Posts

Companion Plants for Gladiolus Perhaps the best companion plants for gladiolus are, believe it or not, more gladiolus plants. Gladiolus is not a cut-and-come-again flower. Instead, it grows its flowers from the bottom up along long leafy spears. When it’s used for flower arrangements, these spears are usually cut off whole. In order to have a full summer’s worth of blossoms, it’s best to plant your gladiolus bulbs (also known as corms) in succession....

Flies in Compost Bin If you don’t build your compost pile in the right way, you may have a lot of flies around the bin constantly. On the other hand, good compost pile management is not only a great way to create more of that black gold for your gardens, it’s the best way to keep houseflies in compost to a minimum. Houseflies are known to spread a number of human diseases, so their appearance near your compost is not only annoying, but bad for your health and that of your family....

What to Know Before Composting Lawn Grass The first thing to know before adding grass clippings to your compost pile is that you don’t have to compost your grass clippings. Gathering up cut grass to compost can be a big chore and if you mow your lawn properly, it is an unnecessary chore. Cutting your lawn at the proper height and with the proper frequency means that the clippings will decompose naturally on your lawn without posing any harm....

Container Grown Baby’s Breath Plants Have you tried growing Gypsophila in your garden without success? This is a possible issue if you planted into clay soil, as the tiny seeds of this plant cannot overcome and break through the heavy clay. Even amended soil only containing partial clay may be too heavy for these seeds. Of course, the solution is growing baby’s breath in a container. Gypsophila planted in the ground can become invasive in some areas, another good reason to grow this elegant plant in a container....

About Planting with Dracaena Dracaena is an easy-to-grow and care-for houseplant. There are a number of cultivars that generally differ primarily in height. That said, container growing dracaena will restrict its size. For instance, D. fragrans, or the corn plant dracaena, can grow up to 50 feet (15 m.) in height in its tropical Africa, but inside in a container, it will top out at no higher than 6 feet (2 m....

Growing Corsican Mint Corsican mint plants tolerate full or partial sunlight. Nearly any type of moist, well-drained soil is suitable. Keep in mind that, like most mint plants, Corsican mint self-seeds readily and can be somewhat aggressive. This plant is suitable for growing in USDA plant hardiness zones 7 through 9. It freezes in colder climates but usually self-seeds in spring. Using Corsican Mint In addition to its uses as a groundcover in the garden, Corsican mint is a valuable culinary plant and great for containers....

Growing craft supplies combines kids’ love of crafty projects with a growing interest in gardening. Next winter, when you’re planning your vegetable garden, plan and order supplies and learn how to create an arts and crafts garden. Tips on Creating a Craft Garden Theme What is a craft garden? It looks like any other garden plot, but the plants grown inside it are used as supplies for craft projects instead of as food or flowers....

What is Crown Gall? When learning about crown gall treatment, it helps to know more about what crown gall in the first place is. Plants with crown gall have swollen knots, called galls, near the crown and sometimes on the roots and twigs as well. The galls are tan in color and may be spongy in texture at first, but they eventually harden and turn dark brown or black. As the disease progresses, the galls can totally encircle the trunks and branches, cutting off the flow of sap that nourishes the plant....

When to Prune a Climbing Hydrangea Deadheading: If your climbing hydrangea doesn’t need pruning, just remove old, wilted blooms to keep the plant looking tidy. Maintenance pruning: Cutting back hydrangea vines is best done immediately after flowering, before new buds appear. Otherwise, you risk cutting off flower buds that appear soon after flowering, thus drastically reducing development of new blooms for the upcoming year. Winter-killed growth: Dead or damaged growth should be removed in early spring, when buds are appearing or just beginning to open....

Desert Rose Plant Info Desert rose has become a popular ornamental garden plant in USDA zones 10 to 11. The rest of us in cooler zones will have to resort to growing Adenium indoors, giving the plant a vacation in the summer on the patio or deck. Desert rose plant care can be difficult and requires some knowledge of the life cycle of the species. Follow some basic Adenium desert rose growing tips for healthy plants that won’t disappoint with full crowns of richly colored tubular flowers....

What Are Shallots If you’ve seen shallots at your local market, you’ve likely noticed their resemblance to small onions. Yet unlike regular onions which produce one large bulb, each shallot plant grows a cluster of teardrop-shaped onions. For this reason, shallots are sometimes called multiplier onions.harvest As a member of the allium genus, shallots have the same basic growing requirements and cultivation issues as regular onions. Shallots enjoy full sun and a loose growing medium....

Companion Planting with Dianthus When it comes to dianthus plant companions, look for plants that share the same growing conditions. For example, dianthus prefers bright sunlight and well-drained, dry soil, so plants that like shade and moist soil aren’t good companion plants for dianthus. Often, other old-fashioned flowers, like roses or verbena, complement dianthus beautifully. Mild-scented flowers, such as lavender or scented geraniums, work well, but be careful of strong-scented plants that may detract from the aroma of dianthus....

Bamboo Plant Types Bamboo can be split into two general types: running and clumping. Clumping bamboo grows just as the name suggests – in a big clump of grass that mainly grows up and stays put where you’ve planted it. This is the recommended type if you want a well-behaved bamboo stand in your garden that you don’t have to worry about spreading. Running bamboo, on the other hand, will spread like crazy if not kept in check....

Common Hosta Diseases Diseases of hosta plants generally include both fungal and viral issues, as well as problems caused by nematodes in the soil. Fungal Diseases Anthracnose – This disease plagues not only hostas but many other types of plants, including trees and tomatoes. Although it usually isn’t fatal, the large, pale brown spots, small black splotches, and tattered appearance can definitely detract from the appearance of the plant. A fungicide may help prevent the disease....

Can I Split a Plant? Wondering about the answer to the question, “Can I split a plant?” Since plant division involves splitting or dividing of the crown and root ball, its use should be limited to plants that spread from a central crown and have a clumping growth habit. Numerous types of perennial plants and bulbs are suitable candidates for division. Plants having taproots, however, are usually propagated through cuttings or seeds rather than by splitting apart....

Fresh Coconut Hanging Planter Coir lined hanging baskets are great. They retain water while providing excellent drainage, are organic with a neutral pH, and contain some potassium and phosphorous. All good things, but for a unique take on hanging planters, try using a fresh coconut. The first step in making a DIY coconut shell planter is to make a coconut shell bowl. How to Prep Your Coconut Shell Craft As mentioned, the hardest part about this coconut shell craft is cracking the coconut....

Acacia Cold Tolerance Most acacias are native to warm climates such as Florida, Mexico, and Hawaii and can’t withstand cold below USDA plant hardiness zone 8. However, there are a few hardy acacias that can tolerate cold winter weather. Here are two examples of hardy acacias for chilly climates: Acacia Winter Flame (Acacia baileyana ‘Winter Flame’), also known as golden mimosa: zones 4-8 Prairie Acacia (Acacia augustissima), also known as fern acacia or whiteball acacia: zones 6-10...

Foxgloves are gorgeous biennial flowers that come in wide range of colors. Though some cultivars are perennial, all types of foxglove have one thing in common – they are extremely toxic. These plants should never be made accessible to children, pets, or any other individuals of special concern. Always handle these plant materials carefully. With that said, there’s another thing to consider – staking. Do You Need to Stake Foxgloves?...

Dogwood Tree Types Of the 17 species of dogwood native to North America, the four most common garden types are native flowering dogwoods, Pacific dogwood, Cornelian cherry dogwood, and kousa dogwoods. The latter two are introduced species that have earned a place in American gardens because they are more disease resistant than native species. Other native species are best left in the wild because of their coarse texture or unruly habit....

Reasons for Pumpkin Fruit Drop Pollination problems Poor pollination is probably the most common reason for pumpkins falling off the vine, as the window of time for pollination is very narrow – about four to six hours. If pollination doesn’t occur during that time, the blooms will close for good, never to be pollinated. To get around this problem, remove a male blossom and rub the stamen directly on the female bloom....