Are My Seeds Viable? Seed viability will vary from one type of plant to another. While the seeds of some plants will readily germinate for five or more years, others have a shorter life span. Fortunately, seed viability testing is an easy way to determine whether or not saved seeds are worth planting when the growing season arrives in spring. To begin the seed viability experiment, gardeners will first need to gather the required materials....

What is Barley Sharp Eyespot? Sharp eyespot is a fungal disease caused by Rhizoctonia solani, a fungus that also causes rhizoctonia root rot. Sharp eyespot can infect barley but also other grains, including wheat. Infections are most likely in soils that are light and that drain well. The fungus is also more likely to attack and infect when temperatures are cool and humidity high. Cool springs favor barley sharp eyespot....

Buttonbush Plant Info Buttonbush is known by a number of alternate names including button willow, pond dogwood, swampwood, or button wood. The interesting summer blooms, which look like spiky ping pong balls, have earned the plant the monikers of Spanish pincushion, globeflower, honeyball, or little snowball. If you purchase the plant from a nursery, you’ll get what you’re looking for if you refer to the plant by its scientific name – Cephalanthus occidentalis....

Camzam Apple Info A dwarf cultivar with a rounded habit, Camelot crabapple trees have dark green, thick, leathery leaves with a hint of burgundy. In the spring, the tree sports red flower buds that open to aromatic white flowers tinged with fuchsia. Blossoms are followed by ½ inch (1 cm.) burgundy colored fruit that ripen in the late summer. Fruit left on trees may persist into the winter, providing nourishment for a variety of birds....

Can You Kill Weeds with Salt? Although killing weeds with salt may seem strange, it is effective when used cautiously. Salt is inexpensive and readily available. Salt dehydrates plants and disrupts the internal water balance of plant cells. Salt is best used for small-scale gardening where it will be easily diluted by rain or watering, however. If salt is used on a large scale, it can create soil conditions that are not suitable for growing plants for quite some time....

What are Coccid Scales? Though it is sometimes confused with a plant disease or fungus, soft scale on plants is actually an insect infestation. Like vampires, these insects suck the sap from the vascular system of plants. The plant itself will yellow and wither; it may also grow distorted and stunted. A sticky, scale-looking substance may be visible on the underside of leaves and stems. Gray mold oftentimes will grow over the top of the scale....

It has a mat-forming habit and a semi-woody taproot, which hugs the ground. While getting rid of lespedeza clover may seem like a fruitless task, some control measures can be employed. Removing Lespedeza from Lawns The common lespedeza weed grows best in thin and dry turf that is compacted. Keeping your turf healthy by providing the proper nutrients for your soil type, maintaining the proper pH for your soil, and mowing on a regular schedule will impede the spread of these weeds and is one of the best ways for controlling lespedeza....

Daylily Companion Plants There are a few basic guidelines to consider when choosing companions for daylilies. First of all, daylilies prefer full sun or at least very light shade, so any companion plants for daylily plants should have similar requirements. Be careful, though – don’t plant anything taller than your daylilies, or else you’ll accidentally create shade in your sunny spot. Daylilies also like well-drained, rich, slightly acidic soil, so stick to plants that like the same....

Do I Prune a Pindo Palm? Do pindo palms need to be pruned? If you are lucky enough to have a pindo palm growing in your garden, you might be tempted to cut it back. As the palm grows, it does have a tendency to get a little ragged looking. Each year the tree will produce eight new leaves. The leaves actually consist of a 4-foot (1 m.) long stem that’s covered in spines and 10-inch (25....

About Catnip Drying A member of the mint family, catnip grows readily when located in its happy, full sun location. As with all herbs, leaves are smaller when dried, so let leaves get to a mature size before drying. If your cat is one of those that does not care for fresh catnip, you can dry leaves early in the growing season to experiment whether your kitty likes dry catnip herb....

Earliglow Strawberry Facts Earliglow is a popular strawberry variety, often used at U-Pick farms and commonly chosen in home gardens. The berry you get from this variety is large, red, juicy, and tasty. While these would be reasons enough to grow Earliglow, there are other reasons too, including high yield and ease of care and maintenance. The extensive runners that these plants produce will give you an even larger harvest next year....

About Eastern Gamagrass Tripsacum dactyloides, or eastern gamagrass, is a native perennial. It is a warm season bunch grass that grows well in soil that is well-drained but also in poor-draining soils. It is well-adapted to wetter areas and can tolerate flooding. Among native grasses, gamagrass is one of the most productive. It is an excellent grass to grow if you have livestock needing summer forage. It is also a good option to make hay....

Fall and Garden-Themed Scavenger Hunts for Kids Sending kids on a scavenger hunt is a great way to get them outside and keep them active and occupied. Give kids a list of things to find that they can easily pick up and bring back, for instance a red leaf. This kind of fall garden scavenger hunt can be educational as well as fun. Challenge kids based on age and ability. Depending on age, the kids can do the hunt alone or with parents along....

When Does Schefflera Bloom? Schefflera plants, which are commonly known as umbrella trees, are tropical. In the wild, they grow in tropical rainforests or in various parts of Australia and China, depending on the species. They certainly produce flowers in their native habitats, but you may be wondering: does schefflera bloom in cooler regions? Schefflera plants are less likely to flower in temperate regions, but they do produce flowers occasionally, especially in warmer locations like Florida and southern California....

What is Stem Canker of Gardenia? Stem canker of gardenia is a problem caused by the fungus Phomopsis gardeniae. The cankers themselves begin as dark brown, oval shaped spots that run longitudinally (perpendicular with the ground) along the stem of the plant. Sometimes, these spots are sunken with a sharp edge. With time, the spots harden and crack open. On occasion, they form into galls, swollen areas on the stem. Gardenia stem galls are also symptoms of the Phomopsis fungus that develop when there are several cankers in the same spot....

What is a Grow Bag and What are Grow Bags Used for? Grow bags are just what they sound like– bags you can fill with soil and grow plants in. When sold commercially, they are usually made of thick, breathable fabric, much like a reusable grocery bag. The bags are usually rectangular and come in a wide array of heights and widths, making them much more versatile and easily arrangeable than most hard plastic containers....

True Ginseng Plant Varieties Oriental ginseng: Oriental ginseng (Panax ginseng) is native to Korea, Siberia and China, where it is highly prized for its many medicinal qualities. It is also known as red ginseng, true ginseng or Asian ginseng. According to Chinese medicine practitioners, Oriental ginseng is considered to be “hot” and is used as a mild stimulant. Oriental ginseng has been widely harvested over the years and is nearly extinct in the wild....

One especially popular use is making grape jams and jellies. You can make jelly out of any grape, but some varieties are better suited than others. Keep reading to learn more about growing grapes for jelly and jam and the best grapes for jelly and jam production. What are the Best Grape Jelly Varieties? One of the best known varieties of grape is the Concord, and it’s one of the best grapes for jelly making....

Blue Daisy Flowers Many of the daisy like hybrids feature vivid colors with a contrasting eye. Once only bright colors such as blue and purple were available, but now multiple colors are offered. They are easy to propagate from seed or cuttings. A favorite in the floral trade, blue daisy plants are forced to bloom in winter and early spring. Blue daisy flowers are often given as gifts that bloom through the winter....

When to Divide Daylilies Daylily division should be tackled every three to five years for optimum health. If you never divide them, the plants will not grow as vigorously, and you will see fewer and smaller flowers each year. Newer varieties of daylily grow more slowly. You can wait longer between divisions for these. The times of year to do the dividing are early spring and late summer to fall. If you do the division toward the end of the growing season, you can wait until the temperatures cool, but don’t wait too long....