South Carolina Gardens – Understanding the USDA South Carolina Plant Map At the beginning of 2012, the USDA released a new plant hardiness map which used weather data collected from stations all over the country. This weather data noted extreme winter low temperatures, which were used to formulate the hardiness zone map, along with some other factors such as elevation, proximity to a large body of water, and urban heat. Using the South Carolina USDA plant hardiness map as a guide is a good idea when choosing plants for this region....

Theory Behind Aspirin for Plant Growth The use of aspirin on plants appears to be beneficial, but the question is: why? Apparently, plants produce minute amounts of salicylic acid on their own when they are stressed. This tiny amount helps plants cope when they are under insect attack, dry, underfed, or maybe even experiencing a disease issue. The component helps boost the plant’s immune system, just like it does for us....

Coco peat for plants is also known as coir. It is widely available and a traditional liner for wire baskets. What is Coco Peat? Potting soil is readily available and easy to use, but it has its drawbacks. It often doesn’t drain well and may contain peat, which is strip mined and causes environmental damage. An alternative is coco peat soil. Planting in coco peat provides numerous benefits while recycling what was once a useless product....

Vegetable Planting Guide for Zone 3 Zone 3 is designated by the average lowest temperature reached in winter: between -30 and -40 degrees F. (-34 to -40 C.). While it is temperature that determines the zone, each zone tends to conform to an average date for the first and last frost dates. The average last frost date of the spring in zone 3 tends to be between May 1st and May 31st, and the average first frost date of the autumn tends to be between September 1st and September 15th....

What is a Velvet Mesquite Tree? One of the primary items in velvet mesquite info is its status as a legume. While it may not look like a classic pea or bean plant, it does produce pods that are similar. The plant’s shoots, leaves and pods are high in protein, making them excellent cattle fodder. Legumes also have the ability to fix nitrogen in soil, enhancing nutrient uptake. Velvet mesquite care is also low maintenance, with plants tolerant of a range of conditions and unfazed by most insects and disease....

Viper’s Bugloss Cultivation Growing viper’s bugloss is easy. Just plant the seeds directly in the garden after all frost danger has passed in spring and you’ll have blooms in a few short months. Plant a few seeds every couple of weeks if you want blooms all summer long. You can also plant seeds in autumn for spring blooms. Viper’s bugloss thrives in full sun and nearly any dry, well-drained soil. Plant the seeds in a permanent location because viper’s bugloss has a long taproot that makes it extremely uncooperative when it comes to transplanting....

Water Lily Problems – Pests The more common problems with water lilies you are likely to see in your pond are from pests rather than diseases: Water lily aphids. You’ll know if you have aphids. They appear as little black spots all over aquatic plants, not just water lilies, and can ultimately cause yellowing and curling. Remove by rinsing leaves or submerge leaves for a day or two to drown aphids....

What are Blue Lake Beans? Heirloom blue lake beans are a popular variety that has been around for generations. The pole version was the predecessor, but the bush was developed from it in 1961. These gardener favorites produce straight, long pods that were favorite canning beans. The pods all mature at roughly the same time, which makes them perfect for canning and freezing, but they taste great fresh too. This bean variety came to be in the early 1900’s as a pole bean, but due to its popularity it was soon developed into a bush type....

What are Garlic Chives? Its scientific name of Allium tuberosum is indicative of its oniony roots and falls among the family Liliaceae. Unlike onions or other types of garlic, however, the fibrous bulb is not edible but is grown rather for its flowers and stems. It is easy to differentiate between onion chives and garlic chives. Garlic chives have a flat, grass-like leaf, not a hollow one as do onion chives....

Kaufmanniana Plant Info Kaufmanniana tulip plants are native to Turkistan, where they grow wild. They were introduced to Europe in 1877. Today, Kaufman tulip flowers are available in nearly every color except true blue, including dazzling shades of rose, golden yellow, pink, violet, orange, and red. Interiors of the blooms are multicolored. Like all spring bulbs, Kaufmanniana looks best when planted in groups of at least five or ten. These early-blooming tulips are especially noticeable when planted in combination with other flowering bulbs....

What are Onion Maggots? Onion maggots are the larval form of a little gray fly that looks a lot like a common housefly except that it is only one-fourth inch (6 mm.) long. The small, cream-colored maggots infest the bulbs, riddling them with tunnels. The damage leaves the bulbs susceptible to invasion by bacteria. The maggots have about three generations each year. The first generation is the largest and causes the most damage....

Bilberry Plant Information Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) is also called whortleberry, European blueberry, and huckleberry. It’s a small shrub. Bilberry grows wild in the arctic and subarctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The bilberry shrub produces round, blue berries also known as bilberries. If you are wondering about the difference between blueberry and bilberry, you aren’t alone. Bilberry plant information tells us that both are berry shrubs in the Vaccinium genus. The fruit of the two species look alike and both taste good....

Nuttall Oak Information These trees are in the red oak family. They grow to 60 feet (18 m.) tall and 45 feet (14 m.) wide. As native trees, they require minimal nuttall oak tree care. Vigorous and strong, nuttall oaks grow in a pyramidal form. They later mature into a round-canopied tree. The tree’s upper branches tip upward, while lower limbs grow straight out horizontally without drooping. Like most oak trees, a nuttall oak has lobed leaves, but they are smaller than the leaves of many oaks....

About Tuberous Geranium Plants The familiar scented geraniums are actually not true geraniums; they are pelargoniums. Tuberous geraniums, also known as hardy geraniums, wild geraniums, or cranesbill, are their slightly wild cousins. The pelargoniums growing in a container on your patio are annuals, while tuberous geranium plants are perennials. Although the two plants are related, they are very different. For starters, tuberous geranium plants vary substantially from pelargonium in color, shape, and blooming habits....

Ponds or other small bodies of water can create a beautiful focal point that is sure to be the envy of the neighborhood. However, these ponds will require proper care and maintenance in order to truly look their best. This includes the introduction of ornamental plant life to prevent algae growth and aid in water filtration. One plant, the water poppy (Hydrocleys nymphoides), can be a lovely addition to the backyard waterscape – but what is a water poppy?...

What is California Early Garlic? If you have never heard of California Early garlic plants, you are in for a treat. This is one garlic plant to remember. California Early garlic is an easy-to-grow softneck with great flavor. On top of that, it stores well after harvest, up to six months or more. California Early garlic plants, sometimes termed “Cal-Early,” grow garlic heads with lovely ivory skins just flushed with a little purple....

What is Camellia Leaf Gall? Camellias are proven winners with cool season blooms and glossy green leaves. The plants are relatively hardy and retain their vigor even in harsh conditions. Camellia leaf gall disease doesn’t really affect the plant’s vitality, but it will depreciate the beauty of the leaves and can reduce blooms. Fortunately, leaf gall on camellias is easy to treat as long as you learn the life cycle of the fungus and follow a few rules....

Cercospora Leaf Blight in Carrots First things first, just what is carrot leaf spot? Generally speaking, it’s when you observe dead, or necrotic, spots on your carrot’s leaves. A closer examination of these spots will help you determine the type of the leaf blight that is afflicting your carrots and the course of action you should take. There are actually three leaf blights that come into play for carrots that are either fungal (Alternaria dauci and Cercospora carotae) or bacterial (Xanthomonas campestris pv....

What is Hemp Seed? Hemp is the non-psychoactive variety of Cannabis. It has great potential as a grain and fiber material. There are approved varieties for planting depending upon where you live, so it is best to consult with your municipality to determine which, if any, varieties are permitted. There are also species which are noted for best grain or fiber production, so selection will depend upon the purpose for the crop....

Ligularia Plant Information The ragwort flower, or Ligularia, should not be confused with the toxic pasture weed ragwort, which is in the Senecio genus. The ragwort plants we are talking about have large toothed or notched leaves and produce spires of yellow flowers in late summer. The plants have a mounding habit, with some species carrying the foliage on long petioles. The name is derived from the Latin “ligula,” which means little tongue, and refers to the shape of the florets on the flower spire....