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Black Pepper Information Yes, growing black pepper is possible and here’s a little more black pepper information which will make it even more worthy beyond saving a couple of dollars. Peppercorns have a good reason for costing dearly; they have been traded between East and West for centuries, were known to the ancient Greeks and Romans, and served as currency in some European countries. This prized spice stimulates salivation and the production of gastric juices and is a revered food flavoring throughout the world....

Is Pickle Juice Good for Plants? In general, sun-loving plants prefer a neutral soil with a pH of 7. Shade-loving plants like the aforementioned hydrangeas and rhodies prefer a pH of 5.5. As previously stated, a soil test can help you determine if your soil is acidic enough for your acid loving plants. Yellowing leaves may also be a tell-tale sign of overly alkaline soil. So where did the idea of using leftover pickle juice for acid loving plants come from?...

What are Bulbils? So you may be wondering, what are bulbils? Simply put, bulbils are the offspring of their parent plant. Like seed, they will reproduce when given the appropriate conditions, making new plants. Since bulbils so readily propagate, learning how to grow plants from bulbils makes for easy propagation as most can be harvested once they’ve matured. Depending on the type of plant, bulbils may resemble small nodule-like buds in clusters or individual, either coming from the bottom of the plant moving up or aerial ones at the top of the plant....

Plants for A Southeast Pond Ideally, a plan for pondscaping in the South should include a variety of plants. Here are a few beautiful pondscape plants to consider. Duck potato (Sagittaria lancifolia): You may also know this plant as Katniss. Its unusual name is derived from the ducks that feed on its stems, seeds, and potato-like root structures. From spring until fall, duck potato displays bright white, orange centered flowers extending from its broad leaves....

Can You Grow Pumpkin in Containers? If you are dreaming of the great pumpkin, growing a pumpkin in a container may not achieve that goal. However, for those sweet little baking squash, container grown pumpkins will provide enough fruit for a holiday pie. A potted pumpkin vine is a chaotic, yet gorgeous way to decorate your patio. The first step to growing a pumpkin in a container is selecting the pot....

What are Floricanes and Primocanes? Blackberries and raspberries have roots and crowns that are perennial, but the life cycle of the canes is just two years. The first year in the cycle is when the primocanes grow. The following season there will be floricanes. The primocane growth is vegetative, while the floricane growth produces fruit and then dies back so the cycle can start again. Established caneberries have both types of growth every year....

Tree Branch Breaking Brittle tree branches break when faced with strong winds, heavy snowfall, or ice, and they sometimes break under their own weight. The best way to keep tree branches from breaking is to keep them strong and healthy. This means watching them closely for disease symptoms, pruning them while they are young to encourage strong structure, and watering them often enough to prevent drought stress. Some problems with trees are beyond the homeowner’s control....

Initial Steps for Potting Orchid Keikis Removing your keiki too early will significantly decrease its chances of survival. Before removing the keiki, make absolutely sure that the plantlet is old enough to be taken from its mother and that the root system is quite healthy. Success in potting orchid keikis requires that the keiki have at least three leaves and roots that are 2 to 3 inches long (5-8 cm.), ideally with root tips that are dark green....

Trimming a Cat’s Claw Vine If you live in a region that is very warm or even hot, cat’s claw vine is one to consider. It thrives in the hottest zones, USDA zones 9 through 12, and readily covers a metal fence or wall. This evergreen vine offers lush, dark green foliage and brilliant butter-colored blossoms. The flowers have lines of scarlet and orange in their throats. Pruning cat’s claw vines is an important part of caring for this plant....

How to Prune Morning Glory One of the most time consuming aspects of pruning morning glory vines is deadheading, or removing the spent flowers. When the flowers close in the afternoon, they will not open again and berries filled with seeds form in their place. Bringing the seeds to maturity drains a lot of energy from the vine and results in fewer flowers. Remove the spent flowers by squeezing them between your finger and thumbnail to keep the vines blooming freely....

What are Red Bartlett Pears? If you are familiar with the classic yellow-green Bartlett pears, you won’t have any trouble recognizing Red Bartlett pears. The Red Bartlett pear tree produces typical “pear-shaped” pears, with a rounded bottom, a definitive shoulder, and a small stem end. However, they are red. The Red Bartlett was discovered as a “bud sport” shoot that developed spontaneously on a yellow Bartlett tree in Washington in 1938....

About Amaryllis Plants Amaryllis is a perennial bulb but isn’t very hardy. It will grow outdoors as a perennial only in zones 8-10. In cooler climates, this pretty flower is generally grown as a houseplant, with a forced winter blooming. If you thought that one winter bloom was all you would get from your plant, though, consider repotting amaryllis to get many years of lovely flowers. When to Repot an Amaryllis Many people get an amaryllis in the winter, around the holidays, and sometimes as a gift....

Salvia Plant Types for the Garden Blooms of most salvia plants are long lasting and attract butterflies and pollinators, which are always good for the garden. Salvia plant types may be annual or perennial, most are rapid growers and tolerate summer heat with more graceful, spiky blooms. Many colors are available from different types of salvia and these include blues, purples, pinks, and reds as well as some whites and yellows....

About Sedum ‘Angelina’ Plants Sedum ‘Angelina’ cultivars are scientifically known as Sedum reflexum or Sedum rupestre. They are native to rocky, mountainous slopes in Europe and Asia, and are hardy in U.S. hardiness zones 3 to 11. Also commonly called Angelina stonecrop or Angelina stone orpine, Angelina sedum plants are low growing, spreading plants that only get about 3 to 6 inches (8-15 cm.) tall, but can spread up to 2 to 3 feet (61-91 cm....

About Vera Jameson Plants Sedum plants are succulents and belong to the same genus as jade plants and other popular succulents. They are easy-to-grow perennials that add an interesting texture and unique floral pattern to garden beds. Sedum plants grow in clumps to about 9 to 12 inches (23 to 30 cm.) tall and produce fleshy leaves. The flowers are small but grow in large clusters that are flattened across the top....

About Autumn Joy Sedum Plants Sedum Autumn Joy plants (Sedum x ‘Autumn Joy’) are not garden divas. They thrive in conditions that other plants might consider rude. Once established, they are drought tolerant, but they also flourish in rainy regions. The key is well-draining soil and plenty of sunshine. Provide these circumstances and your plant will not only bloom and grow quickly but can be separated to produce many more of these un-fussy beauties....

Hellebore Seed Propagation Beautiful hellebore plants (Helleborus spp) usually produce seeds in springtime. The seeds grow in seed pods that appear once the blossoms are spent, usually in late spring or early summer. You may be tempted to hold off on planting hellebore seeds until fall or even the following spring. However, this is a mistake, since a delay in planting can prevent hellebore seed propagation. Planting Hellebore Seeds To be sure you will be successful with seed grown hellebores, you need to get those seeds into the ground as quickly as possible....

Choosing Good Canning Tomato Varieties Tomatoes that can well will have lots of meat, limited juice, and, of course, lasting flavor for the best results. Consider, do you want to make sauce or put up the tomatoes whole? Perhaps chopped or sliced will work better. This is good to decide before you choose which tomatoes to grow. Another question you will need to answer at some point is whether you use a pressure cooker or just a hot water bath....

Cold Hardy Japanese Maples Here are some of the best zone 6 Japanese maples: Waterfall – A short tree at 6 to 8 feet (2 to 2.5 m.), this Japanese maple gets its name from the domed, cascading shape of its branches. Its delicate leaves are green through spring and summer but turn stunning shades of red and yellow in the fall. Mikawa Yatsubusa – A dwarf tree that reaches only 3 to 4 feet (1 m....

Determining Shade Density in Your Garden With the position of sunlight shifting every minute, it can be easy to underestimate the amount of light or shade that envelops a given area. Before you plan your shade garden, be sure to note how long the space you have in mind actually is shaded. A digital camera is a great way to record how much shade your garden will receive. Take several photos over the course of a day to determine the area and density of shade you will have in your garden....