What are Survivor Peas? For a shelling pea, Survivor plants are desirable for a number of reasons. This variety is self-trellising, so you don’t need to plant it against some type of structure to support its growth. It produces a lot of peas that are easy to pick, and it takes just 70 days to reach maturity from seed. Of course, the flavor of the pea is also important, and this one is superior....

Swiss Cheese Plant Info Though commonly confused with Monstera deliciosa, Adanson’s monstera plant (Monstera adansonii) is also referred to as Swiss cheese plant. Though both types of plants appear somewhat similar, the stature of this plant is much smaller and better suited for tight spaces. Monstera adansonii, which is native to Central and South America, can reach lengths of up to 65 feet (20 m.). Fortunately, for those wishing to grow this plant indoors, it is unlikely to reach those lengths....

All you need to do is learn how to train a clematis to climb. Read on for information about training clematis vines. Training Clematis Vines Some vines climb by wrapping tightly twining stems or aerial roots around supports. Not clematis. If you want to know how to train a clematis to climb, first understand their climbing mechanism. Clematis manage to climb trees and poles by twining their leaf petiole around appropriately sized support structures....

Are Streetlights Bad for Plants? The simple answer is yes. Deciduous green plants, particularly trees, measure light and detect when days are getting shorter and longer. This helps them decide when to go dormant in the fall and when to start to come out of dormancy in the spring. The effect of streetlights on plants and trees can disrupt this important process. In the fall, take notice of trees under street lamps....

Using Terrestrial Aquarium Plants The thing about terrestrial aquarium plants is they don’t usually like to be submerged in water and end up dying. House or garden plants in an aquarium may hold their shape for a while, but eventually, they will rot and die. Another thing about land plants for aquariums is that they are often grown in greenhouses and sprayed with pesticides or insecticides, which can be harmful to your fish friends....

What Does Ironweed Look Like? Ironweed plants have some truly beautiful and distinguishing characteristics. Among these is a particularly tall and stiff upright habit. They stand erect with tooth-shaped leaves and have small purple flowers gathered in loose bunches. This makes them a favorite cut flower. Fond of damp locations, this beautiful flower is often seen along the banks of marshes or small bodies of water. Some varieties are even drought tolerant....

What is a Barbary Fig? Barbary fig, a variety of prickly pear cactus, is thought to be native to Mexico where it has long been used for a variety of purposes. The fruits and pads can be eaten by humans and livestock, and the size, sprawling growth, and thorns make this cactus a good natural fence and barrier. The insects that are used to make red dye feed on prickly pear, which has made it an economically useful plant....

What is a Flannel Bush? Flannel bush (Fremontodendron californicum) is a large shrub that can grow up to 20 feet (6 m.) tall and 12 feet (4 m.) wide. This growth comes within five years of planting, if you give it the best conditions. However, flannel bush is also short lived compared to other shrubs. A flowering broadleaf evergreen, flannel bush produces large and sunny yellow blooms in the spring. The leaves give this plant its name and are fuzzy, like flannel....

Thimble Cactus Facts Native to Central Mexico, thimble cactus (Mammillaria gracilis) is suitable for growing outdoors in USDA plant hardiness zones 9 through 11. Although it tolerates drought and extreme heat, it won’t survive long if temperatures drop below 25 F. (-4 C.). This slow-growing Mammillaria cactus is a great choice for xeriscaping or rock gardens, but it also performs well in a container, making an excellent houseplant. It is generally very easy to grow....

What is Cherry Phymatotrichum Rot? Cherry root rot, also known as cherry cotton root rot, cherry phymatotrichum root rot, or simply cotton root rot, is caused by the fungal organism Phymatotrichum omnivorum. This disease is soil borne and spread by water, root contact, transplants or infected tools. Infected plants will have rotted or decaying root structures, with visible brown to bronze colored woolly strands of fungus. A cherry tree with root rot will develop yellowing or browning foliage, starting with the plant crown and working down the tree....

How to Gather Vinca Seeds When collecting vinca seeds, look for long, narrow, green seedpods hidden on the stems beneath blooming flowers. Snip or pinch the pods when the petals drop from the blooms and the pods are turning from yellow to brown. Watch the plant carefully. If you wait too long, the pods will split, and you’ll lose the seeds. Drop the pods into a paper sack and place them in a warm, dry spot....

Pruning Witch Hazel If you are looking for a plant to jazz up your garden in winter, witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) is one to consider. This shrub offers red or yellow blossoms that are both fragrant and abundant all winter long. Winter? Yes, you read that right. Witch hazel flowers when little else blossoms. Talk about easy maintenance! The shrub thrives in ordinary soil without fertilizer. You do, however, have to think about witch hazel pruning....

Albion Strawberry Info The Albion strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa “Albion”) is a hybrid developed relatively recently in California. It is known for its fruits, which have a uniformly conical shape, bright red color, reliable firmness, and surprisingly sweet taste. Albion strawberry plants grow quickly to about 12 inches (30.5 cm.) in height, with a spread of 12 to 24 inches (30.5-61 cm.). They are high yielding and everbearing, which means they will flower and fruit continuously from late spring into the fall....

Are Peanut Shells Good for Compost? The answer to that question really depends upon where you are. In the southern United States, the use of peanut shells as mulch has been linked to the spread of Southern Blight and other fungal diseases. While it’s true that the composting process may kill any fungus that’s being harbored in the shells, Southern Blight can be nasty, and it’s really better to be safe than sorry....

Do Plants Grow Better in Light or Dark? This is a question that doesn’t have just one answer. Plants have a quality called photoperiodism, or a reaction to the amount of darkness they experience in a 24 hour period. Since the earth is tilted on its axis, the periods of daylight leading up to the winter solstice (around December 21st) get shorter and shorter, and then longer and longer leading up to the summer solstice (around June 21st)....

Azoychka Tomato Information Azoychka beefsteak tomatoes are heirlooms from Russia. The plants are regular-leaf, indeterminate, and open pollinated. They produce abundantly, up to 50 tomatoes per plant and are early producers, often done before the first frost. The tomatoes are yellow, round but slightly flattened, and grow to about 10 to 16 ounces (283.5-454 grams). Azoyhka tomatoes have a sweet, citrus-like flavor that is well-balanced with acidity. How to Grow an Azoychka Tomato Plant If you manage to get some seeds for this heirloom tomato, growing it in your garden will be very rewarding....

What is Bacterial Canker? Bacterial canker on trees is caused by the bacteria Pseudomonas syringae, a relatively weak pathogen that regularly coexists with host trees without anyone noticing. When this infection does become symptomatic, usually on stone fruit trees, the bark on affected limbs turns brown and those limbs or trees may refuse to bloom or leaf out in the spring. Sometimes, trees will leaf out despite a raging case of bacterial canker, but these new leaves quickly wilt and die....

Tips on Growing Fino Verde Basil Fino Verde basil plants are perennial in USDA plant hardiness zones 9 through 11. In cooler climates, the plant is grown as an annual. Place the plant where it receives at least six hours of sunlight per day. You can also grow Fino Verde basil plants on a sunny windowsill. Like most Mediterranean herbs, Fino Verde basil plants require well-drained soil. Outdoors, dig in a little compost before planting....

Better Boy Tomato Info Better Boy is a midseason, hybrid tomato that is extremely popular. The plants easily adapt to a variety of conditions and reliably produce fruit with classic tomato flavor. They mature in about 70-75 days, which makes them an excellent choice for a variety of USDA zones. Better Boy tomatoes are resistant to both verticillium and fusarium wilt, a key to their popularity. Another good thing about growing Better Boy tomatoes is their dense foliage....

About Blue Barrel Cactus Plants The scientific name for blue barrel cactus is Ferocactus glaucescens, and it is native to eastern and central areas of Mexico, especially the state of Hidalgo. It tends to grow in the mountains between the rocks and as part of the native juniper woodlands and shrub habitat. Barrel cacti get their name from the shape and growth type, which is round and squat. They grow as solitary barrels until older when new heads grow to create a mound....