What is an American Bladdernut Tree? If you aren’t familiar with this shrub, you may ask “what is an American bladdernut?” It is a plant native to eastern North America, from Ontario down through Georgia. Bladdernut is especially common in bottomland forests and can often be found along streams. You can grow an American bladdernut as either a shrub or a small tree, depending on how you prune it. American bladdernut information tells us that the shrub can grow to a height of 12 or 15 feet (4-5 m....

Apricot Trees with Bacterial Spot Bacterial spot is an infection caused by the bacterium, Xanthomonas pruni. Though the name may imply that only apricot trees may become afflicted with this disease, many stone fruits are susceptible. This includes fruits such as peaches, plums, and even cherries. These bacteria, which commonly spread in the springtime, can be found in cankers that have formed on trees. During periods of wet weather with high humidity, bacteria are able to spread....

Why Do My Apricots Stay Green? It can be difficult to determine why apricots aren’t ripening on the tree, but there’s a good chance the tree is experiencing some sort of stress. For example, stress can be caused by unseasonably hot, dry weather. In the absence of rainfall, apricots need a good soaking every ten days. Stress can also be caused by lack of sunlight. Be sure the variety is suitable for your USDA growing zone....

Buying, selling and trading different varieties of edible seeds became popular, allowing gardeners’ access to different varieties of their favorite fruits and veggies. Edibles that had been limited to certain regions suddenly became available all over. One such heirloom fruit tree that was popular is the Arkansas Black apple. What is an Arkansas Black apple tree? Continue reading for the answer. What is an Arkansas Black Apple Tree? In the late 1800s, a sudden boom in apple orchards in the Ozark regions introduced the entire country to different varieties of apples that had previously just been regional favorites....

Autograph Vegetable Activity A great, incredibly fun, and interesting project for kids is scratching names in garden veggies. Yes, you heard me correctly. Personalizing pumpkins or other squash in this manner will engage kids for months and will guarantee that you have a personal garden buddy, ready and willing to assist with garden chores. So, the question is how to make personalized pumpkins? How to Make Personalized Pumpkins Scratching names in garden veggies such as pumpkins or other hard squash and melons is easy and guaranteed to enthrall the youngest child as well as older kids....

Identifying Azalea Bark Scale Blackened branches, covered by a sticky soot and white, cottony fluffs in the crotches of the lower branches are all symptoms of one of the most dreaded of azalea diseases. Black branches are the result of mold growing on the honeydew excreted by this azalea pest. Azalea bark scale looks like, and is often mistaken for, mealybugs. The female is covered with waxy threads that harden into a protective scale as her egg sac forms....

Get to know the signs and how to prevent its spread in your indoor or garden. Signs of Leaf Spot and Stem Rot on Geraniums There are a few characteristic signs of this disease. The first is the spot formation on leaves. Look for small spots that are circular and appear water-soaked. These spots will quickly get larger and eventually the leaves will begin to wilt. Other signs you may notice on geranium leaves are yellowish-brown spots....

Basket-of-gold plant care is easy in areas with mild summers, but in hot, humid climates they tend to die back in midsummer. If shearing doesn’t revive them, try growing them as annuals. Sow seeds in summer or set out bedding plants in early fall. Pull up the plants after they flower the following year. Grow basket-of-gold flowers as perennials in USDA plant hardiness zones 3 through 7. How to Grow Basket-of-Gold Plant basket-of-gold in a sunny location with average, well-draining soil....

Benefits of Coltsfoot Fertilizer Natural garden care has become popular due to an awakening desire to keep chemicals out of our water table, and the popularity of sustainable gardening. Herbal teas and composts have been traditional methods of fertilizing plants. Feeding plants with coltsfoot tea is just one way to harness the healing and health promoting properties of herbs. It just seems natural that the benefits derived from herbs can translate to strong plants with better vigor....

Controlling Bergenia Pests Slugs and snails are slimy pests that can easily eat their way through bergenia leaves in nothing flat. Confirm they’ve invaded your flower bed by the jagged holes they chew in the leaves and the silvery trails they leave behind. Here are a few helpful tips for controlling slugs and snails: Limit mulch to 2 inches (5 cm.) or less. Mulch provides a moist, safe hiding place for slugs and snails....

What is a Hardy Chicago Fig? Native to Sicily, hardy Chicago figs, as the name suggests, are the most cold tolerant fig trees available. This beautiful fig tree bears luscious, medium sized figs, which are produced on older wood in the early summer and fruit on new growth in the early fall. The ripe fruit is a dark mahogany contrasting with the characteristic three-lobed, green fig leaves. Also known as ‘Bensonhurst Purple,’ this tree can grow up to 30 feet (9 m....

Cold Hardy Herbs Below is a list of hardy herbs for zone 5 gardens. Agrimony Angelica Anise hyssop Hyssop Catnip Caraway Chives Clary sage Comfrey Costmary Echinacea Chamomile (depending on variety) Lavender (depending on variety) Feverfew Sorrel French tarragon Garlic chives Horseradish Lemon balm Lovage Marjoram Mint hybrids (chocolate mint, apple mint, orange mint, etc.) Parsley (depending on variety) Peppermint Rue Salad burnet Spearmint Sweet Cicely Oregano (depending on variety) Thyme (depending on variety) Savory – winter...

Plants with Big Flowers Sometimes bigger is better, and while a mix of flowers is nice, make sure to add some of these massive blooms to your beds for maximum impact: Dinnerplate dahlia: Called dinner plate varieties, these plants produce pretty flowers of 8 to 10 inches (20-25 cm.) across. There are several types in any color you can imagine. Cultivars like ‘Hamari Gold’ and ‘Penhill Dark Monarch’ are massive dinnerplate dahlias....

Blossom End Rot and Calcium Blossom end rot (BER) on tomatoes is caused by a deficiency of calcium. Calcium is necessary for plants because it produces strong cell walls and membranes. When a plant does not get the amount of calcium needed to fully produce, you end up with malformed fruit and mushy lesions on fruit. BER can affect peppers, squash, eggplant, melons, apples and other fruits and vegetables, too. Oftentimes, blossom end rot on tomatoes or other plants happen in seasons with extreme weather fluctuations....

About Blue Barrel Cactus Plants The scientific name for blue barrel cactus is Ferocactus glaucescens, and it is native to eastern and central areas of Mexico, especially the state of Hidalgo. It tends to grow in the mountains between the rocks and as part of the native juniper woodlands and shrub habitat. Barrel cacti get their name from the shape and growth type, which is round and squat. They grow as solitary barrels until older when new heads grow to create a mound....

What is a Boysenberry? What’s a boysenberry? As mentioned, it’s an amazing, hybrid berry comprised of a mix of raspberries, blackberries, and loganberries, which in themselves are a mix of raspberries and blackberries. A vining perennial in USDA zones 5-9, boysenberries are eaten fresh or made into juice or preserves. Boysenberries look much akin to an elongated blackberry and, like blackberries, have a dark purple color and a sweet flavor with a hint of tartness....

Brugmansia Angel Trumpet Brugmansia is a popular collector’s plant. There are seven species of Brugmansia but innumerable cultivars. The seven species are listed as extinct in the wild and today these plants are grown as ornamental specimens. Brugmansia are heavy feeders and require quite a bit of water. Good Brugmansia plant care will result in a small tree decorated with dangling trumpet-shaped flowers. Caring for Brugmansia outdoors requires warm temperatures and a sunny location with protection from the midday sun....

Bug Identification Guide Garden pest ID is important. It helps you distinguish between beneficial bugs and bug pests in order to encourage the former and discourage the latter. It also allows you to tailor necessary pest control to the particular bugs involved. Now how to identify pests… One day there very well may be a “bug identification guide” app for your phone that will tell you the name of an insect just by taking a photo of it....

Growing Spurred Butterfly Pea Vines Spurred butterfly pea vines are suitable for growing in USDA plant hardiness zones 10 and 11, but you can grow the vines as annuals if you live in a cooler climate. Spurred butterfly pea plants are easy to grow from seed, either by planting directly in the garden in spring or by starting them indoors about 12 weeks ahead of time. Lightly nick or scrape the seeds, and then let them soak overnight in room temperature water before planting....

When to Fertilize Camellias The best time to fertilize camellias is in the spring after the flowers fade. Before fertilizing camellia plants, pick off all the faded flowers from the shrub and clean up fallen flowers from the ground around the shrub. This keeps the bush looking neat and prevents the formation of seeds. Seed formation drains energy from the plant and limits growth. Removing the flowers also helps control blight, which is a serious problem for camellias....