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Diseases of Hydrangea One of the more beautiful landscape plants are the hydrangeas. Whether you like the bigleaf, oakleaf, panicle or smooth leaf variety, they are generally considered easy to care for and provide a giant display of summer color. Common diseases of hydrangea can affect plant health but also the wondrous floral display for which they are known. Treating a sick hydrangea starts with recognizing common diseases and how to prevent and treat them....

Annual vs. Perennial Verbena Verbenas are both long blooming annuals and perennials depending on the type. They can also range quite a bit in size and habit. Verbenas can be low growing, trailing groundcovers that only grow 6 to 12 inches (15-31 cm.) tall or they can be upright plants reaching 6 feet (2 m.) tall. Generally, the annual verbena varieties grow 6 to 18 inches (15-45 cm.) while perennial varieties can be low and trailing or tall and upright....

Common Diseases of Apple Trees Apple Scab – Apple scab is an apple tree disease that leaves warty, brown bumps on the leaves and fruit. It is a fungus that primarily affects trees in areas that have high humidity. Powdery Mildew – While powdery mildew affects a great many plants, and on apple trees it can decrease the number of flowers and fruit and cause stunted growth and blemished fruit. Powdery mildew on apples will look like a velvety covering on leaves and branches....

Honeybee numbers once dwindled due to colony collapse disorder, but all bees are threatened by pesticide use, loss of habitat, and disease. Local gardeners can help by incorporating pollen and nectar-producing trees, shrubs, annuals, and perennials into their gardens. Attracting Native Pollinators It’s important to recognize the difference between social and solitary bees when planning a pollinator garden. Social bees such as European honeybees, paper wasps, bald-faced hornets, bumblebees, and yellow jackets carry their pollen to hives or nests where it is stored as food....

Fall Leaf Life Cycle There is a scientific answer to why do leaves change colors in the autumn. The fall leaf life cycle starts with the end of summer and the shortening of the days. As the days get shorter, the tree does not have enough sunlight to make food for itself. Rather than struggle to make food through the winter, it shuts down. It stops producing chlorophyll and allows its fall leaves to die....

What is Balanced Fertilizer? Fertilizers are an essential part of gardening. You can fertilize with synthetic or natural products. Synthetic fertilizers are found in many different strengths and the amount of nutrients are indicated by the 3-number ratio on the product. Balanced fertilizer information is represented in identical numbers, such as 10-10-10. The amounts of each macro-nutrient are identical in the formula which may sound like a perfect fit for all around plant feeding but actually may contain too much of one of the nutrients for individual plants....

How to Avoid Basil with Woody Stems Basil, Ocimum basilicum, is a member of the Lamiaceae or mint family. Basil is grown primarily for its tender, young leaves which are used either fresh or dried in Asian and European foods. Proper planting and ongoing care of basil give it the best chance to flourish and avoid disease and pests. Basil, like most herbs, likes lot of sunshine, at least six to eight hours per day....

Benton Cherry Info If you are a cherry fanatic, Benton cherries may be the variety for you to grow. The large, bright red fruits ripen a bit earlier than Bing cherries and have several disease resistances that enhance the tree’s health. According to Benton cherry info, the variety was developed at the Washington State University Prosser Research Center. The Benton cherry tree was bred during sweet cherry trials in Washington state....

Diseases of Boysenberries Boysenberry plants are susceptible to most of the same diseases as blackberries and dewberries. Know what the common boysenberry diseases are so you can watch for the signs and catch them early for management and treatment. Cane and leaf rust. This fungal disease causes yellow pustules to develop on the leaves and canes of boysenberry plants. Over time, the canes and leaves will dry and crack. Anthracnose. Another fungal infection, this one first manifests as small, purple spots on leaves and new shoots....

Eucalyptus Branch Drop When eucalyptus tree branches keep falling from the tree, it may mean that the tree is suffering from disease. If your eucalyptus tree suffers from an advanced rot disease, the leaves wilt or become discolored and fall from the tree. The tree may also suffer eucalyptus branch drop. Rot diseases in the tree occur when the Phytophthora fungi infects the roots or crowns of the tree. You may be able to see a vertical streak or canker on infected eucalyptus trunks and a discoloration beneath the bark before you see falling eucalyptus branches....

How to Bring Plants Inside Without Bugs Follow these simple steps for removing insects from plants brought inside so your plants will be happy and healthy all winter. Plant Inspection Give each plant a visual inspection. Look under leaves for egg sacks and bugs, as well as discoloration and holes in the leaves. If you see a bug or two, hand pick them from the plant and drown in a cup of warm soapy water....

Lovage And Pests There are a few insect pests that are known to attack lovage. The tarnished plant bug, leaf miner, and celery worm are just a few of the bugs that eat lovage. These bugs should be able to be removed by hand picking or the strong blast of a hose. If a part of a plant is particularly infested, remove and dispose of it. It is not uncommon to see ants on lovage plants too....

What is Buttercrunch Lettuce? Butterhead lettuces are sought after for their “buttery” flavor and velvety texture. The small, loosely formed heads yield leaves that are at once delicate and yet strong enough to roll into lettuce wraps. Butterhead lettuce has soft, green, slightly curled leaves wrapped around a loose inner head of blanched, sweet-flavored, interior leaves. The butterhead lettuce ‘Buttercrunch’ has the above qualities with the added advantage of being slightly more tolerant of heat....

Removing offsets from cactus, also known as pups, not only produces another complete plant but is useful in containers that are overcrowded. Cactus propagation via offsets is easier than the slow growth of seed, the surgical precision of grafting and the variability of cuttings. The little cacti are small but complete copies of the parent species and simply need to be removed from the adult. Types of Cacti That Grow Offsets Not all cacti are capable of growing cactus pups, but many of the barrel and rosette types do....

Camellia cold tolerance is fairly high, especially if the plants are sheltered from cold winds. Hopefully, the weather will provide a few chilly spells to toughen up the plant before the weather does its worst. Winter Protection for Camellias Water camellias thoroughly before the first hard freeze. Be sure to saturate the root zone because moist soil will protect the roots. Otherwise, water evaporates through the leaves throughout the winter and the lost moisture isn’t replaced when the ground is frozen....

Can You Grow Chickpeas? Also known as garbanzo beans, chickpeas (Cicer arietinum) are ancient crops that have been cultivated in India, the Middle East and areas of Africa for hundreds of years. Chickpeas need at least 3 months of cool, but frost-free, days to mature. In the tropics, garbanzos are grown in the winter and in cooler, temperate climes, they are grown between spring to late summer. If the summers are especially cool in your region, it may take up to 5-6 months for the beans to get mature enough to harvest, but that isn’t any reason to shy away from growing nutritious, delicious chickpeas....

Container Grown Milkweed Plants There are more than 100 species of milkweeds that grow in North America, and not all of them are hosts for the Monarch. Some draw Monarchs for nectar, but butterfly lovers are likely looking for those plants that encourage the dropping of tiny eggs on them. Let’s take a look at some that are native or naturalized plants and that can grow successfully in a container. These include:...

Controlling Cat’s Claw Vines The bright yellow, tube-like flowers are eye-catching and make the vine very distinguishable from other plants. This plant is very aggressive, partly because it has multiple ways of growing. When spreading on the ground, new plants can spring up from tubs under the earth. When climbing, it produces seed pods with winged seeds that fly to a new location to grow. Controlling cat’s claw is a common concern of many gardeners....

Yarrow as Compost Accelerant Is yarrow good for composting? A lot of gardeners say yes. Yarrow plants have a high concentration of sulfur, potassium, copper, phosphates, nitrates, copper, and potash. No matter what, these are beneficial nutrients to have in your compost. In fact, many gardeners use yarrow to make a useful, nutrient rich tea that can be used in a similar fashion to compost tea. How Does Yarrow Speed Up Decomposition?...

Benefits to Growing Vegetable Gardens on a Deck Even if you do have yard space for a garden, vegetable garden containers can help overcome some common gardening problems like fusarium or verticillium wilt, nematodes, poorly draining soil, or pests like gophers. Additionally, the soil in a container warms more quickly in the spring, allowing you to plant tomatoes or peppers way ahead of schedule. Also, those crops which require more sun or are receiving too much sun and perhaps getting sunburned, can more easily be moved to a more exposed or protected area dependent upon the need....