Cold Frames and Frost Autumn cold frames work like greenhouses, sheltering and insulating tender plants from chilly weather, breezes, and frost. But, unlike greenhouses, cold frames for fall are easy to construct yourself. A cold frame is a simple structure. It isn’t “walk-in” like a greenhouse, and its sides are solid. This makes it easier to build. Like a greenhouse, it uses the energy of the sun to create a warm microclimate in a chilly garden, a place where crops can thrive as the weather turns cold....

Frost and Freeze Warnings If you’ve ever wondered how cold is too cold for vegetable garden produce, you’re not alone. Even experienced gardeners don’t always get it right. This is because cold tolerance is dependent on several factors such as length of the cold spell, preconditioning, and the type of vegetable. In general, meteorologists issue a frost or freeze warning when ground temperatures are likely to drop to 32 degrees F....

Australian Acacia Varieties Acacia are trees to shrubs and closely associated with Australia, although they do grow in other warm regions. Acacia are members of the pea family but don’t resemble those legumes at all. Most of the Acacia plant types have similar leaves but some have modified forms called phyllodes. There are also variable flower colors and some forms have thorns while others do not. The “wattles” of Australia span the country....

Popular Gardenia Types All gardenia varieties are members of the genus Gardenia and the coffee family, Rubiaceae. Most types of gardenias in the United States stem from the early Gardenia augusta. Due to their fragrant blossoms and thick, attractive foliage, certain types of gardenia are prized as shrubs for their use as hedges and borders and specimen plantings, particularly near walkways and garden seating areas where their fragrance lingers in the evening....

Chili Pepper Companion Planting Some of the best companion plants for hot peppers are those that repel certain insects and also attract their natural predators. The European corn borer is one bug that can be especially harmful to pepper plants. Plant your peppers near buckwheat to attract beneficial insects that eat the borers. Basil is a good neighbor because it repels fruit flies and some varieties of beetles that feed on peppers....

To make choosing the perfect compost bin easier for those just starting out, let’s take a look at some of the most common compost bins for the home: Basic Composter – A basic composter is a self-contained unit with a lid that keeps your compost neat. These composters are great for small yards or urban dwellers. Spinning Composter – Spinning compost units help you keep your compost rotated with the turn of a handle....

Want green all year round? Choose conifers for West North Central regions. Not only will you have color in winter, but the plants provide a windscreen, protect understory plants, provide animal habitat and often food, and are generally perfectly happy in a variety of soils. Smaller West North Central Conifers The smaller conifers are great for privacy hedges or windbreaks. They can also be used as shrubs. Their smaller size makes these northern plains conifers easy to maintain....

Some tips on how to grow pampas grass in containers should answer your question. Is Potted Pampas Grass Possible? I ordered pampas grass babies to make a “living fence” a couple of years ago. They stayed in their containers until our recent move. While growth was limited due to the size of the containers, my pampas grasses were very happy being confined. From this experience, I feel growing pampas grass in a container is possible but should probably be done in large containers to allow for better growth....

Can You Grow Virginia Creeper in a Pot? Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) is a popular garden vine, and it grows in a wide variety of climates. It can thrive in USDA plant hardiness zones 3b through 10. This vine grows fast and can get up to 50 feet (15 m.) if left to its own devices. Virginia creeper doesn’t require a support to climb, since its tendrils cling to brick, stone, or wood by sucker disks at the tendril tips....

What is Maidencane? If you live in marshy, coastal regions of the southern U.S., you probably recognize maidencane grass. What is maidencane grass? It is a riparian soil stabilizer that forms important root colonies for fish and invertebrates and is widely browsed by deer and other animals. It can also be a noxious weed that pushes out native plants and changes ecosystems. When this happens, it is important to begin maidencane control and prevent loss of habitat....

About Tall Fescue Weeds Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) was introduced to North America by European settlers who planted it to provide hardy, nutritious forage for livestock. Since the plant remains green even in dry conditions, it was widely planted in the 1990’s to replace thirsty Kentucky bluegrass in drought-ravaged regions. Tall fescue weeds are opportunistic, popping up in disturbed habitats, including along roadsides and railroad tracks, in pastures and abandoned fields, and sometimes along streambanks....

Why is My Corn Not Producing Ears? A corn plant not producing could be the result of climate changes, disease, or insect problems that are affecting the plant’s ability to pollinate properly, which may cause it to not be forming healthy ears or any ears at all. To fully answer the question, “Why is my corn not producing ears,” a lesson in corn reproduction is in order. Corn plants produce individual male and female flowers, both of which start out as bisexual....

Is Cottonseed Healthy for Plants? Is cottonseed healthy for plants? Absolutely. Cottonseed meal fertilizer is highly beneficial with a high organic content which aerates tight, dense soil and aids in retaining moisture in light, sandy soil. Due to its slow release time, cottonseed meal feed is safe to use liberally without danger of possible foliage burn, promotes healthy foliage, increases crop production, and fosters profuse, spectacular blooms. Cottonseed Meal is Best for What Plants?...

Raised Gardens in Small Spaces One of the most popular small space gardening ideas is the raised bed. Raised beds are great if your soil is poor or even nonexistent. You can build the borders of your raised bed out of wood, bricks, or cinder blocks and fill it in with good garden soil and compost. If you’re using a raised bed, space is at a premium. A good way to make sure you’re getting the most out of it is to use a method called square foot gardening....

D’Anjou Pear Information Shopping for pears and you are likely to see the usual suspects, Bartlett, Bosc, and D’Anjou. Still one of the best pears on the market, D’Anjou was introduced in 1842. D’Anjou pear trees are semi-dwarf trees that grow up to around 18 feet (5.5 m.) in height, which makes them easy to harvest. They are not only cold hardy (USDA zones 5-8) but also drought tolerant. Simply called Anjou, or D’Anjou, the full name for these luscious pears is Beurre d’Anjou from the French ‘beurre,’ meaning butter – in reference to the fruit’s rich, buttery taste....

What are Damselflies? Most people know a dragonfly when they see one, but did you know that you may also be looking at a damselfly. Damselfly insects belong to the Odonata order of winged insects. Damselfly species are diverse in appearance, but they all have a few characteristics in common: A large space between their eyes Wings that are shorter than the abdomen A very skinny body A simple, fluttering style of flying...

Desert Willow Seed Propagation The first step when planting desert willow seeds is to acquire the seed. After the desert willow’s showy flowers bloom, the tree will produce long, 4 to 12 inch (10-31 cm.) narrow seed pods. You will want to harvest the seeds in late summer or early fall when the pods turn dry and brown, but prior to the pods splitting open. When you split the dried pods open, you will discover that each individual seed pod contains hundreds of tiny oval brown hairy seeds....

Tips on Using Bird Netting Bird netting may simply be draped over trees, canes, or other plants. But getting it off the branches to harvest fruit is tricky. A better way is to erect supports around the plant and drape the netting over it. Secure it to the ground with soil staples. Alternatively, the gardener can make a structure out of PVC, wood, or other materials, which will hold the netting up above the plant....

Pumpkin Plant Pollination Before you panic about the lack of fruit, let’s talk about pumpkin plant pollination. First off, pumpkins, like other cucurbits, have separate male and female flowers on the same plant. That means that it takes two to make fruit. Pollen must be moved from the male flower to the female. The first blooms to appear are male and they remain on the plant for a day and then fall off....

Should I Fertilize Seedlings? Do seedlings need fertilizer? The short answer is yes. While seeds have enough power inside themselves to germinate, the nutrients essential to healthy growth aren’t usually present in soil. In fact, the problems that small seedlings suffer from can often be traced back to a lack of nutrients. As with most anything, though, too much fertilizer can hurt just as much as not enough. Make sure when feeding seedlings not to give too much, and don’t let granular fertilizer come directly into contact with the plant, or your seedlings will get burnt....