Can You Use Out-of-Date Seeds? The simple answer is planting old seeds is possible and okay. No harm will come from using old seeds. The flowers or fruit that come from out-of-date seeds will be of the same quality as if they were grown from fresh seeds. Using seeds from old vegetable seed packets will produce vegetables that are just as nutritious as those from current season seeds. The question is not so much about using old seeds, but rather your chances of germinating old seeds....

What is Traveler’s Joy Vine? Also known as Old Man’s Beard and Traveler’s Joy clematis, this plant is officially termed Clematis vitalba. It is a deciduous vine that flowers in the summer, producing creamy, white or light greenish-white blooms. In the fall they produce fluffy heads of seeds. Traveler’s Joy clematis is a climbing, woody vine. It can grow vines as long as 100 feet (30.5 m.). Native to Europe and Africa, it is considered an invasive weed in much of the U....

Upside Down Watering Issues While upside down gardening is often used for tomatoes, you can also grow a variety of plants including cucumbers, peppers, and herbs. Upside down gardening offers many benefits too. The planters may be the answer when cutworms or other nasty creatures in the soil are making short work of your plants, when you’re losing the battle against weeds, or when your back is tired of bending, stooping, and digging but watering the containers can be a challenge....

Growing Waffle Plants Learning how to grow Hemigraphis alternata and other waffle plant species is fairly simple once you have it in the right location. Red ivy plant care requires that the plant get bright, but indirect light, meaning direct sunlight should not reach the foliage. When growing waffle plants in direct sun, much of the foliage color washes out and leaf tips can burn. Keep growing waffle plants away from drafts as well....

Why Grow Cortland Apples The question here should really be why not, as tasty Cortland apple uses abound. The sweet, juicy, slightly tart apples are good for eating raw, cooking, or making juice or cider. Cortland apples work well in fruit salads because the snow white apples are resistant to browning. Gardeners appreciate Cortland apple trees for their beautiful pink blooms and pure white blossoms. These apple trees set fruit without a pollinator, but another tree in close proximity improves production....

Calculating Growing Degree Days The calculation starts with a base temperature or “threshold” under which a certain insect or plant would not grow or develop. Then the high and low temperatures for the day are added together and divided by 2 to get an average. The average temperature minus the threshold temperature gives the GDD amount. If the result is a negative number, it is recorded as 0. For example, the base temperature of asparagus is 40 degrees F....

Growing mibuna is easy and, although the plants tolerate a certain amount of summer heat, Japanese mibuna prefers chilly weather. Once planted, mibuna greens thrive even when they’re neglected. Wondering how to grow mibuna greens? Read on for more information. Tips on Growing Mibuna Plant mibuna mustard seeds directly in the soil as soon as the ground can be worked in spring or about the time of the last frost in your region....

What is a Mangan Eggplant? If you have never heard of Mangan eggplant, it’s no surprise. The Mangan cultivar was new in 2018 when it was introduced into commerce for the very first time. What is a Mangan eggplant? It’s a Japanese-type eggplant bearing shiny, dark purple fruit. Fruits are about 4 to 5 inches (10-12.5 cm.) long and 1 to 2 inches (2.5-5 cm.) in diameter. The shape is something like an egg, although some fruit are larger on one end for more of a tear-drop shaped....

Bonsai Aquarium Plants What is an aqua bonsai? That really depends. It is theoretically possible to grow underwater bonsai trees, or at least bonsai trees with their roots submerged in water rather than soil. This is called hydroponic growing, and it has been done successfully with bonsai trees. There are a few important things to keep in mind if you’re attempting this. First of all, the water must be changed regularly to prevent rotting and the buildup of algae....

Coral Honeysuckle Info What is coral honeysuckle? Depending upon whom you ask, coral honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) is hardy in everything from USDA zone 4 through 11. This means it can survive virtually anywhere in the continental United States. Coral honeysuckle is a twining vine that can reach 15 to 25 feet (4.5-7.5 m.) in length. It produces attractive and fragrant trumpet-shaped flowers that grow in clusters. These flowers are 1 to 2 inches (2....

Orostachys Plant Info Orostachys is a hardy succulent native to the frigid mountainous regions of North China, Mongolia, and Japan. The structure and growing habit of the plant is similar to the more familiar hens and chicks, although considerably smaller with a more delicate appearance. Chinese Dunce Cap succulents are suitable for growing in USDA plant hardiness zones 5 through 10. Dunce Cap Plant Care Growing Chinese Dunce Cap is easy....

What is Stinkgrass? Stinkgrass (Eragrostis cilianensis) is a common annual grass that goes by many names, including strong-scented lovegrass and candy-grass. Its most common name, though, comes from the strong smell this grass produces from special glands located along the mature grass blades. These grasses are highly successful weeds because of their ability to produce an enormous number of seeds from a single plant. They prefer disturbed areas and will pop up in gardens, orchards and yards readily, especially if these areas were tilled well the previous spring....

Using Anise Plants Anise plants can be harvested whenever the plants are large enough to cut. The tiny, aromatic seeds are ready for harvest about a month after the flowers bloom. What to Do with Aniseed Plants in the Kitchen Toasted anise seeds (aniseeds) are used to make spicy cookies, cakes, and various types of bread. They also make delicious syrups. The seeds are also incorporated into hot dishes, including cabbage and other cruciferous vegetables, baked or steamed root vegetables, and soups or stews....

What is Wheat Rust? Rust diseases of wheat are caused by a fungus in the genus Puccinia. It can attack any above-ground part of the wheat plant. Small, round, yellow spots form first and later pustules containing the spores appear on the plant. When the pustules release the spores it looks like orange dust and it can come off on your hands and clothes. Wheat rust endures through time because the disease spores are truly remarkable....

Why a Mock Orange Bush Does Not Bloom Hardy in zones 4 through 8, mock orange shrubs bloom in late spring to early summer. When mock orange is pruned, it is important to future flower development. Like lilacs, mock orange should be pruned right after flowers fade. Pruning too late in the season can cut off next year’s buds. This will result in a mock orange not flowering the next year....

Winter Season Vegetables Cool weather crops are, as a rule, leafy greens and roots. Vegetables that produce fruit, like tomatoes and squash, need lots of warmth and sunlight and are not really suited to cool season gardening. Leaves such as spinach, arugula, chard, parsley, and Asian greens thrive in cooler temperatures and can often handle at least light frost. Lettuce is a little less cold hardy, but it tastes the best when grown in cool weather....

About Woody Herb Pruning As they say, there is a time and place for everything, and woody herb pruning is no exception. The best time to prune woody herbs is the spring once new growth can be seen at the base of the plant. A second chance to prune will be when the plant is done flowering. Never prune woody herb plants late in the season. Pruning will just encourage new growth at the same time the plant wants to become dormant....

Growing Vines in Zone 7 Winter temperatures in zone 7 can get as low as 0 degrees F. (-18 C.). This means that any plants you grow as perennials will have to withstand temperatures well below freezing. Climbing vines are especially tricky in cold environments because they latch onto structures and spread out, making them nearly impossible to plant in containers and bring indoors for the winter. Luckily, there are plenty of hardy vine plants that are tough enough to make it through zone 7 winters....

About African Basil Plants Native to Africa and South Asia, African blue basil plants have long been grown for the medicinal and culinary uses of the leaves. It is related to the common basil that flavors so many dishes but grows as a shrub rather than a leafy herb. The shrub grows up to 6 feet (2 m.) tall and looks a little weedy. You can trim and shape it to look tidier though....

What is Sandy Soil? Sandy soil is easy to spot by its feel. It has a gritty texture and when a handful of sandy soil is squeezed in your hand, it will easily fall apart when you open your hand again. Sandy soil is filled with, well, sand. Sand is primarily small pieces of eroded rocks. Sand tends to have large particles and the particles are solid and have no pockets where water and nutrients can hold to it....