Capillary Action

Capillary action – The tendency of water or any other liquid to seek out the smallest possible space and to work its way up through small openings such as the spaces in a sponge or in soil.

Related Articles

Question: Why does one of my groups of daffodils bloom two weeks ahead of another planting of the same variety in another part of the grounds? Answer: It is probably sunlight and good drainage that make the difference. Clumps of one variety in our foundation planting, with full sun and perfect drainage, usually bloom about [...]

Bud – The portion of a plant from which a shoot, cluster of leaves or a flower develops.

Question: Is it true that cutting off the foliage of my daffodils while still green will prevent their blooming next spring? Answer: Yes. If your bulbs are big and husky, a few may bloom despite this tough treatment; but if they are only average, you will get hardly any bloom if the foliage is removed [...]

I plant Mirabilis jalapa (Marvel of Peru or the old-fashioned Four O’Clock) around my vegetable garden as a border, spacing the seeds closer than usual. By the middle of July, I have a lovely flowering hedge that sometimes lasts until frost. It gets to be about 2 feet high and about as wide and is [...]

Bright light – The intensity within three feet of a south, west or east-facing window. Bright light should be filtered or indirect, though. Don’t confuse it with full sunshine, which can burn leaves of most houseplants.

Question: I plan to air layer several climbing roses this month. When should I remove the rooted branches? Answer: Any time after a good root system has formed you can remove the layered branches. If you use a transparent plastic for wrapping, you will be able to see the roots and will know when a [...]

Artificial light – Certain wavelengths from fluorescent tubes and incandescent bulbs can supplement or entirely substitute for natural sunlight. Check grow-lights, natural light.

Question: Although I feed and water my azaleas well, they do not grow. They get plenty of shade from large shrubs that grow just behind them. Answer: The trouble, no doubt, is caused by the roots of the neighboring shrubs, which use most of the food and moisture available in the soil, leaving little for [...]

Although it looks delicate and has a feathery, light appearance, the Everblooming Fringed Bleeding Heart (Dicentra eximia) is one of the sturdiest plants I know. This plant is closely related to Dicentra spectabilis which has arching sprays of pink heart-shaped blossoms that have made spring gardens lovely ever since a specimen was sent to the [...]