Fox Sedge Information Fox sedge in gardens provides lovely clumps of slender-stemmed native grass. The grass shoots up to 3 feet (91 cm.) tall and about half that wide. The narrow leaves of fox sedge plants grow taller than the stems. Fox sedge flowers grow densely on spikes. They are green and bloom in May and June. After blossoms come the seedheads, maturing in late summer. It is the seedheads that give fox sedge plants their common name since they spray out like fox tails....

Can You Grow a Pear Tree in a Pot? Pears, among other fruit trees, are excellent candidates for growth in gardens with less than ideal conditions. Whether growing in a small backyard, a rooftop without garden space, or a sunny apartment balcony, container grown pears is a fantastic way to maximize and utilize every inch of growing potential. So, yes, pear trees can definitely be grown in a potted environment....

These versatile plants produce unique blooms that provide an exotic touch to tropical centerpieces, and are also ideal for colorful tropical flower arrangements. Here are a few suggestions to pique your interest. Tropicals for Summer Centerpieces and Flower Arrangements Whether on a table or grown in containers around the patio or porch, here are some great choices for potted tropical plants that will add an exotic touch to your summertime spaces....

Preparing Power Equipment for Winter When winterizing gas power tools, there are two options. You may drain the gasoline from the engines or add a stabilizer to the gas. If you have to remove the gas when storing power garden equipment for the season, you can use it in your automobile. Read the equipment manual to learn if gas is meant to be drained or stabilized. Many equipment manuals are available online at the dealer’s sight....

How to Sterilize Mulberry Trees Ask any arborist and they will probably tell you that sterilizing mulberry trees is a difficult proposition, if not impossible. Expensive chemicals are required and the potential drift can affect surrounding unprotected trees and bushes. Generally, the results are inconsistent and must be timed perfectly during fruit bloom and in prime temperature conditions for any efficacy. The best course of action to stop a mulberry from fruiting and preventing the type of mess described above is to plant a male tree or fruitless variety of mulberry....

What is Brown Material for Compost? Brown materials for composting consists of dry or woody plant material. Often, these materials are brown, which is why we call them brown material. Brown materials include: Dry leaves Wood chips Straw Sawdust Corn stalks Newspaper Brown materials help to add bulk and help allow air to better get into the compost. Brown materials are also the source of carbon in your compost pile....

Puncturevine Control This low-growing, carpet-forming plant is considered a noxious weed in several states, including Nevada, Oregon, Washington, California, Colorado and Idaho. What makes puncturevine weed so vicious? This plant produces spiny seed burs that are sharp enough to cause severe pain to feet and hooves. They are sturdy enough to puncture rubber or leather, which means they can poke through shoe soles or bike tires. The spiny burs are harmful to agricultural crops, such as wool and hay, and they can damage the mouths and digestive tracts of livestock....

Pungent Cilantro Plants To my taste buds, cilantro tastes like a combination of fresh, mild, green-tasting parsley with a citrus zest. To my mother’s taste buds, cilantro plants are pungent, nasty tasting herbs that she refers to as “yucky soapy tasting cilantro.” While this difference in preferences only requires the omission of cilantro from any of the meals I serve to my Mom (grumble, grumble), it really does make me wonder why cilantro tastes like soap to her but not to me....

Rain Barrels and Mosquito Pests While using a rain barrel in the garden is great for water conservation among its other benefits, mosquitoes are a constant threat, as they carry life-threatening diseases. Learning how to control mosquitoes in a rain barrel is just as important to controlling them anywhere else, especially since the pests take advantage of standing water to help carry out their life cycle. Here are some things you can do to minimize their presence: Dish soap– Liquid dish soap creates a slick film on the surface of the water....

A soothing cup of rose petal tea sounds pretty good to break up a stress-filled day to me; and to help you enjoy the same, simple pleasure, here is a recipe for making rose petal tea. (Note: It is extremely important to be sure the rose petals collected and used for the tea or ice cubes be pesticide free!) Grandma’s Rose Petal Tea Recipe Collect two cups (480 mL.) of well packed, fragrant rose petals....

What is Ganoderma Rot? Many people have never heard of Ganoderma root rot and wonder what it is. This serious rot disease is caused by a Ganoderma fungus. If you have deciduous trees in your yard, they may be susceptible to attack. Sometimes conifers are vulnerable to Ganoderma disease as well. If one of your trees has this disease, you will see definite Ganoderma symptoms, which causes the decay of the heartwood....

About Growing Gloxinia Gloxinia is a perennial plant that naturally grows in the mountains in rocky soil. In your garden, this pretty trumpet flower will prefer soil that is well drained and not overly heavy. It prefers cool nights and most varieties are hardy to zone 5. The plants thrive in full sun to partial shade and tolerate droughts fairly well. Keep your gloxinia watered but not overly wet or it will not do well....

How to Root Jade Plant Cuttings Growing jade plants from cuttings starts with taking the cutting. Select a branch on the jade plant that is healthy and free from disease. The branch should be 3 to 4 inches (8-10 cm.) long for rooting a jade plant. If there is not a branch that long on the jade plant, you may want to try the directions for propagating jade plants from leaves (which is lower in this article)....

How to Grow a Rose of Sharon Care for rose of Sharon, botanically named Hibiscus syriacus, is minimal. After planting rose of Sharon, this attractive specimen may thrive with neglect. However, some care, especially pruning for shape, will likely be needed for this showy shrub to add value to your landscape display. Also known as shrub Althea, this 9- to 12-foot (2.5 to 3.5 m.) specimen is a native of eastern Asia that is well adapted to growing in most USDA plant hardiness zones....

Rose Slug Identification The rose slugs look like caterpillars, but they are not. They are about 1/2- to 3/4-inch (12.5 to 18.8 mm) in length when fully grown. The European rose slug is smooth and greenish yellow in color with a brown head and also tends to be slimy like typical slugs. The other is the Bristly rose slug, which is covered with small hair-like bristles. Both are the larvae of plant feeding wasps known as sawflies....

It has a nice, sweet flavor and will stand in the garden for weeks without splitting, so you don’t have to harvest it all at once. What is Ruby Ball Cabbage? Ruby Ball cabbage is a hybrid variety of ball head cabbage. These are cabbages that form tight heads of smooth leaves. They come in green, red, or purple varieties. Ruby Ball is a pretty purple cabbage. Horticulturists developed Ruby Ball cabbage plants for several desirable traits....

What is Sandalwood? Sandalwood (Santalum sp.) is a large shrub or tree hardy in zones 10 and 11. While there are over 100 species of sandalwood plants, most varieties are native to India, Hawaii, or Australia. Depending on variety and location, sandalwood may grow as 10 foot tall (3 m.) shrubs or trees up to 30 feet tall (9 m.). They are often found in areas with poor, dry, clay or sandy soils....

Saving basil seed is an easy, economical way to grow basil year after year. Read on for some tips on how to harvest basil seeds and ways to save basil seed. How to Harvest Basil Seeds Basil plants are pollinated by small flying insects. The different varieties will cross pollinate, so it is important to isolate a favorite cultivar by at least 150 feet (45.5 m.). This will prevent another variety from polluting your strain....

Symptoms of a Pecan Tree with Bacterial Leaf Scorch Pecan bacterial leaf scorch afflicts over 30 cultivars as well as many native trees. Scorch on pecan leaves manifests as premature defoliation and a reduction in tree growth and kernel weight. Young leaves turn tan from the tip and edges towards the middle of the leaf, eventually browning entirely. Soon after symptoms appear, the young leaves drop. The disease may be seen on a single branch or afflict the entire tree....

Starting Plants from Seed Some plants are best started indoors and grown for transplant and some can be sown directly outside. Most transplanted seeds grow faster and produce more quickly than those directly sown outside. For the most part, the early fall crops are suited to direct sowing, while the summer crops or those requiring a long growing season should be sown indoors. Seed starting times need to take into consideration maturity, length of growth season, variety, zone, and time of last expected frost....