What is Heart Rot Disease? All hardwood trees are susceptible to varieties of fungal infections known as heart rot tree disease. The fungi, especially Polyporus and Fomes spp., cause the “heartwood” at the center of these trees’ trunks or branches to decay. What Causes Heart Rot? The fungi causing heart rot in trees can attack almost any tree, but old, weak, and stressed trees are the most susceptible. The fungi destroys the tree’s cellulose and hemicellulose and sometimes its lignin, making the tree more likely to fall....

Scarlet Calamint Information The red mint shrub plant is a plant native to the southeastern United States. It grows wild in Georgia, Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi, among other states. Like most native plants, it pretty much fends for itself in your garden, and scarlet calamint care is minimal. If you are wondering how to grow scarlet calamint, you’ll want to understand how it grows in the wild. Its preferred habitat is poor soil, and the shrubs are often seen thriving in flat pine woods and along roadsides....

Roundleaf Toothcup Info Aquatic Rotala is native to Asia where it grows in swamps, along riverbanks, on the edges of rice paddies, and other moist locations. Aquatic Rotala plants grow in aquariums of nearly any size and are most attractive in small groupings. However, the soft, fragile stems may be damaged by large or active fish. Plants are also known as roundleaf toothcup, dwarf Rotala, pink Rotala, or pink baby tears....

How Do I Propagate Snapdragon Plants Snapdragon plants can be propagated from cuttings, root division, and from seed. They cross-pollinate easily, so if you plant the seed collected from a parent snapdragon, the resulting child plant is not guaranteed to be true to type, and the color of the flowers might be completely different. If you want your new plants to look the same as their parent, you should stick to vegetative cuttings....

Why Carrots Crack If your carrots are cracking, the malady is likely the result of inadequate environmental preferences; water needs to be exact. Carrot roots need moist soil, but don’t like to be waterlogged. Moisture stress not only results in cracking in carrot crops, but may also cause underdeveloped, woody, and bitter roots. The cracking of the roots occurs after a time of a lack of irrigation and then a sudden onslaught of moisture, such as a downpour after a period of drought....

Tom Thumb Lettuce Facts Tom Thumb lettuce plants are a unique variety of butterhead or bibb lettuce. These plants produce crisp buttery leaves which form a loose head. Reaching maturity in around 45 days, the most unique characteristic of these plants is their diminutive size. Small 4 to 5 inch (10 to 15 cm.) plants are perfect for a wide range of garden applications, including its use as a single serving’ salad....

Information About Trumpet Lilies and Their Care Planting trumpet lily bulbs is very similar to planting most lily varieties. You can plant the bulbs in either the fall or the spring in neutral soil. You want your soil to be fertile and well-draining, so add compost or gritty material if need be. Planting trumpet lily bulbs is possible both in containers and in the garden. Remember that the plants can reach 6 feet (2 m....

Propagation of Tulip Trees from Seeds Tulip trees grow flowers in the spring that produce fruit in the fall. The fruit is a grouping of samaras–winged seeds–in a cone-like structure. These winged seeds produce tulip trees in the wild. If you harvest the fruit in the fall, you can plant them and grow them into trees. This is one type of tulip tree propagation. Pick the fruit after the samaras turn a beige color....

About the Kansas USDA Zones for Growing Plants It’s important to view the USDA plant hardiness zones map for information about plant hardiness. This not only provides hardiness growing zones for all states but will also tell you the garden zones for USDA in Kansas. The above map is for the Kansas USDA zones and can be used to determine the most ideal plants for your area. By looking at the Kansas zone map above and locating the approximate area in which you live, you will be able to find your hardiness planting zone....

Viburnum Borer Life Cycle So what are viburnum borers? Viburnum borers are day-flying moths that look a lot like wasps. They have dark bodies with yellow markings and clear wings. It takes a close inspection to see the difference between the two distinct species of viburnum borers. The clearwing borer has white scales on its face while the lesser viburnum borer lacks the white scales. Both are about one-half inch (1....

How to Control Blueweed Viper’s bugloss plant grows in USDA plant hardiness zones 3 through 8. If you’re dealing with small stands of bugloss blueweed plants, you can maintain control by hand pulling and digging young plants. Wear long sleeves and sturdy gloves because the hairy stems and foliage can cause severe skin irritation. Water the area the day before to soften the soil, as you’ll need an extra edge to get the entire taproot, which can be as long as 24 inches (60 cm....

What are Lily Flowered Tulips? There are over 3,000 registered varieties of tulips that are divided into 15 categories based on bloom time, flower type and size. Lily flowered tulips fall into division 6. Of the lily flowered tulip varieties, most bloom in the late spring, although a few blossom in mid-spring. They have long, slender stems atop which perch lily-like flowers. The goblet shaped blooms have pointed outward arching petals that come in a variety of hues from white to pink, red, yellow and even purple....

What are Runner Peanuts? Runner type peanuts are the most popular peanuts in America. They rose to prominence in the early 1970’s with the introduction of a new variety called the Florunner. The Florunner quickly took off and it and other runner peanuts have since grown to make up the majority of cultivated peanuts, beating out the other major variety, bunching peanuts. Runner peanut varieties are popular for a few reasons....

What are Double Blooms? You likely know double flowers when you see them, but what exactly is the definition of this phenomenon or bloom type? A single flower has a certain number of petals, although this number can vary by species. For example, the American Rose Society defines a single rose as having just four to eight petals per flower. Double flowering plants have some multiple of the number of petals on a single bloom....

What Does a Heat Mat Do? Most seeds germinate best in temperatures between 70 and 90 degrees F. (21-32 C.), although some, such as pumpkins and other winter squash, are more likely to germinate in soil temps between 85 and 95 degrees F. (29-35 C.). Many won’t germinate at all if soil temperatures fall below 50 degrees F. (10 C.) or above 95 degrees F. (35 C.). In many climates, temperatures aren’t consistently warm enough to germinate seeds, especially in late winter or early spring, prime seed starting times....

What is a Beatrice Eggplant? Eggplants come in so many sizes and shapes that there is literally a type suited to any garden. Given the number of eggplant varieties out there, you may not have heard about the joys of growing Beatrice eggplants (Solanum melongena var. esculentum). But it’s worth a look. This is a stately, upright garden plant that produces large, round, bright lavender fruit. The plants can grow to 36 inches (91....

About Firmiana Parasol Trees The odds are, you’ll either love or hate parasol trees. Growing Chinese parasol trees definitely gives your garden a dramatic, tropical flavor. This is a curious-looking deciduous tree with the scientific name Firmiana simplex. The trees are also called Firmiana parasol trees. Firmiana parasol trees have thin, green bark and large, lobed leaves. Each leaf can get to 12 inches (30.5 cm.) across, and offers as much shade as the parasol from which the tree gets its common name....

Geiger Tree Info So, what is a Geiger tree? It is a relatively small tree with orange flowers and evergreen leaves. It is also known as scarlet cordia or orange cordia. Several related trees in the Cordia genus feature white or yellow flowers and enjoy similar conditions. Geiger trees are native to the Caribbean islands and possibly to Florida. They can grow in zones 10b to 12b, so in the mainland U....

Spicebush Information Spicebush is known by a variety of names including spicewood, wild allspice, snap-bush, feverwood, and Benjamin bush. As the name suggests, the plant’s most distinctive feature is the spicy aroma that perfumes the air whenever a leaf or twig is crushed. A relatively large shrub, spicebush reaches heights of 6 to 12 feet (2-4 m.) at maturity, with a similar spread. The shrub is valued not only for its scent, but for the emerald green leaves which, with enough sunlight, turn a lovely shade of yellow in autumn....

What is a Yellow Egg Plum? According to its namesake, Yellow Egg plums are a type of yellow egg-shaped European plum. Known for being somewhat smaller, European plums are a great addition to home orchards for their fresh eating qualities when allowed to fully ripen as well as their use in pies, tarts, and various savory recipes. Thriving in USDA growing zones 5 through 9, gardeners are able to reap large harvests of these sweet freestone plums....