How do you know if the ground is frozen solid? Keep reading to find out how to tell if ground is frozen or not. How to Avoid Digging in Frozen Soil Although it may seem as if spring has arrived, it’s important to test the soil for readiness before working your soil or planting your garden. Several very warm days in a row may lead you to believe that the ground is ready to be worked....

Acacia Cold Tolerance Most acacias are native to warm climates such as Florida, Mexico, and Hawaii and can’t withstand cold below USDA plant hardiness zone 8. However, there are a few hardy acacias that can tolerate cold winter weather. Here are two examples of hardy acacias for chilly climates: Acacia Winter Flame (Acacia baileyana ‘Winter Flame’), also known as golden mimosa: zones 4-8 Prairie Acacia (Acacia augustissima), also known as fern acacia or whiteball acacia: zones 6-10...

Growing Early Red Italian Garlic Native to southern Italy, heads are large and, as mentioned, the Early Red Italian garlic plant is one of the earliest types ready for a late spring harvest. While this garlic variety will grow in less than ideal conditions, bulbs and taste are improved by growing in a sunny spot in loose, composted soil. Plant garlic cloves with the roots downward and cover with a couple inches (5 cm....

Gall Mites on Fuchsia So what are fuchsia plant galls? Gall mites are microscopic pests that feed on tender fuchsia stems, leaves, and blossoms. In the process, they introduce toxins that cause the plant to develop red, swollen tissues and thick, distorted growths. Controlling fuchsia gall mites is difficult because the tiny pests are transmitted easily by gardening gloves, pruning tools, or anything they touch. Unfortunately, they are also spread by hummingbirds, and biologists think they may be transmitted in the wind....

Types of Mulch for the Garden There is a wide variety of mulch types available, which can be broken down into two large groups: organic and inorganic. Organic – Organic, or natural mulches, include such things as hardwood chips, pine straw, grass clippings, and crushed leaves. Inorganic -Inorganic, or synthetic mulches, include pebbles, crushed rock, plastic, rubber mats, or chips. Organic mulch tends to cost less than synthetic mulch but has to be replaced more frequently due to deterioration....

Care of a Gardenia Bush In order to get a gardenia to bloom, there are four things to remember about proper gardenia care. These are: Humidity Sunlight Temperature Fertilizer Humidity – Care of a gardenia bush means providing lots of humidity. If your gardenia is in a container, setting the container on a dish filled with pebbles and water will help to increase the surrounding humidity. Whether your gardenia bush is planted in the ground or in a container, daily misting with a spray bottle will increase the humidity around the plant....

What are Horsebeans? Horsebean plants, Vicia faba var. equina, are a subspecies of the broad bean proper, also known as Windsor or straight bean. They are a cool-season annual that bears large, thick pods. Inside the pods, the beans are large and flat. This leafy legume has an erect habit with a stiff stem. The leaves look more akin to those of English peas than bean leaves. Small, white blooms are borne in spikelets....

Growing Twinflowers in the Garden Those looking to learn how to grow Dyschoriste twinflowers will find that it’s quite easy. Twinflower plants are small and delicate, reaching a maximum height of 6-12 inches (15-30 cm.). Because of this, they make for beautiful groundcover and are particularly effective as a low tier plant in a mixed plant container arrangement or wildflower garden. They reproduce both by underground runners and by seed, and can be grown from either seeds or cuttings....

About Heliconia Pruning In order to understand how to prune lobster claw, you need to get an overview of the plant structure. The plant leaves look like banana leaves, and the stems are formed by a series of leaf bases. Heliconia blossoms form at the terminal end of each plant stem. Lobster claw Heliconia flowers stand upright and are extremely decorative and flashy. Pruning a Heliconia plant should be kept to a minimum because of its unique growth pattern....

Hellebore Plant Companions Evergreen plants make great hellebore companion plants, serving as a dark backdrop that makes the bright colors pop in contrast. Many shade-loving perennials are attractive companions for hellebores, as are bulbs that bloom in early spring. Hellebore also gets along well with woodland plants that share similar growing conditions. When selecting hellebore companion plants, beware of large or fast-growing plants that can be overwhelming when planted as hellebore companion plants....

How to Grow Coffee Plant Coffee plants prefer bright, but indirect, light. This means that they should be placed near a window but not directly in the window itself. They also cannot take temperatures below freezing and will not do well in temperatures that stay consistently below 65 degrees F. (18 C.). Keep them away from drafts in the winter. When growing coffee plants, the soil needs to stay moist, but not soaking wet....

Iris Leaf Disease One of the most common diseases affecting irises is fungal leaf spot. Iris leaves develop small brown spots. These spots can enlarge quite quickly, turning gray and developing reddish-brown edges. Eventually, the leaves will die. Moist, humid conditions are favorable for this fungal infection. Leaf spotting is most common during wet conditions, as rain or water splashed on the leaves can spread the spores. While infection of iris leaf spot generally targets the leaves, it will occasionally affect the stems and buds as well....

Epsom salt is composed of magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) and many of us may be familiar with it already from soaking in an Epsom salt bath to alleviate sore muscles. It turns out that this can also be good for your houseplants! Houseplant Epsom Salt Tips Epsom salts would be used if your plants exhibit a magnesium deficiency. Although both magnesium and sulfur are very important, it is usually not a problem in most soil blends unless your potting mix is highly leached out over time through continued watering....

Why a Leek Plant Flowers and Bolts When many plants bolt or go to seed, like broccoli or basil, it is due to warm temperatures. With leeks, it’s different. When leeks go to seed, it is normally due to being exposed to optimal temperatures followed by cold temperatures. In other words, a leek flowering is due to cold weather, not warm weather. When a leek flowers, it causes the neck or lower stem of the leek to become woody and tough and the leek will become bitter....

Lilac Borer Information Lilac borer pests (Podosesia syringae), also known as ash borers, are clear-wing moths. However, according to lilac borer information, adult females look more like wasps. The insects are found throughout the continental United States. Borer larvae are what cause the lilac ash borer symptoms. The larvae are large, growing up to an inch (2.5 cm.) long. They damage lilacs and other plants by feeding on the phloem and outer sapwood of trees and shrubs....

When and How to a Water Lime Tree In a Pot You may wonder when to water lime trees. The simple answer as to when watering limes should occur is when they are thirsty. Watering can be gauged to some extent by the size of the lime tree and its container. In other words, when the upper 1 inch (2.5 cm.) of the soil is dry to the touch, the plant is in need of irrigation....

Learn About USDA Maryland Planting Map Farmers and gardeners who wish to determine winter plant hardiness for particular crops and plants use the USDA plant hardiness zone map. The map considers average annual extreme winter temperature data over a 30-year period to create growing zones in 10-degree F. increments. The USDA released a new map for 2012, which takes into account changes in winter low temperatures over the last 30 years....

Matilija Poppy Planting Matilija poppy plants are native to California and are, therefore, a good choice if you’re looking for a local flower that can weather a drought or two. That being said, Matilija poppies are far from a sure thing in the garden. They are famous for being both hard to grow and invasive, and care of Matilija poppies can be tricky to figure out at first. They need full sun and prefer well-draining soil, but they will tolerate some clay....

Naranjilla (Solanum quitoense) is member of the nightshade family along with tomato, potato, and tamarillo, and the fruit tends to be flavorless and unpleasant when unripe. However, it can be tangy and delicious if naranjilla harvest occurs at the optimum point of ripeness. So, how to you know when to harvest naranjilla? How do you go about picking naranjilla? Let’s learn more about harvesting this interesting fruit. When to Harvest Naranjilla: Tips on How to Pick Naranjilla Generally, you really don’t need to “pick” naranjilla, as the best time for harvesting naranjilla is when the fruit is so ripe it falls naturally from the tree, usually between October and December....

About Pythium Root Rot of Onions Onion pythium root rot can infect onion plants any time soil is moist for extended periods, but it tends to be most severe in rainy weather when days are hot, and nights are warm. The fungus also lives on plant debris and in weed roots and may be spread by overirrigation and splashing water. Onion seeds may be killed before germination, or infection may show up a few weeks later....