Category: Tropical Style

My Transplanted Holly Tree Has Brown Leaves

Holly (Ilex spp.) Thrives in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 through 11, depending on species, and is a favored hedge, accent or display plant for landscapes. That beautiful holly you selected from the nursery may quickly adhere to transplant shock or some other number of fungal diseases. Discolored, brownish leaves are a frequent symptom of both.

Water Problems

The root of transplant shock could be numerous factors, but finding out exactly what it is will allow you to bring your holly back from the edge of death. Too much water may lead to brownish leaves, along with your holly may have a moist, weeping look. Too little water, on the other hand, will turn your leaves dry and brown. In some instances, too much water is the result of an improper planting hole; the water escapes also stays around the holly, which may lead to over-watering symptoms. This will also lead to root rots and other problems.

Root Problems

Improper management of the root ball in planting time may also lead to transplant shock. Container-grown hollies need their origins, loosened and relieved of just as much soil as possible before planting. Failure to do any of them can bring about the roots not being able to move in the soil or develop. The roots are responsible for taking up water and nutrients to the rest of the plant; the leaves are frequently the very first part of the plant to show symptoms.

Fungal Diseases

Common fungal diseases of holly that lead to brownish leaves or brownish spots on leaves include different species of Phytophthora, Cylindrocladium, Anthracnose and Rhizoctonia. Even though the symptoms of the disorders, for instance, brownish or browning leaves, are unsightly, holly is rarely severely damaged from fungal diseases. Holly frequently experiences breakouts of the fungal diseases in the nursery during prolonged wet, humid or muddy weather.

Management and Treatment

Treating transplant shock depends upon knowing which variable of the planting process created the damage. Should you think improper watering is the issue, adjust the watering schedule as needed. Should you guess that the transplant shock is caused by root damage or the planting hole, then replanting the holly in a proper place and hole may reverse the symptoms. For fungal diseases, choose a ready-to-spray fungicide and implement every 10 to 14 days as needed, or according to the product’s label as some fungicides may call for different program programs.

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Shrubs With Purple Berries

Berry-producing shrubs offer colour and texture to a home landscape. Purple-berried shrubs are not as common as the favorite red berry, however there are a number of choices that work well either as a border or solitude shrub. Determine your wants, sunlight amount and dirt conditions before choosing the best purple berries for the planned planting area.

Beautyberry

Purple Beautyberry (Callicarpa dichotoma) is a deciduous shrub growing in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 through 8. The shrub produces light pink flowers in the summer that flip to lilac-colored rows of berries that standout against the light green foliage in early autumn. Purple beautyberry grows to a height up to 6 feet tall with a branch spread of 6 feet. The branches have an arching or drooping appearance which makes the shrub an elegant addition to the landscape. Beautyberry prefers full sunlight and is attractive to birds.

David Viburnum

David viburnum (V. davidii) is a kind of viburnum that produces a berry with a tinge of purple. The ornamental shrub grows best in USDA zones 7 through 9, maintaining a little dome shape with a mature height up to five feet. Metallic blue-purple berries appear on the tree following the tiny white flowers fade. David viburnum prefers a partially shaded growing location with moist, well-draining dirt.

Leatherlead Viburnum

Leatherleaf viburnum (V. rhytidophyllum) rises in USDA zones 6 through 9 and has slightly different attributes than David viburnum. The clusters of crimson fruit turn to a black-purple shade as the strawberries era through the growing season. Leatherleaf viburnum includes a mature height up to 15 feet and then spread up to 12 feet. The distinctive foliage is dark green with a soft fuzz on the undersides. Leatherleaf viburnum tolerates moderately shaded growing areas and prefers a rich soil that is moist and acidic.

Western Serviceberry

Western serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia) is a deciduous shrub from the rose family which reaches a height up to 12 feet and takes on a tree shape when left to develop naturally. The shrub produces 1-inch-long clusters of creamy purple-blue berries which may be used for jams and jellies. The vegetables and flowers are attractive to birds and mammals. Western serviceberry also goes by the title Saskatoon and can be found growing in USDA zones 3 through 8. The shrub prefers full sunlight, but is tolerant of light shade. Pick a moist, rich soil for best growth and berry production.

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Weeping Cherry Tree Burned by Summer Heat

Weeping cherries (Prunus subhirtella “Pendula”), together with their lovely drooping boughs and oodles of springtime blossoms are a precious, shade-giving addition to any lawn. While they grow in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5a through 8b, like many trees, the weeping cherry is susceptible to burning in the heat of the summer. If you would like to shield your tree, it’s important to comprehend the causes and symptoms of burn and treatments and prevention.

Factors

Summer heat can burn a weeping cheery tree for many reasons. Too little water can weaken the tree’s normal vitality and make it susceptible to trunk, limb and leaf glowsoff. Heat canker — that will be extensive tissue damage, not a disorder — is another reason of burn, that happens when late-planted trees produce insufficient ability to protect themselves from sunlight near the base of their sensitive trunks. Infrequently, unseasonably hot weather will tax a tree past the way it can protect itself.

Symptoms

Weeping cherry burn symptoms also vary. With heat canker, the tree will develop a brown, dead-looking area near the delicate soil line of the back. Scorching from bleeding or dehydration may create discolored patches on the bark, or can lead to leaves that turn yellow-brown or appear withered on the exterior. In rare cases, the tree’s leaves can drop off entirely, leaving it bare at the height of summer, though not dead.

Treatment

Unfortunately, super-hot weather is past your ability to repair. If you can, safeguard young weeping cherry trees with shade cloth. You can treat heat canker comparatively by simply ringing the tree with sod a foot or so up the back to cool and shield it from sunlight. Dehydration issues are also solved by simply making sure a tree contains an adequate source of water, and gets extra until its burn symptoms disappear.

Prevention

Preventing burn in the first place may be your very best bet. Plant new weeping cherry trees once the days are still cool to allow roots to acclimatize and cause it to be more prepared to take care of moisture loss. You should also be careful to maintain pesticides and treatments from the tree when warm weather threatens, since the combination of chemicals and sunlight can be dangerous.

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How to Wrap Black Plastic About Fruit Trees in the Winter

On warmer winter days, fluids began to move inside your trees; when the sun sets and colder temperatures return, trees are often damaged. Known as “sunscald,” the abrupt drop can cause holes and cracks in the bark. However, a little plastic and planning can protect your trees from harm.

Ample and unroll the plastic wrapping. One side should be light or white colored, and another black.

Begin at the bottom of the tree. Hold one end of the wrap from your back. The light side should be facing, the dark side facing in. Begin wrapping the plastic around the tree back in a circular motion.

Overlap the plastic, winding it around the back while moving upward. Multiple layers aren’t needed, but you don’t wish to leave any gaps between the plastic in which the bark is exposed.

Take the wrap all the way to the very first key limb to make sure the whole trunk is shielded. It can be extended further on younger trees using slimmer trunks.

Pull the wrap cozy. Use the scissors to cut off any excess plastic which isn’t needed.

Staple the cut end to the wrap itself, taking care not to push some staples to the tree. You might want to loosen the wrap marginally at the top to create a small bulge of vinyl wrap which can be stapled to the finish.

Remove the tree wrap after one year. If the wrapping is left on longer, especially during the warmer summer months, then it may encourage disease and insects to take up home from the exceedingly protected bark. It may also constrict the tree healthy growth.

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Tomato Plant Growing Guide

Tomatoes grow well in most gardens as long as they get at least three months of warm weather and sunshine. Planting the tomatoes in the ideal place in good soil and providing suitable care through summer increases your yield of fruits that are ripe. Although tomatoes come in many varieties, all of them require similar care to grow nicely.

Site Planning

Tomatoes require at least six hours of direct sunlight every day and temperatures above 65 degrees Fahrenheit to grow and fruit nicely. Amending the planting site with a 2-inch layer of compost, dug into the top 6 inches of soil, improves soil quality and supplies some nutrients. Apply a balanced fertilizer, such as 1 pound of a 10-10-10 mixture per 25 square feet, before planting, and work it into the dirt with the compost.

Planting

Started seedlings, whether you purchase them or begin them yourself, give a head start for strawberries because they demand a long season to produce. Start seeds indoors approximately eight weeks before the last frost date in your region. Transplant seedlings 1 to 2 inches deep in the backyard than they have been growing in their seedling pots. Space the plants with 30 inches of distance in all directions.

Support

Install stakes or tomato cages at planting time to give support since the strawberries grow. Caged plants require minimum care for support, while staked plants need the principal stem tied to the stake at 8-inch periods as the plants grow. Pinch off the suckers, or small sprouts, that grow at the junction between lateral stems and also the main stem therefore staked plants do not develop multiple principal stems. Normally, determinate tomato varieties grow well with cages, while taller, indeterminate types require staking.

Water Needs

A thick 2- to 3-inch layer of straw mulch keeps down weeds and also conserves soil moisture to minimize watering. Water mulched plants one or two times a week to ensure the top 6 inches of soil remains moist. Rumors need about 1 inch of water at each watering, even though they may require less during rainy periods. Avoid wetting the foliage when watering the plants.

Fertilizer

The first fertilizer provides for the tomato plant’s needs until it starts to flower and set fruit. Apply a side of a nitrogen-rich fluid as fruit begins to form, like 1 pound of a 10-5-5 mixture per 25 square feet. Work the fertilizer into the soil about 8 inches away from the base of the plants then water thoroughly so the nutrients soak into the soil around the roots.

Problems

Tomatoes are prone to a variety of pests and diseases. Proper spacing and avoiding getting the leaves wet when mowing reduces the chances of the majority of fungal leaf issues. Planting disease-resistant varieties, which can be labeled on the plant tag or seed package, prevents most lethal viral and bacterial diseases. Inspect crops weekly for pest issues, like aphids, mites and tomato hornworms. Treat pests promptly with an insecticidal soap, or by removing the pests by hand.

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What's going to do away with Hedge Bushes in Yards?

Hedges can add privacy and attractiveness to the lawn, but eventually these bushes may need to be removed. The species may clash with the rest of the garden, or the hedge may have acute disease or insect infestations. The plants may be nearing the end of the lifespan, or are only taking up too much space. Whatever the reason, eliminating unwelcome hedge bushes is frequently a multistep procedure.

Foliar Herbicide Sprays

If the hedge bushes remain alive and you don’t want to transplant them or give them away, killing the bushes makes dispose of them easier. Bushes around 15 feet tall may be treated with a foliar herbicide spray which contains glyphosate, glyphosate together with imazapyr or triclopyr, triclopyr or 2,4-D. Leaves absorb the herbicides and spread it to the roots. The procedure can take a couple of weeks. Foliar sprays shouldn’t be used on windy days, to avoid injuring desirable vegetation nearby. Herbicides have various times of year and temperature conditions for optimum results. That information and special spraying directions are on the product tag.

Other Herbicides

Large shrubs may require a direct application of systemic herbicide like dirt application so that the roots will circulate the toxin. If the bush has thick stems, you can cut notches in the stems to enhance the absorption of herbicide. The cut component should be left attached, a procedure called frilling, as well as the herbicide should be applied immediately. A machete or ax could possibly be used to hack arbitrary notches in the stems and herbicide sprayed to the notches. Herbicides containing 2,4-D, triclopyr or picloram are effective.

Reducing and Digging

Once dead, the bush can be cut down to about 1 foot above ground level. Watering the soil around the root system makes digging the bush up easier. A trench dug around the outer region of the plant’s origins and angled toward the middle is the first measure. A sharp scoop, ax or saw may be used to lower the roots in the trench. Next, the main root ball should be freed by cutting toward and below it, severing the major roots.

Pulling

Once the root ball is freed, smaller shrubs may be pulled from the ground by hand. For larger shrubs, you may think attaching a chain to the stump and pulling it with a car or using a cable and hand-operated cable puller, sometimes known as a come-along. Forcing the stump from the ground should be done gradually and carefully for safety reasons.

Grinding

If you don’t need to go to the trouble of digging and pulling the stumps of this hedge bushes from the ground, then you can use a stump grinder to whittle the stump down. Stump grinders are usually available at equipment rental shops if you do not own one. Follow directions carefully and wear safety goggles and heavy gloves to avoid injury. The chips and splinters produced by grinding can be used as mulch in the garden if the hedge bush was healthful. A layer of dirt can be shoveled over the earth stump to level the region.

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How to Root an Ananas (Pineapple) Plant

And you believed the pina colada has been the most fun you could have with a pineapple. It is even more rewarding to grow your ananas shrub (Ananas comosus), more commonly referred to as a pineapple plant, by rooting the crown of this fruit. The new plant can finally produce pineapples in the backyard at U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 9 through 11. Do not anticipate pineapples until at least two or three years following the plants roots, but lush foliage will grow rapidly to about 4 feet high and 6 ft wide.

Grasp the pineapple firmly with one hand. Twist the pineapple crown using the other. Keep twisting until the crown comes from the fruit. Use scissors to clip off the lower level leaves.

Dry the crown for two full days in a trendy site. Plant the cut end in a sunny, wind-protected flower bed if it’s summer, in a container at different seasons. Fill the container or bed using sandy, well-draining soil. Plant the bottom 2 inches of the pineapple crown at the soil. If you’ve got more than one plant, space them at least a foot apart. Mulch outdoor plants with 2 to 3 inches of redwood compost or using a layer of black plastic sheeting.

Water that the pineapple plant adequately to keep the soil moist. Pineapples tolerate drought but prefer routine irrigation. Pour the water to the vase-like very top of this crown. You may understand when the plant roots by the new growth that appears from the overhead.

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Scab Fungus at a Page Orange Tree

The Page orange (Citrus × tangelo) is a hybrid citrus that is a cross between a Clementine mandarin tangerine and a Minneola tangelo, a grapefruit-tangerine hybrid. Released in 1963, the tree is famous because of its small, sweet fruits, which ripen early in the season. Unfortunately, the Page orange is susceptible to citrus scab, a fungal disease that wreak havoc on young fruits and leaves. Preventative fungicide sprays can keep the disease at bay.

Symptoms

Citrus scab is first recognizable as elevated, orange dots on tender young leaves leaves. The dots finally become wartlike growths that are covered using a scabby tissue that is often grayish. The leaves become twisted, twisted and stunted, and might flip yellowish-green or yellowish. Scabs on fruit appear a few days after initial symptoms on leaves. New scabs are mild cream or pale yellow, darkening with time into a rotting green or dark grey color.

Scab Disease Cycle

Citrus scab is spread by spores, which spread to foliage and fruits through irrigation or rain water. The fruits and leaves have to be moist for three to four hours for the infection to take hold. Only young fruits and leaves are susceptible. Leaves are at risk until they’re a few days old, while vegetables are at risk for their initial two months of growth. According to the University of Florida IFAS Extension, the spores are most inclined to take grip of wet weather when temperatures are between 75 and 82 degrees Fahrenheit.

Scab Management

Routine applications of fungicide will help control the disease, especially if the disease continues from season to date. Choose a fungicide such as neem oil and then spray on the tree thoroughly, following the instructions on the label, prior to the tree flowers in the spring and when the flowers drop. Spray a third time since fruits are developing. Don’t spray when you’re expecting rain, since it will simply be washed away.

Scab Prevention

You can help avoid citrus scab by occasionally pruning the tree to allow better air circulation, which will dry the leaves faster and allow a preventive fungicide to cover more area, and by taking extra care not to get the leaves or fruit of the tree moist as you water. Pull away all tall weeds in the tree, as they can donate to the humid conditions that fungal diseases adore. If you can, move the tree to an area with more sunlight.

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How to Prune & Eliminate Shrub Thorns

Thorns primarily serve as a plant self-defense mechanism against predators, even though they contain vascular tissue that transports fluids and nutrients. Although a lot of plants grow thorns, notably those producing fruit, like gooseberries, barberries and quince, rose bushes are omnipresent with the prickly protrusions. Thorny shrubs work well when used as solitude hedging and natural landscape obstacles, for they discourage animals from entering the enclosed area. Late spring and early winter is the perfect time for pruning most varieties.

Inspect the shrub and identify all branches or canes that protrude over walkways and regions of foot traffic. Prune these branches straight away from the walkway, using bypass hand shears that were sterilized with bleach, to avoid injury or disturbance to passers-by.

Look over the shrub for biting or tangled branches or canes. Explain the weakest, most brittle thorny branches of this band and prune them into the branch collar.

Trim spindly canes to half their length or between 2 and 3 feet, making the cut 1/4-inch above a wholesome bud.

Open the thorny shrub by thinning the earliest branches together with the opposite hand shears or, if bigger than a few inches, a handsaw. Cut the branches into the branch collar. If trimming a vertical-growing branch, cut 2 to 3 inches from bottom level. Thinning the shrub out allows sunlight to reach regions typically blocked from sunlight by the plant branches, enhances aeration and promotes new growth.

Go above the shrub visually to find any branches or canes affected by insects or disease. Cut all affected branches and canes till you achieve healthy tissue. If necessary, eliminate entirely by cutting into the root collar.

Add branches to your compost pile after pruning as an ecologically friendly, self-sustainable way of disposable. You could also add them into other yard waste and set them in your green bin for pick up from the municipality’s waste support, when available.

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The way to Mow Tall Thick Grass

An overgrown yard looks unattractive and can’t grow well. The very long, thick grass blades prevent sunlight, moisture and nutrients from getting to the base of the grass blades and into the soil where they benefit the lawn best. Even though the best height for yard grass depends on the amount, most types grow well when kept at a 3-inch height. An overgrown yard requires several mowings to bring it back to a healthy height, otherwise the grass might suffer from over trimming at once.

Measure the height of the grass and decide just how much to cut to eliminate one-third of its existing height. For example, 6-inch-tall grass should have no more than 2 inches removed through the initial mowing, since removing over one-third of the blade length at one time might damage the lawn.

Adjust the height of your lawnmower so it only removes the top one-third of the blade.

Mow the lawn once the grass blades are dry. Mow in one direction, in horizontal, vertical or diagonal lines throughout the lawn.

Cut the grass a second time three days later, after the cut edges of the grass have had time to heal. Adjust the lawnmower into the proper cutting height for the current height of the grass blades so no more than one-third of the blade is removed as well as the height of the grass is no lower than 3 inches after mowing. Mow in the contrary direction of the previous cutting; should you mowed horizontally formerly, mow vertically this moment.

Mow every few days, lowering the mower blade as necessary, until the grass is at the suitable 3-inch height. Once the grass is at the proper height, mow the lawn once the grass grows into your 4- into 5-inch height, or approximately once weekly, so it will not become overgrown again.

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