Japanese Elm Tree Facts Japanese elm tree includes not one, but six genera with 35 species of elm native to Japan. All are deciduous trees or shrubs that are native to Japan and northeastern Asia. Japanese elms are resistant to Dutch Elm disease, a disease fatal to the American elm. One type of Japanese elm, Ulmus davidiana var. japonica, is so highly resistant that it has been used to develop resistant cultivars....

Do Mice Like Mulch? Mice in the garden, as with other rodents like voles and shrews, can cause a multitude of problems. Damage to vegetable plants, fruit trees, expensive ornamentals, and/or flowering bulbs can be quite costly. By familiarizing ourselves with the needs and habits of these pests, we can better prevent them from nesting in or near our homes. The main reasons in which mice invade the home landscape is to look for food and to find materials to safely build nests with....

Why Do My Knock Out Rose Bushes Have Rose Rosette? Some research says that the carrier of this dreaded virus is the eriophyid mite, a very tiny wingless mite that is easily moved about by the wind. Other researchers are not so sure the mite is the real culprit. Where bushes are planted closely together, such as the case with landscape roses like Knock Outs, the disease seems to spread like wildfire!...

What is Full Sun? Yes, this may seem an obvious question to some, but in fact, it is not. Many people think this means having sun all day; others feel that full sun is direct sunlight part of the day. For example, your garden might receive three to four hours of direct sun in the morning with a break in sunlight around lunchtime and then full sun for the remainder of the day....

Are you interested in a few more longleaf pine facts? Read on. We’ll give you info on the longleaf pine growth rate as well as the cultural care it requires. Longleaf Pine Facts The longleaf pine tree is native to the Southeastern United States. These trees are quite tall, growing to a height of 80 feet (24 m.) or even 100 feet (30 m.), with a spread of half the height, and they shoot up in the blink of an eye....

Help, My Loquat Did Not Bear Fruit! There may be a few reasons for a fruitless loquat tree. As mentioned, lack of fruit set is often in conjunction with a loquat tree that won’t flower. Probably the most common reason for a loquat not blooming, or any fruiting tree for that matter, is improper planting. Let’s take a look at the correct way to plant a loquat. Loquat fruits (Eriobotrya japonica) are subtropical trees that are native to Southeast Asia....

Read on for a small sampling of the many different types of magnolia trees and shrubs. Evergreen Magnolia Tree Varieties Southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) – Also known as Bull Bay, southern magnolia displays shiny foliage and fragrant, pure white blooms that turn creamy white as the flowers mature. This large multi-trunked tree can reach heights of up to 80 feet (24 m.). Sweet Bay (Magnolia virginiana) – Produces fragrant, creamy white blooms throughout late spring and summer, accentuated by contrasting bright green leaves with white undersides....

Mandevilla or Dipladenia Dipladenia is in the Mandevilla family but has a decidedly different growth pattern. Mandevilla vines climb up vertical structures to seek the canopy light. Dipladenia is a bushier plant whose stems grow down and hang. The two plants have similar brightly colored flowers, but mandevilla has a larger flower typically in red. Both plants need the same bright light and dipladenia care is the same as that for the mandevilla vine....

Harvesting Marjoram Herbs You can start harvesting marjoram herbs when the plant is about 4 inches (10 cm.) tall. This should be before the flowers start to form, when the leaves are at their best. Just pick the leaves as needed and use them fresh. You can brew them into tea, extract their oils for salves, or put them into your food just before you finish cooking to impart a pleasant, mild flavor....

Mexican Honeysuckle in Gardens Though not related to other “honeysuckle” plants, it is quite easy to see how the visual similarities among Mexican honeysuckle might explain its namesake. Boasting beautiful orange to reddish flowers, Mexican honeysuckle bush will thrive in gardens located in USDA growing zone 9-11. While the plant may behave as a perennial in some climates, warmer regions will see growth patterns similar to that of evergreen shrubs. Unfortunately, for those without frost free climates, the plants will not survive frost or cold temperatures....

About Sowing Seeds in a Milk Jug Sure, you can recycle plastic milk jugs, but a better use for them is to repurpose them for milk jug winter sowing. This is a low-maintenance way to start seeds earlier than you thought possible. The sealed jug acts as a greenhouse that allows the seeds to germinate several weeks ahead of direct sowing. The plants are sown in their mini greenhouse outside, eliminating the need to harden seedlings off....

Morning Glory Problems Problems with morning glories can vary but may include environmental issues and fungal diseases of morning glory. Environmental problems with morning glories When the leaves of a morning glory turn yellow, it is usually a sign that something is not right with your plant. Insufficient sunlight can be a cause of yellowing leaves, as morning glories require full sun to flourish. To remedy this, you can transplant your morning glory to a sunnier spot in the garden or trim any plants that are blocking the sun....

Birch Syrup Taste Birches are hardwood trees commonly found in northern hardwood and boreal forests in areas of the northern hemisphere. The trees are tapped during the birch sap harvest, and then the sap is boiled to concentrate and caramelize the sugars. The result is delicious, albeit much different from maple syrup. So how does birch syrup taste? The taste of birch syrup is described variously as reminiscent of raspberries, tart cherries, apple butter and molasses or as a combination of balsamic vinegar and molasses with a fruity nuance....

What is a Mugo Pine? Mugo pine (Pinus mugo) is a carefree evergreen that can take the place of overused landscape ground cover plants such as junipers. Short, shrubby varieties are neat in appearance with branches that grow to within inches of the soil. It has a naturally spreading habit and tolerates light shearing. In spring, new growth shoots almost straight up at the tips of the horizontal stems to form “candles....

Choosing Mulch for Windy Areas Mulch comes in many different varieties. The basic division is between organic and inorganic mulches. Organic mulch, like compost, decomposes into and improves the soil. Inorganic mulch, like pebbles or rock, doesn’t ever decompose. Ideally, a mulch has many good qualities. It’s great to use a mulch that won’t compact easily, allows water and air to enter the soil, won’t catch on fire, and decomposes slowly....

About Dracaena Leaf Drop The leaves of the dracaena are magnificent, long, thin and green as palm foliage, with some types like the striking Madagascar dragon tree (Dracaena marginata), edged in bright pink. These Common houseplants are also spiky and can scratch you if you aren’t careful. If your dracaena plant starts dropping leaves, you may be alarmed. But some dracaena leaf drop is completely natural. Like other plants, the dracaena drops older leaves as it matures....

Symptoms of Gardenia Cold Damage It is hard to resist the shiny, lustrous leaves and starry scented flowers of a gardenia. Even when you know better, sometimes the intrepid gardener will purchase one even if they are living in a borderline zone. That said, gardenia planted in the appropriate hardiness zones may also experience surprise weather and winters of unusual ferocity. Gardenia cold damage occurs even when there is no snow on the ground....

My Squash is Bitter Tasting Actually, a bitter squash taste is a common problem found in zucchini as well as in cucumber. Both of these veggies are members of the Cucurbit family along with gourds, melons, pumpkins and other types of squash. Cucurbits contain a group of chemicals called cucubitacins. It is these cucurbitacins that are responsible for squash that is bitter tasting. The higher the levels of cucubitacin, the more bitter the squash will taste....

About Recycled Newspaper Pots Seed starter pots from newspaper are simple to make, plus starting seeds in newspaper is an environmentally friendly use of the material, as the paper will decompose when the seedlings in newspaper are transplanted. Recycled newspaper pots are fairly simple to make. They can be made in square shapes by cutting the newspaper to size and folding the corners in, or in a round shape by either wrapping cut newsprint around an aluminum can or folding....

How to Create an Outer Space Garden Theme When creating an outer space garden, there are two main directions you can go. One is to pick plants whose names are sci-fi and outer space related. The other is to choose plants that look like they belong on an alien planet. If you have enough room, of course, you can do both. It’s actually remarkably easy to find plants with good names that will fit right into this theme....