Tips here refer to cold hardy runners, in the Phyllostachys species. This is likely what you’re growing in an area that has cold winters. Hopefully, you’ve chosen the right bamboo for your zone and one for a lower zone if it is grown in containers. How to Winterize Bamboo Bamboo takes the first three years of its life to get established. Once it’s made it through this timeframe, it will be able to better survive the cold season....

What is a Reticulated Iris? Reticulated iris (Iris reticulata) is one of 300 species or so of iris flowers. It is native to Turkey, the Caucasus, Northern Iraq, and Iran. Reticulated iris flowers are small blooms of between 5 and 6 inches (13-15 cm.) in height. Each bloom has six upright petals called standards and three hanging petals, which are called falls. This iris is prized for its purple to blue, gold accented blossoms....

What are Rove Beetles? Rove beetles are members of the Staphylinidae family, which contains thousands of North American species. They range in length, though are typically about an inch (2.5 cm.) long. Rove beetles have the interesting habit of raising up the end of their bodies like a scorpion when disturbed or frightened, but they can’t sting or bite (they do, however, produce pederin, a toxin which can cause contact dermatitis if handled)....

How to Stake Pepper Plants Staking pepper plants may not be a requirement for growing them in your garden, but it has its advantages. Not only does pepper staking help support plants, keeping them upright, but pepper staking can also reduce sunscald on fruits and helps keep them off the ground, where they are susceptible to pests or rotting. The best way to stake peppers is to drive a wooden or metal stake next to the plant or every 3 to 4 feet (0....

What is a Sucker on a Tomato Plant? The short answer to this is a tomato sucker is a smallish shoot that grows out of the joint where a branch on the tomato plant meets a stem. These small shoots will grow into a full sized branch if left alone, which results in a bushier, more sprawling tomato plant. Because of this, many people like to remove tomato suckers from the tomato plant....

When is the Best Time to Transplant Wisteria The downside of transplanting wisteria that is well established is that it may take several years for the vine to bloom again. The best time to transplant wisteria is in the late fall or early spring when the plant is dormant, but the soil is workable. Choose your site carefully. You don’t want to do this again! How to Transplant Wisteria Vines Cut the vine back to about 3 feet (1 m....

Signs of Tropical Sod Webworms in Lawns The pests, which feed exclusively on grass, are the larvae of small moths that you may notice flying around your lawn when disturbed by walking, watering, or mowing. The moths themselves don’t cause any problems, but they lay their eggs in the surface of the soil. It’s the larvae that eat the blades of grass and create tunnels in the thatch. The larvae overwinter in the thatch, then begin feeding on your lawn when the weather gets warm in spring....

This huge, diverse group of plants includes more than 150 species, most of which display glossy or dull green foliage, often with contrasting pale undersides. However, there are a few types of variegated leaf viburnums with splashy, mottled leaves. Read on to learn more about three popular types of variegated viburnum. Variegated Viburnum Plants Here are the three most commonly grown types of variegated viburnum plants: Wayfaringtree viburnum (Viburnum lantana ‘Variegatum’) – This evergreen shrub displays large green leaves splashed with flecks of gold, chartreuse, and creamy yellow....

Papaya Pythium Rot Info What is papaya stem rot? Caused by the Pythium fungus, it mostly affects saplings. There are several species of pythium fungus that can attack papaya trees, all of which can lead to rot and either stunting or death. When it infects young saplings, especially soon after transplant, it manifests itself in the phenomenon called “damping off.” This means the stem near the soil line becomes water soaked and translucent, and then it dissolves....

Understanding the Oklahoma USDA Planting Map While there are many factors that determine how well plants do, in particular parts of the country, the USDA has been issuing a plant hardiness map since 1960 that has come to play a major factor in this determination. The planting map divides the country into hardiness zones based on average extreme winter low temperature data collected over a period. The Oklahoma planting map is featured above and you can click on it to enlarge it and locate your growing zone....

What are Warwickshire Drooper Plums? The parentage of Warwickshire Drooper fruit trees is unsure; however, it is believed that all the trees hail from the Dundale plum, bred in Kent during the 1900’s. This cultivar was grown commercially in Warwickshire orchards where it was known as ‘Magnum’ until the 1940’s when the name was changed to Warwickshire Drooper. Warwickshire Drooper plum trees produce prodigious amounts of medium/large yellow fruit that, while pleasant when eaten ripe and fresh, really shines when cooked....

What are Black Tartarian Cherries? Black Tartarian is an old variety of sweet cherry. It originated in Russia and was introduced in England and the U.S. by the late 1700’s. The tree was once called the Large Black Heart, which is descriptive of the fruit: deep, dark red, and large. For a sweet and juicy cherry, Black Tartarian is hard to beat. It’s a popular variety for taste and texture. It’s also popular with home growers because it produces abundantly – pretty, sweet-smelling spring flowers and ripe fruit in early summer....

What are Earth Kind Roses? Earth Kind is a special label given to a select group of rose bushes by the Texas A&M/Texas AgriLife Extension Service through their Earth Kind Landscaping program. The program goal is to distinguish roses that folks can grow in their gardens or landscapes easily with minimal care. The Earth Kind rose bushes require no special spraying programs for fungal diseases or insect resistance. Nor would these rose bushes need a lot of fertilizer to produce big, beautiful, show-winning blooms....

What is Pomology? Pomology is the study of fruit, specifically the science of growing fruit and nuts. Pomology was officially introduced in the United States with the inception of a pomology division of the USDA in 1886. Importance of Pomology in Horticulture Pomology is an important science. Fruit trees are not easy to grow and require specific information on how to cultivate depending upon the variety and cultivar. Some of this information has been passed down and some has been improved upon over time by the work of pomologists....

What is Brown Flesh Tomato? Tomatoes are coming in more and more skin and flesh colors than ever before. Using heirloom stock or even combining recently bred varieties results in unheard of hues and tones. This is the case with Brown Flesh tomato. What is a Brown Flesh tomato? The name is misleading, as the flesh isn’t truly brown but is a delicious, red-brown toned fruit. This variety is an indeterminate vining plant....

Forest Fever Tree Information Forest fever tree is a tall, straight tree with a rounded crown. It produces big, leathery, paddle-shaped leaves and clusters of creamy-white flowers followed by fleshy, egg-shaped fruit. In the right conditions, forest fever trees can grow up to 6.5 feet (2 m.) per year. Traditionally, the tree has been used for a number of medicinal purposes. The bark is used as a treatment for diabetes and high blood pressure, the leaves to treat superficial wounds, and tea from the leaves and bark for malaria (hence the name fever tree)....

What is Double Streak Virus? Double streak tomato virus is a hybrid virus. Tomatoes with double streak virus have both tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) and potato virus X (PVX). TMV is found the all over the planet. It is the cause of losses of tomato crops both in the field and greenhouses. The virus is, unfortunately, very stable and can survive in dried plant debris as long as a century. TMV is not transmitted by insects....

What Is Permaculture? Permaculture is a word that intimidates a lot of people. But it really shouldn’t, because when it all comes down to it, permaculture is just about doing the right thing. The phrase “permaculture” was first coined by Bill Mollison in Australia in 1978. It’s a combination of the words “permanent” and “agriculture,” meaning it sets itself apart from modern, more commercial forms of agriculture that are impermanent, or unsustainable....

Propagating a Barrel Cactus You can remove the pups from the mother to plant in a container or a different spot in the garden bed. Of course, you’ll want to do this carefully, avoiding the prickly and painful cactus spines. Heavy gloves are a necessary part of the protection you’ll need to use when propagating a barrel cactus. Some wear two pairs of gloves when working with cactus, as the spines easily pierce through....

Container Grown Foxglove Plants Will foxglove plants grow in pots? Yes, as long as they’re given enough room. Foxgloves can grow as big as 5 feet (1.5 m.) high and a foot (0.5 m.) wide, so they need a sufficiently big container. Foxgloves are biennials, which means they don’t bloom until their second year of growth. Because of this, growing foxglove in containers won’t be very showy the first summer if you start from seed....