Month: January 2020

Tomatoes are an easy-to-grow plant for home gardeners and among the most widely grown home garden plants. While the plants grow easily, they require care and pruning to keep crops healthy and make a fantastic harvest. Tomatoes need staking to keep fruit off the floor and reduce fruit decay. Pruning can also be significant, as it helps create bigger fruit and slimmer, healthier plants also increases air flow, which reduces the danger of infection.

Choose a couple of main stems. When growing tomatoes with two main stems, choose the 2nd main stem from among the shoots that grow from the first or second leaf-stem axils, and remove all of shoots below it. Growing plants with a couple of main stems sends more nutrients to fruit instead of sending it to unwanted shoots.

Prune to remove any new suckers. Check weekly and remove any new side or lateral shoots while they’re still tiny. You can pinch off the limbs with your fingers if you remove them before they grow larger than 4 inches long; that also helps avoid plant injury. Pinch a sucker between your finger and thumb, bending it to one side until it breaks.

Top the plant in summer season. When the main shoots get to the surface of the service, cut off the tops of the main shoots. This directs plant energies to ripening fruit on the vine. Taking away the tops doesn’t hurt the plant because any new fruit group would not have time to ripen before the growing season ends.

Remove any yellow or wilting leaves as they develop. Yellow and wilting leaves are normal on tomato crops as they grow. Removing these leaves help reduce the danger of infection and maintain the plant looking fresh.

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Burning bushes (Euonymus alatus) are deciduous shrubs desirable for their brilliant fall color. The leaves turn vibrantly red in fall, giving rise to this plant’s nickname. Burning bushes are hardy shrubs and thrive in U.S. Department of Agriculture zones 4 to 8, according to Ohio State University. Use these showy plants as focal points on your lawn.

Center Stage

Many varieties of this plant exist, from dwarf forms to towering bushes that grow nearly as tall as trees. The smallest cultivar, alternately called “Odom” or “Small Palestinians,” attains a maximum height and width of approximately 3 feet. The species attains a maximum height and width of 20 feet. Burning bushes have pleasingly curved shapes, regardless of cultivar. This makes the plant an excellent choice for a centerpiece. Put it in the middle of the lawn for a burst of colour and to split up an otherwise boring expanse of green. Alternatively, center it on your lawn and surround it with brightly colored fall blooms such as mums, which will well set off the brilliant red fall foliage.

Potted Flames

Some burning bush cultivars produce excellent container plants. Try “Rudy Haag,” that takes about 15 years to grow to a typical maximum height of 3 feet. Put one of those bushes on either side of your front porch for an appealing but low-maintenance statement. Alternatively, anchor the corners of the deck with these potted beauties.

Understory Showoff

Burning bushes are exceptional understory plants. They thrive in the dappled shade offered by bigger deciduous trees. Most do well in partial shade, though in cooler climates, the plant colors will be more vibrant when exposed to full sunlight. Plant burning trees under spring-flowering trees such as ornamental pears or crab apples. In the fall, once the leaves have dropped in the tree, the burning bush will continue to light up that corner of the lawn with its brilliant fall foliage.

Colorful Hedge

Burning bushes are not thorny, but they’re very dense and will grow into a neat, compact hedge punctually. The small leaves are very appealing, and the hedge will need little maintenance since the plants have such a slow rate of growth. Plant several burning bushes about 1 foot apart to create a drop or a boundary.

Urban Jewel

Burning bushes are excellent plants that are urban. They tolerate a wide assortment of adverse environmental conditions, such as poor soil and pollution. If your landscape has a problem area, think about putting your burning bush in that area. They can tolerate almost anything apart from very wet soil.

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Adding plants to partly shaded spots in your yard will brighten the dark area and increase its attractiveness. When selecting plants for a partly shade area, consider the requirements of this landscape. As an instance, use ground covers beneath trees and evergreen shrubs to conceal unsightly areas.

Evergreen Shrubs

Evergreen shrubs are versatile plants you can use to conceal unsightly foundations, border walkways and act as a living fence. Several evergreen species grow well in areas where they will get little to no sunlight. North Star boxwood (Buxus sempervirens “Katerberg”) is a compact evergreen shrub growing in U.S. Department of Agricultural plant hardiness zones 5 through 9. This shade-loving plant attains 24 to 32 inches high and is resistant to deer. North Star boxwood is an easy-care plant also functions well as a border, hedge or base pant. “Picturata” aucuba (Aucuba japonica “Picturata”) grows in shaded areas in USDA zones 7 through 10. It grows between 4 and 6 feet tall, producing deep green foliage accented with golden yellow centers. This seacoast exposure evergreen has various landscaping applications like a specimen or — when planted in groups — border plant.

Ground Cover

Ground covers are low-growing plants using a spreading or creeping habit which engulf the area, covering the unattractive ground. Yellow archangel (Lamium galeobdolon) is a shade-loving repeated reaching 1 to 2 ft tall in USDA zones 4 through 9. Its green leaves are splashed with silver accents and little yellow flowers appear in after spring. Yellow archangel tolerates dry, shallow and rocky dirt and is resistant to deer and drought. Cymbalaria (Cymbalaria aequitriloba) grows to just about 2 inches tall in USDA zones 6 through 10. This compact mat-forming perennial has small dark green leaves and lilac blue flowers. Cymbalaria is a quick grower, tolerates foot traffic and functions well as a ground cover in dense shade but can also grow in partially shaded areas.

Entrances and Corners

Shrubs with a narrow kind will help soften the harsh lines of corners and will frame entries, drawing the eye to the front of your property. “Iowa” Chinese juniper (Juniperus chinensis “Iowa”) grows in partial shade to full sun in USDA zones 3 through 9 using a narrow, columnar shape. This evergreen shrub reaches 10 to 15 feet tall and tolerates moist dirt. “Iowa” produces grayish green foliage and ornamental silvery blue grapes. “Sky Pencil” Japanese holly (Ilex crenata “Sky Pencil”) is grows in partial shade to full sunlight in USDA zones 6 through 8. Its narrow shape gives it a pencil-like appearance because it grows 4 to 10 feet tall but just 1 to 3 feet broad. “Sky Pencil” has little, deep green leaves and small greenish white flowers. If these flowers are pollinated, purplish drupes using a berrylike appearance will appear once the blooms are spent.

Flowering Perennials

Flowering perennials offer color to partially shaded areas. “Do Tell” peony (Paeonia lactiflora “Do Tell”) is a 30- to 36-inch tall perennial producing big pink blossoms with a gentle fragrance and deep green foliage. It grows in partial shade to full sun in USDA zones 3 through 8 and attracts butterflies. This moderate grower functions well as a specimen plant or planted en masse to make a border. “Floating Hybrid Yellow” bush lily (Clivia miniata “Belgian Hybrid Yellow”) is a tropical perennial growing in areas with partial shade or full sun. In spring, clusters of yellow blooms appear on tall flower stems that protrude up from the broad, bladelike leaves. “Belgian Hybrid Yellow” grows in USDA zones 9 through 11 reaching 2 feet tall. It can grow alone or in group plantings. The blossoms of the “Do Tell” peony and “Belgian Hybrid Yellow” bush lily really are a lovely addition to cut floral arrangements.

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A lush, beautiful lawn looks like a dream come true until it’s time to mow. During the peak growing season, lawns sometimes need mowing as often as once a week, and the job is time consuming in the event that you have a huge yard. To mow less often, try planting slow-growing grasses, applying growth inhibitors, not fertilizing or installing artificial turf.

Slow Growers

Some grasses naturally develop more slowly than others, therefore replacing your current grass with these varieties may drastically reduces mowing frequency. Fescues, for example, need mowing just four times per year. Some species to attempt include hard fescue (*Festuca longifolia*), chewings fescue (*Festuca rubra var. commutata*) and creeping red fescue (*Festuca rubra var. Rubra*), all which thrive in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 2 through 7, but can be grown successfully in a Mediterranean climate. You might also consider replacing your grass using a green alternative which doesn’t grow as tall, like clover (*Trifolium repens*), that rises in USDA zones 3 through 10.

Growth Inhibitors

Plant growth regulators (PGRs) are available at almost any hardware store and may be used to chemically slow the growth speed of your grass up to 50 percent. Ideally, you should start looking for PGRs labeled as Type I, as these slow plant growth by retarding cell division and are absorbed easily through the plant’s leaves. Common substances in this class include mefluidide, chlorflurenol, and maleic hydrazide. Avoid using other Type I inhibitors which are actually herbicides and may do more harm than good or Type II inhibitors which require root absorption and work more slowly. Plant growth regulators can easily be sprayed onto your lawn, but take your time and be thorough when applying, as any grass you miss will not be impacted. Keep children and animals away from the grass immediately after spraying and never spray on windy days.

Withhold Affection

If you fuss over your lawn, stop. Watering and fertilizing both promote faster growth and more mowing. Let your grass grow at its own pace instead of encouraging it. In many parts of the country, grass will go dormant during the hottest part of the summer if left unwatered and will slow or stop its growth on its own without the compound intervention of PGRs. Even though a watered and fed lawn looks great, it requires more upkeep than you may be able or willing to supply.

Fake It

Unless you have a stringent homeowner association to contend with, there’s absolutely no reason that your grass has to be real. Artificial turf grasses are available in a wide array of green hues along with varying degrees of softness. Artificial turf looks much more realistic than it ever used to, so you really can have a gorgeous lawn that looks amazing and remains soft on your bare feet with no requirement to mow at all.

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