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Maiden grass (Miscanthus sinensis) is a type of ornamental grass that is often used in landscaping. These plants are easy to grow and they generally require low maintenance. Maiden grass grows well in full-sun locations and has a good tolerance to drought. These grasses are native to eastern Asia and most varieties grow well in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 to 9.
Ornamental grasses are an attractive form of landscape decorating, especially in areas with poor soils and less than ideal rainfalls. Wheat grasses are used largely for hay and pasture land, but also have their place in home landscaping as an ornamental grass. These grasses add texture and color to your lawn, prevent soil erosion, are low-maintenance and feed local wildlife like birds and squirrels throughout the fall and winter.
Advanced Genetics Inc., more commonly known as AGI, is an Ohio-based crop-development company specializing in agricultural varieties for that region. The company's catalog of products includes both conventional and Roundup Ready soybeans as well as a number of wheat varieties. The wheat varieties all fall into the broad category soft red winter wheat and are identified by a number system rather than variety names.
Dormant seeding is a gardening practice that helps people in temperate climates have lush, green lawns earlier in the season than usual. Golf courses have practiced dormant seeding for decades. However, dormant seeding is not a guarantee that you will have a green lawn.
Considered a classic breakfast food, oatmeal also benefits the outside of your body. The form of oatmeal that works the best in baths is known as colloidal oatmeal or Avena sativa (oat) kernel meal. This form of oatmeal is simply oatmeal that is ground into a flour, allowing the product to dissolve and float in the water instead of sinking straight to the bottom. The flour-like texture allows the oatmeal to colloid in water, providing beneficial treatment for minor skin problems.
Buffalo grass (Buchloe dactyloides) is as tough as the animals it was named for, surviving through drought, extreme heat and cold. This fast-growing grass not only provides grazing for livestock but is also useful as a low-maintenance, low-cost lawn grass. Bowie and Cody buffalo grasses were developed by the Native Turf Group and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Dormancy means that a seed is in a state that prevents it from germinating. Even if the seed is in favorable conditions, which lead to germination, it still doesn't germinate. There are various stages of seed dormancy, ranging from extremely dormant to very non-dormant. An assortment of factors can affect the germination of a seed including light, water, gasses, temperature, seed coats, mechanical limitations and hormone structures.
Crabgrass is a worldwide weed problem. It can be found throughout the United States and many other temperate and tropical regions of the world. In order to control this weedy pest successfully, you must understand the plant's life cycle and how the seeds germinate. Crabgrass killer will be more effective when applied to coincide with certain stages of the life cycle.
Hay is made by drying the top part of grass stalks. It can be used to feed livestock or in gardening as mulch. Different varieties of grass, when dried, will make different types of hay. There are many varieties of grass in California that can be made into hay.
Fescue is a bunch-type grass, which means it grows upright and slowly spreads in bunches. It is important for gardeners to understand the spreading and growing habits of fescue grass. Growing habits of this cool-season grass may determine if it is right for your lawn or whether there is an underlying problem.
Gourds are in the same family as pumpkins and squashes, grow on vines and are cultivated worldwide. They grow in a wide range of shapes, colors and sizes and are used for both decorative and practical purposes. There are three main types of gourd, each with specific uses.
Alfalfa is native to Iran and has been grown in the United States since the 1700s. It is popular because of its high nutritional value and productivity. Alfalfa can be used for hay, for foraging animals and even for soil conservation. Growing alfalfa is easy if you know what it needs at every stage.
White clover (Trifolium repens L.) is an herbaceous perennial plant native to Europe, Africa and Asia. This cool season plant is widely cultivated in pasturelands throughout North America and New Zealand during the spring and summer. In warmer climates, white clover acts like an annual and has a shorter growing season. White clover comes in a wide assortment of species; however, each variety is almost identical with the exception of a difference in size.
Bunting is typically used to celebrate the fourth of July or other patriotic events. It refers to fans (which can be made out of plastic, fabric or paper) that follow a red, white and blue pattern or rectangular borders decorated with red, white and blue or the American flag. Bunting is quite simple to fold and very easy to hang and take down, making it a great decoration to use during your patriotic festivities.
Broccoli varieties can be split into groups based on when the plants produce heads or how large the heads are. Many hybrid broccoli varieties combine heat tolerance with other desirable traits like tenderness, early budding and disease resistance for broccoli plants that will produce reliably.
Wheatgrass is a name given to grasses of a few different genera. Some, like the genus Triticum, are grown for human consumption. Others, like tall wheatgrass, are used for hay and grazing. Navigating the waving world of wheatgrass can be tricky but if you have a purpose in mind, you'll be able to decide which variety is right for you.
U.S., Department of Agriculture Plant Hardiness Zone 6 is a warm climate where the choice of grasses and care of your yard is important to your lawn's health. In creating and maintaining a healthy lawn year after year, the most important factors are understanding what grasses benefit from overseeding and what time of year to overseed.
A bowl of oatmeal at breakfast can start with one of five varieties of oats. These different types of oats affect the final texture of the oatmeal. Oatmeal varieties start out as whole grain oats, called groats, but different processing techniques break the whole oats down into smaller bits for faster cooking. Since the bran is difficult to separate from the oat, all varieties of oats for oatmeal are considered whole grain as they still retain the fibrous bran. Choose the oatmeal to fit your taste preferences and time available for cooking.
Whether you're growing birdhouse gourds or a loofa variety, there's no shyness when it comes to the growth habits of gourd plants. To keep gourds productive, however, excess growth that can draw energy and could be used to form the fruits of the plant must be controlled. Cutting a gourd vine at 10 feet long isn't difficult and will encourage the plants to produce heavily along the remaining length of the vine.
Cultivars of highbush blueberries grow in all regions of the United States. Northern highbush varieties grow well in the colder climates while southern highbush varieties prefer warmer weather. Cultivars of highbush blueberries ripen at various times so you can plant more than one variety and have blueberries throughout the entire growing season. Choosing multiple varieties for your garden also will aid cross-pollination, which helps to increase the size and yield of the fruit crop.
In addition to traditional broccoli, consider adding some Asian varieties to the garden this season. Chinese broccoli, known as gai lan, features a similar taste to traditional broccoli. Flowering white cabbage, known as choy sum, is a close relative to broccoli rabe. These greens adapt well to the American vegetable garden with the proper preparation and culture.
Elijah Blue fescue (Festuca glauca 'Elijah Blue') is a fine-textured ornamental grass with attractive blue foliage that remains colorful for much of the year. Although Elijah Blue fescue is appropriate for growing in U.S. Department of Agriculture zones 4 to 10, the fescue is happier in the cooler climate zones. Propagating new plants by division isn't a complicated process.
Buffalo grass is a slow-growing, low-maintenance turf grass that once fed the herds of buffalo that roamed the Great Plains from Montana to Mexico and was part of the sod that settlers used to construct their homes. Alternatives for this grass share its usefulness as turf in a variety of applications.
Blue fescue (Festuca glauca) is a cool-season grass that is also referred to as Festuca ovina var. glauca and blue sheep's fescue. As with all plants, blue fescue has distinct growth characteristics and requirements and is available in many varieties.
A warm season perennial, buffalo grass (Buchloe dactyloides) is a native of the Great Plains of North America. The seeds of the grass can remain viable for seven years. The U.S. Forest Service's website states that 15 to 75 percent of the seeds obtained from a sod house in Kansas remained viable after a dormancy of 25 years.
Ryegrass is among the most widely planted turf and forage grasses in the United States, and particularly in the South and Southwest. It can thrive in a wide range of climates if planted at the right time of year.
Alfalfa plants can thrive for more than five years under the right conditions. Planting typically occurs in the spring so the plants have time to mature before summer's heat arrives.
The presence of crabgrass in a lawn can produce the homeowner's lament. The ubiquitous annual weed appears in spring and dies only after the first hard frost. Timing the application of a crabgrass-killing herbicide is vital to controlling this pest.
Farms across the U.S. grow alfalfa to use as a hay to feed cattle and other livestock. This common forage crop provides livestock the nutrition they need to grow and thrive. U.S. seed companies offer many varieties of alfalfa. Farmers and scientists have worked hard to develop healthy and hearty alfalfa strains that will withstand climate and temperature changes.
Dusty miller is the common name for several unrelated plants, all of which have gray or purple foliage covered with small, silvery hairs that makes them appear covered with silver dust. Many dusty miller plants are low-growing and popular as borders in the garden. Taller varieties may be planted, scatter-gun-style, throughout the garden to contrast and complement flowers, used as a specimen plant or massed for a showy swatch of silvery color in the flower bed. The plants are easy to grow, sun-loving and drought-tolerant.
One of the few fruits that are native to North America, highbush blueberry bushes produce the most familiar type of this succulent summer treat. These blueberries are the kind you'll typically find in your produce section. Wild or lowbush blueberries tend to produce smaller fruits when compared to the highbush. When planting highbush blueberries, consider varieties that work well with your geographic location.
The small flowers of Chrysanthemum parthenium or feverfew resemble chamomile. During the Middle Ages herbalists referred to the plant as featherfoil. Gradually the name evolved into "feverfew" and as early as the 17th century the plant gained a reputation as a headache cure. In the 1970s, Dr. E. Stewart Johnson tested feverfew on 270 patients at the City of London Migraine Clinic. Feverfew relieved migraines in 70 percent. Not all varieties yield usable amounts of parthenolide, the plant's natural pain reliever.
Orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) is a popular, high quality pasture grass used in pastures and as green chop or hay for the majority of livestock. The tall, perennial, cool-season grass has a bunch type growth habit. The grass starts to grow very early in spring and has a fast growth rate. A number of orchardgrass seed varieties are used in pastures. The grass is well tolerant of drought, heat and shade, and is easily propagated with seeds.
You can grow numerous types of alfalfa from seed in order to produce high-quality hay, appropriate for feeding a variety of livestock. In the United States, alfalfa is one of the principal forage crops, capable of producing the highest yields and feeding values of any perennial forage legume. Because of the crop's importance to the agricultural and farming industries, horticulturists have developed many varieties of the crop, working to improve its quality and productivity.
Alfalfa seed is among the most popular forage legumes used in grazing fields or to make hay for horses and cattle. Alfalfa seed grows ideally in deep, fertile, well-drained ground with a preferred pH of between 6.0 to 6.5 but also adapts to lesser soil quality. Alfalfa requires high levels of fertilizers for best establishment and topdressing with limestone is recommended by the University of Missouri Extension to improve longevity.
Just as there are four main types of peanuts, there are also four main types of peanut seed: Virginia, Spanish, Runner and Valencia. Each type has a distinctive flavor, and the size of both the nut and seed vary between types. Different types of nuts are used for making different peanut products, like peanut butter, snack nuts or oil. Therefore, select peanut seed depending upon what your main use for peanuts will be, and based on suitability for growing in your region.
Wheat is what flour, breads, crackers and a host of other food items is made from. An annual grass, wheat is in six different classes with over 30,000 varieties. The kernel of the wheat plant is the seed from which flour is processed---and the wheat seed has three distinct parts that milling separates during the milling process to produce flour for such foods as breads and crackers.
Buffalo grass (Buchloe dactyloides) is a tough, low-maintenance perennial. While older cultivated varieties created an open, patchy sod, researchers recently developed dense, turf-type buffalo grass varieties that are drought-resistant alternatives to cool-season fescue and Kentucky bluegrass lawns. The deep-rooted, warm-season grass is gaining in popularity, and researchers continue to improve this North American native.
In Ethiopia, teff grain is a main food crop for people. In the United States, health food markets carry teff flour as a wheat substitute, but most of the teff produced here is harvested before the seeds ripen and used as hay. This has prompted several companies to develop new variety of seeds, including some formulated to produce forage just for horses or just for cattle. Regardless, all teff provides animals and people with protein, calcium and iron, among other nutrients.
Barley is one of the top crops in the United States, with over 150 varieties grown annually---and is grown for livestock feed, malt and food. Barley is classified as either "six-row" or "two-row," depending on the arrangement of its kernels. It is described as "hulled" or "hull-less" based on whether the kernels have beards, or "awns." The color of its "aleurone," or seed, varies. Although there are varieties of winter barely, most barley is planted in the spring.
Grow an easy-care green lawn which requires little mowing, watering or maintenance with slow-growing short grass seed varieties. To economically cover large areas with grass, choose from varieties including native, eco-friendly and drought-tolerant grasses to aide soil and water conservation. Lawns grown from short grass seed help reduce your water bills and save extra money by seeding, rather than laying turf squares.
Clovers are a part of the genus Trifolium and have an estimated 300 species that exist throughout the world. The clover seeds, which are part of the bean family, produce a wide variety of clover plants, which can grow in both dry and cool climates, as well as moist or clay soils. Some seed varieties can be used as hay for animals to feed on or to help aid the growth of establishing pastures.
Thousands of wheat varieties grow in the United States. Some varieties are commercially successful while home gardeners privately cultivate rarer types of wheat. Commercial farmers concentrate on the seed varieties that yield the wheat most in demand. Other wheat strains taste just as good, but the seeds may be harder to find.
Oats have been eaten since at least 2000 B.C. A grass, they were found in Egyptian tombs. Although the term "oatmeal" did not come around until about A.D. 1400, oats have always been used for food, but also have medicinal and cosmetic uses. Oat hulls are used to make furfural, which is made into a variety of alcohols and then added to solvents, dyes, resins, paints, varnishes, and other nylon and plastic products. There are many varieties of oats available such as: silage, cover crop, grain producing and hull-less. One variety can be used for a specific purpose or for…
The home grower has many options when it comes to choosing a variety of broccoli to grow from seeds. There are many types that grow at different times of the year as well as at different rates. Knowing your variety options can help ensure you buy the perfect broccoli seed for you.
The indigo bunting is a small songbird in the cardinal family. The males have bright blue plumage for which they are named. They are found throughout the Midwestern and Eastern states. Their population is at risk from habitat loss as people expand into their natural habitats. This includes a loss of their natural foods: insects, seeds and berries. Many are helping the indigo bunting by providing natural and supplemental foods in their own backyard to attract these birds.
Digitaria, also known as crabgrass, is a common weed that often dominates cultivated lawns and gardens, overtaking areas intended for other plants. Crabgrass plants multiply through germination, spreading seed throughout the entire warm season that can eventually take over lawns and gardens if not treated properly. Knowing which steps need to be taken and when to take them can make the difference between a beautiful lawn and a weedy disaster area.
