Why a Pepper Plant Won’t Produce One reason for a pepper plant with no flowers or fruit may be the weather. Peppers are warm season plants suited to USDA zones 9b through 11b that thrive in temperatures of 70 to 85 degrees F. (21-29 C.) during the day and 60 to 70 degrees F. (15-21 C.) at night. Cool temps retard the plant’s growth, resulting in pepper plants that aren’t flowering, and thus, pepper plants not fruiting either....

Performing a Semi-Hardwood Snap Test Plants are propagated by cuttings for several reasons. Asexual propagation, such as propagating plants by cuttings, allows the growers to get identical clones of the parent plant. With sexual propagation, also known as seed propagation, the resulting plants may be varied. Propagating with semi-hardwood cuttings also allows growers to get a sizeable, fruiting and flowering plant much more quickly than from seed propagation. There are three different types of stem cuttings: softwood, semi-hardwood, and hardwood cuttings....

When Do You Pick Passion Fruit? The passion fruit vine is a sub-tropical to tropical plant that cannot tolerate freezing temperatures. It is classed in two forms, the yellow and purple species. Each form has slight differences outside of the obvious color difference, with the purple fruiting vine a more hardy strain that can withstand temperate climates with some protection. In cooler regions, fruits will ripen much later than those grown in long season, warm areas....

Meeting the Needs of Potted Veggies Plants require water to absorb nutrients from the soil as well as for photosynthesis. However, too much water is as detrimental to plant health as too little. This makes good drainage essential whether garden veggies are planted in the ground or in pots. Yet, soil from the garden is seldom a wise choice for a container garden. When used in potted plants, garden soil tends to be very dense or heavy....

How to Propagate a Pitcher Plant The pitcher plant has a silhouette that most gardeners can recognize. The plants produce male and female flowers on separate plants. The two sexes appear identical and make it nearly impossible to ensure that you have one of each. Additionally, the plants need to be flowering at the same time in order for the male’s pollen to transfer to the female bloom. This is as likely as my winning the lottery in any environment but nature....

Let’s learn more about basic nursery business requirements. How to Start a Plant Nursery Nursery owners face substantial challenges and risks including, but not limited to, floods, freezes, snow, drought, plant diseases, insects, soil types, increasing expenses, and an unpredictable economy. Needless to say, there is much to consider when starting a plant nursery business. Here are just a few major points: Types of plant nurseries: Consider the various types of plant nursery businesses....

How to Get Seeds from African Violets It is often easiest to simply buy your African violet seeds from a reputable online seller. African violets can be tricky when it comes to forming seeds and, even when they do, the plants grown from the seeds rarely look like the parent plant. Despite this, if you would still like to get seeds from your African violets, you will need to hand pollinate the plant....

Fragrant Flowering Shrubs Once you’ve experienced the pleasures of a sweet-smelling garden, you’ll agree that every garden should include a few of the best fragrant shrubs. Many shrubs that smell good are also lovely to behold, and they come on all sizes and hardiness levels. The best fragrant shrubs for your area will include many summer bloomers. For example, butterfly bush (Buddleja davidii) is a popular shrub with very fragrant flowers....

First, it relieves the gardener of the yearly headache of what to try this year to cover the awful spot. Visually, planting ostrich ferns can turn an eyesore into a triumph of woodland delight, eventually forming a backdrop for other shade lovers like hostas or bleeding hearts. Looking for a bit of the tropics in your garden? With their pots surrounded by ostrich fern, houseplants of various tropical varieties, many of which need a bit of shade, will look simply stunning....

1. Tricolor Beech – A Tree with Pink Leaves European tricolor beech is a medium-sized tree, growing up to 35 feet (10.7 m.) tall and 25 feet (7.6 m.) wide. It is cold hardy through zone 4 and tolerates urban conditions. The foliage on this beech tree is a deep, purplish green with pale pink to rose margins and striking variegation between the two colors. It thrives in partial sun and cooler, wetter conditions....

What is Lake Effect Snow? If you have never lived in a cold region by a large body of water, you might be unfamiliar with this term. Lake effect snow is simply snow that forms as a result of a body of water rather than a specific weather system. In the U.S., lake effect snow typically occurs around the Great Lakes in areas of Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, and New York as well as Ontario in Canada....

How Do I Prune Blueberry Bushes? “How do I prune blueberry bushes;” one of the most commonly asked questions when growing blueberries. Knowing how to prune blueberries is important; proper pruning of blueberries can make the difference between an average crop and a plentiful one. The type and amount of blueberry plant pruning, however, may depend on the type and size of the bush. For trimming blueberry bushes, you should remove any lower growth to prevent fruits from settling on the ground....

Cutting Back Norfolk Island Pines If you bought the tree for the holidays, you are not alone. Norfolk Island pines are often used as living Christmas trees. If you decide to keep the tree as a container tree, it will need some water, but not too much water. Norfolk Island pines need moist soil but will die in wet soil. Your Norfolk Island pine will also require as much light as you can offer....

Plants Rabbits Won’t Eat As a general rule, plants rabbits don’t like include those that have strong scents, spines, prickles, or leathery leaves. Rabbits also tend to avoid plants that exude a milky sap. An innate sense of danger often– but not always– steers animals away from plants that are toxic. Often, native plants are relatively rabbit resistant more so than non-native (exotic) plants. These may include: Yarrow Lupine Lungwort Manzanita Bee balm...

Do Rats Rummage in Gardens? Do rats rummage in gardens? Yes. Rats feed on plants and chew on ornaments and structures in the garden. Dense groundcovers and hedges with branches near the ground provide hiding places, while other vegetation, garden vegetables, and berries provide them with important sources of food. Where do rats live in the garden? Rats live in thick vegetation that covers the ground, such as English ivy and blackberry patches, as well as underground tunnels....

Why are Camellias not Blooming? A certain amount of bud drop is normal, but when camellias absolutely refuse to bloom, it’s often due to some type of stress. Here are some possible reasons when camellias won’t bloom: Camellia buds are very sensitive to cold and chilly wind or a late frost can damage the buds and cause them to drop. Cold weather can be a particular problem for early blooming camellias....

Identifying Citrus Fruit Scarring Citrus fruit scarring is the result of damage done to the rind and/or flesh of the fruit while growing. Scarring of citrus fruit can occur for a variety of reasons, and when grown commercially, will often dictate which product (e.g. fresh eating, juice, etc.) the fruit will be used. Scars on citrus fruits are sometimes only cosmetic. However, in many cases, damage can be more severe and even cause the fruit to begin rotting....

Benefits of Growing Red Fruit For years, we’ve heard the benefits of eating foods, which are rich in antioxidants. These naturally occurring compounds eliminate damage caused by free radicals in our bodies. Studies indicate this reduces our risk for developing a myriad of health conditions including cancer, heart disease and strokes. For years, superfoods like kale have been well known for their antioxidant content. But let’s face it, not everyone enjoys chewing on kale leaves....

Pruning an Overgrown Oleander The good news is that you can do rejuvenation pruning of oleanders and get old, overgrown plants back into shape. You’ll have to evaluate the health of the oleander shrub and determine if it can withstand drastic pruning all at one time. The problem with one severe pruning is that it can induce excess foliage growth and encourage basal sprouting. If the plant is in fragile health, its vigor can be reduced and a very weak plant may even die....

What Causes Flowering Rhubarb? When a rhubarb flowers, this is called bolting or going to seed. When rhubarb goes to seed, this is perfectly normal. The rhubarb plant is doing what plants are supposed to do and that is to reproduce, but there are some factors that can influence how often you get a flowering rhubarb. Variety – Some varieties of rhubarb flower more than others. Heirloom varieties tend to flower more than modern cultivars....