What is Potato Scab? Once you’ve unearthed scabby potatoes, you may ask yourself, “What causes potato scab?”. Unfortunately, the source of infection isn’t a rare, short-lived pathogen; it’s a soil bacteria that can remain in the ground indefinitely as long as decaying plant matter is left behind. The bacteria, Streptomyces scabies, thrives in soils with a pH above 5.5 and temperatures between 50 to 88 F. (10-31 C.). The growing conditions needed by potatoes are very close to the conditions that scab prefers....

Potted creeping phlox is beautiful and, once planted, requires minimal care. It may also be known as moss pink, moss phlox, or mountain phlox. Hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees love the nectar-rich blooms. Read on to learn how to grow creeping phlox in a container. Growing Creeping Phlox in Pots Start creeping phlox seeds indoors about six weeks before the last frost in your area. If you prefer, you can start with small plants from a local greenhouse or nursery....

When Do You Harvest Prickly Pear Fruit? Prickly pear fruit is found in warm regions of North America but even northern denizens can get a taste of this unique fruit in specialty markets. Prickly pear fruit is a traditional food of the indigenous population of arid, warm regions. The chubby little fruits are excellent eaten raw, stewed, canned, or prepared into preserves but first, you have to have a plant for picking prickly pear fruit....

About Growing Cilantro Cilantro is the culinary term for the leaves of this plant. Did you know coriander comes from the same plant? Coriander is the spice made from the dried seeds. To enjoy one or both of these tasty seasonings, you can easily grow cilantro in an herb or container garden. Cilantro prefers full sun but will tolerate some shade. The soil should drain well. Provide regular water, especially as it gets hot to delay bolting....

About Pollinator Predators Predators of honey bees and other insect pollinators take advantage of populous hives for sustenance. Some also attack pollinators on the job, when feeding at flowers. These are just some of the creatures that may prey on your garden pollinators: Flies. Some species of fly prey on bees, including robber flies. They feed on all kinds of flying insects but are drawn to hives. Wasps and hornets. These insects attack bees as they forage but they also go after hives and colonies....

Steps for Pruning Geraniums There are three different methods for cutting back geraniums. Which one you use will depend on what you are trying to do. Pruning Geraniums After Winter Dormancy If you place your geraniums into dormancy for overwintering or if you live in an area where geraniums die back some over the winter, the best time to prune geraniums is in early spring. Remove all of the dead and brown leaves from the geranium plant....

Purple Sage Planting Guide Growing purple sage plants is great because they require such little care. Used to desert conditions (lending to its other common name – desert sage), they are very drought resistant and actually prefer sandy or even rocky soil. Because of this, the most likely reason for a purple sage plant to fail is that the growing conditions are too rich. Only gardeners in the hot, dry regions of the western U....

Understanding Raspberry Plant Problems One of the first things you need to know is the difference between a primocane and a floricane. A primocane is a leafy stalk formed during its first year on a raspberry plant. It may produce buds but doesn’t typically produce fruit. You want to let the primocanes grow and then overwinter for producing flowers and fruit in the second year. During the second year of this cane’s life, it is called a floricane....

Tips for Making a Recycled Garden with Kids Recycling in the garden with kids is all about finding ways to reuse ordinary household materials that might otherwise end up in a landfill. From milk cartons to yogurt cups, kids and recycled containers naturally go hand-in-hand. Creating a children’s recycled garden helps your kids see how the disposable items they use every day can have a second life. Here are a few of the many items which can be made into recycled planters for kids to decorate and use:...

What is Red Feather Clover? Growing red clover to enhance soil is a time honored tradition amongst organic gardeners and traditional farmers. Trifolium rubens is an ornamental form of white clover, valued for its nutrient benefits and its lovely blooms. Ornamental red clover performs the same functions as standard red clovers while enhancing the natural landscape. Red feather foxtail clover is easy to grow from seed and needs little care or maintenance....

Alpine Poppy Info Also known by the common names of rooted poppies or arctic poppies, these poppies are perennials, but they don’t do well in warm temperatures. They are often grown as cool weather annuals, suitable for gardens in USDA plant hardiness zones 2 through 6. In spring and early summer, alpine rooted poppy plants produce fern-like leaves and showy flowers with papery petals of orange, yellow, salmon red or cream....

However, there is one way to save money on these higher ticket items. This is to start your own from cuttings. There are two types of cuttings to start shrubs, bushes and trees — hardwood cuttings and softwood cuttings. These phrases refer to the state the wood of the plant is in. New growth that is still pliable and has not yet developed a bark exterior is called softwood. Older growth, which has developed a bark exterior, is called hardwood....

With their ease of care, succulent plants are ideal gifts for budding gardeners and green-thumbs in training. One such plant, Jet Beads stonecrop, which produces stunning bronze leaves and yellow flowers, is perfect for even the most avid succulent plant collector. Jet Beads Plant Info Jet Beads sedeveria is a small, yet beautiful, succulent produced as a hybrid of sedum and echeveria plants. Its diminutive size, reaching only 4 inches (10 cm....

Determining Shade Plant Light Requirements In addition to shadows moving over the landscape each day, the amount and intensity of light a given area receives changes throughout the seasons. Over time, flower beds can also become shadier as trees grow or sunnier when trees are trimmed or are removed. Growing shade plants in the sun can result in scorched leaves and poor growth. If not corrected, this can lead to loss of the plant....

Should I Repot My Desert Rose? Repotting is par for the course for desert rose owners, so it’s safe to say that a repot is definitely in your future and, more than likely, many times over. Is your desert rose the size you desire it to be? If your answer is ‘no,’ then it is recommended that you repot it every year or two until it reaches your desired size, as overall growth is decelerated once the plant becomes pot bound....

Side Shoots on Broccoli Once the main head has been harvested, lo and behold, the plant will begin growing broccoli side shoots. Harvesting broccoli plant side shoots should be done in the same manner as harvesting the main head, and side shoots on broccoli are just as delicious. There is no need to grow a special type of broccoli for side shoot harvesting. Pretty much all varieties form broccoli plant side shoots....

In the garden, silver leaf plants may take on several different roles. They can add unique interest anywhere, working well on their own as focal points or with other plants. A silver leaved plant can be an excellent contrast to green plants while breaking up the monotony of single-colored gardens. They can also tone down bright colors. Silver plants blend nicely with shades of blue, lilac, and pink. They also contrast well with purple, red, and orange....

Cacti come in a dazzling array of sizes, forms, and colors. Growing a Silver Torch cactus plant will provide your home with one of the most stunning examples of these succulents. Make sure you have plenty of room for the multiple ten-foot (3 m.) tall stems. Silver Torch Cactus Facts The genus name, Cleistocactus, comes from the Greek “kleistos,” which means closed. This is a direct reference to the plant’s flowers which don’t open....

But, you can make an estimate on what size garden will feed a family so that you can try to plant enough to enjoy all of your favorite vegetables all season long. Let’s look at the what size garden will feed a family. How to Grow a Garden for a Family The most important thing to consider when deciding how big your family garden should be is how many people in your family you need to feed....

Snail Vine Info The Vigna caracalla snail vine is an attractive evergreen vine in USDA zones 9 through 11 and will die back in cooler regions for the winter. Many people that live in cooler regions will set this interesting plant out for the summer and grow it indoors for the winter. This beautiful tropical vine, with lavender and white flowers, is native to Central and South America and thrives in full sun and high humidity....