Carrotwood Tree Information What is a carrotwood tree? Growing only 30 to 40 feet (10-12 m.) tall with a spread of twenty to thirty feet (6-10 m.), carrotwoods are decorative, little trees with a lot of potential in the home landscape. Many small trees are a disaster around patios and decks because they drop litter in the form of leaves, flowers, and fruit, but carrotwoods are neat trees that don’t require constant cleanup....

Experimental Garden Info What is a demonstration garden? Imagine it as a field trip for gardeners. Depending upon the theme or situation being studied, these sites are developed to highlight plant types, care, sustainable practices, vegetable growing, and much more. Other demo garden uses might be to test out different varieties of plants, or to show attendees how to garden using specific growing methods, such as hugelkultur. Who puts together experimental garden plots?...

What is a Fashion Azalea? A fashion azalea (Rhododendron x ‘Fashion’) is an evergreen shrub with brilliantly fiery blossoms. The azalea cultivar ‘Fashion’ grows upright to 5 feet (1.5 m.) tall and wide. It is covered with crimson or salmon colored flowers from autumn through winter. According to fashion azalea information, this cultivar blooms in spring, fall, and winter unless its progress is halted by a serious frost. The flowers remain on the branches long after they fade....

What is a Half-High Blueberry Half-high blueberry plants are a cross between the big-berry producing highbush varieties and the cold-tolerant wild lowbush species. Hardy in USDA zones 3-5, half-high blueberry bushes are less likely to suffer from winter damage than highbush plants. In zone 3, where highbush plants won’t survive, cultivating half-high blueberry varieties gives growers an alternative to the small wild berries of the lowbush species. As the name suggests, the hybrid half-high blueberry matures at an intermediate height of 2 to 4 feet (....

Pummelo Tree Growing Information If you have ever heard of pomelo fruit and actually seen it, you would guess it looks very much like a grapefruit, and rightly so, as it is an ancestor of that citrus. The fruit of a growing pomelo tree is the largest citrus fruit in the world, from 4-12 inches (10-30.5 cm.) across, with a sweet/tart interior covered by a greenish-yellow or pale yellow, easily removable peel, much like other citrus....

Some smaller cities and towns may not even have the funding necessary to develop such a valuable community resource. For this reason, community sharing gardens have gained popularity. Learning more about sharing garden ideas and creating these spaces successfully can play a major role in their formation. What is a Sharing Garden? Determining what is a sharing garden and what it is not varies from one situation to another. Generally, community sharing gardens are those that provide fresh produce for anyone in need....

What is a Woad Plant? Woad (Isatis tinctoria) is an erect biennial that grows to between 1-3 feet (30-90 cm.), sometimes up to 4 feet (1.2 m.) in height. Its leaves are bluish green overlaid with a powdery white fluff. The leaves are narrow and lightly serrated to wavy. The plant blossoms with small yellow flowers in the spring of its second year of growth and develops into blue/black fruit. The plant was cultivated for centuries as a medicinal and source of blue dye....

What is Corn Smut? Corn smut is caused by a fungus called Ustilago zeae, which is commonly blown on the wind from an infected stand to an uninfected stand of corn. The spores can live up to three years, making them very hard to completely destroy. The fungus is generally considered an opportunistic fungus, only able to move into the tissues of your corn plants through damaged or torn tissues, but if they get a chance to infect, they waste no time....

Crispino Growing Information Crispino iceberg lettuce matures in approximately 57 days. However, expect full heads to take at least three weeks longer in cool weather. Look for Crispino lettuce plants to mature about a week earlier in consistently warm weather. How to Grow Crispino Lettuce Caring for Crispino lettuce plants in the garden is an easy endeavor, as Crispino iceberg lettuce is hardy and can be planted as soon as the ground can be worked in spring....

What is Lawn Netting? Erosion prone areas benefit from plant covers that help hold soil and preserve the landscape. Landscape netting for grass and other seeded plants safeguard the seeds as they germinate, increasing the number of plants that will grow. It is important to prepare the seed bed as the manufacturer recommends and provide adequate moisture, but all your hard work will be for naught if you don’t shield the seeds and they blow away or irrigation rinses them off....

What is Pink Evening Primrose? Pink evening primrose is Oenothera speciosa and is also sometimes called showy evening primrose and pink ladies. It is native to the southeastern U.S. and is considered an attractive wildflower in many locations. Pink evening primrose plants grow low to the ground and spread vigorously in an informal and loose way. The foliage of pink evening primrose is dark green with some variation. The flowers are about 2 inches (5 cm....

What is Porcupine Grass? Ornamental grasses come in a wide array of growth habits, tones, and sizes. They are classed by their temperature needs as warm season or cold/hardy grasses. Ornamental porcupine grass is a warm season species which is not hardy in freezing temperatures. It resembles zebra grass but holds its blades more stiffly and doesn’t tend to fall over as much. Porcupine maiden grass (Miscanthus sinensis ‘Strictus’) is a member of the Miscanthus family of graceful arching grasses....

What is Purple Ruffles Basil? Of the many available varieties of basil, Purple Ruffles is one which serves its purpose as an herb as well as a beautiful ornamental addition to the garden. With a mild taste similar to that of sweet basil, large plants produce bright purple-toothed leaves. Like many edible purple plants, these leaves contain an antioxidant called anthocyanin, which gives them their characteristic color. Purple Ruffles basil plants are a great easy-to-grow addition to mixed vegetable gardens, and can even be grown in containers indoors....

Raspberry Leaf Curl Virus Raspberry leaves curling is just one sign of raspberry leaf curl virus, an incurable disease vectored by the small raspberry aphid (Aphis rubicola). Leaves will change, sometimes dramatically, during the early stages of infection. Often, they arch stiffly or curl downward and change colors; red raspberries usually develop yellow leaves, while black raspberries turn very dark green, with a greasy appearance. As the disease progresses, the canes may also stiffen and become brittle, and fruits mature small, seedy, and crumbly, making them inedible....

What is Spanish Bayonet Yucca? Also known as aloe yucca and dagger yucca, Spanish bayonet (Yucca aloifolia) is a hardy yucca plant that grows in zones 8 to 12. As the common name implies, Spanish bayonet yucca has very sharp, dagger-like foliage. These 12 to 30 inch (31-76 cm.) long and 1 to 2 inch (2.5-5 cm.) wide blades are so sharp that they can cut through clothing and pierce skin beneath....

Duration and form of growth are the main ways to tell the difference between determinate and indeterminate tomatoes. Which type you choose will depend upon the use, available space and the length of your growing season. How to Distinguish a Determinate from an Indeterminate Tomato There are so many varieties of tomato, and the choices can be overwhelming. One of the first things to consider is the length of your growing season....

Why Do African Violets Get Leggy? New growth on African violets grows from the plant tip. As new growth grows from the top spending much of the plant’s energy, the old leaves at the bottom of the plant die back. After a time, this can leave you with long-necked African violet plants. The leaves of African violets do not like to be wet. African violets should be planted in a well-draining soil mix and water right at the soil....

Although these are low-maintenance shrubs in summer, as the colder season arrives, you’ll have to think about winter care for azaleas. Caring for azaleas in winter is not difficult if you know what to do and when to do it. Preparing azalea shrubs for winter will ensure your plants are hale and hearty when temperatures rise in spring. How to Take Care of Azalea Bushes If you are wondering how to take care of azalea bushes, remember that this type of rhododendron plant is picky about soil....

Reasons Why a Wisteria Won’t Bloom The most likely reason your wisteria won’t bloom is due to too much nitrogen. When a wisteria plant has too much nitrogen, it will have plenty of foliage growth, but very little and maybe no blooms. Another reason for wisteria blooming problems is the environment they’re growing in. Wisteria vines that lack full sun or proper drainage may be stressed, and while they will grow leaves, they will not bloom....

Drought Tolerant Bushes With climate change concerns, unpredictable droughts and high energy prices across the country, most gardeners are struggling to conserve water usage in the landscape. One of the best ways to do this is to select drought-tolerant plants. Drought-tolerant plants need water to survive, just like all plants. But they have adapted to low-water conditions by developing features that minimize their water use. For example, some have developed smaller leaves or needles that require less water, or even reduce leaf area with large spaces between leaf lobes....