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What to Plant with Rhododendron and Azaleas Light and pH compatibility are the keys to finding plants suitable as companions for azaleas and rhododendron. Like most members of this family, azaleas and rhododendron thrive in acidic soils. When choosing rhododendron and azalea companion plants, look for those that can tolerate a pH between 4.5 and 6. Additionally, both of these shrubs prefer filtered light or afternoon shade. Rhododendrons and azaleas can often be found growing under the canopy of oaks or in the shade of pine....

What are Prairie Onions? Wild prairie onions abound on dry, inhospitable prairies and rocky slopes. What are prairie onions? Known as Allium stellatum wildflowers, prairie onions are 1 to 2 foot (31-61 cm.) tall perennial herbs that form edible bulbs. They produce a starry head of clustered florets culminating in a globe-like inflorescence. Related to the Lily family, these plants are also called prairie onions due to their tenacious habit of growing on rocky hillsides....

What is Lake Effect Snow? If you have never lived in a cold region by a large body of water, you might be unfamiliar with this term. Lake effect snow is simply snow that forms as a result of a body of water rather than a specific weather system. In the U.S., lake effect snow typically occurs around the Great Lakes in areas of Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, and New York as well as Ontario in Canada....

Rarely do grapevine pests or disease kill a vine, but it helps to have information on preventing problems in grapes so the harvest will be robust. Learn how to take care of grapevine issues and be prepared to apply treatments quickly. Preventing Problems in Grapes Grapevines have specific cultural requirements. When these are met, most vines perform beautifully with few problems. Grapes perform best if grown in well-drained soil with plenty of organic amendment....

Is My Weeping Cherry Grafted? Before you trim a weeping cherry tree, you need to see if it is a natural or a grafted weeping cherry. A grafted weeping cherry will have a graft knot on the trunk, normally between just below the crown to about a foot down from the crown. Weeping cherry pruning for grafted trees differs from trees that have not been grafted. Below, you will find directions for how to trim weeping cherry trees that are grafted and pruning a weeping cherry tree that is natural....

Different Types of Blueberry Bushes Blueberries are a great choice for gardeners since they are both a delicious fruit crop and an attractive landscape shrub. The berries are easy to grow and easy to pick. Blueberries can be eaten right off the bush or used in cooking. Their high antioxidant content makes them a very healthful treat. You’ll have to select the particular varieties best suited to your garden, goals, and climate....

What is regenerative agriculture? Sometimes referred to as climate-smart agriculture, the practice of regenerative agriculture recognizes that current farming practices aren’t sustainable over the long term. Research suggests that certain regenerative agriculture practices can actually be restorative, and can return CO2 to the soil. Let’s learn about regenerative agriculture and how it contributes to a healthier food supply and decreased release of CO2. Regenerative Agriculture Information The principles of regenerative agriculture apply not only to large food producers but also to home gardens....

Rejuvenating Old Forsythia Shrubs Forsythia shrubs are known for their excellent display of bright yellow flowers in late winter or early spring. These fountain shaped shrubs originated in Korea and China. They are deciduous and typically stand 6 to 10 feet (2-3 m.) tall. There are a couple dozen cultivars that come in a variety of sizes as well as leaf and flower color. Forsythias are great for screening out unsightly views and are excellent in the back of a mixed border planting....

What shade tree to plant? Read on for our thoughts on the best shade tree varieties for different areas. About Trees for Shade Every tree provides some shade since branches and a canopy will always block some sun. The best shade trees, though, have expansive canopies that create islands of shade beneath. The larger and denser the canopy, the deeper the shade. When you are thinking about planting a shade tree, make the process efficient by learning your hardiness zone and only looking for shade tree varieties that thrive there....

What is Sugar Apple Fruit? Sugar apples (Annona squamosa) are the fruit of one of the most commonly grown Annona trees. Depending upon where you find them, they go by a plethora of names, amongst them include sweetsop, custard apple, and the apropos scaly custard apple. The sugar apple tree varies in height from 10-20 feet (3-6 m.) with an open habit of irregular, zigzagging twigs. Foliage is alternate, dull green on top and pale green on the underside....

How to Grow Watermelons on Trellises Space is at a premium and getting more so. Population density has more of us living in townhouses or condominiums with little to no garden space. For many, lack of space isn’t a deterrent but a challenge when creating a garden and that’s where vertical gardening comes into play. Quite an array of veggies can be grown vertically, but one of the most surprising is watermelon trellis growing....

What is Intercropping? Intercropping is a method of planting two or more crops in the same area rather than reserving the space for a single type of vegetable. Intercropping can include plants which are beneficial to each other, like the traditional “three sisters” method of growing corn, pole beans and squash together. When planted together, beans enrich the soil by fixing nitrogen. Corn provides a support for the beans to climb....

What is Overseeding? What is overseeding? It is simply seeding over an area that has or had existing grass that is performing poorly. There are two main reasons to overseed your lawn. First, if the lawn is patchy or thin. Secondly, if you are growing a warm-season grass that goes dormant and brown in winter, you can overseed with a cool-season turf seed so you have year around green grass. Primarily the reasons are the result of aesthetic desires....

What Makes Tomatoes Have Thick Skin? There are typically three things that can cause tomatoes with tough skins. These things are: Variety Watering Temperature Tomato Variety Causes Tough Tomato Skin The most common reason for thick tomato skins is simply variety. Some varieties of tomatoes just have thicker skins, and mostly for good reason. Roma tomatoes, plum tomatoes, and crack resistant tomato varieties will naturally have thick tomato skins. Roma tomatoes and plum tomatoes have thick skins partially because they have been bred that way....

Okra Seedling Diseases to Look For Below are the most common problems associated with young okra plants and how to treat them. Damping Off Soil is comprised of microorganisms; some of which are beneficial – others not so beneficial (pathogenic). Pathogenic microorganisms tend to flourish under certain conditions and infect seedlings, causing a condition known as “damping off,” which could be why your okra seedlings are dying and are the most common of all the diseases of okra seedlings....

Recognizing Bean Plants with Powdery Mildew Powdery mildew stems from the funguses Erysiphe or Sphaerotheca. It actually doesn’t matter which fungus is causing the damage when your crop is at stake. Treating powdery mildew on beans from either fungus requires the same method. Early control is essential, as the fungus spreads rapidly in warm, moist conditions and can quite literally decimate your bean crop, so recognizing powdery mildew on beans can protect your crop and prevent the spread of this fungal issue throughout your other vegetables....

What is a Garden Yard Cart? Garden yard carts are straight sided vehicles with two or more wheels used to tote around tools and/or garden supplies such as soil, stones or plants. The benefit of garden utility carts over wheelbarrows is really one of preference. Many people feel that the sloping sides and single wheel of a barrow are too unwieldy. A garden cart wagon does have more stability, but it can’t be maneuvered in and around small spaces as easily as a wheelbarrow....

When to Plant Greenhouse Seeds Greenhouses allow you to control the temperature and humidity required for seed propagation and young seedlings to grow. Due to this controlled environment, you can actually start seeds in greenhouses anytime. However, if you are starting plants, which you plan to transplant into gardens outdoors in the spring, then you should start the seeds in greenhouses six to eight weeks before the last expected frost date for your location....

History of Vinegar Pickling Vinegar has a lengthy history, traces of it have been found in Egyptian urns from about 3000 B.C. It was originally a sour liquid made from the fermentation of wine and, as such, referred to as “poor man’s wine.” The word vinegar is also derived from the Old French ‘vinaigre,’ meaning sour wine. Using vinegar for food preservation likely came about in northwest India around 2400 B....

What is Water Spinach? Utilized medicinally since A.D. 300 in southern Asia, water spinach information informs us that its usefulness as a medicinal plant was first discovered by Europeans in the late 1400’s and consequently brought into new areas of exploration. So what is water spinach anyway? Cultivated or harvested from the wild in such a broad arena of the world, water spinach has as many common names as places of habitation....