What is a Root Zone? Simply put, the root zone of plants is the area of soil and oxygen surrounding the roots of a plant. Roots are the starting point of a plant’s vascular system. Water and nutrients are pulled up from the oxygenated soil around the roots, called the root zone, and pumped into all the aerial parts of the plant. A proper and healthy plant root zone is spread out past the drip line of a plant....

Keeping fire pits safe is essential for enjoying them. A few easy precautions and rules will ensure everyone is safe and has a good time. Are Backyard Fire Pits Safe? It certainly can be safe, but safety and risk depend on how you construct, install, and use a fire pit. Knowing how to make a safe fire pit is the first step. Here are some important considerations before and during construction or installation:...

Hail Crop Damage Damage to plant leaves is most severe when hail falls in spring. This is because the majority of plants are sprouting and growing tender new leaves and stems. Hail crop damage in spring can completely kill seedlings. Hail later in the season will reduce harvests by knocking fruit off plants. Hail damage to trees shows up as split and broken stems. The tips and tops of trees become scarred and pitted by the hail....

Causes of Ornamental Grasses Falling Over Preventing flopping grass in the garden is easier once you understand why ornamental grass falls over. Most of the problems associated with flopping ornamental grass is because of gardeners taking too much care of the plants, not too little. The most common cause of ornamental grasses falling over is too much nitrogen in the soil. If you have a habit of fertilizing your ornamental plants on a regular basis, you’ll be causing the problem you’re trying to avoid....

Why Do Birds Eat Flower Buds? Certain flower buds provide birds with nutrition in early spring when their preferred fruit and seeds are not available. The following blossoms provide energy for migrating cedar waxwings in the spring: Pear Apple Peach Plum Cherry Crabapple Cardinals, finches, mockingbirds, blue jays, goldfinches, grosbeaks, quail, and grouse have also been known to feed on these fruit tree blossoms. Both finches and cardinals also seem to be quite fond of forsythia flowers....

Front Door Garden Design When creating a front door garden design, consider the architecture or “bones” of your home. The garden entryway should complement the design of the house and echo the mood one wants to project. The front door garden should reflect who you are and how you want to be perceived. Whether choosing a relaxed grouping of mixed border plants or a more formal potted topiary flanking the front steps, the landscaping of the front door garden area will set the tone for visitors as well as a welcome home to you....

The Difference Between a Frost and Freeze Forecast Frost occurs when temperatures at ground level reach 29 to 32 degrees F. (-1.7 to 0 C.). Exposures of 5 to 10 minutes at 29 degrees F. can severely damage frost tender crops like tomatoes and peppers. It takes a longer exposure at 32 degrees F. to cause similar damage. Crops such as broccoli and lettuce can withstand a frost but can be killed by a moderate freeze....

What is Fuchsia Rust? Fuchsia plants are among the most beloved plants in gardening circles, but despite their beauty and general hardiness, they can contract a few troubling illnesses. For example, fuchsia rust may make fuchsia plants look very sickly, so much so that gardeners are disheartened and discard them. Luckily, it’s not as bad as it can look. Arming yourself with fuchsia rust information will help you better defeat this annoying fungal disease....

Fuji Apple Information Fresh, crunchy, sweet/tart apples are one of life’s simple pleasures. Fuji apple trees produce perfectly balanced fruits that remain fresh tasting for a long time. Fujis are warm climate apples but are considered hardy down to USDA zone 4 and up to 8. Some tips on how to grow Fujis will have you picking these sugary fruits right from your backyard tree. Fuji apple trees grow 15 to 20 feet wide with the same spread (4....

Eating in the Garden What is an alfresco garden? It’s nothing more than a fancy term for eating outdoors. My own past experiences of alfresco dining are far from picture perfect, having mainly been at family reunions or holiday cook outs, where the food was served buffet style on rickety card tables or picnic benches covered with that classic red and white picnic tablecloth. Food would be slopped onto flimsy paper plates that I’d struggle not to spill as I sat in a tippy lawn chair and ate, while swatting away flies and mosquitoes....

This article shares garden journal ideas that will help you learn from your success and mistakes, and improve your gardening skills. What Is a Garden Journal? A garden journal is a written record of your garden. You can keep your garden journal contents in any notebook or on note cards organized into a file. For many people, a ring binder works best because it allows you to insert sheets of graph paper, calendar pages, pockets for your seed packets, plant tags, and pages for your photographs....

Why Doesn’t My Calla Lily Bloom? As long as a calla lily is planted in the right spot and gets the right growing conditions, it should produce abundant blooms. On the other hand, if you have calla lilies not blooming, specifically if they bud but don’t open, then this may indicate a problem with the plants’ conditions: The soil where your plant grows may be too dense or may contain too much heavy clay....

Female fruit flies can lay up to 25 eggs per day on the surface of ripe fruits, vegetables, salad remains, or even in drains or moist mop buckets. Controlling fruit flies in the home and even fruit flies in garden areas, is not difficult once you get rid of the source of attraction. Keep reading for tips on getting rid of fruit flies. How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies Inside Fruit flies are attracted to overripe fruits and vegetables and are especially fond of bananas, tomatoes, squash, grapes, and melons....

Do You Need to Deadhead Glads? Gladioli are queens of the landscape when they are in bloom. The majestic spires bear numerous flowers arrayed up the stalk, in hues that defy imagination. Gladiolus flowers last about a week but sometimes persist on the stalk for up to two weeks. They bloom consecutively with the lower buds opening first and the upper ones finishing several days later. Some gardeners feel that you must deadhead gladiolus flowers in order to force more blooms....

How to Grow Golden Acre Cabbage Reaching maturity in about 60 to 65 days, Golden Acre cabbages are often among the first cabbages to be harvested from the garden in the spring. At peak harvest time, early Golden Acre cabbage plants produce heads that range from 3 to 5 pounds (1-2 kg.). These smooth cabbage heads are exceptionally firm, and a good choice for growth in smaller garden spaces. The crisp, crunchy texture of Golden Acre cabbage variety makes it a fantastic choice for use in slaw and stir fry recipes....

What Causes Grape Powdery Mildew? Grape powdery mildew is caused by the fungal pathogen Uncinula necator. While it was previously believed that this fungal pathogen over wintered on buds, recent studies indicate that it actually overwinters in cracks and crevices on the grape’s bark. In spring, when temperatures range steadily above 50°F. (10°C.), the fungus becomes active and spores stick to plant tissues that are damp from spring rain or dew....

Groundhog Deterrent and Control Groundhogs are most active during the early morning and late afternoon hours. While they feed on a variety of broad-leafed vegetation, in the garden they prefer legumes such as clover, alfalfa, peas, beans, and soybeans. When it comes to deterrents or groundhog repellent, there are none that are specifically known. However, scarecrows and similar objects can occasionally provide temporary relief. The most effective types of control include the use of fences, traps, and fumigation....

The Rooibos Tea Plant Unlike most other types of herbal teas, rooibos is not a blend of plants, fruit and spices. Instead, it is created by carefully fermenting and drying the leaves of Aspalathus linearis. This shrub is native to Africa, where it can be found growing on sandy hills and the sides of mountains. Rooibos tea was traditionally used by the indigenous people of Southern Africa, but has been cultivated for commercial sale within the last 100 years....

How Can Algae Help Climate Change? Climate change and algal blooms are cause and effect situations. Warmer oceans have the ability to cause algal blooms, some of which can be dangerous. But certain species of algae are the work horses of environmental sustenance. These small plants convert carbon dioxide into oxygen, while simultaneously providing a protein source and biofuel. Harnessing these 3 benefits could have worldwide beneficial repercussions. Scientists are studying ancient sediment to see how algae from millions of years ago responded to high carbon dioxide environments....

Choosing Tropical Plants Most people are apprehensive when it comes to growing tropical plants because of their exotic appearance and hot, humid origins. While these plants may seem impossible to grow outside of a tropical rainforest, they are not. Some of the most commonly seen plants found growing in the jungle will also thrive in temperate regions. These can include: Ferns Hostas Bromeliads Wild ginger Bamboo Cycads, such as sago palms Palms Begonias Bananas Rhododendrons...