Dale Devries

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Stories By Dale Devries

  • Produce
    Produce By Dale Devries November 3rd, 2022

    How To Plant A Windmill Palm In A Container

    How to Plant a Windmill Palm in a Container. Windmill palms grow well in containers with their low-light requirements and slow growth. You may find a windmill palm in the nursery under its scientific name, Trachycarpus forunei or other common names like Chinese windmill palm or Chusan palm. They can grow as high as 40 feet when planted in the ground, but normally stay between 7 and 10 feet in containers. The trunk is covered in a loose mat of course brown/gray fiber and the symmetrical crown is between 6 to 10 feet wide. These palms are often used around patios, pools and entrances to stores and malls.

    By Dale Devries November 3rd, 2022 Read More
  • Trees
    Trees By Dale Devries November 3rd, 2022

    Caring For A Dwarf Mexican Lime Tree

    Caring for a Dwarf Mexican Lime Tree. The dwarf Mexican lime tree is probably best known as a key lime tree. It's also known as West Indian and bartenders lime. The limes are thin-skinned, small and not as cold hardy as other limes, but they are juicy and tasty, making them popular for use in cooking. Mexican lime trees can be grown in containers, and make great patio and house plants. They produce a small white flower before the fruit that will fill the area with a wonderful fragrance. The lime is most famous for its use in making key lime pie.

    By Dale Devries November 3rd, 2022 Read More
  • Flowers
    Flowers By Dale Devries November 3rd, 2022

    How To Transplant A Surprise Lily

    How to Transplant a Surprise Lily. Surprise Lilies hail from Japan and go by many other names, such as Naked Lady, Spider Lily and Magic Lily. The Surprise Lily is a summer blooming-bulb that is one of the easiest bulbs to grow. They need almost no care and they will pop back up year after year. The tall blooms are wonderful for cut flower arrangements and the flowers last a long time. You can divide the bulbs about every three to five years to create new beautiful clumps of flowers.

    By Dale Devries November 3rd, 2022 Read More
  • Produce
    Produce By Dale Devries November 3rd, 2022

    How To Grow A Caragana Hedge

    How to Grow a Caragana Hedge. The Caragana plant is also known as the Siberian Pea Tree or Siberian Peashrub. It is a large deciduous shrub that can grow as high as 16 feet high and 12 feet wide if not pruned. The shrub grows very fast when it is young and can live over 50 years in ideal conditions. In the spring, small yellow flowers grow and are followed by pods that form in June to July. The pods contain the seeds, that when mature burst out of the pod making a popping sound. The seeds are edible and the plant is easy to grow in gardening zones 2 through 7.

    By Dale Devries November 3rd, 2022 Read More
  • Flowers
    Flowers By Dale Devries November 3rd, 2022

    How To Plant Tulips In Florida

    How to Plant Tulips in Florida. Tulips are very popular flowers everywhere. Just the thought of tulips conjures up thoughts of spring, warmer weather and beautiful colors. The problem with growing tulips in Florida is that the bulbs need to go through a cold season before they will sprout, and most of Florida doesn't have a cold season. This doesn't mean Floridians can't enjoy the wonderful flowers, though; it just takes an extra step. In most areas of south Florida, tulips are considered annuals instead of perennials because they don't survive through the long hot summers.

    By Dale Devries November 3rd, 2022 Read More
  • Trees
    Trees By Dale Devries November 3rd, 2022

    How To Care For Japanese Maples In Florida

    How to Care for Japanese Maples in Florida. Japanese maple trees can be grown in the north Florida landscape provided they are given some shade. Some cultivars can be trained as bonsai and kept quite well in Florida as well as many other areas. The trees are hardy from USDA planting zones 5b through 8, which include only north and northwest Florida. It is too hot in central and south Florida for Japanese maple trees to thrive. Care is still minimal although there is a little more maintenance required than locations farther north.

    By Dale Devries November 3rd, 2022 Read More
  • Trees
    Trees By Dale Devries November 3rd, 2022

    Mount Royal Plum Tree Maintenance

    Mount Royal Plum Tree Maintenance. There are three basic types of plums, Japanese, European and hybrids. The Mount Royal plum tree is a European type, and the fruit is suitable for drying and making prunes. Mount Royal is a very hardy, very dark blue freestone fruit. The fruit is sweet and juicy and is the most common used in home gardening. The tree can grow 10 to 14 feet with a spread just as large. Being self-fertile, you don't need to plant another tree nearby for pollination. Mount Royal plum trees are hardy in USDA planting zones 4 through 8.

    By Dale Devries November 3rd, 2022 Read More
  • Trees
    Trees By Dale Devries November 3rd, 2022

    How To Care For A Dwarf Washington Navel Orange Tree

    How to Care for a Dwarf Washington Navel Orange Tree. The dwarf Washington navel orange is popular for eating and juicing. Classified as a sweet orange, the tree grows between three and eight feet tall, with semi-dwarfs slightly taller. The dwarf Washington navel orange tree can be grown in the ground in USDA planting zones 9 through 11, and in containers everywhere else. Caring for citrus in containers is always a little more work than in the ground, but for some folks in the northern climates, it is well worth it to for the fresh oranges.

    By Dale Devries November 3rd, 2022 Read More
  • Flowers
    Flowers By Dale Devries November 3rd, 2022

    How To Plant A Butterfly Ginger Lily

    How to Plant a Butterfly Ginger Lily. The scientific name for the Butterfly Ginger Lily is Hedychium coronarium. Other common names given to the plant are ginger lily or garland flower. It is a member of the Zingiberaceae, or ginger, family. The plant is native to India, but is grown widely across the United States, the Caribbean and other subtropical and tropical areas. White butterfly ginger is the most popular and fragrant of the ginger lilies that are grown. They can grow up to 7 feet tall with flowers that resemble the delicate wings of a butterfly. Ginger lilies are hardy in gardening zones 7 through 11.

    By Dale Devries November 3rd, 2022 Read More
  • Produce
    Produce By Dale Devries November 3rd, 2022

    How To Grow Mucuna Pruriens

    How to Grow Mucuna Pruriens. Mucuna Pruriens is more commonly known as the Velvet Bean. This annual legume originated in China where it was once grown as a vegetable crop. It's easy to grow and shows long bunches of purple flowers on each branch of the vine. The plant contains the compound L-Dopa, which has medicinal purposes but is also toxic and causes confusion and stomach problems in most people. Other common forms of Mucuna Pruriens are known as Cowage or Cowitch. These forms have long stinging hairs on the plant, that when touched release a toxin that causes extreme itching. Velvet Bean is known as the none stinging variety.

    By Dale Devries November 3rd, 2022 Read More
  • Produce
    Produce By Dale Devries November 3rd, 2022

    How To Care For Citronella Plants In The Fall

    How to Care for Citronella Plants in the Fall. The citronella plant is a hybrid that combines the Chinese citronella grass with the African geranium. It grows and is cared for like a geranium but has the lemon scent of the citronella. You may find this plant in garden centers and nurseries under the name mosquito plant because it repels mosquitoes like citronella candles. The citronella plant is a warm weather plant grown mostly in containers so it can be left outdoors in the summer and wintered indoors. It can be grown in the ground in gardening zones 9b through 11.

    By Dale Devries November 3rd, 2022 Read More
  • Produce
    Produce By Dale Devries November 3rd, 2022

    How To Grow Poppies In A Container

    How to Grow Poppies in a Container. Poppies look great in containers with foliage plants, other wildflowers or with a lower-growing flowering plant to give the container garden some height. The shortest of the poppies are called Iceland poppies, which grow to about a foot high. Other poppies can grow as much as 3 feet tall and look wonderful in large container gardens. You can purchase poppy plants at garden centers in season, or you can grow your own from seed and place them into containers when they're ready.

    By Dale Devries November 3rd, 2022 Read More
  • Trees
    Trees By Dale Devries November 3rd, 2022

    How To Care For A Silver Birch Tree

    How to Care for a Silver Birch Tree. Silver birch is a large tree reaching an average of 50 to 75 feet high with a spread of 15 to 25 feet. The tree is known for its unusual bark and green leaves that seem to glitter in the sunshine. Silver birch is sometimes called yellow birch or gray birch. These trees require a lot of care and normally have a short life span of only 20 years, although they can live up to 50 years in ideal conditions. The silver birch prefers cooler weather and is hardy in USDA planting zones 3 through 6.

    By Dale Devries November 3rd, 2022 Read More
  • Produce
    Produce By Dale Devries November 3rd, 2022

    How To Root Ivy Cuttings

    How to Root Ivy Cuttings. There are many types of ivy plants, including English Ivy, Grape Ivy, Hedera and Pothos. Taking stem cuttings from these plants is the most common way to propagate them for home use. Most ivies readily root when given the proper care and circumstances. Taking cuttings from your own or a friend's plant can ultimately provide you with new plants to grow at home or give as gift. Some ivy plants grow well outdoors and others cannot tolerate the cold. Be aware of the type of ivy you are rooting, so you know how to plant it later.

    By Dale Devries November 3rd, 2022 Read More
  • Produce
    Produce By Dale Devries November 3rd, 2022

    How To Preserve Palm Dates

    How to Preserve Palm Dates. Dates are normally classified as soft, semi-dry or dry. There are many varieties of dates but they all go through four stages of development. Chimri is the first stage and lasts for a period of 17 weeks, followed by a six-week period called the Khalal stage. These are the stages of growing from pollination to full size. The last two stages are Rutab, a four-week stage of ripening, and the Tamar, stage when they are fully ripe. Dates are harvested during one of the last two stages, depending on the variety, and preserved by cold storage.

    By Dale Devries November 3rd, 2022 Read More
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    Produce
    Produce By Dale Devries November 3rd, 2022

    How To Grow A Swan Plant

    How to Grow a Swan Plant. A swan plant is a perennial that has attractive white flowers and large seed pods. The plant is from the Milkweed family and is a major source of food for the Monarch butterfly caterpillar. Swan plants are sown in the garden as seed and grow readily, sometimes to 6 feet high. The plant is commonly grown by butterfly gardeners to attract the Monarch and give them a place to lay their eggs. The plants are consumed almost in their entirety by the time the caterpillars are ready to spin their chrysalis.

    By Dale Devries November 3rd, 2022 Read More
  • Flowers
    Flowers By Dale Devries November 3rd, 2022

    Plant Care Instructions For Jacobinia

    Plant Care Instructions for Jacobinia. Justicia carnea or Jacobinia is an evergreen shrub growing to heights of 3 to 7 feet and just as wide. The dark green leaves are about 6 inches long and the tubular flower clusters face upward. The flowers come in shades of rose, white, yellow and orange. The tall flower stems come from the center of the plant and shoot up a couple of feet before blooming in the beginning of the summer. The plant is hardy in USDA planting zone 8B through 11 and needs little maintenance.

    By Dale Devries November 3rd, 2022 Read More
  • Produce
    Produce By Dale Devries November 3rd, 2022

    How To Proprogate A Silver Lace Vine

    How to Proprogate a Silver Lace Vine. Silverlace vine is a deciduous vine that can grow as much as 25 to 40 feet tall and wide. The vine grows so fast that it can grow as much as 25 feet in a single growing season. It's covered with sprays of small, white fragrant flowers that last from midsummer through fall. The twining stems make this an excellent plant to cover fences and trellises. Silverlace vines need little care and are hardy in USDA planting zones 4 through 8. Propagation is most frequently done by cuttings or layering.

    By Dale Devries November 3rd, 2022 Read More
  • Produce
    Produce By Dale Devries November 3rd, 2022

    How Does A Venus Fly Trap Work?

    How Does a Venus Fly Trap Work?. The Dionaea muscipula, or Venus Fly Trap as it is known, is a carnivorous plant. To be classified as carnivorous, a plant must attract, capture and kill its prey. It must also be able to digest its captured insects or any other animal life. The Venus Fly Trap is truly a plant, not an animal. The plant mainly grows in a small area along the coasts of two states, North Carolina and South Carolina. It lives in the wetlands and bogs where then weather is humid, wet and sunny. They eat spiders, flies, caterpillars and slugs. There are more than 500 varieties of carnivorous plants, so although the Venus Fly Trap is rare, it is not one of a kind.

    By Dale Devries November 3rd, 2022 Read More
  • Produce
    Produce By Dale Devries November 3rd, 2022

    Care Of A Calathea Medallion Plant

    Care of a Calathea Medallion Plant. Calathea medallion is one of the many cultivars of calathea plants. This tropical foliage plant is hardy only in USDA planting zone 11, therefore grown most commonly as a houseplant. Calathea is one of the more difficult plants to grow indoors. It has specific needs and declines rapidly when they are not met. However, if you have the time and patience to care for such a picky plant, it will be well worth your effort. The medallion cultivar has large variegated leaves with dark green borders, bold and stunning; even those that don't garden will want one.

    By Dale Devries November 3rd, 2022 Read More
  • Trees
    Trees By Dale Devries November 3rd, 2022

    How To Grow Royal Poinciana Trees

    How to Grow Royal Poinciana Trees. The royal poinciana is a landscape tree popular for its bright red/orange blooms that cover the tree for months at a time. About 40 feet tall and 60 feet wide at maturity, royal poinciana is a useful shade tree throughout the growing season. This is a fast-growing tree, hardy only in USDA planting zones 10B through 11 and tropical to subtropical climates outside the United States. Seed pods begin to grow in the summer. They can be up to 18 inches long and 2 inches wide. They fall off the tree in the spring, which can be a nuisance.

    By Dale Devries November 3rd, 2022 Read More
  • Produce
    Produce By Dale Devries November 3rd, 2022

    How To Care For An Orange Star Plant

    How to Care for an Orange Star Plant. An orange star plant is a tropical bromeliad originating from Ecuador. These plants make excellent house plants with their numerous overlapping green leaves coming from a central trunk and then bursting with a bright orange flower. The orange star can add a tropical feel and color to any room in your home. Like any tropical plant, the orange star likes it warm and humid. This plant is easy to grow with minimal care.

    By Dale Devries November 3rd, 2022 Read More
  • Flowers
    Flowers By Dale Devries November 3rd, 2022

    How Do I Care For My Dipladenia Plant?

    How Do I Care for My Dipladenia Plant?. Dipladenias originate in Brazil and are an evergreen flowering vine. Flowers come in many shades of red, pink, purple and pure white. Because the plant is hardy only in USDA planting zones 9 and 10, it is commonly found growing as a houseplant. The vines will grow to 6 to 8 feet and make great plants for hanging baskets. Dipladenias are slow climbers and can be pruned any time of year to keep them within bounds. In warmer climates, some cultivars will flower all year long.

    By Dale Devries November 3rd, 2022 Read More
  • Produce
    Produce By Dale Devries September 6th, 2022

    How To Propagate A Chinese Pistache

    How to Propagate a Chinese Pistache. The Chinese pistache, known scientifically as Pistacia chinensis, can grow as high as 60 feet, although the specimen usually grows 25 to 30 feet high with a spread of about 15 feet. The Chinese pistache is popularly planted along streets and as a shade tree. Chinese pistache trees require little maintenance and are resistant to most pests and diseases. Propagation normally takes place by planting seed; however, it is possible to divide a sucker from the base of the tree and transplant it.

    By Dale Devries September 6th, 2022 Read More
  • Trees
    Trees By Dale Devries September 6th, 2022

    How To Care For A Jane Magnolia Tree

    How to Care for a Jane Magnolia Tree. The small tree or large shrub Magnolia "Jane" is a hybrid magnolia. It is a cross between star magnolia and the M. liliiflora. Jane is from a series of hybrids known as the "Eight Little Girls." Jane has flowers that are red-purple on the outside and white on the inside. It is a rounded large shrub or small tree that will grow to an average height of 15 feet. This plant is hardy in USDA hardiness zones 4b through 9.

    By Dale Devries September 6th, 2022 Read More