Licorice Plant in Containers As it’s actually a vine, licorice plants growing in containers are used for its unusual foliage. Flowers may appear on the licorice vine but are not significant or showy. When adding licorice vine to a combination pot, plant it on the edges so that it can cascade over the sides. Licorice plants in containers grow well in full sun to part shade. Choose a tall container that allows plenty of space for the licorice vine to spill over the sides....

Lifesaver Cactus Plants Lifesaver plants can produce amazing 5-pointed, star-like blooms with zebra stripes and a thickened center that resembles a root beer-flavored Lifesaver. If this isn’t enough to intrigue you, they have fascinating 4-sided stems with soft teeth along the edges. In lower light situations, these are deeply green, but they attain a reddish tinge in full sun. These are not frost-hardy but you can try growing Huernia cactus on the patio in summer with some protection from the midday sun....

Plants That Grow Well With Lilies Lilies grow best in full sun but can tolerate part shade. They should not be planted in shade gardens or surrounded by tall plants that shade them out. Most lilies like moist, but not soggy soil; too much water can make the bulbs rot. Established lilies can be drought resistant. Good lily plant companions will have medium-light water requirements. Lily bulbs do not like to be crowded out, so aggressive spreaders and ground covers are generally not good companions for lilies....

About Dwarf Mosaic Virus in Corn Mosaic virus of maize plants is transmitted rapidly by several species of aphids. It is harbored by Johnson grass, a troublesome perennial grass that plagues farmers and gardeners across the country. The disease may also affect a number of other plants, including oats, millet, sugarcane, and sorghum, all of which can also serve as host plants for the virus. However, Johnson grass is the primary culprit....

What Causes Yellow Leaves on Prayer Plants Environmental Stress By far the most common Maranta prayer plant problems are caused by incorrect care. Bright lighting or excessive phosphate or fluoride can cause leaf tips and margins to burn, leaving a band of yellow tissue between the healthy and dead tissues. Chlorosis causes yellow prayer plant foliage, especially on younger leaves. Move your plant to a location with indirect light and begin watering with purified water....

About Mayhaw Trees Mayhaw is a common native tree in the South and a relative of the hawthorn. They grow abundantly in southern states in wet areas, in floodplains and along rivers and creeks. They are often found under taller hardwood trees. These trees flower early, from February through March. The small fruit is a little bit like a crabapple, and it generally ripens in May, hence the name mayhaw. In addition to using the fruits to make jams, jellies, and desserts or wine, mayhaw can be grown to attract wildlife and as an ornamental for the early spring blooms....

Meadow rue growing in the wild has compound foliage with lobed leaflets, which look somewhat akin to columbine leaves, upon which clusters of white, light pink, or purple flowers are borne during May through July. Thalictrum meadow rue is dioecious, that is it bears male and female flowers on separate plants, with the male flowers tending to be a bit more spectacular in appearance. A member of the Ranunculaceae family (Buttercup), meadow rue growing in the wild or home garden also has wing-like seeds, giving it a year-round ornamental look....

Is Ginkgo Good for You? You may have heard about ginkgo as a health supplement, but what does ginkgo do? Many clinical trials have pointed to the herb’s benefits in a host of medical conditions. It has been popular in Chinese medicine for centuries and is still a component of that country’s medicine practices. Possible ginkgo health benefits span such conditions as cardiovascular disease, dementia, lower extremity circulation, and Ischemic stroke....

What are Medicinal Plants? First of all, did you know that 25 percent of all prescription drugs are derived from plants and 70 percent of pharmaceuticals are resultant from components found in plants? Eighty percent of the world’s population uses botanical medicines as their principal means of health care. In this, medicinal plants are often more than curatives. They are often embedded in the cultural fabric of social groups. Medicinal plants can be used as herbal baths and teas, powders, herbal extracts, poultices, salves, or syrups alone or in conjunction with each other....

What is Container Monoculture Design? Gardeners generally shy away from monoculture. It’s not considered good practice because putting the same types of plants in the same space encourages the accumulation of pests and disease particular to those plants. The difference between that traditional idea of monoculture and monoculture container groupings is that with containers you can more easily swap out diseased plants. You can also disinfect and change out pots to prevent the spread of a disease....

What is a Mouse-Ear Hosta? Miniature hostas are just what they sound like: miniature versions of the hosta plants you know and love. Blue mouse-ear hosta is one variety of this cute little perennial that is easy to grow and care for in a variety of settings. At a maximum, these little plants grow to a height of 8 inches (20 cm.) and a spread of 12 inches (31 cm.). The leaves are thick, blue-green, rubbery, and curl inward a little bit, like a mouse’s ear....

Moving Guava Fruit Trees Guava trees (Psidium guajava) come from the American tropics and the fruit is grown commercially in Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and Florida. They are small trees and rarely get above 20 feet (6 m.) tall. If you are transplanting a guava tree, your first step is to find a suitable new site for it. Be sure the new site is in full sun. Guava trees accept a wide range of soil types and grow well in sand, loam, and muck, but prefer a pH of 4....

Why Avocado Won’t Flower Avocado trees are classed as A and B types or determinate and indeterminate. Each tree has both male and female flowers on it, but pollination occurs best if there is another avocado nearby. When there are no blooms on avocado plants, determining the reason starts with a full examination of the tree and its health. Plenty of natural and cultural conditions can cause failure to bloom. Often, it is simply a matter of waiting, as a grafted tree can take up to 4 years to fruit well and a tree grown from a pit may take 12 years or more....

If you have underwatered trees, you need to get them some water. Fixing dehydrated trees is more complex than simply turning on the hose, however. Read on for information about how, when and how much to water stressed trees. When Your Tree is Dehydrated You can tell if your tree is water stressed by looking at the foliage. Both leaves and needles turn yellow, scorch and even fall when the tree is deprived of water over a significant period of time....

When to Grow Grass in the Northwest Turf grass is dormant during the winter months and then begins to grow when average daily temperatures are above 50 F (10 C) which is around late March to April for most of the Pacific Northwest. Grass grows most rapidly when temperatures warm to 70-75 F (21-24 C); May and early June for this region. As summer temperatures soar grass begins to slow its growth, but picks right back up again in the late summer as temps cool....

Annual flowers for Central Region If you live in the Ohio Valley or Central region, annuals can be used to bring color to flowerbeds as border plants, in planters, and hanging baskets. Central region and Ohio Valley annuals can be chosen for their flower color, plant height, and growth requirements. Since these flowers are only grown for one season, winter hardiness is not a primary consideration when selecting species. Many times, these plants are started indoors much the same as garden vegetables....

About Early Gold Pear Trees If you’re looking for a tasty pear, Early Gold is tough to beat. There are other reasons to grow this pear tree, like shade and ornamental qualities, but the best reason is to enjoy the pears. They are light green to gold in color and have a crisp, sweet, white flesh. You can enjoy Early Gold pears fresh off the tree, but they also hold up well in desserts, baked goods, and when canned....

Cooking with pecans is, of course, the most common of pecan uses, but there are other ways of using pecans. If you are lucky enough to have access to a pecan tree, read on to learn how to use pecans. What to Do with Pecans When we think of pecans, we may think of eating the nuts, but many species of wildlife also enjoy not only the pecan fruit, but foliage as well....

Container growing works with many types of fruit trees including persimmon trees. And planting persimmon trees in pots can solve a lot of problems. Read on for more details about how to grow a persimmon tree in a pot on the patio. Growing Persimmons in Pots Growing persimmons in pots is an excellent way of avoiding bad soil or cold climate issues. You can completely control the type of soil your persimmon tree is planted in, and you can change its growing site if necessary....

Care of Petunias During Winter Cut the petunias back to about 2 inches (5 cm.) above the soil and plant them in pots before the first fall frost. Check them over carefully to make sure they aren’t infested with insects. If you find insects, treat the plants before bringing them indoors. Water the plants thoroughly and place them in a cool but above freezing location. Look for a spot in your garage or basement where they’ll be out of the way....