Summersweet is commonly used in the landscape as either specimen or group plantings in borders or near foundations. It’s also used as a naturalizing shrub. In addition, summersweet is great for attracting pollinators, like bees and hummingbirds, to the area. How to Grow Clethra Alnifolia This slow-growing shrub is quite adaptable to a wide range of conditions. In fact, hardy summersweet can even handle bouts with salt spray and is hardy throughout USDA plant hardiness zones 3 through 9....

How to Grow Rose Mallow The easiest way to grow rose mallow is to purchase a plant at a garden center or nursery. However, growing rose mallow by seed isn’t difficult. Start seeds indoors eight to ten weeks before the last frost in your area or plant seeds directly in the garden after the last killing frost in spring. Rose mallow benefits from rich soil amended with at least 2 or 3 inches (5-8 cm....

Sweet Cicely Herb Uses All parts of sweet cicely plants are edible. Although sweet cicely has been widely cultivated in past years and used to treat ailments such as stomachache and coughs, it isn’t commonly grown in most modern herb gardens. Many herbalists think sweet cicely deserves more attention, especially as a healthy, zero-calorie replacement for sugar. You can also cook the leaves like spinach, or add fresh leaves to salads, soups, or omelets....

Hoya Wax Plant Info Native to Southeast Asia, sweetheart hoya (Hoya kerrii) is often a quirky Valentine’s Day gift with a single 5-inch (12.5 cm.) leaf planted upright in a small pot. Although the plant is relatively slow-growing, it appreciates a hanging basket, where it eventually becomes a bushy mass of green hearts. Mature plants can reach lengths of up to 13 feet (4 m.). During the summer, clusters of white, burgundy-centered blooms provide a bold contrast to the deep green or variegated leaves....

Symptoms of Strawberry Allergies Food allergies are an immune reaction from the body to a usually harmless substance or food. Most allergies are not life threatening but acute sensitivity can cause anaphylactic shock, a serious condition that requires medical attention. Symptoms generally come from ingesting the offensive food but can also show up just from handling. This may occur if you get a rash from picking strawberries. Strawberry plant allergies are serious and should be taken seriously....

Peach Leaf Curl Symptoms Signs of peach leaf curl usually appear within two weeks following leaf emergence. Symptoms of peach tree leaf curl include leaf curling and discoloration. Leaf color may be yellow, orange, red, or purple. There may also be deformed reddish colored warts on the leaves. Later leaves may turn gray or powdery looking. Fruit may also become infected, developing raised wart-like growths. Infected fruits often drop prematurely. Peach leaf curl can affect new twigs and shoots as well....

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....

Pruning Dutchman’s Pipe Plant You will want to prune your dutchman’s pipe vine for a couple of reasons. First, by removing damaged or dead wood from your dutchman’s pipe plant, the plant gets more air, which will prevent disease better. Dutchman’s pipe pruning also increases the production of flowers because the plant gets rejuvenated. How and When to Prune Dutchman’s Pipe Pruning dutchman’s pipe is not too difficult or complicated. You can do minimal pruning whenever you want to remove any dead or diseased branches....

Can you plant trees in the summer? The answer is yes for some species and some presentations. Read on to learn about the best trees to plant in summer. When to Plant Trees The general rule is that the two best tree planting times during the year are spring and fall. Spring is considered a good season for planting deciduous shrubs and trees since they are just coming out of dormancy and warm weather is just around the corner....

Growing Beautiful Succulents Succulents exhibit a number of survival tactics, which allow them to adapt easily to their particular environment. For instance, they will go dormant in times of excessive heat or dryness as well as during extreme cold spells. They also have the ability to adapt to areas of the home having little light, making them excellent candidates for nearly any location. Container-grown succulents make excellent indoor gardens. Growing succulents indoors will not only spruce up the home but will offer more flexibility as to both decorating and gardening options for those having little space....

Toadflax Control If you already have toadflax in the garden and need to get it under control, then you should know that controlling toadflax is a challenge. If these competing plants are growing in the area, focus on the support of these plants. Dalmatian toadflax is susceptible to herbicide treatment, and yellow toadflax is somewhat susceptible. Choose an herbicide labeled for use against toadflax, and apply it according to the label instructions....

Mushroom Identification A real mushroom is in the shape of an umbrella with a cup-shaped or flat cap on top of a stalk. Spores are produced by a group of cells, called basidia, found on the underside of the mushroom cap. While mushrooms come in all shapes, sizes, and colors the general structure remains the same. These funny looking structures are actually fruiting bodies or flowers that are produced by fungi....

Transplanting Container Grown Daffodils Forcing bulbs like daffodils to bloom out of season is relatively easy, although it takes quite a bit of time, and it takes a lot out of a bulb. Many gardeners consider these bulbs spent and simply discard them. If you’re frugal and want to try to transplanting spring daffodils, keep in mind that they probably won’t have the energy to flower for two or three years....

Why are There Spots on My Peppers? As mentioned, if there are spots on just the fruit, the cause is probably environmental. Blossom end rot is a possible culprit. This starts as a small brown to tan spot at the bottom end of the pepper that feels soft or leathery to the touch. It is usually caused by inconsistent watering. Be sure that the soil stays moist an inch (2.5 cm....

About Pecans with Root Knot Nematodes In addition to those described above, other symptoms that indicate nematodes on pecans are wilting and spots on the leaves. This infestation is often mistaken for a nutrient deficiency. If the health of the tree fails to improve after feedings of supplemental zinc or nickel, inspect further for nematodes. Nematodes are microscopic roundworms found in soil, and in and on plant tissues. Pecan root knot nematodes puncture plant tissue and remove cell contents with a spear-like mouthpart, called a stylet....

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....

Turnip Greens in the Garden Turnips are eaten for the thick fleshy root or bulb that the plant produces. They have been in cultivation for over 4,000 years and may have been eaten by ancient Romans and early Greeks. The leaves and stems of the plant are packed with fiber and nutrients. Turnip greens are associated with southern cooking and are an important part of regional diets. The best time to pick turnip greens is when they are young and small for best flavor....

Fern Plant Information There are many kinds of ferns from which to choose. Most outdoor ferns prefer rich, well-composted soil and gentle morning sun. Dappled sun that reaches the plants for a couple of hours each day is plenty. Avoid full sun, unless it is in the morning and only reaches the plant for a short time. Choose an area with moist soil or water regularly for the best performance of fern varieties....

What are Heading Cuts in Pruning? First of all thinning cuts do exactly what you would expect—they reduce the number of branches to allow air and sunlight into the interior of the shrub and keep it from becoming overgrown and out of control. But what about tree pruning heading cuts? Heading cuts control the way the plant grows. Here are some uses for heading cuts: To improve the shape of the plant by refocusing growth into a different direction To control the size of the plant To increase the density or bushiness of the plant by encouraging the growth of side stems...

USDA Plant Hardiness Zones USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture) plant hardiness zones, based on minimum ten year average temperatures, were created in the 1960’s and are used by gardeners around the globe. The purpose of the designation is to identify how well plants tolerate the coldest temperatures in each zone. USDA zones begin at zone 1 for plants that tolerate severe, subfreezing temperatures to tropical plants that thrive in zone 13....