Crabapple Fertilizer Needs Crabapple feeding should be balanced: not enough fertilizer and the tree may not grow well or only very slowly, but too much fertilizer can make it grow in an unhealthy way and make it more susceptible to diseases like fire blight. Excessive fertilizer can also promote more leaf growth and restrict the number of flowers that develop. In general, crabapples don’t need a lot of fertilizing in the first year....

Creeping Gloxinia Info Creeping gloxinia is a relative of foxglove. Although it is commonly referred to as creeping gloxinia, it is not related to gloxinia plants. It has been placed in numerous genera and finally landed in Lophospermum. What is creeping gloxinia – a tender climbing plant with bright pink (or white), deeply throated flowers that coat the plant in deep color. Lophospermum plant care is fairly specialized, but the plant has no serious pest or disease issues....

What is Daikon? A daikon is a Chinese radish (Raphanus sativus longipinnatus), also known as lobok and oriental radish. Daikon has large roots, and some of the biggest varieties can weigh up to 50 pounds (23 kg.). The most common types weigh from 1 to 2 pounds (0.5-1 kg.) at maturity and can have up to a 2 foot (61 cm.) leaf spread. Most people cook daikon radishes, but they can also be used in salads....

Firebush Cutting Propagation Learning how to root firebush cuttings is an easy process. Growing firebush from cuttings works well, as long as you can accommodate the plant’s growing conditions. Cut stem-tips from a healthy firebush plant. The length of each stem should be about 6 inches (15 cm.). Remove lower leaves from the stem, leaving the top three or four leaves intact. Cut the leaves in half horizontally. Cutting the leaves in this manner reduces moisture loss and takes up less space in the container....

Buds Not Opening on Cyclamen Today’s cyclamen hybrids are bigger and more vivid in color than at any time in the past. Some of them also have a sweet scent. These lovely plants are a bit fussy to keep, but they are worth a little extra effort. Failure to meet their moisture and temperature requirements can lead to cyclamen buds not opening. In their native climate, cyclamen flowers bloom during mild, Mediterranean winters when they enjoy cooler temperatures....

When to Harvest Dandelions Harvesting dandelion plants throughout the growing season provides tea, salad greens, wine, and much more. These “weeds” are packed with vitamins C, A, and K, plus potassium and powerful antioxidants. Make sure your dandelion harvest is free of herbicides and pesticides and always wash all parts of the plant completely. Want to know when to harvest dandelion plants? The flowers should be taken when they are newly opened, and all the petals are still retained....

About Delmarvel Strawberry Plants Delmarvel strawberry plants bear very large fruit that has excellent flavor, a firm texture, and lovely strawberry aroma. These strawberries flower and then fruit in late spring and are suited to USDA zones 4-9. Besides being a prolific producer, Delmarvel strawberries are resistant to most leaf and stem diseases, fruit rots, and the five eastern strains of red stele caused by the fungus Phytophthora fragariae, a serious disease of strawberries....

How to Stop Weeds Using Flowers Farmers have always used cover crops (like peas, beans, soybeans, wheat, and rye) to smother out pesky weeds and replace nutrients, like nitrogen, which can be leached from the soil by rains and waterings. In flower beds and home vegetable gardens, you can also use this method of dense planting for weed control. In vegetable gardens, herbs can be tucked in the spaces around vegetable plants....

What are Determinate Potatoes? Determinate potatoes are varieties with tubers that grow in just one layer. For this reason, the plants do not require mounding of the soil around them. They produce early, in about 70 to 90 days. Sow determinate potatoes in loose soil to a depth of about 4 inches (10 cm.). Use mulch to prevent weed growth and to prevent the tubers from being exposed to the sun, which will turn the potatoes green....

Fungal Sesame Disease Issues Aladdin may have said “open sesame” but growers all pray for that occurrence. Open pods signify harvest time and the gathering of the tiny, economically important seeds. While sesame plants have few disease issues, some fungal and other problems do crop up. The most serious diseases affect many types of plants but resistant varieties are available to all diseases that have occurred since 1978. A few are still a problem but can be managed....

Do Potato Plants Bloom? Potato plants produce flowers during the end of their growing season. These turn into the true fruit of the plant, which resemble small, green tomatoes. Potato plant flowering is a normal occurrence, but the flowers usually just dry up and fall off rather than producing fruit. Why potato plants flower can depend upon the temperatures or excessive amounts of fertilizer. Plants that experience cold, nighttime temperatures will set fruit....

What is a Bird’s Nest Spruce? The small depression in the center of the shrub is the genesis of the name, bird’s nest spruce. It is a Norwegian shrub that gets only 2 feet (0.5 m.) tall and about 4 feet (1 m.) wide. The evergreen needles are short and grayish-green except when young. The new growth is a brilliant greenish-yellow and suspended in clusters at the tips of the stems, adding interest to the plant....

What is an Early Pak Tomato? If you’re like me and love growing and eating tomatoes, you have no doubt noticed just how many different tomato varieties are available for the garden. While I have my specific favorites that I grow every year, I also like to try at least one new variety each season. This has, of course, led me to discovering new favorites and has also helped me determine which varieties not to grow again....

What are Fairy Gardens? Fairy gardens are basically miniature gardens with added touches that give the appearance of a tiny creature residing in the garden. Many fairy gardens are planted in a small, almost secluded area in your garden, somewhere that someone will feel that they simply “stumbled” upon a magical location. Just as many miniature fairy gardens are planted in containers though. Fairy gardens are also normally filled with whimsical items to add to the feeling of magic....

Fall Webworm Info Webworms are caterpillars that weave loose webbing around the tree’s foliage whilst munching on leaves, resulting in plant stress and leaf loss. This larval “nest” may cover single leaves or leaf clusters, but more often entire branches covering several feet (1 to 2 m.) across. Webworm treatment options have to do with the life cycle of the critter. Webworms overwinter as pupae in cocoons found in the bark of the tree or amongst leaf litter....

What are Field Peas? Field peas, also referred to as southern peas or cowpeas, are grown on over 25 million acres throughout the world. They are sold as a dry, shelled product and used for either human consumption or livestock food. Closely related to the garden pea, field peas are annual plants. They may have a vining habit to an erect habit. All stages are edible, from the blossoms to the immature pods, called snaps, to the mature pods full of peas and the overly mature pods full of dried peas....

The fig’s natural habitat is a warm, dry, Mediterranean-type climate and under those conditions, the fig is relatively pest free. However, under more humid conditions and heavier rainfall, figs are more prone to infestation by insects and disease. The most common fig disease, rust, occurs under these conditions. Identifying Fig Rust on Fruit Trees Humid air or excessive rain will encourage this fig’s disease. Rust is a fungal growth that is rarely found in dry climates....

What is a Fringe Tree? Native to the southeastern U.S., Chionanthus virginicus can grow anywhere in the country except for the southernmost tip of Florida. Its botanical name means snow flower and refers to the tree’s large clusters of snow white flowers. There is also a Chinese fringe tree, C. retusus, which is very similar to the native species but has smaller flower clusters. It hasn’t yet proven itself to be invasive, but as with all imported species, there is always a chance that problems may arise....

Best Full Sun Desert Plants Below you will find desert plants for full sun. All are water-wise and easy to grow, even in punishing conditions. Most are environmentally friendly, native plants that are capable of withstanding full sun in the desert. Yellow Pine-leaf Beard Tongue: This penstemon plant produces bright yellow, tube-shaped flowers in late spring and early summer. Also known as yellow pine-leaf penstemon, this plant, native to the desert Southwest, is named for its evergreen foliage which resembles pine needles....

Full Sun Flowering Bush Full sun means one thing in mild climate areas like foggy San Francisco, but another thing entirely in the summer heat of Florida or the heartland. If you find yourself gardening where summer heat is truly hot, you’ll want to identify heat tolerant flowering bushes to add color to your summer garden. One of the flowering, full sun shrubs we recommend without hesitation for this situation is the Nochi Shibari pomegranate (Punica granatum Nochi Shibari), an extremely attractive plant with crimson buds in spring that open to huge orange carnation-like blooms....