If you’re looking for a plump, tender pea, Dwarf Gray Sugar pea is an heirloom variety that doesn’t disappoint. Dwarf Gray Sugar pea plants are bushy, prolific plants that reach heights of 24 to 30 inches (61-76 cm.) at maturity but are known to get somewhat larger. Growing Dwarf Gray Sugar Peas Gardeners love this pea plant for its lovely purple blossoms and early harvest. The Grey Sugar bush pea bears small pods that are delightfully sweet and delicious with a crisp texture....

What is Edema? Edema, or oedema, is a type of abnormal water retention in plants, often influenced by the plant’s environment. Favorable conditions actually encourage edema in many cases, since affected plants already have a fair amount of water in their systems, providing them with more can just encourage them to gorge on liquid. Any time the plant takes up water faster than it transpires, edema becomes a risk. Signs of edema plant disease vary between susceptible species, but often include bumps, blisters, or water-soaked areas on the undersides of leaves....

Elderberry Leaf Problems Elderberries are from the family Caprifoliaceae, or honeysuckle family. The aforementioned clusters of blossoms turn to black, blue, or red berries favored by birds. They thrive in areas of full sun to light shade, need a moderate amount of water, and are fast growing shrubs that can be pruned to create a screen or windbreak. Elderberries are hardy to USDA plant hardiness zone 4. Sometimes, certain conditions such as nutritional deficiencies or weather changes can cause yellowing leaves on elderberries....

What Do Endophytes Do? Endophytes are living organisms that live within and form symbiotic relationships with other living organisms. Endophyte enhanced grasses are grasses that have beneficial fungi living within them. These fungi help the grasses store and use water more efficiently, withstand extreme heat and drought better, and resist certain insects and fungal diseases. In return, the fungi use some of the energy the grasses obtain through photosynthesis. However, endophytes are only compatible with certain grasses like perennial ryegrass, tall fescue, fine fescue, chewings fescue, and hard fescue....

Where do Engelmann Spruce Grow? Engelmann spruce trees are large, narrowly pyramidal evergreen trees that can reach heights of over 100 feet (35 m.) tall. They have gray brown or russet bark, ascending or horizontal branches and bluish green four-sided needles. Here are facts about Engelmann spruce’s native range: The trees grow in the wild from central British Columbia and southwest Alberta, south through the Cascade Mountains of Washington and Oregon and eastward to the Rocky Mountains....

Why are burdock weeds so troublesome, and why is burdock management so critical? Read on to find out how to get rid of this weed. Reasons for Controlling Common Burdock It’s extremely difficult to eradicate burdock. Seeds spread quickly when the seed heads dry and break, scattering thousands of seeds far and wide. The weeds also spread when the prickly burs catch a ride on passing people or animals. Some people may experience unpleasant allergic reactions when the bristles contact the skin....

Euonymus Plant Companions Plants that work well with euonymus are termed euonymus companion plants. They may look nice next to euonymus because of contrasting shape, texture, or color. The first step is to evaluate the euonymus plants growing in your garden. Are they vines or shrubs? Do they lose their leaves in winter or are they evergreen? What color is the foliage? What do the flowers look like? Once you identify the characteristics of the plants you already have, you are ready to begin a search for euonymus plant companions....

False Jabotica Information Blue grape (Myrciaria vexator) is not a true grape in the family Vitaceae but is, instead, a member of the Myrtle genus. Blue grape plants are native to the tropical Americas where they are found at the edges of forests and in pastures along roads. They are also called false jaboticaba because the flavor of the fruit is also similar to that from jaboticaba trees. If you reside in a warm region, try growing false jaboticaba as both a source of delicious fruit and as an elegant tree....

What is Mealycup Sage? An adaptable plant, mealycup sage thrives in either full sun or low light situations. The striking flowers are borne on long spikes which stretch half as high as the bushy foliage. Blue salvia is not bothered by deer, drought tolerant once established, and makes lovely cut flowers. Some tips on how to grow mealycup sage will soon have you enjoying this plant, which is equally at home in the herb or flower garden....

Growing Florida thatch palms is not difficult in the right climate. If these trees interest you, read on for more Florida thatch palm facts and information about their cultural requirements. Florida Thatch Palm Facts Florida thatch palm trees are also known as silk-top thatch palms. They don’t grow in groups but are largely solitary, growing as individual specimens. They are native to the tropical areas of Florida as well as the Caribbean....

Brussels Sprouts and Bolting Bolting is a plant’s natural inclination to propagate. When temperatures and daylight hours increase, annual leafy green vegetables, like lettuce, will quickly send up a stem with a flowering head at the top. When this happens, the plant puts its energy into flower and seed production, not leaf growth. Biennials, like brussels sprouts, can bolt for slightly different reasons. These plants have a two-year life cycle. During the first year, the plant concentrates its energy on leaf production....

Gardening in the Southwest Anyone gardening in the southwest is faced with the question of whether or not to install a lawn. Most people like the way a lush green lawn looks in front of a home, but the maintenance work isn’t easy, especially in the hot and dry southwestern regions of the country. Grasses traditionally used for laws need irrigation, frequent mowing, and regular pest control. On the other hand, desert grasses for southwestern gardens are easy maintenance plants that require little care throughout the growing season....

Native to Central and South America, giant dutchman’s pipe is a warm climate plant suitable for growing in USDA plant hardiness zones 10 through 12. Giant Dutchman’s pipe plant prefers temperatures 60 F. (16 C.) and above and won’t survive if temperatures fall below 30 F. (-1). Interested in learning how to grow giant Dutchman’s pipe vine? It’s surprisingly easy. Read on for more information on Giant dutchman’s pipe plant....

How to Plant Muscari Bulbs in Pots Grape hyacinth, also called Muscari, grows bunches of tiny, delicate, blue flowers that give off a faint, grape-like smell. The plants are small, and pair well in containers with other small bloomers like pansies or even grass. Plant the bulbs in the autumn 3-4 inches (7.5-10 cm) deep and 3 inches (7.5 cm) apart. The dimensions of the container don’t really matter as long as you can follow those spacing requirements....

Learn how to grow alliums, which are also related to chives and garlic, for their large and showy flower heads and as a repellant for many insects and wildlife you may wish to keep out of the garden. More than 400 species exist and offer a wide range of bloom sizes and bloom times. Flowers of the allium plant rise above the foliage, and you can grow alliums in the colors of white, pink, purple, yellow, and blue....

How to Collect Aloe Seeds Aloe plants must be four or more years old before they produce reliable seed. The exact time depends upon the species and some plants don’t mature for up to a decade. Once the plant is flowering, it is able to produce seed. You can harvest seed from spent flowers or order them from reputable dealers. In the former method, you need to know how to collect aloe seeds and save them....

This beautiful shade tree is easy to grow and transplants readily. But growing American elm is no longer recommended given the tree’s susceptibility to lethal Dutch elm disease. Read on for more American elm facts including information on American elm care. American Elm Facts When we say this is a mighty tree, we mean big and wide, growing in the urn shape that is classically elm. American elm trees can grow to 100 feet (30 m....

What are Cranberry Plants? Cranberry plants, or Vaccinium macrocarpon, are woody, low growing perennial vines. Native to the temperate zones of the east coast, the central U.S., and from southern Canada in the north all the way to the Appalachian mountain range in the south, cranberries are often harvested commercially in water, but contrary to popular belief, actually flourish when grown on dry land. Cranberry plants grow runners measuring from 1 to 6 feet (31 cm....

About Dragon Tongue Beans This is an heirloom bush bean variety with origins in the Netherlands. Other names for dragon tongue are ‘Dragon Langerie’ and “Merveille de Piemonte.” The pods of dragon tongue have no strings and are yellow with dramatic purple stripes. They grow five to eight inches (13-20 cm.) long and are flattened. The bush plants grow 24 to 30 inches (61-76 cm.) tall. The uses of dragon tongue beans in the kitchen are dual; you can eat them fresh like a snap bean or as shelled beans....

A Growing Garden Hobby At first I wasn’t sure where to begin, but it didn’t take long before my gardening addiction grew. I was surrounded each day by the scent of fresh soil and an ever-growing display of plants waiting to be placed within the hoards of pots stacked near my feet. I was given a crash course in the care and propagation of numerous plants. The more I learned about gardening, the more I wanted to learn....