The popularity of this veggie prompts one to grow it in the home garden. Be aware, however, that celery has its share of growing problems, one of which being celery too thin. Thin Celery Growing Problems One of the most frequent complaints when growing celery is in regards to the skinny celery stalks. There are a number of reasons why your celery plants are not thick; in other words, stalks of celery too thin....

Planting and Care of Chocolate Flower An herbaceous perennial, the chocolate scented daisy sometimes grows to 2 feet (61 cm.) in height and the same in spread. Growing chocolate flower plants with abundant growth may take on the form of a sprawling groundcover, so allow plenty of room when planting the chocolate scented daisy. Chocolate flower care can involve pruning and clipping the plant to keep it within boundaries. The plant can be trimmed back by one-third in summer if it begins to look untidy, followed by another show of the fragrant blooms....

Using Vinegar on Flowerpots Ceramic and plastic pots are relatively easy to clean with dish soap, hot water, and a scrubber or old toothbrush, but terracotta pots with layers of crusty residue can be a challenge. Unfortunately, it’s common for terracotta containers to develop a very noticeable layer of unsightly mineral and salt deposits. Although you can probably remove the crud with strong cleaning products and elbow grease, using vinegar to clean pots is an effective, environmentally friendly alternative to toxic chemicals....

The Three Sisters Sometimes referred to as intercropping or interplanting, companion gardening brings together plants which can mutually benefit from each other. In the three sisters garden, squash is used to create a living mulch. This deters weeds and helps retain soil moisture levels for all three of the sisters. Due to its prickly foliage, squash also acts as a deterrent to the deer and raccoons which like to raid the ears of corn....

Dealing with Sick Tomato Seedlings Tomatoes are one of the most versatile fruits and something to which we all look forward in summer. They are easy to grow in areas with plenty of sunshine and warmth, but they are also prone to many fungal, viral, and bacterial diseases. Many things can cause sick tomato seedlings but there are steps you can take to prevent problems. Some information on tomato seedling diseases may help avoid issues as they grow....

Citrus Tree Companions Citrus trees, like a lot of fruit trees, fall prey to insects very easily. It is because of this, some of the best citrus tree companions are those that either deter or draw away harmful bugs. Marigolds are an excellent companion crop for almost any plant because their smell drives away so many bad insects. Other similar plants that deter common citrus pests are petunias and borage. Nasturtium, on the other hand, draws aphids to it....

Companion Planting with Peas Companion planting is a form of polyculture and basically means planting different crops near each other for mutual benefit. The benefits of companion planting for peas or any other vegetable may be for pest control or aid in pollination. Companion planting may also be used to maximize garden space or to provide habit for beneficial insects. Also, in nature, there is generally a great deal of plant diversity in any one ecosystem....

Connecticut Hardiness Zone Map For Plants And Trees This is the Connecticut USDA zone map. This map will help you find the plant hardiness zone for your area. Understanding your plant hardiness zone will help you to create a lasting garden that will survive the winter weather in your area. In order to find your Connecticut hardiness zone, you simply need to find where you live on the map. You will see that it is a certain color....

About Bacterial Canker of Tomatoes Tomato bacterial canker disease is caused by the bacteria Clavibacter michiganensis. Its symptoms can affect the foliage, stems, and fruit of tomatoes, peppers, and any plant in the nightshade family. These symptoms include discoloration and wilting of the foliage. Foliage tips may turn burn and crunchy, with yellow streaking around the brown. Leaf veins may become dark and sunken. Leaves wilt from tip to branch and drop....

Aside from culinary uses, it’s the blossoms which provide the greatest appeal for greater sea kale. Growing to heights of 70 inches (180 cm.), multitudes of tiny white “baby’s breath-like” flowers appear on fine branches to give the plant a bush-like presence for about three weeks in early to midsummer. So exactly what is greater sea kale and does it come from the ocean, as the name would suggest?...

What is a Corm? Corms occur in many types of plants. What is a corm? Corms are very similar to bulbs but lack the layered scales that characterize true bulbs. They reproduce via cormlets or individual corms, and each can be divided away from the parent to produce exact copies of the plant. Just like rhizomes and tubers, corms are specialized sections of the stem. In the case of corms, these usually appear flattened to slightly round....

Crimson Clover Information Crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum) is native to the Mediterranean region. Also called incarnate clover because of their blood red blooms, crimson clover has been used as a cover crop in the United States since the mid 1800s. Today, it is the most common legume cover crop and forage plant for livestock in the U.S. Although it is not a native species, crimson clover has also become an important source of nectar for honeybees and other pollinators in the U....

What is Crown Rot Disease? Crown rot is a disease caused by a soil-borne fungus which can survive in the soil indefinitely. This fungal disease is often favored by wet conditions and heavy soils. While symptoms may vary from plant to plant, there is often little you can do once the disease occurs. Signs of Crown Rot Disease While the crown or lower stem of plants affected by this disease may exhibit dry rotting at or near the soil line, most other symptoms often go unnoticed—until it’s too late....

When to Prune Nectarine Trees Most fruit trees are pruned during the dormant season – or winter. Nectarines are the exception. They should be pruned in late early spring to allow for an accurate assessment of flower to bud survival prior to pruning. Pruning and training a nectarine should begin the year of planting and each year thereafter to develop a strong well-balanced framework of scaffolds. The goal when cutting back a nectarine tree is to control its size to make it easier to maintain and to pick fruit....

About Spirea Plant Varieties Spirea plant varieties are in the rose family and, like roses, among the most popular garden plants. They are beloved by busy gardeners since they do not require careful siting or special care. Plant different kinds of spirea and every year they will amaze you with their colorful blossoms. With a mixture of spirea cultivars, you can get blossoms all season long. Spirea cultivars are all part of the genus Spiraea, a word that means “twisting” in Greek....

DIY Christmas Gifts for Gardeners Most of these gift ideas for garden lovers are inexpensive to make. Gift baskets will cost more, depending on how much is inside, but cheap filler for baskets can be shredded paper or reused tissue paper that is bunched up. Here are some ideas to spark your creative juices: Decorative clay pots. Purchase or upcycle clay pots and paint. Use leftover craft paints in your storage box or buy them at craft stores....

How to Use Cling Film in the Garden That plastic wrap you use in the kitchen, sometimes called cling film, is very useful in the garden. That’s because it holds in moisture and also heat. Think about a greenhouse. Its plastic or glass walls hold in the heat and allow you to grow plants inside that would have to struggle to thrive outdoors. Tomatoes are a great example. They grow best in a warm, protected environment....

Do African Violets Need Fertilizer? African violets require fairly low maintenance. They do need proper exposure, heat, and keeping water off those leaves, but they usually keep producing those sweet flowers much of the year. To keep your violet in good health, it needs to be fed. When, how and with what are questions we will be answering. Almost all plants need proper macro- and micro-nutrients as well as soluble vitamins, and African violets are no exception....

Does Gardening Count as Exercise? According to the Second Edition of the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans at health.gov, adults need 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intense aerobic activity each week. They also need muscle-strengthening activities such as resistance training twice a week. Gardening chores such as mowing, weeding, digging, planting, raking, trimming branches, carrying bags of mulch or compost, and applying said bags can all count toward weekly activity. The Physical Activity Guidelines also state activities can be done in bursts of ten-minute periods spread throughout the week....

Growing a Dracaena Plant Stems of the houseplant dracaena are called canes and can be pruned at any point to keep plants under control. Dracaena houseplant varieties D. fragrans and D. deremensis have cultivars that can reach from 6 to 10 feet (2-3 m.), so height control by pruning canes of older plants is useful when growing a dracaena plant. New foliage will sprout just below the cut in a few weeks....