The oil of the tea tree has antibacterial, antifungal, and antiseptic properties, and has been used medicinally for many centuries. It is still highly valued for the treatment of various skin problems, including sunburn, warts, acne, dandruff, lice, and fungal infections, including athlete’s foot. Melaleuca isn’t cold tolerant and is suitable for growing outdoors in the warmth of USDA plant hardiness zones 9 through 11. Fortunately, northern gardeners can grow attractive, fragrant tea tree in a container....

How to Grow Watermelon in Containers Successfully growing watermelons in pots starts before you even plant your watermelon seed. You need to choose a pot that will be large enough for your container watermelon to thrive. Watermelons grow rapidly and require plenty of water, so it is recommended that you go with a 5-gallon (19 kg) or larger size container. Make sure that the container you will be growing watermelons in has enough drainage holes....

Cruciferous Weed Information These days, in the horticulture world, the term “cruciferous” is usually used to describe vegetables, such as: Broccoli Cabbage Cauliflower Brussels sprouts Bok choy Garden cress These vegetables are considered cruciferous because they are all members of the Brassicaceae family. When discussing healthy eating, nutrition or super foods, leafy green cruciferous vegetables are very popular. In fact, cruciferous vegetables are the dominant crop all over the world. Up until the early 20th century, plants which we now consider members of the Brassicaceae family were classified in the Cruciferae family....

Urban Rock Garden Tips Creating city rock gardens isn’t all that difficult. Emulating the rocky outcrops and scarce soil of mountain ridges above the tree line, rock gardens are the perfect home for alpine plants. Used to buffer winds, alpine plants grow close to the ground and are great if you don’t have much space for your garden to spread. They make up for what they lack in size with the brightness of their flowers, however....

With the fate of many pollinators hanging in the balance these days, it may be time to reconsider the pure grass, well-trimmed lawn and start creating pollinator friendly lawns instead. This article will help with how to create a bee-friendly yard. Creating Pollinator Friendly Lawn Grass Before the invention of the lawn mower in the 1830’s, only rich aristocrats had large, perfectly manicured grassy lawn areas for entertaining outdoors. It was a sign of stature to be able to have an open lawn that didn’t need to be used for crop production....

Although it does create a spreading mat of roots that holds soil, it is an invasive weed of turf grasses and open, exposed soils. Crowsfoot grass weed is considered a problem species for croplands and managed spaces. What is Crowsfoot Grass? Crowsfoot grass is not a true member of the grass family but does produce similar blade-like foliage covered in fine hairs. Blades are flat with rolled ligules. It is characterized by unique five-spiked flowers that resemble a crow’s foot....

About Cutleaf Coneflower Cutleaf coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata), is a sunflower-like wildflower native to much of Canada and the U.S. You’ll find it in open forests, wet meadows, thickets, pastures, and along riverbanks. A related species is black-eyed Susan. Also known as green-headed coneflower, wild goldenglow, and sochan, this flower grows up to nine feet (3 m.) tall. The flowers are yellow with a large greenish cone. The cone turns brown as seeds develop....

When Do I Prune Black Raspberries? In the first year of growth, leave the black raspberries alone. Do not prune them. In their second year, it’s time to start cutting back black raspberries. You will likely get a small harvest of berries in the late spring or early summer. After the plants quit fruiting, you will begin pruning the black raspberry bushes. Pruning at this juncture will set the plants up with healthy, productive canes and make for a more bountiful harvest....

What is Morning Glory Cypress Vine? Cypress vines are members of the morning glory family. They share many characteristics with the more familiar morning glory, although the appearance of the foliage and flowers is quite different. Cypress vines are usually grown as annuals, even though they are technically perennials in frost-free areas of U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 10 and 11. In USDA zones 6 through 9, they may return year after year from seeds dropped by the previous season’s plants....

What are Daybreak Peas? The ‘Daybreak’ pea variety is an early, sweet, shelling pea notable for its compact vines which make the plants perfect for small garden spaces or container gardening. Just remember if growing Daybreak peas in a container to provide a trellis for them to clamber up. Daybreak matures in about 54 days and is resistant to fusarium wilt. This cultivar only reaches to about 24 inches (61 cm....

How to Protect Fruit Trees from Deer Deer feed on the tender shoots of dwarf and young trees whose lowly stature makes them easy pickings. They will also rub their antlers on a tree, damaging it irreparably. The most reliable method for deer proofing fruit trees is fencing. There are a number of fencing methods with some more successful than others in keeping deer away from fruit trees. When damage to trees is severe and there is a large deer population that isn’t likely to go away anytime soon, fencing is the most reliable deterrent....

What Bulbs are Deer Resistant? Bulbs, rhizomes, tubers and corms are all classified as geophytes. Many gardeners use them to add a splash of color among foundation plantings. Many times the bulb of choice is tulip, but if you have deer visiting your property, be forewarned: the deer love them as much as you do. If you want to plant bulbs that aren’t seen as food to the deer avoid the tulips and plant some of the deer resistant bulbs listed below....

Bumps on Zucchini Although there may be an open-pollinated zucchini variety with bumpy skin, bumps on zucchini are not typical. Usually, bumps are considered a sign of one of the more serious zucchini problems, caused by one of many incurable plant viruses. Cucumber mosaic virus, watermelon mosaic virus, papaya ringspot virus, squash mosaic virus, and zucchini yellow mosaic virus can all cause these bumpy, deformed fruits. Symptoms of the many viruses in zucchini may bear close resemblance to one another, with common symptoms like scattered yellow patches on young or maturing leaves, leaf deformation, and irregular bumps or yellow spots on zucchini fruits....

Decorative Vegetable Garden Ideas To add visual interest and variety to your vegetable garden, plant them with flowers and herbs. Flowers and herbs not only help with creating a pretty vegetable garden, but they are beneficial in other ways. For instance, did you know that they can attract beneficial insects to the garden while deterring others? Flowers or herbs that have strong odors, such as marigolds and garlic, actually can repel pests from your garden and help prevent disease as well....

What is a Frost Versus Freeze Warning? Various factors affect the severity of cold weather. The dew point, wind chill, and other variations can send temperatures plummeting more than indicated. Many of our garden denizens are sensitive, and special steps need to be taken to protect plants from freeze. Frost protection for plants may also be necessary if the plant is not hardy to expected temperatures. Often our first cold spurt is in the form of a freeze....

Choosing And Using Lawn Herbicides Keeping a lawn green and weed free takes some action on the gardener’s part. Using weed killer for lawns is part of annual maintenance that reduces pest plants and promotes grass growth. Frequent mowing and hand pulling of weeds can reduce their presence, but often in areas with heavy weed populations, the best defense is a chemical application. How to Control Weeds in Lawns Promoting healthy turfgrass can reduce the presence of some weeds....

Choosing Tomatoes Resistant to Disease The production of disease-resistant tomato varieties is one of the main objectives of modern hybrid development programs. While this has been successful to some extent, no single tomato hybrid has yet been developed which is resistant to all diseases. Additionally, resistance does not mean total immunity. Gardeners are urged to select disease-resistant tomatoes which are relevant for their gardens. If tobacco mosaic virus was an issue in past years, it only makes sense to select a variety resistant to this disease....

About Indigo Plant Dye The process of turning green leaves into bright blue dye through fermentation has been passed down for thousands of years. Most cultures have their own recipes and techniques, often accompanied by spiritual rites, to create natural indigo dye. The birthplace of dye from indigo plants is India, where the dye paste is dried into cakes for ease of transportation and sale. During the industrial revolution, demand dyeing with indigo reached its zenith due to the popularity of Levi Strauss blue denim jeans....

Making Paint Can Planters Gardeners are increasingly creative when it comes to displaying their plants in containers in the garden. You may have heard of plants growing in old bath tubs, gutters, and even pallets. Why not plants in paint cans? Before you get started on making up DIY paint can containers, you’ll need to gather the equipment. You can recycle empty paint cans after you repaint your kitchen, but it’s also fun to buy empty metal paint cans from the hardware store and decorate them....

Douglas Fir Information Douglas fir information mentions two species of Douglas fir, the coastal variety and the Rocky Mountain variety. Both are evergreen, but coastal Douglas fir trees are taller and grow faster. The tree’s native range spreads from New Mexico’s Rocky Mountains to the Gulf of Alaska. You’ll find the biggest Douglas firs in the landscape along the wet Pacific coast. Douglas fir is a big tree that grows to over 120 feet (37 m....