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Growing Spurred Butterfly Pea Vines Spurred butterfly pea vines are suitable for growing in USDA plant hardiness zones 10 and 11, but you can grow the vines as annuals if you live in a cooler climate. Spurred butterfly pea plants are easy to grow from seed, either by planting directly in the garden in spring or by starting them indoors about 12 weeks ahead of time. Lightly nick or scrape the seeds, and then let them soak overnight in room temperature water before planting....

Growing Oleander in Containers The fact that oleander is so popular throughout Europe – where in most parts it can’t survive the winter – should give you a clue to how easy it is to grow in a container. In fact, oleander is just easy to grow in general. When growing oleander in containers, it’s important to give them plenty of sun and adequate water. Although they can handle drought conditions when planted in the ground, container-grown oleanders should be watered frequently....

When to Pick Chamomile Chamomile is a relative of the daisy and a member of the family Asteraceae; you only need to look upon the merry little yellow and white flowers to see the resemblance. There are two basic types of chamomiles, Roman and German chamomile. Roman chamomile is a low growing perennial that is tolerant of foot traffic. German chamomile grows a bit taller than Roman, and the flowers are a bit smaller....

Chestnut Harvest Time When to harvest chestnuts? Chestnuts don’t ripen at the same time and chestnut harvest time can span as much as five weeks, although the nuts generally ripen in a 10- to 30-day span of time in late August and September. Allow the nuts to fall from the tree naturally. Don’t pick the nuts, which may damage the branches; and don’t shake the tree, which may cause immature nuts to drop....

What are Green Columbine Plants? The two common names for this plant, green-flowered columbine and chocolate soldier columbine, seem contradictory, but this unique variety produces flowers that have touches of both pale green and chocolate brown. For those not familiar with columbine, the flowers are inverted and bell or bonnet shaped. On the green flower columbine, the sepals are pale green and the petals chocolate brown to purple. This variety of columbine grows to about 12 inches (31 cm....

What Age Do Citrus Trees Produce Fruit? A lot goes into growing citrus trees that are healthy and productive, so be sure to do your homework before you choose and plant a tree. One of the most important questions you need answered is ‘How old is a citrus tree when it fruits?’ If you aren’t aware of when a tree will begin to produce, you could be really disappointed. Citrus tree fruiting depends on citrus tree maturity, and when exactly a tree will be mature depends on the variety....

Claret Ash Tree Information Claret ash trees are compact, fast growing, and their deep green leaves have a finer, more delicate look than other ash trees. The trees also offer a terrific autumn display, since the leaves turn maroon or crimson in fall. Claret ash growing conditions influence the ultimate height of the tree, and cultivated trees rarely exceed 40 feet (12 m.) in height. Generally, the tree’s roots are shallow and do not turn into problems for foundations or sidewalks....

Oleander Seed Propagation After oleander has bloomed, it produces seed pods (collecting oleander seeds is easy, but the plant is toxic and can irritate your skin if you touch it. Make sure to wear gloves when collecting oleander seeds or handling your plant in any way). As time goes on, these seeds should dry and split open naturally, revealing a bunch of fluffy, feathery things. Attached to these feathers are little brown seeds, which you can separate by rubbing against a piece of screen or simply by picking them out by hand....

Contorted Hazelnut Pruning Corkscrew hazelnut (Corylus avellana) is a shrub that is grown as an unusual ornamental. It is prized for its characteristically twisted stems and leaves. It also produces attractive yellow catkins. Leave the plant to mature with its natural growth habit for a unique specimen plant with completely twisted branches. If you want to grow one of these hazelnuts as a small tree, contorted hazelnut pruning is required....

Cork Oaks in the Landscape Cork oak trees (Quercus suber) are native to the Western Mediterranean region and are still cultivated there for their bark. These trees are slow-growing giants, eventually maturing to 70 feet (21.5 m.) or taller and equally wide. Woody and upright, cork oaks in the landscape have small, rounded leaves that are gray underneath. According to cork tree information, the leaves stay on the branches all winter long, then fall in spring as the new leaves appear....

Growing Pig’s Ear Plants Often known simply as a cotyledon pig’s ear plant, it is well suited for nearly any dry area of the garden, including rock gardens, succulent beds, hanging baskets or window boxes. Pig’s ear succulent plant is suitable for growing in USDA plant hardiness zones 9b through 12. If you live in a cool climate north of zone 9, cotyledon plant does just fine indoors. Cotyledon pig’s ear prefers a sunny location, but tolerates partial shade....

What is Daikon? A daikon is a Chinese radish (Raphanus sativus longipinnatus), also known as lobok and oriental radish. Daikon has large roots, and some of the biggest varieties can weigh up to 50 pounds (23 kg.). The most common types weigh from 1 to 2 pounds (0.5-1 kg.) at maturity and can have up to a 2 foot (61 cm.) leaf spread. Most people cook daikon radishes, but they can also be used in salads....

Importance of Pruning Spirea There are several reasons to trim your spirea regularly, at least twice a year. The first is to keep it healthy. A good trim helps get rid of dead branches and leaves and allows more sunlight in to the new growth that is struggling at the bottom or interior of the shrub. Trimming also gets more airflow between branches, which deters fungal infections and is a good way to restore health and vigor to an overgrown, neglected shrub....

Deadnettle Uses in Lawns This sturdy, adaptable plant tolerates nearly any type of well-drained soil, including poor, rocky, or sandy soil. Deadnettle is best for shade or partial shade, but you can grow the plant in sun if you’re willing to water it frequently. However, the plant won’t last long in climates warmer than USDA plant hardiness zone 8. Before you consider growing deadnettle in lawns, be aware that it has aggressive tendencies....

Common Diseases of Young Cowpeas The two most common young southern pea problems are root rot and damping off. These problems can both be caused by three different pathogens: Fusarium, Pythium, and Rhizoctonia. If the disease hits the seeds before they germinate, they will likely never break through the soil. If dug up, the seeds might have soil clumped to them by very thin threads of fungus. If the seedlings do emerge, they often wither, fall over, and eventually die....

Dwarf Palm Info Sabal minor, or the dwarf palmetto, is the smaller relative of the Sabal palmetto, popular in the South. For a warm-weather plant, the dwarf palm is pretty hardy. It can be grown in zones 7 through 11, and it will survive the occasional winter cold snap or snow with minimal or no damage as long as it has had time to get established. Smaller than the Sabal palmetto, when growing a dwarf palm, expect it to reach a height anywhere between two and seven feet (0....

Another of the wildflower Fritillaria lilies is the snakeshead lily, Fritillaria meleagris. This flower has a checkered or mottled pattern on the drooping blooms. Information on the Fritillaria plant indicates that most are Asian or European natives; however, Fritillaria pudica is native to western North America. Information on the Fritillaria plant also describes the Chocolate lily, Fritillaria affinis, which grows wild in southeastern Canada south to the San Francisco bay area....

What is Geranium Cutting Rot? Rotten geranium cuttings are the result of bacterial and/or fungal cut geranium diseases. Stem rot is usually caused by bacteria while root rot is the result of fungal infection. Symptoms of Rot on Geranium Cuttings Bacterial stem rot on geranium cuttings results in black, weakened stems that eventually wilt and die. Geranium cuttings rot as the result of a fungus attacking the roots, causing them to rot and kill off the plant....

How to Grow Begonias in the Annual Garden Known as wax begonias or bedding begonias, annual begonia plants (Begonia semperflorens) grow quickly, and easily fill in spaces in the garden that will benefit from attractive foliage and frilly flowers. They can be a focal point when planted in mass and are excellent specimens for container combinations. Annual begonia plants are also deer resistant, so keep them in mind for trouble spots in the landscape....

Carnations are also an excellent choice for growth in containers. Carnations in containers can bring much needed color to small landscape plantings, as well as window boxes. Caring for Carnations in Containers Whether or not growers can successfully plant carnations in containers will greatly depend upon the conditions provided. Hardiness of carnation plants will vary by the type being grown. Before planting, it will be imperative to select varieties that tolerate growing conditions in your region....