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How Much Water Should I Give My Plant? Bringing greenery into the interior freshens air, livens a space, and creates a restful sight for the eye. Houseplants are the best way to achieve all of this and provide diversity in your décor. Watering a houseplant is probably the most crucial care the plant needs, but many plants are finicky about their moisture requirements and can be difficult to gauge. Houseplant watering doesn’t have to be a guessing game if you know a few tricks....

Believe it or not, there is such a thing as a Tabasco pepper plant. Here’s what you need to know in order to grow these peppers for your own version of homemade hot pepper sauce. Is Tabasco a Pepper That Home Gardeners Can Grow This iconic hot pepper is native to the state of Tabasco in the coastal region of southeast Mexico. In this frost-free environment, it’s not uncommon for a Tabasco pepper plant to reach heights of nearly 6 feet (1....

What is a Jaboticaba Fruit Tree? As mentioned, the jaboticaba fruit tree bears its fruit along old growth branches and trunks rather than along new growth as in most other fruit trees. The 1 to 4 inch (2.5-10 cm.) long leaves of the jaboticaba begin as salmon colored when young and, upon maturity, deepen into a dark green. The young foliage and branchlets are lightly haired. Its flowers are a subtle white, resulting in dark, cherry-like fruit that can be eaten right off the tree or made into preserves or wine....

Japanese Maple Feeding and Care A Japanese maple brings such beautiful texture and color to your garden that you’ll want to take top care of the tree. It isn’t as picky as you might think, but it does have some definite preferences. Finding a good site for your Japanese maple is the single best thing you can do to keep that tree healthy. The placement of your tree will determine how attractive and lush it will look and even how long it will live....

Ohio Valley Garden in June As gardeners compile their regional to-do list of June gardening tasks, the focus turns from planting to tending. Lawn Mowing continues to be a routine chore on this area’s regional to-do list. As spring rains taper off and temperatures rise, grass growth begins to slow. Continue to remove excessive amounts of grass clippings. These can be composted or used as mulch around garden vegetable plants, provided the lawn wasn’t recently treated....

What is a Shrub Rose? Shrub rose bushes are defined by the American Rose Society (ARS) as “a class of hardy, easy-care plants that encompass bushy roses that do not fit in any other category of rose bush.” Some shrub roses make good groundcovers while others work well to form hedges or screening in the landscape. Shrub rose bushes can have single or double blooms in many different colors. Some of the shrub rose bushes will bloom repeatedly and bloom very well while some others bloom only once a year....

Making Your Garden UFO Friendly UFOs have long since fascinated us, but why should we only imagine sharing “space” with our little ET friends? Making contact with UFO species is possible when you know how to invite aliens to your home. One of the best ways to let extraterrestrials know they’re welcome to visit is with the addition of cosmic garden plants. By adding the right plants to your garden “space,” you can create an inviting environment for all manner of otherworldly guests....

If you plan to transplant a red maple tree, you’ll want to do it properly to make sure the tree survives the move. Read on for information on moving a red maple as well as tips on how to care for a maple tree transplant. Transplanting Maple Trees It’s possible to grow a red maple tree from seed if you are patient, but it will be years before your tree is big enough to make a statement in the landscape....

What is Mittleider Gardening? It’s a race to the finish among green thumbed vegetable gardeners. The horticulturist with the most tomatoes, biggest squash and bushels of beans will be crowned as the king/queen of the season. Most avid gardeners have tricks and tips to increase their garden bounty and grow the biggest, juiciest fruits. One such trick is the Mittleider garden method. His mode of gardening focused on vertical growth, low but focused watering, and high nutrient infusions....

Vegetable Plants for Nigerian Gardens Located on the West coast of Africa, Nigeria is home to a variety of native vegetables and fruits. These plants, as well as non-native species, have inspired traditional Nigerian dishes and distinctively regional recipes. Classic entrees such as pounded yams, pepper soup, and jollof rice arose from the gardens in Nigeria to bring a bold, spicy flavor and distinctive taste to the palates of local ethnic groups as well as world travelers....

How Can There Be Perennials to Avoid? For a gardener and plant lover, it can be hard to face the fact that there are some plants you just need to avoid. In some cases, it’s because they aren’t suited to your particular location. For instance, you’ll get nothing but trouble trying to grow a succulent in your waterlogged rain garden. On the other hand, there are perennials that are just hard for anyone to love, no matter the local environment and conditions....

Can I Propagate My Photinia Shrubs? Sure you can! Even if you’re never propagated a plant from cuttings before, you won’t have any trouble rooting photinia cuttings. The best time to take the cuttings is late summer. If you take them too early, they are too soft and tend to rot. Here’s what you’ll need: Sharp knife Pot with several drainage holes Bag of rooting medium Large plastic bag with a twist tie...

This easy-to-grow evergreen comes in a wide variety of sizes and colors, providing a solution for almost any landscape situation. Follow a few tips on how to grow an arborvitae and you will have a plant with a superior growth habit and ease of care. Arborvitae Growing Conditions Arborvitae prefer moist, well-drained soil in full sun or even partial shade. Most zones of the United States provide ideal arborvitae growing conditions and they are hardy to USDA Zone 3....

Do Succulents Make Good Groundcover? Trying to develop a no fuss area of the garden with weed resistant properties and a visual appeal? Need some plants that can tolerate neglect, thrive in drought, and cover an unsightly area? Try growing creeping succulent plants. Groundcover succulents might just be the answer you’re searching for. Using succulents as groundcover offers the gardener many benefits and opportunities. Not only are they forgiving, they are also adaptable and have a unique beauty not found in many other plant families....

Different Poinsettia Varieties It is a funny irony that poinsettia plants are native to Mexico’s warm climate but we use them as a celebratory item during our coldest month. However this came to pass, poinsettias are here to stay as indicators of the holiday season. Today, you are not just stuck with the regular old red varieties but can choose from a nearly limitless array of colors and textures. Even the big box stores carry a wide variety of poinsettia plant varieties that can get you on your way to celebrating this special time of year....

What is Potato Scab? Once you’ve unearthed scabby potatoes, you may ask yourself, “What causes potato scab?”. Unfortunately, the source of infection isn’t a rare, short-lived pathogen; it’s a soil bacteria that can remain in the ground indefinitely as long as decaying plant matter is left behind. The bacteria, Streptomyces scabies, thrives in soils with a pH above 5.5 and temperatures between 50 to 88 F. (10-31 C.). The growing conditions needed by potatoes are very close to the conditions that scab prefers....

About Potato Soft Rot Soft rot disease of potato crops is commonly recognized by soft, wet, cream to tan colored flesh, normally surrounded by a dark brown to black ring. As this condition progresses, these necrotic spots begin to move from the outside or skin to the inside of the tuber. While there may not be any odors in the beginning of its progression, as bacterial soft rot in potatoes worsens, you will begin to notice an undeniably foul odor stemming from the infected potato....

Identifying Scale Plant Insect Scale insects thrive in warm, dry environments. The scale bug is small, oval and flat, with a protective tan to brown shell-like covering (scale). Scale generally targets the undersides of leaves and around leaf joints. The scale plant insect consists of three types: armored scale soft scale mealybug Scales, both armored and soft, are the most destructive. Armored scales are more difficult to control once mature. Soft scale bugs excrete large amounts of honeydew, which encourages the growth of sooty mold, a black-colored fungus that interferes with photosynthesis....

Assessing Skeletonized Leaf Damage Plants use their leaves to harvest solar energy, which they then turn into carbohydrates for fuel. The process, photosynthesis, relies upon open leaf surfaces filled with chlorophyll. When there are numerous skeletonized plant leaves, overall vigor is significantly reduced. It also doesn’t help the appearance of prized foliage plants whose presence in the garden is due to their spectacular leaf displays. One of the primary reasons for skeletonizing leaves is larval feeding....

How Apps That Measure Moisture Work Smart soil moisture measurement technology begins with a planter sensor or probe which is inserted into the soil. This sensor uses a wireless connection, via radio waves, Bluetooth, or a Wi-Fi router to communicate with a smart device, such as a phone or tablet. Smart moisture monitoring systems are fairly simple to set up. Once the sensor is in place and connected to a smart device, the user will need to download the appropriate application and access the plant database....