What is Cassabanana? The cassabanana (Sicana odorifera) is not, as the name suggests, a banana. It’s actually a type of gourd. The fruit, however, is very similar to a melon. Cassabanana fruits grow to about 2 feet (61 cm.) long and 5 inches (13 cm.) thick and are nearly perfect, sometimes curved, cylinders. The skin can be red, maroon, purple, or even black, and is thick enough that it has to be hacked open with a machete....

Is Catnip Winter Hardy? Catnip cold tolerance is pretty high and it grows well in zones 3 to 9. However, an unusually cold winter or colder climates can present a problem for catnip grown outdoors. If you want it to come back healthy and productive each spring, it may be necessary to provide some protection and extra care for catnip plants in winter. This is especially important if you live in the northern, colder areas of its growing region....

Cocoa Mulch Benefits There are several cocoa mulch benefits to using cocoa hulls in the garden. Organic cocoa mulch, which contains nitrogen, phosphate, and potash and has a pH of 5.8, adds beneficial nutrients to the soil. Using cocoa hulls in the garden is an excellent way to increase soil vitality and is an attractive top cover for both flower beds and vegetable patches. Cocoa bean hulls also help retain moisture in garden beds and reduce weeds organically, eliminating the need for chemical-laden herbicides....

Evergreens for Zone 3 You’ll need cold climate evergreens if you are a gardener living in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zone 3. The USDA developed the zone system dividing the nation into 13 planting zones based on the lowest winter temperatures. Zone 3 is the third coldest designation. One state can contain multiple zones. For example, about half of Minnesota is in zone 3 and half is in zone 4....

Can You Grow a Hellebore in a Container? Hellebore plants are prized for their unusual and pretty flowers, but also because the blooms come out in winter or early spring. These are great plants for four-season gardens and if you need something to add winter color to your beds. But what about hellebore in containers? You absolutely can grow these plants in containers, but there are some important things to keep in mind in order to help them thrive in pots....

How to Grow Creeping Jenny Growing creeping jenny is relatively easy. Before planting creeping jenny, check with your local extension office to be sure that it is not restricted in your area due to its invasive nature. Creeping jenny is a hardy plant that will thrive in full sun or shade. Purchase plants from nurseries in the spring and choose a site, in the shade or sun that drains well. Space these plants 2 feet (....

Cucamelon Harvest Info If you have yet to discover and grow cucamelon in your vegetable garden, it’s time to try out these fun little fruits. A cucamelon in Spanish is called a sandita, or little watermelon. Both names describe just what this fruit is like: it looks like a miniature watermelon, and it is a member of the same family as cucumbers. The cucamelon is small and can be eaten whole and fresh but are also great for pickling....

Do You Cut Back Red Hot Poker Plants After Flowering? Red hot poker plants form clumps of slender, grass-like foliage. The stems rise above the foliage and bear the long, colorful blossoms. Most cultivars start flowering by late June and some re-bloom until frost. Do you cut back red hot poker plants when the flowers fade? The answer is a decisive no. Pruning a red hot poker plant’s foliage at this time is not a good idea....

When to Apply Citrus Fertilizer In general, you should be doing your citrus fertilizing about once every one to two months during active growth (spring and summer) and once every two to three months during the tree’s dormant periods (fall and winter). As the tree gets older, you can skip dormant season fertilizing and increase the amount of time between active growth fertilizing to once every two to three months. To find the best citrus fertilizing time frames for your tree, judge based on the tree’s physical appearance and growth....

What is Fig Thread Blight? Fig trees (Ficus carica) are deciduous shrubs to small trees, native to the Mediterranean where they enjoy the warm temperatures of the region. When these warm temperatures collide with damp conditions, trees may become susceptible to leaf blight of figs. Leaf blight of figs, sometimes referred to as thread blight, is caused by the fungi Pellicularia kolerga. It is fostered by hot, damp weather. Fig thread blight first appears as yellow, water-soaked lesions on the foliage of the plant....

What Perennials Do Well in Full Sun? When determining what perennials do well in full sun, you first need to consider the conditions within your own garden. While daytime temperatures and rainfall play a role in plant health, you can gain a better understanding of your growing space by measuring how many hours of sunlight each garden bed receives. Though tolerant of different light conditions, most full sun perennial plants may appreciate some shade during the hottest parts of the afternoon....

April Gardening Tasks for the Upper Midwest If you’re itching to get your hands in the dirt and on plants, April is a good time to get started on several important growing chores. April is the perfect time in this region to use a pre-emergent weed killer. You can apply these products to beds to keep weeds down throughout the growing season. Get your vegetable garden ready now. Whether you’re building new raised beds or using existing beds, now is the time to prepare the soil....

Growing a Royal Fern Plant Royal ferns in the garden like consistently moist soil that is acidic and rich with organic matter; however, they are adaptable to lesser conditions as long as regular water is provided. Royal ferns in the garden resist damage from browsing rabbits and deer, making them a good specimen for shady, out of the way areas. When growing a royal fern plant, allow room for the plant to reach its optimum height and spread of 2 to 3 feet (61-91 cm....

How to Grow Ocotillo Plants in Containers Ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens) is a desert plant that grows in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 8 through 11. If you live in a cooler climate, bring the ocotillo indoors during fall and winter. The best ocotillo potting soil is a fast-draining potting mix such as a product formulated specifically for cactus and succulents. Plant the ocotillo in a container with at least one drainage hole....

Sorrel makes a nice change from spinach and works well fresh or sautéed. You can grow it from seed, division, or root cuttings. No matter how you start your plants, growing sorrel in pots is ideal. Container grown sorrel may even perform better than in-ground plants because you can move the cool season perennial away from hot sites during the day. Tips on Potted Sorrel Plants Select a well-draining container that is at least 12 inches (31 cm....

Saving Seeds from Tomatoes Saving tomato seeds is easy, but there are a few things to keep in mind. If you harvest hybrid tomato seeds, be aware that they are developed varieties, which won’t grow true from seed the following year. It’s also important to collect from healthy, disease free cultivars, which produce well. It’s also important when saving seeds from tomatoes to process and store the seed properly. You can save seed from cherry, plum, or large varieties....

Hollow Heart Potato Disease Although many people refer to hollow heart as a disease of potato, there is no infectious agent involved; this problem is purely environmental. You probably won’t be able to tell the potatoes with hollow heart apart from the perfect potatoes until you cut into them, but, at that point, it will be obvious. Hollow heart in potatoes manifests as an irregularly-shaped crater in the potato’s heart — this empty area may have a brown discoloration, but that isn’t always the case....

What is a Craspedia Plant? Also known as Billy button flowers or drumsticks, yellow Craspedia globosa are native to regions of Australia and New Zealand. Though the plant has shown to grow as a perennial in USDA zones 8 through 11, craspedia plants started early from seed will often begin blooming in just one season. Large, globe shaped flowers are held high, on wiry stems, above mounds of grass-like foliage. Silvery leaves contribute to the plant’s overall visual appeal in the landscape, while the long vase life of Billy button flowers make them good for cutting and for use in dried floral crafts....

Iceland poppy flowers attract birds, butterflies and bees. The flowers of the Iceland poppy plant are usually orange and reach 2 feet (60 cm.) in height and the same in spread. Colors of white, yellow and red are available in more than 80 varieties of the Iceland poppy flower, as are varying heights. Don’t be deterred from planting this beautiful, easy-care bloom out of fear that it is illegal. The opium poppy (Papaver somniferum) variety is the only one that is forbidden from cultivation in most areas....

About the Illinois Hardiness Planting Zone Knowing your Illinois planting zone will make gardening much easier for you. In order to learn more about Illinois growing zones, it’s important to view the USDA plant hardiness zones map. This not only provides hardiness zones for all states but will also tell you what garden zone Illinois is. The map provided here is for the Illinois hardiness planting zone, which should help determine the most ideal plants for your area....