About Nursery Plants Pots Nursery containers come in a number of sizes. Oftentimes, the particular plant and its current size determine the pot sizes used in nurseries. For instance, most shrubs and trees are sold in 1-gallon (4 L) pots – otherwise known as a #1 pot size. The # symbol is used to reference each class number size. Smaller containers (i.e. 4-inch or 10 cm. pots) may also include SP in front of its class number, indicating a smaller plant size....

Hardy Perennials for Central Region and Ohio Valley Gardens When planting perennials in the Ohio Valley and Central regions, it’s wise to consider the plant’s winter hardiness. These areas of the continental United States can experience frigid winter temperatures and accumulating amounts of snowfall. Tropical and semi-tropical plants can’t survive these harsh winter environments. Additionally, digging up bulbs and moving tender perennials indoors is time consuming and tedious. Luckily, there are quite a few central U....

About Oklahoma Redbud Trees Oklahoma redbud (Cercis reniformis ‘Oklahoma’) are lovely, little landscape trees. Like many other redbuds, their pea-like flowers are a deep, brilliant pink and appear in spring before the leaves. They develop into attractive purple pods as long as your hand that persist on the tree into autumn. Their glossy leaves are also very ornamental. The trees make eye-catching additions to backyards or woodland gardens and also support wildlife....

Greek Mullein Plants If you’ve never heard of Olympic Greek mullein, you’ve been missing something special. This species of mullein, native to southern Greece and the Olympus Mountains in Turkey, is both attractive and elegant. Some say it is the finest plant in the Verbascum genus. The plant’s foliage is evergreen and beautiful. The silvery felted leaves grow in broad rosettes low to the ground, almost like succulents. Each leaf can grow to a foot long (31 cm....

How Do Winter Winds Affect Plants? Overwintering in high wind areas can be difficult for many perennial plants. Convective heat loss resulting from high winds can cause damage to plants in cold climates. This issue is further exacerbated for plantings which are located in containers or pots. Overwintering Plants in the Wind When it comes to overwintering in high wind areas, protecting the plants will be key. When preparing for winter, perennial container plantings should be moved to a sheltered location....

Oxalis Weed Facts Buttercup oxalis, wood sorrel or sourgrass. By any name the weed is Oxalis, a tear your hair out dogged weed that can take years to remove from your garden. The low growing plant can re-establish from just a tiny stem fragment, fragile breakable rhizomes or bulbils. It produces volatile viable seed and also relies upon bits of itself being transported by animals, or us, to establish itself in almost any type of soil....

Panda Face Ginger Info Wild gingers can be found all around the globe, but those that are cultivated for their ornamental value are primarily from the shaded woodlands of Asia and North America. Native growing Panda Face ginger can be found in Hubei and Sichuan, China, specifically. Although unrelated to culinary ginger (Zingiber officinale), this wild ginger’s root does have a spicy scent and can be substituted in Asian culinary creations…not, that I am suggesting you dig this little beauty up!...

Unfortunately, paper birches don’t fare well in the city where they struggle to survive in the face of pollution, heat and dry conditions. Although they love cool climates, the branches break easily on windy days, especially when weighted down with snow and ice. Despite these drawbacks, they are well worth growing for their beautiful bark that shines against a dark background. What Is a Paper Birch Tree? Paper birch trees (Betula papyriferia), also called canoe birches, are native to moist stream banks and lakesides in Northeastern United States and Canada....

What is Papyrus? There are numerous names for papyrus grass. What is papyrus? It is a plant in the genus Cyperus, which is native to Madagascar. Umbrella plant or bulrush are other names for the plant. Papyrus plant is suitable for USDA plant hardiness zones 8 to 10 and requires a full sun location, in shallow water or riparian areas. How to Grow Papyrus The plant is called umbrella plant because it has a grass-like habit with sprays of foliage at the top of the stems....

Phytophthora Symptoms on Pepper Plants Pepper plant blight manifests in many different ways, depending on what part of the plant is infected and at what stage of growth the infection set in. Many times, seedlings infected with phytophthora die shortly after emergence, but older plants usually continue to grow, developing a dark brown lesion near the soil line. As the lesion spreads, the stem is slowly girdled, causing sudden, unexplained wilting and the eventual death of the plant – root symptoms are similar but lack the visible lesions....

Pink Rot Fungus in Palms You won’t see a healthy, robust palm tree planted in just the right place with pink rot fungus. Called an opportunistic fungus, pink rot likes to invade a plant that is already weakened by poor conditions or injuries. Here are a few situations that can lead to pink rot on palms: Palms that don’t get the right amount of sunlight Palms planted too deeply or not deeply enough Soil that is wet, poorly drained or compacted Too much, too little, or the wrong type of fertilizer Cold weather damage Palms poorly suited to the area...

Silver Maple Tree Information Silver maples (Acer saccharinum) prefer to grow in moist, slightly acidic soil. They are moderately drought tolerant, but are more recognized for their ability to survive in standing water for long periods of time. Because of this water tolerance, silver maples were often planted along river banks or edges of other waterways for erosion control. They can tolerate high water levels in spring and receding water levels in midsummer....

About Holly Companions The three commonly grown types of holly are American holly (Ilex opaca), English holly (Ilex aquifolium), and Chinese colly (Ilex cornuta). All three are evergreens that will grow in partially shaded locations. American holly is hardy in zones 5-9, can grow 40-50 feet (12-15 m.) tall and 18-40 feet (6-12 m.) wide. English holly is hardy in zones 3-7 and can grow 15-30 feet (5-9 m.) tall and wide....

What Plants Do Snakes Hate? Mothballs and other purchased snake repellents are not effective. The only way to keep snakes away from the home is to keep tempting habitats like rocks, woodpiles, and debris away from your house. As an extra precaution, you can install anti-snake plants. There is some controversy that even these don’t work, but they can be rewarding in other ways and can’t hurt to try. Snakes gather molecules on their tongues which they then run past their Jacobson’s organ....

Polka Dot Plant Info An interesting bit of polka dot plant info is that the plant was miscategorized for years. It is now recognized as a member of the Hyphoestes group of over 100 plants. Polka dot plants are from Madagascar. They are perennial herbaceous shrubs whose stems get woody as they age. In its native habitat, the plant can get up to 3 feet (1 m.) in height, but pot-grown specimens will usually be smaller....

Punica granatum, the pomegranate, is a tree that is native to Iran and India, hence thriving in hot, dry conditions akin to those found in the Mediterranean. While pomegranate trees are drought tolerant, they do need good, deep irrigation periodically– similar to the requirements for citrus trees. Not only is the plant grown for its delicious fruit (actually a berry), but it is cultivated for the stunning bright red flowers on pomegranate trees....

Broccoli Plant Types It is no doubt that seasoned gardeners know the joy of early and late season broccoli cultivars. However, many may not realize that experimenting with different broccoli plant types can add diversity to the garden, as well as help to produce a consistent harvest of fresh produce for several weeks at both the beginning and end of the growing season. From Chinese broccoli to Romanesco broccoli, the addition of different kinds of broccoli can add a new and interesting dynamic to your harvest basket, and to the kitchen....

Post Bloom Grape Hyacinth Care You really don’t want seeds to set on those grape hyacinth after flowering. The plant doesn’t need seeds and setting seeds depletes its energy supply. So that means grape hyacinth after flowering needs a trim. As soon as the flowers fade, trim them back with pruners or garden scissors. Remove the small flowers from the stem by running your fingers from just beneath the flower cluster to the tip of the blossom....

What are Post-Emergent Herbicides? Post-emergents attack weeds after they have shown their ugly little heads. The “post” part of this type of herbicide refers to the fact that it is used on already existing weeds. Pre-emergent herbicides are used before you see signs of weeds. Using a post-emergence herbicide properly can control existing weeds and help prevent future ones. There are different types of post-emergent weed killers, so pay special attention to the product description and carefully identify the variety of weeds you need to control....

Preventing Garden Vandalism I live across the street from an elementary school where there are no sidewalks. Every fall I dread the little feet that will trample all my little plants at the front of the property. They do not care if they are killing a plant and enhance their contempt by throwing garbage in the yard as well. I do not want to sound like a curmudgeon, but the damage irks me nonetheless....