Plum yews (Cephalotaxus harringtonia) are evergreen needle conifers which flourish in the heat and humidity of the Southeastern U.S. (USDA hardiness zones 6-9). Likely, the groundcover forms are hardier to zone 5-b if protected by snow cover or surrounding vegetation from dry winter winds. Plum yews are native to China, Korea and Japan. Many people […]
Archive for the ‘Garden Maintenance’ Category
Deer Don’t Feed On Plum Yews
Posted by Hugh on December 10th, 2012
Posted in acidic soil, container shrub, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, DWARF CONIFERS, Evergreen, Evergreens, Ground cover, Pruning, Southern Appalachian Region, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, winter hardiness 
Comments Off on Deer Don’t Feed On Plum Yews‘Beni kawa’ Japanese Maple for Winter Bark Color
Posted by Hugh on December 10th, 2012
Beni kawa Japanese maple (Acer palmatum ‘Beni kawa’) is a smaller version of the popular coral bark maple ‘Sango kaku’. It was introduced by Greer Gardens Nursery in Oregon in 1987. ‘Beni kawa’ matures to 12-15 feet tall and 8-10 feet wide, compared to 20-25 feet tall for ‘Sango kaku’. Both cultivars form a vase-shaped branched small […]
Posted in acidic soil, compost, Japanese maple, Maples (Acer), mulching, Planting tips, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, watering tips, Winter bark, winter hardiness Comments Off on ‘Beni kawa’ Japanese Maple for Winter Bark ColorFranky Boy Arborvitae
Posted by Hugh on December 5th, 2012
Franky Boy oriental arborvitae (Platycladus orientalis ‘Franky Boy’ [syn Thuja orientalis]) is a dwarf evergreen conifer currently in hot demand among collectors. What immediately catches your eye is its thread-like foliage which changes color from one season to the next. Its evergreen foliage adds a fine textured look to the landscape. The new spring growth […]
Posted in acidic soil, Arborvitae (Thuja spp.), compact shrub, Disease resistant, DWARF CONIFERS, Evergreen, Evergreens, Heat Tolerance, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, Uncategorized, watering tips, winter hardiness, winter injury, Winter Protection Comments Off on Franky Boy ArborvitaeBlossom End Rot Affecting Your Vegetables?
Posted by Hugh on December 1st, 2012
The bottom side of your tomato fruits appears to be rotting? The problem is not a disease, but a calcium disorder called “blossom end rot of tomatoes”. This nutritional malady also affects squash, pepper, eggplant, melon, and cucumber. There are 3 causes for calcium deficiency: 1.) a deficiency of available calcium in your garden soil, 2.) inadequate […]
Posted in Cucumbers, Disease prone, Eggplant, Fruits & Vegetables, Melons, mulching, Pepper, plant nutrition, Southern Appalachian Region, Squash, Tomato, watering tips Comments Off on Blossom End Rot Affecting Your Vegetables?Are You Growing A Thanksgiving or Christmas Cactus?
Posted by Hugh on November 27th, 2012
If your “Christmas cactus” is blooming on Thanksgiving Day, it is likely not a true Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera x buckleyi) which flowers a month or more later. Thanksgiving cactus (S. truncata) is frequently sold as “Christmas cactus”. Holiday shoppers often decorate with what’s in the store after Thanksgiving and the plants are frequently mislabeled. Christmas […]
Posted in Autumn flowering, Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera), Failure to Bloom, Fertilizing plants, Interior (house) Plants, Potting Mix, Purchasing Plants, Repotting plants, Tropical Plants (non-hardy) Comments Off on Are You Growing A Thanksgiving or Christmas Cactus?‘Sweet Tea’ Heucherella Offers Year-round Foliage Color Splash
Posted by Hugh on November 24th, 2012
Heucherella or foamy bells is a hybrid derived from crossing U.S. native foamflower, (Tiarella spp.), with coral bell (Heuchera villosa), another U.S. native. Terra Nova Nurseries, a wholesale grower in Oregon, has introduced several of these hybrids. Heucherellas bring out the best traits of both parents. Their small creamy white, bell-shaped flowers open in late […]
Posted in acidic soil, Butterflies, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Evergreen, Ground cover, Heat Tolerance, Heucherella (foamy bells), Perennials, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips Comments Off on ‘Sweet Tea’ Heucherella Offers Year-round Foliage Color Splash‘Morgan’ Oriental Arborvitae
Posted by Hugh on November 20th, 2012
When dwarf conifer hobbiests visit one another’s gardens, they discover new plants, some which later show up in their own landscape. Morgan oriental arborvitae (Platycladus orientalis ‘Morgan’) has become very popular among collectors living in the southeast and mid-Atlantic regions. Morgan arb is a fairly slow-growing, typically 5 inches or less per year. It provides […]
Posted in acidic soil, Arborvitae (Thuja spp.), compact shrub, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, DWARF CONIFERS, Evergreen, Fertilizing plants, Heat Tolerance, plant nutrition, Planting tips, Potting Mix, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering hydrangeas, winter hardiness Comments Off on ‘Morgan’ Oriental ArborvitaePromising New American Chestnuts Arriving
Posted by Hugh on November 17th, 2012
Chestnut blight (Diaporthe parasitica Murrill) was first discovered in the Bronx Zoo in 1904. By 1911 the headline in The New York Times read – “All Chestnut Trees Here Are Doomed”. Over the next half century, the pandemic eliminated four billion trees. Today, the airborne bark fungus still persists in the soil and on diseased […]
Posted in acidic soil, Chestnut, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Large Shade trees, Native Plant, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs Comments Off on Promising New American Chestnuts ArrivingAutumn Best Planting Time For Spring-blooming Dogwoods
Posted by Hugh on November 13th, 2012
“Autumn is the season to plant dogwoods”, according to the University of Tennessee Dogwood Research Team. Newly planted dogwoods (Cornus spp.) can establish their roots in the still warm soil and be ready to handle next spring and summer’s heat and dry spells. Over the past 20 years the UT Dogwood Team has released six […]
Posted in acidic soil, Disease resistant, Dogwood (Cornus), Drought tolerant, Native Plant, Ornamental fruit, Planting tips, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips Comments Off on Autumn Best Planting Time For Spring-blooming DogwoodsSugar Maple Is A Four Star Autumn Attraction
Posted by Hugh on November 9th, 2012
Sugar maple (Acer saccharum) is a native deciduous tree often planted as a large shade or street tree. It commonly grows 60 to 75 feet (and taller) with a dense rounded foliage canopy. Native to central and eastern North America regions, sugar maple grows best in fertile, mildly acidic, moist well-drained soils and in full […]
Posted in acidic soil, Heat Tolerance, Large Shade trees, Maples (Acer), Native Plant, Planting tips, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips Comments Off on Sugar Maple Is A Four Star Autumn Attraction
