Spindle Palm Houseplant Spindle palm trees are fairly common indoor plants. The tree is endemic to the Mascarene Islands near Madagascar where it thrives in dry, sandy soil. It is only hardy in United States Department of Agriculture zone 11, but it makes an excellent indoor tree and its growth is slow enough to make it perfect for a container. There are a few things to know about growing spindle palm inside, most importantly, the amount of water this pretty palm should receive....

How Long Do Apples Last? The length of time apples can be stored depends on a number of factors. First, it depends on when you picked them. If you have picked them when overripe, they tend to break down rapidly, reducing the amount of apple storage time. In order to determine when to harvest the apples, you need to look at their ground color. Ground color is the color of the apple’s skin, not including the portions that have become red....

Best Tropical Plants for Full Sun Locations Want to add a bit of the exotic in your summer garden? The following tropical plants prefer full sun to achieve their best size and performance. Full sun is defined as an area receiving at least six or more hours of direct sun each day. Bird of paradise (Strelitzia reginae) – Hardy in zones 9 to 11, the vivid orange and blue flowers on birds of paradise resemble birds in flight....

Do I Need Superphosphate? Increasing the blooms and fruit on your plants leads to higher yields. Whether you want more tomatoes, or bigger, more bountiful roses, superphosphate can be the key to success. Industry superphosphate information states the product is for increasing root development and to help plant sugars move around more efficiently for quicker ripening. Its more common use is in the promotion of larger flowers and more fruits. No matter what you need it for, it is important to know when to use superphosphate for best results and higher yields....

What is a Sweet Pea Bush? Unrelated to sweet pea garden flowers (Lathyrus odoratus), the sweet pea shrub (Polygalaspp.) gets its name from its similar-looking flowers. Sweet pea shrubs attract bees, butterflies, and birds, making them an excellent choice for wildlife gardens. It grows 2 to 3 feet (0.5 to 1 m.) tall and thrives in sun or shade. Native to South Africa and sensitive to frost, it survives winters only in U....

Swiss Chard Plant Family The “Swiss” descriptor was added to the chard name to differentiate it from French chardon. Chard has a milder flavor than spinach and very similar green leaves. The leaves are born on top of long stems that may range in color from white to bright red and many hues in between. Varieties of chard are all rich in Vitamin C and carry 100 percent of your Vitamin K needs....

What is Oak Wilt? Oak wilt is a serious disease of oak trees, caused by the fungal pathogen Ceratocystis fagacearum, which is believed to be native. It can be spread by boring beetles or through root-to-root contact between trees. The fungus grows in the transport tissues of infected trees, making it highly communicable between trees that are sharing connections in their root systems. Red and black oaks are considered highly susceptible to oak wilt and may die completely within four months of initial infection....

As winter marches toward spring, you may want to try making your own syrup. Read on for information on other trees you can tap for sap – and what to do with the sap when you get it. Tapping Trees for Sap Long before colonists set foot on this continent, Native Americans were tapping trees for sap. They learned that extracted maple sap could be transformed into a sweet syrup and passed this information on to the settlers....

What Botanical Gardens Do The origins of the botanical garden can be traced back to ancient China, but the more modern footprint of today’s botanical gardens dates to the Renaissance in the 1540’s. This era was a time ripe with horticultural study regarding the medicinal uses of plants. At that time, only doctors and botanists were interested in botanical gardens. Today, botanical garden activities draw thousands of visitors. So what are some things to do at botanical gardens?...

What is Root Rot? Root rot can have two sources — one is prolonged exposure to overwatered conditions that can cause some of the roots to die back due to a lack of oxygen. As they die, they can start to decay or rot away. The rot can then spread to healthier roots and kill them as well, even if the soil conditions are corrected. The other source can be a fungus in the soil....

Rotating Houseplants The process that causes a houseplant to lean toward light is called phototropism, and it doesn’t actually involve leaning at all. Every plant contains cells called auxins, and their growth rate determines the shape of the plant. Auxins on the side of the plant that receives full sun grow shorter and sturdier, while auxins that are on the shadier side of the plant grow longer and spindlier. This means one side of your plant grows taller than the other, making for that craning, bending effect....

About Bugs That Eat Bay Leaves Bay laurel is a remarkably adaptable temperate zone plant. It has few disease or pest issues and is easy to cultivate. There are few bugs that eat bay leaves, in part because of their intense foliar oil. Most pests on a bay tree will be boring or sap sucking, favoring the stems and woody parts of the plant. Some are easy to spot, while others almost require a microscope....

About Downy Mildew in Turnips Downy mildew in turnips is caused by a fungal infection. Turnips are far from the only plant affected though. The fungal disease also infects the following plants: Cabbage Broccoli Brussels sprout Kale Collards Cauliflower Kohlrabi Chinese cabbage Radish Mustard This fungus attacks plant foliage. Damage to mature turnips is limited to the leaves closest to the soil, but young seedlings can be killed by downy mildew....

About Tree Philodendron Houseplants It should be noted that the plant, until recently, was classified as Philodendron selloum, but is now reclassified as P. bipinnatifidum. This Brazilian native has a stem that appears as a woody trunk when the plant is older, hence the common name, and may reach 15 feet (4.5 m.) in height and 10 feet (3 m.) across in maturity. If you’re in warmer zones and able to leave your tree philodendron houseplants in the same spot year-round, by all means, repot and fertilize to increase its size....

Trimming Boston Ferns When it comes to pruning Boston fern plants, you should always look towards its leaves for inspiration. It is not uncommon for this plant to exhibit old, discolored fronds. These fronds may be yellow or brown. Older leaves often get shaded out by new growth. The plant may also have leafless runners dangling down from the plant. These are all good indications that trimming may be needed. Unsightly plants with erratic growth can always benefit from pruning to maintain an attractive shape as well....

What is Umbrella Sedge Weed? So then, exactly what is umbrella sedge and how do I recognize it in the landscape? The plant is attractive and related to the bulrushes and papyrus of Biblical Nile fame. Umbrella sedge is a tall grass, which can get up to 16 inches (40 cm.) in height and grows in clumps of plants. It has no recognizable leaves, but produces bracts at the top of the stem, which resemble umbrella spokes....

How to Grow Tomatoes Upside Down When planting tomatoes upside down, you will need either a large bucket, such as a 5-gallon (19 L.) bucket, or a specialty planter that is easy to find at your local hardware or department store. If you are using a bucket for growing tomatoes upside down, cut a hole about 3-4 inches (7.5-10 cm.) in diameter in the bottom of the bucket. Next, select the plants that will become your upside down tomatoes....

Pennsylvania Zones – Understanding Plant Hardiness One of the first things that any new gardener should do is find where he or she lives on the Pennsylvania USDA plant hardiness map. Click on the map above to enlarge it and find your plant hardiness zone. Plant hardiness, as defined by the USDA, refers to the hardiness of a particular species to tolerate average extreme winter low temperatures. Winter temperature data for the 2012 map was collected from thousands of weather stations all over the country over a period of thirty years....

How to Grow Paula Red Apples Paula Red apple growing is relatively straightforward as long as suitable pollinating partners are nearby. This apple variety is semi-sterile and will need a neighboring crabapple or other apple pollinizer like Pink Lady, Russet or Granny Smith. This medium sized red fruit is harvested quite early, mid-August to September, and is hardy to zones 4a-4b, from at least 86 to -4 F. (30 C. to -20 C....

What is Rock Phosphate? Rock phosphate, or phosphorite, is mined from clay deposits that contain phosphorus and is used to make organic phosphate fertilizers that many gardeners utilize. In the past, rock phosphate was used alone as a fertilizer, but due to a lack in supply, as well as low concentration, most applied fertilizer is processed. There are a number of types of rock phosphate fertilizer available on the market, some are liquid, and some are dry....