Recognizing Leaf Spot on Hollyhock Hollyhocks with leaf spot display small spots which may be brown, gray, or tan, depending on the pathogen. As the spots enlarge, the dead tissue in the center may drop out, which give the leaves a “shot-hole” appearance. The spots often run together to cover entire leaves when conditions are moist. In dry conditions, the leaves take on a speckled, tattered appearance. You may also notice tiny black spots which are fungal spores....

Growing Gourd Plants Gourds are a warm season crop in the same family as squash, cucumbers, and melons. Native Americans used gourds practically for dishes and containers as well as ornamentally. Growing gourd plants is an interesting pursuit mainly because there are so many different types from which to choose. In fact, there are over 30 different large, hard-shell gourd varieties and over 10 ornamental varieties. When to Plant Gourds Plant gourds in the garden after the danger of frost has passed....

What’s Wrong with My Horse Chestnut? Horse chestnut trees, also called conker trees, are imposing. They can rise to 50 feet (15 meters) or more, with an equal spread. Their wide branches and lovely palmate leaves make them excellent shade trees. So, what’s wrong with my horse chestnut tree, you ask? When you see your horse chestnut tree failing, you’ll want to try to figure out the problem as soon as possible....

Where and How to Grow Hostas Although hosta plants are touted as shade lovers, their sunlight requirements vary widely. Successfully growing hostas in the shade depends on color. Hosta leaves come in a variety of greens, ranging from a color so deep it’s called blue to a light chartreuse to a soft creamy white. A good rule of thumb for the placement and care of hostas is the lighter the foliage, the brighter the sun....

Hosui Asian Pear Info If you’ve ever had a Hosui pear, you won’t forget the experience. This variety has a high acid content and is best eaten fresh but also makes unbeatable pies. The tree produces copious quantities of medium sized, golden skinned fruit. Hosui Asian pear trees grow 8 to 10 feet (2-3 m.) in height with a spread of 6 to 7 feet (2 m.). This tree is considered self-pollinating but even more of the delicious fruits are produced with a pollinating partner such as New Century....

About Turmeric Root Native to Southeast India, turmeric (Curcuma longa) is a member of the ginger family harvested for its root. Harvested for over 5000 years, turmeric root is a major component in Indian curries as well as other Asian, East African and Caribbean dishes. The active in ingredient in turmeric is curcumin. It is used to give curry its yellow color once the rhizomes have been harvested, boiled and then sun dried for about a week....

When to Harvest Sugarcane Sugarcane harvest is around late fall, when the canes are tall and thick. If the plan is to make your own syrup, and I’m sure it is, harvest as close to your area’s first frost date as possible but not so late that they get hit by the first frost. If the frost hits them, sugar loss occurs rapidly. How Do You Harvest Sugarcane? Commercial sugarcane plantations in Hawaii and Louisiana use machines for harvesting sugarcane....

Vivipary Facts and Information What is vivipary? This Latin name literally means “live birth.” Really, it’s a fancy way of referring to seeds germinating prematurely when they are still inside or attached to their parent fruit. This phenomenon occurs frequently on ears of corn, tomatoes, peppers, pears, citrus fruits, and plants that grow in mangrove environments. You are most likely to encounter it in tomatoes or peppers that you’ve bought in the grocery store, especially if you’ve left the fruit sitting out on the counter for a while in hot weather....

Plant Spacing in a Square Foot Garden Square foot garden plots are set up in grids of 4 x 4 squares, or 2 x 4 if set up against a wall. Strings or thin pieces of wood are attached to the frame to divide the plot into equal square foot (30 x 30 cm.) sections. One type of vegetable plant is planted in each section. If vine plants are grown, they’re generally placed in the back to allow for a straight trellis to be installed at the very back of the bed....

Growing Daffodils in Water or Soil First, choose which growing medium you will use to grow a daffodil indoors. Your choices are water or soil. If you choose water, you will need to get a forcing glass, which is a cup specially designed to hold the daffodil bulb upright over water. Each forcing glass will hold one daffodil. This is an excellent choice if you only want to grow a few daffodils to brighten up a dark corner....

What is Teff Grass? Teff grass (Eragrostis tef) is an ancient staple grain crop thought to have originated in Ethiopia. It was domesticated in Ethiopia in 4,000-1,000 BC. In Ethiopia, this grass is ground into flour, fermented, and made into enjera, a sourdough type of flatbread. Teff is also eaten as a hot cereal and in the brewing of alcoholic drinks. It is used for livestock forage and the straw is also used in the construction of buildings when combined with mud or plaster....

Reason for Wilted Leaves on Tomatoes Soil borne diseases such as Fusarium wilt, bacterial wilt and Phytophthora infect the stems or roots of the plant effectively damning up the flow of water. A common problem in tomatoes, these diseases often begin with one or two wilting branches. As the disease progresses the entire plant wilts. Interestingly, wilt in infected plants is most severe in the early stages of the disease. This leads gardeners to suspect that the plant needs more water, which then helps the disease spread....

Supporting Vining Houseplants Wood, wire, rattan, and bamboo all make great supports for climbing houseplants. You can get a trellis, spindle, and even round arches. If you’re skilled enough, you can always make your own with a little wire coated with plastic or non-rusting wire. Whatever you use, be sure the supports for climbing plants are inserted into the pot at the time of planting. Thick stakes poked into the planting mix later will pose a threat to your established roots....

Different hydrangea plants add different accents to your garden, so it makes sense to investigate the types of hydrangea that would grow well in your area. Read on for information about hydrangea varieties and their cultural needs. Hydrangea Plant Types Hydrangea varieties offer an expansive range of foliage and flowers, as well as different growth characteristics. If you have a particular hydrangea “look” in mind, don’t think it’s your only choice....

How to Plant Indigo Seeds Indigo is a member of the legume family, so if you grow it in your garden you get the added benefit of adding more nitrogen to the soil. The shrubby plant will grow up to six feet (2 m.) tall and produce pretty pink to blue flowers. Whether it grows as an annual or perennial depends on the climate. It does best in zones 9 and warmer, but in colder climates, it will grow as an annual....

Many enthusiastic growers have started to bring their gardening skills indoors. The creation of indoor flower boxes is an interesting way to add appeal and interest to indoor spaces. Better still is the fact that kids can enjoy this too. What are Indoor Window Box Planters? As the name would imply, indoor flower boxes refer to plants kept indoors directly beneath a window or on a windowsill. Window flower boxes work well for a variety of reasons....

What Does Tree Sap Contain? Many people are startled by the sight of sap on their tree. They may wonder what is tree sap and what does tree sap contain? Xylem sap consists primarily of water, along with hormones, minerals, and nutrients. Phloem sap consists primarily of water, in addition to sugar, hormones, and mineral elements dissolved within it. Tree sap flows through sapwood, which produces carbon dioxide. Sometimes this carbon dioxide causes pressure to build up within the tree....

What is Pilosella Fox and Cubs? Fox and cubs wildflowers are alpine plants native to Europe. Pilosella aurantiaca starts out as a rosette and develops lance-shaped leaves with stems covered in dark hair. The buds are clustered in terminal pedicles of up to 12, each covered in the black fuzzy hair. Plants can grow over 15 inches (38 cm.) tall and bear numerous tiny rayed golden orange blooms. They are found in open spaces such as ditches, hillsides, and even parks and gardens....

Frass Information Frass is a useful soil additive, is all natural, and can come from a variety of sources. What is frass? It is the excrement left by insects of all types. In many cases, it is so small as to be unidentifiable, but other bugs leave behind definite signs of gastric waste. This leftover product has beneficial amounts of nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus and is easy to work into soil....

Indoor Ornamentals Growing outdoor ornamentals as houseplants is often easy, as long as you pick a plant that thrives at room temperature and doesn’t need too much light. Some popular low-maintenance ornamental plants you can grow indoors are: Asparagus fern– Asparagus fern grows quickly, making deep green foliage dotted with delicate flowers and bright red berries. It works very well in a container. Geranium– Geraniums will bloom all through the winter, as long as they’re in a bright window....