How to Grow a Pumpkin Inside a Mold Growing shaped pumpkins requires two things: a mold in the shape you want your pumpkin to be and time. You should pick a mold that’s a little bigger than the estimated mature size of your pumpkin so it doesn’t burst through and you can still slip it out without breaking your mold. Start the process when your pumpkin still has a decent amount of growth ahead of it and it can fit easily into its mold....

Sunn Hemp Plant Information: Sunn Hemp Uses Sunn hemp is a tropical or subtropical plant that requires warm weather for at least 8 to 12 weeks. It is a perennial in Hawaii, southern Florida, and southern Texas but can be grown as a summer crop in most areas of North America. When planted as a cover crop (sometimes known as “green manure”) it provides nitrogen, builds organic matter, improves soil health, reduces erosion, and conserves water....

About Ginger Harvesting A perennial herb, ginger prefers a warm, humid climate in partial sun and is suited to USDA zones 7 through 10 or it can be potted and grown indoors. Folks have been harvesting ginger for its distinctive aroma and the flavor complements of gingerols. Gingerols are the active components in ginger that give it that fragrance and zingy flavor. They are also anti-inflammatory compounds that help alleviate the pain of arthritis....

My Vermicompost Stinks! When your worm bin smells bad, it’s easy to assume that you’ve really messed up. Although this isn’t an indication that everything’s well in the world of your worms, it’s not usually an insurmountable problem. There are a few common causes of rotten smelling worm bins. Food Look at what you’re feeding your worms and how you’re feeding it. If you’re adding more food than the worms can eat quickly, some of it is bound to rot and stink....

What is Horse Chestnut Used For? First and foremost, horse chestnut trees are different from traditional “chestnuts.” This common name is often cause for great confusion. All parts of the horse chestnut tree, Aesculus hippocastanum, are extremely toxic and should not be eaten by humans. Horse chestnuts contain a poisonous toxin called esculin. This toxic substance causes serious complications and even death when ingested. It is through proper processing that the toxins are removed....

What is a Minnie Belle Aloe? While you might be tempted to think that the Minnie Belle aloe (also spelled Minibelle) is small, its name has nothing to do with its size. It’s actually named for the wife of Ed Hummel, who himself is named for another aloe plant from which this one is derived. In terms of height, it usually tops out at around 6 inches (15 cm.). Its leaves are relatively short and spiky....

Why Grow Indoor Herbs If you have ever grown herbs outside in a garden, you know how easily they grow. Planting indoor herbs is not much different. Furthermore, an indoor herb garden can be in your kitchen on the window sill right at your fingertips for when you’re making that special recipe. So you might be asking yourself, “How do I grow indoor herbs?” You will find that planting indoor herbs isn’t much different than growing them outside except for the quantity you can grow....

Care of Red Tip Photinia It is important to provide the red tip photinia with a few basics to maintain a healthy plant and avoid photinia disease. Be sure to provide well-drained soil so that it isn’t too wet. Photinia plants also prefer full sun, but they can tolerate partial shade. It is also important to make sure they don’t grow too dense. Pruning photinia a plant is crucial to the health of the plant....

There’s an unspoken bond between kids and bugs, especially in the summer when all sorts of interesting insects are wandering around, just begging to be caught and put into an old mayonnaise jar. If you’ve been looking for an interesting summertime project for your family, you should consider keeping silkworms as pets. Not only are silkworms easy to raise, but they also quickly mature into moths and fly away....

Materials to Grow a Kid’s Beanstalk The beauty of growing a beanstalk with kids is twofold. Of course, they get to live inside Jack’s world as the story unfolds and they also get to grow their own magic beanstalk. Beans are a perfect choice for an elementary growing project with kids. They are simple to grow and, while they don’t grow overnight, they grow at a rapid pace – perfect for a child’s wandering attention span....

When to Plant Potatoes When growing potato plants (Solanum tuberosum), it is important to keep in mind that potatoes are cool weather vegetables. The best time when to plant potatoes is in early spring. Planting potatoes two to three weeks before your last frost date will produce the most satisfactory results. How to Grow Potatoes A growing potato is an undemanding plant. They need very little other than mild temperatures and soil, which is why they have been a historic food staple....

Why a Cucumber is Bitter Cucumbers are part of the Cucurbit family, along with squash and melons. These plants naturally produce chemicals called cucurbitacins, which are very bitter, and in large quantities can make a person ill. Most of the time, these chemicals are confined to the leaves and stem of the plant, but can work their way into the fruit of the plant in certain conditions causing bitter cucumbers....

When to Transplant Lemon Trees If either of the above mentioned situations applies to you, then you’re wondering “when should I transplant a lemon tree.” Owners of citrus trees know that they can be persnickety. They drop their leaves at the drop of a hat, they hate ‘wet feet,’ they get premature blossom or fruit drop, etc. So anyone who needs to transplant a lemon tree is no doubt going at it with some trepidation....

About Lettuce ‘Little Leprechaun’ Little Leprechaun lettuce plants sport gorgeous variegated leaves of forest green tipped with burgundy. This type of lettuce is a Romaine, or cos lettuce, that is similar to Winter Density with a sweet core and crispy leaves. Little Leprechaun lettuce grows to between 6 and 12 inches (15-31 cm.) in height with Romaine’s stereotypical upright, slightly ruffled leaves. How to Grow Little Leprechaun Lettuce Plants Little Leprechaun is ready to harvest about 75 days from sowing....

Mayflower Plant Info Mayflower plant (Epigaea repens) is a trailing plant with fuzzy stems and clusters of sweet-smelling pink or white blooms. This unusual wildflower grows from a specific type of fungus that nourishes the roots. The seeds of the plant are dispersed by ants, but the plant rarely produces fruit and trailing arbutus wildflowers are nearly impossible to transplant. Due to the plant’s particular growing requirements and destruction of its habitat, mayflower trailing arbutus wildflowers have become very rare....

Why are Peppers Damping Off? The main culprit behind pepper damping off is a family of fungi known as Pythium. There are several species that can kill pepper seedlings, but the result tends to be one of two things. Either the seeds don’t emerge at all, or shortly after emergence the seedlings flop over at the soil line. Often, the stem just above the soil line is dark and shriveled. If dug up, the seedling’s roots are usually dark and shriveled, too....

About Panamint Nectarine Fruit If you aren’t familiar with Panamint nectarine fruit, they are large, freestone fruit and quite attractive. The skin is a bright red while the flesh is yellow and juicy. Panamint nectarine fruit has been a favorite for some time in Socal, where the winters don’t provide enough cold weather to grow other varieties. The fruit only needs some 250 chill days, meaning days where the temperatures dip below 45 degrees F....

Reasons for Brown Peace Lily Tips In a healthy peace lily, the stalks bearing the beautiful lily-like flowers emerge from a mounding mass of glossy green leaves. If you see brown tips on peace lily leaves, review your cultural care immediately. Brown peace lily tips almost always result from improper care. Every species of houseplant has its own requirements for essentials like water, fertilizer, sun, and soil. If you get any one aspect wrong, the plant will suffer....

What is Pecan Crown Gall? Crown gall on a pecan tree is caused by a bacterial pathogen. It is found around the world and afflicts both woody and herbaceous plants belonging to over 142 genera within 61 separate families. Plants infected with crown gall become stunted and weak and more susceptible to winter injury and other disease. The bacterium infects the tree through wounds caused by insects, grafting and cultivation and may be confused with other growths caused by fungi, virus or other diseases....

What is a Parker Pear? Introduced in 1934 from the University of Minnesota, this tasty bronze pear is a good pollinator for ‘Luscious.’ It is an open pollinated seedling from a Manchurian pear. Parker pear trees are known for their compact form and hardiness. Plants are suitable for USDA zones 4 to 8. The Parker pear is a semi-dwarf tree that may grow 15 to 20 feet (4.5-6 m.) tall. The tree is quite showy for several seasons....