Moving Mature Trees Transplanting a big tree from the field to the garden provides immediate shade, a visual focal point, and vertical interest. Although the effect is much quicker than waiting for a seedling to grow, a transplant doesn’t happen overnight, so plan far in advance when you are transplanting a big tree. Transplanting an established tree takes effort on your part and causes the tree some stress. However, moving mature trees doesn’t have to be a nightmare for either you or the tree....

What is Black Canker? Black canker is caused by the fungus Glomerella miyabeana. In willow trees, it often accompanies scab. Leaves that develop irregularly shaped spots are the first sign that a tree may be suffering from black canker. The spots appear in late spring or early summer, and the tree looks otherwise normal. Tree owners hardly notice the problem at this point, even though infected leaves may shrivel. Cankers form at the point where the leaf stem attaches to the twig in late summer, and as the disease progresses, you’ll find cankers where the twigs attach to stems and branches....

While a half dead tree might be suffering from a variety of conditions, the odds are that the tree has one of several serious root issues. Read on for more information. Why One Side of Tree is Dead Insect pests can cause serious damage to trees, but they rarely limit their attack to one side of a tree. Similarly, foliage diseases tend to damage or destroy the entire canopy of a tree rather than only half of it....

What are Weeds? So what are weeds and where do weeds grow? By definition, a weed is known as “a plant in the wrong place.” For the most part, these plants are known more for their undesirable qualities rather than for their good ones, should there be any. Weeds are competitive, fighting your garden plants or lawn grass for water, light, nutrients, and space. Most are quick growers and will take over many of the areas in which you find them....

Do Hot Peppers Deter Pests? Informed folks today are concerned about synthetic pesticide use on foods used for human consumption and are increasingly looking for and using alternative natural products. Research scientists have been listening, and there are a number of articles on studies done on the efficacy of using hot peppers for pest control, specifically on the larvae of the cabbage looper and on spider mites. What did they find?...

Is baking soda good for plants? It certainly doesn’t seem to do any harm, but it isn’t the miracle cure for those mildew beleaguered roses either. Baking soda as a fungicide does appear to diminish the effects of fungal diseases on common ornamental and vegetable plants. Recent studies confuse the efficiency of using this common household item. The compound seems to prevent some fungal spore flare ups but doesn’t kill the spores....

Giant Dogwood Information The wedding cake dogwood has the grown-up moniker Cornus controversa ‘Variegata.’ This lovely tree grows up to 50 feet (15 m.) tall but more commonly 25 to 30 feet (8-9 m.) in height. It is a native of Asia, which can be planted in United States Department of Agriculture zones 5 through 8. These trees are easy to grow and susceptible to only a few pests and diseases....

About Bare Root Planting When shopping online, what you see is not always what you get. Online nurseries and plant catalogs display pictures of full, established plants, but in the product or shipping details it will usually state if these plants are shipped bare root or in containers with soil. Low shipping costs usually indicate that the plants are bare root because these are much less expensive to ship. Bare root plants are dormant perennials, shrubs, or trees....

What is Dent Corn? Corn – the only important cereal grain indigenous to the Western hemisphere. There are three major types of corn cultivated in the United States: grain or field corn, sweet corn, and popcorn. Grain corn is classified into four main types: Dent corn Flint corn Flour or soft corn Waxy corn Dent corn, at maturity, has an obvious depression (or dent) at the crown of the kernels. The starches within the kernels are of two types: at the sides, a hard starch, and in the center, a soft starch....

Growing Plants for Hobbies What are garden makers? These are people who make things with the bounty from their gardens, and they don’t just stop at grilling up an eggplant. There’s more to growing edible plants than just eating them. For example, fermenting your produce into alcohol is a great way to get involved with your garden. While growing grapes for wine is an old standby, basically any fruit (or vegetable) that contains sugar can be turned into wine, sometimes with surprisingly delicious results....

Calculating Growing Degree Days The calculation starts with a base temperature or “threshold” under which a certain insect or plant would not grow or develop. Then the high and low temperatures for the day are added together and divided by 2 to get an average. The average temperature minus the threshold temperature gives the GDD amount. If the result is a negative number, it is recorded as 0. For example, the base temperature of asparagus is 40 degrees F....

What are Wild Grapes? Wild grapes are woody, deciduous vines just like cultivated grapes with a voracious growth habit. Some can reach up to 50 feet (15 m.) in length. They also have tenacious, woody root systems that can persist for years, one reason why some people refer to wild grapes as weeds. Wild grapes use tendrils to anchor onto branches or other surfaces. Their bark is gray/brown and rather shredded looking....

What is a Belmac Apple? So exactly what is a Belmac apple? This apple cultivar was released by the Horticultural Research and Development Centre in Quebec, Canada. Its disease resistance and cold hardiness make it a desirable addition to a northern garden. These fruits are lovely and colorful. At harvest, the apples are almost entirely red, but with a little of the chartreuse green under-color showing. The flesh of the fruit is white with a tinge of pale green....

What is a Lemon Button Fern? Lemon button fern plants (Nephrolepis cordifolia “Duffii” or “Lemon Buttons”) are a small variety of Boston fern. Usually growing no larger than 1 foot (31 cm.) tall, these ferns are excellent additions to arranged outdoor container plantings, as well as great for use indoors as a houseplant. Requiring a shady location with filtered light, growing lemon button ferns outdoors in the ground will require a frost-free growing zone....

Mealybugs are destructive pests that wreak havoc when they suck the juices from a variety of plants, including certain agricultural crops, garden vegetables, ornamentals, trees, and your prized houseplants. If that isn’t bad enough, mealybugs also leave sweet, sticky waste that attracts ugly, black mold. Take a look at the following information on beneficial mealybug destroyers. Most importantly, learn how to tell the difference between mealybug destroyer beetles and actual mealybug pests....

What Is a Tahiti Lime Tree? The genesis of the Tahiti lime tree is a bit nebulous. Recent genetic testing indicates that the Tahiti Persian lime hails from southeast Asia, in east and northeastern India, north Burma, and southwest China and east through the Malay Archipelago. Akin to the key lime, Tahiti Persian limes are undoubtedly a tri-hybrid composed of citron (Citrus medica), pummelo (Citrus grandis), and a micro-citrus specimen (Citrus micrantha) creating a triploid....

Elsanta Strawberry Facts Elsanta is a Dutch variety that has risen to prominence over the years due to its reliable yield and disease resistance. It is a supermarket favorite because of its quality, firmness, and long shelf life. It is grown across the United States and Europe. Some people have complained that Elsanta and other supermarket strawberries have lost their flavor, but it is theorized that this occurs when plants are overwatered in order to grow them quickly....

What is Cuban Oregano? Plectranthus amboinicus is a perennial succulent with aromatic foliage. It is often grown as a houseplant but can thrive outdoors in warm season regions or in summer. Leaves contain pungent oils, which can be harnessed for cooking. The flavor of Cuban oregano is said to be much stronger than Greek oregano, the herb most frequently used to flavor pizzas and other Mediterranean dishes. Harvesting Cuban oregano and using it in recipes can provide similar flavor to traditional oreganos, but should be used in more moderate amounts to avoid over-seasoning the dish....

Can you grow your own Iceberg lettuce plant? You sure can! Keep reading to learn how. What is Iceberg Lettuce? Iceberg lettuce gained widespread popularity in the 1920’s, when it was grown in the Salinas Valley of California and then shipped around the U.S. by train on ice, which is what earned it its name. Since then, it’s become one of, if not the most popular lettuce, gracing restaurants and dinner tables all over with its crunchy texture....

Lorz Italian garlic plants are easy to grow in nearly every climate, including regions with very cold winters. It also tolerates hot summers better than most types of garlic. The plant is so prolific that a single pound (0.5 kg.) of cloves may produce a harvest of up to 10 pounds (4.5 kg.) of delicious garlic at harvest time. Read on for more Lorz garlic growing info. How to Grow Lorz Italian Garlic Plants Cultivating Lorz garlic is easy....