Planting a Tree Next to Sidewalks The great thing about planting a tree next to sidewalks in a hell strip is the effect it has on the neighborhood. A street lined with trees gives a street a gracious, happy look, especially if you select appropriate trees for hell strip landscaping. Remember that you are planting a tree next to sidewalks. Therefore, it’s critical to pay attention to the root action you can expect from small hell strip trees....

For example, large trees should be no closer than 15 feet (5 m.) from a building. Whatever tree you are considering, find out if diseases and pests are frequent issues. It is very important to know the height of the mature tree to be sure placement is correct. Also, be sure to watch out for those power lines! Below are recommended shade trees for South Central states— Oklahoma, Texas, and Arkansas....

Herbs for Spanish Inspired Dishes If you love the rich drama of Spanish dishes, it’s certainly worth your while to add Spanish herb plants to your garden. Some are classic herbs you can use in many cuisines, although a few are signature Spanish herbs and spices. To grow a Spanish herb garden, you need to plant the ones that you love the best. A few herbs for Spanish inspired dishes include classic favorites like:...

About Fusarium Spinach Wilt Symptoms of spinach fusarium usually affect older foliage first, as the disease, which attacks spinach through the roots, takes a while to spread throughout the plant. However, it can sometimes affect very young plants. Infected spinach plants are unable to take up water and nutrients through the damaged taproot, which causes plants to turn yellow, wilt, and die. Spinach plants that manage to survive are usually severely stunted....

About Sunrise Rhubarb Plants Sunrise is not commonly seen in grocery stores, where most rhubarb is red. This variety produces thick, pink stalks. It adds a pretty new color to the vegetable garden, but Sunrise rhubarb uses in the kitchen include anything from pies and jams to cakes and ice cream sauce. Thanks to its thick stalk, Sunrise rhubarb is particularly useful for canning and freezing. It will stand up to these storage methods without falling apart or getting too mushy....

Symptoms of Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus Tomato spotted wilt virus affects hundreds of plant species. In the United States, spotted wilt in tomato has done significant damage in several southern states, including Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee, and Georgia. Early symptoms of tomatoes with spotted wilt virus can vary, but typically, diseased leaves turn brown or coppery purple, with small, pale brown spots. Plants are stunted and the leaves look wilted or crumpled and may curl downward....

Common Strelitzia Diseases As a rule, bird of paradise diseases are few and far between. That doesn’t mean the plant is disease free, of course. The most common disease is root rot. This tends to crop up when the roots of the plant are allowed to sit in water or soggy soil for too long, and it can usually be avoided by letting the soil dry out between waterings. Really, though, root rot is a fungus that is carried on seeds....

Gladiolus botrytis diseases are not uncommon, so knowing the signs and how to manage them is vital to your plants. Identifying Botrytis on Gladiolus Botrytis is a fungal infection caused by Botrytis gladiolorum. The infection is also called neck rot or corm disease. The fungus infects and damages leaf, flower, and corm tissue. The corm is the tuber-like storage organ of the roots of the plant. Above the soil you’ll probably first see glads with botrytis by noticing spots on the leaves and stems....

What is Pecan Vein Spot Disease? Pecan pie, pralines, and more are all delicious treats brought to you by a pecan tree. Noting pecan vein spot symptoms and acting promptly can help protect the yield of those tasty nuts. With good cultural care and some basic hygienic practices, treating pecan vein spot is manageable. There are no listed cultivars that are completely resistant but a few seem to be less susceptible and should be considered as replacements for those that are consistently infected....

Ulster Cherry Information Ulster sweet cherries are similar to the popular Bing variety. They are dark, deep red in color and have a very sweet flavor. The variety was created as a cross between Schmidt and Lambert cherries. These cherries are perfect for fresh eating and snacking but also for making wine and juice. The Ulster variety was designed to produce an abundant amount of large, sweet cherries, like Bing, but to be more crack resistant....

Verbena Companion Plants Companion planting can be based on a few things. One major reason to place certain plants near each other is pest management. Some plants naturally repel certain pests or attract their natural predators. These are best grown near other plants that tend to suffer from those pests. Verbena, especially if it is unhealthy or neglected, can often fall prey to spider mites and thrips. Some good companion plants for verbena that repel spider mites are dill, cilantro, and garlic....

How to Get Rid of Voles Vole control starts with a clean garden. Voles will make themselves at home in heavy underbrush and weedy areas. Making sure that any overgrown areas in the garden are cut back not only discourages voles from taking up residence in your garden, it also makes sure that any voles that you do have are more vulnerable to predators such as snakes, owls, hawks, coyotes, and cats....

Growing Fruit Trees in Oregon and Washington State USDA zones 6-7a are the coldest areas of the West coast. This means that tender fruits, such as kiwis and figs, shouldn’t be attempted unless you have a greenhouse. Avoid late ripening and early blooming varieties of fruit trees for this region. Zones 7-8 through the Oregon Coast Range are milder than those in zone above. This means that options for fruit trees in this area are broader....

Citrus Psorosis Symptoms Citrus psorosis symptoms, which affect primarily citrus trees at least eight to 10 years old, include patches of bark with small bubbles or pustules. The affected areas eventually turn into scaly patches that may callus or slough away in strips. Gummy lesions form on and under the bark. Young leaves may display mottling and yellow flecks, which often fade as the season progresses. The fruit of infected citrus trees is inedible and may, in severe cases, develop a mottled appearance and depressed, gray or yellowish rings....

Peach Rhizopus Rot Info Rhizopus rot is a fungal disease that affects stone fruits, usually after they’ve been harvested. It can also appear on overripe fruit that’s still on the tree. Peach rhizopus rot symptoms usually start as small, brown lesions in the flesh, which can rapidly develop into a flossy white fungus on the skin, as quickly as overnight. As the spores grow, the floss turns gray and black. The skin of the fruit will slip off easily when handled....

What is Pecan Twig Dieback Disease? Twig dieback of pecan trees is caused by a fungus called Botryosphaeria berengeriana. This disease most often occurs in plants that are already stressed or under attack of other pathogens. Environmental factors may also come into play, as trees affected by low moisture and shaded limbs are often more likely to show signs of damage. Pecan Twig Dieback Symptoms The most common symptoms of pecans with twig dieback is the presence of black pustules on the extremities of branches....

So what is a fruitless mulberry tree? A fruitless mulberry tree is an excellent choice for a medium to large shade tree in home landscapes. It grows 20 to 60 feet (6-18 m.) tall with a dense canopy as much as 45 feet (14 m.) wide. This handsome tree has dark green foliage in summer which turns yellow before it drops in fall. How to Grow a Fruitless Mulberry Tree When growing fruitless mulberry trees you should plant the trees in full sun or partial shade....

Meconopsis Information What is a Welsh poppy? A Welsh poppy isn’t really a poppy at all, but rather a member of the Meconopsis genus, a group of flowering plants that have poppy-like characteristics. While the other species of this genus range throughout Asia, this is the only one that is native to the British Isles and western Europe. A hardy perennial in USDA zones 3 through 11, it can technically be grown all across the United States....

Overdam Feather Reed Grass Info What is Overdam feather reed grass? It’s a variegated variety of feather reed grass, a very popular cool-season, ornamental grass. It’s a naturally occurring hybrid between Asian and European species of grass. It is hardy in USDA zones 4 through 9. The plant grows quickly, with its foliage usually reaching 1.5 to 2 feet (0.46 to 0.60 m.) in both height and spread. In the summer, it puts up stunning flower and seed plumes that are golden in color and can reach 6 feet (2 m....

Summer Savory Uses in the Garden What is summer savory? It’s the annual equivalent of its close perennial cousin winter savory. While summer savory lasts for only one growing season, it’s thought to have the most superior flavor. It’s a popular ingredient in meat recipes, as well as oil, butter, and vinegar infusions. Its flavor shines the most in bean dishes, however, earning it the name “the bean herb.” Summer savory plants grow in a mound-like formation and tend to reach a foot (31 cm....