Winter Jasmine Information Any type of flower in winter seems like a major miracle. Cold-season blooms are rare but winter jasmine is a scrabbly shrub that will start the gardener thinking of spring sunshine and summer heat. Jasmine has a deeply sweet scent but an interesting piece of winter jasmine information is its lack of scent. Still, these starry, little blooms are magical surprises in a cold-season landscape, and caring for winter jasmine is a low-maintenance chore that makes the plant a lazy gardener’s favorite....

Carmona Lettuce Information Carmona red lettuce is deeply pinkish-red on the tips, with a shocking green center. The leaves are very attractive and really brighten up a salad. The Carmona lettuce plant is ready for harvest in approximately 50 days and may be sown in spring or late summer in some zones. Carmona lettuce is a popular variety at Farmer’s Markets and a Canadian heirloom. Gardeners in USDA zones 3 to 9 should try growing Carmona lettuce....

Symptoms of Rust on Mayhaw Quince rust, or cedar quince rust, is a serious disease of pome fruits, one of which is the mayhaw. The disease is a fungal issue that appears in spring. Cedar quince rust of mayhaw actually comes from cankers on cedar trees. These cankers bloom and the spores travel to pome fruit trees. The fungus also infects quince plants. Controlling mayhaw cedar rust in members of the rose family requires early pre-bloom fungicide application....

What are Ohio Valley and Central U.S. Conifers? Homeowners typically think of conifers as cone-producing, Christmas tree-shaped evergreen trees. While that catch-all description does adequately describe many conifers, there are some which produce berries, others that are deciduous, and a few types are more shrub-like than tree-shaped. Here are the main types of conifers for Ohio valley and central U.S. states: Pine (Pinus) – Pines prefer full sun. Common species include white pine, Austrian pine, Scotch pine, Japanese black pine, and mugo pine....

What Causes Citrus Leaf Curl? Citrus leaf curl is caused by many different things, making positive identification of your problem important before you can determine how to treat leaf curling on citrus. Below are the most common causes of curling citrus, along with ways to manage them. Pests Sap-sucking pests like aphids, mites, and psyllids feed on citrus leaves by extracting the juices directly from transport tissues. As populations grow, they can cause deformations including curling and cupping in leaves, as well as discoloration....

Symptoms of Cole Crop Fusarium Yellows Fusarium yellows in cole crops has been a recognized disease since the late 1800’s. The fungus is closely related to the fusarium that causes wilt diseases in tomatoes, cotton, peas, and more. Cabbage is the most commonly affected plant, but the disease will also attack: Broccoli Cauliflower Brussels sprouts Kale Kohlrabi Collards Radish If any of your young veggies look a bit peaked and yellow, you may have cole crops with fusarium yellows in your garden....

As such, it makes an excellent liquid fertilizer or composted tea to feed plants and help reduce insect pests. Making comfrey tea for plants is easy and requires no special skills or tools. Try comfrey fertilizer on your plants and see the benefits in your garden. Comfrey as a Fertilizer All plants need specific macro-nutrients for maximum growth, bloom, and fruiting. These are nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Much like humans, they also need micro-nutrients such as manganese and calcium....

What Plants Irritate the Skin? Most people are familiar with poisonous plants like sumac, poison ivy, and poison oak. However, some of our most innocuous plants are toxic and carry poisons that can cause visible reactions. There are several types of skin irritant plants, some of which cause allergic reactions. Geraniums, tomatoes, roses, and even our holiday favorite, the poinsettia, have the potential to cause skin irritation. Not all plants affect all people the same way....

How Do Composting Toilets Work? Unlike conventional toilet systems, there is no flushing involved. Compost toilets depend on aerobic bacteria to break down waste, similar to that of outdoor composting. Rather than flushing, waste is composted with carbon-rich sources like wood shavings, bark mulch, leaves, etc. The end product, as with any compost, is a soil-like material similar to humus. While the disposal of this humus is occasionally permitted in non-edible garden soils, depending on where you live, this compost is generally hauled away....

The first step is identification, as many types of sedge weed control are specific and there are more than 12 varieties of problem sedge. These are some of the more common found in lawns: Yellow Nut Sedge (Cyperus esculentus) Purple Nut Sedge (Cyperus rotundus) Annual Sedge, Watergrass (Cyperus compressus) Cylindric Sedge (Cyperus retrorsus) Globe Sedge (Cyperus croceus syn. Cyperus globulosus) Read your herbicide labels carefully for instructions on how to control sedge....

Sorrel Weeds: Toxic Weed or Herb? Stems can grow up to 2 feet (61 cm.) tall and bear arrowhead shaped leaves. Female and male flowers bloom on separate plants with male flowers being yellow-orange and female flowers are reddish with three-angle fruits. The leaves of this bitter plant, when eaten in large quantities, can cause death amongst livestock but are considered safe for human consumption when eaten raw or boiled. For this reason, many people actually choose to grow sorrel weeds in their herb garden....

Universities are popular sites for research and teaching, but they also provide another function – reaching out to help others. How is this accomplished? Their experienced and knowledgeable staff extend their resources to farmers, growers, and home gardeners by offering Cooperative Extension Services. So what is an Extension Service and how does it help with home garden information? Keep reading to learn more. What is an Extension Service? With its beginnings in the late 1800s, the Extension system was created to address rural agricultural issues, but it has since changed to adapt to a wider range of needs in both urban and rural areas....

Coppertina Ninebark Information Ninebark shrubs (Physocarpus sp.) are native to North America. Their native range is the eastern half of North America, from Quebec down throughout Georgia, and from Minnesota to the East Coast. These native varieties mostly have green or yellow foliage and are hardy in zones 2-9. They will grow in full sun to part shade, are not particular about soil conditions, and grow approximately 5-10 feet (1.5-3 m....

What is Chalky Soil? Chalky soil is comprised mostly of calcium carbonate from sediment that has built up over time. It is usually shallow, stony, and dries out quickly. This soil is alkaline with pH levels between 7.1 and 10. In areas with large deposits of chalk, well water will be hard water. An easy way to check your soil for chalk is to put a small amount of the soil in question in vinegar, if it froths it is high in calcium carbonate and chalky....

What are Cover Crops in the Garden? The organic matter we use to amend our soils provides food for earthworms, bacteria, fungi, nematodes and others that live in the soil and in turn make it fertile. Planting cover crops for vegetable gardens is just another method of infusing organic matter into the garden to facilitate healthier growth and production. Cover crops in the garden improve the soil’s physical structure and fertility....

About Cranberry Plant Types The cranberry plant type native to North America is called Vaccinium macrocarpon. A different type of cranberry, Vaccinium oxycoccus, is native to countries in Europe. V. oxycoccus is a smaller speckled fruit, a tetraploid type of cranberry – which means that this kind of cranberry has twice as many chromosome sets as other kinds of cranberry, resulting in larger plants and flowers. C. oxycoccus will not hybridize with the diploid V....

How to Grow Creeping Jenny Growing creeping jenny is relatively easy. Before planting creeping jenny, check with your local extension office to be sure that it is not restricted in your area due to its invasive nature. Creeping jenny is a hardy plant that will thrive in full sun or shade. Purchase plants from nurseries in the spring and choose a site, in the shade or sun that drains well. Space these plants 2 feet (....

When to Trim a Fiddle Leaf Fig The most ideal time for pruning fiddle leaf fig is when it is actively growing, which is typically spring or early summer. How to Prune Fiddle Leaf Fig While the thought of fiddle leaf fig pruning may seem intimidating, cutting back fiddle leaf figs is actually very easy. Be properly equipped when cutting back fiddle leaf figs. You will want to make nice clean cuts on your plant....

How to Plant Dahlia Tubers If you’re sure there will be no more frosty nights in early spring, it’s safe to get your dahlia tubers into the ground. If you’re wrong about the frost, you could lose or damage them. Plan to grow your dahlias in a spot where they’ll receive full sun and be sure the soil is very well draining. Tubers that sit in wet soil tend to become mushy and rot, and dahlias are no exception....

About Lawn Mowing Equipment Which type of lawn mowing equipment is right for you and your yard will depend on a few things: the size of your yard, the terrain (i.e. hilly or sloped), obstacles and/or turns, as well as your budget and how much physical energy you are willing to put into mowing. Different types of lawn mowers will work better for different sites and different people. The type of mower you choose will also affect cutting heights, as some mowers cut better at different heights....