Let’s talk about how to prune a ficus tree and, more importantly for the plant’s health, when should ficus be pruned? Ficus are not winter hardy and are generally grown as houseplants in the United States and other parts of the world. They are native to tropical and subtropical regions and are considered part of this type of exterior landscaping in warm zones. Indoor plants have slow, steady growth but can become heavy on the ends and lose their arching shape....

Common Fig Tree Insect Pests The common fig is a deciduous tree to shrub cultivated for its delicious “fruit.” Fig fruit is not actually a fruit but rather a syconium, or a fleshy hollow area with tiny flowers on its interior walls. Hailing from western Asia, figs, depending upon conditions, can live for 50 to 75 years with reliable production. A condition that might impede their longevity is pest infestation on fig trees....

Freesia Growing Requirements As mentioned above, freesia is native to South Africa. In order to properly grow freesia in the garden, it is important to mimic its native habitat. Freesia plants bloom best when daytime temperatures are around 60 to 70 degrees F. (16-21 C.), and nighttime temperatures stay around 45 to 55 degrees F. (7-13 C.). However, freesia plants cannot tolerate any frost and will die if exposed to periods below 25 degrees F....

Crown Imperial Flowers Crown imperial plants are native to Asia and the Middle East and are hardy in USDA zones 5 to 9. They are distinguished by 1- to 3-foot (30.5-91.5 cm.) tall erect stalks topped with pointed leaves and a circular collection of hanging, bell-shaped flowers. These flowers come in shades of red, orange, and yellow depending upon variety. The flowers of the Lutea variety are yellow. The flowers of the Aurora, Prolifer, and Aureomarginata are all an orange/red color....

Garden Chores for Winter If gardening is your passion, you probably dread the cold, dead days of January. You can make the most of this down time. Instead of feeling bad about the season, take the opportunity to enjoy other aspects of your garden and get some much needed chores done in preparation for the growing season. Here are some garden tasks for January that you can do: Plan for spring....

Garden Science for Children: Adaptions Using gardens to teach science is super easy, and the great thing about nature related experiments and science projects is that children of all ages, and even most adults, find these activities entertaining and enjoy completing a project to see what the results will be. Most are easily adaptable for a majority of age groups too. Even the youngest scientist can enjoy getting outside and involved in nature related experiments....

Gardening Tasks for The Northeast Here are some basic things to do in May: Plant hardy annuals that can tolerate cool weather or a light frost such as pansies, sweet alyssum, dianthus, or snapdragons. All do well in the ground or in containers. Your garden to-do list for May should include plant sales hosted by local gardening groups. You will find some great buys on locally grown plants and in the process, support a local organization in their effort to beautify the community....

Big space, small space or not much at all, we’re here to help. Let’s dig in and get started! How to Get Started with Gardening Starting a garden at home for the first time begins with learning more about your specific region and growing zone. Importance of Regional Gardening ZonesUSDA Planting Zone MapHardiness Zone Converter Other factors to consider include your available garden space (it helps to start small and expand as your knowledge and confidence grows), what types of plants you’d like to grow, your current soil conditions, your light conditions and, of course, some basic garden terminology helps....

About Gardens in Brazil Brazil encompasses five different zones but is primarily tropical, with areas of rainforest in the west and temperate zones in the southern region. Temperatures in the rainforest barely vary and stay consistently rainy, warm and humid. Other tropical areas vary in the amount of rainfall they receive and temperatures are more likely to fluctuate a bit. In the semi-arid regions, dry periods are not uncommon and may even stretch into drought while in southern Brazil, a true winter is experienced with chilly temperatures and even on occasion, light snow....

Using Garlic for Pest Control There are a couple ways to use garlic as a pest control. The most common is to make a garlic spray for pests. Examples of some of the unwelcome insects that can be controlled utilizing a garlic spray include: Aphids Ants Beetles Borers Caterpillars Armyworms Slugs Termites Whiteflies In conjunction with this natural pesticide, be sure to keep the yard weed free and start off with healthy soil that has plenty of organic matter incorporated into it....

The leaves “float” on the surface of the water, supported by spongy veins. Their size allows the plant to take in the maximum sunshine possible. The underside of each leaf has spines, thought to be a way of preventing fish from nibbling on them. Leaves are anchored by submerged stalks up to 26 feet (7.9 m) long that embed themselves in the lake or river bottom. Victoria Water Lily Given that the native range of this large lily is in South America, from Bolivia in the south to Guyana in the north, one might wonder why it is called the Victoria water lily....

Help, My Grapevine is Dripping Water! Grapevine bleeding may happen at any time during active growth, usually when heavy pruning has been done. As soil temps reach 45-48 degrees F. (7-8 C.), root growth surges, leading to a jump in xylem activity. Xylem is the woody support tissue that carries water and minerals from the root systems through the stem and into the leaves. Bleeding in grapes usually only occurs during the dormant period of growth if there is plenty of water available to the roots....

What is Green Fescue? Some botanists and agriculture experts feel green fescue grass is the most important species to the high altitude regions of northern Oregon. It also ranges into Washington and British Columbia. This is a true grass in the family Poaceae, which is a long lived perennial. It grows in thick bunches alongside other native grasses and flowering wildflowers. One of the most important bits of green fescue information is its cold tolerance....

Growing Sweet Strawberries If your strawberries aren’t sweet, look at your current soil conditions. Strawberries perform best in well-drained, fertile, and slightly acidic soils. In fact, these plants tend to yield more and are sweeter when grown in compost-enriched, sandy soil. Planting strawberries in raised beds is also a good idea, as this (along with adequate soil) ensures for better drainage. Raised beds are also easier to maintain. Another important factor when growing this fruit is location....

Morel mushroom growing conditions are difficult to pinpoint. Some are associated with certain trees, while others defy the rules and appear in disturbed soils. With all the fungi’s unique needs, some expert tips are necessary on how to grow morel mushrooms. If you love hearty, flavorful mushrooms, you may wonder, “Where do morels grow?” Avid mycologists are stumped by that question, too. Traditionally these mushrooms have resisted cultivation, but scientists are hard at work learning more about growing morel mushrooms....

Can You Grow Spider Plants in Water? Many houseplants are easy to grow in water for a period of time, such as Pothos and spider plants. Taking cuttings or offsets is an easy way to propagate a favorite plant. These cuttings root quickly in just a glass of water. Once rooting is established, the new plant needs nutrients for future development. Plain old water is unlikely to sustain the cutting for very long....

What is Amaranth? The amaranth plant is a grain and greens crop plant. The plant develops long flowers, which can be upright or trailing depending on the variety. The flowers are used to produce the amaranth grain, while the leaves can be used as amaranth greens. Varieties of Amaranth as Food When growing amaranth for food, it is best to select varieties of amaranth that work well as a food crop....

How to Grow Gladiolus Gladiolus corms look like oversized crocus corms. They have a brown fiber wrapper with a small flat bottom. Sometimes they already have pointy shoots showing at the top. Follow these growing tips to help with care of gladiolus: Gladiolus prefer well-drained and even sandy soil. They also like sunny locations. You will want to plant the gladiolus deeper than usual because they have a tall sheaf of leaves....

Tips for Growing Rosemary Indoors Most often, there are four things on the list of what kills rosemary plants indoors. These are: lack of sunlight poor watering practices powdery mildew pests If you can avoid these issues, your rosemary plant will live happily inside. Let’s look at how to avoid each. Lack of Sunlight Most people aren’t aware that the lack of sunshine is the most common reason for a rosemary plant growing indoors to die....

Choosing Tulips for the Garden Spring bulbs like tulips already have an embryo flower tucked away inside. This embryo is just waiting to begin growing. When choosing tulip bulbs, make sure they are fat and firm. Avoid any bulbs that are soft, flabby, moldy, or whose papery cover is missing. You will want to purchase your tulip bulbs in late August or early September (late summer/early fall), but wait to plant them until mid-autumn....