Archive for the ‘Landscaping’ Category
Are grub worms destroying your turf?
09
Jan
Grub worms are known for eating the roots of grass and causing brown patches in grass. The can cause serious damage to your turf if not treated, and the sooner the better. Do you have grub worms? Here are some tips.
They are white with a red head, dark at the rear end and are C-shaped about the size of the tip of your thumb. Once you have determined that you have grub worms you should call your local Agricultural Extension Service and ask questions like when they lay their eggs and when they are likely to be active in your area.
Sample your yard for grubs by cutting three sides of a 1-foot square and lifting the grass to see if there are more than 5 worms. If more than 5 then more treatment will be necessary. Nematodes are microscopic organisims that feed on larvae and can be purchased from your local garden center. To use nematodes, follow the directions on the bag.
Keep your lawn lightly-watered to help offset the root damage caused by grub worms.
Winter Gardening: Wisteria Vines
08
Nov
A planted Wisteria Vine with years to grown and training can add a great winter time effect for any home or home garden. The vine, while it grows quickly, can take anywhere from 10-15 years before it releases those beautiful purple blooms. Since we’re talking about winter gardens; the flower won’t be blooming, but with proper vine training, and perhaps an arbor. The look of the vine covering the arbor and the snow covering it can add a beautiful effect to both your home and winter garden area.
Wisteria & Wisteria Vine Care:
Location is the most important factor to consider when planting your wisteria. Its is a twining vine that requires sturdy support and regular pruning to keep it under control. Wisteria doesn’t fair well in cold so make sure it receives plenty of sunlight.
This vine requires deep, rich soil that is somewhat moist but will tolerate many soil conditions.
Pruning is the main requirement for wisteria vine care. The vine is an aggressive grower; so there’s no need for fertilizing and being drought tolerant, wisteria requires little watering.
Training Wisteria Vines:
When training wisteria vines the variety may exhibit different twining characteristics. A good example is the Chinese wisteria (W. sinensis) twines counterclockwise while the Japanese variety (W. floribunda) is the opposite, twining clockwise.
When you train wisteria vines, select an upright stem and attach it to the chosen support. Remove any side shoots and train the main vine upwards. You can train any new side branches to fill in spaces by attaching them where desired. Try to keep these side branches spaced about eighteen inches apart. Once the wisteria has reached the desired height, pinch off or cut the main vine tip; this will slow the growth process.
Winter Garden Flowers – Pansies & Poinsettias
06
Oct
Winter Flowers
During the winter you have several choices in plants that will flourish.
Pansies
Pansies are considered some of the most hardy and popular winter plants in America. Easily found at garden supply centers, the biennial plants are known to survive frosts. Requiring full to partial sun, the flowers bloom through late fall to early summer.
Uses of Pansies
Both the leaves and flowers of pansies and violas are edible and high in vitamins A and C. The flowers impart a strong flavor and have been used to make syrup, flavored honey and salads. Both the leaves and flowers can be used as a garnish, such as on cold fruit or cream soups. The flowers are also useful as a dye.
Poinsettias
Poinsettias are traditional winter plants. Blooming with large, vibrant red or white flowers, poinsettias are used both outside and indoors during the winter season. According to the University of Illinois, poinsettias represent 85 percent of all the potted plants sold during the winter holiday period.
Note: It is very important to keep the plant in complete darkness for 14 continuous hours each night. You may need to use a large box to cover your plant in order to encourage the blooming.
From October to early December the plants require 6-8 hours of bright sunlight daily, with nighttime temperature between 60 and 70 degrees.
If you follow this routine for 8-10 weeks you should see a beautiful display of color for the next holiday season with your last years poinsettias!
Talking about Flower Bulbs
27
Jul
Overview
Flower bulbs offer gardeners an easy, economical way of producing a vibrant flower garden. Bulb flowers come in a vast array of colors, sizes and flowering periods. Gardeners often plant bulbs in intervals to obtain continuous blossoms throughout the spring and fall seasons. Even when the blooms have faded, these plants accentuate flowerbeds or containers with their showy foliage. Bulbs provided with satisfactory growing conditions will fervently blossom year after year.
History
Flower bulbs cultivated for commercial purposes began in the late 16th century in Haarlem, a municipality in the Netherlands. Haarlem, however, is not the place of their origin. Tulip bulbs came from central Asia, and dahlias originated in Mexico. The amaryllis bulb originated in South America, while freesias and calla lilies hailed from South Africa. When these bulbs were brought to Haarlem, their marketing value was quickly recognized. Thus, they became popular throughout Haarlem and surrounding regions. Today, flower bulb production continues to be an important, profitable industry in the Netherlands.
Types of Bulbs
Bulbs are divided into two general categories: Spring-flowering bulbs should be planted in the fall since root development is stimulated through the dormant period of frigid temperatures. These bulbs must be in the ground before the first heavy frost, be exposed to full or partial sun and be planted in locations that have good drainage. Spring-flowering bulbs include tulips and daffodils. Summer and fall-flowering bulbs are planted in late spring. These flowers do well in borders, rock gardens, ground covers, containers and hanging baskets but cannot survive winter temperatures. Bulbs dug up each fall should be stored in a cool location until planting time. Lilies, colchicums and saffron crocuses are examples of this type of bulb.
Identification
“Bulb” is a common term referring to the fleshy storage system of plants that grow from underground. In reality, not all of these storage systems are bulbs. All flowers grown in such manner are not grown from bulbs. Some plants, such as the cannas, are grown from rhizomes. Gladioli are grown from corms. Dahlias are produced from tuberous roots. Corms are shorter and rounder than bulbs and usually have a flat top and a concave bottom. Rhizomes are plants with a root-like stem and tuberous roots are just that–roots.
Conditions for Growing
For a bulb plant to develop properly and produce every spring, it must be given a proper growing environment. Bulbs should be planted in an area where they can remain undisturbed through cold winter temperatures. Poor soil can be fortified with organic matter. Mulching the ground can help protect the plants from heaving–uprooting that can occur through continuous freezing and thawing of the ground. All foliage should remain on established plants after spring or fall blooms have faded. This enables the plants to replenish food supplies through photosynthesis. When this process is complete, foliage will die back naturally. Dried plants can be removed when foliage has died back completely.
Reproduction of Plants
Some bulbous plants produce seeds that can be germinated and grown into flowering plants. This method of propagation is not as popular as propagation by division. Propagation by division is, in most cases, easier, and flower color and type can be predicted. New bulbs develop quickly in the spring. These young bulbs are closely attached at the bottom of the mature bulb. Separation must take place for the mature bulb to continue to produce proficient plants and blooms.
