Can Music Accelerate Plant Growth? Believe it or not, numerous studies have indicated that playing music for plants really does promote faster, healthier growth. In 1962, an Indian botanist conducted several experiments on music and plant growth. He found that certain plants grew an extra 20 percent in height when exposed to music, with a considerably greater growth in biomass. He found similar results for agricultural crops, such as peanuts, rice, and tobacco, when he played music through loudspeakers placed around the field....

Are Yellow Limes Bad? If you have neglected to use your limes in a timely manner, you may end up with limes that are yellow. This will be especially true if you have stored them in an area of sun exposure. The sun causes them to turn yellow and will change the flavor of the lime. So, are limes with yellow skin bad? No. In fact, depending upon the variety of lime, the flavor may be even more intense and juicier or more on the bitter side....

How to Divide Large Potted Bamboo Let’s go over how to repot bamboo. Be sure to have the following tools available before you start: a knife, pruning saw, good pair of scissors or pruning shears, and one or more new pots. Large bamboo division can be awkward and difficult if done alone, so you may want to have a friend help you out too. If your potted bamboo needs splitting, here is what you can do:...

Midwest and Ohio Valley Native Flowers From Ohio to Missouri, native plants in the Midwest include many flower garden beauties. These plants often have long bloom times, and many can be used in fresh and dried arrangements: Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) – The yellow daisy-shaped flowers of black-eyed Susan bloom on multi-branching stems in summer and early fall.Cardinal flower – (Lobelia cardinalis) – Add color to the garden with spiky flower stalks of cardinal flower, bearing five-lobed, bright red flowers....

Why New Growth is Dying Well, that’s really the question, isn’t it? The reasons for tender growth dying are numerous, but they can generally be divided into these categories: bugs, vascular disease, and root damage. Pests – When you’re trying to determine how to fix dying growth, bugs are by far the easiest. Tip and twig borers, like those common on many evergreen trees and blueberries, prefer to burrow into the soft tissues at the end of shrubs and trees....

Ornamental vs. Fruiting Pear Trees Many ornamental pear trees do actually fruit but, generally, produce very little fruit and of a smaller size, less than half an inch (1.5 cm.) across. Is ornamental pear fruit edible? I wouldn’t recommend it. I would leave these tiny fruits for wildlife to munch on. The purpose of choosing an ornamental vs. a fruiting pear tree is for its sparse to non-existent fruiting capability....

When and What to Spray on Peach Trees Before bud swell: Apply horticultural dormant oil or a bordeaux mixture (a mixture of water, copper sulfate, and lime) in February or March, or just before the buds swell and daytime temperatures have reached 40 to 45 F. (4-7 C.). Spraying peach trees at this time is critical in order to get the jump on fungal diseases and overwintering pests such as aphids, scale, mites, or mealybugs....

What is Pear Decline Disease? Pear decline is a serious, often lethal pear tree disease caused by a phytoplasma called Candidatus Phytoplasma pyri. It is a mycoplasma-like organism without rigid cell walls. A tree is infected with this pear decline phytoplasma by insects called pear psylla. The pear psylla itself gets infected with pear decline phytoplasma from eating the foliage of infected pear trees. Once infected, a psylla stays infected and can transmit the disease to other host trees....

Why Pepper Plants Have Black Streaks on Stem Growing peppers in your garden can be a rewarding and nourishing experience. Peppers are usually easy to grow, generate a lot of fruit, and are not bothered by many pests. One commonly reported concern with regards to peppers, however, has to do with a purple-black coloration that occurs on the stems. For some peppers, purple or black stems are normal and as long as the plant looks healthy, you shouldn’t worry about the dark coloration on the stem....

What is Persian Ivy? Persian ivy’s leaves are heart shaped, making for an attractive vertical display and earning it the common name My Heart. The vine clings by aerial rootlets and can cover a fence or a wall. Originating in Turkey, Persian ivy’s spherical greenish white or yellow flowers appear in autumn. Some types are native to Southern Caucasus on the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea and Black Sea near the Caucasus Mountains....

Why is My Phlox Yellow and Dry? Phlox plants are specifically prone to fungal diseases such as southern blight, rust, powdery mildew, etc. Powdery mildew is the most common fungal disease of phlox plants. This disease is first noticed by the powdery white spots or coating on plant tissues. The disease may progress to phlox yellowing and drying out, as well as excessive leaf drop. Fungal diseases can deplete phlox plants of vital nutrients and water by interrupting the plant’s natural flow of xylem and phloem and its ability to photosynthesize properly....

How to Harvest Peas Both tender hulls and seeds of peas are edible. Tender, edible pods come from the early harvest. Learning how to harvest pea seeds and how to harvest pea pods is a matter of timing and which part of the vegetable you prefer to use. Sugar snap pea varieties should be tender, with immature seeds, when harvesting peas for pods. Snow peas are ready for harvest when pods are developed, before pea seeds appear....

Dealing with Pineapple Problems There is something truly intoxicating about the rum-like smell of a properly ripe pineapple, but when you’ve grown that fruit yourself, the experience can be almost transcendent. Since it can take many months for a pineapple fruit to mature, however, the plant has a lot of opportunities to develop disease or pick up pests, like beetles. Fortunately, most common pineapple problems are simple to correct. Pineapple plant diseases and pests can ruin an otherwise promising harvest, but if you already know how to identify common issues, you can be proactive about managing them....

Pink Knotweed Information What is pink knotweed? It’s a tough plant that stays under 6 inches (15 cm.) tall but spreads horizontally to up to 5 feet (1.5 m.). It thrives in almost any soil, including dry and sandy soil, and grows in both sun and partial shade in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 8 through 11. The lance-shaped leaves of the pinkhead knotweed plants are between 2 and 11 inches (5-28 cm....

What is a Plant Pup? Plant pups may also be referred to as offshoots, sister plants, or even suckers. Though “suckers” can have a negative connotation, plants do have very good reasons for producing these offshoots. Plants that are dying back from illness or old age will sometimes produce new plant pups from their root structures in an attempt to carry on their legacy. For example, bromeliads tend to be short-lived plants that die back after only flowering once....

What are Stomata? Plants need to intake carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is an essential part of photosynthesis. It is converted by solar energy into sugar which fuels the plant’s growth. Stomata aid in this process by harvesting the carbon dioxide. Stoma plant pores also provide a plant’s version of an exhale where they release water molecules. This process is called transpiration and enhances nutrient uptake, cools the plant, and ultimately allows carbon dioxide entry....

How to Grow Clover with Kids If you’re looking for fun ways to grow clover with children, consider these easy projects and the educational lessons you can include: Planting Clover in the Lawn White clover (Trifolium repens) is a great addition for a self-fertilizing lawn. Prior to the 1950’s, clover was part of lawn seed mix. Clover requires less water, grows well in the shade and bees benefit from the pollen produced by the flowers....

Midsummer Planting Tips There are many vegetables and flowers that you can plant mid-summer – even in northern or mountain states such as Minnesota and Colorado. The most important things you need to know for planting in midsummer are: With these facts in hand, you can calculate whether it is worth it to fit in a second harvest or whether you should let the garden rest until winter. Some plants stop growing and die with just a light frost whereas others can keep going until it gets really cold....

Plants That Like Full Sun and Sand: Sandy Soil, Full Sun Plants A sandy soil is fast draining due to its larger soil particles than clay or silt types. While that might be advantageous, the quick moving water also depletes the soil of nutrients and moisture. Believe it or not, some plants prefer a dry, nutrient poor soil, and those are the plants to seek out. Here are popular full sun plants for sandy soil that thrive in low fertility and moisture....

What is Pipicha? If you’re a savvy reader, you may have noticed that I spelled the herb’s name two different ways. Pepicha is, indeed, also known as pepicha as well as thin papalo, tepicha, and escobeta. Sometimes confused with papalo, this native upright herb can be used similarly and is often used to flavor meat dishes. Where papalo has broad-shaped leaves and a different flavor profile, pepicha has narrow leaves, albeit a similar look to papalo....