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Leyland Cypress Pruning Leyland Cypress is often used as a quick screen because it can grow up to 4 feet (1 m.) per year. It makes an excellent windbreak or property boundary border. Since it is so large, it can quickly outgrow its space. For this reason, the native East Coast specimen looks best on large lots where it is allowed to maintain its natural form and size. Since Leyland Cypress grows so wide, do not plant them too close together....

Read on to learn the various reasons why your tulip tree isn’t blooming. Tulip Tree Not Flowering A tulip tree grows rapidly to its mature height and spread. These large trees can grow to 90 feet (27 m.) tall with a 50-foot (15 m.) spread. They have distinctive leaves with four lobes and are known for their stunning fall display when the leaves turn canary yellow. The most enchanting feature of the tulip tree is its unusual flowers....

What is Turnip Black Rot? The bacteria X. campestris enters leaf pores at the margin and moves down into the vascular system of the leaf. Upon inspection, infected leaves are marked by a notched or “V” shaped lesion at the leaf margin and appear to have black to dark grey fibers running through the leaf tissue. Once the leaves are infected, they rapidly degrade. Infected turnip seedlings collapse and rot soon after infection....

What are Decorative Gourds? Gourds are relatives of pumpkins and squash, annual vines easily grown from seed. The edible type of gourd is a garden vegetable. Ornamental gourds are dried and hardened to use for decoration. Edible squash is picked when immature, but decorative gourds must be allowed to mature and dry on the vine. Ornamental Gourd Harvesting Ornamental gourd harvesting should never involve twisting. Instead, use shears to harvest the gourds, snipping the stem to leave several inches (8 cm....

What Causes Citrus Melanose? Citrus melanoses disease is caused by a fungus called Phomopsis citri. The citrus melanose fungus can infect any type of citrus tree, but grapefruit and lemon are most susceptible to it. The fungus grows on dead twigs on trees, and it then spreads to other areas of the tree and other trees by water dispersal. Citrus Melanose Symptoms Symptoms of citrus melanose can be seen most clearly on leaves and fruit....

What is a Pressure Bomb? A tree pressure chamber is a tool used to measure the water stress levels in trees. The gadget consists of a small chamber and outer pressure gauge. First, a leaf sample is collected. This is usually done by selecting a leaf and enclosing it in a special envelope. In the early afternoon, when demand for water is at its highest, the leaf is picked from the tree so that measurements can be taken....

What is Dutch Elm Disease? A fungal pathogen, Ophiostroma ulmi, is the cause of Dutch elm disease. This fungus is spread from tree to tree by boring beetles, making Dutch elm protection difficult at best. These tiny beetles burrow under the bark of elms and into the wood beneath, where they tunnel and lay their eggs. As they chew through the tree’s tissues, the fungal spores are rubbed off onto tunnel walls where they germinate, causing Dutch elm disease....

How to Do Inarch Grafting Grafting can be done when the bark slips on the tree, generally about the time buds swell in late winter or early spring. If you are grafting with inarching to save a damaged tree, trim the damaged area so the edges are clean and free of dead tissue. Paint the wounded area with asphalt emulsion tree paint. Plant small seedlings near the damaged tree to use as rootstock....

What is Japanese Wabi Sabi? Wabi sabi can be defined as “beauty in imperfection” and can incorporate asymmetry, incompleteness, impermanence, and simplicity. In addition to gardens, wabi sabi influences many other aspects of Japanese art and culture, such as the tea ceremony and pottery making, and it is also seen as a way of life. A garden based around wabi sabi incorporates natural and manmade elements in a way that allows visitors to appreciate their humble and imperfect forms....

What is Barnyardgrass? Barnyardgrass (Echinochloa crus-gallia) likes moist soils and grows in both cultivated and uncultivated areas. It is often found in rice, corn, orchard, vegetable and other agricultural crops. It can also be found in moist turf areas and marshes. This grass propagates by seed and grows in clumps where it roots and branches at the lower joints. Mature plants reach up to 5 feet in height. Stems are smooth and stalky and flat near the base of the plant....

You can always let nature take its course but trimming wildflowers can promote healthier plants and more blooms. It will also keep your wildflower garden looking neat and tidy. Read on for tips on wildflower pruning and learn when to cut back wildflowers. When to Cut Back Wildflowers Some people choose to cut back wildflowers in the fall. Timing for mowing wildflowers is a matter of personal preference, but there is something to be said for waiting until spring....

Popular Zone 9 Plants That Flower in Winter Leatherleaf Mahonia – A shrub that’s hardy from USDA zone 6 through 9. Leatherleaf mahonia produces clusters of small yellow flowers in the winter. Daphne – An extremely fragrant flowering shrub, many varieties of daphne are hardy in zone 9 and will bloom through the winter. Winter Jasmine – Hardy all the way from zone 5 through 10, winter jasmine is a vining shrub that produces bright yellow flowers in the winter....

What Causes Apricot Brown Rot? Apricot brown rot is caused by the fungus Monilinia fructicola, a fungus that affects most stone fruits. Apricot brown rot symptoms start appearing in the spring, soon after blossoms open. The blossoms turn brown and die, sap exudes from the flower bases, and brown cankers may form on the adjacent twigs. Fruit set will be much lower than normal. Young apricots are usually unaffected, but as the fruits mature, they become more susceptible....

Growing Fish and Vegetables Together Aquaponics is the combining of hydroponics (growing plants in water without soil) and aquaculture (the raising of fish). The water the fish are growing in is recirculated to the plants. This recirculated water contains waste from the fish, which is full of beneficial bacteria and nutrients that feed the plants without using fertilizers. There is no need for pesticides or herbicides. Soil-borne diseases and weeds are not a worry....

What is Bare Root Rhubarb? Bare root plants are dormant perennial plants that have been dug up, the dirt brushed off, and then wrapped in damp sphagnum moss or nestled in sawdust to keep them moist. The advantage to bare root plants is that they are usually less expensive than potted perennials and are often easier to deal with than container grown plants. Bare root rhubarb plants look like woody, dried roots and may sometimes arrive dusted with a powder to keep the root from molding....

What is Net Blotch on Barley? Barley with net blotch is caused by a fungus called Helminthosporium teres syn. Pyrenophora teres. Found mostly in wild barley and other related domestic cultivars, barley net blotch damages the leaves and, in severe cases, seeds of the plants, causing spread of the disease, and possible reduction of yields. Early signs of barley with net blotch manifest in the form of green or brown spots on the foliage of the barley plants....

Are Wood Chips Good Mulch? Using wood mulch benefits the environment because waste wood goes into the garden instead of a landfill. Wood mulch is economical, readily available, and it’s easy to apply and remove. It isn’t blown around by winds like lightweight mulches. When it no longer looks its best, you can compost it or work it directly into the soil. A 1990 study that rated 15 organic mulches found that wood chips came in the top of three important categories:...

Bird’s Nest Orchid Growing Conditions Bird’s nest orchid wildflowers contain almost no chlorophyll and are unable to produce any energy from the sunlight. In order to survive, the orchid must depend on mushrooms throughout its entire lifecycle. The orchid’s roots are connected to the mushroom, which breaks down organic material into nutrition that sustains the orchid. Scientists aren’t sure if the mushroom gets anything from the orchid in return, which means that the orchid may be a parasite....

How does Nature Inspire Us? Those who regularly ditch the phone and drop the remote to take time in the great outdoors know the benefits of tuning into Mother Nature. Not only are you getting physical activity and boosting your vitamin D intake, but are also becoming more calm and focused which in turn allows the mind to invent, produce and imagine; all the hallmarks of creativity. How to Increase Creativity A study done in England showed that when office staff made design decisions in a work area with plants versus an area without, productivity increased by 38% and creativity by 45%....

Brazil Nut Tree Facts Brazil nut trees are a key element of rainforest preservation. Because their worth comes from harvesting Brazil nuts, which can be done when they fall naturally to the forest floor. Brazil nut trees discourage the slash and burn farming that’s ravaging the rainforest. Together with rubber, which can be harvested without harming the trees, Brazil nuts form a year-long source of low-impact livelihood called “extractivism.” Unfortunately, Brazil nut harvest depends upon a large undisturbed habitat for the trees as well as the pollinating bees and the seed-spreading rodents....