries The following criteria are helpful in deciding when to harvest common types of berries. Primarily, let the eye be your guide. Color and size are definitive indicators of the ripeness of the berry. Berry color will usually change from green to a more vibrant end of the color spectrum, anywhere from red, orange, purple, and blue (and many combinations of those hues). Color alone, however, should not be the basis for harvesting berries; there are other of one’s senses you should utilize to ascertain peak quality prior to picking....

There are many suitable ground cover plants for hillside use. Steep hill ground cover can take the form of dense shrubs with deep roots for a forest look, to fast-growing ground covers for a sunny hill. When choosing ground cover for a hill, you need to use the same criteria as you do for flat land: sun, water and maintenance. The following lists should help you in choosing ground cover for a hill....

Online plant nurseries can certainly be part of the process, although cementing a relationship with bonafide electronic sources can be difficult since the product isn’t right before you. For both online and home-based businesses, it is crucial to know how to choose a reputable nursery for the best selection, knowledge and pricing. How to Choose a Reputable Nursery Those first trips as a novice gardener can be overwhelming. The the guidance and suggestions of a professional nursery team can make all the difference in the world between a healthy garden and one that may fail....

Hubbard Squash Information The hubbard squash has an extremely hard outer shell and can, therefore, be stored for long periods of time — up to six months. The green to gray-blue shell isn’t edible but the orange flesh inside is delicious and nutritious. Consistently sweet, hubbard squash has virtually no fat and is low in sodium. A cup of this squash has 120 calories, a good amount of dietary fiber and vitamins A and C....

What Do You Need for Hydroponics? Plants require four things to survive and flourish – light, a substrate in which to grow, water, and nutrients. Let’s take a look at the basic hydroponic equipment you’ll need to supply all four key elements: Light Sunlight provides the full spectrum of visible and non-visible light. It’s not only the cheapest, but also the best way to provide light for hydroponics. Many vegetable plants require a minimum of six hours of direct light per day....

Providing the Right Conditions for Indoor Plants Water Don’t get carried away with watering and drown the plants. And don’t ignore your plants so they dry up before you even notice they’re dead. If you have a hard time remembering who needs water and who needs food, create a calendar or use the refrigerator for reminder notes. Remember not to water every week throughout the year. During the winter, most plants slow their growth and don’t require as much water or care....

Planting in Someone’s Memory There are many memorial planting ideas, which sometimes combine plants with a bench, marker, or other commemorative item. What works for one person may not work for another, as this is a deeply personal space. Consider what it will look like through the seasons and make it accessible, or even visible through a window. If you only have a small space, you might consider doing a container garden....

Mesquite Tree Info Mesquite trees came about in the Pleistocene era along with such giant herbivores as mammoths, mastodons, and ground sloths. These animals ate the pods of the mesquite tree and dispersed them. After their extermination, water and weather were left to scarify the seeds, disperse, and germinate them, but survive they did. The mesquite is now one of the most common trees of the southwestern United States and into parts of Mexico....

What are Midgen Berries? Midgen berries (Austromyrtus dulcis) are sometimes referred to as sand berry, as they are a native bush food occurring naturally along Australia’s coastal regions. They are a close relative of the Lilly Pilly, both of the Myrtle family. Midgen berries grow on shrubs of around 6 feet (2 m.) in height. Midgen berry plants have ovate, dark green leaves. The foliage is rich in oil, giving the leaves a gorgeous sheen....

What is a Mosquito Fern? Native to California, the mosquito fern plant, Azolla filculoides or just Azolla, is named thus due to its habitat. While the plant starts off as small as ¼ inch (5 mm.), mosquito fern habitat is that of a matting, aquatic plant that can double its size in a couple of days! This thick-living carpet is named mosquito fern plant because it repels mosquito attempts to lay eggs in the water....

Ecological Impact of Moving Plants Across International Borders That beautiful flowering plant growing outside your hotel balcony may look innocent enough. You might even consider gathering a few seeds or taking a root clipping home so you can grow it in your backyard. You must resist the temptation of sneaking plants over borders though. Bringing non-native plants into an ecosystem can create an invasive nightmare. Without natural population controls, non-native plants can overtake the habitat of native species and squeeze them right out of existence....

What is Ugly Produce? Consumers expect to find unblemished fruit, arrow straight carrots and perfectly round, red tomatoes, but if you’ve ever grown your own produce, you know this idea is laughable. In fact, the whole idea of what produce is deemed ugly is laughable, literally. Many of these so-called “ugly” fruit and veggies are hilarious looking. Is Ugly Fruit Edible? Every gardener knows that there is no such thing as perfection in the garden, and I’d venture to say that all of us have grown naturally imperfect produce....

Interested in growing shade trees in Washington or other Pacific Northwest states? Read on to learn about shade trees for the garden. Pacific Northwest Shade Trees There are three things to consider before investing in shade trees for the garden. First of all, decide where the tree is going. West and south exposures are the warmest, so trees should be placed to shade these areas during hot summer months. Once you have decided on the placement of your shade trees, think about the canopy shape and size....

You’re not the only one making a list this month either, Santa is too! Be extra good and you might receive those gardening tools on your wish list. December Tasks for the Central States Lawn There are few lawncare tasks on the central states this month. Topping the list is protecting the turfgrass from damage. Weather permitting, cut the grass one last time to prevent snow mold.If possible, avoid walking on frost covered or frozen lawns....

Hardy Perennials for Central Region and Ohio Valley Gardens When planting perennials in the Ohio Valley and Central regions, it’s wise to consider the plant’s winter hardiness. These areas of the continental United States can experience frigid winter temperatures and accumulating amounts of snowfall. Tropical and semi-tropical plants can’t survive these harsh winter environments. Additionally, digging up bulbs and moving tender perennials indoors is time consuming and tedious. Luckily, there are quite a few central U....

Smart Seed Storage Does a baggie full of seed packets in your crisper drawer sound familiar? Such seed storage may be fine, but it doesn’t allow easy viewing of varieties, dates, and planting times. Organizing and storing seeds is an important step for avid gardeners. There are many space-saving ways to organize seed, and it doesn’t have to be an expensive endeavor. Most seeds need to be saved in a dark, dry, and cool location....

Got a brown thumb or not as attentive to your plants as you should be? If so, then this resilient plant is for you. Cast iron makes a great easy-to-care for houseplant, but will cast iron plants grow outside? Read on to learn more. Will Cast Iron Plants Grow Outside? Yes! You can grow cast iron plants in gardens – in the right setting. If you’re looking to grow cast iron plant as a perennial, keep in mind that while a cast iron plant can withstand a lot of adverse conditions lobbied at it, winter could be the kryptonite to this superhero plant....

Why Thinning Pears May Be Required The question of when to thin pears is an important one to answer for optimum fruit production. Not all fruits need to be thinned and in fact, some will naturally thin themselves. The stone fruits, with the exception of many cherries, will develop better if some form of culling is applied. This is especially true if proper pruning wasn’t done the season prior. Reducing the fruit load on the terminal branches helps prevent overloading and damage to the limbs....

Perennial Garden Plants When trying to decide which little miracles to plant in your perennial garden design, just take a look around you. If you have neighbors who also enjoy gardening, ask them or just observe what perennial garden plants they have grown successfully. Which ones come back year after year and require little or no maintenance? Which ones have been too delicate to survive the winter? If you live in hot and humid climates, be sure to inquire as to which perennials tend to overrun the garden and require constant cutting back and digging up....

Pests of Pitcher Plants Common pitcher plant problems include pests; and if you’re dealing with pitcher plant pests, you have a challenge on your hands. For example, beneficial insects that help control pests on most plants aren’t always very helpful. Why you ask, because the pitcher plant may dine on the helpful bugs! If that’s not bad enough, pitcher plants are sensitive to chemicals. Even non-toxic insecticidal soap spray may damage (or kill) pitcher plants....