Growing Delphiniums from Seed Delphinium plants are known for being high maintenance, but they reward you with stunning flowers. Knowing how and when to sow delphinium seeds will set you on the right path to growing tall, healthy, flowering plants. Germinating delphinium seeds requires a cold start so put your seeds in the refrigerator for about a week before planting. Start seeds indoors about eight weeks before the last frost of spring....

Collecting Ornamental Grass Seeds Often, one of the most rewarding aspects of gardening is the process of collecting seed and propagating plants within the garden. This cost effective and economical strategy can help gardeners create beautiful outdoor spaces, even when restricted by tight budgets. Like many other plants, the process of harvesting grass seed is quite simple. However, before you begin collecting ornamental grass seeds, there are a few considerations to examine....

What are Florida 91 Tomato Plants? The Florida 91 was developed to tolerate heat. They are essentially heat resistant tomatoes. They are prized by commercial and home growers alike. In addition to tolerating hot summers, these tomatoes resist many diseases and generally don’t form cracks, even in the hottest, most humid weather. In warm climates, you can grow Florida 91 throughout the summer and into the fall, staggering plants to get a longer harvest....

What is Hellebore? Hellebore is a group of several species that produce early blooming flowers. Some of the common names of the species indicate when they bloom, like Lenten rose, for example. In warmer climates, you’ll get hellebore flowers in December, but colder regions see them bloom in late winter to early spring. These perennials grow in low clumps, with the flowers shooting up above the foliage. They bloom hanging down on the tops of stems....

Should I Prune My Eggplants? This is a common question, and it really depends upon your preference and your location. If you live in a cold climate and are growing eggplants as annuals, pruning is less necessary. With adequate protection from frost, however, eggplants will grow for several years. This means they can get very large, and sometimes more than a little leggy or worn out. To ensure a strong plant and maximum fruit production, eggplant pruning is a good idea in the long term....

Toxicity of Peace Lily Plants According to Pet Poison Hotline, the cells of peace lily plants, also known as Mauna Loa plants, contain calcium oxalate crystals. When a cat chews or bites into the leaves or stems, the crystals are released and cause injury by penetrating the animal’s tissues. The damage can be extremely painful to the animal’s mouth, even if the plant isn’t ingested. Fortunately, peace lily toxicity isn’t as great as that of other types of lilies, including Easter lily and Asiatic lilies....

Can I Grow Jackfruit from Seed? There are multiple reasons to grow a jackfruit tree but enjoying the flesh of the large fruits is one of the most popular. These fruits are enormous and grow to an average size of about 35 pounds (16 kg.). The flesh of the fruit, when dried and cooked, has the texture of pulled pork. It takes on the flavor of spices and sauces and makes a great meat substitute for vegans and vegetarians....

About Kale Companion Plants Kale can tolerate temps down to 20 degrees F. (-7 C.) but becomes rather tough when temps exceed 80 degrees F. (27 C.). If you plant in the cool season, kale should be planted in full sun, but if you plant during the warm season, plant kale in partial shade. It thrives with a pH of 5.5 – 6.8 in loamy, well-draining, damp soil. These are all things to consider when looking for plants that grow well with kale....

Keeping Cyclamen After Blooms Fade What to do with a cyclamen after flowering? Often, florist’s cyclamen is considered a seasonal gift. It can be difficult to get a cyclamen to rebloom, so the plant is frequently discarded after it has lost its beauty. Although keeping cyclamens after blooms fade is a bit of a challenge, it’s definitely possible. Proper light and temperature are the keys to caring for cyclamen after flowering....

Lapageria Plant Care Lapageria rosea plants are long, spreading vines that can grow to 15 feet (4.6 m.) in length and spread just as wide. The leaves have a thick, leathery feeling that is shared by the flowers, which are 3-to 4-inch (7.6 -10 cm.) long pendulous bells that appear as red in nature but come in a range of colors in cultivation. The Chilean bellflower vine is evergreen, but hardy only in USDA zones 9a through 11....

Will Leather Break Down in Compost? Leather has long been one of the substances you want to avoid putting in the compost pile, according to expert info online. Some of its ingredients are natural, but some additives are metal shavings and unknown chemicals, potentially slowing the composting process. These unknown ingredients can affect the behavior of the fertilization properties, slowing or even stopping them. All composting materials should be metal-free, and this includes leather....

Christmas Cactus Problems Wilted or limp Christmas cactus is sometimes caused by a lack of water or too much direct sunlight. If you’ve neglected to water the limp Christmas cactus, begin by giving the plant a limited drink. Continue to water sparingly every few days until the soil is lightly moist. Soil that is too wet causes Christmas cactus problems too. As an epiphyte in its native home on the tropical forest floor, the Christmas cactus absorbs water and nutrients from the air, and as such can’t handle soggy roots....

Signs of Black Root Rot of Carrots Carrots with black root rot typically display a black or brown, decayed ring at the top of the carrot, at the point where the leaves are attached. The disease results in wilting, stunted growth and carrots that break off in the soil when pulled. Carrot black root rot can affect carrots at any stage of growth. It can show up on seedlings, and may appear during storage, evidenced by decay and black lesions that can spread to healthy carrots....

About Cotoneaster Multiflorus The many-flowered cotoneaster shrub is just as the name describes. This is a fast-growing shrub that produces abundant clusters of white flowers in spring. Native to China, this cotoneaster is hardy through zone 4 in North America. The shrub will grow up to 12 or even 15 feet (3.6 to 4.5 m.) tall. Most grow wider than they are tall and have a sprawling, natural sort of appearance....

Read on and learn how to grow what is affectionately called a “mason jar rose.” Rose Propagation with a Mason Jar Greenhouse Although rose propagation is possible any time of year, growing a rose from cuttings is more likely to be successful when the weather is cool in spring or early fall (or during the winter if you live in a mild climate). Cut 6 to 8 inch (15-20 cm....

What is Button Clover? Medicago button clover (M. orbicularis) is an annual forage plant in many European countries. Also known as blackdisk medick, button medick, or round-fruited medick, and is a member of the Fabaceae or pea family. The plant is easy to identify with its fimbriate stipules, serrated leaflets, yellow blooms, and flat, papery, coiled seed pods. Its genus name Medicago is derived from the Greek word “medice” meaning alfalfa, while orbicularis is derived from the Latin “orbi(c)” meaning “a circle” in reference to the coiled button clover fruit....

This time, we begin a tour around the Adams Ricci Park in Enola, Pennsylvania. A certified Pollinator Waystation, the garden has a host of native and non-native (but non-invasive) plants that Monarch butterflies love, and that you too can include in your fall fueling station. These plants include autumn sedum, marigold, and Mexican sunflower. Sign up for Heather’s course here, or watch all of the videos in this series on our YouTube channel....

A nematode by any other name is just as nasty of a garden problem. Nematode eelworm control can help safeguard your potato crop. Learn about eelworms in potatoes and what you can do to stop them in this insightful article. What are Potato Eelworms? Eelworms in potatoes are not an uncommon problem. When these plant parasites are living in the soil, they quickly seek out their favorite hosts, such as potatoes and tomatoes....

Can Plant Bacteria Infect a Human? Although it would seem like a no brainer to assume that plant and human diseases are distinct and cannot crossover from plant to gardener, this isn’t the case at all. Human infection from plants is very rare, but it does happen. The primary pathogen of concern is a bacteria known as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which causes a type of soft rot in plants. P. aeruginosa infections in humans can invade nearly any tissue in the human body, provided they are already weakened....

How to Plant Rock Garden Iris For planting rock garden irises, follow these guidelines: One problem with the little rock garden iris is that during the first year of planting, it flowers just fine. After that, for some reason the plant just sends up leaves and each original bulb splits into tiny rice-grained-sized bulbs. These tiny bulbs don’t have the food reserves to help support the production of flowers. Deeper planting helps, and so does extra nourishment....