Elizabeth Balarini

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Stories By Elizabeth Balarini

  • How To Take Care Of Night Blooming Cereus

    How to Take Care of Night Blooming Cereus. The night blooming cereus plant is a flowering evergreen that--as the name impliess--blooms only at night. Blooms vary in size and shape, but all species of cereus bloom nocturnally, only twice per year. According to gardening expert Jack Eden, the plant will last for several years and bloom biannually if you give it proper care.

    By Elizabeth Balarini November 4th, 2022 Read More
  • Are Hibiscus Plants Poisonous To People?

    Are Hibiscus Plants Poisonous to People?. According to the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, hibiscus plants are considered "toxicity category 4." This means that the plant and its blossoms are considered nontoxic to humans. They are not only nontoxic, they are also considered to have have health benefits. The blossoms are often eaten or steeped to make a tea.

    By Elizabeth Balarini November 4th, 2022 Read More
  • How To Grow Lemon Trees In Houston

    How to Grow Lemon Trees in Houston. If you'd like to grow a lemon tree in Houston, you're in luck. Houston, Texas, has a climate that is perfect for growing citrus trees. With the warm summers and cool winters, citrus plants thrive and produce plentiful harvests. Growing a lemon tree in Houston is relatively easy if you keep a few things in mind.

    By Elizabeth Balarini November 3rd, 2022 Read More
  • How To Mist A Ficus Benjamina Tree

    How to Mist a Ficus Benjamina Tree. Ficus benjamina--also called benjamina ficus and weeping fig--is a woody plant that is commonly grown as a houseplant. Ficus benjamina is a member of the ficus family, and related to the rubber tree plant. The ficus benjamina is known to be a very finicky plant, with specific moisture needs. In order to prevent the ficus benjamina from dropping its leaves, the plant owner must mist the plant.

    By Elizabeth Balarini November 3rd, 2022 Read More
  • Mushrooms Or Fungus In Potted Plants

    Mushrooms or Fungus in Potted Plants. Potted plants add beauty and life to a home's interior or exterior. Occasionally, a strange mushroom or fungus may pop up overnight. These can occur with a new plant, or with plants that have been stationary for years. Many people panic at the sight of them, and want to know how to eradicate the mushrooms from the potted plant.

    By Elizabeth Balarini November 3rd, 2022 Read More
  • Vegetable Gardens & Plant Lice

    Vegetable Gardens & Plant Lice. Plant lice are tiny insects that live off of vegetation. Unfortunately for gardeners, their food of choice is plants. Plant lice multiply quickly and can devastate a garden within a couple of weeks. Treat quickly to get rid of the plant lice and save your crops.

    By Elizabeth Balarini November 3rd, 2022 Read More
  • Oklahoma Tomato Varieties

    Oklahoma Tomato Varieties. Homegrown tomatoes enable a home gardener to provide fresh, healthy food for their household, while saving money on their household grocery budget. Oklahoma has hot summers and harsh winters, which makes it impossible to grow some varieties of tomatoes. Keeping the Oklahoma climate in mind, there are several tomato varieties that can flourish for home gardeners.

    By Elizabeth Balarini November 3rd, 2022 Read More
  • What Are The Benefits Of Citric Acid?

    What Are the Benefits of Citric Acid?. Citric acid is a weak acid found in citrus fruits. It is often used as a natural preservative and is used to add sour tastes to foods, candies and soft drinks. Citric acid also has several health and household benefits.

    By Elizabeth Balarini November 3rd, 2022 Read More
  • About Pompon Flowers

    About Pompon Flowers. Pompon flowers are annual flowering plants that are more commonly known as chrysanthemums. The flowers are called pompons because their fullness makes them resemble the pompons that cheerleaders use.

    By Elizabeth Balarini November 3rd, 2022 Read More
  • How To Trim A Star Magnolia Bush

    How to Trim a Star Magnolia Bush. The star magnolia bush is a flowering shrub that grows 15 to 20 feet tall and 10 to 15 feet wide. It is also grown as a small tree. Star magnolia develops several trunks near the soil line, and creates a dense canopy of foliage and flowers. The shrub grows equally well in containers and directly in the earth. Star magnolias are deciduous and lose their foliage during the fall. Flowers appear in the early spring, before the leaves return. Magnolia bushes require very little pruning each year.

    By Elizabeth Balarini November 3rd, 2022 Read More
  • Plant Structure Of A Daisy

    Plant Structure of a Daisy. Daisies are white multi-petaled flowers with yellow centers. They are widely recognized, and are often included in flower arrangement. This simple flower has a delicate beauty, often associated with cheerfulness and a carefree spirit. The word daisy is derived from the Anglo-Saxon "daes eage," which means "day's eye," so named because the daisy blooms with the rising sun.

    By Elizabeth Balarini November 3rd, 2022 Read More
  • How To Take Care Of Tomato Plants In The Winter

    How to Take Care of Tomato Plants in the Winter. All varieties of tomato plants fall into one of two basic types: determinate and indeterminate. Determinate tomato plants grow for only a short time, bearing fruit for just one season. Indeterminate tomato plants bear fruit for season after season, and with proper care will survive through the winter to produce tomatoes again after the weather warms up. If you have indeterminate tomato plants and want them to survive winter, here are some tips to help you keep them alive.

    By Elizabeth Balarini November 3rd, 2022 Read More
  • How To Propagate A Mexican False Heather

    How to Propagate a Mexican False Heather. Mexican false heather--also known as Mexican heather, Hawaiian heather, and elfin herb--is an evergreen flowering plant that grows up to 24 inches tall. It is considered a "sub-shrub" because of its compact full-grown size. Mexican False Heather has leaf-covered stems that give off several blooms of purple, white or pink throughout the growing season. It is considered a perennial in mild climates and an annual in colder climates. Mexican false heather can be propagated in a few different ways.

    By Elizabeth Balarini November 3rd, 2022 Read More
  • How To Sell Rooted Cuttings

    How to Sell Rooted Cuttings. Plant cuttings are small pieces cut from larger plants. When placed in growing medium (soil or potting mix), these pieces develop their own root systems. After the roots grow, the pieces are referred to as "rooted cuttings." Many home gardeners grow and sell rooted cuttings in order to earn income.

    By Elizabeth Balarini November 3rd, 2022 Read More
  • How To Propagate A Ficus Plant

    How to Propagate a Ficus Plant. Many plants belong to the genus Ficus. Two of the most recognizable members are Ficus elastica (rubber tree ), and Ficus benjaminia (weeping fig). The Ficus benjamina is commonly referred to as simply ficus tree or ficus plant. The ficus plant is an evergreen plant that is grown as a small tree, shrub or indoor plant. It's leaves are dark green, glossy, and football-shaped. Propagation of a ficus plant is done through stem cuttings.

    By Elizabeth Balarini November 3rd, 2022 Read More
  • How To Transplant A Ficus Tree From The Ground To A Pot

    How to Transplant a Ficus Tree From the Ground to a Pot. Ficus trees are popular plants that grow well indoors and outdoors. Ficus trees planted directly into the ground grow larger than those planted in pots. Directly in the ground, however, ficus trees are at the mercy of inclimate weather. It is possible to transplant a ficus tree to a pot. Do this carefully, however, because ficus trees are notoriously finicky.

    By Elizabeth Balarini November 3rd, 2022 Read More
  • How To Care For A Texas Sage Bush

    How to Care for a Texas Sage Bush. A Texas sage bush--also known as "cenizo"--is native to Texas. The plant grows as a mid-sized compact shrub, and has thin silvery leaves. Atmospheric humidity right before or after a rain causes the plant to bloom. For this reason, Texas sage bush is often referred to as a "barometric bush." Texas sage is found in the southern United States, and needs specific care in order to grow.

    By Elizabeth Balarini November 3rd, 2022 Read More
  • Ice Plant Facts

    Ice Plant Facts. The ice plant is native to South Africa and is now naturalized to many warm climate regions across the globe. The plant is known around the world by a variety of descriptive names, including "highway ice plant," "pigface," and "sour fig plant," because of its edible fruit. The ice plant gets its name from the small, clear engorged hairs on the surface of the leaves that look like frozen droplets of water.

    By Elizabeth Balarini November 3rd, 2022 Read More
  • Nature Facts About The Sycamore Tree

    Nature Facts About the Sycamore Tree. The sycamore tree -- scientific name Platanus occidentalis -- is native to central Europe. The tree is found most abundantly in Switzerland, Austria, Italy, and Germany. Sycamores are also found in Great Britain. In the United States, the sycamore tree is cold-hardy in USDA gardening zones 4 through 9.

    By Elizabeth Balarini November 3rd, 2022 Read More
  • Tips On Caring For The Mandevilla Vine

    Tips on Caring for the Mandevilla Vine. Mandevilla is a flowering plant native to Brazil. The plant is also known by the nickname Brazilian jasmine. The flowers of a mandevilla are large and trumpet-shaped in shades of white, pink or red. Mandevillas are vining plants that grow up to 7 to 10 feet per season. According to Sandra Mason, the Unit Educator of the Horticulture & Environment department in Champaign County, Illinois, mandevilla grows up to 30 feet tall in warm climates and large green houses. Mandevilla is a finicky plant that requires specific care for proper development.

    By Elizabeth Balarini November 3rd, 2022 Read More
  • Problems With Growing Cilantro

    Problems With Growing Cilantro. Cilantro is an herb that is a member of the parsley family. The herb is most commonly used in Mexican and Asian cuisine and is often referred to as Mexican parsley and Asian parsley. Cilantro seeds are also called coriander seeds. Growing cilantro in a home garden is usually a trouble-free endeavor. Occasionally, however, a cilantro gardener may experience problems with the plant.

    By Elizabeth Balarini November 3rd, 2022 Read More
  • Fall Vegetable Garden In Central Texas

    Fall Vegetable Garden in Central Texas. During the fall, gardeners in Central Texas begin to see the temperatures cool down a little. After months of scorching hot weather, October and November offer up cool nights and bearable days. With a few minor preparations, a fall vegetable garden can be planted in late September or October.

    By Elizabeth Balarini November 3rd, 2022 Read More
  • Firecracker Fern Planting Instructions

    Firecracker Fern Planting Instructions. Firecracker ferns (Russelia equisetiformis) are evergreen flowering plants that are native to Mexico. Also known as coral plant, it grows up to 2 1/2 feet tall and 1 1/2 feet wide. Because of its size--and its cascading growth pattern--firecracker ferns grow best as single plants, or as small shrubs. The plant grows well in hanging baskets, with its foliage spilling over the container. Firecracker shrub blooms from spring to fall outdoors, and blooms year-round indoors. Firecrackers are resilient plants, but do require some specific care.

    By Elizabeth Balarini November 3rd, 2022 Read More
  • How To Propagate A Mosquito Plant

    How to Propagate a Mosquito Plant. The mosquito plant--also known as the citrosa plant or mosquito geranium--is a hybrid of Chinese citronella and African geranium. The plant produces citronella oil, which is a natural mosquito repellent. The plant is a prolific grower, and home gardeners can propagate new plants from the original one with very little effort.

    By Elizabeth Balarini November 3rd, 2022 Read More
  • How To Prune A Satsuma Tree

    How to Prune a Satsuma Tree. Satsuma oranges are small citrus fruits that are not actually true oranges. A satsuma is the approximate size and shape of a tangerine, but slightly sweeter. According to Dr. Jerry Parsons, retired professor and extension horticulturalist from Texas, satsuma trees grow to heights of up to 15 to 20 feet tall. Although citrus trees do not require pruning, he suggests pruning satsuma trees to keep them more manageable.

    By Elizabeth Balarini September 6th, 2022 Read More
  • How To Propagate Ficus Pumila

    How to Propagate Ficus Pumila. Ficus pumila is a member of the genus "Ficus." There are over 1,000 members of this botanical genus, including Ficus elastica (rubber tree) and Ficus bejamina (weeping fig). Ficus pumila is also known as the "creeping fig" plant, because of the aerial rootlets along its stem that anchor themselves to trellises, arbors or walls. Planted directly in the ground, ficus pumila grows and climbs up to 20 feet tall. Although ficus pumila propagates by seed, air-layering or water rooting, Texas A&M University recommends propagation by water rooting.

    By Elizabeth Balarini September 6th, 2022 Read More
  • New York State Tree Identification

    New York State Tree Identification. In 1956, the state of New York named the sugar maple tree the state tree. Of the seven species of maple trees, the sugar maple is the most abundant in the state. Maple syrup is made from the sugary sap of sugar maple trees. The tree is found throughout New England and in states surrounding the Great Lakes, as well as in many areas in Canada (hence the maple leaf on the Canadian flag).

    By Elizabeth Balarini September 6th, 2022 Read More