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Trees & Houseplants : Home & Garden
How to Grow the Best Tasting Strawberries
Whether gardening is your passion or just another chore, save a spot in your plot for strawberries. Commercial strawberries are often grown in large greenhouses and lack the sweetness and depth of flavor present in berries plucked from your own garden. Strawberries are fairly hearty plants, and even
The Best Plants for Around a Swimming Pool
Once the swimming pool is in, the next thing to consider is to create landscaping to do it justice. The types of plants best suited for the area around a swimming pool include trees, flowering shrubs, annuals and versatile plants that can take the heat and plenty of splashing water.
How to Propagate Lobelia Vegetatively
The lobelia plant is an annual flowering herb. It blooms in early summer to mid-fall, in shades of red, purple, pink, white and blue. Lobelia grows in full sun or partial shade and the Cascade variety is a good choice for a hanging basket or patio planter. If your children like butterflies, plant a
The Best Time to Prune Oak Trees
Oak trees vary in height and width, with some varieties like the massive white oak growing to 100 feet tall. They are noted for their large limbs and trunks that create a commanding landscape display. Oaks are used as a shade and specimen tree within the landscape but are not suited for small spaces
Lavender Leaf Fungus
Lavender, a plant native to the Mediterranean region, adds to any flower garden or bed with its vivid color and fragrance. Though easy to grow, lavender may sometimes become a host for fungal diseases if the environmental conditions favor them. Among the diseases known to affect lavender are several
How to Harvest Fruits & Vegetables
Harvesting fruits and vegetables correctly ensures the best flavor experience as well as maintains the plant for next year's crop. In most cases, color and size best determine the ripeness of fruits and vegetables. In addition, every plant has its own harvesting requirements, ranging from twisting,
How to Get Better Airflow in a Swamp Cooler
Swamp coolers get better airflow with a routine maintenance program. As with most mechanical devices, neglected moving parts fail without proper servicing. A swamp cooler uses the process of evaporation to cool air and blow it into a building. Water in the bottom of the cooler gets sucked up into pl
Citrus and Mealybugs
Citrus trees sometimes have problems with mealybug infestations, both indoors and outdoors. Unchecked, mealybugs can cause serious damage to foliage and fruit. However, infestations do not usually become severe enough to kill a tree.
What Environmental Factors Limit Photosynthesis the Most?
Light intensity, carbon dioxide, and water are factors that can limit photosynthesis the most.Biene Blume image by Mediz from Fotolia.comPhotosynthesis is the process in which the energy of sunlight is used by plants and other organisms to synthesize carbohydrates from carbon dioxide and...
Information on the Orchid Mantis
If you love the exotic look of orchids, the orchid mantis is a creature you may find beautiful as well. This insect, found in the rain forests of Asia, is colorful and intricately shaped, and can even be kept as a pet.
How to Get Rid of Swallows Making Mud Nests
Swallow species, such as the barn swallow and cliff swallow, often set up shop on man-made structures. Whether it's your barn, home or other outbuilding, if it offers sufficient shelter to the birds, they may decide to build their nest on it. Swallows use mud to make their nests. This can soil your
Fig Tree Varieties in Zone 6
Figs ripening on the tree.Maren Caruso/Photodisc/Getty ImagesThe fig tree (Ficus carica) is native to Western Asia and the Mediterranean. Its "fruit" is, in fact, not a true fruit, but a synconium, or a hollow, fleshy enclosure containing flowers. Delectable nectar-flavored figs have...
How do I Calculate the Greenhouse Gas Reduction of a Tree?
There are a myriad of complex technologies for capturing and storing carbon, but none is as simple and elegant as a living tree. Trees absorb airborne carbon and either incorporate it into their structure or deposit it in the soil. Planting trees in an urban environment not only reduces the atmosphe
How to Plant in an EarthBox
An Earthbox is a rectangular plastic pot used in growing vegetables and ornamental plants. It has a tight-fitting cover that prevents weeds and excess water from entering the soil. Typically, they are lower-maintenance than traditional, in-ground gardens. Earthboxes offer plants a continuous supply
How to Grow Chestnut Trees in North Carolina
Chestnuts are valued for their nutritional benefit and tasty flavor, and many home and property owners enjoy the natural beauty of the chestnut tree itself. Planting new trees can add value to a property, doubly so if the planter plans on harvesting and selling the nuts. Residents of North Carolina
Are Braided Pachira Only Indoor Plants?
The braided tropical plants often called money plants are rooted cuttings of the Guiana chestnut (Pachira aquatica). They grow in warm homes with bright light or outdoors when there is no threat of frost.
Home Gardening Grow Box Technology
Gardening is a hobby of many homeowners. Those who want to invest in new technologies and improve the performance of their gardens often use grow boxes; these are also useful for individuals with small areas in which to grow, or indoors. Grow boxes are hydroponic systems that grow plants in water in
How Long Does a Crabapple Tree Bloom Flowers?
Flowering crabapple trees are ornamental and popular choices for gardeners and homeowners to add to their landscapes. They are compact in size and easy to maintain. These trees produce full foliage and a blanket of blossoms that bear small- to medium-size apples.
Yellow Markings on My Rozanne Geranium Leaves
Rozanne geraniums are herbaceous perennials and members of the Geraniaceae family. This lovely flower is easy to grow in well-drained soil in full sun or partial shade. However, Rozanne geraniums are susceptible to thrip infestations which can cause discoloration of the leaves, flowers and stems.