What is Renovation of Strawberries? Simply put, strawberry renovation is the removal of a large number of old berry plants in an established planting to allow the more heavily fruiting secondary or daughter plants to take over. Basically, the practice aims to eliminate the competition between dense plantings and to maintain the strawberry patch for successive years of production. Renovation not only thins out old plants and jump starts new plant development, but it keeps plants in rows for easier picking, controls weeds, and allows a side-dressing of fertilizer to be worked down into the root zone....

Symptoms of Lettuce Damping Off When lettuce seedlings are afflicted by damping off, the stem develops brown areas or white, moldy patches, then weakens and falls over, and the plant dies. You may also see mold growing on the soil surface. Sometimes you won’t see the infection on the stem, but the roots are infected. If you pull up a dead seedling, you’ll see that the roots are black or brown....

Where to Find Wild Cinnamon Wild cinnamon plants are native to Florida and the tropical Americas and are found from Miami to Key West along the coast to Cape Sable, Florida. The species is listed as endangered in Florida and in general may be difficult to find since it is a lesser used horticultural specimen. Beyond where to find wild cinnamon plants, another question to be answered is “what is wild cinnamon?...

Container Grown Foxglove Plants Will foxglove plants grow in pots? Yes, as long as they’re given enough room. Foxgloves can grow as big as 5 feet (1.5 m.) high and a foot (0.5 m.) wide, so they need a sufficiently big container. Foxgloves are biennials, which means they don’t bloom until their second year of growth. Because of this, growing foxglove in containers won’t be very showy the first summer if you start from seed....

How to Grow Wine Cap Mushrooms Wine cap mushroom cultivation works best if you buy a kit of material that’s been inoculated with mushroom spores. Start in the spring to ensure a harvest sometime during the growing season. Wine cap mushrooms (Stropharia rugosoannulata) grow best outdoors in a sunny location. To create a raised mushroom bed, lay out a border at least 10 inches (25.5 cm.) high made of cinder blocks, brick, or wood....

Some varieties are more cold hardy than others, and eucalyptus cold protection can help the plants sustain less damage. Even if you choose a hardy specimen and protect it, however, you should still know how to fix cold damaged eucalyptus since weather can be surprising. Winter damage in eucalyptus can be mild or severe and needs to be triaged before treatment. Recognizing Eucalyptus Cold Damage The scent of the volatile oils in eucalyptus is unmistakable....

What is a Winter Melon? Growing winter melons can be found throughout Asia and on oriental vegetable farms in south Florida and similarly climactic areas of the United States. A member of the cucurbit family, winter melon wax gourd (Benincasa hispida) is a variety of musk melon, and one of the largest fruit/vegetables grown– attaining a foot long (31 cm.) or more, 8 inches (20 cm.) thick and weighing up to 40 pounds (18 kg....

The good news is that wisteria winter care, like most wisteria care, is minimal. That being said, if you have the time, there are a few things you can do for overwintering wisteria. Care for Wisteria in Winter First, let us say that wisteria winter care is not really necessary. Wisteria is an extremely rugged plant and can survive a wide variety of weather conditions. Unless your wisteria is newly planted or has been unhealthy, overwintering wisteria does not require extra work....

Preventing Worms from Escaping If your worms are trying to escape, the first order of business is to check for certain environmental problems that are common problems in worm bins. It’s possible that the worms aren’t comfortable in their new digs. For example, it may seem like a good idea to shred computer paper and recycle it in the bin, but white paper is bleached and may be scratchy enough to cause the worms to flee....

What is Zeolite? Zeolite is a crystalline mineral made up of silicon, aluminum, and oxygen. These components create cavities and channels inside the mineral that attract water and other small molecules. It is often referred to as a molecular sieve and is commonly used as a commercial absorbent and catalyst. How Does Zeolite Soil Conditioning Work? Because of all the channels inside the mineral, zeolite is capable of holding up to 60% of its weight in water....

Growing Hardy Hibiscus in Zone 4 Hibiscus plants for cold climates are difficult to come by, as most of the hardy hibiscus plants only tolerate winter chill to zone 5. That being said, Hibiscus moscheutos, also called Rose Mallow or Swamp Mallow, is a zone 4 hardy hibiscus that was developed in the 1950s by the three Fleming brothers. These hibiscus plants for zone 4 have lots of big, bright flowers that bloom in late summer....

Bamboo Plants for Zone 5 Gardens Here are some cold hardy bamboo plant varieties that will thrive in zone 5. Bissetii – One of the toughest bamboos around, it is hardy down to zone 4. It tends to grow to 12 feet (4 m.) in zone 5 and performs well in most soil conditions. Giant Leaf – This bamboo has the largest leaves of any bamboo grown in the U.S., with leaves reaching 2 feet (61 cm....

Be sure to select trees that are suited to your climate and to the characteristics of your property. This article will give you ideas for zone 8 boundary trees to choose from in planning an effective and attractive privacy screen. Planting Trees for Privacy in Zone 8 Some homeowners plant a row of all one kind of tree as a privacy screen. Instead, consider planting a mix of different trees along a boundary....

In zone 9, lavender may have trouble with excessive summer heat, especially if it is also humid. Many varieties of lavender do well in regions of zone 9 with hot, dry summers and mild winters, like much of southern California. Even in difficult areas like the American South, though, there are lavender varieties that do well. Lavender Varieties for Zone 9 One great variety of lavender for zone 9 is “Phenomenal” lavender....

Holiday plant ideas should be a bit more adventurous and/or unusual. A fern or pathos is nice, but how about something with a bit of color such as a red foliage houseplant or even more unique a houseplant with green and red leaves. Here are five festive houseplants that make great gifts. Green and Red Foliage Houseplants Christmas plant gift ideas often include the usual suspects such as amaryllis, paper white, Christmas cactus, cyclamen and the ubiquitous poinsettia to name a few....

Types of Blue and White Flowers Blue and white are among the most traditional colors associated with Hanukkah. It is only natural that many Hanukkah flower centerpieces also feature these colors prominently. Several types of white flowers are commonly available throughout the entire year. Some of the most popular species include roses, oriental lilies, chrysanthemums, and carnations. In addition to their immense visual interest, many are also highly fragrant. Live, potted plants can also be used to create a festive home atmosphere....

What are Facing Walls and Windows? The direction the wall faces the sun can either increase or decrease the amount of sunlight a plant gets, as well as determine the amount of shelter the plant receives. Facing walls can also help or hinder where rainfall is concerned. If you stood still and watched your shadow as the sun moved, you would have some idea of how to use facing walls and windows....

What are Scarlet Runner Beans? So exactly what are scarlet runner beans? Scarlet runner bean plants, also known as fire bean, mammoth, red giant, and scarlet emperor, are vigorous climbing, annual vines that reach up to 20 feet (6 m.) in a season. This annual bean vine bears large, green leaves and an attractive cluster of red flowers from July through October. The bean pods are large, sometimes up to 1 inch (2....

Chasing Aesthetic Room Plants There are many reasons to collect and care for houseplants, and aesthetics is a big one. Plants in the home can make your air cleaner, boost your mood, and ease stress, but owning plants simply because they look good is valid. To maintain your stunning collection of aesthetically pleasing houseplants, you need to keep searching. Here are five beautiful plants you might not have considered and that would look good in any home....

Why Use Compost as Soil Amendment? Mixing compost with soil is a win-win for the garden. Amending soil with compost provides numerous benefits and is a natural way to enhance soil health. However, using too much compost as soil amendment can cause certain problems, especially with specific plants. Learn how to add compost to soil at the correct ratio to optimize the advantages of this common soil amendment. Mixing compost with soil provides nutrients for plants today but also enhances soil for future years....