Cosmos Seed Harvest Info The only problem with collecting cosmos seeds is finding out whether your plant is a hybrid or an heirloom. Hybrid seeds won’t reproduce faithfully the traits of their parent plants and aren’t good candidates for seed saving. The cosmos plant seeds from an heirloom, on the other hand, and are ideal for this project. Tips for Collecting Cosmos Seeds Need to know how to harvest seeds from cosmos?...

Information on Planting Crepe Myrtle Planting crepe myrtle is similar to planting other shrubs and trees. Crepe myrtle trees should be planted in a sunny location. Soil need not be rich or amended; crepe myrtle trees are adaptable to most soils except those that are soggy. Sunlight and well-draining soil afford a wealth of summer blooms and help keep pests away. Newly planted crepe myrtles should be well-watered until roots are established and are then mostly drought tolerant....

Edible landscaping isn’t a new concept, but when combined with suburban permaculture, it is part of a sustainable system. Some planning must go into the permaculture yard, developing systems that go hand in hand for a cyclical garden. A well planned front yard permaculture garden offers seamless beauty and readily available food in a practice that fosters the return of nutrients to soil, water management, and encourages a natural ecosystem....

Creosote Bush Information Another name for this plant is greasewood. The unappealing name is referring to the large bush’s sticky resin-coated leaves that carry a strong smell that releases in warm desert rains, permeating the entire area with the characteristic scent. Creosote bush can live for 100 years and produces flowers most of the year followed by strange fuzzy silver fruits. The plant may get up to 13 feet (3.9 m....

Reasons for No Flowers on Crepe Myrtle Nothing is more beautiful than the flowers on a crepe myrtle. However, a crepe myrtle not blooming can be frustrating. Here are some reasons why this happens and tips for getting crepe myrtle trees to bloom. Pruning too late If there are no flowers on crepe myrtle, it could be that the tree was pruned late in the season, causing the new wood to be mistakenly removed, which causes the buds for the flowers to never really develop....

How to Manage Cricket Pests Controlling crickets in the garden can be accomplished in a variety of ways, with the most success arising from a combination of cricket control practices. Getting rid of crickets can be accomplished with an application of poison, but let’s consider some non-toxic methods to manage cricket infestations first; we can always fall back to poisons if necessary. Crickets mate and lay their eggs in the soil in the late summer to early fall, prior to dying from age or freezing temps....

About Crushed Velvet Dusty Miller It’s a unique and exciting look, whether in your garden beds or as a houseplant. The soft, bluish silver foliage offered by Senecio ‘Crushed Velvet’ plants will turn heads and complement more vivid garden hues. Impressive both in the landscape and in containers, Crushed Velvet creates a dense silver mound of foliage. Each leaf is as soft and fuzzy as a teddy bear. Also known as Crushed Velvet dusty miller, the plants grow in a sort of vase shape to about 16 inches (40 cm....

What is Cucurbit Monosporascus Root Rot? Cucurbit root rot is a soil borne, root infecting fungal disease caused by the pathogen Monosporascus cannonballus that was first noted in Arizona in 1970. Since then, it has been found in Texas, Arizona, and California in the United States, and other countries such as Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Spain, Israel, Iran, Libya, Tunisia, Pakistan, India, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Brazil, Japan, and Taiwan. In all of these regions, the common factor is hot, arid conditions....

About Cold Hardy Deciduous Trees If you live in the north-central section of the country or in the northern tip of New England, you might be a zone 4 gardener. You already know that you can’t plant just any tree and expect it to thrive. Temperatures in zone 4 can drop to -30 degrees Fahrenheit (-34 C.) in the winter. But many deciduous trees thrive in cooler climates. If you are growing deciduous trees in zone 4, you’ll have quite a large selection to choose from....

Can You Compost Diapers? The first question most people have is, “Can you compost diapers for use in the garden?” The answer would be yes, and no. The inside of disposable diapers is made of a combination of fibers which will, in normal conditions, break down into effective, usable compost for a garden. The problem is not with the diapers themselves, but rather with the contents deposited on them. Human waste (as with dogs and cats) is filled with bacteria and other pathogens that spread disease and the average compost pile doesn’t get hot enough to kill these organisms....

You can find greens by foraging from trees on your own property. If branches are not available to you, a quick trip to your local garden center may be the best option. As far as container choices, plastic is preferred as clay may crack during the winter. Once you’ve gathered your branches, separate them by length to see what you have to work with. Start with the largest, most erect and upright branches, such as spruce, in the back....

Do Asters Need to Be Pruned? Asters do not strictly need to be pruned, but there are some good reasons to do it. One is simply to maintain a shape and size that you like. Especially if you have rich soil, these flowers will grow abundantly. Pruning them back can prevent the need to stake them and give the plants more pleasing shapes. Thinning them out will also keep your plants healthy and reduce the risk of mildew developing....

In a health context, growing vegetables oneself makes sense, but what is the cost for vegetable garden seeds, starts, soil, and more? A vegetable garden cost varies with your methods, variety of plants, and setup. But with inflation and supply chain shortages, the minimal cost may just be worth it in the long run. Starting a Vegetable Garden Gardeners can grow vegetables in containers or in the ground. If you are in a small space, initially you do have some outlay for pots and soil....

Identifying Mums with Fusarium Wilt It is easy to misidentify fusarium on mum plants as root rot, but there are some key differences. One sign of either problem is wilting of leaves, but with fusarium it may occur only on one side or part of the plant. Also, roots look healthy when fusarium is the issue. Yellowing or browning of leaves follows wilting. The plant’s growth will be stunted and it may not produce any flowers....

How A Dutch Garden Growing System Works A Dutch bucket growing system uses water and space efficiently and typically produces high yields because plants are well-aerated. Although you can use this system for small plants, it is an easy way to manage large, vining plants such as: TomatoesBeansPeppersCucumbersSquashPotatoesEggplantHops A Dutch garden growing system allows you to grow plants in buckets lined up in a row. The systems are flexible and allow you to use one or two buckets, or several....

About Indigo Plant Dye Indigo dyeing has been around for several thousands of years. Making indigo plant dye requires a fermentation process that causes a magical color change. The primary plants used to make indigo are woad and Japanese indigo, but there are a couple of lesser known sources. Whichever plant you acquire, there are numerous steps to making the dye. Indigo is said to be the oldest dye, with cloth in the hue found in Egyptian pyramids....

What are Accessible Gardens? For many people, gardening is a rewarding and therapeutic hobby from which much pleasure is derived. As a gardener grows older or for those with disabilities, it may become a considerable challenge to perform all of the physical tasks required for gardening. Bending over or kneeling are just two of the challenges that an aging gardener may face. A person may also experience an injury or become disabled but still wish to pursue gardening as a hobby....

Echinocereus Ladyfinger Plants Echinocereus pentalophus is a cactus native to Mexico and known in English as ladyfinger cactus. The name comes from the stems that are long and narrow, like fingers. They grow from the center, erect when small, but more sprawling and spilling when longer. This feature makes the ladyfinger a great choice for a bed that needs a low spreading plant, or a container or hanging basket. Ultimately, ladyfinger cactus plants will spread out to about 3 feet (1 m....

What is False Banana? A valuable food crop, Ensete ventricosum cultivation provides more food per square meter than any other cereal. Known as “false banana,” Ensete false banana plants look just like their namesakes, only larger– 39 feet (12 m.) high, with leaves that are more erect, and inedible fruit. The large leaves are lance-shaped, arrayed in a spiral, and are bright green struck with a red midrib. The “trunk” of Ensete false banana plant is really three separate sections....

Environmental Benefits of Fungi Fungi and mushroom benefits in the environment are huge. Without them, dead plant and animal matter would pile up and decay much more slowly. Fungi are essential for processing dead material, healthy plant growth, nutrition, medicine, and for the entire rise of animal life on earth as well as human civilizations. Environmentally Friendly Fungi Yes, some fungi cause infections in animals and plants, even fatal infections. Mold can make you sick, and poisonous mushrooms can be deadly....