Sorrel Weeds: Toxic Weed or Herb? Stems can grow up to 2 feet (61 cm.) tall and bear arrowhead shaped leaves. Female and male flowers bloom on separate plants with male flowers being yellow-orange and female flowers are reddish with three-angle fruits. The leaves of this bitter plant, when eaten in large quantities, can cause death amongst livestock but are considered safe for human consumption when eaten raw or boiled. For this reason, many people actually choose to grow sorrel weeds in their herb garden....

Gluten Cornmeal as Weed Killer Researchers at Iowa State University discovered by accident that cornmeal gluten acts as an herbicide while they were doing disease research. They saw that corn gluten meal kept grass and other seeds, such as crabgrass, dandelions, and chickweed from sprouting. It is important to note that cornmeal gluten is only effective against seeds, not plants that are mature, and is most effective with corn gluten having at least 60% proteins in it....

Growing Creeping Zinnia Plants Use creeping zinnia in the garden if you have a sunny spot with well-drained soil that needs some color. Where summers are mild, this Mexican native will spread up to 18 inches (45 cm.) and bear beautiful little orange or yellow sunflower-like flowers from summer through fall. Creeping zinnia ground cover does best when sown in a sunny garden spot in early spring. Use light, loamy potting soil with plenty of drainage if using the plant in a container garden....

Lipstick plant is easy to get along with and requires minimal care, but it can become shaggy and overgrown. Cutting back a lipstick plant keeps the plant healthy and restores its neat, tidy appearance. When to Prune Lipstick Plant Prune lipstick plant after the plant stops flowering. Blooms develop at the tips of new stems and pruning lipstick vines before flowering delays blooming. However, a good trim after flowering stimulates the plant to produce more blooms....

Can I Split a Plant? Wondering about the answer to the question, “Can I split a plant?” Since plant division involves splitting or dividing of the crown and root ball, its use should be limited to plants that spread from a central crown and have a clumping growth habit. Numerous types of perennial plants and bulbs are suitable candidates for division. Plants having taproots, however, are usually propagated through cuttings or seeds rather than by splitting apart....

People who practice gratitude regularly sleep better and have stronger immune systems. They enjoy happier relationships and are able to express more kindness and compassion. How To Show Garden Gratitude Grateful gardening is a simple process that, with regular practice, soon becomes second nature. Practice grateful gardening for at least thirty days and see what happens. Here are a few thoughts to get you started with expressing garden gratitude:...

When to Harvest Leeks Most leeks mature 100 to 120 days after sowing the seeds, but a few varieties mature in as few as 60 days. Begin the harvest when the stalks are about an inch (2.5 cm.) across. Depending upon your climate, you could be harvesting leek plants from late summer until early spring. Picking leek plants that mature at different times of the year lets you extend the harvest....

How to Propagate a Ginkgo Depending on the growing zone, ginkgo trees can live hundreds of years. This makes them a great option for homeowners who wish to establish mature shade plantings that will thrive for decades to come. While impressively beautiful, ginkgo trees may be difficult to locate. Luckily, there are many ways to begin propagating ginkgo trees. Among these ginkgo propagating techniques are by seed and through cuttings....

Steps for Heeling in Plants The first step to heel in a plant is to prepare your plant for heeling in. If you are heeling in a bare root plant or tree, remove any of the packaging and soak the roots of the plant in water for four to seven hours. If you are heeling in plants in containers, you can either leave the plants in the container or take it out....

About Horse Chestnut Wood There are several varieties of horse chestnut tree, including several types of buckeye native to the U.S. Horse chestnut is also native too parts of Europe and the Japanese horse chestnut, of course, is native to Japan. In landscaping, horse chestnut is prized for its quick growth, ornamental shape, large and distinctive leaves, and striking spikes of flowers that emerge in spring. The wood of the horse chestnut is an attractive, light, creamy color....

Saving Pumpkin Seeds Properly Store Pumpkin Seeds for Planting When saving pumpkin seeds, store them so they will be ready to plant for next year. Any seeds, pumpkin or otherwise, will store best if you keep them somewhere cold and dry. One of the best places to store pumpkin seed for planting next year is in your refrigerator. Put your pumpkin seed envelope in a plastic container. Place several holes in the lid of the container to ensure that condensation doesn’t build up on the inside....

What is a Flower Frog? Flower frog use in arranging flowers is not a new concept, though it has seen resurgence in popularity in recent years. With such an odd name, it’s only natural some may wonder, “What is a flower frog?” Generally, the term refers to a type of plant support which is secured to the bottom of a flower vessel, and is used to keep stems upright while being arranged....

A common question, “should I trim air roots,” is often pondered on. When it comes to air root pruning, experts have mixed opinions. Primarily, it depends on the type of plant. Read on to learn more about pruning air roots on a few commonly grown plants. Trimming Air Roots on Orchids Aerial roots on orchids are vital to the plant because they absorb moisture and carbon dioxide that help the orchid grow and produce healthy roots, leaves, and flowers....

How to Prune Jacaranda Trees Jacaranda trees grow very quickly. Rapid growth may seem like an advantage, but the branches that result have soft, easily damaged wood. When done properly, jacaranda tree trimming strengthens the tree by limiting the growth to well-shaped side shoots on a single trunk. Examine young saplings to select a strong central leader. Leaders are stems that are growing up instead of out. On jacarandas, a main leader should have bark....

While not as popular as other herbs, lemon balm is nevertheless a wonderful herb to have in your garden. Keep reading to learn more about how to grow lemon balm. What is Lemon Balm? The lemon balm plant (Melissa officinalis) is actually a member of the mint family and is a perennial herb. It grows as a bushy, leafy herb with a pleasant lemon smell and small white flowers. If not carefully controlled, lemon balm can quickly become invasive in the garden....

What are Jewel Orchids? Once you search for jewel orchid information, you’ll find a number of surprising differences. Jewel orchids are best known for their red and green textured leaves, which have a deep, velvety feeling. These plants do produce white or pale yellow flowers, mostly during the winter or very early spring months. Ludisia developed on the rain forest floors, so they don’t like a lot of natural light. In fact, too much sunlight can wash out their distinctive leaf colors....

What are Marsh Marigolds? Not related to traditional garden marigolds, the answer is Caltha cowslip, or in botanical terms, Caltha palustris, a member of the Ranunculaceae family. More detail to what are marsh marigolds include the fact that they are herbaceous perennial wildflowers or herbs. Not a traditional herb, however, as leaves and buds of growing marsh marigold plants are poisonous unless they are cooked with several coverings of water. Old-wives tales say they add the yellow color to butter, as they are a favorite of grazing cows....

It also sometimes goes by the name palm leaf false shamrock plant or simply false shamrock. But how do you go about growing Oxalis palmifrons? Keep reading to learn more about how to grow a palm leaf oxalis and palm leaf oxalis care. Palm Leaf Oxalis Plants Palm leaf oxalis plants are native to the Western Karoo region of South Africa, and they need similarly warm weather to survive. They can be grown outside in USDA zones 7b through 11....

Pear Tree Watering The main thing to establish when determining pear tree watering needs is the age of the tree. If your tree is newly planted or less than a few years old, its roots are probably not very well established beyond the root ball it formed in its initial container. This means the tree should be watered close to the trunk and frequently, two or possibly even three times a week if there’s no rainfall....

Growing Plants in Galvanized Container Galvanized steel is steel that’s been coated in a layer of zinc to prevent rusting. This makes it especially good among metal plant containers, because the presence of soil and water means a lot of wear and tear for containers. When planting in galvanized pots, make sure you have adequate drainage. Drill a few holes in the bottom, and prop it up so that it rests level on a couple bricks or pieces of wood....