Category: Tropical Style

Why Do My Lantana Stop Blooming?

Lantana (Lantana camara) is a tropical beauty, but do not let that convince you it’s difficult and fragile. Rather, it’s a difficult evergreen tree which reproduces so freely and establishes so easily that it is considered invasive in some nations. Lantana usually has no trouble blooming, so when your plant fails to flower, you are probably doing something wrong.

Location, Location, Location

The common lantana is indigenous to Central and South America and dozens of varieties and species exist. It can be scrubby in its native habitat but it blooms without stopping. Remove it from the warmer climes, and its flowering and health can endure. In case your lantana has stopped blooming abruptly, it may be that you don’t reside at U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 10 through 11, which is the point where the plant thrives. You may still develop the plant as an annual, flowering in summer and autumn.

Care and Feeding

Your goal in growing lantana would be to mimic as much as you can its indigenous conditions. In case your lantana has stopped flowering, it may be receiving too much water. Wild lantana only drinks when it rains and cultivated lantana demands little water after it is established. Reducing on water may be sufficient to make the plant restart flowering. And think twice before fertilizing this indigenous plant. Excess fertilizer decreases or eliminates flowering.

Transplant Shock

Sensors that wilt or quit blooming immediately after transplant may be suffering from transplant shock. In case your lantana was covered in flowers in the pot and starts to languish in your lawn, you may just need to give it more time to adjust to its new environment. To provide the tree its very best chance, transplant in autumn or early spring before the summer heat at a spot with well-draining soil. Water the tree at least once a week until it is created and you see new green shoots.

Containing the Beast

Lantana takes seriously the old adage to go forth and multiply. The plant grows quickly. Even in cooler climates, a lantana transplanted in spring can develop to more than 3 feet tall by the time summer wanes. And common lantanas spread so freely they’ve naturalized in the wild, forming grand thickets at Florida, Texas and Hawaii and muscling out indigenous plants. Choosing a sterile hybrid , like “New Gold,” reduces that issue significantly.

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When to Spread Weed Killer?

As there is no one-size-fits-all weed killer, a key element for maintaining your lawn weed-free is being aware of what weeds you’re dealing with — and what condition enabled them to acquire a foothold. This strategy lets you to apply the smallest amount of weed killer at the suitable time to bring about the infestation under control.

Ahead of Germination

Two components are essential for pre-emergent herbicides to be effective: timing and water. You must implement these herbicides in early spring or late winter before weeds emerge and provide the lawn around 1/2 inch of water within 24 hours to push the chemical to the soil. Because pre-emergent herbicides degrade significantly in six to 16 weeks, reapply the herbicide within 60 days. Use pre-emergent herbicides to control annual grasses such as crabgrass, though some pre-emergents can control broadleaf weeds.

Later Weeds Sprout

Apply post-emergent herbicides to a lawn after weeds emerge, however they are still young. When applying these substances, it is ideal to treat only the weedy area rather than the entire lawn. These herbicides fall in to two categories: contact and systemic. Contact herbicides only kill the segment of the plant they touch, whereas systemic chemicals absorb into the plant and cause injury throughout the plant — that is the reason why systemic herbicides are often more effective on perennial weeds.

Destroying Weeds Selectively

Post-emergent herbicides are further divided into two subcategories: selective and nonselective. The distinction is in what they kill. Nonselective herbicides kill any living vegetation; use them only in areas in which that is the desirable effect. Wherever you use this type of weed killer, expect to wait at least two weeks before replanting. Selective weed killers only ruin a specific type of plant, such as broadleaf weeds.

Weed and Feed

Despite the claims of manufacturers which weed-and-feed products will reduce your workload since you can apply two different chemicals at once — it doesn’t always work like that. This is because when your lawn needs fed does not always coincide with when hardened require killing. When using this product, double check the tag to find out if it comprises a pre- or post-emergent herbicide. If it comprises a pre-emergent herbicide, applying it after the weeds emerge will likely be ineffective.

Keep It Healthy

When your lawn is healthy there is minimal demand for grass killers. If you’re dealing with weeds, it’s a sign of specific problems in your lawn. You need to address these conditions, such as soil compaction, inadequate watering and feeding or improper mowing height, for a long term alternative. When you utilize pesticides with no proper maintenance program in place, you simply treat symptoms and not the cause. Until you solve the lawn maintenance complexities, weeds will return annually.

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Annual Dwarf Flowers That Bloom in Spring

Gardeners fortunate enough to reside in a Mediterranean climate get to begin their yearly flower garden in autumn and winter. This planting schedule stipulates the gardener fewer weeds and, consequently, a simpler time preparing the dirt. In addition, it allows for earlier bloom in the spring. Annie Hayes of Annie’s Annuals and Perennials indicate that you start your yearly dwarf flower garden no later than February.

California Poppy

For early spring bloom, plant dwarf California poppies (Eschscholzia caespitosa). These diminutive doppelgangers of the bigger California state flower develop from 6 to 12 inches in height — roughly half that of the standard poppy — and create the same sunny yellow-orange-colored blossom. Dwarf California poppies require full sun but do best in rocky, gravelly, unimproved dirt.

Cornflower

Not many plants blossom in blue blooms, which makes the bachelor’s button — which does — among the most popular for your yearly garden. The dwarf bachelor’s button, or cornflower (Centaurea cyanus dwarf “Tom Pouce Blue”), rises from 12 to 18 inches in height in sunlight. Seeds may be sown in autumn in mild winter areas for an early spring blossom.

Begonia

Ideal for the shady spot on your yearly garden, dwarf wax begonias (Begonia semperflorens ) blossom in mid-to-late spring. The Bada Bing collection involves the cultivar “Rose Bicolor,” which rises 8 to 10 inches tall and bears pale pink blooms with white centers. These delicious wax begonias are easy to grow in containers, so you could consider growing them on a sheltered terrace or even indoors.

Calendula

It is almost always a great idea to plan the yearly garden in order that something is constantly in blossom. Consider dwarf calendula (Calendula officinalis “Fiesta Gitana”), also called the pot marigold, when you need a late-spring bloomer to include various shades of orange. Even though standard-size calendula can rise to 3 feet in height, the dwarf variety stops growing when it reaches 1 foot tall. Give it full sun.

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What sort of Structural Damage Could Tree Roots Cause?

Trees are valued from the surroundings due to their ability to offer shade, wind protection, water filtration and beauty to the landscape. As lovely as trees are, the frequently significant damage sometimes due to their roots isn’t too wonderful and can mean thousands of dollars in repair costs to foundations, buildings, backyards, pipes and pavement systems. Bad planning is frequently the offender, as is selecting the incorrect type of tree to plant in a particular place.

Damage to Buildings and Foundations

Despite the fact that tree roots grow quite slowly, they exert tremendous amounts of stress on what they are growing through or close. As they go through the earth in their eternal search for water and nutrients, they displace the dirt around them. Clay soils compact more tightly, while loose, dry dirt in arid spaces shifts and becomes ineffective at supporting a structural load. While the roots themselves aren’t capable of causing direct damage to buildings and foundations, increasingly greater soil displacement can compromise the integrity of this dirt the construction sits on as well as its supporting structure. If dirt moves, then whatever is sitting it moves, also. Old construction materials which have deteriorated over the years can climb or settle as the dirt displaced by extensive tree root systems moves, and the structures might develop cracks which smaller tree roots may be able to penetrate.

Plumbing Damage

With the exception of garden sheds and treehouses, most buildings intended for human use or habitation have some sort of drainage system which disposes of water and sewage. By its very design, such a system is a potent attractant to tree roots, particularly in areas that see little annual rainfall. Many species of trees, such as willows, maples and aspens, are particularly invasive, as their root systems can develop as far as they have to in search of water. Standard drainage-field pipes are perforated to permit for movement of wastewater in the building’s interior plumbing to the ground. Roots can easily be able to develop in these holes and in severe cases can completely block pipes into the stage that they sometimes split and therefore are no longer usable. Old clay pipes whose joints have deteriorated over time can also be susceptible to invasion by neighboring roots and eventually crack under the pressure they exert.

Landscape Damage

While trees are viable additions to the landscape, their roots can take over areas intended for other plants and ruin elaborate and expensive plantings. As some species of trees era, roots become visible through the surface of the soil, a process assisted by wind and erosion. Trees that grow tightly together are sometimes forced to compete for water and nutrients, and gardening is limited from the spaces around and between them because of intertwined roots growing just beneath the surface of the dirt. If put down too thinly over a place close or between trees, asphalt might buckle, bulge and eventually crack. While tree roots typically don’t penetrate solid concrete, walkways and other paved areas may buckle because of soil movement that the roots generate.

Considerations

Prevention is key to avoiding expensive tree root damage. This includes selecting only those types of trees and shrubs which pose the least danger to structural systems of any type. While there is absolutely no ironclad guarantee that a tree roots will not someday make their way below a foundation or into a sloping bed, planting trees at least 50 feet away from all structures or systems is a good beginning. As for established plantings which are causing problems, sometimes the only solution would be to cut down the tree and remove as much of the root system as you can prior to making any repairs to damaged structures. According to the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors, there’s absolutely no reliable method for homeowners to predict precisely how far a tree’s roots will increase in search of water.

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Plant Food for Sparkling Citrus Trees

The normal citrus tree grows as tall as 25 feet, however a dwarf variety often merely attains a height of 8 feet. Not only does that let you match a citrus tree into a backyard garden, but it also makes it easier to prune the tree and harvest its juicy fruit. For the healthiest tree, enhanced disease and pest resistance, and much more prolific fruit production, feed your citrus tree regularly with a variety of food which range from organic matter to cautiously invented olive tree fertilizer.

Compost

Citrus trees favor well-draining growing conditions. Well-aged, organic compost provides just that, but it also feeds the citrus tree with sulfur and other micro and macro nutrients. Compost doesn’t just raise soil mineral levels; it also helps soil hold onto nutrients much better, which can help create a strong basis for future fertilization applications. For the best results, blend 3 inches of compost into the top foot of soil prior to planting your tree.

Mulch

Mulch helps to prevent soil erosion and water loss around your citrus tree, and also can help prevent weed growth that would compete with the citrus tree for soil nutrition and also rob it of its nutritional support. Additionally, as mulch decomposes, it also can help feed the citrus tree’s root system using fresh organic matter and nutrients. For optimum results, use 3 to 6 inches of mulch around the citrus tree, however don’t let the mulch touch the tree’s actual bark since that may encourage rotting.

Citrus Fertilizer

Since they don’t grow as quickly or as big as their larger cousins, dwarf bearded varieties need less fertilizer than usual. A newly planted dwarf citrus tree takes 0.5 pounds of 21-0-0 fertilizer in the first year after planting, followed by 2.33 pounds of fertilizer in years two and three, 3.5 pounds in years four and three, and 4.75 pounds every year thereafter. Always fertilize dwarf citrus trees throughout the active growing season. Divide the total quantity of fertilizer the tree needs in a year into three components and implement 1 component in February, 1 component in April and one component in September.

Exception for Indoor Dwarf Citrus Trees

Sometimes, gardeners decide to grow dwarf citrus trees indoors as an exotic houseplant and a convenient-to-reach supply of new fruit. Since they are within the confines of a pot, indoor citrus trees need more frequent fertilization. Instead of a thrice-annually fertilizer application, use a liquid houseplant fertilizer and feed the tree once every four weeks in the time of watering. Use the liquid fertilizer according to the labeled guidelines, as strength varies widely by product.

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The Best Grass Seed for Hot Full Sun

The most appropriate grasses to develop in hot areas with complete sun in the summertime are called warm-season grasses. They prosper in the heat of the summertime but slow down or go dormant during cooler winter weather. 1 cool-season grass, tall fescue, stays green in the winter but can tolerate a hot summer. Which grass is best depends on how you plan to use the yard and your regional climate and growing conditions.

Best Grass for Oily Use

Although slow establish, zoysia grass (Zoysia spp.) , native to warm regions of southeast Asia, uses a minimal quantity of water and prefers full sunlight. Zoysia is a medium-textured, dark green grass with stiff blades. It can withstand drought and heat. If zoysia is fertilized during the fall, it is going to keep its colour during winter weather. Texas A&M; AgriLife Extension recommends zoysia for lawns which are used heavily and for parks and athletic fields. Bermuda grass (Cynodon spp.) Is a gray-green, warm-season grass which grows best in high temperatures and full sun. Bermuda grass can withstand heavy usage during its growing season from spring to early fall, spreading both by underground rhizomes and above-ground stolons. It goes dormant and loses its shade during the cooler months of late fall and winter. University of Florida IFAS Extension recommends fine-textured cultivars of Bermuda grass to get a dense turf.

Best Grass to Tolerate Salt

Useful for lawns but not for heavy sports, St. Augustine grass (Stenotaphrum secundatum) prefers full sunlight. It rises slowly in the spring and fast in the summertime, slowing down at the fall and going dormant in winter. It is a medium green grass with broad blades which rises well in coastal valleys and tolerates both drought and salt. University of Hawaii at Manoa Cooperative Extension Service says it is best planted in places which don’t find much use. Seashore paspalum (Paspalum vaginatum) tolerates salt in addition to hot summers, making it a good choice for areas with a high quantity of salt in the soil or water or coastal areas with hot summers. Light to medium green, seashore paspalum spreads aggressively by underground rhizomes. It can withstand a moderate quantity of traffic and works well on coastal golf lessons. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that it rises quickly, forming a basement.

Best Grass for Winter Green

The cool season tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) tolerates summer heat and drought but stays green during the winter. Tall fescue is a medium green grass with a coarse texture, but turf and dwarf turf varieties with a finer texture can be found that tolerate moderate foot traffic and infrequent mowing. It is a bunch grass, not a creeping grass, so bare areas might have to be reseeded.

Best Native Grass

A fine-textured, grayish green grass, buffalograss (Buchloe dactyloides) is native to the North American Prison and supplied forage for American bison. Although it is going to survive summer heat, it is going to turn brown if it is not watered. Buffalograss turf is considered low quality and it possesses a lengthy duration of winter dormancy. Its seeds are more expensive compared to other grasses.

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Can Frost Kill a Tomato Plant?

Even though indeterminate tomatoes are perennials, they are grown as annuals because of their intense aversion to cold. Not only do tomatoes stop producing as temperatures sink, they’re killed entirely by hard frosts and freezes.

Tomatoes’ Natural Climate

Tomatoes were originally bred from subtropical plants arising in a region covering parts of Peru and Ecuador and spread northward to Mexico before Columbus set foot in the Western hemisphere. In such regions, tomatoes climbed, bolstered from the steamy, but frost-free temperatures that frequently fell within their optimum temperature range. Tomatoes spread to Europe, in which they had been initially feared, then afterwards adored for their sweet fruits. Unfortunately, these plants are still adapted to these climates in which they originated, making long periods of cool temperatures — under 55 degrees Fahrenheit — often as damaging as frosts. Tomato plants develop and create best between 60 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit.

How Frost Kills

Frost generally happens on still nights when the ambient temperature drops below or near freezing. Exposed plant cells are damaged when water vapor from the atmosphere condenses on plant surfaces, then freezes. Condensation types because plant cells are originally warmer than the surrounding atmosphere, even though they cool quickly in the evening. Often these events happen quickly from the coldest portion of the night, making frost only briefly. Unfortunately for tomatoes, even just a brief stint of freezing is sufficient to finish the growing season.

Protecting Tomatoes From Light Frost

If a mild frost is predicted, you could have the ability to protect your impurities in the chill injury or freeze damage it may cause. Depending on the size of the plants, you may use an assortment of covers to insulate your plants from the colder atmosphere outside, from large cardboard boxes to get smaller patio tomatoes to large, clear plastic tents for larger garden varieties. Remove the cover in the morning to prevent accidental overheating.

Ripening Tomatoes Indoors

When frost threatens, a few gardeners uproot their plants and bring them indoors to ripen the fruit that remains on the vine. This will only work with completely formed fruits that are only barely beginning to turn red, so in the event that you decide to hang your tomatoes upside down in the basement, then pick off any underdeveloped fruits. Your tomato plant will die, but the vine creates a handy place to store fruit as it finishes ripening.

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Candy Onion Plants

Although not quite as sweet as their name implies, candy onions (Allium cepa “Candy”) are nonetheless milder than other pungent, tear-inducing varieties. Following the achievement of other sweet onions, such as Walla Walla for cold climates and Vidalia for warm areas, Candy was bred as a sweet-onion alternative that is adapted into a diversity of spaces.

Onion Types

Bunching onions don’t form bulbs, and are generally called green onions or scallions. Bulbing onion plants begin forming bulbs when daylight hours are of certain durations, known as photoperiods. Based on the specific photoperiod which bulbing types need for bulb formation, onions have been classified as long-day, short-day or day-neutral types. Long-day sorts grow best in cold, northern climates, while short-day types are suited to warmer, southern and coastal areas. Day-neutral types have been bred for achievement in almost all climates. Candy onions have been day-neutral types.

Seeds, Sets and Starts

You can develop your candy onions out of seeds, places or begins. Since seeds take longer to develop to mature plants, most gardeners use sets or begins. Sets are little bulbs, which grow to larger sizes after planting. Starts are little plants which are typically 8 to 10 weeks old, that have not formed bulbs nevertheless. To develop your own candy onion places, start by sowing seeds in the summer. Two to three months after sowing, roll the green stalks, which forces plants to set small bulbs. When the sets are the size of dimes, dig plants and trim stems 1/2 inch above the sets. You will plant these sets the next spring, after keeping them in a cool, dry place.

Culture

You may develop candy onions in almost any soil type as long as it’s rich and has good drainage. Onions are shallow-rooted and may suffer in weedy places. Weeds pull water and nutrients from developing onion crops, which stunts development and hinders a fantastic harvest. Keep garden beds weeded around onions, with shallow cultivation, and therefore you don’t hurt onion roots. Onion plants thrive in raised beds, which include loose dirt and offer good drainage. Onions react well to applications of compost, which you can work in the soil before planting or side-dress along plants.

Harvest and Storage

Harvest candy onions when their green stems fall above and turn brown. A curing procedure is required before you shop onions successfully. After you dig them, remove the dirt and place them in a well-ventilated area until the necks, or the area just above bulbs, are entirely dry, which typically takes two weeks. Root cellars, unheated garages or other cool, dry areas are ideal for keeping onions, which should be in containers that are roomy. Sweet candy onions don’t shop as long as more powerful varieties, but with proper storage it’s possible to extend their shelf life.

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Soil Preparation in Plastic Mulching

If you plan to cover soil with plastic mulch, test it the autumn before spring planting to ascertain its pH and nutrient needs and to learn if it is bullied by little, round worms known as nematodes. Soil to be covered by plastic mulch is typically disked or tilled at least one month before the bend to split it up, remove clods, rocks and debris and to include the residues of earlier crops.

Soil Testing

Most garden supply centres sell fundamental soil-testing kits that will reveal the soil pH and indicate the presence or lack of the significant soil nutrients nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Get in touch with your extension service about testing your soil for nematodes. If your soil has nematodes, fumigate the soil before planting with a multi purpose fumigate that controls nematodes, soilborne diseases and weeds.

Adjusting Soil pH

Soil pH, optimally adjusted at the fall before planting, measures the acidity or alkalinity of the soil over a scale of 1 to 14. Soils below 7, usually found in areas with more rainfall, are more acidic. Soils above 7, usually located in arid climates, are more alkaline. Soil pH affects the ability of plants to utilize soil nutrients, and different plants have different requirements. Soil pH is typically lowered with the addition of sulfur and increased with the addition of lime.

Adding Fertilizer

Following the needs indicated by the soil test, add fertilizer before planting and mulching. At least half the nitrogen conditions should be met with a nitrate. Nitrates can leach in the soil, but they are protected by plastic mulch. Organisms in the soil change ammonium forms of nitrogen into nitrates. If you fumigate your soil to destroy nematodes, adding ammonium forms of nitrogen may be toxic to the harvest.

Fertilizer With Drip Irrigation

If you use drip irrigation, which is standard with plastic mulching, add one half of the nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium before planting and mulching Utilize drip chemicals to bring the remaining balance of nutrients in water-soluble calcium nitrate, sodium nitrate, 15-0-14 or 20-20-20 fertilizer or potassium nitrate. If you include all the fertilizer from the bed before planting and mulching, the crops don’t get as much helpful nutrients. The fertilizer numbers suggest the ratio by weight of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium.

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The Size of a Magnolia Flower

Magnolia flowers (Magnolia spp.) Come in a number of shapes, sizes and colors depending on variety. The magnolia family includes evergreen and deciduous trees and shrubs bearing blossoms in colors of pink, pink, red, yellow and purple. The leaf sizes and shapes vary as well. Good maintenance can help make sure the trees blossom generously.

Big Blooms

Several varieties of magnolias have large blooms that vary from 8 to 12 inches round. Southern magnolia (M. grandiflora) bears large, white, fragrant, cup-shaped flowers that are approximately 8 to 10 inches round. This handsome tree is hardy to U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zone 6 and blooms throughout summer and autumn. Fraser magnolia (M. fraseri) is a medium-sized tree having white, fragrant blooms up to 10 inches round and hardy to USDA zone 5. M. sargentiana robusta bears fragrant mauve blooms around 12 inches across and blossoms mid- to late-spring before leaves open and can be hardy to USDA zone 7.

Medium Blooms

Some varieties of magnolias bear medium-sized blooms that vary from 4 to 7 inches round. Kobus magnolia (M. kobus), hardy to USDA zone 5, flowers in early spring before leaves bears and open slightly fragrant, white, 4-inch-wide blooms. Saucer magnolia (M. x soulangeana) is a hybrid that bears pink to purplish flowers up to 6 inches round. It flowers from late winter though spring and is hardy to USDA zone 4. Yulan Magnolia (M. denudata) is a deciduous tree hardy to USDA zone 5 and also bears tulip-shaped blooms around 7 inches across in summertime.

Modest Blooms

Magnolia varieties also have little blossoms that only spread around 3 inches round. Shinyleaf magnolia (M. nititda) is an evergreen shrub hardy to USDA zone 8 that bears fragrant flowers up to 3 inches round and blossoms in spring. The cucumber tree (M. acuminata) makes an excellent shade or lawn tree and bears greenish-yellow blooms up to 3 inches across in late spring through summer; that magnolia is hardy to USDA zone 6.

What Magnolias Need

Magnolias need proper care to thrive and blossom. The plants have fleshy, shallow root systems that take a location where the roots will not be damaged. Magnolias thrive in well-drained soil that’s slightly acidic with deep irrigation, but waterlogged soil can kill the trees and shrubs. Deciduous magnolias need annual pruning after booming, while evergreen varieties are pruned before new growth appears in spring. Prune magnolia trees to shape, cut back broken limbs and also remove lower branches as the tree grows.

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