Christina Wheeler

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Garden Guides uses a knowledgeable team of editors, writers, and experts to create all our content. We dive deep into the ever-evolving conversations surrounding gardening and landscaping, striving to deliver the most current and helpful tips, strengthened by expert insight and tutorials from our talented team.

As we cover many fields of expertise, we make it a priority to ensure every beat remains fresh and comprehensive. Additional information on our editorial process available here.

Stories By Christina Wheeler

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    Produce
    Produce By Christina Wheeler November 4th, 2022

    How To Grow Magnolia Trees From Suckers

    How to Grow Magnolia Trees From Suckers. Magnolia trees develop suckers, which can be removed and planted to begin a new tree sprout. This method of propagation is difficult unless the sucker has enough of a root system established upon removal of the mother plant. The suckers removed from the parent plant are very delicate and should be handled with care. This deciduous shrub thrives in full to partial sun. Suckers perform best if planted in a container and then transplanted to an outdoor environment once their root systems are established.

    By Christina Wheeler November 4th, 2022 Read More
  • Produce
    Produce By Christina Wheeler November 4th, 2022

    How To Save A Dying Holly Tree

    How to Save a Dying Holly Tree. Hollies add charm and beauty to a landscape as well as charm to the holidays. Growing to a height of 50 feet, these shrubs make excellent property borders. Hollies are usually a hardy plant but are susceptible to chlorosis, yellow of the leaves and insect damage. This along with dry conditions can lead to health problems for a holly bush. Regular inspection of the bush will alert you to problems early, leading to a high survival rate.

    By Christina Wheeler November 4th, 2022 Read More
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    Flowers
    Flowers By Christina Wheeler November 4th, 2022

    Parts Of A Magnolia Flower

    Parts of a Magnolia Flower. Southern Magnolia is the state flower of both Mississippi and Louisiana. This plant grows beautiful blooms and thrives in rich, moist soil. While it tolerates shade when young, it yearns to bask in the sunlight to provide the best display of flowers. Magnolias need a well-drained soil to prevent root decay and when planted in a wide-open space, they can grow to heights of 90 feet. Magnolias are a common pleasant sight in the South, and for many encompass all that Southern charm is about.

    By Christina Wheeler November 4th, 2022 Read More
  • Lawn Care
    Lawn Care By Christina Wheeler November 4th, 2022

    Who Manufactures Sears Craftsman Tillers?

    Who Manufactures Sears Craftsman Tillers?. Sears Craftsman tillers are manufactured by different foreign companies. Locate the model number to assist in finding the correct manufacturer. Craftsman tillers are manufactured by Echo, which makes two styles, and Keyang, a Korean manufacturer. Tillers are also manufactured by MTD, which is now Ryobi, based in Japan.

    By Christina Wheeler November 4th, 2022 Read More
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    Lawn Care
    Lawn Care By Christina Wheeler November 4th, 2022

    How To Change A Drive Belt On A Zero Turn Lawnmower

    How to Change a Drive Belt on a Zero Turn Lawnmower. Zero turn mowers provide flexibility when mowing around landscape items and turns in your lawn. Keeping your zero turn mower running at its best requires replacement of the drive belt every 100 hours of operation. The drive belt becomes worn when grass and debris build up under the deck of the mower. When your mower's power decreases going up hill or your cutting performance isn't what you desire, inspect the drive belt, and replace it when necessary.

    By Christina Wheeler November 4th, 2022 Read More
  • Produce
    Produce By Christina Wheeler November 4th, 2022

    How To Grow Bleeding Hearts Indoors

    How to Grow Bleeding Hearts Indoors. Bleeding heart (Dicentra or Clerodendrum thomsoniae) is a shrubby evergreen vine with clusters of heart-shaped crimson flowers surrounded by white petals. These flowers offer a brilliant color and are wonderful outdoor or indoor plants. Best suited to warmer, frost-free zones when planted outdoors, the bleeding heart does well potted and can be moved to an outside location in warmer weather. Bleeding heart grows best in USDA zones 10 and 11 where the soil is loam and clay-based, and the climate is moist and warm.

    By Christina Wheeler November 4th, 2022 Read More
  • Produce
    Produce By Christina Wheeler November 3rd, 2022

    How To Revive An Aloe Plant

    How to Revive an Aloe Plant. Aloe is a succulent plant that originated in southern and eastern Africa. It has been used for more than 4,000 years for medicinal purposes and is available in more than 400 varieties. A common houseplant, aloe is hardy and requires little care. It is susceptible to root rot, or pythium, when planted indoors. Careful watering practices must be followed to avoid this disease. The stems of the plant will become discolored from a combination of too much moisture and a fungus in the soil. When this occurs, it's possible to revive the plant.

    By Christina Wheeler November 3rd, 2022 Read More
  • Structures
    Structures By Christina Wheeler September 6th, 2022

    How To Level The Top Of Wood Posts

    How to Level the Top of Wood Posts. Installing a fence requires level posts, separated evenly. When placing the posts in the ground, it can be difficult to ensure they are all the same depth and will be level across the top. Attaching wire or fence panels to an uneven fence post will leave the job looking incomplete and diminish the clean lines of the fence. Using a few power tools and some patience, the posts can be leveled, creating a neat finished appearance to any fence.

    By Christina Wheeler September 6th, 2022 Read More
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    Produce
    Produce By Christina Wheeler September 6th, 2022

    Care Instructions For An Amarillo Plant

    Care Instructions for an Amarillo Plant. Although amaryllis are most popular in red or scarlet, they are available in pink, salmon, white, rose and even bi-colored. These perennial plants offer a colorful touch to an indoor landscape with their winter blooms. Caring for an amaryllis is a year-round job, to ensure that the blooms turn out just right during the holiday season.

    By Christina Wheeler September 6th, 2022 Read More
  • Produce
    Produce By Christina Wheeler September 6th, 2022

    Growing & Planting Bamboo In Arizona

    Growing & Planting Bamboo in Arizona. Arizona has a diverse climate and soil preference across the state. This has allowed many species of garden flowers and grasses to be planted and cultivated, but rarely across the entire region. Bamboo thrives in the acidic loamy soil of Arizona and loves the full sun and warm temperatures that the Southwest produces. This woody-stemmed perennial grass comes in a variety of sizes and species, most of which blossom in Arizona's climate. Although bamboo only blooms flowers once every 50 years, according to the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, it can be planted any time of year.

    By Christina Wheeler September 6th, 2022 Read More
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    Lawn Care
    Lawn Care By Christina Wheeler September 6th, 2022

    How To Grow Timothy Grass Hay

    How to Grow Timothy Grass Hay. Timothy hay is choice hay for farmers because it provides fiber and is high in nutrients for livestock animals. It is a cool-season grass that tolerates the winter well. Timothy hay produces roots in the fall and spring, some of which are shed in the winter months. It prefers a sandy loam-based soil that is well-drained and a full sun location.

    By Christina Wheeler September 6th, 2022 Read More
  • Flowers
    Flowers By Christina Wheeler September 6th, 2022

    How To Care For A Cactus With Yellow Flowers

    How to Care for a Cactus With Yellow Flowers. Yellow flowering cacti are more commonly called Emory's barrel cactus. These large flowering cacti grow well in dry soils in the Mojave, Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts, and are found ranging from Texas to California. They can reach 10 feet tall but average 5 feet in height and up to 30 inches in diameter. They bloom a bright flower reaching 1 ½ to 2 ½ inches in diameter from April through June. The Emory's barrel cacti is a hardy succulent that requires little care once planted.

    By Christina Wheeler September 6th, 2022 Read More
  • Trees
    Trees By Christina Wheeler September 6th, 2022

    How To Care For Cypress Evergreen Trees In Your Home

    How to Care for Cypress Evergreen Trees in Your Home. Cypress evergreens (Cupressus macrocarpa) can offer an attractive addition to your home, but only for a short time. These evergreens require room to grow and spread, reaching 70 feet tall once mature. Transplanting should take place within the first year of life to reduce the impact to the root system. During the first year it can be a decorative piece indoors with proper care that will help maintain its life once it reaches the outdoors.

    By Christina Wheeler September 6th, 2022 Read More
  • Trees
    Trees By Christina Wheeler September 6th, 2022

    How To Grow A Colorado Blue Spruce In A Pot

    How to Grow a Colorado Blue Spruce in a Pot. Colorado blue spruce (Picea pungens) is native to Colorado, Utah and Wyoming. The tree's silvery-blue needles offer an appealing alternative to the green of most shrubs and evergreens. Growing to a height of up to 70 feet, when planted outdoors, the blue spruce is a fast-growing plant. Growth ranges from 3 to 4 inches per year on a young tree to 12 inches per year on a tree with excellent irrigation. Preferring acidic soil, the blue spruce is a hardy tree that is drought tolerant. These beauties are available in silvery blue, green or gold needles, offering an appealing potted addition to your home.

    By Christina Wheeler September 6th, 2022 Read More
  • Flowers
    Flowers By Christina Wheeler September 6th, 2022

    How To Save Flowers After A Frost

    How to Save Flowers After a Frost. Plants and flowers affected by frost can be saved and continue a thriving life with quick action. The heat from the sun, once raised, will cause the majority of damage, so focusing your protection efforts on the sun's rays rather than the cold will help your plant recover and thrive. Most frost damage occurs after six hours of frost. Action early in the morning can reduce the chances of permanent damage to the flowers and plants.

    By Christina Wheeler September 6th, 2022 Read More
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    Lawn Care
    Lawn Care By Christina Wheeler January 25th, 2022

    What Herbicide Kills Sand Spurs?

    What Herbicide Kills Sand Spurs?. Sand spurs are summer annual weeds that germinate and mature each season. The fruits are felt in the fall, when it is too late to kill the plant using chemicals. Herbicides are not effective on sand spurs once they have bloomed in the fall. Apply a pre-emergent herbicide containing imazapic to the lawn in the spring, following the label directions, according to the University of Florida. Maintaining a healthy lawn will prevent sand spurs from forming.

    By Christina Wheeler January 25th, 2022 Read More