What Is Sumac

In our enthusiastic haste to get out into the garden as spring approaches, we sometimes forget the hidden hazards lurking about our property. They often blend in with the surrounding foliage and it only takes one brief contact for them to do their damage.n...

Use the product strictly according to the directions on the label, and keep in mind that glyphosate is non-selective and will kill any plant it touches.Alternatively, you can cut the plants to a height of about 6 inches, then apply glyphosate to the cut...

The leathery, green leaves have a pink tint when young and a maroon tint after the first frost. Plant staghorn sumac trees in the margins of swamps, streams or woodlands.The evergreen sumac (Rhus virens)--also called the tobacco sumac--can be trained...

According to the University of Arizona, African sumac trees are evergreen trees that came to the United States from South Africa. Also, suckers make the tree look extremely untidy and can cause them to look uneven.

Poison sumac is rare and grows in moist woodland areas or near streams. Use carefully controlled burns to destroy the top growth. Sumac grows prolifically in many parts of the U.S. Staghorn and smooth sumac may be seen in landscapes, but are also found...

To control the spread of sumacs, many trees are pruned down to the ground. If left to nature's devices, these trees would grow quite shrubby and overgrown. Sumac trees (Rhus spp.) require annual pruning to control their size and shape.

It is similar in appearance to), which grows in USDA zones 4 to 8. Check the stump periodically for new growth and if you see any, reapply the herbicide.Never burn poison sumac, because the smoke can be extremely irritating to the lungs.

If not, what is it you don't like and what do you need to change? —Maya Angelou We don't always achieve the highest stature in society. But just because it's hard or your experience a setback, it doesn't mean you're a failure.

Do you ever take a step back from the hustle and bustle of the summer growing season and ask yourself, “How the heck did I get here?” Sometimes we can get so wrapped up in our to-do lists that we completely lose sight of the path that brought us to...

The larger the woody base material, the more self-sustaining you can expect the beds to be over time. Sheet composting. Strategically placed huegels can soak up and hold excess water to good advantage, but you shouldn't position them so that they create...

(As did the giant pot of chili I made Monday night; my mother always said there was no better food in winter than a steaming bowl of soup.) Lo and behold, the polar vortex eventually gave way to “normal” January temperatures across the country—Lexington...

One of the complementary therapies our mom uses is homeopathy. Ask Martok! Do you have a livestock or wildlife question you want me to answer? Now that you know what homeopathy is all about, come back next week so I can show you how we use homeopathic...

Winterberry (Ilex verticillata), also known as winterholly, brightens winter landscape with brilliant berries. If pets have access to garden areas where winterberry is grown, consider removing branches that put fruit at their mouth level.

Keep your eyes on hatchery catalogs, and before you know it, you'll be raising those Lakenvelders you always dreamed of. Ever since I started working for Hobby Farms , my daydream tangents have frequently started turning to what chicken breeds I'd like...

New To You, But Not So New It turns out that ashitaba isn't all that “new” to America. It contains a high amount of vitamin B12, which we do not typically find in land plants. He told me that he has always been drawn to the angelicas.

They often can point you to a entomological expert who may be able to look at a photo or examine a captured specimen to help you determine what insect you're dealing with and offer potential treatment strategies for pest species.

Soil that is ready for planting is easy to dig and yields to your shovel. Keep reading to find out how to tell if ground is frozen or not.Although it may seem as if spring has arrived, it's important tofor readiness before working your soil or planting...

Damping off can be alarming to a gardener trying to grow seeds and can leave them asking, “What is damping off?” and “What does damping off look like?” Learning how to prevent the conditions of damping off will help keep your seedling happy and...

Many of the cities and townships do the composting themselves, while others sell it to commercial operators who compost the waste and resell it. Make a bin using recycled pallets and poultry netting (chicken wire).

I assume that includes packaged lunchmeats and not just turkey on the platter. Also note that the brine may make pan drippings too salty for gravy.To roast: Remove the bird from the brine, rinse and drain well.

Our kids were happy to have lots of chocolates and candies to eat, but we weren't as happy about the other leftover products, one of which the laurel dry leaves bags. Since the business didn't work, I closed the store and got myself a pantry full of groceries.

Three stalked plants are given for luck, five stalks are said to represent wishes of wealth and seven stalks are thought to bring and keep good health. The leaves often have silver or white strips through the center.

Almost every time a species has been wiped out in large numbers, it grew in exclusive stands, such as the American chestnut tree (Castanea dentata, U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 through 8), largely eliminated by a host-specific...

This cycle was repeated indefinitely. Fields supported by chemical fertilizers were left in constant production, but soil health suffered. In the first field, a farmer sowed annual grains such as barley (Hordeum vulgare) or wheat (Triticum aestivum).

Okoume is the wood of the Okoume tree (Aucoumea klaineana), a species native to west-central Africa, in particular Gabon, Equatorial Guinea and the Republic of Congo. Okoume lumber has little resistance to insect and fungal attack.Okoume accepts stain...

You might have read about our new chickens in a previous post. I haven't picked our monster pumpkin yet but it is completely colored up now and will look lovely on our front porch.

I didn't like a wide variety of foods, from cottage cheese and pickles to cantaloupe and basically every vegetable under the sun. Maybe you'll even discover a brand-new appreciation for your agricultural endeavors, similar to my fostered love of mustards...