‘Mojito’ elephant ear (Colocasia esculenta), aka taro plant, has become a new favorite in the Conlon garden where it is not dependably winter hardy (Zone 6b). According to Tony Avent at Plant Delights Nursery in Raleigh, NC, tubers are dependably winter hardy in zones 7b -10. ‘Mojito’ (pronounced “Mo-he-toe”) is a sport of […]
Archive for the ‘Soil pH’ Category
‘Mojito’ Elephant Ear Is A Tropical Joy
Posted by Hugh on April 24th, 2016
Posted in acidic soil, Colocasia, compost, Container growing, Disease resistant, Fertilizing plants, Foliage plant, Landscape ideas, mulching, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, Tropical Plants (non-hardy), watering tips, Wind protection, winter hardiness, Winter Protection 
Comments Off on ‘Mojito’ Elephant Ear Is A Tropical JoyAutumn Fern Changes With The Seasons
Posted by Hugh on March 1st, 2016
Ferns are fine textured lacey-leaf groundcovers. Many kinds of ferns add a tropical accent to the shade garden. Autumn fern (Dryopteris erythrosora), aka Japanese wood fern, has evergreen or semi-evergreen arching foliage, depending how cold it gets in winter (USDA hardiness zones 5 to 8). Its common name is misleading. Best frond colors are in spring; the fronds unfurl […]
Posted in acidic soil, Autumn fern (Dryopteris), Autumn foliage color, Disease resistant, Ferns, Ground cover, mulching, Native Plant, plant nutrition, Planting tips, Propagation (dividing), Propagation (Seed), Pruning, Soil drainage, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips, winter hardiness Comments Off on Autumn Fern Changes With The SeasonsPetunias For Nearly Every Garden
Posted by Hugh on January 21st, 2016
Petunias (Petunia x hybrida) are top performing summer flowering annuals. There are hundreds of colorful varieties to beautify any flower bed or container garden. Petunias are divided into three basic types: Grandiflora petunias grow 8-12 inches tall and 8-10 inches spread; they start out upright branched and bear large size 4 to 5 inch wide blooms. Ideal for flower […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting Butterflies, Autumn flowering, Bee Favorite, Container garden, deadheading, Disease resistant, Fertilizing plants, Flowers, Ground cover, Mowing, Petunias, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (Seed), Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, watering tips Comments Off on Petunias For Nearly Every GardenSoil pH- What’s It All About
Posted by Hugh on January 18th, 2016
Soil pH is an indicator of the relative abundance of hydrogen (H⁺) ions and hydroxyl (OHˉ) ions in garden soils (Table 1). These ions play a very important part of soil fertility and a plant’s ability to absorb nutrients from the soil. The pH scale runs from 1 (highest acidity) to 14 […]
Posted in acidic soil, alkaline soil, Blueberries, Fertilizing plants, Garden Maintenance, plant nutrition, Rhododendrons, Soil drainage, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region Comments Off on Soil pH- What’s It All AboutAmerican Holly For Year-round Interest
Posted by Hugh on December 22nd, 2015
American Holly (Ilex opaca) is a pyramidal evergreen tree that deserves to be planted more for multiple reasons. It is native to the eastern and central U. S. and is easily identified by its spiny green leaves (USDA hardiness zones 5 to 9). It grows slowly to 15 to 35 feet, sometimes taller. The leathery, deep […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Bee Favorite, Deer resistant, Drought tolerant, Evergreen, Fertilizing plants, Green Privacy Screen, Heat Tolerance, Ilex (hollies), Leaf miner, Mites, Native Plant, Ornamental fruit, Planting tips, Poisonous or toxic, Propagation (Cuttings), Propagation (Seed), Soil drainage, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, Wildlife attractant, Wind protection, Winter Garden Interest, winter hardiness Comments Off on American Holly For Year-round InterestGrowing Calamondin Orange
Posted by Hugh on December 18th, 2015
Calamondin (Citrofortunella mitis) hails from China and is hardy to 20 ºF in temperate regions. It prospers outdoors in Florida, central and southern Texas, and Southern California gardens. Its sweetly fragrant flowers develop into edible ornamental fruits beginning in late fall. Small 1-2 inch diameter orange fruits are highly decorative as an indoor house plant. Calamondin can be […]
Posted in acidic soil, Aphids, Bee Favorite, Calamondin Orange, Container garden, Container growing, Fertilizing plants, Fragrant, Mealy bugs, Mite susceptible, Mites, Ornamental fruit, Pesticide recommendations, Planting tips, Pruning, Purchasing Plants, Repotting plants, Scale, Soil drainage, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Tropical Plants (non-hardy), watering tips, winter hardiness, Winter Protection Comments Off on Growing Calamondin OrangeWhat’s In Your Garden Soil
Posted by Hugh on December 10th, 2015
There are two basic rules in gardening: 1. the right plant in the right place, and 2. properly feeding the soil that nourishes the plants. Many problems in lawns and gardens can be avoided if the gardener knows what the fertility and pH of the soil is. What is soil pH? It is a measure of the soil acidity […]
Posted in acidic soil, acidify soil, alkaline soil, applying sulfur, compost, Fertilizing plants, Garden Maintenance, mulching, organic gardening, plant nutrition, Soil drainage, Soil pH, Soil Testing, Southern Appalachian Region Comments Off on What’s In Your Garden SoilWidely Planted Norway Spruce
Posted by Hugh on December 7th, 2015
Norway spruce (Picea abies) is a large pyramidal evergreen conifer. It is native to the mountains of northern and central Europe where it often matures to 100 feet or more in height. In the cool temperate areas of the U.S. and Canada, Norway spruce is widely planted, typically reaching 50 to 80 feet tall at maturity (USDA hardiness […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Christmas tree, container shrub, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Evergreen, Mites, Planting tips, Privacy Screen, Propagation (Seed), Propagation(grafting), Purchasing Plants, Soil drainage, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Spruces (Picea spp.), Trees & Shrubs, Winter Garden Interest, winter hardiness Comments Off on Widely Planted Norway SpruceWinterberry Holly Brightens Winter Scene
Posted by Hugh on November 12th, 2015
To escape from dreary days this winter, brightened up your landscape with deciduous hollies. Among a long, long list of deciduous holly species, winterberry holly (Ilex verticillata) is the superior choice (USDA hardiness zones 3-9). Inconspicuous white blooms in spring are followed by red, orange, or yellow berries in fall. Compared to their evergreen […]
Posted in acidic soil, Attracting birds, Bee Favorite, container shrub, Deer resistant, Disease resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant, Fertilizing plants, Ilex (hollies), Native Plant, Ornamental fruit, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Soil drainage, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Summer heat tolerant, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, winter hardiness, Winterberry holly Comments Off on Winterberry Holly Brightens Winter SceneMy Search Continues For A Hardy Gardenia
Posted by Hugh on July 3rd, 2015
The longer you garden, many plant species keep improving, including their winter hardiness. A few years ago, growing gardenias (Gardenia jasminoides) in a U.S. zone 6 garden was a dream. Today, hardy gardenias are a safe bet in zone 7 or in zone 6 in a protected area of […]
Posted in acidic soil, Fertilizing plants, Fragrant, Gardenia, mulching, Planting tips, Propagation (Cuttings), Pruning, Soil drainage, Soil pH, Southern Appalachian Region, Spring flowering, Trees & Shrubs, watering tips, winter hardiness, winter injury, Winter Protection Comments Off on My Search Continues For A Hardy Gardenia
