TEADSEVENTS – Association

“Hakuro-nishiki” willows provide far more beauty than pussy willows. Think pale leaf-flames of cream, pink and soft green in the springtime, stems barely pink turning brilliant red in the winter, and also a tousled contour moving toward fountain as it matures. The “Hakuro-nishiki” willow (Salix integra “Hakuro Nishiki”), also known as the dappled willow, lights along a sunny corner of your lawn. Dappled willows thrive in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 though 9. Left unchecked, they grow into shrubs 6 feet tall and wide, but you can prune them back in winter.

Prune out all dead branches. These are normally a dark color and simple to recognize. To confirm a branch is dead, slice a thin strip of outer bark with a sharp knife. If the layer beneath is green, then the branch is alive. Cut back dead branches to the point of origin, either the main stem or the ground.

Eliminate genital or broken limbs. Cut out crossing or rubbing branches. Trim all cut branches back to a lateral branch using a diameter of twenty that of the cut branch.

Trim selected tall branches back to ground level each year if you would like a small, compact tree. This keeps the height of the tree and promotes new growth. To maintain the willow even shorter, crown-trim in July, taking off the top third of the branches. Make the cuts in lateral branches and prevent stubs.

Tip-trim that the willow regularly to permit the lush new growth to provide its variegated spring screen. Prune branch tips approximately 6 inches, which makes the cuts over a leaf bud or lateral branch.

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Strawberries, among the absolute most commonly grown fruit in house gardens, all start their lives as fragile white blooms on plants. Proper growing states will encourage more blossoms and thus more fruit, but improper maintenance can significantly impact the following spring’s harvest. Whether your flowering strawberry crops are June-bearing or everbearing, providing the ideal combination of soil, water and sun will maintain top quality of the flowers and fruit.

Plant Forms

June-bearing strawberry crops initiate blossoms when days are short, and they produce a crop of fruit through a 2- to three-week period in the spring. Everbearing strawberries have three phases of flowers and fruit through spring, summer and fall, while day-neutral strawberries blossom and produce fruit throughout the growing season. There is a huge variety of cultivars in every kind of berry plant, but many gardeners choose to plant each of three to extend the growing season.

Flowers

Flowers, or inflorescences, develop from terminal buds on the crown of the strawberry plant and also typically have five sepals and five white petals. Branch crowns, or smaller crowns that branch off from the primary crown, can have one or even two extra flower clusters on each. Poor light, low temperatures and too little water negatively affect the size and health of blossoms and later, the berries. With June-bearing strawberry crops, removing flowers as soon as they look the initial year will encourage runner and root development and a bigger crop the following year. With day-neutral and everbearing plants, remove blossoms through June and abandon the rest thereafter to place fruit for summer and fall harvesting.

Planting

The three procedures for planting flowering strawberries include the matted-row system with plants spaced 18 to 24 inches apart in rows 3 to 4 feet apart, appropriate for June-bearing cultivars; the ribbon-row system, that limits the number of daughter plants and is more labor intensive, but yields more blooms, berry yields and fewer diseases; and the mountain system, where plants have been put around 1 foot apart in multiple rows and all runners are removed, that is acceptable for day-neutral and everbearing cultivars. Berry plants also grow well in containers.

Cultivation

Plant flowering strawberries as soon as the soil can be worked in the spring. The very best place for plants is a sunny place in well-drained, sandy, loam soil with a pH between 5.5 and 7.0. Approximately six weeks after planting and before flowering, apply 2 pounds of 10-10-10 fertilizer for each 100 linear feet of rows, and also utilize another 2 pounds in early September. This will foster the growth and development of blossom and fruit buds. Note that fertilizer needs will vary by region; your county extension office will know the specific kind required for your area. All strawberry plants require about 1 inch of water each week, either by irrigation or rain, to encourage flower growth.

Harvest

The time from blossom bloom to harvest will be different from 18 to 45 days depending on the form of strawberry plant, sunlight and temperatures. Pick berries, together with the caps on and 1/2 inch of stem attached, in the morning when it’s cool and plants are dry to assist prolong berry shelf life. Harvesting vegetables each other day can help boost high-quality. Store harvested berries in temperatures around 33 to 34 degrees Fahrenheit.

Pests and Disorders

Two of the most frequent diseases in flowering strawberry crops are verticillium wilt and botrytis fruit rot, which influences blossom petals, flower stalks, fruit caps and fruit. Insects such as the strawberry bud weevil, which partially severs stems, can also lead to the loss of blossoms. An all-purpose fruit spray may be implemented just as the first blossoms open and at full bloom. Additionally, avoid putting berries in soil where other strawberries, brambles or crops in the tomato family — including potatoes, peppers and eggplants — happen to be developed to prevent verticillium wilt contamination. Eliminate overripe and rotted berries to decrease insect and disease problems.

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The mango (Mangifera indica) is a tropical evergreen tree characterized by a wide, dense layer of leaves, fragrant flowers, and big, thick-skinned fruits that are treasured the world over for their aromatic, sweet taste. If properly cared for in the home garden, mature mango trees are generous with their fruits, bearing prolific amounts. A variety of kinds of mango tree sprays are available that work to help increase overall plant health and fruit yield, in addition to protect the tree from harmful bacterial diseases.

Nutritional Sprays

Mango trees growing in less than perfect soils, such as rocky, calcareous soils, could benefit greatly from an yearly foliar increase of nutrition. For the tree’s initial four to five decades, apply a pre-mixed foliar spray that contains vital nutrients such as zinc, copper, manganese, and boron (a nutrient that helps blossom and fruit production). Following the initial five decades or so, apply a spray that only contains zinc and manganese, with low levels of boron if needed. Trees grown in neutral or acidic dirt may benefit from nutritional sprays of copper and boron in an “as required” basis.

Organic Sprays

For those who prefer organic methods, seaweed tonic is just a mild choice that may be sprayed on mango trees to strengthen tree health, prevent pests and help inhibit diseases such as mildew and blight. There’s little risk of accidentally harming the tree from over-applying seaweed tonic. It may be made readily by putting raw cedar in a bucket of rainwater with a loose lid and leaving it for 2 weeks to a year. After at least three weeks, then pour the seaweed water to a spray can and implement to the leaves.

Fungicide Sprays

Mango trees are notoriously susceptible to powdery mildew and anthracnose, fungal pathogens that wreak havoc on new flowers and fruits. If applied before infection sets in, fungicide sprays may be effective at preventing fungicide. Fungicide will not work if applied after the fungus is present. The fungicide should include copper and sulfur, and also be applied twice to young panicles: the very first time, once the panicles are all about half-mature, and 10 to 21 days later.

Flower-Inducing Sprays

Chemical flower-inducing sprays may be used to encourage higher fruit yields. Fruits are often bigger when the tree is sprayed with flower-inducing sprays. Select a spray that includes potassium nitrate, which gives the tree its required dosage of potassium, or a spray that includes potassium nitrate. Flower-inducing sprays shouldn’t be used on trees that are unhealthy or under ten years old. As with other sprays, it’s rendered ineffective if applied during rainy weather.

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Possessing an uneven yard can interfere with landscaping plans. High spots often cause problems while mowing the grass and may have a negative impact on drainage as well. Eliminating high spots requires a redistribution of the soil that makes them up, but care must be taken so that you don’t bury the nutrient-rich topsoil that your grass and other plants will grow best in. You can also use this as an chance to incorporate organic material to your topsoil or boost your soil drainage.

Eliminate the grass in the high spot and surrounding regions with a shovel or other implements. Dig out the topsoil layer, removing up to 6 to 8 inches of soil and putting it in a stack for later use.

Till the exposed dirt to a depth of 6 inches. Remove any bits of plants, plants and rocks larger than one inch in diameter that you encounter while tilling.

Rake the soil having a heavy rake to smooth it and match the caliber of the backyard. Roll the dirt having a lawn roller to better identify uneven areas, raking or tilling them more as essential.

Cover the tilled and leveled area with the topsoil that you previously eliminated, raking the soil again to spread the topsoil evenly over the region.

Sow grass seed over the ground or lay sod to cover the bare dirt.

Run your yard roller above the ground again, pushing the seeds to the dirt or settling the sod over the newly leveled area.

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