Category: Tropical Style

Also called black sapote, chocolate persimmon (Diospyros digyna) gets its name not only from the rich, brown color of its fruit pulp, but the taste, frequently described as comparable to chocolate pudding. Native to Mexico, Central and South America, chocolate persimmon trees belong to the ebony family. Even suitable for growing in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 10 and 11, the plant may be hard to find commercially. Growth Habit Black or chocolate persimmon grows to approximately 30 feet tall in cultivation, as long as they’re pruned regularly. Left to its own devices, the tree can top 80 feet. An evergreen with attractive, heavily furrowed black bark, chocolate persimmon trees have an erect growth habit with an oval or oval canopy. The tree is dioecious — male trees bear no fruit. Some trees have female or both female and male flowers, allowing them to set fruit. Varieties include…

Lemon trees are a part of the citrus genus of plants, and are prized by home gardeners because of their lush green leaf and juicy, flavorful fruit. Two common varieties found in home gardens are the eureka orange tree (Citrus limon ‘Eureka’) along with also the Meyer orange tree (Citrus limon ‘Meyer’). While both make ideal plants for any Mediterranean landscape, they vary in many ways. Origins The Meyer lemon tree is indigenous to China, but was brought to North America over a century ago, and is thought to be a cross between a lemon tree along with some form of tangerine or orange tree. Eureka lemon trees originated in California from seeds that came from Sicily in the late 1850s. Classification Eureka lemon trees have been classed as true lemons, along with Lisbon lemon trees. Meyer lemon trees, on the other hand, aren’t classified as accurate lemons because they’re…

When planting more than 1 fruit tree, separation is a significant consideration for garden design and fruiting potential of the tree. The type of fruit, the rootstock on which the tree grows and the amount of available space in your garden will all affect the choice of just how far apart to plant your own trees. Apple and Pear Trees Apple and pear trees have been popular fruit trees for your backyard garden. They are typically grown on rootstocks as grafted trees rather than from seeds. These rootstocks impact the minimal spacing between trees more than the variety of apple or pear that grows on it. Dwarf or semi-dwarfing rootstocks are best for the backyard unless only 1 tree is to be planted. Total size trees may require up to 18 feet of spacing between trees, however semi-dwarfing apple rootstocks such as the M.7 and MM.106 can be planted 10…

Though bone meal is sometimes added to the soil around established shrubs, it has been traditionally added to the soil as a natural amendment before planting bulbs of flowers that bloom the following spring. Bone meal is 28 percent phosphorus by weight. Unless your dirt actually needs phosphorus or you’re an organic gardener, weigh the advantages and disadvantages carefully prior to utilizing bone meal. Bone Meal Principles Bone meal doesn’t dissolve in water, but rather it discharges phosphorus gradually as it decays. Phosphorus doesn’t leach from soil easily, which means you may not have to add it. While phosphorus is necessary for plant growth and is one of three chief ingredients included in pesticide formulas, high levels can cause difficulties. Root tips exude acids that allow the penetration of useful fungi. These fungi help plants take in water and nutrients. When phosphorus levels in the soil are too high, the…

Potting soil for garden plants is measured by volume, starting with the feet for large quantities, the dry gallon for moderate quantities along with the dry quart for small quantities. It doesn’t, while you would think a pot would require 4 quarts of potting soil that is sterile, there being 4 quarts to the gallon — it require 3 quarts. Three Dry Quarts Flower pots for garden plants arrive in many different sizes, together with the 1-gallon size a popular selection for many species of flowers and plants. Filling a plant kettle takes of potting soil, 3 quarts. A typical 1-gallon plastic flower pot measures 6.5 inches in diameter and 6.5 inches high. Three dry quarts is equal to one-eighth of a cubic foot. S O 1 cubic foot of potting soil will fill about eight pots. A 12-gallon pot will require 1.5 cubic feet of sterile potting soil. See…

If you’ve had lawn grass problems in the past, your grass will usually repeat the same growing pattern in the spring. As a preventive course of action, you have to apply preemergent herbicides to the yard before the weeds emerge. Preemergent herbicides prevent weed seed germination. Before applying the herbicide, you must maintain your lawn’s health using regular mowing. New Lawns Sensitive grass purifiers require time to set themselves before you apply any preemergent herbicides. In general, your lawn needs to be mowed approximately three times before you use any substances. This enables the grass roots to stretch deeper to the soil for nutrients and moisture when strengthening the grass blades as they mature. Solid grasses contribute to a well-aerated soil structure that offers ample space for the preemergent to spread evenly throughout the lawn, where even deeply embedded bud seeds cling to the chemical program. Established Grass Healthy lawns…

A distant relative to the poinsettia and native of Cuba and the West Indies, the tropical evergreen shrub Jatropha only flourishes in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 10 and 11. Although many species exist under the Jatropha genus, the most popular and commercially accessible cultivar for home gardeners is variously called spicy jatropha, peregrina and firecracker (J. integerrima “Compacta”). Clusters of rose-red flowers appear on the 4- year to 6-foot tree the majority of the year. Tropical Blooms One-inch flowers saturated at a pinkish-red hue are hot jatropha’s most distinguishing attribute. Masses of those flowers, held erect over the foliage, can attract attention to a certain area of the garden. Typically multitrunked, the plant boasts leaves, as long as 7 ins, that could possibly be oblong or fiddle-shaped. Almost as interesting as the blooms, the new foliage comes in purple but turns a bright, shiny green. Butterflies often…

Small ponds provide a number of the very same benefits as a sizable body of water, but without taking up a great deal of room. Adding plants to the pond will create a balanced ecosystem while providing hiding places, food and nesting areas. If the small pond receives six to eight hours or more of sunlight, then pick pond plants that thrive in full sunlight. Marginal Plants Some species of grasslike aquatic plants grow best in the borders or margin of small ponds. Needle spikerush (Eleocharis acicularis) and corcksrew rush (Juncus effusus spiralis) are just two such marginal plants that won’t overtake the small pond with large leaf. Needle spikerush — sometimes called dwarf hairgrass — rises to only about 8 inches tall in shallow water or along the edge of slopes. It provides shelter and protection for tadpoles and small fish. It grows in full sunlight in U.S. Department…

Vines serve many purposes in the landscape and are often valued for their ability to add grace and beauty to a fence. A vine-covered fence provides a degree of solitude for an outdoor space or breaks the monotony of a long, unsightly fence. Typically classified by their scaling habit, vines grow up a fence by clinging, twining or tendrils. Clinging Clinging vines may require a little bit of help initially, as the vines climb by small rootlets that attach themselves to the timber. Once the vine is established, it rises a fence with no advice. Vines suitable for growing a fence comprise Armand’s clematis (Clematis armandii), a hardy perennial vine valued for its stunning blooms. Armand’s clematis, suitable for growing in U.S. Department of Agriculture zones 3 through 9, reaches heights of 15 to 20 feet at maturity. Cross vine (Bignonia capreolata) is a showy vine with trumpet-shaped blooms that…

Erosion is one of the banes of home gardening. Often thought of as a phenomenon which affects beaches and hillsides, vandalism also eliminates dirt from home gardens when conditions are appropriate. Installing shrubs, flowering plants and other plants usually helps keep dirt in place only when they have fibrous root systems. If they’ve taproot systems, your erosion-control campaigns would not have as much success — unless the taproots have extensive lateral roots. Development of Soil Erosion Soil erosion occurs when something carries away soil on a regular basis and the dirt isn’t replaced. As an instance, water may wash dirt down slopes, and wind can blow away dry dirt. The dirt within an erosion area gradually lessens over time, leaving exposed rock or such shallow layers of dirt that planting becomes hard unless topsoil is additional. When water or wind can’t be controlled, then controlling erosion requires stabilizing the dirt…