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Turfgrass breeding is an extensive study that seeks to develop strains that are resistant to pests and disease, drought tolerant, and having other desired traits. It also seeks to develop sustainable grass seed that will diminish negative impacts on soil, resources, and waterways. Eco-friendly grass seed has been a goal of turfgrass specialists for decades, and the products are finally widely available. Some of these eco-friendly seeds are for traditional lawn grass, while others are developed using wild, native grasses....

What Are Pollinizers? The definition of a pollinizer is simple: it is a plant that provides pollen. Some plants provide their own pollen to fertilize flowers and set fruit. Others need a second plant, a pollinizer, to provide the pollen for reproduction. A pollinizer can be a different variety of the same species. It can also be the male version of a dioecious species (male and female reproductive organs in separate flowers on separate plants)....

Allowing for the fact that mushroom growing is often about the beauty of the random and the unique, there are certainly some mushroom varieties you can cultivate happily with minimum fuss and technique. All you need is shade, moisture and time, and pretty soon you’ll be rewarded with some extraordinary culinary creations. It can take anything from a few months to a year or more for the first fruits of your labor, so you will have to be patient....

My yard is mainly filled with ornamental beds, with a few hardy herbs and perennial vegetables nestled among the flowers. Much of my vegetable growing is confined to a generous raised bed, containers, and grow bags. Though my summer vegetables are still being harvested, I have selected my fall crops so I can get planting as soon as possible. Fall is a fantastic time to grow cool-weather crops that will withstand the cold....

The suburban dream home is always pictured with a golf course-worthy green lawn. Especially in America, turf grass is a standard around many homes. But using gravel for yard decor is becoming increasingly popular, as gardeners seek to simplify chores and develop a more sustainable landscape. Any web search turns up tons of gravel front yard ideas that will provide curb appeal and simplicity. And if you can’t stand the thought of such an austere front yard, consider splitting the difference by installing a backyard landscape with gravel....

Store & Preserve Your Rhubarb Harvest The best time to harvest rhubarb is when the stalks have become red, although a few varieties never color up and remain green. It is often made into a sauce, added to cake, quick breads, pies, and more. Only the stalks are safe to eat, as the leaves can be toxic. Rhubarb is high in Vitamin C, fiber, and potassium, as well as being low in carbohydrates and calories....

Can Strawberries Be Grown Hydroponically? Not all crops can be grown hydroponically, but as it turns out strawberries can be cultivated in a greenhouse setting. These operations have gained popularity in countries such as the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. Yet, strawberries are grown mainly outdoors in the US. Although estimates vary, somewhere between 20,000 and 38,000 acres of land in California are dedicated to strawberry production. With so much available land for year-round strawberry production, it’s no wonder the technology for indoor strawberry farming in the US lags behind that of European and Asian countries....

There are two options to mandevilla winter care: allow the plant to go dormant or bring the plant inside to continue to grow. Mandevilla care indoors does require more attention than allowing the plant to go dormant. When indoors, the mandevilla vine light requirements need to be specifically addressed. Read on to learn how to care for your mandevilla through the winter months. About Mandevilla Native to Brazil, mandevilla is noteworthy for its dark green, glossy leaves, vining habit and stunning trumpet shaped blooms....

My Favorite Gardening Book The Ultimate Visual Guide - Flowering Plants contains a wealth of information for gardeners of all experience levels. This 192 page book begins with descriptive pages full of detailed anatomical plant terms. This is where I turn whenever I encounter a complex written description of a plant. From pinnate leaves to funnelform flowers, the clearly labeled illustrations are a must have resource for deciphering written plant descriptions and ultimately identifying unknown species....

Picking Plants That Say ‘I Love You’ I love cut flowers, and my significant other likes to bring those into the house for me. However, he’s also aware that I’m obsessed with living plants, inside and out. So, he’s much more likely to give me a Valentine’s gift of a living plant or some flower bulbs rather than a dozen roses. One year, he gave me a bleeding heart plant; another year, he got a clivia, a relative of amaryllis, that I’ve managed to keep alive for 16 reliably blooming years....

How do you tell the difference between a bee nest vs. wasp nest vs. a hornet’s nest? Despite their similarities, bee or wasp nest identification is pretty simple once you know what you are looking for. Keep reading to find out the answers to “what does a wasp nest look like?” and “what does a hornet’s nest look like?” Difference Between Bee, Wasp and Hornet Species Size is the most obvious distinguishing feature between bees, wasps and hornets....

When to Plant Daffodils? Daffodils are supposed to be planted in the fall. There are two reasons for this. The first is that spring flowering bulbs need a chilling period of about 10 to 13 weeks at temperatures below 40 degrees F. (4 C.) for blooming to commence. The other reason is the bulbs need time to grow roots that will support the growth of foliage and flowers. What happens if the above scenario occurs?...

Not only do plants rely on letting nature take its course in each season, but wildlife depend on a certain amount of ‘wildness’ in order to thrive. Too much human intervention when cleaning up the garden can damage the balance of biodiversity. So, put down your rake and your pruning shears – and find out where you can save valuable energy when performing your winter garden chores. 1. Stop raking leaves Raking the lawn and bagging up all the leaves in the yard feels like something we should do because it looks tidy....

In North Richland Hills the Common Ground Community Garden spans a 1.5 acre area and contains 70 plots, 4 by 20 feet (1.2 x 6 m) each, which are rented to gardeners in this community for a nominal annual fee. Gardening Know How was pleased to award a sponsorship to this well-run garden that’s been functioning successfully for 12 years. Initially a co-operative effort between a local church and the city of North Richland, folks from the local Master Gardening chapter and community volunteers “run the show....

However, as with many other indoor plants, parlor palm houseplants will occasionally become vulnerable to pests, diseases and other problems. Spider mites, scale and mealybugs can often be an issue. Cultural problems may crop up, too, such as an overwatered parlor palm that results in disease. So if you’ve spotted a sudden change in leaf tone or shape, don’t panic. Here are some of the common problems with parlor palms (Chamaedorea elegans) – and the best ways to deal with them....

Plenty of crops can still be grown in cooler weather, and will provide fresh vegetables through the late fall and early winter months. Let’s look at a handful of the most popular, crisp-air loving vegetables being grown by Gardening Know How fans. Click the image below to learn more: Of course, plenty of other vegetables can be successfully grown in cooler months. To dig deeper into vegetable gardening, we invite you to explore our popular guide to veggie gardens....

What is a Drip Irrigation System? Drip irrigation consists of tubing placed above the ground with emitters that slowly drip water into the root system of a plant. The system can get more complex, but the general idea is incredibly simple. Benefits to Drip Irrigation There are a number of benefits to a drip or slow irrigation system. Only drip irrigation is 90% efficient compared to sprinklers which run at 65-75% efficiency....

Check Out Our Staff-Made Projects At Gardening Know How, we’re gardeners just like you. Over the years, many of us have leaned on our love of gardening to decorate our homes, nourish our backyard ecosystem, and make DIY gifts for friends and family. Here are just a few of the projects many of our staff members have taken on themselves. It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year It doesn’t matter what time of year it is, it’s never too early or too late to talk about how Christmas and your gardening knowledge can go hand-in-hand in spreading joy....

acre A area of land totaling 43,560 square feet. activated charcoal Occasionally used to help remove herbicides from the soil. aerate Puncturing the soil to help with water penetration. air layering A method of plant propagation done by cutting into the bark of a plant in order to cause new roots to form. alkaline soil Soil with a pH higher than 7.0. allelopathic Excreting a substance that prevents other plants from growing in a plants vicinity....

hardening off The process for introducing a plant, typically a seedling, to temperatures that are different from that which it is used to Normally refers to moving a plant from indoors to a cooler outdoors. hardiness The measure of how well a plant can survive in different climates and temperatures. hardpan A hard layer of soil that exists below a layer of topsoil. It is difficult to dig and typically, roots have a hard time growing through it and water does not penetrate through it....