Bottlebrush plants need a very mild climate. If you live in an area cooler than USDA plant hardiness zones 8b through 11, grow bottlebrush in pots that you can move to a protected area for winter. Use a rich, peaty potting soil with a few handfuls of sand added to improve the drainage. If pruned hard every year, the plants will grow in pots as small as 6 to 8 inches (15 to 20 cm....

Although Philodendron brandtianum works well as a hanging plant, you can also train it to climb up a trellis or other support. As an added benefit, silver leaf philodendrons help remove pollutants from indoor air. Read on and learn just how to grow Philodendron brandtianum. Philodendron Brandtianum Care Philodendron brandtianum plants (Brandi philodendron variety) are easy to grow and are suitable for the warm, non-freezing climates of USDA plant hardiness zones 9b to 11....

Can You Compost Weeds? The problem of having weeds in the compost bin is the possibility of getting weeds in your garden. Seeds and roots that survive composting can crop up in your beds. Sometimes this means getting a little volunteer tomato plant or a zucchini. When the volunteers are weeds, it’s a lot less fun. You’ve just added to your weeding chore. This doesn’t mean you can’t compost weeds. As plants in the compost pile decompose, it gets pretty hot....

Can You Store Bulbs in Containers? Whether your potted bulb is living indoors or out, once the bulb becomes dormant it needs to be stored somewhere protected. Overwintering container bulbs depends on the type of plant you have. Tender bulbs, such as some types of elephant ear, can’t handle being frozen, so they have to be moved before freezing weather arrives. Other plants that are more comfortable with freezes, such as crocus and tulip, need to be treated differently....

Canadian Red Rhubarb Information Rhubarb is a classic spring vegetable, but one that is treated more like a fruit in the kitchen. The leaves are not edible and are, in fact, toxic, but the stalks can be used in sauces, jams, pies, cakes, and other baked goods. The bright red stalks of the Canada Red rhubarb variety work especially well in desserts because they have a high sugar content. With these rhubarb stalks, you can make your favorite recipe with less sugar....

These hyacinth plants are gorgeous planted en masse or contrasting with daffodils, tulips, and other spring bulbs. These easy plants even thrive in large containers. Interested in growing a few of these springtime jewels? Read on to learn more. Planting Amethyst Hyacinth Bulbs Plant Amethyst hyacinth bulbs in fall about six to eight weeks before the first expected frost in your area. Generally, this is September to October in northern climates, or October to November in the southern states....

Why Grow and Harvest Catnip? If you have cats, you can simply buy catnip at the store, but when you grow it yourself, you know where it comes from and that it’s organic. It’s easy to grow and harvesting catnip is simple too. You can dry the leaves to use for cat toys, or let your cats try them fresh. Outdoor cats will also enjoy playing around the plants in the garden....

How to Treat Diseases of Spider Plant Caring for sick spider plants shouldn’t be too difficult once you know what to look for. There really aren’t many common spider plant diseases. It is possible for them to suffer from fungal leaf rot and fungal root rot. Root rot can usually be traced to too much watering and/or soil that doesn’t drain freely enough. In fact, most spider plant problems can be traced to environmental issues rather than disease....

If you determine the bothersome plant is indeed cinquefoil, you have a difficult problem on your hands. Attack the unwanted visitors as soon as possible. Controlling cinquefoil weeds is easiest while the plants are young – before they get a foothold in your garden. How to Get Rid of Cinquefoil Weeds Organically Control of cinquefoil requires dedication, as the plant grows from long, persistent taproots. Pulling is a good solution if you don’t have a huge number of plants....

Raised Gardens in Small Spaces One of the most popular small space gardening ideas is the raised bed. Raised beds are great if your soil is poor or even nonexistent. You can build the borders of your raised bed out of wood, bricks, or cinder blocks and fill it in with good garden soil and compost. If you’re using a raised bed, space is at a premium. A good way to make sure you’re getting the most out of it is to use a method called square foot gardening....

What is Curly Top Virus? Curly top virus can be found in over 44 plant families such as garden tomatoes, beets, beans, spinach, cucurbits, potatoes, and peppers. Sugar beets are the most commonly infected hosts, and the disease is often referred to as Beet Curly Top Virus (BCTV). The disease is transmitted via the tiny sugar beet leafhopper and is most prevalent when temperatures are warm and populations of leafhoppers are greatest....

That being said, if you want a little adventure and some fresh air, then cutting your own Christmas tree can be a lot of fun. You can either go to a Christmas tree farm where they provide the saws and nicely groomed trees or you can venture out into the woods to find your own. Check with a forest ranger ahead of time if you plan to go tree hunting in the wild....

Can You Regrow Parsnips from Tops? Do parsnips regrow when you plant their tops? Sort of. That is to say, they will keep growing, but not in the way you might hope for. If planted, the tops will not grow a new whole parsnip root. They will, however, keep growing new leaves. Unfortunately, this isn’t particularly good news for eating. Depending upon whom you ask, parsnip greens range from poisonous to just not good tasting....

Identifying Mums with Fusarium Wilt It is easy to misidentify fusarium on mum plants as root rot, but there are some key differences. One sign of either problem is wilting of leaves, but with fusarium it may occur only on one side or part of the plant. Also, roots look healthy when fusarium is the issue. Yellowing or browning of leaves follows wilting. The plant’s growth will be stunted and it may not produce any flowers....

Evergreen Shrubs for Shade To find the right shade loving evergreen shrub for your yard, you should give some consideration to the size and shape of the shrubs you are looking for. Some evergreens for shade include: Aucuba Boxwood Hemlock (Canada and Carolina varieties) Leucothoe (Coast and Drooping species) Dwarf Bamboo Dwarf Chinese Holly Dwarf Nandina Arborvitae (Emerald, Globe, and Techny varieties) Fetterbush Yew (Hicks, Japanese, and Taunton types) Indian Hawthorn Leather-leaf Mahonia Mountain Laurel...

Feather Duster Tree Information The feather duster (Schizolobium parahyba), also known as Brazilian fern tree, is native to southern Mexico, Central America, and parts of South America, including Brazil, and is a member of the legume family of plants. Much larger than other legumes, this tree can grow up to 100 feet (30.5 m.) tall in its native range. Brazilian feather duster is so named for its large compound leaves. There can be as many as 2,000 leaflets per leaf....

What Hibiscus Fertilizer to Use The best hibiscus tree fertilizers can be either slow release or water soluble. With either, you will want to fertilize your hibiscus with a balanced fertilizer. This will be a fertilizer that has all the same numbers. So, for example, a 20-20-20 or 10-10-10 fertilizer would be balanced fertilizer. If you will be using a water soluble fertilizer, use it at half strength to avoid over fertilizing the hibiscus tree....

Growing Florida thatch palms is not difficult in the right climate. If these trees interest you, read on for more Florida thatch palm facts and information about their cultural requirements. Florida Thatch Palm Facts Florida thatch palm trees are also known as silk-top thatch palms. They don’t grow in groups but are largely solitary, growing as individual specimens. They are native to the tropical areas of Florida as well as the Caribbean....

Is Forget-Me-Not Invasive? The simple answer to this question is yes. Forget-me-not is native to Africa and was introduced to American gardens for its beauty and simplicity. However, like many introduced species (also known as exotic plants), forget-me-nots lack natural checks and balances, including diseases and pests that keep native plants in their place. Without natural biological controls, the plants are likely to become troublesome and unforgettable forget-me-not weeds. In severe cases, invasive plants can out-compete naturally native growth and disrupt a healthy biodiversity....

Gladiolus Plants with Mosaic Virus Gladioli mosaic virus infects gladiolus as well as other bulb plants, vegetables, field legumes, and common weeds. Both bean yellow mosaic virus and cucumber mosaic virus are transmitted by aphids moving from plant to plant or through tools used to gather flowers and corms. Mosaic virus produces mild symptoms unless a combination of BYMV and CMV are transmitted, then symptoms are more severe. Symptoms of gladiolus mosaic include a dark to light green or yellow mottling of leaves that are sometimes hard to see....