Lawn Care in Winter The most important and active steps in winter lawn care actually take place before winter sets in. As the first frost approaches, gradually lower the blade of your lawnmower with each mowing. This will ease your grass into a shorter length that will discourage damaging rodents from taking shelter in it over winter. Just before the first frost, aerate your lawn to relieve compaction. Then apply a lawn fertilizer....

Yellow Pershore Plum Information Sometimes known as ‘Yellow Egg’ plum, Pershore plums are a large, egg-shaped variety of European plum. Most often used in cooking, the Yellow Pershore plum tree is a heavy yielder and reaches over 16 feet (5 m.) tall at maturity. Since the trees are self-fertile, growers need not worry about the need to plant additional pollinator trees for this variety of plum, as fruit set will occur with a single planting....

Brunfelsia propagation can be done through tip cuttings taken from the current season’s growth or from seeds. For information on how to propagate yesterday, today, and tomorrow plants, read on. Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow Plant Propagation via Cuttings If you want to know how to propagate yesterday, today, and tomorrow plants, it is fairly easy to do this with Brunfelsia cuttings. Cut pieces from the stem tips about eight to 12 inches (20....

What Trees Bloom in Zone 3? Here are some popular flowering trees for zone 3 gardens: Prairiflower Flowering Crabapple (Malus ‘Prairifire’) – This small, ornamental tree lights up the landscape with bright red blossoms and maroon leaves that eventually mature to deep green, then puts on a display of bright color in autumn. This flowering crabapple grows in zones 3 through 8. Arrowwood Viburnum (Viburnum dentatum) – Small but mighty, this viburnum is a symmetrical, rounded tree with creamy white blossoms in spring and glossy red, yellow, or purplish foliage in autumn....

Evergreen Shrubs for Zone 7 Since there are a number of evergreen shrubs that can fit the bill for planting in zone 7, naming them all would be far too difficult. That said, here are some of the more commonly seen evergreen shrub choices for inclusion: Wintercreeper (Euonymus fortunei), zones 5-9 Yaupon holly (Ilex vomitoria), zones 7-10 Japanese holly (Ilex crenata), zones 6-9 Japanese skimmia (Skimmia japonica), zones 7-9 Dwarf mugo pine (Pinus mugo ‘compacta’), zones 6-8 Dwarf English laurel (Prunus laurocerasus), zones 6-8 Mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia), zones 5-9 Japanese/wax privet (Ligustrom japonicum), zones 7-10 Blue Star juniper (Juniperus squamata ‘Blue Star’), zones 4-9 Boxwood (Buxus), zones 5-8 Chinese fringe-flower (Loropetalum chinense ‘Rubrum’), zones 7-10 Winter daphne (Daphne odora), zones 6-8 Oregon grape holly (Mahonia aquifolium), zones 5-9...

About Sunmaster Tomatoes Sunmaster tomato plants are resistant to various diseases, including fusarium wilt and verticillium wilt. They tend to be firm and blemish free. Be sure to install supportive stakes, cages or trellises at planting time. Sunmaster tomato plants are determinate, which means they are bushy plants that produce fruit for a generous harvest all at once. How to Grow Sunmasters Successful Sunmaster tomato plant care requires at least six to eight hours of sunlight per day....

Arorus Sweet Flag Info Japanese sweet flag, also known as Calamus, is native to Japan and China. It is a cooperative, slow-spreading plant that attains a width of 2 feet (61 cm.) in about five years. Miniature greenish yellow blooms appear on spikes in spring and early summer, followed by tiny red berries. The grassy leaves emit a sweet, rather spicy aroma when crushed or stepped on. Sweet flag is hardy to USDA plant hardiness zones 6 through 9, although some Acorus sweet flag info indicates the plant is tough enough for zones 5 through 11....

Plant Growth in Compacted Soil Many plants are not able to grow in hard, compacted soils. These soils do not drain well, so plants that need well-draining soil may rot and die. Plants with delicate, non-aggressive roots can have a hard time establishing in compacted soil. When proper root development doesn’t happen, plants can become stunted, not produce flowers or fruit, and eventually die. Hard, compacted, clay soils can be amended by tilling in organic materials such as peat moss, worm castings, leaf compost, or mushroom compost....

What is Holly Berry Midge? Adult holly berry midge pests are small flies that resemble mosquitoes. These two-winged flies measure 1/14 to 1/8 inch (2-3 mm.) in length with long legs and antennae. Female holly berry midges lay their eggs inside holly berries, and when the maggots hatch, they feed on the flesh inside the berries. The berries may continue growing to nearly normal size, but the feeding activity of the larvae prevents them from turning to their bright, ripe colors....

Fertilizer for Pumpkins Pumpkins are heavy feeders and will eat up whatever you give them. Different nutrients promote different kinds of growth, however, so when fertilizing pumpkins, it’s important to pay attention to what stage of growth your pumpkin is in and feed it accordingly. Commercial fertilizers come with three numbers on their packaging. These numbers represent nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, always in that order. When feeding pumpkin plants, apply three successive fertilizers, each heavy in one of those numbers, in that same order....

About Zone 4 Blackberries There is nothing like a sun-kissed, plump, ripe blackberry plucked from a cane and popped directly into the mouth. Sure, you might be risking a few (or a lot) of scrapes and scratches, but it’s all worth it in the end. There are numerous newer cultivars out there meant to tame the rampant ramblings of these thorny canes, making the fruit more accessible. With hundreds of species worldwide, including dozens native to North America, there’s bound to be a blackberry for you....

Symptoms of Blackberry Cane and Leaf Rust As mentioned, the first sign of blackberries with rust occurs in the late spring and appears as large yellow pustules (uredinia) that split the bark of fruiting canes (floricanes). The canes become brittle and break easily. From these pustules, spores burst forth, infecting leaves and producing smaller yellow uredinia on the underside of the foliage in the early summer. If the infection is severe, defoliation of the entire plant may occur....

Brahmi Plant Information What is brahmi? It’s a low growing, creeping herb that reaches a maximum of about 6 inches (15 cm.) in height and grows outward in a sprawling pattern. If left to its own devices, it can spread rapidly. Brahmi plant care is pretty easy and forgiving. It prefers part to full sun and will grow in a wide range of soils. As long as it gets sufficient water, it can thrive in rock, sand, or mud....

What are Calotropis Plants? With some basic calotropis plant information, you can make a good choice of variety and location for this pretty flowering shrub. Calotropis is a genus of plants that are also known as milkweeds. Different types of calotropis have various common names, but they are all related and similar. Milkweeds are often considered weeds, and although native to Asia and Africa, have become naturalized in Hawaii and California....

Flowers of German Bearded Iris The showy flowers have two parts, the upright part of the growing German iris is called a standard and the draping part is a fall, containing the beard. Many are multi-colored, but solid-color German iris plants are the oldest types. Foliage is upright and sword-like. When growing German iris, you’ll find that most varieties are tall, good for a location at the back of the flower bed....

Care of Zebra Haworthia Growing zebra Haworthia is a little different from the care of many other succulents. These plants are native to a subtropical climate and exist for long periods with no rainfall. An understory plant, sources advise: “Eastern morning sun only, otherwise shade.” Others say to care for these plants the same way you care for Echeveria. Again, it likely depends on your climate and the plant’s location. If you notice browning on the tips, reduce daily light....

Container Grown Hyacinth Bean As with all potted vines, container-grown hyacinth bean vines need something to climb on. In their native tropics, where they can grow for several years, they often reach over 30 feet (9 m.) in length. Hyacinth bean vines aren’t at all frost tolerant though, so, in most places, they’re grown as annuals. Even in a single growing season, however, they can get as long as 15 feet (5 m....

Do staghorn ferns need to be cleaned? Since the fronds are so large, it isn’t unusual to find a thin layer of dust on a staghorn fern. Washing staghorn fern plants carefully will remove dust that can block sunlight and of course, also brightens the appearance of the plant. If you’re convinced that cleaning a staghorn fern is a good idea, read on for helpful tips on how to get it done....

Cockspur Hawthorn Info The Cockspur hawthorn is just one of several varieties of hawthorn tree. It is native to the eastern U.S. and Canada and is hardy to zone 4. Growing a Cockspur hawthorn isn’t difficult, but it can be prickly. The large thorns that grow all over the stems mean that this is not a great choice for yards where small children or pets will be playing. The branches grow low to the ground, so thorns can be a real problem for kids....

Gage Tree Information Coe’s Golden Drop plums were bred from two classic plums, the Green Gage and the White Magnum, a large plum. The plum was raised by Jervaise Coe, in Suffolk at the end of the 18th century. The Coe’s Golden Drop plum has the ubiquitous sweet, rich, gage-like flavor but is balanced by the acidic qualities of the White Magnum, allowing it to be sweet but not excessively so....