Michigan Gardening in April Michigan covers USDA zones 4 through 6, so there is some variation in when and how to start gardening this month. Here is a tip for determining if the soil is ready for planting. Take a handful and squeeze it. If it crumbles, then you’re good to go. Once your soil is ready, you can start with some preparatory work. Consider getting a soil test, for instance....

What are Midgen Berries? Midgen berries (Austromyrtus dulcis) are sometimes referred to as sand berry, as they are a native bush food occurring naturally along Australia’s coastal regions. They are a close relative of the Lilly Pilly, both of the Myrtle family. Midgen berries grow on shrubs of around 6 feet (2 m.) in height. Midgen berry plants have ovate, dark green leaves. The foliage is rich in oil, giving the leaves a gorgeous sheen....

Milk Fertilizer Benefits Milk is a good source of calcium, not only for humans, but for plants as well. Raw, or unpasteurized, cow’s milk has some of the same nourishing properties for plants that it has for animals and people. It contains beneficial proteins, vitamin B, and sugars that are good for plants, improving their overall health and crop yields. The microbes that feed on the fertilizer components of milk are also beneficial to the soil....

These gardens, which are near the home or attached to it for protection from the elements, require tough plants that flourish in these conditions. They are often surrounded by a hedge to block winds and offer privacy. Many of these attached rooms provide afternoon shade. This type of garden is called a riad. Plants for a Moroccan Garden Plants for these centralized gardens provide a lush, tropical feel even though they’re friendly to their xeriscape location....

The Most Hardy Evergreen Trees While some deciduous trees are extremely cold hardy, evergreens are among the most cold hardy trees around. Think of the spruce that grow in Alaska. Yes, there are evergreen spruce and pine and even cypress trees that thrive down to USDA plant hardiness zone 2, and even more for still cold zones 3 and 4. Since trees hardy to zone 2 will also do well in zones 3 and 4, let’s look at the evergreen trees that will survive zone 2 winters....

Do Sansevierias (Mother-in-Law’s Tongue) Have Flowers? Yes, they do. Though mother-in-law’s tongue flowers are extremely rare, these hardy houseplants can have flowers. What Do Sansevierias (Mother-in-Law’s Tongue) Flowers Look Like? Mother-in-law’s tongue flowers grow on a very long flower stalk. The stalk can reach a length of up to 3 feet (1 m.) and will be covered in dozens of flower buds. The flowers themselves will be white or cream colored....

Spider Plant Repotting Repotting spider plants simply means moving spider plants to larger pots. It is often necessary to repot houseplants as they outgrow their pots, and spider plants tend to grow faster than most. Spider plants are native to the coastal areas of South Africa. The plant’s tuberous roots allows the species to thrive despite varying levels of precipitation in the wild. These same water-storing tuberous roots assist your spider houseplant to survive when you forget to water it for a few weeks....

What is Mushroom Compost? Mushroom compost is a type of slow-release, organic plant fertilizer. The compost is made by mushroom growers using organic materials such as hay, straw, corn cobs, and hulls, and poultry or horse manure. Since the mushroom growing process varies slightly between individual growers, mushroom compost recipes may differ here and there. For instance, additional materials like gypsum, peat moss, lime, soybean meal, and various other organic items may be added to the compost as well....

No Flowers on Candy Corn Plant Manettia inflata is known as the candy corn plant, cigar flower, or firecracker vine. Each epithet aptly describes attributes of this beautiful Central and South American species. When a Manettia won’t bloom, it could be due to temperature changes, lighting, nutrients, inappropriate pruning, or possibly other cultural care, such as watering. Humidity As a tropical plant, candy corn vines need plenty of sun, moderately moist soil, and humidity....

Why Pawpaw Won’t Fruit Perhaps one reason that the delicious pawpaw has not become a big commercial seller is that it is actually difficult to get fruit from the tree’s purple flowers. Pawpaw requires cross pollination, but even with this, it has a low rate of fruit set. Although pawpaw flowers have both male and female reproductive components, a pollinator is needed. Although cross pollination is necessary, getting pollinators to do the job is difficult and is usually the reason behind why there is little to no fruit on a pawpaw in most situations....

Symptoms in Watermelon with Myrothecium Korean plant growers first spotted Myrothecium on watermelon plants growing in a greenhouse. The disease has rarely been observed in field grown melons, probably due to the humid conditions in the enclosed plants. The disease is a leaf and stem rot fungus that attacks foliage first and can progress to the stem over time. It resembles many other fungal diseases, such as damping off in seedlings or Alternaria blight....

Gardening in New York – How to Use the New York USDA Plant Hardiness Map The USDA began producing plant hardiness maps in 1960 and has been improving its accurateness ever since. In 2012, a new zone hardiness map was released that took the place of the previous 1990 map. The new map includes 13 zones. Above is the New York planting map that indicates the planting regions specific to the state of New York....

These trees require special care to look their best. High humidity, plenty of bright light and reasonable fertilization are on the menu, and any Norfolk Island pine trouble shooting should start by examining these key ingredients. Branch drop in Norfolk pines is common and happens for a couple of reasons. Norfolk Dropping Branches Branches, needles or branch tips falling off Norfolk pine is a regular occurrence with these plants, even when conditions are ideal....

Oats Covered Smut Information You can find oats with covered smut in many places that oats are grown. But the disease is not easy to spot. You may not realize that your oat plants are diseased until the crop develops heads. Oats covered smut symptoms are generally not visible in the field. That’s because the smut fungus forms in small, loose balls inside the oat panicle. In oats covered with smut, the spores are contained within a delicate gray membrane....

How to Care for Oriental Poppies When asked how to care for oriental poppies, the rules are few. Careful placement is essential. Once planted, these beauties don’t like to move. Don’t plant them in soggy ground. They hate wet feet. Do fertilize them, but only once a year. Do plant them with favorites whose growth habits will cover the garden bald spots when your poppies go dormant in the heat. Oriental poppies relish the cool temperatures of early spring and fall....

Oriental vs. Asiatic Lily Oriental and Asiatic lilies aren’t the same, but both of the popular, hybrid lilies are strikingly beautiful and right at home in the home garden. Although Oriental lilies are slightly trickier, both are easy to grow, and learning to tell the difference between Asiatic and Oriental lilies isn’t all that difficult either. Asiatic Lily Info Asiatic lilies are native to several areas of Asia. The plants, which reach mature heights of 1 to 6 feet (0....

If you are in the market for a new type of basil, you’ll want to consider Osmin basil plants. What is Osmin basil? It offers that spicy basil flavor but adds to the package extremely ornamental leaves in deepest purple. Read on for more Osmin purple basil information. What is Osmin Basil? Osmin basil plants are not the only purple basils, but they definitely stand out from the crowd. Their leaves grow in a true dark maroon color, the deepest purple of any basil plant....

Banana Plants in Winter Temperatures below freezing will kill a banana’s leaves, and just a few degrees lower will kill the plant down to the ground. If your winters never get below the high 20s Fahrenheit (-6 to -1 C.), your tree’s roots may be able to survive outside to grow a new trunk in the spring. Any colder, though, and you’ll need to move it inside. The absolute easiest way to deal with banana plants in winter is simply to treat them as annuals....

Winter Plant Care How to keep plants alive over winter (by overwintering plants in pots indoors) means you first have to make room for the plants, which is sometimes easier said than done. Although you may have enough room in certain locations in your house, if the plants don’t receive enough light, they may begin to decline. Tip: Before bringing plants indoors, install some hanging basket hooks or shelves in front of bright windows....

What are Ozark Beauty Strawberries? The Ozark Beauty strawberry was developed in Arkansas and is well suited for cooler regions, hardy to USDA zones 4-8, and with protection may even do well in USDA zones 3 and 9. This strawberry cultivar can survive winter temps down to -30 F. (-34 C.). Ozark Beauty strawberries are considered to be one of the best everbearing varieties. They are vigorous and extremely prolific producers....