How Do Invasive Species Spread? Most invasive species spread into new areas accidentally, but many were intentionally brought from other countries. Some species spread from one area to another and are considered invasive in the new location. Both invasive plants and animals come into new areas in the ballast water on ships, in firewood and shipping pallets, and in the form of plants for sale in nurseries. Many invasive plants are considered problems because, once in the environment, they spread rapidly, crowding out native species....

How to Propagate Hellebores One of the outstanding late winter to early spring blooming plants is the hellebore. With their persistent deeply cut leaves and softly hued blooms, hellebores are perfect for shady to partially shady locations with plentiful moisture. Their bell-shaped blooms last for a month or more and add gentle elegance to the plant. Hellebore propagation methods vary dependent upon species. The stinking hellebores are best propagated with seed while oriental hybrids are usually divided to ensure new plants are true to the parent....

When Do You Repot Lemon Trees? If you have been vigilant about watering and fertilizing your container grown lemon tree but the leaves are dropping or browning and there is evidence of twig dieback, you might want to think about repotting the lemon tree. Another sure sign that you need to repot is if you see the roots growing out of the drainage holes. A lemon tree will generally need to be repotted every three to four years....

Protecting succulents from frost is crucial to their survival. There are some succulents that are cold hardy, but the majority are not. Winter weather that comes in hard may surprise some growers and cause injury to plants. Will succulents survive a freeze? Warm weather succulents and freezing temperatures are a recipe for harm but can be avoided with protection from frost. Can Succulents Withstand Cold? Northern climates tend to be somewhat inhospitable to outdoor succulents....

Storing Onion Sets – Step 1 Storing onion sets is much like storing plain old onions. Find a mesh type bag (like the bag your store-bought cooking onions come in) and place the onion sets inside the bag. Storing Onion Sets – Step 2 Hang the mesh bag in a cool, dry place with good air circulation. Basements aren’t ideal locations, as they tend to be damp, which can cause rot when storing onion sets....

What is a Plant Swap? A house plant swap is just what it sounds like: trading plants with friends, family, and neighbors. By trading cuttings or divisions from your successful houseplants, you can share with others and get new plants in return. How Does a Plant Swap Work? This is entirely up to you. You can talk to one neighbor and trade cuttings, or set up a larger event to get more variety and participants....

When to Transplant Asparagus While asparagus can be transplanted any time during dormancy, early spring is the most suitable, just before plants have begun waking up. This usually makes it easier when trying to dig through the tentacle-like roots. It’s this complex root system that makes asparagus so difficult to transplant, as their entangled roots are not easily removed. How to Transplant Asparagus It’s usually easier to use a spade fork to locate and divide tangled asparagus roots....

Why Hyacinth Buds Fall Off Spring bulbs need a period of at least 12 to 15 weeks of chilling. This helps bulbs break dormancy and sprout a vigorous root system. Hyacinths are normally planted in fall in order to allow nature to provide this chilling period. Alternately, you can purchase pre-chilled bulbs and plant in spring. If your buds are forming but dropping before they have a chance to open, the cause may be in your soil....

Indoor Dandelion Plant Care Growing dandelion plants indoors may seem odd, but it is easy, and they can be grown at any time of year. Here’s how: If you want to grow dandelion indoors, you may have to purchase seeds online, although you might find them at a nursery specializing in herbs or wildflowers. If you’re adventurous you can save seeds from wild dandelions at the puffball stage. Be sure the dandelions haven’t been treated with herbicides, pesticides, or other chemicals....

Some find indoor hydroponic spinach turns bitter. This leaves home gardeners asking, “how do you grow hydroponic spinach that tastes good?” Hydroponic Spinach Growing Tips There’s no doubt growing spinach using hydroponics is more difficult than other types of leafy crops, like lettuce or herbs. While the cultivation techniques are similar, there are many issues which can lead to crop failure or bitter-tasting spinach. To improve your success rates, try these tips from commercial indoor hydroponic spinach growers:...

Info on Yaupon Holly Like most hollies, yaupon is dioecious. This means that only the female plants produce berries, and there must be a male plant nearby to fertilize the flowers. One male yaupon holly produces enough pollen to fertilize several female plants. Standard yaupon hollies grow 15 to 20 feet (4.5-6 m.) tall, but there are several cultivars that you can maintain at heights of 3 to 5 feet (1-1....

How to Grow Rhubarb When thinking about how to grow rhubarb, plant it where the winter temperatures go below 40 F. (4 C.) so that dormancy can be broken when it warms up in the spring. Summer temperatures below 75 F. (24 C.) on average will yield quite a nice crop. Because rhubarb is a perennial, its care is a little different than that of other vegetables. You will want to be sure you are planting rhubarb along the edge of your garden so it doesn’t disturb your other vegetables when it comes up each spring....

In this article we will take a look at two classifications of roses, the Floribunda rose and the Polyantha rose. What are Floribunda Roses? When looking up the word Floribunda in the dictionary you will find something such as this: New Latin, feminine of floribundus– flowering freely. Just as the name suggests, the floribunda rose is a beautiful bloom machine. She loves to bloom with clusters of beautiful blooms with several of her blooms in flower at one time....

Why is My Schefflera Leggy? There are numerous reasons why your umbrella plant is getting leggy. With older plants, it is natural for the older mature to drop off. Leaf drop is also caused by sudden extremes in temperatures, such as cold and hot drafts near doorways, from air conditioning, or heating vents. Keeping your plant too dry, or even too wet, can cause its foliage to drop off as well....

Growing Japanese Iris Plants The timetable for when to plant Japanese irises may involve amending the soil with acidic, organic amendments prior to planting the rhizomes in early fall. Unlike many garden flowers, Japanese iris care does not involve planting in a well-draining soil. In fact, growing Japanese iris plants flourish in boggy areas, near ponds and water features or even potted and placed in these bodies of water. Water should be acidic....

How much do you know about knotweed types or even about knotweed identification? Do you know how to kill knotweed? What’s the best method of knotweed control? Knotweed Identification Knotweed is a short-lived perennial that grows from a central taproot to spread its wiry stems outward in a dense mat of wiry stems that are broken by small joints or knots. Those stems are covered with small, blue-green leaves growing alternately from base to tip....

Information About Lady’s Mantle Plant Lady’s mantle (Alchemilla mollis or Alchemilla vulgaris) is an attractive perennial plant. Its soft gray-green foliage is semi-round with scalloped-shaped leaves. In late spring and early summer, the plant produces nearly inconspicuous chartreuse (yellow-green) blooms. This Turkey and Carpathian Mountain native is a low-growing ground cover, about 6 to 12 inches (15-30 cm.) tall, and in addition to its attractive looks, has an interesting background. The plant’s common name is said to have likely come from an ancient legend of it being used to adorn the Virgin Mary, as her cloak was thought to resemble its scalloped leaves....

Can You Take Plants Across State Lines? Usually, you can take houseplants when you move to different states without too much trouble. That said, there may be restrictions on exotic plants and any plants that have been cultivated outdoors. State Lines and Plants When it comes to moving plants over state borders, don’t be surprised that there are state and federal regulations to adhere to, particularly when the destination state is one that relies primarily on crop revenue....

Many gardeners today practice at least some of the concepts of permaculture. The entire movement is a group of philosophies generated by a biologist and his student. Bill Mollison was the initiator behind this response to degenerating ecological conditions and our contribution as a species to such. Who is Bill Mollison? He was an academic scholar and biologist from Tasmania who observed the natural ecosystems and came back with some important lessons....

Can You Hand Pollinate Limes? Bees fascinate me. All summer I have been watching some big black bumblers crawl in and out of the air intake grate covering for under our house. Some days they have so much pollen hanging from them they can’t crawl through the tiny hole and they flutter around looking for a larger gap. I like them so much that I don’t even mind they are building a tiny Taj Mahal under the house....