Avocado Repotting Tips When to repot an avocado? Most indoor plants don’t need a new container every year. The first step in learning how to repot an avocado is to determine whether it is time for avocado repotting. This requires you to ease the plant’s root ball from the pot. If the pot is plastic, tip it upside down with your hand over the soil. With the other hand, squeeze the pot several times to loosen the soil/container connection....

Preventing Bamboo Diseases It’s easier to prevent bamboo plant diseases than to cure them once they take hold. Good growing conditions promote healthy plants that resist diseases. Here’s what a bamboo plant needs to thrive: Good water management is essential. The plants need a steady supply of moisture, but at the same time, the soil should drain well so that it doesn’t stay soggy for long. Organically rich soils help regulate moisture....

What is Beach Morning Glory? Beach morning glory is also called railroad vine due to its scrambling nature and ability to cover less used tracks and roadsides. It is adapted to coastal areas where sand is plentiful and the soil is well-draining. Salt, heat, and wind don’t bother this plant and it is common to see it splayed across a dune in coastal regions. The large mats it forms help stabilize sand where it grows just above high tide....

Steps for Making a Bean Teepee Growing runner beans on teepees is not a new concept. This space saving idea has been around for centuries. We can apply this space saving technique to making a fun playhouse for kids. Building the Bean Teepee Frame To make a children’s bean teepee, we need to start by building the teepee frame. You will need six to ten poles and string. The poles for the bean teepee can be made of any material but you do need to keep safety in mind in case the children knock the teepee over....

While bed bugs are a serious concern when found indoors, many may be surprised to find that bed bugs may also be able to survive out in the garden. While not as common, bed bugs from garden areas can hitch a ride indoors. Can Bed Bugs Live Outdoors? In general, bed bugs do not prefer to live outdoors. However, bed bugs may show up in outdoor spaces in sheltered locations as they search for a place to feed....

In spite of this, many plant dyeing activities still exist for the home gardener and can be a fun family project as well. In fact, making dye with kids can be a great learning experience and a rewarding one at that. Arts and Crafts Plant Dyeing Activities Natural sources of dye come from many places including food, flowers, weeds, bark, moss, leaves, seeds, mushrooms, lichens and even minerals. Today, a select group of artisans are committed to preserving the art of making natural dyes from plants....

Why Use Garden Watering Systems Of course, you can always simply use the hose and a watering can to take care of your garden, but unless you have just a small balcony container garden, this labor-intensive method gets old fast. Choosing a better watering system is important for several reasons: It will save you time on this daily or near daily chore. The right system may save you money too, by watering more efficiently....

What are Blister Beetles? The aptly named blister beetles measure one-half to one inch (1.5 to 2.5 cm.) long. They are often colorful with bright stripes running lengthwise along the body. The adult form of these skinny, long-legged insects feeds on plants while the larvae feed on the larvae of other insects. There are over 2,500 species of blister beetles around the world, and their colors and markings vary quite a bit....

Starting Boxwood Cuttings Not as easy to start as your average garden perennial, boxwood cuttings require a little time and patience. You’ll probably have a few cuttings that refuse to root, so take more than you think you’ll need. Here’s what you’ll need for starting boxwood cutting propagation: A sharp knife Rooting hormone Large plastic bag with twist-tie Pots filled with clean, fresh potting soil Taking boxwood cuttings in midsummer catches the stems at just the right stage to give you the best chance of success....

Reasons for Brown Leaves on Sago Palm Sago palms are not true palms but members of the cycad family, an ancient plant form that has been around since before the dinosaurs. These tough little plants can withstand a lot of punishment and still reward you with their large attractive leaves and compact form. Brown leaves on sago palm are most commonly caused by sun scorch and inadequate moisture but there are some sneaky little pests and disease issues that can also be the source of the problem....

Burning Bush Stays Green When you buy a young burning bush (Euonymus alata), its leaves may be green. You will often see green burning bush plants in nurseries and garden stores. The leaves always grow in green but then they are supposed to change to red as summer arrives. If your green burning bush plants stay green, something is amiss. The most likely problem is lack of sufficient sun, but other issues may be at play when your burning bush isn’t changing color....

Cactus garden beds allow you to have a wide selection of prickly flora without worrying about foot traffic or pets entering the area. Plus, you can make one out of a variety of easy-to-find materials. Materials for Cactus Garden Beds A raised bed cactus garden makes a unique focal point in the landscape. It also allows the gardener to control soil, moisture, and more since these plants are very particular about such things....

All parts of calendula plants are useful in many ways. The plant is said to stimulate the immune system and is currently used as an ingredient in many cosmetics. Flowers and leaves of the calendula may be dried and stored for later use. In the vegetable garden, calendula draws aphids away from valuable plants. While uses of calendula plants are diverse, growing calendula in the flower or herb garden is an optimum use of this attractive plant....

Recognizing a Cactus Damaged by Cold When you have a cactus damaged by cold, how can you tell? The first sign of freeze damage to cactus plants is softened tissue. This tissue often turns white initially. However, in time, the damaged areas of the plant turn black and decay. Finally, the freeze-damaged parts of the succulent will fall off. How to Care for a Frozen Cactus Can a frozen cactus be saved?...

Can Japanese Maples Be Grown in Containers? Growing Japanese maples in containers is not as unusual as you may think. Many different types of trees thrive in containers. The smaller the mature size of the species, the more likely it is that the tree will grow happily in a large pot. You can grow both evergreen and deciduous trees in containers. Smaller species and dwarf varieties of evergreens usually do well as container-grown plants....

Can Olive Trees Grow in Zone 6? Olives need long warm summers of at least 80 F. (27 C.), along with cool night temperatures of 35-50 F. (2-10 C.) in order to set flower buds. This process is referred to as vernalization. While olive trees need to experience vernalization to set fruit, they freeze from extremely cold temperatures. Some resources claim that a few varieties of olive can withstand temps down to 5 F....

Do Sunflowers Transplant Well? Put sunflowers in their permanent location when planting. Due to their taproot, moving plants is not advisable. It is nearly impossible to move growing plants with taproots once active growth has started. Can you transplant sunflowers from a starting pot? If you want to get started early growing this plant, you may grow from seed in a container. Transplanting sunflower seedlings shortly after sprouting is the best practice....

Potential Diseases of Caraway Pests generally don’t attack and damage caraway, but there are some potential diseases that can inflict it. If you see sickly caraway plants in your herb or vegetable garden, look for signs that can help you diagnose the problem and treat it: Aster yellows. Leafhopper insects spread this disease, which causes yellowing in the flower heads and stems. Aster yellows also results in reduction in leaf sizes, malformed flowers, and failure to produce seeds....

Sometimes the amount of work needed after a season of storms and previous seasons’ debris can become overwhelming. It helps to have a list of late winter gardening tips to help focus on the most necessary tasks to promote a vigorous garden. Why Start End of Winter Garden Maintenance? The weather may still be frigid or drizzly or just plain stormy, but late winter gardens still need a little TLC to give them a good start for spring....

A plant started from the bottom of a stalk of celery is ready to transplant outdoors in just a week, and growing a celery bottom is frugal, fun, and easy. Let’s learn more about this celery plant experiment and how to grow celery from cut stalk bottoms. Growing Celery with Kids As with any gardening project, growing a celery bottom with your children is a great way to get them interested in the garden....