Why a Spider Plant Looks Wilted So if you’re asking, “Why is my spider plant wilting?”, you’ll need to do a bit of troubleshooting. When spider plant leaves look droopy, it can mean one of several things. Water – One obvious problem is improper watering. Spider plants need a good amount of watering during the summer – the soil should not be allowed to dry out. Overwatering can also cause problems, however, with wilting and yellowing plants....

Composting Turkey Litter Because of the high nitrogen content, using turkey manure in gardens can be a bit tricky. Unlike straight cow manure and some other manures, if you fertilize plants with turkey manure, you run the risk of burning tender new seedlings. Luckily, there are a couple of ways to get around this problem. The simplest way to make turkey litter safer for your garden plants is to add it to your compost pile....

To use this USDA Maine hardiness zone map, all you need to do is find where you live on the map and match the color of that area of that map to the colors on the legend to the right. This will tell you what planting zone in Maine you live in. The USDA Maine map above is based on the updated 2012 version of the USDA hardiness map. The USDA decided to update their hardiness zone map in 2012 to better reflect the changes in climate that had occurred over the past several decades....

Mulching with Wool As with other mulch we use in the garden, sheep’s wool retains moisture and stops weeds from spouting. In the case of using sheep’s wool for mulch, it can also retain more heat during cold winters. This keeps roots warmer and can help keep crops alive past their normal growing point. Online info says mulching with wool in the vegetable garden can “increase production and plant viability against pest damage....

If you’re pregnant, folic acid is critical for prenatal wellness and prevention of birth defects. Folic acid helps prevent defects of the spine, including spina bifida, and may reduce the risk of cleft palate. Although more research is needed, studies suggest that a deficit in folic acid may be associated with autism. If you are pregnant, ask your doctor to prescribe a prenatal vitamin, as diet alone may not provide sufficient levels of folic acid....

What Causes Aster Leaf Spots? Leaf spots on aster plants can be caused by one or more of several fungal species. These include species of the Alternaria, Ascochyta, Cercospora, and Septoria families. The fungi overwinter in plant matter on the ground and in the soil. Infection is promoted by wet conditions, especially on the leaves. Another type of fungus, Coleosporium spp., causes a similar but distinct disease on asters known as rust....

Paclobutrazol Information What is paclobutrazol? Technically, paclobutrazol is a synthetic fungicide. While it can be applied to kill fungi, it is much more commonly used as a plant growth regulator. Plant growth regulators are used to slow down the top growth of plants, encouraging root growth and thicker, stouter existent growth. This is especially useful in lawns, as it makes the turf thicker and reduces the need for mowing. What Does Paclobutrazol Do?...

What is a Propeller Plant? Propeller plant (Crassula perfoliata var. falcata) is a succulent native to South Africa. It is commonly known as airplane or propeller plant because the gray-green leaves are shaped like airplane propellers and radiate out horizontally, in pairs. The overall look is reminiscent of the propellers on a plane. The leaves are velvety and fleshy and make an attractive addition to a succulent garden or container but are also pretty alone in a pot....

What is Mountain Cedar? Juniperus ashei has many common names. It is called ashe juniper and mountain cedar, but also rock cedar, Mexican juniper, and Texas cedar. This native juniper tree is an evergreen and is not very tall. It can present as a large shrub or a small tree, rarely exceeding 25 feet (7.5 m.) tall. Its primary habitat is central Texas but it also grows in the wild in Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, and northern Mexico....

What is Pistou Basil? There are many different varieties of basil with different colors, leaf and plant sizes, and even flavors like hints of lime or cinnamon. Pistou has a typical basil flavor, sweet and licorice-like, but is milder than the garden-variety sweet basil. Pistou is also known for its compact size and small leaves, making it a good choice for container gardening. You can also use it as a short border plant along walkways, around the edge of a bed, or in any smaller garden space....

What’s Wrong with My Mayhaw? Since they are not often grown commercially, there’s a lot that’s still unstudied about mayhaw problems and how to fix them. We do, however, know a decent amount about issues gardeners encounter and how they deal with them. For example, there are a few diseases that frequently strike mayhaw trees, such as fire blight, brown Monilinia rot, and cedar-quince rust. Fungicides have been found to be effective against rust and Monilinia....

How to Keep Plants from Growing too Big Most gardeners actually want their plants to grow big, but there is too much of a good thing on occasion. This is where dividing plants comes into play. Many perennials can be easily divided in the very early winter just after the ground thaws enough to work in, but before the plant is leafing out. Once you have your divisions you need to know what to do with them....

I cannot begin to tell you how many times I have had someone tell me how hard roses are to grow. It just really is not true. There are some things a beginning rose-loving gardener can do that will make it very easy for them to be successful. One of those things is choosing where to plant your rose bush. Tips for Choosing Where to Put a Rose Bed Select a place for your new rose bed first before you order your roses....

Hardy Flowering Shrubs A gardener or landscaper has plenty of choices available for growing flowering shrubs in zone 5. Starting with the classic hardy flowering shrubs, zone 5 gardeners can choose from many varieties of hydrangea, viburnum, lilac, spirea, rhododendron, azalea, dogwood, ninebark, and roses. Hydrangeas bloom for long periods in midsummer; some varieties even have fall colored foliage. Viburnums are a favorite of birds because of their berries which can persist well into winter....

If you have purchased zoysia grass plugs, you are probably wondering how and when to plant zoysia plugs. Keep reading for instructions on planting zoysia plugs. Planting Zoysia Plugs After planting zoysia plugs, keep watering them daily for a week or two until they are established. When to Plant Zoysia Plugs The best time when to plant zoysia plugs is in the late spring after all threat of frost has passed until midsummer....

How to Grow Ferns Indoors Before choosing among the many types of ferns for your next houseplant, it’s important to understand what they need to thrive inside. Most ferns grown as houseplants come from the tropics, so they like indirect light, warmth, and humidity. All ferns should grow in containers with good drainage. When watering a fern indoors, know the variety’s specific needs. Most ferns like moist soil, but some, like the Boston fern, do best when the top of the soil just dries out before the next watering....

What is Moly Garlic? If you’ve never heard of this type of allium before, you may ask: what is moly garlic? According to Allium moly info, moly garlic (Allium moly) is a bulb plant native to Europe with a very attractive flower. The plant has many common names, including moly garlic, golden garlic and lily leek. It grows from a bulb and forms clumps of 12-inch (30 cm.) tall foliage. The blue-green leaves resemble tulip or leek foliage....

Maintaining a Wildflower Meadow in Fall Water the wildflower meadow lightly in late fall. This is also the time to cut any wildflowers you want to dry. Otherwise, wildflower meadow maintenance in fall consists primarily of cleanup. Remove dead stalks and rake plant debris. If you have weeds, such as crabgrass or bindweed, pull the weeds when the soil is moist. Work carefully to avoid disturbing the soil more than necessary....

Bilko Napa Cabbage Plants Napa cabbage, with its sweet, mild flavor, can be eaten raw or cooked. Chinese cabbage is good for slaws, braising, stir frying, soups, and pickling. The nutritious veggie is high in vitamin K, potassium, calcium, and antioxidants. Uncooked cabbage promotes intestinal health with an important amino acid as well as adds roughage to your diet. The Bilko Napa cabbage variety boasts 12 inch (31 cm.) heads and disease resistance to clubroot and fusarium yellows....

About Strelitzia Fungal Leaf Spot This bird of paradise fungal disease tends to occur when there is too much moisture present. The good news is that it typically does not cause any long-term damage to the plant. Proper cultural conditions and sanitization practices will help prevent this bird of paradise houseplant fungus. The spots on the leaves will be 0.1 to 2 centimeters big. Sometimes the spots are regularly shaped like a circle, and other times the spots have a more irregular shape....