Using an Unheated Greenhouse in Winter An unheated greenhouse in winter will not only allow you to grow hardy veggies, but you can start tender annuals, propagate perennials, and overwinter cold sensitive plants. Of course, it helps to know how to use an unheated greenhouse (or “cold house,” as it may be called) effectively and what plants will be most suited to this cooler environment. During the day, a typical greenhouse will trap heat from the sun, which allows the plants inside to stay warm at night....

Plant Choices for Small Gardens Not all vegetables are well-suited for small-space vegetable gardening. Some crops require copious amounts of room, while others produce a limited number of fruits per plant. Choosing types and varieties of plants which produce high yields in limited space is one of the easiest methods for improving productivity in the small garden. Compact varieties – Depending upon your productivity goals, space-saving dwarf and patio varieties may meet your family’s vegetable needs....

Treating vegetable pests involves a number of steps, but the simplest way to deal with the problem is to prevent them from overtaking your garden in the first place. Common Pests in Vegetable Gardens The earliest pests affecting vegetable plants are the larvae or worms that are the second stage in an insect’s life. Many of these look like colorful caterpillars, but they are anything but friendly. These pests can munch through an entire row of plants in a matter of days, laying waste to your carefully planted crops....

Houseplant Infected with Virus Houseplant viruses, like any virus, work by infecting the plant’s system, manipulating the plant’s cells, and then spreading to infect more cells. How do you know if your houseplant has a virus? Some symptoms include necrotic spots on the leaves, stunted growth, yellow rings on the foliage, and even deformed color or form in flowers. Other symptoms include mosaic or mottling patterns in the leaves, distortion of the stems, and wilting....

Greenhouse Irrigation Water for greenhouses may be piped in professionally or brought in through a hose or drip system. Whichever method you use in your approach, the creation of timing, flow amounts, zones, and type of delivery are all part of greenhouse irrigation. Simple Water for Greenhouses Unless you are growing xeriscape plants, your greenhouse denizens need water. Greenhouse watering systems may be sophisticated in-ground plumbed constructions or just a simple hose and some sprayers....

Design Tips for a Beautiful Garden The first step to any garden design is having a plan and putting that plan on paper. Determine the garden’s location and how it will be used. Many factors will ultimately affect each garden design. These may include your region, light and soil conditions, size, types of plants and so on. Region – Become familiar with your hardiness zone. It is also a good idea to become familiar with the different plants well suited for growing in your area....

Bamboo Mite Information Bamboo mites are nothing new; experts believe they were accidentally transported from Japan, showing up in the United States as early as 1917. They are especially troublesome in Florida and on the West Coast. Although bamboo plants are also afflicted by the common spider mite, bamboo mites, which pierce the underside of leaves and suck out the juices, are more destructive. A heavy infestation of the pests can cause bamboo to take on a yellow-green appearance as photosynthesis becomes impaired....

What are Bamboo Shoots? Bamboo is in the grass family of plants and grows fairly easily and rapidly in a variety of zones. The canes are a traditional source of food, fiber, building material, and medicinal use. What are bamboo shoots? They are simply the newly sprouted canes that form just under the soil and have a firm, crisp texture. Bamboo grows from rhizomes, which are underground stems carrying the genetic material necessary for growth and featuring growth nodes which are sprouting points on the stem....

Growing mibuna is easy and, although the plants tolerate a certain amount of summer heat, Japanese mibuna prefers chilly weather. Once planted, mibuna greens thrive even when they’re neglected. Wondering how to grow mibuna greens? Read on for more information. Tips on Growing Mibuna Plant mibuna mustard seeds directly in the soil as soon as the ground can be worked in spring or about the time of the last frost in your region....

What are Predatory Mites? Look really closely if you want to see these little guys, even though they are slightly larger than their prey. Mites are wingless insects with a solid one-piece body and no antennae. The predatory mites feed on spider mites and other pest mites as well as thrips and some other small insects. In the absence of prey, predatory mites eat pollen and nectar and can revert to sucking plant juices....

What is Plant Propagation? You may be wondering, what is plant propagation? Plant propagation is the process of multiplying plants. While there are many types of plant propagation techniques, there are two categories into which they generally fall: sexual and asexual. Sexual propagation involves the use of floral parts to create a new plant from two parents. Asexual propagation involves the vegetative parts to create a new plant using one parent....

What Causes Bitter Peppers? Your pepper harvest is in and the first sacrificial lamb has made its way into your best recipe; but, alas, why are my peppers bitter? This is common in the under ripe bell pepper family. Green bell peppers boast a sweet/bitter balance when mature, but if you leave them on the plant to ripen further, they develop gorgeous colors and a much sweeter flavor. If you are growing bell peppers and want sweet fruit, you often just need to wait....

Cold sweetened potatoes may not sound like a big deal, but that’s probably because you don’t know what cold sweetening is. Read on to find out what causes cold sweetening and how to prevent cold sweetening in potatoes. What is Cold Sweetening? Cold sweetened potatoes are pretty much what they sound like. Potatoes have to be stored at low temperatures to prevent sprouting and minimize disease spread and losses. Unfortunately, cold storage causes the starch in the tuber to convert to glucose and fructose, or sugar....

Fig Anthracnose Disease and Symptoms Fig anthracnose is a disease caused by the fungus Glomerella cingulata. It attacks the leaves and the fruit of fig trees. Fig anthracnose symptoms include fruit that rots and drops prematurely as well as immature fruit that shrivels and never drops from the tree. The fruit will have sunken spots that are discolored. As the disease spreads, these spots will develop pink spores. On the leaves, anthracnose of figs causes a margin that is dark brown in color surrounding spots that are slightly sunken....

African Violet Leaf Curl Caused by Cold If the leaves on your African violet are curling under, the most likely cause is temperature. These plants grow best when temperatures during the day are around 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 Celsius) and not much cooler at night. Watering African violets with cool water can also be problematic. Let water warm to room temperature. Being too cold for too long will cause the leaves to turn brittle and curl under....

Peach Rust Info If you’re wondering what causes peach rust, it is a disease caused by a fungus, Tranzschelia discolor, that spreads through the air via spores and depends on moisture to spread, grow, and cause an infection. Wet, warm conditions make peach trees more susceptible to rust disease, especially when water, either from rain or irrigation, remains on leaves for too long. The earliest sign of peach rust is the formation of cankers on twigs in spring....

Tomato Fruit Problems Almost every gardener has tried at one time or another to grow tomatoes. Most of us then, know that tomatoes can be rife with tomato fruit problems. These can be the result of a bacterial or fungal virus, insect infestation, mineral deficiency, or environmental stress such as lack of water. Some problems affect the entire fruit while others affect the top and shoulders, the blossom end, the stem end, or the calyx....

What Causes Blossom End Rot on Zucchini Squash? Blossom end rot on squash manifests itself at the onset as a small bruise on the blossom end of the fruit, gradually softening and darkening in color until it eventually rots. Blossom end rot is a calcium deficiency that is recognized by the secondary issue of the dark rotting area caused by a fungus. This lack of calcium in the soil is brought about by a number of factors including extreme soil moisture fluxes, over-fertilization, or root damage usually caused by cultivation....

What Grows Well with Fruit? Here are just some compatible plants for a fruit garden: Comfrey – Comfrey roots grow deep into the ground, helping to pull nutrients and minerals from the soil. Because it’s such a vigorous grower, comfrey out competes weeds. Freshly cut comfrey serves as rich, nitrogen-rich mulch. Be sure to plant comfrey where you want it, because once established, it’s probably going to be there for a very long time....

What is a Cane Borer? There are several species of insect that are considered cane borers. These include the raspberry cane borer (Oberea perspicillata), the red-necked cane borer (Agrilus ruficollis) and the bronze cane borer (Agrilus rubicola). Both the red-necked and bronze varieties are types of flat-headed borers. Raspberry Cane Borer Info Raspberry cane borers are beetles that live their entire life cycle on cane plants. They are laid as eggs just below the tip of the plant....