Barbara Fahs

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Stories By Barbara Fahs

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    Produce
    Produce By Barbara Fahs November 4th, 2022

    The Sweetest Blackberry Plants

    The Sweetest Blackberry Plants. All blackberries are not created equal. Some are more frost tender than others and others are sweeter than the rest. Sweetness is a matter of personal taste, but many people prefer the varieties Darrow, Prime-Jim and Prime-Jan, Triple Crown and Chester Thornless. Some blackberries have become wild in certain parts of the country---the Himalayan blackberry is classified an invasive species and although it is sweet, gardeners are advised to avoid cultivating this species.

    By Barbara Fahs November 4th, 2022 Read More
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    Produce By Barbara Fahs November 4th, 2022

    How To Grow Tomatoes With Drip Irrigation

    How to Grow Tomatoes With Drip Irrigation. Tomatoes are a “must-grow” item for every summer vegetable garden. You can easily start one or more of the many different varieties of tomatoes from seed, or purchase starter plants at your garden center. Drip irrigation is a smart way to keep your tomato plants supplied with the water they need, and if you set up a timer on your system, you won’t have to do anything except harvest the sweet, juicy fruits and enjoy them in your salad or on your hamburger.

    By Barbara Fahs November 4th, 2022 Read More
  • Flowers
    Flowers By Barbara Fahs November 4th, 2022

    How To Prune Spike Speedwell

    How to Prune Spike Speedwell. Spike speedwell is a flowering perennial plant that is also known as Veronica spicata. It grows to 2 feet tall and requires little maintenance besides a bit of pinching and pruning to keep it compact and bushy and flowering all summer. It's well suited to USDA climate zones 3 to 8 (Minnesota to Florida) in sunny locations with sandy or loamy clay soil.

    By Barbara Fahs November 4th, 2022 Read More
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    Produce By Barbara Fahs November 4th, 2022

    How To Stop Bugs From Eating Pepper Plants

    How to Stop Bugs From Eating Pepper Plants. Growing your own bell peppers, Serrano chilis and other sweet and hot peppers can add a lot of flavor to your meals. Growing your own vegetables also is a great way to teach kids about the wonders of nature and where their food comes from. A variety of insect pests--such as aphids, white flies, spider mites and scale--might attack your plants. Control insects by natural methods to ensure a good harvest.

    By Barbara Fahs November 4th, 2022 Read More
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    Flowers
    Flowers By Barbara Fahs November 4th, 2022

    List Of Jamaica's Native Plants

    List of Jamaica's Native Plants. Jamaica is a diverse Caribbean island that is rich in culture as well as native plant and animal life. Away from the swinging scene in Kingston and the reggae music of the clubs, the forests and wetlands are host to more than 3,000 species of plant life, although most forests were cleared for lumber after European contact. Remaining species include mahogany, ebony, rosewood trees and many flowering plants.

    By Barbara Fahs November 4th, 2022 Read More
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    Produce By Barbara Fahs November 4th, 2022

    How To Grow Vegetables In Alkaline Soil

    How to Grow Vegetables in Alkaline Soil. Alkaline soil often is clay, making it heavy, wet and difficult for many plants to thrive in. The pH of alkaline soils is above 7.0. Because many vegetables prefer a neutral or slightly acidic soil pH, adding ingredients such as sulfur to the soil will bring the pH down and make it more acidic. Some vegetables do well in alkaline soil, including cabbage, Brussels sprouts, mustard, turnips, Chinese cabbage and more. Tomatoes won't grow well in alkaline soil, but with all the cabbage family plants that do, perhaps you won't miss them.

    By Barbara Fahs November 4th, 2022 Read More
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    Produce By Barbara Fahs November 4th, 2022

    Purslane Companion Plants

    Purslane Companion Plants. Purslane belongs to the Portulaca plant genus and is a tangy, nutritious green vegetable that adds a lemony taste to salads and other dishes. The stems, seeds and leaves are good additions to stir-fry dishes and the green seedpods are sometimes pickled and used in place of capers. Many people look at this plant as a weed, but its nutritional value and value as a companion plant makes it something you should reconsider.

    By Barbara Fahs November 4th, 2022 Read More
  • Trees
    Trees By Barbara Fahs November 4th, 2022

    Growing Almond Trees In Texas

    Growing Almond Trees in Texas. Almond trees are generally not suitable for growing in Texas because they bloom in early spring, when frost damages the blossoms or forming nuts, warns Texas A&M University. However, the varieties known as 'Mission' and 'Hall's Hardy' bloom later and might reward you with a crop of almonds in the fall. You can grow almond trees in large containers in Texas and then move them indoors in fall, where they will be safe until after your final spring frost occurs.

    By Barbara Fahs November 4th, 2022 Read More
  • Flowers
    Flowers By Barbara Fahs November 4th, 2022

    What Is The Remedy For Mildew On A Bee Balm Bush?

    What Is the Remedy for Mildew on a Bee Balm Bush?. Bee balm is the common name for a fragrant flowering plant in the Monarda genus. Also called bergamot and Oswego tea, it was the plant the American colonists used when they stopped using black tea in protest of British taxation. In addition to having a pleasant taste, this herb has been used to treat colds and sore throats. It's a small, attractive plant with red flowers, which attract butterflies, bees and hummingbirds. But it can develop powdery mildew. When this happens, you can stop the mildew's spread with several simple remedies.

    By Barbara Fahs November 4th, 2022 Read More
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    Trees
    Trees By Barbara Fahs November 4th, 2022

    Pests That Eat Navel Orange Tree Leaves

    Pests That Eat Navel Orange Tree Leaves. Orange trees are relatively carefree to grow. Within one or two years after you plant one, you will begin harvesting the sweet fruit. However, people are not the only ones who like oranges--a number of insect pests also enjoy chewing on the tree's leaves and sometimes its fruit. A few insects won't hurt your tree, but if they reproduce quickly, a large population of bothersome insects can cause problems.

    By Barbara Fahs November 4th, 2022 Read More
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    Flowers
    Flowers By Barbara Fahs November 4th, 2022

    The Toxicity Of Boston Ivy Berries

    The Toxicity of Boston Ivy Berries. Boston ivy is also known as Japanese creeper and Parthenocissus tricuspidata. It originated in China and Japan. Like other members of the ivy plant family, it is a vine that often climbs buildings and trees, giving it the potential to become invasive. It has small, lobed leaves with pointed ends and grows quickly. Several varieties of Boston ivy exist; the Aurata and Atropurpurea cultivars sport reddish leaves. The berries of all varieties are toxic.

    By Barbara Fahs November 4th, 2022 Read More
  • Trees
    Trees By Barbara Fahs November 4th, 2022

    How To Protect Pygmy Date Palm Trees From Frost

    How to Protect Pygmy Date Palm Trees From Frost. The pygmy date palm, or Phoenix roebelenii, serves well as a houseplant or tropical specimen in warm outdoor locations, such as patios and lanais. It grows slowly and stays compact throughout its long life span. This palm will grow to only about eight feet tall with a spread up to five feet. When the temperature drops below about 25 degrees Fahrenheit, the pygmy date palm will suffer frost damage. If you live in USDA climate zone 9 or higher, you needn't normally worry about frost damage, but in areas that lie farther north, you must protect your palm in the winter.

    By Barbara Fahs November 4th, 2022 Read More
  • Trees
    Trees By Barbara Fahs November 4th, 2022

    Soil & Fertilizer For A Mango Tree

    Soil & Fertilizer for a Mango Tree. Mangoes are a delicious tropical fruit that can be grown outside of the tropics only in very specialized conditions, such as in a greenhouse maintained by experts at a botanical garden. If you live in USDA climate zones 10 and higher (Miami to Honolulu) or in any other tropical area, growing a mango tree can be rewarding in the summertime when it produces its succulent fruit.

    By Barbara Fahs November 4th, 2022 Read More
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    Produce By Barbara Fahs November 4th, 2022

    Growing Calabrese Chile Peppers

    Growing Calabrese Chile Peppers. The Calabrese pepper has its origins in Italy, where it is prized for its hot taste and the attractive appearance of the small round, red peppers. It's often fried or pickled. The plants and seeds are not commonly found, so if you want to grow this Italian delicacy, you'll need to search for a specialty seed company. Like other hot peppers, the Calabrese thrives in soil that has plenty of compost and other organic materials and where it gets full sun.

    By Barbara Fahs November 4th, 2022 Read More
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    Produce
    Produce By Barbara Fahs November 4th, 2022

    What Types Of Soil Do Radishes Like?

    What Types of Soil Do Radishes Like?. Radishes of all types are a spicy, crunchy early season root vegetable that rewards you with a harvest within the first month after you plant seeds. They can provide a good introduction to gardening for children because the results happen so quickly. It's wise to prepare your soil during winter to make sure it is well drained, full of organic materials, free of rocks and that it has a slightly acidic pH reading.

    By Barbara Fahs November 4th, 2022 Read More
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    Produce By Barbara Fahs November 4th, 2022

    How To Stop A Deer From Eating Tomato Plants

    How to Stop a Deer From Eating Tomato Plants. If Bambi lives in your neighborhood, he might eat your tomatoes for dinner before you get a chance to enjoy this summer fruit. Deer are common garden pests in many parts of the United States. They're cute, with those big, brown eyes, but you'll want to find humane ways of keeping them out of your garden if you don't want to share your harvest with these woodland creatures that come in search of food at night.

    By Barbara Fahs November 4th, 2022 Read More
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    Produce By Barbara Fahs November 4th, 2022

    How To Plant Scuppernong Seed

    How to Plant Scuppernong Seed. Scuppernong grapes, commonly called Muscadines, are native to the Southeastern United States and have been popular for over 400 years. Early knowledge of their use dates back to 1565, when Spanish settlers in Florida made them into wine. The first scuppernong cultivar was a bronze variety also called the Big White Grape. Many versions of this grape have been bred in the past 100 years. The seeds of heirloom varieties will reproduce true to type, but hybrids will not. Harvest seeds, dry them and then plant them in your garden to enjoy this fruit.

    By Barbara Fahs November 4th, 2022 Read More
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    Produce By Barbara Fahs November 4th, 2022

    Grape Vines For Shade

    Grape Vines for Shade. Imagine having a shade arbor with edible fruit in your backyard. When you plant grape vines at the corners of an arbor and train them up the support poles, in several months they will produce long vines that will burst with grapes by fall. Many varieties of grapes work well on an arbor. You can mix varieties that suit your preferences and give you juice, jam, snacks or even wine.

    By Barbara Fahs November 4th, 2022 Read More
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    Produce By Barbara Fahs November 4th, 2022

    How To Grow Vanilla Beans In California

    How to Grow Vanilla Beans in California. Vanilla beans are one of the world's most popular spices. The beautiful flower of the vanilla planifolia orchid produces long, waxy brown seedpods, which are called "beans." Vanilla beans are dried, distilled and otherwise processed to make the small bottle of vanilla nearly everyone keeps in the kitchen cupboard. The vanilla orchid comes from tropical regions of Mexico, Central America, northern South America and the West Indies, but you can grow it in Southern California in a greenhouse or other controlled environment where the temperature never drops below 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

    By Barbara Fahs November 4th, 2022 Read More
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    Produce By Barbara Fahs November 4th, 2022

    How To Transplant Bird Of Paradise Plants

    How to Transplant Bird of Paradise Plants. Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia reginae) plants produce exotic flowers in orange and purple resembling a tropical bird. You can grow this plant outdoors in areas that receive light, occasional frosts or keep it in a large pot that you move indoors in the winter. Birds of Paradise form large clumps within a few years of being planted, and can overtake a garden area. If you want to divide some of your plants and transplant them, it might take several years before they bloom again. But if you dig up the entire clump and transplant it, you can expect it to produce flowers much faster.

    By Barbara Fahs November 4th, 2022 Read More
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    Trees
    Trees By Barbara Fahs November 4th, 2022

    Leaf Diseases Of Lemon Trees

    Leaf Diseases of Lemon Trees. Lemon trees are fairly easy to grow in climate zones where winter temperatures usually remain above 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Three types of diseases can attack the leaves of lemon trees: fungal diseases, bacterial infections and viruses. Symptoms of lemon diseases include visible lesions and spots on leaves, curled leaves, premature dropping of leaves, scabs and cankers on fruit and bark, and yellow, white or pale green stripes or patterns on the leaves.

    By Barbara Fahs November 4th, 2022 Read More
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    Trees
    Trees By Barbara Fahs November 4th, 2022

    Diseases Of The Pygmy Date Palm

    Diseases of the Pygmy Date Palm. The pygmy date palm, or Phoenix roebelenii, is an attractive small palm tree often grown as a houseplant. The United States Forest Service describes this plant as "one of the finest of the dwarf palms." It can grow as tall as 12 feet, but normally stays smaller when grown in a container. Although it produces small dates when it's grown in the appropriate conditions, don't expect your houseplant to provide any food. There are a handful of diseases that commonly affect the pygmy date palm.

    By Barbara Fahs November 4th, 2022 Read More
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    Produce By Barbara Fahs November 4th, 2022

    Endangered Plants Of The Desert

    Endangered Plants of the Desert. Deserts are dry areas that occur around the world. From the African Sahara to the Sonoran in Arizona and Mexico to the Australian outback, deserts are harsh environments where only the toughest plants and animals can survive. All desert regions have endangered plants. Humans are the primary threat to desert plants because of construction that causes changes in the environment. Invasive plant and animal species also contribute, as do natural events such as floods and fires.

    By Barbara Fahs November 4th, 2022 Read More