Testing Blueberry pH Soil Level Regardless of whether you are planting a new blueberry bush or trying to improve the performance of established blueberry bushes, it is essential that you have your soil tested. In all but a few places, your blueberry soil pH will be too high and testing the soil can tell how high the pH is. Soil testing will allow you to see how much work your soil will need in order to grow blueberries well....

The hummingbird firecracker bush is native to the warm climates of Mexico and the southwestern United States, but it can tolerate temperatures as low as 10 to 15 degrees F. (-12 to -9 C.). You can also grow this stunning plant indoors. Read on and learn about growing bouvardia hummingbird flowers in your own home or garden. Growing Hummingbird Flowers Although it is a perennial, hummingbird flower plants will die back in cooler climates....

Fertilizing Boxwoods Your boxwoods may grow happily without added nutrition, depending on the soil. It’s best to get a soil test to figure out the product to use for boxwood fertilizing but, generally, loamy and clay soils require less fertilizer than sandy soils. One sign that your shrubs lack nitrogen is a general yellowing of the lower, older boxwood leaves. Leaves get smaller and thinner and may turn bronze in the winter if they receive inadequate nitrogen....

Are Violets Edible? Throughout the United States, common blue violets can be seen growing along roadsides, in shady woodland areas, and in fields. Other species of the Viola family can also be found, though usually grown as ornamental flowers in mixed plantings with vegetables or in flower borders. One thing which remains constant, however, is that violet flower uses are abundant. So, can you eat violets? Indeed, you can! Violets, both the leaves and flowers, contain high amounts of vitamin C and vitamin A....

Can You Prune Lucky Bamboo Plants? Lucky bamboo isn’t really a type of bamboo at all, but rather a plant in a genus of trees and shrubs called Dracaena. Since lucky bamboo grows so fast, it has a tendency to become top-heavy, and the extra weight puts stress on the roots and the rest of the plant. Cutting back a lucky bamboo plant invigorates and refreshes it and encourages new growth....

Boxwood Winter Damage Boxwoods suffer badly in winter because they’re native to areas where winters are very mild. This means that having them in your landscape may require a great deal more effort to keep them looking good. Winter burn is a common problem of boxwoods. It may cause you some pretty serious concern the first time you see it, but a little bit isn’t usually a major problem. The primary symptom of winter burn is a discoloration of exposed areas of the plant, especially on the south side....

What is a Powder Puff Cactus? These plants (Mammillaria bocasa-na) are only suitable for outdoor life in USDA plant hardiness zones 8 to 10. The plants need plenty of sunlight and warm temperatures. The cactus grows rapidly and produces small round offsets, which cluster around the parent plant. Mammilaria powder puffs will produce small white or red flowers depending on the cultivar grown. The body of the cactus is bluish green, stocky, and made up of short stems that hug the ground....

How to Grow Cherry Trees in Containers First off, as mentioned, be sure to do a little research and select a variety of cherry that is most suited to your area. Decide if you have space for more than one potted cherry tree. If you select a cultivar that is not self-pollinating, keep in mind that you need enough space for growing two cherries in pots. There are some self-fertile varieties if you decide you don’t have enough space....

About Thornless Cockspur Hawthorns Anyone having a close relationship with a cockspur hawthorn (Crataegus crus-galli) probably has scratches to show for it. These dense shrubs, native to eastern Canada and the United States, bear long, sharp thorns that can draw blood. Like the species plant, thornless cockspur hawthorns grow into rather short trees with broad, rounded canopies and horizontal branches. They top out at about 30 feet (9 m.) tall and equally wide....

Chalice Vine Information The golden chalice vine is not a delicate plant in any sense of the word. The base stalk is thick as a rope, and can grow over 200 feet (61 m.) long. Every single node on the vine sprouts tendrils and can take root. This makes the long vine stable and the many roots help provide it with necessary nutrients. Golden chalice vine produces dark green, thick leaves....

Cucurbit Charcoal Rot Charcoal rot, or dry-weather wilt, is a disease that affects all cucurbits. Cantaloupe is a cucurbit along with other plants of the gourd family, including watermelons, pumpkins, cucumbers, zucchini and other squash. The soil-borne fungus, Macrophomina phaseolina, is the culprit for cucurbits with charcoal rot. This fungus can reside in the soil for 3 to 12 years, where it lies in wait to invade plants that are under duress from hot, dry weather....

Native to Brazil, the cherry of the Rio Grande can be eaten fresh, used for jellies and jams, or frozen. Also known as big river cherries, these exotic fruit trees can be container-grown and young trees are available online. How to Grow Cherry of the Rio Grande When planting, choose a location in the garden that receives full sun or transplant the young tree into a pot slightly larger than the root ball....

Using Chicken Manure for Vegetable Garden Fertilizer Chicken manure fertilizer is very high in nitrogen and also contains a good amount of potassium and phosphorus. The high nitrogen and balanced nutrients are the reason that chicken manure compost is the best kind of manure to use. But the high nitrogen in the chicken manure is dangerous to plants if the manure has not been properly composted. Raw chicken manure fertilizer can burn, and even kill plants....

Is Christmas Cactus Toxic? The bright salmon to red flowers and intricate pads are characteristic of the Christmas cacti, which tends to bloom around Christmas and gives them their name. The plant is not a true cactus, however, but an epiphyte. It needs bright light and well-drained soil, with moderate water needs. To ensure blooming, withhold water in October and gradually resume again in November. Good news! Unlike many of the holiday plants, Christmas cactus toxicity is not damaging....

Citrus Leaf Problems The most common citrus leaf problem for lemon, lime, and orange tree leaves is leaf drop. This can be caused by any number of reasons, but the most common is a great fluctuation in temperature, causing the leaves falling off a citrus tree to continue to drop until the tree can handle the temperature once more. Citrus trees like warm weather but do best in temperatures that don’t go much above 60 to 65 degrees F....

Choosing Hedges for Zone 6 Gardens A hedge is a densely planted row or wall made of living plants. The plants in these living walls can be evergreen or deciduous, depending on your specific needs or preferences. Tall plants and evergreens are oftentimes used as windbreaks, noise barriers, and privacy hedges. Cold winter winds are usually what our yards or homes need protection from, so evergreens work best for this purpose too....

About Calendula Winter Care Calendula is a versatile garden plant. It can be grown in containers or directly in the garden as an ornamental plant, a bright border, a pest deterring companion plant, or a medical herb and can even be grown as a soil amending cover crop. Calendula flowers are edible, and the flowers have been cultivated for hundreds of years to use in dying foods, such as cheeses. The flowers are also used to garnish soups, stews, and salads....

Jasmine Plant Types Below are some of the most common jasmine vines grown in the landscape or in the home: Common jasmine (Jasminum officinale), sometimes called poet’s jasmine, is one of the most fragrant types of jasmine. The intensely fragrant flowers bloom throughout the summer and into the fall. Expect the plant to grow 12 to 24 inches (30.5-61 cm.) each year, eventually reaching a height of 10 to 15 feet (3-4....

How to Identify Lambsquarters Removing lambsquarter from the lawn and garden effectively is easier once you know how to recognize this weed. The leaves of young lambsquarter seedlings are green with a slight bluish tint on top and reddish purple undersides. The foliage of the youngest seedlings is covered with clear, shiny granules. The granules later turn to a white, powdery coating that is most noticeable on the undersides of the leaves....

Problems with Catnip Here are some of more common catnip problems and how to solve them: Cats – Most cats love catnip and they are frequently to blame for catnip plants not thriving. If this is the case, you can cat-proof the plant by surrounding it with wire fencing. Be sure the holes are small enough that kitty can’t reach through and grab the leaves. An old birdcage makes a decorative enclosure for a catnip plant....