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What Makes Tomatoes Have Thick Skin? There are typically three things that can cause tomatoes with tough skins. These things are: Variety Watering Temperature Tomato Variety Causes Tough Tomato Skin The most common reason for thick tomato skins is simply variety. Some varieties of tomatoes just have thicker skins, and mostly for good reason. Roma tomatoes, plum tomatoes, and crack resistant tomato varieties will naturally have thick tomato skins. Roma tomatoes and plum tomatoes have thick skins partially because they have been bred that way....

When to Transplant Neomarica Walking Iris Walking iris is a sturdy plant that tolerates transplantation nearly any time during the growing season. Many people prefer to divide the plant in autumn; however, if you live in a cold climate, it’s a good idea to get the job done a couple of months before the first freeze. This allows time for the roots to settle in before the advent of cold weather....

Travelers Palm Hardiness Travelers palm is definitely a tropical plant, suitable for growing in the warm climates of USDA plant hardiness zones 10 and 11. Travelers palm plants may survive in zone 9, but only if they are well protected in the event of occasional frost. How to Grow a Travelers Palm Travelers palm plants tolerate sandy and clay-based soils but prefer moist, rich soil. Although the plant is relatively disease resistant, a well-drained planting site produces the healthiest growth....

Armillaria Root Rot on Apples Armillaria root rot is caused by several fungal pathogens of the species Armillaria. These fungi can be relentless and stealthy, making it hard to know if you have an infection unless you’ve been watching very closely. Ultimately, Armillaria will kill most trees and woody plants it comes in contact with, so it is not a disease to ignore. It can linger in infected stumps and large pieces of underground roots for years or decades, sending out long, reddish brown, shoestring-like rhizomorphs in search of new trees to infect....

Volutella Blight Symptoms Initial symptoms, which appear in early spring, frequently resemble winter injury. Volutella blight symptoms begin with delayed emergence of new growth and patches of wilted, discolored, yellow, red, or bronze leaves that gradually increase in size before turning black and falling from the plant. Greenish brown, water-soaked cankers girdle the stems, causing the plant to shrivel and wilt as the cankers turn dark black or brown. Pinkish fungal spores often appear during humid weather....

Should I Prune My Lobelia? Yes. Cutting back lobelia plants improves their appearance and health. It also encourages the plant to produce more flowers over a longer period of time. The three types of pruning that benefit lobelia plants are removing spent flowers, pinching, and cutting back. When to Trim Lobelia The timing depends on the type of pruning. Pinching is an early spring task. Pinch back newly emerging stems when they are about six inches (15 cm....

Types of Bergenia for Gardens Bergenia is a perennial, hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9, that grows best in dry, shady locations. Yes, I did say dry shade, which is a particularly difficult condition for plants. However, bergenia thrives in these sites where most plants struggle. Another bonus is that deer and snails rarely graze on bergenia plants. Bergenia produces thick, leathery, semi-evergreen to evergreen foliage which they find unpalatable....

Choosing Poppies for the Garden Poppies belong to the Papaveraceae family and are represented by many different species and varieties of poppy. Some species of Papaveraceae grow wild and are weed-like in appearance, and others are shrubs. When trying to choose flowering poppies for the garden, we can narrow the choice by focusing on some of the more popular types of poppies: Corn Poppy Corn poppy (Papaver rhoeas) is an easy-to-grow annual that blooms in spring or early summer....

Will Tomatoes Ripen if Picked Green? Tomatoes are a conundrum. For one thing, they are often used as a vegetable but are actually a fruit. While this fruit can be eaten when green it is most often used when the skin turns red and the flesh inside is sweet and juicy. It isn’t always feasible to harvest at tomatoes’ peak ripeness. In this case, will they ripen after picking? The answer is yes....

Veggies, Herbs, and Flowers The idea of mixing edible crops with ornamental plantings was once frowned upon. However, grouping veggies, herbs, and flowers together is a great way to add interesting textures and colors to the garden. Mixing vegetables and herbs with flowers creates year-round interest. Many gardeners also prefer to mix these plants to camouflage and repel pests. Choosing Edible Landscape Plants When adding edible landscape plants to flower gardens, consider the overall look of each plant and choose those that complement one another as well as those sharing the same growing requirements....

So what do weeds tell you about your soil? Read on to learn about weed soil indicators and soil conditions for weeds. Soil Conditions for Weeds Growing in Your Garden Several weeds like different growing conditions and are not strictly limited to one certain soil type. Here are the most common soil conditions for weeds: Alkaline soil – Soil with a pH higher than 7.0 is considered to be alkaline, also known as “sweet” soil....

Conifers of the Western States Conifers in California and other western states make up a large percentage of the forests, particularly in the higher elevations and across the Sierra Nevada mountains. Many conifers can be found near the coast as well. The largest conifer family is the pine (Pinus) family including pine, spruce, and fir. Many species of pine are found among western region conifers. These trees have foliage that looks like needles and develop seed cones looking like scales whorled about a central axis....

Aquatic crypts have been a popular aquarium plant for several decades. Some exotic crypt aquatic plants are difficult to locate, but many are easy-to-grow species in a variety of colors and readily available in most aquarium stores. Cryptocoryne Plant Information Aquatic crypts are hardy, adaptable plants ranging in color from deep forest green to pale green, olive, mahogany, and pink with sizes ranging from 2 inches (5 cm.) to 20 inches (50 cm....

Why Grow Perennial Legumes? What are perennial legumes? Legumes, plants that belong to the family Fabaceae, are grown specifically for their seeds. Beans and peas are the most well-known legumes, but the legume family also includes many others, such as: Alfalfa Lentils Chickpeas Mesquite Soybeans Clover Peanuts Agriculturally, legumes are valued cover crops for their ability to fix nitrogen in the soil. This ages-old technique, which involves growing plants in fall and winter before plowing them into the soil in spring, is also used by home gardeners....

What are Runner Peanuts? Runner type peanuts are the most popular peanuts in America. They rose to prominence in the early 1970’s with the introduction of a new variety called the Florunner. The Florunner quickly took off and it and other runner peanuts have since grown to make up the majority of cultivated peanuts, beating out the other major variety, bunching peanuts. Runner peanut varieties are popular for a few reasons....

What are Spring Peas? The Spring pea variety is a shelling pea. There are several other types of peas that are early producers but only this cultivar is called Spring pea. By all accounts, this is one of the sweetest pea varieties available. This is an easy-to-grow, low maintenance plant that offers a lot of flavor and yield. The pea Spring plant is a medium sized variety with heart-shaped leaves and classic legume flowers....

Tree Rose Info A hardy rootstock such as Dr. Huey is trained up to provide the “tree trunk” for the tree rose. A rose bush of the desired variety is grafted to the top of the cane. The David Austin tree roses are created using Dr. Huey rootstock with three of the desired rose bush buds grafted onto each 3-foot (1 m.) cane stem. The folks at Jackson & Perkins tell me that they use an aggressive fibrous rootstock for their tree roses that they developed, and it is called “RW....

Tricolor Kiwi Information Tricolor kiwi is a fast-growing perennial vine that is hardy in zones 4-8. It can reach heights of 12-20 feet (3.5-6 m.) with a spread of about 3 feet (91.5 cm.). In the garden, it needs a strong structure to climb up, such as a trellis, fence, arbor, or pergola. Some gardeners train tricolor kiwi into a tree form by selecting one main vine as the trunk, pruning any low vines that sprout from this trunk, and allowing the plant to bush out only at the desired height....

What is Chelated Iron? Symptoms of iron deficiency in plants can include chlorotic foliage, stunted or malformed new growth and leaf, bud or fruit drop. Usually, symptoms do not progress more than just discoloration of the foliage. Iron deficient leaves will be green veined with a mottled yellow color in the plant tissues between the veins. Foliage may also develop brown leaf margins. If you have foliage that looks like this, you should give the plant some iron....

What is Hypertufa? Hypertufa is a lightweight, porous material used in craft projects. It is made from a mixture of peat moss, Portland cement, and either sand, vermiculite, or perlite. After mixing the ingredients together, they are molded into shape and allowed to dry. Hypertufa projects are limited only by your imagination. Garden containers, ornaments, and statuary are just a few of the items you can fashion from hypertufa. Check flea markets and thrift stores for inexpensive items to use as molds and let your imagination run wild....