Red Cactus Varieties Red cactus varieties are generally grafted specimens. You can find these grafted plants in a wide spectrum of shades. While not a naturally occurring plant, the grafted species of cacti are a unique way of enjoying these easy-to-grow succulents and still have the red color you desire. Outside of grafted types, there are plenty of cacti with red flowers or fruits that will bring that cheery red hue into your sight....

Trellis Ideas for Containers Here are a few suggestions to get you started on using an upcycled trellis for pots: Tomato cage container trellises: Old, rusty tomato cages are ideal for relatively small patio containers. You can insert them into the potting mix with the wide end up or you can wire the “legs” of the cages together and use it with the round part down. Feel free to paint potted DIY trellises with rust-resistant paint....

To use this USDA Maine hardiness zone map, all you need to do is find where you live on the map and match the color of that area of that map to the colors on the legend to the right. This will tell you what planting zone in Maine you live in. The USDA Maine map above is based on the updated 2012 version of the USDA hardiness map. The USDA decided to update their hardiness zone map in 2012 to better reflect the changes in climate that had occurred over the past several decades....

How to Use Strawberries If you’ve been eating fresh berries until you feel like Veruca Salt in Willy Wonka and both friends and family are refusing to take any more, what can you do with strawberries before they go bad? Strawberries lend themselves well to preserving, so there’s always the option of making jam. They also freeze quite well so you can make freezer jam or just freeze the berries for later....

What is Blood Meal Fertilizer? Blood meal fertilizer is a nutrient-rich byproduct of animals processed at slaughterhouses or meat processing plants. The dry powder can be made from the blood of any animal, but it most often comes from pigs or cattle. Blood meal is available in nearly any garden store or nursery. The product is often used by gardeners who prefer to avoid harsh chemicals that can run off into water where it can pollute the environment and harm fish and wildlife....

Using Cover Crops to Improve Clay Soil Clay soil is problematic for gardeners since it is heavy and doesn’t allow water to drain through easily. Many common garden crops and ornamentals require well-draining soil for the best growth. Clay soil has advantages as well as disadvantages. Unlike sandy soil, it holds whatever water and nutrients come its way, but it is heavily goopy when wet and hard as bricks when dry....

About Pepicha Herb Uses Committed cooks are always looking for a new herb or spice. Using pepicha plants will add some serious zing to dishes. Depending upon the region, the herb may be known as pepicha or pipicha. Pipicha has use in many types of recipes. This delicate herb from Mexico mimics the citrus flavor of cilantro but packs much more of a punch. In Oaxaca, the herb is added to arroz blanco, or white rice, which gives the plain starch a nice zing....

Growing Water Loving Plants in Zone 5 Here in Southern Wisconsin, on the cusp of zone 4b and 5a, I live close to a small botanical garden called Rotary Botanical Gardens. This whole botanical garden is built around a man-made pond with streams, smaller ponds and waterfalls. Every year when I visit Rotary Gardens, I find that I am most drawn to a shady, boggy, lowland area and the deep green horsetails that flank both sides of a rocky path through it....

Riparian laws, or those that govern natural bodies of water, are determined by state government. Even if you are using a body of water on your property such as a pond, there are other concerns. Bacteria and pathogens have been found to contaminate produce, livestock, and vegetation. Very dangerous diseases may occur if you pump water from a pond to a garden. It is crucial to have a water sample tested to determine if it is safe to use....

Buartnut Tree Information What is a buartnut tree? To understand this hybrid, you need to understand the story of butternut production. Butternut trees (Juglans cinerea), also called white walnuts, are native to North America. These trees are valued for their nuts, and also for their very hardwood. However, butternut trees are very vulnerable to a fungal disease called Sirococcus claviginenti-juglandacearum. This fungus causes oozing wounds in the butternut trunk, and is eventually fatal to the tree....

What are Herbicides? Herbicides are chemicals that kill plants or prevent them from growing. Their method of killing plants is as varied as the plants they kill. The first step in understanding herbicides is to read the label. Labels tell you how to use herbicides safely and effectively. It is illegal to use herbicides for any purpose or by any method other than as indicated on the label. Here are some tips to help you use herbicides safely and effectively:...

What are Mesembryanthemums? Mesembryanthemum plants are members of a genus of flowering plants that are native to several areas of southern Africa. They are considered succulents because of their fleshy leaves that hold a lot of water, like cactus. They are also called ice plants because the leaves in this particular genus are often shiny and glistening, like ice. Not only do the Mesembryanthemums have interesting and attractive foliage, they have pretty flowers....

Do Potted Plants Need Saucers? In choosing containers, drainage will play a vital role in overall plant health. Using containers which are able to adequately control soil moisture levels will be imperative to success. While purchasing pots with drainage holes may seem obvious, other aspects of growing in containers may not be as clear. Many first-time growers, for example, may be left to ask, “What are plant saucers for?” Saucers under plants are shallow dishes used to catch excess water that drains from a container planting....

What are Sourgrass Plants? Plants in the Oxalis genus are similar to clover but an entirely different family. Oxalis grows from little bulbils, while clover is a seeded or rhizomatous plant. Yellow woodsorrel (Oxalis stricta) appears like a small variety of clover but has none of the nitrogen fixing capabilities. There are several yellow woodsorrel benefits, though. Woodsorrel sourgrass is a native North American plant. It is found from the Eastern U....

Vertical Farming How To The beauty of vertical gardening at home is it takes up very little space. A closet, a corner of the kitchen, or an unfinished basement might be the perfect spot for starting a vertical farm. You will need the ability to control temperature and humidity as well as provide artificial light, water, and fertilizer. Before starting a vertical farm, you will need to acquire some equipment. A wire-rack shelving unit with grow lights is one possibility....

What Causes Leucostoma in Apricots? Leucostoma canker in apricots is caused by two related fungal pathogens: Leucostoma cinctum and Leucostoma persoonii. The pathogens invade the trees only through dead or wounded tissue, usually in late fall and early winter, or late winter and early spring. The disease can enter the tree through scars or injuries on small twigs and wounds on larger branches. The most common infection sites are insect injuries, pruning wounds, and bark or buds damaged or killed by winter cold....

Brassinolide Information Scientists have been researching brassinolide steroids for years as a natural fertilizer, mainly for agricultural plants. Brassinolide steroids, also known as brassinosteroids, are naturally occurring plant hormones that regulate a plant’s growth, development and immunity. The hormone is naturally produced, as needed, to help plants grow, create pollen, set flowers, fruits and seeds, and resist diseases or pests. Naturally occurring brassinolide steroids are found in nearly all plants, algae, ferns, gymnosperms and angiosperms....

Facts about Crocodyllus Fern What is a crocodile fern? Crocodile fern plant is a tropical fern suitable for growing outdoors only in the temperate climates of USDA plant hardiness zones 10 and 11 (and sometimes 9, with protection). Grow crocodile fern indoors if your climate has even a possibility of winter frost; chilly temps will kill the plant in a hurry. At maturity, crocodile fern reaches heights of 2 to 5 feet (61 cm....

What is a European Plum? You won’t find European plum trees growing wild in European forests. This tree is known only in cultivation, but it is planted around the world in temperate areas. European plum trees grow well in the western U.S. They bloom in late winter or early spring. Fruit ripens between spring and fall, with the harvest of different types of European plums occurring at different points between May and September....

Japanese Pussy Willow Information The Japanese pussy willow (Salix chaenomeloides) is a type of willow shrub native to the east. It can grow to 6 to 8 feet (2 m.) tall and should be spaced quite far apart given its widespread. Most gardeners who start growing Japanese pussy willows do so for their ornamental value. The large red flower buds appear on the shrub’s branches in early spring. They open into gorgeous pink and silver fuzzy catkins....