What to Do with Wintercress Of course, you don’t want the spreading plant invading your landscape, but before you get rid of it, consider its uses. The wintercress genus (Barbarea) includes 20 different types and, according to wintercress information, these belong to the mustard family and considered a wild herb. Young leaves on 6 inch (15 cm.) wintercress plants in early spring are edible and best for adding to salads in limited amounts....

Also known as lilyturf and sometimes monkey grass, liriope is a visually appealing and reliable ornamental plant for home landscapes, flower borders, and mass plantings. With a grass-like appearance, lilyturf plants produce a profusion of short white to lavender flower spikes. Once the blooming has completed, the spent flowers are removed and the vibrant evergreen foliage continues to grow throughout fall. Lilyturf Winter Care When it comes to lilyturf, cold tolerance is an important aspect....

What is Witches’ Broom of Cherry? Witches’ broom on a cherry can be caused by many things. The prolific stunted or distorted shoots known as witches’ broom can be a symptom of fungal, bacterial, or viral infection. Witches’ broom can also be caused by insect, animal, or human damage to a tree. For example, if you accidentally nick a tree trunk with the mower or weed whacker, it may produce witches’ broom from the wound....

Wood Lily Information Wood lily plants (Lilium philadelphicum) grow in a single stem and can reach 1 to 3 feet (31-91 cm.) tall. The leaves are in a whorled pattern around the stem and the top of the stem can carry up to five flowers. These blooms are what make the wood lily such a popular plant. The bright orange, cup-shaped blooms are made of six separate flaring petals and each petal is spotted with deep purple spots right at the base....

Worm casting tea is what you get when you steep some of your castings in water, just like you would steep tea leaves. The result is a very useful all-natural liquid fertilizer that can be diluted and used to water plants. Keep reading to learn more about how to make worm casting tea. How to Make Worm Casting Tea There are a few ways to make worm-casting tea for plants....

Best Zone 5 Lily Plants Lilies are classed as belonging to Lillium, a large genus of herbaceous flowering plants which arise from bulbs. There are nine main divisions of lily hybrids, dividing them by form but mostly by their parent plants. Not all of these are suitable for zone 5 climate conditions, which may range between -10 and -20 degrees F. (-23 to -29 C.). Lilies need a period of cool dormant conditions to promote flowering, but a word of caution to northern gardeners – bulbs may be prone to freezing in cold climates, which can ruin the plant and cause bulbs to rot....

When to Plant Bulbs in Zone 8 There are two main types of bulbs we plant in the garden: spring flowering bulbs and summer flowering bulbs. Spring flowering bulbs are probably what comes to mind most often when you hear someone mention bulbs. These bulbs include: Tulip Daffodil Crocus Hyacinth Iris Anemone Ranunculus Lily of the valley Scilla Some lilies Allium Bluebells Muscari Ipheion Fritillaria Chinodoxa Trout lily The flowers usually bloom in early to late spring, with some even blooming in late winter in zone 8....

Choosing Ornamental Grass for Zone 8 Using ornamental grasses has become something of a rage lately. Their visual impact paired with their ability to fit into many landscape situations has made them a popular garden addition. Zone 8 ornamental grasses may experience temperatures as low as 10 to 20 degrees F. (-12 to -7 C.). Such chilly conditions can be detrimental for the tropical grasses, but there is still a wide variety from which to choose....

Growing Zone 8 Tomato Plants USDA zone 8 really runs the gamut on the USDA hardiness zone map. It runs from the southeast corner of North Carolina down through the lower portions of South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi. It then continues to include most of Louisiana, parts of Arkansas and Florida, and a big chunk of mid-Texas. Standard zone 8 gardening advice is targeted to these areas of zone 8, but it also includes parts of New Mexico, Arizona, California, and the coastal Pacific Northwest, quite a broad swath indeed....

Popular Viburnum with White Flowers

One of the biggest drawbacks is affordability, with many commercial aeroponic growing systems being quite costly. That’s why many people choose to make their own personal aeroponic growing systems. DIY Aeroponics There are actually many ways to create a personal aeroponic system at home. They are easy to construct and are by far less expensive. A popular DIY aeroponics system makes use of large storage bins and PVC pipes. Keep in mind that measurements and sizes vary depending on your own personal aeroponic needs....

Symptoms of Apricots with Cotton Root Rot Apricot cotton root rot is caused by the soil-borne fungus Phymatotrichopsis omnivore, which exists in three distinct forms: rhizomorph, sclerotia and spore mats, and conidia. Symptoms of apricots with cotton root rot are most likely from June through September when soil temps are 82 F. (28 C.). Initial symptoms are yellowing or bronzing of foliage followed by rapid wilting of leaves. By the third day of infection, wilting is followed by leaf death and yet the leaves remain attached to the plant....

When to Prune Apricot Trees Prune apricot trees in late winter or early spring as the new leaves and flowers begin to open. During this period of time the tree is actively growing and the pruning cuts heal quickly so that diseases have little chance to enter the wounds. It also corrects problems early, and your cuts will be smaller. How to Prune an Apricot Tree Prune the tree for the first time soon after planting it....

Petunia Cold Tolerance Petunias prefer nighttime temperatures between 57 and 65 degrees F. (14-16 C.) and daytime temps between 61 and 75 degrees F. (16-18 C.). However, petunias usually tolerate temperatures as low as 39 degrees F. (4 C.) with no problem, but they are definitely not plants that will survive the winter in most climates. Petunias are damaged extensively at 32 degrees F. (0 C.), and killed very quickly by a hard freeze....

Bacillus Thuringiensis Israelensis Pest Control Exactly what is Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis? While similar to its counterpart Bacillus thuringiensis, this small organism is a bacterium that affects the stomach lining of mosquitoes, black flies, and fungus gnats rather than that of caterpillars or worms. The larvae of these insects eat the BTI and it kills them before they have a chance to hatch into flying pests. This is a targeted bacterium in that it only affects those three species of insects....

About Planting Bay Seeds Sweet laurel or bay (Laurus nobilis) is hardy to USDA zones 8 to 10, so those of us growing the plant outside these parameters will need to move the bay indoors when temperatures dip. The good news is that bay makes an excellent container plant. It can grow to 23 feet (7 m.) in height, but its size can be retarded by frequent pruning. It is also quite tolerant of pruning and training into topiary shapes which look gorgeous with the tree’s glossy green foliage....

Ready to plant a shrub with purple flowers? Here are our top recommendations. Purple Flower Shrubs Any list of garden plants with purple blossoms has to include that classic of the ages, lilac. Common lilac (Syringa vulgaris) has been a landscape plant in this country from the 1700s and today, there are thousands of cultivars and hybrids. We particularly like ‘Charles Joly,’ with double flowers in deep magenta and ‘Sensation,’ with deep purple flowers trimmed in white....

Beer Plant Food, Anyone? Two ingredients in beer, yeast and carbohydrates, seem to foster the idea that watering plants with beer plant food has some benefit to the garden. Additionally, beer is made up of about 90 percent water, so logically, since plants need water, watering your plants with beer might seem like a good idea. Watering plants with beer, however, might be a bit of an expensive option even if you aren’t using a pricey import or microbrew....

Here are some juicy berries to grow in the South. Berries for the South: The Best Southeast Berries While opinions vary on the best berries to grow in the South, here are some indisputable favorites: Blackberry – There are thorny and thornless varieties of blackberries that do well in Southern landscapes. Cultivars will produce high quality fruit and fewer pests than wild plants. Choose an area with well-draining soil in full sun; blackberries do not tolerate wet feet....

Composting Plants and Biodynamic Gardening Compost is a great way to avoid waste and also to enrich your gardening, but some gardeners practice more intensive organic methods that include specifically growing plants for the compost pile. Basic composting is pretty simple, and it involves starting a pile of organic waste that can include food waste, grass clippings, twigs, and other garden waste. There are some important steps you have to take, such as turning your compost, but basically the recipe is to throw in whatever waste you have to hand....