Sarah Morse

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Stories By Sarah Morse

  • How To Treat Rust On Fruit Trees

    How to Treat Rust on Fruit Trees. Only certain varieties of fruit trees are susceptible to rust, namely apple and pear trees. This disease comes from a fungus named Gymnosporangium. It can cause unattractive spots on the fruit trees that lead to leaf and fruit drop. Treating rust on fruit trees requires a combination of methods. If you catch the disease early, and eliminate it, your tree should survive the disease.

    By Sarah Morse November 4th, 2022 Read More
  • How To Grow Boswellia

    How to Grow Boswellia. Boswellia, also called the Frankincense tree, originated in Somalia and grows up to 25 feet tall. Its resin, which you can harvest from the tree in dry periods, is used in perfumes and incense as well as homeopathic remedies for illnesses such as asthma. This tree cannot withstand frost, so your best bet is to plant it indoors in most areas of the United States. Seeds and plants are rare and expensive to buy, even on the Internet, but the plant grows well from cuttings.

    By Sarah Morse November 4th, 2022 Read More
  • The Disadvantages Of Using Pesticides And Herbicides

    The Disadvantages of Using Pesticides and Herbicides. Pesticides and herbicides are often useful to gardens or homeowners with some sort of pest problem. Before using them, however, you must be aware of the disadvantages, taking into account the surrounding environment. Knowledge of the effects of pesticides on certain aspects of life will help you make the decision if, where, and when to use the chemicals. Green alternatives to pesticides and herbicides include planting resistant species, crop rotation, and introducing beneficial insects to eat the pests.

    By Sarah Morse November 4th, 2022 Read More
  • How To Plant Reeds

    How to Plant Reeds. Reeds (Phragmites australis) grow 6 to 12 feet tall with long, sharp, bluish-green leaves. They work well as a forage for cattle and horses and as erosion control. They grow throughout North America and are actually considered noxious weeds in some states. Reeds grow from rhizomes and will thrive with little care after planting. Knowledge of how to plant the rhizomes will help you produce a plant that can thrive in marshy areas.

    By Sarah Morse November 4th, 2022 Read More
  • How To Care For Loropetalum Plants

    How to Care for Loropetalum Plants. Loropetalum belongs to the witch hazel family and consists of only three species. It is a fast-growing shrub or tree that can grow up to 15 feet tall. These plants are hardy down to USDA zone 7, which means they can grow where temperatures do not drop below 0 degrees Fahrenheit. Once established, the Lorepetalum requires little care. With knowledge on how to create the right environment for the plant, you can produce a healthy tree.

    By Sarah Morse November 4th, 2022 Read More
  • How To Divide Heuchera

    How to Divide Heuchera. Heuchera, also called coral bells, is a perennial ground cover used in rock gardens or shade gardens. It grows in tight clumps about 12 to 16 inches high with flowers that spike out of the clump and bloom in late spring and early summer. Every two or three years, as with most perennials, gardeners need to divide the Huechera so that the middle does not die out. Other reasons to divide the Heuchera include propagation and transplanting the plant to a better suited area. Whatever the reason, in order to keep the Heuchera healthy, you must know how to divide the plant properly.

    By Sarah Morse November 4th, 2022 Read More
  • How To Transplant Impatiens

    How to Transplant Impatiens. Impatiens are the most popular bedding flower in the United States, according to Michigan State University Cooperative Extension, flowering in 15 solid colors as well as other color combinations. They are shade-loving plants which grow 6 to 24 inches tall. If you find that your impatiens are not doing well because of too much sun or soggy soil, you may want to transplant them. Transplanting also becomes necessary if you start the flowers from seed indoors. Transplanting impatiens, however, requires special care as they are delicate flowers.

    By Sarah Morse November 4th, 2022 Read More
  • How To Care For A Vitex Tree In Arizona

    How to Care for a Vitex Tree in Arizona. Vitex trees, also called monk's pepper or chaste tree, grows 10 to 15 feet tall and 15 to 20 feet wide. In Arizona it blooms in late spring with pointing lavender flowers. This plant is hardy in USDA zones 7 to 11; it grows where the temperature does not drop below 0 degrees Fahrenheit. Vitex trees can grow throughout Arizona except in the coldest regions in the northeast.

    By Sarah Morse November 4th, 2022 Read More
  • How To Grow Bilberry

    How to Grow Bilberry. Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) grows 6 to 12 inches tall. This small shrub produces edible berries and leaves that, when dried, treat a variety of illnesses. Bilberry plants are closely related to blueberry and huckleberry. They are hardy down to USDA zone 3, which means they grow throughout the United States. In order to grow these plants you must know how to create the right environment for them.

    By Sarah Morse November 4th, 2022 Read More
  • How To Grow Japanese Hulless Popcorn

    How to Grow Japanese Hulless Popcorn. Japanese hulless popcorn is an old variety of popcorn that commercial producers no longer grow. When popped, the kernels are tender and sweet, and the hulls basically disappear. These annual corn plants reach about 5 feet tall and produce three to six 4-inch cobs per plant. At home, these plants require little care to mature properly. Knowledge of how to create the right environment for the popcorn will help you produce a bountiful harvest.

    By Sarah Morse November 4th, 2022 Read More
  • How To Prune A Camphor Tree

    How to Prune a Camphor Tree. Camphor trees are slow-growing evergreen specimens that grow 40 to 50 feet high and 50 to 70 feet wide. Its strong branches and thick, wide canopy leave little to no shade underneath this tree. Its tough roots make it invasive in some areas. In a home landscape, camphor trees often begin to overhang roofs and other places they shouldn't. Knowledge of how to prune these trees properly will help you keep one in your lawn without a problem.

    By Sarah Morse November 4th, 2022 Read More
  • How To Grow Tomatoes Indoors In The Winter

    How to Grow Tomatoes Indoors in the Winter. Tomato plants do not only grow in the summer, but also can produce fruit indoors in the winter. These fruits will be smaller than their outdoor counterparts, but will still pack a tasty punch, good for salads and snacks. Container-grown tomatoes require little extra care than outdoor tomatoes. Knowledge of how to grow these tomatoes and keep them healthy will help you produce fresh, tasty fruits in the dead of the winter.

    By Sarah Morse November 4th, 2022 Read More
  • Celosia Plant Care Instructions

    Celosia Plant Care Instructions. Celosia, also called Cockscomb, blooms in late summer and early fall in brilliant red, orange and yellow flower combs. These annual flowers grow 12 to 36 inches tall and work well as border fronts, clumped plantings or as cut and dried flowers. Celosia is not difficult to care for and actually grows like a weed in some areas. Knowledge of how to create the right environment for the plant, however, will help produce more spectacular blooms.

    By Sarah Morse November 3rd, 2022 Read More
  • How To Grow Avocado Trees From Cuttings

    How to Grow Avocado Trees From Cuttings. Avocado trees can either grow tall and erect, up to 60 feet in height, or low and sprawling. Many different cultivars of the tree exist, but all grow in tropical or near tropical regions of the United States and other parts of the world. Propagation can occur through planting seeds, planting cuttings, layering and grafting. If you already have an avocado tree, rooting cuttings may be the most convenient and cost effective means of creating another avocado tree.

    By Sarah Morse November 3rd, 2022 Read More
  • Butternut Tree Facts

    Butternut Tree Facts. Once grown for its gold-tinged wood and its sweet and buttery nuts, butternut (Juglans cinerea) has become a rarity in yards and in nature. The culprits: over-harvesting and a nasty fungus that leaves no variety -- not even hybrids -- untouched. But if you can find a healthy seedling to plant in an area free of the fungus, the native butternut can grow into a stately and attractive tree 40 to 60 feet tall.

    By Sarah Morse November 3rd, 2022 Read More
  • How To Fix Alkaline Soil

    How to Fix Alkaline Soil. Most plants grow optimally in soil with a pH between 6.0 (slightly acidic) to 7.5 (slightly basic). If you decide to plant an acid-loving plant or the pH of your soil is simply too high to provide the right environment for plants, you may want to lower the pH of your soil. Doing so can also relieve compaction and poor drainage. Knowledge of how to amend your soil so that the pH decreases will help make a more hospitable home for your plants.

    By Sarah Morse November 3rd, 2022 Read More
  • How To Kill Purslane

    How to Kill Purslane. Purslane is a succulent, creeping weed that can grow almost anywhere. It grows from a single taproot, spreading out its stems in a spoke-like fashion. Purslane spreads through the dissemination of hundreds of thousands of seeds per plant which can live in the soil for 40 years. Once established, purslane is difficult, but not impossible, to kill.

    By Sarah Morse November 3rd, 2022 Read More
  • How To Control Woolly Croton

    How to Control Woolly Croton. Woolly croton is an annual invasive weed growing 12 to 36 inches in height. Native to the United States, it can quickly overpower shorter plants in the region. This plant is easily identifiable with a unique aroma and dense hairs on the stems and leaves. This gives the plant a grayish tint. This plant tends to grow in overgrazed pastures and disturbed areas next to riverbeds and roads. In order to control this plant properly, you must know what measures will work.

    By Sarah Morse September 6th, 2022 Read More
  • Wax Leaf Privet: How To Care For Them

    Wax Leaf Privet: How to Care for Them. Wax leaf privets (Ligustrum japonicum), also called Japanese privet, grows 8 to 12 feet tall and up to 25 feet wide. It grows in either shrub or tree form with green, waxy evergreen leaves and flowers that bloom in spring and summer. Black berries follow the flowers and persist through most the season. This plant overwinters down to USDA zone 7, where the temperature stays above 10 degrees F. Knowledge of how to care for this plant give you an attractive addition to your landscape.

    By Sarah Morse September 6th, 2022 Read More
  • How To Prune A Fringe Tree

    How to Prune a Fringe Tree. Fringe tree, also called Chionanthus, is a small, ornamental deciduous tree that grows 12 to 20 feet in height and width. These trees bloom in spring and summer with clusters of white flowers marked by their long, thin petals. Fringe tree is hardy in USDA zones 5 to 9, which means it grows throughout most of the United States. Knowledge of how and when to prune this tree could be useful if you decide to plant a fringe tree.

    By Sarah Morse September 6th, 2022 Read More
  • How To Plant Bittersweet Vines From Seeds

    How to Plant Bittersweet Vines From Seeds. Bittersweet comes in two major varieties: American and Oriental. Oriental bittersweet is considered invasive in most states and will grow out of bounds. American bittersweet is vigorous, climbing everything in its path, but not invasive. Bittersweet is a dioecious vine, which means it needs both a male and a female plant to produce seed. Knowledge of how to harvest and care for this seed will help you grow a healthy bittersweet vine.

    By Sarah Morse September 6th, 2022 Read More
  • How To Propagate Calibrachoa

    How to Propagate Calibrachoa. Calibrachoa, also called million bells, is a cousin of the petunia. It has a more limited color range than petunias, finer foliage, a trailing habit and numerous tiny flowers when in bloom. It is most easily and commonly propagated through vegetative cuttings from existing plants. Knowledge of how to take these cuttings and create the right environment for them will give you new plants.

    By Sarah Morse September 6th, 2022 Read More
  • How To Care For Silver Maple Trees

    How to Care for Silver Maple Trees. Silver maple is a fast-growing tree that can reach over 100 feet tall and live more than 130 years. As a result of its easy establishment, most people grow the tree as an ornamental plant. Silver maple is hardy down to USDA zone 3--where the temperature does not drop below minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit--so can grow almost anywhere in the United States. Growing this tree is not difficult as long as you know how to create the right environment for the silver maple.

    By Sarah Morse September 6th, 2022 Read More
  • Bugs That Eat Pea Plants

    Bugs That Eat Pea Plants. Pea plants, like many other garden plants, are open to insect infestation at almost any stage of growth. To save the plants you must be able to recognize the insects and evidence of their invasion. Early treatment may improve the harvest and even prevent plant death in some cases.

    By Sarah Morse September 6th, 2022 Read More
  • How To Care For Dappled Willow Trees

    How to Care for Dappled Willow Trees. Dappled willow trees, also called Salix integra "Hakuro Nishiki," are some of the smallest willow trees, growing only 4 to 6 feet tall and 4 to 6 feet wide. They are hardy in USDA zones 4 to 8 where the temperature does not drop below minus-10 degrees Fahrenheit. Dappled willows are susceptible to disease and pests and as such require special care to thrive.

    By Sarah Morse September 6th, 2022 Read More