Methods for Sterilizing Soil for Seeds and Plants There are several ways to sterilize garden soil at home. They include steaming (with or without a pressure cooker) and heating the soil in the oven or microwave. Sterilizing Soil with Steam Steaming is considered one of the best ways to sterilize potting soil and should be done for at least 30 minutes or until the temperature reaches 180 degrees F. (82 C....

Sweetbay Magnolia Information Sweetbay magnolias can grow 50 feet (15 m.) tall or more in warm, southern climates, but in cool areas it rarely exceeds 30 feet (9 m.). Its sweet fragrance and attractive shape make it an ideal specimen tree. The flowers have a sweet, lemony scent while the leaves and twigs have a spicy fragrance. The tree benefits wildlife by providing cover and nesting sites. It is a larval host for the sweetbay silkmoth....

About Cercospora Blight in Celery Early blight of celery plants is caused by the fungus Cercospora apii. On leaves, this blight manifests as light brown, circular to mildly angular, lesions. These lesions may appear oily or greasy and may be accompanied by yellow halos. The lesions may also have gray fungal growth. The leaf spots dry out and leaf tissue becomes papery, often splitting and cracking. On petioles, long, brown to gray lesions form....

What are Hover Flies? Hover flies (Allograpta oblique) go by several other names, including syrphid flies, flower flies, and drone flies. Hover flies in gardens are a common sight throughout the country, especially where aphids are present. The adults feed on nectar as they pollinate flowers. The female lays her tiny, creamy-white eggs near aphid colonies, and the eggs hatch in two or three days. The beneficial hover fly larvae begin feeding on the aphids as they hatch....

Feeding Daylilies Everyone loves having daylilies in the garden and there are hundreds of cultivars to choose from. The plants accept a wide range of soil and sunlight requirements and stay vigorous for many years with minimal care. Daylilies grow best in a sunny plot with well-drained, acidic soil but they adapt to their circumstances. While they will grow just fine without daylily fertilizer, feeding daylilies can increase their flower production....

About Scented Geraniums Like their fellow hothouse cousins, scented geranium plants are not true geraniums at all, but members of the Pelargonium genus and are considered to be tender perennials. They are treated as annuals throughout most of Europe and the United States and their beauty is appreciated all over the world. It’s an added bonus that they are so easy to grow! Scented geraniums were originally found in Africa and brought back to Holland by early explorers....

Tips on Keeping Squirrels Out of Birdfeeders Many bird lovers ask, “How do I keep squirrels out of my birdfeeders?” Here are a few tips you can use to keep squirrels from your birdfeeders. Following these few tips should help you keep the squirrels out of your feeder, which means that the bird you love will be eating the food.

There have been tools for women gardeners on the market for quite some time. Unfortunately, these are often simply made with shorter handles and painted pink or decorated with flowers. Most of these tools are not well made, do not last, and don’t really take advantage of design for ease of use. Well made women’s gardening tools should last and have a construction that better suits lighter weight, shorter individuals....

Moving a Bay Tree Bay trees are relatively small, and some gardeners grow them in containers. You may be thinking of moving a bay tree from one container to a garden site or from one garden site to another. In either case, you’ll want to be sure to do it right. When you are transplanting bay trees, you’ll want to get information on how to transplant bay trees. Before you pick up that shovel though, you need to figure out when to move a bay tree....

About Grapes with Downy Mildew Early signs of downy mildew on grapes include small, greenish-yellow spots on the leaves, primarily between the veins. The lesions may be difficult to see, but they will eventually enlarge, and, in severe infections, may turn dark brown and brittle before dropping. Early symptoms of downy mildew on grapes may also appear on tendrils and stems as shiny, water-soaked depressions with fuzzy fungal growth. Young shoots and tendrils are stunted and distorted....

What is a Tree Fern? Tree ferns are true ferns. Like other ferns, they never flower or produce seeds. They reproduce from spores that grow on the undersides of the fronds or from offsets. A tree fern’s unusual trunk consists of a thin stem surrounded by thick, fibrous roots. The fronds on many tree ferns remain green throughout the year. In a few species, they turn brown and hang around the top of the trunk, much like palm tree leaves....

Twinspur Plant Info What is twinspur? Twinspur (Diascia), sometimes known as Barber’s Diascia, is a sprawling annual that adds beauty and color to beds, borders, rock gardens, and containers. The plant is appropriately named for a pair of spurs on the back of each bloom. These spurs have an important function– they contain a substance that attracts beneficial bees. Bright green, heart-shaped leaves provide contrast to the delicate, spiky blooms that come in various shades of mauve, pink, rose, coral, and white each with a contrasting yellow throat....

You will also want to learn about different climate types and climate zones. What are climate zones? Read on for information about gardening with climate zones. What are Climate Zones? Plant hardiness zone maps were developed to help gardeners figure out in advance which plants could survive outdoors in their region. Many plants sold in nurseries are labeled with a hardiness range so that gardeners can find appropriately hardy selections for their garden....

Why Choose Alternatives to Grass in Upper Midwest States? Turf grass looks nice and feels good on bare feet. It’s ideal for sports and other games, but there are drawbacks as well. Turf lawns require a lot of maintenance to look good and be healthy. It drains resources, especially water, and is not ideal for native wildlife. Some great reasons to consider alternatives to grass for your upper Midwest lawn include:...

Creating Shade with Vining Plants When using vines for shade, it’s important to first decide what kind of structure you will be using for the vine to grow upon. Vines, like climbing hydrangea and wisteria, can become woody and heavy and will need the strong support of a pergola or arbor. Annual and perennial vines, such as morning glory, black-eyed Susan vine, and clematis can be grown up smaller, weaker supports like bamboo or willow whip green tunnels....

Why Keeping Compost Bins Clean is Important If you have curbside pickup of compost, you have a bin dedicated to stinky, rotting vegetables and other food and garden waste. Unlike garbage bins that usually contain bagged trash, for these bins, you simply throw the food in. This strategy is simple, but it also makes for a stinking mess, especially during the summer. You’ll need to clean it regularly to prevent pests, like flies, and an unbearable odor....

What is Watermelon Charcoal Rot? Charcoal rot in watermelons is caused by the fungus Macrophomina phaseolina. It is a fungus that lives in the soil and is very prevalent in some states, including California. It can persist for up to 12 years. The fungus that infects watermelons with charcoal rot can also infect hundreds of other plant species. In melons, the pathogen first attacks the stems near the soil a few weeks after planting....

Read on for more information about early leaf drop in trees and plants and how it relates to weather in your area. Plants Losing Leaves That falling foliage may be weather-related rather than something more dire. Your trees and smaller plants all lose leaves at different times and for different reasons. When you see plants losing leaves, the issue can be pests, diseases, or improper cultural care. Early leaf drop in trees, though, is often weather-related....

Kill Weeds, Not Moss Moss prefers shady locations. Weeds, on the other hand, need plenty of light to grow. Generally speaking, weeds growing in moss isn’t usually a problem. Pulling the stray weed by hand is easy enough, but neglected areas of the garden can easily become overrun with weeds. Luckily, there are moss-safe products for weed control in moss gardens. Mosses are bryophytes, meaning they don’t have true roots, stems, or leaves....

What are Cowslips? For our purposes, cowslips refer to Cape cowslip plants; members of the genus Lachenalia. Of the over 100 species, all are native to southern Africa and are related to the hyacinth. The name no doubt came about because many of the species have pale yellow blossoms. Cowslips Flower Info The genus name for Cape cowslip plants, Lachenalia, is so named for the eighteenth century Swiss botanist Wermer de Lachenal....