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Trees & Houseplants : Home & Garden

How to Breed Knockout Roses

The Knock Out rose has earned a reputation for being an easy-to-grow rosebush. This rose is a wise choice for first-time rose growers due to its disease resistance, its hardiness, and its blooming longevity: It blooms continually except during a hard frost. The shrublike Knock Out rose offers many b

How to Propagate Wild Raspberry Plants

Raspberries are one of the delights of summer.raspberry image by AGphotographer from Fotolia.comRaspberries grow easily in the wild, spreading like wildfire in the right conditions. If you'd like to tame some of these deciduous plants, there are three ways to propagate them. When...

Different Kinds of Social Traps

Psychologist John Platt first asserted the idea of social traps in a 1973 paper titled after the concept. A social trap is any scenario in which an option yields immediate rewards, but future undesired consequences. As Platt theorized, an individual's actions could bring eventual harm to himself (on

Japanese Maple Companion Shrubs

Japanese maples (Acer palmatum) grow in a wide range of colors, shapes and sizes, but all share similar cultural requirements. These ornamental trees are hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 to 8 and tolerate average annual low temperatures to minus 20 degrees F. Japanese

What Are the Causes of Brown Tips on Green Leaf Plants?

There are a number of causes for brown spots to appear on green leaf plants. These may include disease, insects, dehydration or a combination of the three. You can better the appearance of your plants by knowing what to look for.

Disease-Resistant Vegetable Plants

Disease-resistant vegetables increase your chances of growing a successful garden.Basket of Garden Vegetables image by Karin Lau from Fotolia.comPlanting disease-resistant vegetable varieties increases your chances of growing a successful garden; however, under favorable environmental...

How to Prune a Kiwi Vine

Kiwis are perennial, creeping vines. Unchecked, they will grow into wild, unmanageable tangles. Kiwi vines grow vigorously; if you keep them pruned, they will reward you with large crops of fruit. Both fuzzy (tropical) kiwi and hardy kiwi have similar growth and fruiting habits. To make pruning and

How to Grow Dwarf Apple Trees

Dwarf apple trees are a great way to grow apples in a small space. However, size is not the only advantage they offer gardeners. Dwarf apple trees are also easier to prune, spray and harvest. They also bear fruit easier--in just 3 or 4 years as opposed to 7 or 8 years for standard apple trees. Dwarf

Can Geraniums Be Grown From Cuttings?

Bright geraniums perk up a summer garden. These colorful annuals are some of the most popular flowering plants because they grow easily in full sun and don't require much water. If you'd like more geraniums in your garden, or if you'd like to overwinter a favorite cultivar, it is easy to start new p

Black Hills Spruce Diseases

Black hills spruce, a variety of white spruce, occurs naturally in the wild and is native to South Dakota. The spruce tree can grow 30 to 60 feet tall and 15 to 25 feet wide at the top, or crown, of the tree. Vigilance and proper care of black hills spruce can help reduce the chances of...

How to Grow Bulbs on Top of Rocks

Forcing spring bulbs encourages the plants to bloom indoors earlier in spring than they would normally flower outdoors. Daffodils, tulips and narcissus are just a few varieties of bulbs that force well. If you don't plan to replant the bulbs to the garden after flowering, you can plant them in a dis

How to Propagate Paulownia

According to the Ohio State University Master Gardener, most plants are reproduced through the sexual propagation of seed. This type of propagation is often the easiest way to produce large numbers of plants. The Paulownia (Emperor Tree) is a fast-growing tree with colorful, trumpet-shaped flowers t

What Is the March Flower?

Like birthstones, every month of the year has a designated flower. The flower for the month of March is the daffodil. These cheerful bulbs bloom in early spring before tree leaves emerge, chasing away winter doldrums with bright splashes of yellow, white, peach and pink. The strap-shaped leaves emer

When to Prune Walnut Trees

Walnut trees are a beautiful addition to any yard or orchard, but their size and vigor require yearly pruning. Following a few basic pruning guidelines, you can keep your walnut tree manageable, healthy and full of fruit.

How to Grow Jersey Tomatoes

Jersey tomatoes are tart, firm, deep red tomatoes with smooth flesh and juicy meat. Jersey tomato varieties are similar to beefsteak tomatoes and produce medium to large fruits. Ramapo types produce fruit within 80 days and are resistant to fruit cracking, Verticillium wilt and Fusarium wilt. Moreto

Mendenhall Valley Water Features

The Mendenhall Valley is northwest of Alaska's capital city, Juneau. The valley is home to lakes and streams that invite hikers, birdwatchers, photographers, campers and fishermen to spend time out in the Alaskan wilderness. One of its most well-known water features is a glacier that is still an imp

How Air Pressure Is Needed to Keep Water out of a Sealed Enclosure

Underground telephone cables are sealed enclosures. Keep them dry and they will function properly. Any moisture that penetrates the enclosure causes noise on the line and eventual line failure. Repairing and replacing underground cables is expensive and time-consuming. The use of air pressure is a m

When Are Black Raspberries in Season?

Black raspberries (Rubus occidentalis) resemble blackberries (Rubus), but they are two different fruits. Black raspberries grow in a round, clustered shape, while blackberries are arranged more like chandeliers. The undersides of black raspberry leaves and the stems of the plant are white. Begin har