(10 C).Space the seeds for growing zinnia plants properly, usually several inches to a couple of feet apart, depending on the size of the mature plant. Start seeds four to six weeks before the last frost date in your area.
Keep reading to learn more about creeping zinnia ground cover plants.Use creeping zinnia in the garden if you have a sunny spot with well-drained soil that needs some color. Gardeners delight in easy to care for and beautiful ground covers that they can...
Even though these students progressed to the seventh grade, I found a few of them sneaking back into the sixth grade area to check on their flowers. Year after year it reseeds in the flowerbed out by the street where it is subjected to the hot, afternoon...
Do this in the morning if possible, and on a windy or sunny day, so that the exposed seedlings quickly wither. Have you ever had to battle with a weedy, jungle-like garden? Quell the Uprising The adage ‘one year's seeding makes seven years' weeding'...
When dug in, they are said to ‘rob' nitrogen from the soil as they rot down. These mulches may be free but their value to gardeners is inestimable! They help reduce the arduous tasks of weeding and watering in summer, protect your beds over winter,...
Drainage is never an issue, though I've noticed that some soil moves downhill along with rainwater. Natural stone is often free if you live in a mountainous area, and as long as you stack a low wall so that it tilts slightly backward, into the slope,...
The corn plants may not use up all the fertilizer applied to the row middles, so it's a cushy planting niche for heavy-feeding fall crops like collards and spinach. A small wire bin collects the mess, and gives me a place to put the remains of seed-bearing...
By removing ready-to-eat fruits, you'll divert all of the plant's energies into those that remain. What tricks do you use? Just keep picking and the others will surely follow! How to Ripen Squashes and Pumpkins Winter squashes and pumpkins naturally color...
It's harder for the trees to resist the disease in winter, so again summer pruning is the safer option. Silver Leaf Disease in Plum Trees Silver leaf disease can affect other fruits such as apples and cherries, as well as some other trees and shrubs,...
Once all of your chilies are threaded on, tie off the line to make a loop. Keep them whole or halved for dropping into spicy homemade curries, or pulverise them first – in the food processor or with the end of a weighty rolling pin (somewhat noisy but...
They'll all save you time while ensuring your plants stay in the best condition possible. Now lay the mulch so it's at least an inch (2cm) thick around your plants. Some can even be fitted to water barrels, so you can make the most of any rainwater you've...
You can also protect plants against light frosts by wrapping the container in layers of corrugated cardboard or bubble wrap. You should have no problems holding them back for an extra month or two provided conditions remain cool but frost-free.
Plums are notorious for over-producing – with often-disastrous results. But thinning further can help trees to stay in good shape and produce a more useful crop. Selectively removing young fruits is called thinning.
And if that's not enough, honeydew can attract diseases such as black sooty moulds on plants already weakened by the whiteflies' persistent sap sucking. Whitefly love the color yellow and will flock to the cards, only to get stuck and meet their end.
Top up mulches with new material. Or why not make your own liquid feed from fast-growing, nutrient-rich plants such as comfrey? Continue Feeding Plants Don't scrimp on feeding your crops.
Simply leave some areas of your garden unmanicured, or you can install a bug hotel . Improve the Garden Environment Many pest predators, such as hoverflies (syrphid flies) are also nectar lovers and pollinators, so grow battalions of flowers near –...
Summer cabbages are the first to be sown, in mid spring, followed by autumn and winter types later on in spring. Mark out drills about half an inch (1cm) deep and six inches (15cm) apart.
Here are a few ideas to help you make the most of your garden while the weather's still clement – or ways to improve it for next summer! Make an area for relaxing in the garden where you can enjoy the results of all your hard work! The Perfect Place...
Wonderful Watermelon Radishes The round radishes with red interiors called watermelon radishes have a more poetic name in their native home of China – shin ri mei , or “beauty in the heart.” These round radishes grow to 4 inches (10cm) in diameter,...
Simmer until thick (this should take anywhere from one to three hours) then decant into sterilized jars. To freeze, slice vegetables then blanch (boil) them for one to five minutes.
Napobrassica ) include swedes, winter turnips, yellow turnips, Swedish turnips, Russian turnips, Canadian turnips, and neeps. Plants Related to this Article Rutabaga Grow Guide Bugs, Beneficial Insects and Plant Diseases Flea Beetle Guide Aphids (General)...
Saving Onion & Leek Seeds Onions, leeks and shallots set seed in their second year. Saving Lettuce Seeds Lettuces produce literally thousands of seeds on each seed head. Especially suitable candidates include peas and beans, tomatoes, peppers and lettuce,...
Nevertheless, to please the young man who gave me the cosmos seed packet, I planted the seeds—by tossing them on top of the soil in the compost bin. After I go inside for the evening, I imagine other little creatures such asThe Cosmos bipinnatus was...
Seeds with an impermeable (waterproof) seed coat can benefit the most from nicking. This technique is also known as scarification.Which seeds need to be nicked? Nicking seeds before planting helps the seeds absorb water, which signals the plant embryo...
If they are still green and soft, they are not mature. If the seeds inside are mature, these critters may not have caused any damage. If the seeds are precious, you can take the trouble of growing the seedlings in auntil the weather is right for them...
Read on to learn more.. That is why crop rotation is important. While some of these may offer a nice surprise, at other times they can become a nuisance. Popular flowering plants that will come back year after year can include annuals, biennials and perennials.–...
