Prima Apple Information Prima is an apple variety that was developed by a collaborative program between Purdue University, Rutgers University, and the University of Illinois. The PRI in the name Prima comes from these three schools that worked together to develop and plant the first Prima apple trees in 1958. The name also represents the fact that this was the first variety to be made by the cooperative group. Some of the apples in Prima’s pedigree include Rome Beauty, Golden Delicious, and Red Rome....

Pothos propagation begins with the root nodes on the stem right below the leaf or branch junctures. These tiny bumps on the stems of rooting pothos are the key to propagating pothos. When your aging plant begins to get leggy or your full and healthy plant grows too long, simply give your plant a haircut. Pothos Propagation – How to Propagate a Pothos Begin by snipping off 4- to 6-inch (10-15 cm....

Causes of Pepper Leaves Turning Yellow Pepper Plant Leaves are Yellow Due to a Lack of Water and Nutrients One of the two most common reasons for yellow leaves on a pepper plant is either under watering or a lack of nutrients in the soil. In both of these cases, pepper plants will also be stunted and will commonly drop the pepper flowers or fruit. If you think this is the reason your pepper plant leaves are yellow, increase watering and apply some balanced fertilizer....

We should also keep an eye out for pests this time of year, both insect pests and wildlife pests. Those newly born wildlife babies are starting to get around and learn what’s good to munch on. They’ll be particularly interested in ground crops of leafy greens that are still growing. Plant garlic and onions on the outside of the bed to deter them and use a hot pepper spray to discourage their taste tests....

However, there is one way to save money on these higher ticket items. This is to start your own from cuttings. There are two types of cuttings to start shrubs, bushes and trees — hardwood cuttings and softwood cuttings. These phrases refer to the state the wood of the plant is in. New growth that is still pliable and has not yet developed a bark exterior is called softwood. Older growth, which has developed a bark exterior, is called hardwood....

Rose mosaic virus can wreak havoc on the leaves of a rose bush. This mysterious disease typically attacks grafted roses but, in rare cases, can affect ungrafted roses. Keep reading to learn more about rose mosaic disease. Identifying Rose Mosaic Virus Rose mosaic, also known as prunus necrotic ringspot virus or apple mosaic virus, is a virus and not a fungal attack. It shows itself as mosaic patterns or jagged edged markings upon the leaves of yellow and green....

Seed Starting Guide for Zone 9 The last frost date for zone 9 is generally in early February. While USDA growing zones and estimated frost dates are helpful for gardeners, they are merely guidelines based on averages. Gardeners know that when it comes to weather, there are no guarantees. With that in mind, here are a few tips on zone 9 seed planting and when to start seeds in zone 9: The best source of information on seed starting is on the back of the seed packet....

Flowers to grow in shade Best shade flowers – Perennials There is a wide variety of flowers that grow in shade that are also perennials. These shade tolerant flowers can be planted once and will come back with lovely flowers year after year. Astilbe Bee balm Bellflowers Bleeding-Heart Forget-me-not Foxglove Hellebore Hydrangea Jacob’s Ladder Lamb’s Ears Lily-of-the-Valley Monkshood Primroses Siberian Iris Spotted Deadnettle Violets Best shade flowers – Annual Annuals may not come back year after year, but you cannot beat them for sheer flower power....

Propagation Methods for Spruce Trees In the wild, spruce tree propagation involves spruce seeds falling from the parent tree and beginning to grow in the soil. If you want to start growing new spruce trees, planting seeds is a common method of propagation. Other propagation methods for spruce include rooting cuttings. Propagating spruce tree seeds and cuttings both produce viable plants. How to Propagate a Spruce Tree with Seeds How to propagate a spruce tree from seeds?...

What is a State Fair Apple? State Fair apple trees are semi-dwarf trees that grow to about 20 feet (6 m.) in height. This hybrid was first introduced to the market in 1977. The fruit is a bright red with subtle, yellow-green blushing. The all-purpose apple has a semi-sweet to acidic taste and juicy, yellow flesh. State Fair blooms with showy clusters of mildly scented pink-blushed white flowers in midspring. The red apples that follow are striped with a touch of light yellow green....

Using Statice as Cut Flowers Also called sea lavender (Limonium sinuatum), using statice in cut flower arrangements seems to signify fond memories in many people. Statice cut flowers are long lasting in the vase, whether fresh or dried. When growing statice as cut flowers for fresh bouquets, both foliage and protrusions should be stripped from lower stems to provide more longevity. They also look attractive in dried arrangements, and cut plants can be hung upside down in bunches and placed in a dark location with cool temperatures for drying....

Storing Amaryllis Bulbs in Winter Once the flowers of your amaryllis have faded, cut back the flower stalks to ½ an inch (1.5 cm.) above the bulb. Don’t cut the leaves yet! Your bulb needs the leaves in place to gather energy to make it through the winter and grow again in the spring. If you move it to a sunny spot, it can gather even more energy. If it’s in a pot with drainage holes and your nights are warmer than 50 F....

Why is Poinsettia Getting Yellow Leaves? Poinsettia leaves turning yellow can be caused by quite a few things, but the most likely source of the problem is water. So are yellow leaves on poinsettia caused by too much or too little water? Unfortunately, it’s both. Whether your poinsettia is parched or its roots are waterlogged, it’s going to respond with yellow, dropping leaves. You should always keep the soil in your poinsettia’s pot moist....

What are Flower Bracts? What is a bract on a plant? The simple answer is that it’s the part that’s found above the leaves but below the flower. What does it look like? The answer to that question is a little tougher. Plants are unbelievably diverse, and that diversity comes from evolution. Flowers evolve to attract pollinators, and they go to some pretty incredible lengths to do it, including growing bracts that look nothing like their neighbors....

What is an Enterprise Apple? Enterprise is a cultivar that was developed jointly by the Illinois, Indiana, and New Jersey Agricultural Experimental Stations. It was given the name ‘Enterprise’ with the ‘pri’ that stands for the universities involved in its creation: Purdue, Rutgers, and Illinois. One of the most notable features of this cultivar is its disease resistance. Battling disease in apple trees can be difficult, but Enterprise is immune to apple scab and highly resistant to cedar apple rust, fire blight, and powdery mildew....

What is Butter Lettuce? Originating in Kentucky, butter lettuce (also known simply as ‘Bibb’) is a variety of crisp lettuce that forms a loose head as it grows. Due to its characteristic tenderness, butter lettuce is frequently used to add subtle flavor to salads, sandwiches, wraps, and more. Though it can be stored in the refrigerator for a short period of time, leaves of this lettuce are very delicate and more prone to wilt than some other lettuce cultivars....

Sunset Hyssop Information The fragrant aroma of sunset hyssop plants is reminiscent of root beer, thus giving it the moniker “root beer hyssop plant.” The plant may also be known as licorice mint hyssop. Sunset hyssop is a hardy, versatile, fast-growing plant suitable for growing in USDA plant hardiness zones 5 through 10. At maturity, clumps of sunset hyssop reach heights of 12 to 35 inches (30-89 cm.), with a similar spread....

What is Stylar End Rot? Stylar end rot is also called black rot in navel oranges, but is also sometimes referred to as Alternaria rot. The stylar is the end of the fruit that we usually call the naval. When the stylar is cracked or damaged, an infection can get in that causes the damage and rot. Stylar end breakdown causes include a few different pathogens of Alternaria citri. Unhealthy or damaged fruit is susceptible to the infection....

Parsnip Growing Conditions Where should I plant my parsnips? Parsnips are fairly flexible. A planting spot in full sunlight is ideal, but parsnips usually do just fine in partial shade from nearby tomato or bean plants. Preferably, soil for parsnips will have a pH of 6.6 to 7.2. Preparing soil for parsnips is an important part of their cultivation. Parsnip Soil Treatment Parsnips require well-drained, fertile soil in order to develop optimum size and quality....

Does winter propagation work? Keep reading to learn all about winter plant propagation. Can You Propagate Plants in Winter? When you read yes, propagating plants in winter is possible, you may be thinking that’s crazy. In fact, winter is a great time to propagate hardwood cuttings taken from deciduous trees and shrubs. Fruit cuttings include: ApricotsBlackberriesBlueberriesKiwiMulberriesPeaches Some ornamentals to try: RosesHydrangeaMaplesWisteria Even some evergreens are suitable for winter propagating:...