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When to Prune a Rubber Tree Rubber tree plants are quite resilient and rubber tree trimming can basically take place any time of the year. In fact, branches that are out of sorts can be removed without any damage to the plant. However, these plants will usually respond faster to pruning during late spring or early summer—around June. This is also considered a good time for taking cuttings, as they are thought to root quicker and easier....

About Reine Claude de Bavay Plum The Reine Claude de Bavay plum was named after the Director of the Vilvoorde Horticultural Station, located near Brussels. It was first cultivated in 1932 and imported to Britain in 1846. Today, the gage ‘Reine Claude de Bavay’ is a common greengage variety in France as well. Greengage plums are green during most of their life on the tree, and green or yellow-green when ripe....

Growing Schizanthus When growing Schizanthus, the biggest condition you need to provide is an early start and mostly cool weather. This plant will stop producing once the heat of summer arrives, so begin it indoors about three months before your last frost date in the spring. Sprinkle the seeds on top of a pot of finely sifted compost, then cover them with a sprinkling of the same compost. Mist the soil with a fine spray, then cover the pot with a piece of plexiglass, glass, or plastic....

Sesame seed oil has long been used in both cooking as well as in skincare and cosmetic applications. Credited in having many health benefits, creating a version of “DIY sesame oil” at home is simple. Read on for tips on making sesame oil. How to Extract Sesame Oil Sesame oil extraction isn’t at all difficult and can be done right at home. All you need are some sesame seeds, and if you’re already growing the plant in your garden, it’s even easier....

Summertime Lettuce Information Iceberg lettuce is most often associated with sorry-looking heads in the grocery store, boring salads, and bland flavor. In reality, when you grow your own iceberg in the garden what you get is crisp, fresh, mild but delicious heads of lettuce. For salads, wraps, and sandwiches, it’s hard to beat a quality head of iceberg lettuce. In the iceberg family, there are many varieties from which to choose....

Anthracnose on Cactus Anthracnose is caused by a fungus (Colletotrichum spp.) and afflicts many plant species. Anthracnose fungus in cacti affects several types of cacti: Cereus Echinocactus Mammillaria Opuntia (prickly pear) The first signs of infection are dark, water soaked lesions on stems, leaves, or fruit. Soon, the interior of the lesions becomes covered with a pink, jelly-like mass of spores. Within a few days of infection, the pink, gelatinous spores enlarge and eventually the plant tissue hardens and dries out....

How to Grow Chives Indoors A sunny south window offers the six to eight hours of full sunlight needed when growing chives inside. Rotate pots if chives are reaching toward the light. If a sunny window is not an option, chives growing indoors can get the necessary light from a fluorescent fixture 6 to 12 inches (15-30.5 cm.) above the pot. Two 40-watt bulbs work best when growing chives inside. Chives growing indoors appreciate other growing pots close by to provide humidity as well as a fan for air circulation....

So how does a gardener overcome the basic urges of an herb plant in order to fulfill their own ideas of bigger herb plants? The secret lies in frequent pinching and harvesting. Pinching and Harvesting Herb Plants Pinching is the act of removing an upper portion of a stem on an herb plant in order to encourage new leaf growth from the lower dormant leaf buds. If you look at an herb plant, you’ll see that right in the crotch, where a leaf meets the stem, there is a small knob....

Creeping Savory Uses Creeping savory (Satureja spicigera) is a variety of savory herb and, as such, its uses are many. Here are just a few of the most common creeping savory uses in the garden: Traditionally, savory was used to relieve sore throats, coughs, flatulence, diarrhea, menstrual problems, arthritis, and insect bites. It shouldn’t be used by pregnant women. Creeping savory has a flavor similar to thyme or marjoram. It is used either fresh or dried to flavor a variety of foods....

Travelers Palm Hardiness Travelers palm is definitely a tropical plant, suitable for growing in the warm climates of USDA plant hardiness zones 10 and 11. Travelers palm plants may survive in zone 9, but only if they are well protected in the event of occasional frost. How to Grow a Travelers Palm Travelers palm plants tolerate sandy and clay-based soils but prefer moist, rich soil. Although the plant is relatively disease resistant, a well-drained planting site produces the healthiest growth....

There are several varieties, with one being grown in the spring and one in the fall. Different varieties mature at different times so be sure you know what variety you are planting. This is extremely important when it comes to harvesting broccoli rabe leaves. When to Cut Broccoli Raab Plants Broccoli rabe is not difficult to grow. Seeds should be sown in the fall, winter, or very early spring. Waiting too long in the spring to plant seeds speeds up the rate at which the flowers open, leading to poor quality leaves and a subsequently poor broccoli rabe harvest....

Can Trumpet Vine Be Used as Ground Cover? Trumpet vine plants grow so fast that it’s easy to imagine the vines as ground cover. If you just have a small area you would like to plant in ground cover, trumpet creeper might not be a good pick though. Trumpet creeper needs room to grow. Using trumpet vines for ground cover only works if the plants have room to grow and spread....

What Vegetables Can Be Grown Upside Down? Tomatoes Tomatoes are one of the best known upside down vegetables. There are hundreds of tutorials online on how to grow these plants upside down and you can even buy kits to help you with this. While any size tomato can be grown upside down, cherry tomatoes tend to be easier to manage when growing vegetables upside down. Cucumbers In a hanging vegetable garden, any vining vegetable can be grown and cucumbers are often a popular choice....

Using Plants on Walls If you have an unsightly wall on one border of your garden, you can enlist garden plants to help. Finding trailing plants to cover a wall isn’t difficult, and many vines, deciduous and evergreen, will do the job. Climbers do more than hide an ugly wall. They can add green foliage and even blossoms to that side of the garden. You can find plants suitable to hide a wall that grow best in sun, as well as climbing plants that grow best in shade....

Learn how to water seeds properly, thereby maximizing the germination rate. Safely Watering Seeds Before planting seeds indoors in a seed tray, water the soil thoroughly so it’s moist, but not wet. Then plant the seeds according to the instructions that came with the seeds. You won’t have to water after they are planted, preventing seed movement. Create a mini greenhouse by covering the seed tray with a plastic tray or plastic wrap....

What are German Green Tomatoes? This is a truly unique heirloom tomato that is green when ripe, although it will develop a blush color as it softens further. The variety came from Germany but was cultivated in the U.S. by Ruby Arnold in Tennessee. Her relatives always called it Aunt Ruby’s tomato, and the name stuck. Aunt Ruby’s tomatoes are large, growing up to a pound (453 grams) or even more....

What Causes Gummy Stem Blight? Watermelon gummy stem blight is caused by the fungus Didymella bryoniae. The disease is both seed and soil-borne. It can be present in or on infested seed, or overwinter for a year and a half on infected crop residue. Periods of high temperature, moisture and humidity foster the disease – 75 F. (24 C.), relative humidity over 85% and leaf wetness from 1-10 hours. Wounds on the plant either caused by mechanical equipment or insect feeding along with powdery mildew infection predispose the plant to infection....

What is a New Jersey Tea Plant? The New Jersey tea plant (Ceanothus americanus) is native to the continent, though not just to New Jersey. It grows in the wild in prairies, glades and thickets in the eastern and central parts of the United States. A dense and compact bush, the New Jersey tea plant will usually stay shorter than you are, typically growing to 2 to 3 feet (.6-.9 m....

Interested in growing Cinnamon basil? It isn’t difficult. Read on for more Cinnamon basil info. Cinnamon Basil Information Cinnamon basil is sometimes used medicinally, and is said to be good for maladies such as constipation, headaches, cough, and diarrhea. It contains vitamins A and C, and provides a generous amount of vitamin K. The spicy herb is appreciated by chefs too, who use it as an attractive garnish or to flavor hot drinks or other dishes....

What is Flyspeck? Flyspeck is a disease of maturing apples, caused by the fungus Zygophiala jamaicensis (also known as Schizothyrium pomi). Spores germinate when temperatures are between 60 and 83 degrees Fahrenheit (15-28 C.) for about 15 days, and relative humidity exceeds 95 percent. Flyspeck apple disease appears on fruits as a series of tiny black dots, typically in groups of 50 or more. The fungus responsible for flyspeck overwinters on apple twigs but may be blown in from wild sources or other fruit trees for a period lasting up to two months around bloom time....