Archives for July 2011

Mist System Propagation – Decades Of Roots

You may be able to make that green thumb of yours even greener by rooting many of your cuttings under a propagation system called a “mist system”. In this system. cuttings are simply bathed in a fine mist of water – in full sunlight or very bright light – for the entire rooting period. The […]

Sowing Home Greenhouse Seeds Brings Winter Blooms

You have your planting seasons all mixed up,” a friend of mine told me. “It’s much too late to sow annuals now. Winter will be here before they have a chance!” What my friend didn’t realize is that we who grow plant and garden under glass do not follow the same planting schedules as outdoor […]

When Your House Plant Steps Outside

Don’t hide houseplant away, use them boldly as part of your garden scene.

July Pointers for Northern Gardeners

Question: What should we do with our beds of strawberries when they are finished, how can we get them ready for next year’s crop? Carla, Harrisburg, PA Answer: Carla, The planting season is far from over for the serious-minded vegetable gardener who wants to reap a harvest in fall and put away food for the […]

Summer Crab Grass Control And Bluegrass Lawns

Question: Every summer our bluegrass lawn gets “infested” with crab grass, what can we do to get some control of this weed pest? Katie, Dyersburg, Tennessee Answer: Katie, where crabgrass is present, watering should be avoided as long as possible. Frequent and light waterings are especially undesirable, since they do the permanent grasses little or […]

Southern Gardens In The July Landscape

Flowers of all kinds bloom in the South this month. Daylilies, in particular, add their radiant colors to the scene. They are hardy and easy to grow, thriving in the heat of summer. Many are truly evergreen and do not die down at the end of the season. The deciduous daylilies are also good and […]

July West Coast Garden Landscape

It’s important to consider the underground lives of plants you are thinking of adding to your garden. For unless the roots of a plant are comfortable in the new home you give them, not much of satisfaction will happen on top. There are plants with roots that live jarring lives with those of other plants, […]

Tatarian Honeysuckle – Invasive Landscape Bush

Of the some 175 different kinds of honeysuckles grown in the United States today, the tatarian honeysuckle, Lonicera tatarica, is one of the most valuable invasive as an ornamental. True, it does not have the very large flowers of some species, but it grows vigorously and is perfectly hardy in all sections of the United […]