How to Grow Kohlrabi After four to six weeks, plant the baby plants outdoors in well-drained, rich soil. Growing kohlrabi is most successful in cooler weather. The early crops started indoors and then transplanted outdoors will provide you with a nice crop. When you think about how to plant kohlrabi, remember that there are many different types. Kohlrabi is a member of the cabbage family. There are white, reddish, and purple varieties, some of which will mature early and others mature late....

Growing Lenten Rose Plants These plants grow best in rich, well-draining soil that’s kept somewhat moist. They also prefer to be planted in partial to full shade, making them great for adding color and texture to dark areas of the garden. Since the clumps are low growing, many people like planting Lenten roses along walks or wherever edging may be needed. These plants are also great for naturalizing wooded areas as well as slopes and hillsides....

What is a Limeberry? Native to tropical southeastern Asia, limeberry (Triphasia trifolia) is an evergreen shrub that is closely related to citrus. Like most citrus, the branches are littered with thorns. The plant’s blossoms are hermaphroditic, fragrant, and white in color with three petals. The resulting fruit is bright red, containing 2-3 tiny seeds. The shrub can grow to a height of about 9 feet. Limeberry information tell us that it is sometimes spelled as two words (lime berry) and may also be referred to as Limau Kiah or Lemondichina....

About Good Low Light Houseplants Many common houseplants are tropical in nature and reside beneath the jungle canopy in reduced sunlight, making them perfect for low light. If the location you wish to place a plant is in an east or north-facing window or any place 8 feet (2 m.) or more from a window with no direct light, it is considered a low light area. 10 Easy, Low Maintenance Houseplants

Tips to Make a Christmas Tree Last Longer Wrap the tree for the trip home Most Christmas trees travel to their owner’s home on the top of a vehicle. Without some kind of covering, the wind can dry the Christmas tree out. The first step to keeping your Christmas tree fresh is to cover the tree as you go home in order to keep the wind from damaging it. Recutting the stem on the Christmas tree When caring for a live Christmas tree, remember a Christmas tree is essentially a giant cut flower....

What is a Flying Saucer Bird Bath? A flying saucer bird bath, a hovering bird bath, or one that floats, may sound strange, but picture a shallow dish that seems to just hover over your plants in the garden. It’s a pretty, unique look, and there is no magic involved in making it. All you need are a couple of items you likely already have in your toolshed or garden....

What are Velvetgrass Weeds? Velvetgrass is great at stabilizing soil, but because it isn’t native to North America, other indigenous grasses should be established. That means eradicating velvetgrass weeds wherever they are found. If it is allowed to persist, it will spread rapidly, inhibiting the growth of tree seedlings and native plants. Common velvetgrass (Holcus lanatus) is a tufted perennial grass. The foliage is grayish green and the stems are slightly flattened....

About Cotoneaster Multiflorus The many-flowered cotoneaster shrub is just as the name describes. This is a fast-growing shrub that produces abundant clusters of white flowers in spring. Native to China, this cotoneaster is hardy through zone 4 in North America. The shrub will grow up to 12 or even 15 feet (3.6 to 4.5 m.) tall. Most grow wider than they are tall and have a sprawling, natural sort of appearance....

What is White Marble Mulch? What is white marble mulch? Put simply, it’s white marble that has been crushed to the consistency of gravel and spread in a layer around plants just like other mulch. Using marble chips as mulch has a few strong advantages over using organic mulch. For one thing, marble chips are heavy and won’t blow away like many other mulches, making them ideal for areas that are prone to high winds....

Melrose Apple Information According to Melrose apple information, Melrose apples were developed as part of Ohio’s apple breeding program. They are a delicious cross between Jonathan and Red Delicious. If you want to start growing Melrose apples, don’t hesitate. Sweet and sugary in taste, these apples are also visually attractive, medium-sized, round, and robust in appearance. The base skin color is red, but it is over-blushed with ruby red. Best of all is the rich taste of the juicy flesh....

Mexican primrose flowers (Oenothera speciosa) are one such example. Though creating a profusion of pink blooms in borders, their invasive nature often causes many growers to look for solutions in removing the plants. Read on for more info on Mexican primrose control. About Mexican Primrose Plants Also known as showy evening primrose, pink evening primrose, and pink ladies, like its cousin the yellow evening primrose, this plant can quickly get out of hand....

Information About the Michigan USDA Planting Zone Map This Michigan planting map, devised by the USDA, divides growing zones into 10-degree F. (-12 C.) increments according to average winter low temperatures over a 30-year period. A new map for 2012 was recently released which indicates warmer average winter temperatures for many areas. This information is useful to both novice and experienced gardeners. To locate your planting zone on the map, you can click to enlarge the map and find your general area....

How to Take Cuttings from Mint Get everything ready before you take cuttings from mint, as the sprigs will wilt quickly. To take cuttings from mint, use sharp scissors or pruning shears to cut stems about 3 to 5 inches (8-10 cm.) long. Remove at least two or three leaves from the lower part of the stem but leave the top leaves intact. New growth will appear at the nodes. The ideal time to grow mint from cuttings is when the plant is in full growth in late spring or early summer, before the plant begins to bloom....

What Does Monocarpic Mean? Many plants in the succulent family and others are monocarpic. What does monocarpic mean? That means they flower once and then die. While this may seem a shame, it is a natural strategy the plant uses to produce progeny. Not only succulents are monocarpic, but many other species in different families. The notion that monocarpic means single flowering is all in the word. ‘Mono’ means once and ‘caprice’ means fruit....

Mountain Laurel Irrigation The time mountain laurel water needs are the greatest is immediately after the shrub has been transplanted. Mountain laurel should be planted in the autumn when temperatures have just started to drop. You should water the shrub well after you’ve planted it, and then continue to water it regularly and deeply until first frost. Take care not to go overboard and waterlog the soil. Only water enough to give it a good drenching, then let the water drain away....

What Causes Mushrooms Growing in Houseplant Soil? Mushrooms growing in houseplants are caused by a fungus. The mushrooms are the fruit of that fungus. One of the most common mushrooms found growing in houseplants is the Leucocoprinus birnbaumii. This is a light yellow mushroom with either a balled or flat cap depending on how mature they are. The spores that are the cause of mushrooms growing in houseplant soil is normally introduced by contaminated soilless mix....

Non-chilling Flower Bulbs Spring-blooming bulbs naturally go through a period of chilling during winter, which will cause dormancy. The warmer temperatures of spring force the embryonic plant inside to wake up and begin growing. Summer bloomers don’t require this cold period and tender varieties may even be killed by exposure to cold temperatures. For this reason, many of the bulbs need to be dug up and held indoors in winter to ensure their viability for the next season....

Why Won’t My Four O’clocks Bloom? Four o’clocks get their name for a very obvious reason – they tend to bloom around four o’clock…except when they don’t. So when do four o’clocks bloom? A lot of other flowers open and close according to the sun, which roughly means they’re open during the day and closed at night. Four o’clock flowers, on the other hand, respond to temperature, and they don’t like the heat....

How to Repot a Norfolk Island Pine In its natural environment outdoors the Norfolk Island pine can grow as tall as 200 feet (60 m.). When you grow it in a container though you can manage its size and restrict it to 3 feet (1 m.) or smaller. These trees grow slowly, so you should only have to repot every two to four years. Do it in the spring as the tree is beginning to show new growth....

Zone 8 Nut Trees The U.S. Department of Agriculture put together the hardiness zone map based on the lowest winter temperature in each area. Zone 8 regions get temperatures that drop to 10 degrees Fahrenheit (-10 degrees C.). Lots of zone 8 nut trees thrive in the region’s moderate temperature. These include classic nut trees like: Almond trees Hazelnut trees Chestnut trees Walnut trees Hickory and pecan trees can also grow happily as zone 8 nut trees....