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Symptoms of Plum Rust Fungus Early symptoms of rust on plum trees include stunted growth, small leaves, and blister-like cankers on the twigs. Tiny, yellow spots develop on the tops of leaves, with pustules of rusty or brown spores on the undersides showing up a little later. As leaves turn from yellow to brown, they often drop from the tree. Plum Rust Treatment When treating plums with rust, spray affected trees with fungicide as soon as you notice signs of the plum rust fungus....

How to Propagate Asters by Collecting Seeds Many aster varieties will self-seed in the garden, and it’s also possible to collect the mature seeds and plant them in the desired location. The mature seed head looks like a light-brown or white puffball, something like a dandelion seedhead, and each seed has its own tiny “parachute” to catch the wind. Keep in mind that the seeds your asters produce may grow into plants with a different appearance from the parent....

Different Kinds of Oleander Plants Oleanders look something like olive trees with blossoms. They can grow from 3 to 20 feet (1-6 m.) tall and from 3 to 10 feet (1-3 m.) wide. The blossoms are fragrant and different kinds of oleander plants produce different color flowers. All oleander plant types are relatively low maintenance, however, and the shrubs are popular with gardeners in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 9 through 11....

Propagating Orchid Keikis Keikis are a good way to start new plants from the following varieties: Dendrobium Phalaenopsis Oncidium Epidendrum It is important to note the difference between a keiki and a shoot. Keikis grow from buds on the cane, usually the upper portion. For instance, on Dendrobiums you’ll find the keiki growing along the length of the cane or at the end. On Phalaenopsis, this will be on a node along the flower stem....

Read on for tips on how to overwinter gerbera daisies as houseplants. Gerbera Daisy Winter Care There are a couple ways to care for gerbera daisies in winter. You can treat a gerbera as a regular indoor plant, or you can let it go partly dormant during the winter months. Take a look at the following tips on both methods of overwintering potted gerberas. Dig the gerbera daisy, pot it in a container filled with high quality potting mix, and bring it indoors when nights drop below 40 degrees F....

How to Prepare Roses for Winter Plant cold-hardy roses — the shop where you purchase bushes can help advise you on which roses to buy — or plant own-root roses. These roses grow back from the roots fairly quickly, even if the plant dies. In the fall, cut down on nitrogen fertilizers and switch to a non-nitrogen brand or cut it all out. Doing so helps your roses to harden and gives them a better chance of surviving the winter....

How to Plant Pachysandra There are several varieties of pachysandra available to choose from. The recommended pachysandra growing zone for U.S. Department of Agriculture is 4 through 7. Pachysandra is easily transplanted from garden flats or divisions in the spring. Space the plants 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 cm.) apart to accommodate their spread. Pachysandra prefers soil that is moist and amended with rich organic matter. Make sure the planting area is clear from debris before planting and that the soil is loose....

Thrips Spider mites Aphids Whiteflies Leafhoppers Caterpillars Here are some tips about creating pirate bug habitats to attract these garden helpers. Pirate Bug Life Cycle Pirate bugs in gardens may be tiny, but their populations can grow fast in good conditions. To set up appropriate pirate bug habitats, you need to understand the pirate bug life cycle. The female lays minute pirate bug eggs in plant tissue a few days after mating....

Will Plants Recover from Rain Damage? Heavy rain damage on plants may leave them looking like they’ve been flattened to within an inch of their lives, but if you take a closer look at stems and branches, you’ll notice something amazing — most of those rain damaged parts are bent, not broken. Your plants may look terrible, but their flexibility saved them from a monstrous rain storm. If instead they remained rigid in the face of such an intense beating, their tissues would have broken or cracked, causing important transportation pathways to be severed....

Taking Cuttings from Texas Sage Plants Texas sage is so easy to propagate from cuttings that you can start a new plant nearly any time of year. Many experts advise taking 4 inch (10 cm.) softwood cuttings after blooming ends in summer, but you can also take hardwood cuttings while the plant is dormant in late fall or winter. Either way, plant the cuttings in well-drained potting mix. Some people like to dip the bottom of the cuttings in rooting hormone, but many find that the hormone isn’t necessary for rooting....

Rough Goldenrod Information Goldenrod is native to many parts of the U.S. and is easily identifiable as a bright, golden yellow clump of flowers so characteristic to fields and meadows in fall. These perennial flowers grow to a height of 2 to 5 feet (61 cm. to 1.5 m.). The flowers are yellow and small but grow in large clusters, blooming between August and September. The leaves of rough goldenrod, sometimes called wrinkled goldenrod, are toothed, deeply veined, and rough in texture....

How to Grow Russian Sage Russian sage is hardy in USDA plant hardiness Zones 5 through 10. Choose a location with very well-drained soil of average fertility in full sun. Growing Russian sage in partly shaded locations may cause the plants to sprawl. Set out new plants in early spring, spacing them 2 to 3 feet (0.5-1 m.) apart. Water the plants occasionally during dry spells until they are established and growing....

Growing Salt Resistant Gardens If you have a coastal garden where sea salt will be a problem, don’t despair. There are ways to combine gardening with salt water soil. Salt tolerant shrubs can be used to form wind or splash breaks that will protect less tolerant plants. Trees that tolerate salty soil should be planted closely to protect each other and the soil beneath. Mulch your garden of plants that tolerate salty soil and spray them regularly and thoroughly, particularly after storms....

Smoke tree Propagation Smoke tree is an unusual and attractive ornamental. When the plant is in flower, from a distance it appears to be covered with smoke. Smoke tree is also ornamental in autumn when the leaves turn multi-colored. If you have a friend with one of these trees/shrubs, you can get one yourself by smoke tree propagation. If you are wondering how to propagate a smoke tree, you’ll find you have two different options....

Why Start Seeds on Sponges? While the traditional way to start seeds is to use soil, there are some good reasons to use sponges for seed growing: You don’t need messy soil. You can watch the seeds grow and roots develop. Sponge seed germination happens rapidly. It’s easy to sprout a lot of seeds in a small space. The sponges can be reused if seeds turn out to be unviable. It makes a great experiment for children....

Do You Need to Prune Sugarcane? Sugarcane is a perennial grass, so if you’re wondering does sugarcane need to be pruned like a tree or shrub, the answer is technically no. However, if you want your sugarcane to look nice, pruning is a good way to do it. These large grasses can grow quite unruly, with side shoots and leaves. Sugarcane pruning can also concentrate growth on the main cane, which is what you will harvest for sugar....

Swamp Leather Flower Info The swamp leather flower (Clematis crispa) is a type of clematis that goes by many names, including blue jasmine, curly clematis, curly flower, and southern leather flower. It is a climbing vine, usually growing between 6 and 10 feet (2 to 3 m.) in length. Native to the southeastern United States, it grows as a perennial in USDA zones 6-9. The plant dies down to the ground in the winter and comes back with new growth in the spring....

Taylor’s Gold Pear Information For a tasty pear, Taylor’s Gold is hard to beat. It was discovered in New Zealand in the 1980’s and is thought to be a sport of the Comice variety, although some believe it is a cross between Comice and Bosc. Taylor’s Gold has golden-brown skin reminiscent of Bosc, but the flesh is more similar to Comice. The white flesh is creamy and melts in the mouth and the flavor is sweet, making this an excellent fresh-eating pear....

Firebush is easy to grow, requires very little maintenance, and tends to be relatively drought-tolerant once established. How much fertilizer does a firebush need? The answer is very little. Read on to learn three options for feeding firebush. Fertilizing a Firebush Need to know when to fertilize a firebush? If your firebush is healthy and doing well, it can live happily without fertilizer. If you think your plant could use a little nutrition, you can feed it a couple of times every year in early spring and again in early summer....

Benefits of Growing an Organic Garden Below, I’ve outlined five of the reasons why, if you have a garden, it should be organic. The benefits of organic gardening are many. I have only listed a few of the best. Your next step is learning to preserve the excess. By simple methods of freezing, drying, and canning you can literally enjoy the fruits of your labor on the coldest days of the winter....