Top Plants for South Central Gardens When looking for tried and true plants for South Central gardens, don’t forget to include plants native to this gardening region. Native plants are acclimated to the region and require less water and nutrients than non-native plants. They are easy to find in native plant nurseries or by mail order. Before purchasing plants, know the United States Department of Agriculture’s plant hardiness zone for your area, and check the plant tags for the hardiness zone....

Cotton Seed Planting Before you begin, you should know that it is illegal to grow cotton in your garden if you live in a state where it’s grown commercially. That’s because of the boll weevil eradication programs, which require the growers to use traps that the programs monitor. The eradication zone runs from Virginia to Texas and as far west as Missouri. Call your Cooperative Extension Service if you aren’t sure whether you are in the zone....

Propagate a Rubber Tree Plant with Cuttings Rubber tree plants can grow very tall and this means an indoor rubber tree occasionally needs to be pruned. After pruning, don’t throw out those cuttings; instead, use them to propagate a rubber tree plant. Propagating a rubber tree plant from cuttings starts with getting a good cutting. The cutting should be about 6 inches (15 cm.) long and have at least two sets of leaves....

Info on the Stephanotis Flower When we talk about Stephanotis plant care, we’re talking about Stephanotis floribunda, or Madagascar jasmine, though it is not a member of the jasmine family. It is one of five to ten species identified within the genus of twining vine-like shrubs and is the most popular among indoor gardeners. The flowers present as narrow, tubular, waxy horns about 2 inches (5 cm.) in length. Each flower has a crown of five lobes and stamens that someone long ago thought looked like tiny ears, hence the name from the Greek stephanos (crown) and otis (ear)....

How to Store Potatoes Proper storage of your crop begins with a few cultivation practices prior to harvesting. Severely reduce the water you give the plants for a couple of weeks before harvest. This will toughen up the skins on the potatoes. Make sure you let the vines die all the way back before you dig up the crop. The vines will turn yellow and speckled before they are completely dead, then they dry up and turn brown....

Best Types of Straw Garden Mulch The first key to using straw as mulch is in finding the right types of straw garden mulch. Some straw mulches may be mixed with hay, which can weed seeds that can sprout in your garden rows. Look for a supplier that sells guaranteed weed-free straw. Rice straw is very good, as it rarely carries weed seeds, but wheat straw mulch in gardens is more readily available and will work just as well....

Succulents native to arid regions must have adequate drainage and moderate watering for good root rot control. Why Do Succulents Rot? Limp, shriveled, and yellow leaves are an indicator that succulent roots are rotting. Why do succulents rot? The answer can be cultural or fungal. In most cases, it is an issue brought upon by poor draining soil and too much moisture. Learning how to stop succulent rot is important to save your plant....

Flowering Vines That Bloom in Summer There are a huge number of vines, and nearly as many summer flowering vines. If you just want vines for summer color, you’re almost certain to find something in the color you want for the climate you have. If your goal is vines that flower all summer long, however, the list is noticeably shorter. One very good option is the trumpet vine. While it won’t bloom in the spring, a trumpet vine will be covered in bright orange flowers from midsummer to early fall....

Insect Repelling Full Sun Plants Without wasting any time, we assure you there truly are many plants that deter insects away from our fruit, veggie, and ornamental plantings. They can also keep pesky, biting insects away from us, our families, and our pets. Most are herbs, so we might already be growing a few of them. Just as the fragrance and flavor of herbs is enjoyable for us, it is unpleasant for many pests that would damage our crops and our bodies....

What is a Suncrisp Apple? With skin that mimics a sunset and crisp creamy flesh, Suncrisp apples are one of the truly great introductions. Early Suncrisp apple tree care requires careful grooming to keep an open canopy and develop sturdy branches. These apple trees are very cold hardy and ripen just as other trees are changing color. Learn how to grow Suncrisp apples and you can enjoy autumn cider, pies, and sauce with plenty of fruit left over for snacking well into winter....

Sunrise Succulent Info Anacampseros telephiastrum ‘Variegata’ succulents, more commonly called sunrise succulents, are small plants native to South Africa that grow in a dense mat of rosettes. They can grow to a height of 6 inches (15 cm.) tall, though they usually tip over before reaching their full height and grow in a more horizontal, sweeping pattern. This creates an attractive spread of individual structures that is as wide as it is tall....

Telegraph Plant Info What is a telegraph plant? Also known as the dancing plant, the telegraph plant (Codariocalyx motorius – formerly Desmodium gyrans) is a fascinating tropical plant that dances as the leaves move up and down in bright light. Telegraph plant also responds to warmth, high frequency sound waves or touch. During the night, the leaves droop downwards. Telegraph plant is native to Asia. This low-maintenance, problem-free member of the pea family is usually grown indoors, surviving outdoors only in the warmest climates....

Floral Thanksgiving Arrangements Traditionally, gatherings (both large and small) center around the preparation of foods sourced from recent harvests and, of course, turkey. It is for this reason that many may also feel the need to decorate for the occasion. The creation of Thanksgiving flower arrangements or Thanksgiving flower centerpieces is just one way in which hosts are able to make a lasting impression on dinner guests. The creation of do-it-yourself Thanksgiving flower décor is an easy way to add appeal and flare to tablescapes....

What is Time Domain Reflectometry? Time domain reflectometry, or TDR, uses an electromagnetic frequency to measure how much water is present in the soil. Most often, TDR meters are used by large scale or commercial growers. The meter consists of two long metal probes, which are inserted directly into the soil. Once in the soil, a voltage pulse travels down the rods and returns to the sensor which analyzes the data....

Firebush is easy to grow, requires very little maintenance, and tends to be relatively drought-tolerant once established. How much fertilizer does a firebush need? The answer is very little. Read on to learn three options for feeding firebush. Fertilizing a Firebush Need to know when to fertilize a firebush? If your firebush is healthy and doing well, it can live happily without fertilizer. If you think your plant could use a little nutrition, you can feed it a couple of times every year in early spring and again in early summer....

Choosing a Container for Your Tree Trees can be planted in regular, moveable containers as well as in large, permanent planters. Containers and planters for landscape trees are available in numerous styles, shapes, and colors. Containers should always complement their surroundings as well as the trees that are placed in them. The container should be large enough to accommodate the tree. Therefore, the mature size of the tree should be considered in order to choose a container with adequate space to accommodate both the growing tree and its roots....

General Hydrangea Pruning Instructions & Deadheading Tips Pruning hydrangea bushes is not necessary unless the shrubs have become overgrown or unsightly. You can safely remove spent blooms (deadhead) anytime. However, there are a couple deadheading tips to keep in mind for optimal results. Try to keep cuts above the first set of large leaves or only cut down to the last healthy buds. This ensures the safety of any developing blooms for the next season....

Tips for Lowering Soil Nitrogen Content Using Plants That Will Reduce Nitrogen in Garden Soil In order to remove excess nitrogen in soil, you need to bind the nitrogen that is in the soil to something else. Fortunately, as a gardener, you probably grow many things that bind nitrogen — in other words, plants. Any plant will use some nitrogen in the soil, but plants like squash, cabbage, broccoli and corn use up large amounts of nitrogen while growing....

Know the signs of this disease and how to manage it to keep your plants healthy. Identifying Iris Rust Disease Iris rust is caused by Puccinia iridis, a fungal species. Most varieties of iris can be affected by this disease which causes a rusty, spot pattern on the leaves. Ultimately, the infection can kill leaves causing them to brown and die back but does not kill the whole plant. If you can control the disease, damage is typically minimal....

Recognizing Spinach with Root Knot Nematodes It’s difficult to identify root knot nematodes on spinach with certainty and you may need to send a sample of your soil to a diagnostic lab to know for sure. However, there are certain signs that can give you a pretty good indication. If you suspect spinach with root knot nematodes, dig up a plant and rinse the roots gently. Look for tiny lesions or galls, along with excessive growth of tiny roots....