Symptoms of Fusarium Wilt on Watermelons Fusarium wilt of watermelon is a specific disease that can’t be transmitted to other plants, including cantaloupe, cucumbers, or others in the same plant family. Although infection occurs when spring weather is cool and damp, fusarium wilt can show up on the plant at any stage of growth, any time during the growing season. Mature plants are better able to handle the disease than seedlings, which often collapse....

We pruned out a few of the growths for me to investigate further. I placed one of the round growths on my work bench and slowly cut it open. Inside I found a smooth inner-walled chamber with two little white larvae. Once exposed to the light, the two larvae started doing the rapid larvae hula! Then all at once stopped and moved no more. Something about being exposed to the light and air seemed to cause their demise....

What are Garden Shears? Basically, garden shears are used to cut branches and stems up to about ¾ inch (2 cm.) in diameter. Don’t attempt to use your garden shears on larger branches because you risk ruining the blades. (You need a different tool for that job.) There are two basic types of garden shears, although they come in different models and sizes. Knowing when to use shears depends on the type you have and the task at hand....

Popular Corn Plants You Can Grow As you start your list of seeds to purchase, deciding which corn plants to grow can ensure a big crop of this sweet veggie. However, deciphering those seed catalogs can be challenging. Among all the types of corn, you will also have to decide if you want normal sweet corn, sugar enhanced, or super sweet corn. The choices can make a gardener dizzy. A primer on the three main categories of corn can help narrow down the selection....

Tangerine Sage Plant Info Tangerine sage, also known as pineapple sage, is a member of the mint family. This is a good time to mention that although not as wildly invasive as many of its mint cousins, tangerine sage can be somewhat aggressive in certain conditions. If this is a concern, tangerine sage is easily grown in a large container. This is a good-sized plant, topping off at 3 to 5 feet (1 to 1....

Symptoms of Cowpea Leaf Spot Diseases Cowpea leaf spot diseases are evidenced by stunting and spots of various sizes. The spots are frequently tan or yellow with a yellow halo, but in some cases, they may be purplish brown. As the disease progresses, entire leaves may wilt, turn yellow, and drop from the plant. Southern peas with leaf spots may also develop a moldy growth on the lower leaves. Prevention and Treatment of Southern Pea Leaf Spots Keep the area as clean as possible throughout the season....

Paclobutrazol Information What is paclobutrazol? Technically, paclobutrazol is a synthetic fungicide. While it can be applied to kill fungi, it is much more commonly used as a plant growth regulator. Plant growth regulators are used to slow down the top growth of plants, encouraging root growth and thicker, stouter existent growth. This is especially useful in lawns, as it makes the turf thicker and reduces the need for mowing. What Does Paclobutrazol Do?...

What is a Fruit Salad Garden? Many gardeners focus on a particular genre, growing just vegetables or focusing on perennials, for example. They forget or are intimidated by other plant groups. A fruit salad garden theme is simply the inclusion of fruiting plants into the garden. The choice of plants to choose for a fruit garden may be dictated by a number of things. First of all, before running out willy-nilly and purchasing a bunch of plants for a fruit themed garden, find out what the USDA hardiness zone for your area is....

So what is a fruitless mulberry tree? A fruitless mulberry tree is an excellent choice for a medium to large shade tree in home landscapes. It grows 20 to 60 feet (6-18 m.) tall with a dense canopy as much as 45 feet (14 m.) wide. This handsome tree has dark green foliage in summer which turns yellow before it drops in fall. How to Grow a Fruitless Mulberry Tree When growing fruitless mulberry trees you should plant the trees in full sun or partial shade....

As with adding any other new crop to the vegetable patch, it is important that growers first familiarize themselves with any possible or preventable issues that may be common. This is especially true in the case of grain crops, as their susceptibility to hessian fly infestations can lead to drastic decreases in yields. Read on for more information on hessian fly management. What is a Hessian Fly? Hessian fly pests attack many members of the grain family, with specific interest in wheat crops....

What is a Mangan Eggplant? If you have never heard of Mangan eggplant, it’s no surprise. The Mangan cultivar was new in 2018 when it was introduced into commerce for the very first time. What is a Mangan eggplant? It’s a Japanese-type eggplant bearing shiny, dark purple fruit. Fruits are about 4 to 5 inches (10-12.5 cm.) long and 1 to 2 inches (2.5-5 cm.) in diameter. The shape is something like an egg, although some fruit are larger on one end for more of a tear-drop shaped....

What is a Tropic Tomato? Although tomato plants require lots of daily direct sunshine to produce America’s favorite garden crop, many cultivars don’t appreciate very hot, humid weather. But the tomato ‘Tropic’ variety succeeds where others fail. This tomato variety was developed by the University of Florida and its claim to fame is its ability to thrive in regions with “tropical” weather. When gardeners in hot, humid areas plant tomatoes, their hopes are often dashed by tomato blight, a fungal disease that strikes plants when the weather is hot and wet....

What is Armillaria Root Rot? Armillaria affects many ornamental and edible plants. What is Armillaria root rot? The disease is found throughout the temperate and tropical regions of the world. Symptoms can be difficult to identify because the fungus responsible for the disease attacks roots deep in the soil. Once the disease has started to progress, it can be difficult or even impossible to arrest its effects. Armillaria stems from its mycelium harbored in the earth....

Boneset Plant Info Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum) goes by several other names, including agueweed, feverwort, and sweating plant. As you may guess from the names, this plant has a history of being used medicinally. In fact, it gets its primary name because it was used to be used to treat dengue, or “breakbone,” fever. It was frequently used as a medicine by Native Americans and by early European settlers, who took the herb back to Europe where it was used to treat the flu....

What is Bush Morning Glory? The bush morning glory plant (Convolvulus cneorum) is a beautiful, silvery foliaged shrub that comes from the Mediterranean region of Europe. It has a neat, dense round shape and grows 2 to 4 foot tall by 2 to 4 foot wide (61 cm. to 1 m.). This evergreen plant is also quite hardy, but it can be damaged by temperatures below 15 degrees F. (-9 C....

What is Cochineal Scale? Cochineal scale (Dactylopious spp.) bugs are commonly found on cacti of the Opuntia genera of cacti. It is an insect native to the New World, which was used by the Aztecs for dying and painting. Spanish conquistadors took dried cochineal scale powder back to their homeland where it became a sought-after red dye until the 1850s. Cochineal dye was replaced in popularity by aniline dyes but is still commercially produced in Mexico and India where it is still used to color food, drinks, cosmetics, and paints....

Coral Spot Fungus Information Coral spot is a disease of woody plants caused by the fungus Nectria cinnabarina. It can infect and cause disease in any woody shrub or tree, but it is most common on: Hazel Beech Hornbeam Sycamore Chestnut It is not common, although it is possible, on coniferous trees. The coral spot fungus causes branches to die back on affected trees and shrubs, but the infection mostly only impacts those plants that are already weakened....

What is Lettuce Downy Mildew? Fresh, crisp lettuce is a year-round treat. A nicely made salad is a perfect start to any meal and usually features fresh lettuce. The vegetable is easy to grow, even in the home garden, but certain pests and diseases can wreak havoc on crops. One of these is downy mildew. What is lettuce downy mildew? It is a fungus that spreads easily in certain weather conditions and can be very hard to control....

Poet Thomas Moore described the intoxicating fragrance of night-blooming jasmine as a delicious secret because of its unusual bloom habits. What is night-blooming jasmine? Read more for that answer, as well as tips for growing night jasmine plants. Night Jasmine Information Commonly known as night-blooming jasmine, night-blooming jessamine, or lady-of-the-night (Cestrum nocturnum), it is not a true jasmine, at all, but is a jessamine plant of which are members of the nightshade (Solanaceae) family along with tomatoes and peppers....

What is Peat Moss? Peat moss is dead fibrous material that forms when mosses and other living material decompose in peat bogs. The difference between peat moss and the compost gardeners make in their backyard is that peat moss is composed mostly of moss, and the decomposition happens without the presence of air, slowing the rate of decomposition. It takes several millennia for peat moss to form, and peat bogs gain less than a millimeter in depth every year....