Can I Propagate My Photinia Shrubs? Sure you can! Even if you’re never propagated a plant from cuttings before, you won’t have any trouble rooting photinia cuttings. The best time to take the cuttings is late summer. If you take them too early, they are too soft and tend to rot. Here’s what you’ll need: Sharp knife Pot with several drainage holes Bag of rooting medium Large plastic bag with a twist tie...

London Plane Tree History It appears that London plane trees are unknown in the wild. So, where do London plane trees come from? The current consensus among horticulturalists is that the London plane tree is a hybrid of the American sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) and the Oriental plane tree (Platanus orientalis). The Oriental plane tree has been cultivated around the world for centuries, and is still favored in many parts of the world....

Pests That Cause Pomegranate Leaf Curl Small, sucking insects are a common cause of curling pomegranate leaves and include: Whiteflies Aphids Mealybugs Scale These insects feed on the sap in the leaves, and as they remove the sap, the leaves curl. The little insects also secrete a sweet, sticky substance called honeydew, which quickly becomes infested with black sooty mold. If your pomegranate tree leaves are curling, look for spots of black sooty mold to determine whether these insects are the cause....

About Potato Soft Rot Soft rot disease of potato crops is commonly recognized by soft, wet, cream to tan colored flesh, normally surrounded by a dark brown to black ring. As this condition progresses, these necrotic spots begin to move from the outside or skin to the inside of the tuber. While there may not be any odors in the beginning of its progression, as bacterial soft rot in potatoes worsens, you will begin to notice an undeniably foul odor stemming from the infected potato....

What are Potato Tuberworms? The question, “What are potato tuberworms” is a little bit more involved than the short answer of “pests.” Commonly found in tropical to subtropical regions, potato tuberworms are actually larvae, or at least it is this stage of the insect that wreaks the most havoc on your spuds. Potato tuberworm adults are small moths that lay tiny oval eggs of white to yellow hue. Once hatched and full grown, the resulting larvae are caterpillars, which vary in color and feed upon leaves and stems....

Powdery Mildew on Barley Powdery mildew on barley is a fungal disease. You can recognize it by looking for fluffy white patches on the leaf surface of your barley plants. These spots get grayer as they mature. Barley with powdery mildew can appear as small, isolated areas of white. The disease can also cover the entire leaf surface as fungal spores germinate and infect the leaf. When you see powdery mildew on barley, remember that the spores are using up the nutrients the plant requires to grow, reducing photosynthesis....

Controlling Mold in Houseplants Mold in the soil of houseplants is common, but mold control on indoor plants can be done if you follow a few simple steps: Start with sterile soil – When you bring a new plant into your home, repot it using sterile soil. Your plant may have come home from the store with mold in the soil. Gently remove all the soil from the plants root ball and repot in new, sterile soil....

What is Pecan Scab? Pecan scab disease is caused by the fungus Fusicladium effusum. It is a disease that destroys pecan crops, especially in the southeastern United States. Scab is most severe during times of above-average rainfall. The pecan scab fungus causes its first damage in the spring, when it attacks new, young leaves. As summer arrives, the fungus moves into the nut shucks. Left to its own devices, pecan scab can kill all of the leaves on a nut tree....

When can you work on a tree yourself and when should you pay for professional tree removal or pruning? We’ll give you a framework for making that decision, plus tips on how to pick someone to help when you are having trees removed professionally. Professional Tree Cutting Info No matter how much you love trees, it’s important to accept that pruning a tree and tree removal are sometimes necessary. Tree pruning can be done to create a pleasing canopy but is often essential to maintain tree health and build a strong branch structure....

Is Winter Care for Artemisia Necessary? Most Artemisia plants are hardy to United States Department of Agriculture zones 5 to 10 and occasionally down to 4 with protection. These tough, little plants are primarily herbaceous and many have medicinal and culinary properties. Most Artemisia in winter does quite well, shedding some leaves but, otherwise, the root zone stays safely underground. Plants that are growing in extremely northern climates, however, can have severe issues and the roots can be killed by a deep frost, so some steps need to be taken to protect the plant....

Instructions for Pruning Roses I am a “spring pruner” when it comes to pruning roses. Instead of pruning roses bushes way down in the fall after they have gone dormant, I wait until early spring when I see the leaf buds starting to form up well. My taller rose bushes do get a pruning down to about half their height once they have gone dormant in the fall. This fall rose pruning is to help prevent damage to the overall bush from winter winds and heavy snows, either whipping the canes around or breaking them over all the way down to the ground....

Willow Tree Pruning Willow trees are more durable and have a better shape if you do most of the pruning and shaping while the tree is young. Pruning willow trees properly while they are young and easier to prune means you probably won’t have to make major changes in the tree’s structure when it is older and more difficult to prune. Willow trees bleed sap if you prune them while they are actively growing, so the best time for willow tree pruning is in winter while the tree is dormant....

What is a Queen’s Wreath Vine? Queen’s wreath vine is a gorgeous tropical vine that looks somewhat similar to wisteria with its floppy lavender blooms. These clusters of foot long, star shaped blooms flower several times a year on this evergreen. Queen’s Wreath Info This vining plant is native from Southern Mexico through Central America and on into northern and western South America. It is also found in Cuba, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and Hispaniola....

Growing Prayer Plants The rabbit’s foot prayer plant is native to Brazil and is only hardy in USDA zones 10b to 11. Throughout the U.S. they are grown primarily as houseplants. This prayer plant is not difficult to grow, but just like other varieties of Maranta, they do require a certain level of care. Follow these proven tips for successfully growing prayer plants: Avoid direct sunlight: These plants prefer bright indirect light and can survive shady conditions....

Fertilizing Radish Plants Just before you plant your radishes, you should work some all-purpose fertilizer into the soil. Apply about one pound (0.5 kg.) of 16-20-0 or 10-10-10 fertilizer per 100 square feet (9 sq. m.) of soil. Ideally, you should be planting your seeds in 10 foot (3 m.) long rows spaced 1 foot (31 cm.) apart, but you can scale down for much smaller spaces. Mix the radish plant fertilizer into the top 2 to 4 inches (5-10 cm....

Red Poppy Flowers: In Flanders Field the Poppies Blow World War I, also known as the First World War or the Great War, took a monumental toll, claiming the lives of more than eight million soldiers between 1914 and 1918. The war also did extensive harm to the environment in Europe, particularly in the war-ravaged areas of northern Europe and northern Belgium where fields, trees, and plants were destroyed. Surprisingly, bright red poppies began popping up amidst the destruction....

Red Yucca Information: Hummingbird Yucca Plants Red yucca is native to southwestern Texas and adjoining areas of Mexico where it grows primarily on rocky slopes, prairies, and in mesquite groves. Hummingbird yucca plants are tough, tolerating cold winters as far north as USDA plant hardiness zone 5. Red yucca is also called hummingbird yucca plants since hummers love the nectar-rich, tube shaped blooms. Red yucca can also be known as red flowered false yucca, yellow yucca, or coral yucca....

What is regenerative agriculture? Sometimes referred to as climate-smart agriculture, the practice of regenerative agriculture recognizes that current farming practices aren’t sustainable over the long term. Research suggests that certain regenerative agriculture practices can actually be restorative, and can return CO2 to the soil. Let’s learn about regenerative agriculture and how it contributes to a healthier food supply and decreased release of CO2. Regenerative Agriculture Information The principles of regenerative agriculture apply not only to large food producers but also to home gardens....

Tips on Gardening in Fall In some regions, gardening in fall is still a daily activity. In the Northwest, however, gardens in many areas are resting up for spring. Regional gardening tasks differ by zone, but one thing we are all focused on is clean up and maintenance. November is a good time to straighten up the potting shed, clean and sharpen tools, and do a general cleanup outdoors. One of the more obvious tasks is cleanup....

Let’s take a look at some great choices of plants for a terrarium that includes reptiles. We will also explore how they are mutually beneficial to each other. Indoor Plants for Reptiles It is especially important to know which houseplants are toxic if you have any reptiles or other animals that are herbivores or omnivores. Get to know exactly which reptile you will have in your terrarium because the tolerance of ingesting certain plants can vary depending on the species of plant, and the animal....