Common Fruit Tree Diseases Fruit trees are very diverse, but there are some common fruit tree diseases that can be found in many of them. The best thing you can do when preventing fruit tree diseases is to prune the tree(s) to allow sun and air through the branches, as disease spreads easily in dark, damp environments. Peach scab and leaf curl Peaches, nectarines, and plums often fall victim to the same problems, like peach scab and peach leaf curl....

Lady Palm Care Indoors Place your lady palm plant near an east-facing window, out of direct sunlight. They thrive in comfortable indoor temperatures of between 60 and 80 F. (16-27 C.). Water the palm when the soil is dry to a depth of 1 inch (2.5 cm.) in spring and summer. In fall and winter, allow the soil to dry to a depth of two inches (5 cm.). Drench the soil with water until it comes out the drainage holes in the bottom of the pot and empty the saucer under the pot after 20 to 30 minutes....

How to Grow Lettuce in the Home Choose containers for your indoor lettuce plants that hold at least ½ gallon of soil per plant. Select only high quality, loamy potting soil; organic is best and will offer the most nutrients. Place two to three seeds just under the surface of the soil in each container. Allow a little space between each seed. Water each container thoroughly and keep the soil warm....

How to Make Compost Tea While there are several recipes available for making compost tea, there are only two basic methods that are used—passive and aerated. Passive compost tea is the most common and simple. This method involves soaking compost-filled “tea bags” in water for a couple of weeks. The ‘tea’ is then used as a liquid fertilizer for plants. Aerated compost tea requires additional ingredients like kelp, fish hydrolysate, and humic acid....

Growing a Japanese Kerria Kerria Japanese rose (Kerria japonica) is a versatile shrub with arching, greenish yellow stems and masses of golden-yellow, chrysanthemum-like flowers that put on a show in spring. The bright green leaves turn yellow in fall, and the stems provide color in the depths of winter, after the deciduous foliage is long gone. Japanese rose plants grow in moderately fertile, well-drained soil, and don’t perform well in heavy clay....

Japanese Tassel Fern Information Native to Japan and South Korea, Japanese tassel fern plants are a great deer-resistant choice for shady nooks in U.S. hardiness zones 5 to 8. So why are they referred to as tassel ferns in the garden? Well, when the new bright green, tightly coiled young fronds, or croziers, emerge from the crown of the plant, their tips bend backwards and hang down like a tassel as they unfurl, before eventually straightening themselves out....

Why Moss Grows in Lawns The first thing to understand before taking steps for killing moss is that moss is an opportunistic plant. It will not push out grass or kill plants to take hold. It will simply move in to a spot where nothing is growing. Moss in your lawn is normally an indicator that something deeper is wrong with your lawn, and the moss is simply taking advantage of the empty dirt that dead grass left behind....

What is Potato Late Blight? Late blight of potatoes is caused by the pathogen Phytophthora infestans. Primarily a disease of potatoes and tomatoes, late blight may affect other members of the Solanaceae family as well. This fungal disease is fostered by periods of cool, wet weather. Infected plants may be killed off within a couple of weeks from infection. Symptoms of Late Blight in Potatoes Initial symptoms of late blight include purplish-brown lesions on the surface of the potatoes....

How to Divide Large Potted Bamboo Let’s go over how to repot bamboo. Be sure to have the following tools available before you start: a knife, pruning saw, good pair of scissors or pruning shears, and one or more new pots. Large bamboo division can be awkward and difficult if done alone, so you may want to have a friend help you out too. If your potted bamboo needs splitting, here is what you can do:...

Soil for orchids contains not actual soil, and is instead a mixture of chunky ingredients that mimic the environment the orchids use in the wild. You can buy commercial orchid potting mix, or have fun creating your own special blend. Types of Planting Mediums for Orchids The most important attributes for orchid soil are aeration and drainage. Orchids don’t have the same type of roots as other houseplants. If the roots are left in moisture for any length of time, they will rot....

Patio Tomato Plant Info What is a Patio tomato? “Patio” isn’t just a generic name for a plant that can be grown in a pot. It’s actually the name of a specific cultivar that’s been bred with container life in mind. A dwarf variety, the Patio tomato plant grows to just 2 feet (60 cm.) in height. It is a very bushy determinate variety, which means it usually doesn’t even require any staking....

Pink Knotweed Information What is pink knotweed? It’s a tough plant that stays under 6 inches (15 cm.) tall but spreads horizontally to up to 5 feet (1.5 m.). It thrives in almost any soil, including dry and sandy soil, and grows in both sun and partial shade in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 8 through 11. The lance-shaped leaves of the pinkhead knotweed plants are between 2 and 11 inches (5-28 cm....

Reasons a Pomegranate Tree is Losing Leaves Do pomegranate trees lose leaves? Yes. If your pomegranate tree is losing leaves, it could be due to natural, non-damaging causes such as deciduous annual leaf drop. Pomegranate leaves turn a pretty yellow before they drop to the ground in fall and winter. However, pomegranate leaves falling off at other times of the year can signal something else. Another reason for pomegranate leaf drop may be improper care and installation....

Identifying Citrus Fruit Scarring Citrus fruit scarring is the result of damage done to the rind and/or flesh of the fruit while growing. Scarring of citrus fruit can occur for a variety of reasons, and when grown commercially, will often dictate which product (e.g. fresh eating, juice, etc.) the fruit will be used. Scars on citrus fruits are sometimes only cosmetic. However, in many cases, damage can be more severe and even cause the fruit to begin rotting....

About Regal Trumpet Lilies Lilium regale, or regal lily, is a stunning species of lily native to southwestern China and suitable for growing in USDA zones 4 through 8 in the U.S. The name describes the tall stature and striking flowers, up to 6 feet (2 m.) tall with blooms that are about 6 inches (15 cm.) long. The flowers are white, trumpet shaped, and blush purple on the outside. The interior of the flowers is streaked with yellow....

What is a Shinseiki Pear? Shinseiki, also called New Century, is a variety of Asian pear. Asian pears are true pears, but they are significantly different from European pears. Most noticeably, they lack the typical pear shape and are round, more like apples. The flesh is also firmer and crisper, also reminiscent of apples. They are less juicy than European pears and are best for fresh eating and cooking. By growing Shinseiki Asian pears, you’ll get a large harvest of fruit....

About Sky Pencil Holly Sky Pencil hollies are narrow, columnar shrubs that grow up to 8 feet (2 m.) tall and 2 feet (61 cm.) wide. With pruning, you can maintain them at a height of 6 feet (2 m.) and a width of just 12 inches (31 cm.). They produce small, greenish flowers and female plants produce tiny, black berries, but neither is particularly ornamental. They are grown primarily for their interesting shape....

About Tiger Baby Melon Vines If you are wondering why they call this melon ‘Tiger Baby,’ just take a look at its outside. The peel is a dark gray-green and covered with rich green stripes. The pattern resembles the stripes of a young tiger. The meat of the melon is thick, bright red, and deliciously sweet. The melons that grow on Tiger Baby vines are round, growing to 1.5 feet (45 cm....

Mushroom Identification A real mushroom is in the shape of an umbrella with a cup-shaped or flat cap on top of a stalk. Spores are produced by a group of cells, called basidia, found on the underside of the mushroom cap. While mushrooms come in all shapes, sizes, and colors the general structure remains the same. These funny looking structures are actually fruiting bodies or flowers that are produced by fungi....

Can You Move a Mature Avocado Tree? Sometimes it’s necessary to think about moving an avocado tree. Maybe you planted it in the sun and now it’s become a shady area. Or maybe the tree just grew taller than you thought it would. The tree is mature now though and you’d hate to lose it. Can you move a mature avocado tree? You can. Avocado transplanting is indisputably easier when the tree is young, but transplanting an avocado tree is possible even if it’s been in the ground for some years....