How to Water a Tree It pays to learn how to water a tree, including where to put the water, what time of day you should be irrigating trees, and how much water is necessary. Although everyone knows that young, newly planted trees require regular water, it’s easy to overlook the needs of mature trees. The idea of watering trees is to get moisture into the soil that a tree’s roots can access....

But being economical isn’t the only reason to think about planting a burlap tree. Read on for information about the advantages of ball/burlap tree planting and the best practices for planting these trees. About Trees Wrapped in Burlap Trees sold in garden stores are either container plants, bare root trees, or trees wrapped in burlap. That is, the root ball is dug out of the ground then wrapped in burlap to keep it together until it is replanted....

Can Trumpet Vine Be Used as Ground Cover? Trumpet vine plants grow so fast that it’s easy to imagine the vines as ground cover. If you just have a small area you would like to plant in ground cover, trumpet creeper might not be a good pick though. Trumpet creeper needs room to grow. Using trumpet vines for ground cover only works if the plants have room to grow and spread....

What is a Turpentine Bush? Turpentine bush gets its name from the fragrance of its evergreen leaves. When lightly rubbed, the foliage gives off a lemony scent, but when crushed they become a gummy mess that smells like turpentine. The short, leathery, olive leaves are clustered toward the tips of the stems and turn a golden color in fall. The height is usually between 1 and 3 feet (31-91 cm.), but it can reach 6 feet (2 m....

Violet Plant Varieties True violets have been cultivated since at least 500 B.C. Their uses were more than ornamental, with flavoring and medicinal applications high on the list. Today, we are fortunate to have a plethora of different types of violets readily available at most nurseries and garden centers. Violas encompass the dog violets (scentless blooms), wild pansies, and sweet violets, which are descended from wild sweet violets from Europe. With so many choices, it can be hard to decide which of these endlessly charming flowers to choose for your landscape....

Unconventional garden gifts are an excellent way to make gift giving this season, and every season, more meaningful. Choosing Unique Garden Gifts Choosing gifts for gardeners who have everything can be extremely difficult. This is especially true when considering the needs of long-time growers, like parents and/or grandparents. Fortunately, several ideas for unique garden gifts exist, which are sure to excite. Among these are items that assist in the creation of wildlife habitat, products for self-care, and help with tasks around the yard....

Houseplants are great for cleaning interior air and adding a touch of nature to your home. There are numerous readily available houseplants that are easy to grow and thrive indoors. But finding that really special species is a coup to adventurous growers. Unusual houseplants are a challenge and a delight. Sometimes you have to source interesting houseplants through clubs, online chats, and collectors groups. Tips on Finding Rare Houseplants Often a local garden society is a good place to source interesting houseplants....

The new USDA plant hardiness map is based on data collected over the last 30 years from over 8,000 weather stations positioned throughout the country. In addition to extreme winter temperatures, this map also considers an area’s proximity to a large body of water, elevation, and urban heat. If you live in Nevada, you live in a state with 13 different planting regions. Nevada zones range from 4a through 10a....

The Effect of Bananas on Soil Compost Putting banana peel in your compost pile will help add calcium, magnesium, sulfur, phosphates, potassium and sodium, all of which are important to the healthy growth of both flowering and fruiting plants. Bananas in compost also help add healthy organic material, which help the compost retain water and make soil lighter when added to your garden. Beyond this, banana peels will break down quickly in compost, which allows them to add these important nutrients to the compost much more quickly than some other compost materials....

Can you warm a greenhouse with compost, for instance? Yes, heating a greenhouse with compost is, indeed, a possibility. In fact, the idea of using compost in greenhouses as a heat source has been around since the ‘80s. Read on to learn about compost greenhouse heat. About Compost Greenhouse Heat The New Alchemy Institute (NAI) in Massachusetts had the idea to use compost in greenhouses to generate heat. They began with a 700 square foot (65 sq....

Low Growing Viburnums When you think viburnum, you probably think of the common large viburnum shrubs, like snowball viburnum or arrowwood viburnum. Most viburnums are large deciduous or semi-evergreen shrubs hardy from zones 2 to 9. They grow in full sun to shade, depending on species. Viburnums are a popular choice because they tolerate tough conditions and poor soil, though most prefer slightly acidic soil. When established, most species of viburnum are also drought resistant....

Using Plants on Walls If you have an unsightly wall on one border of your garden, you can enlist garden plants to help. Finding trailing plants to cover a wall isn’t difficult, and many vines, deciduous and evergreen, will do the job. Climbers do more than hide an ugly wall. They can add green foliage and even blossoms to that side of the garden. You can find plants suitable to hide a wall that grow best in sun, as well as climbing plants that grow best in shade....

If you want to grow some fruit trees and need some simple information about plant chill hours and why they’re important, continue reading. We’ll attempt to break it down here in simple terms that are easy enough for anyone to understand. What are Chill Hours? Chilling hours are basically the hours between the temperatures of 34 and 45 degrees F. (1-7 C.) in autumn that will reach the tree. These are calculated for when the fruit tree is preparing itself to enter dormancy for winter....

What are Glochids? Cactus glochids are not a feature with which to fool. Glochids in skin are irritating, difficult to remove, and stay in for a long time. What are glochids? They are fine, hairy spines tipped with barbs. That makes them hard to get out of skin and the irritation persists for days without treatment. It’s wise to wear gloves and long sleeves if you are handling any of the plants in the Opuntia family....

As a boy growing up on the farm and helping my mother and grandmother tend to their rose bushes, I fondly remember the arrival of the Jackson & Perkins rose bush catalogs. The postman would always tell my mother when the Jackson & Perkins catalog was in that day’s mail with a big smile. You see, back then, the Jackson & Perkins roses catalogs were scented with a wonderful rose fragrance....

What are Species Tulips? Most tulips you’ll find for the garden are hybrids. Species tulips are un-hybridized and have only recently become more widely available to gardeners. So how are species tulips different from hybrid tulips? There are several important distinctions: Species tulips are smaller than hybrids. The foliage of species tulips is more varied and interesting. Species tulips are more perennial. They produce multiple blooms per stem. They will naturalize and spread in warm climates....

What is a Daisy Garden? If you want a simple, yet extraordinary, space in your garden, try a daisy garden design. The sunny nature of daisies produces a feel-good site that is as beautiful as it is uncomplicated. Using daisies for the garden also provides a low maintenance area. The easy-to-grow perennials have few special needs and are unbothered by most pests and disease. Shasta daisies are probably what comes to mind when you think of this flower....

Exactly what is a giving garden? How can you go about growing a food bank garden? Read on to learn how to grow a giving garden. What is a Giving Garden? A food bank garden needn’t be a huge, demanding project. Although you can certainly dedicate an entire garden, a row, patch, or raised bed can produce a surprising amount of nutritious fruit and vegetables. If you’re a container gardener, earmark a couple of pots for your local food pantry....

What is a Gravenstein Apple? The Gravenstein apple history is long and storied as compared to many of the current apple varieties. It has a hold on the current market due to its versatility and depth of flavor. Much of the fruit is grown commercially in areas like Sonoma, California, but you can learn how to grow Gravensteins and have a ready supply of these tasty apples too. This fruit has a remarkable tang combined with sweet flavor....

What is a Jubileum Plum? Jubliee plums, also known as Jubileum plums, are better known in Britain than in this country. So exactly what is a Jubileum plum? It’s an improved version of the extremely popular Victoria plum. Those growing Jubileum plums report that the fruit looks a lot like the Victoria plum, with mottled red skin. The fruit is long, oval, and uniform, somewhat larger than the Victoria plum. When you open these plums, the fruit is deep yellow....