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Building your own upside down tomato plant is really great, especially if it will be going on a patio or balcony. Build your own upside down tomato plant with help from the owner of Eden Condensed, a small space garden design in Los Angeles, California, in this free video clip.
The tomato is a member of the nightshade family, which includes potato, eggplant and bell pepper. The standard large, red tomato was developed from a wild strain native to South America centuries ago. Today, there are scores of varieties of tomato on the market, including the fun-sized, low-moisture grape tomato perfect for snacking with less mess. There are several varieties of red grape tomatoes grown as annual garden plants.
With evocative names like "Black Prince," "Pink Ping Pong" and "Garden Peach," heirloom tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) seeds are tempting late-winter purchases -- and it is equally hard to resist starting those seeds as soon as you have them in your hands. To be considered heirloom, plants must be open-pollinated, meaning they grow again true to the parent plant from saved seed, and have been grown for at least 50 years. When heirloom tomato seedlings become tall and spindly before weather warms enough to get them in the ground, plant them sideways for stronger roots.
When germinating cherry tomatoes, you're definitely going to want to keep a few helpful tools nearby. Germinate cherry tomatoes with help from the owner of Healing Grounds Nursery in this free video clip.
Fusilli with cherry tomatoes and mozzarella balls are a delicious treat you can make in your very own kitchen. Make fusilli with cherry tomatoes and mozzarella balls with help from an executive chef in this free video clip.
When it comes to cubicles, certain types of plants are most definitely better than others. Learn about good plants for cubicles with help from an experienced designer in this free video clip.
Succulents have a variety of strong architectural shapes and vivid colors that combine well in displays. They are often seen in dish gardens and small decorative pots, but you can use a variety of containers. These fleshy-leaved plants are sensitive to over-watering, so you need a free-draining potting soil designed for succulents, or a general purpose potting soil mixed with sand. Use containers with several drainage holes, or place terra cotta pots atop a layer of small pebbles in more decorative containers.
Whether you want to maximize your growing space, harvest two tomatoes from one container-grown plant or are working on a science project, knowing how to graft two tomatoes can come in handy. While grafting tomato plants together isn’t recommended if you want to see your largest possible harvest, if space is your concern, then grafting is the way to go. To make your grafting of two tomato varieties successful, be sure to work with clean supplies and ideal growing conditions.
Living in a city or other area without access to a backyard is no reason to go without fresh fruit, vegetables and herbs. Container gardening is popular for those who must use their kitchens or balconies to grow food, which can include numerous edible container bushes. Vegetables and fruits that grow in bush form include tomatoes, blueberries and peppers, though most bushes grown in containers will require a stake or trellis to bloom like it should.
There are hundreds of tomato varieties and cultivars.Tomatoes range in color, size and disease resistance. Some are suited for early season harvests while others can be harvested around the beginning of fall. They can be trellised or grown in rows. Vining tomatoes are indeterminate, meaning they can continue growing and producing fruit for the entire season.
You can make cherry tomato pasta right from home so long as you have the right ingredients. Learn about cherry tomato pasta recipes with help from a celebrity chef who trained at the Culinary Institute of America in this free video clip.
Raspberries are easy to grow and care for with over 200 species in existence. Each species can be separated into two main categories--summer bearing and ever bearing. Once you decide which cultivar you want, choose a species that grows well in your location and soil type while fitting your specific needs.
Growing San Marzano tomatoes requires meal tea, a well-balanced fertilizer, some well-amended soil and more. Learn to create this unique veggie with tips from an organic gardener in this free video on growing San Marzano tomatoes.
Growing homemade sweet 100 cherry tomatoes is a fantastic hobby to learn because they are just so delicious. Impress guests making homemade tomatoes with tips from an organic gardener in this free video on growing sweet cherry tomatoes.
All house plants give off oxygen as a byproduct of photosynthesis, increasing the oxygen level in the room. According to the final report of the Interior Landscape Plants for Indoor Air Pollution Abatement study conducted by NASA, house plants that require low light show potential for removing air pollutants form energy-efficient buildings. Growing these plants in the bedroom adds oxygen while filtering pollutants at the same time.
Heirloom plants preserve unusual traits and qualities for discriminating gardeners. To be an heirloom, varieties need to have been introduced 50 years ago or before and need to breed true from seed. Heirlooms have often been passed down from family to family, or preserved within an ethnic group, a religious order, or a particular tribe. They contain precious genetic material and they link us with history. Interest in preserving heirloom varieties is popular and knowledge of how to avoid cross-breeding with other varieties is needed to get pure seeds.
Black knot fungus -- Apiosporina morbosa -- occurs on plum trees across the United States in both home and commercial orchards. It afflicts both ornamental and wild plum tree varieties. Susceptible and moderately susceptible plum tree varieties will display prominent black growths along the stems. The fungal growths eventually girdle the tree's branches and cause them to die. If not treated, the entire tree will perish. Some plum tree varieties are less susceptible or completely resistant to black knot fungus.
There are hundreds of species and varieties of lupines, which feature long stalks that are covered in small flowers. Lupines come in a range of colors, including silver-blue hues that add elegance to any garden. Attempt to transplant only young lupine seedlings, as blooming adults often experience lethal damage to their most vital roots when they are dug up. However, transplanting lupines when they're young allows them to develop into well-established plants that do not require much upkeep to thrive.
Yuccas are succulent plants with thin, leathery leaves that range from pale blue to deep green and can be striped. They grow in hot, dry climates with poor soil and little rain, which means they don’t need much maintenance and don’t tend to develop nutritional deficiencies. Yuccas don’t have many pests and aren’t susceptible to many diseases. They’re also easy to propagate. If your yucca forms a trunk with multiple stems, you can propagate it with stem cuttings.
Gypsophila incorporates nearly 100 plant species, the most famous of which is Baby's Breath (Gypsophila paniculata). These plants vary in size and color, but they generally exhibit masses of pleasant flowers and either form mats or tall, upright stalks. Many gypsophila species are creepers and adequately fill open spaces in a yard or garden bed. Their blooms, when cut, serve a similar purpose of filling in floral arrangements.
Home gardeners often find a shiny, sticky coating on the leaves of their trees and shrubs. Indoor plants may also be covered with the same type of glaze. While some gardeners think this coating is sap that originates from the plant itself, it is actually a substance called "honeydew," which is produced by certain types of insects.
Container gardens allow apartment dwellers, people with limited mobility and others who don’t have space for a garden to grow plump, delicious tomatoes. Gardeners adapt the size and location of container gardens to suit their needs. Hanging tomato pots are small container gardens hung from porch roofs, tree branches or posts buried in the earth. Hanging tomato pots are built of buckets, baskets, pickle barrels or other available containers. Building a hanging tomato pot is not difficult, requires few tools and takes no more time than an afternoon. The benefits are an attractive tomato plant and pot and tomatoes ripening…
The seeds in a tomato are a natural part of the fruit. Through the marvels of science, you can now grow tomato plants that produce seedless or nearly seedless fruits. These tomato varieties allow you to enjoy the flavor of tomatoes without those worrisome seeds.
While cherry tomato fruit is much smaller than a traditional tomato, the plant still climbs up to 10 feet and will do better when it has a trellis to climb. It also keeps the fruit from touching the ground and possibly rotting and frees up garden space.
Grafting is a common practice with many trees, shrubs and flowering plants, but is also has useful application with tomato plants. Grafting tomatoes is done primarily to attach fruiting stems to stronger and disease-resistant root stocks, which improves harvest and lessens crop loss from disease. Grafting tomatoes is actually less complex than grafting other plants, and novice gardeners can perform the task. After grafting, install a tomato collar around the plant to prevent destruction by cutworms.
Tomatoes grow in hundreds of varieties and cultivars and thrive throughout the country during the summer. Tomato plants may stay small or grow to 6 to 8 feet in height, depending on the cultivar. They require specific conditions for growth, though, and for their best fruit harvest. Give these hungry, thirsty plants bright sunshine, dark soil and generous moisture, and provide a trellis or cage for climbing. If you're short on space, you can grow your tomatoes vertically rather than horizontally, with a slightly different trellis design.
Penta plants are 3- to 4-foot shrubs that are evergreen in some warmer climates of the United States, such as southern Florida. The penta can be damaged by frost in other areas, so it needs to be cut back before winter sets in. Pentas can also be cut back to control their sprawling size, or if they become too leggy or top heavy. Pruned pentas will resprout in spring when the weather warms, and will produce white, pink or red flowers on the new growth.
Few things are quite like a juicy, homegrown tomato, picked and sliced when it's still warm from the summer sun. Tomatoes are not difficult to grow in most areas. In addition, the taste of a homegrown tomato fresh from the vine is far superior to anything you could buy in the grocery store, which has helped the humble tomato earn its place as America's most popular homegrown crop. To produce the best tomatoes, however, you need to pay attention to their watering needs.
Blueberries are a delightful addition to edible landscapes. They fit along fencing, in garden corners and other spaces that might otherwise remain empty. A hardy blueberry bush grows 6 feet tall, yielding berries after it reaches 4 years of age. The berries generally start appearing on a mature bush early and July, continuing until September with one bush capable of yielding 25 pounds of fruit. Several blueberry cultivars are self-pollinating, meaning one bush can fruit by itself. However, planting two or more bushes near each other improves yield and fruit size.
Vegetable gardens may look simple to people on the outside, with lush growth, blooms and harvests. The truth, though, is that these gardens take careful planning and preparation in regard to timing and placement, with guidelines for sun, air and drainage. Vegetables are also hungry and thirsty and need plenty of vitamins and minerals in their soil. If this is your first time planting fruit- or vegetable-bearing plants, take some time to till, amend and fertilize the soil before you start.
As plants with similar requirements grow near each other, they have added resistance to pests and usually grow into stronger and healthier plants. Artichokes are cool-weather plants, needing plenty of space as they grow up to 3 feet in height and 6 feet in width. Finding plants that will grow as companion plants means finding plants that at least start growing in the cool weather while the artichoke is actively growing.
Aphids are tiny pests of many landscape plants. Most aphids feed on the undersides of plant leaves, but some species of aphids feed primarily on the roots of plants, Corn root aphids and woolly apple aphids both infest and feed on plant roots, where they can cause root damage that affects the health and vigor of the plant.
Onion chives, usually simply referred to as chives, are a member of the onion family that offer a milder taste than the traditional onion. Chives are known for being very hardy plants, suffering little in the way of diseases or pests, making them an easy plant to grow in a garden or a pot. Unlike onions, it is the long, slender, hollow leaves that are used for flavoring, rather than the bulbs. Chives are often added as a finishing touch to salads, soups, sauces and can work well in egg and fish dishes. Chives are usually ready to be harvested…
Cherokee tomatoes, also known as Cherokee purple tomatoes, are a variety of heirloom beefsteak tomatoes that probably came from the Cherokee people. Heirloom tomatoes are non-hybrid tomato varieties that have been around for at least 50 years and are grown from saved seeds. Beefsteak tomatoes are popular because they are very large, and this type of tomato is relatively easy to grow.
Tomatoes are found in some of your favorite foods, whether they are sliced on sandwiches, pureed and made into sauces, stewed in chili or prepared in countless other ways. The type of tomato you choose for each culinary use depends on the desired taste of the finished product. The many varieties of tomatoes range from an acidic taste to a quite sweet one. For those tomato lovers with a sweet tooth, a few varieties rank at or near the top on the sweet scale.
Carpeting is manufactured in two basic types: loop weaved and cut pile. The type of weave used determines the look and feel of each carpet. Textured and frieze are two of the five styles of cut pile carpeting, considered durable because of the fiber used in manufacture, density of tufts and the tight twists of the yarn which makes the carpet hold its shape longer.
Summer gives us tomatoes -- red, round, sweet, bursting with juice. Canning tomatoes requires special equipment and heats up the kitchen. Fresh tomatoes go from ripe to rotten within days. Capture the essence of summer by drying your tomatoes. There's virtually no work except washing and slicing. Dried tomatoes take up little space, unlike canned or frozen tomatoes. While all tomatoes will dry, some varieties work better than others.
Tomatoes are sensitive, warm-season perennial plants grown as annuals in vegetable gardens throughout the United States. There are hundreds of different varieties of tomatoes to choose from, including many small-fruited or dwarf varieties known as cherry tomatoes. These tomato plants produce small, bite-size fruits in various colors that are perfect for eating fresh off the vine or in salads and other dishes. Following a few tips ensures your cherry tomato plants grow and produce to their fullest.
Cells are the most basic building blocks of life. Animals and plants are both made up of millions of individual cells. Because plants are different from other forms of life, the structure of their cells is different to perform their life functions. The way plants grow and feed requires that their cells possess certain aspects not found in other life forms.
Formerly known as the Puna genus, the Maihueniopsis genus consists of approximately 18 species of mat-forming, flowering cacti native to South America. A close relative of the nopales or paddle cactus genus (Opuntia spp.), members of the Maihueniopsis genus are sometimes referred to in plant nurseries as Opunti, Puna or Tephrocactus.
Many plants identified as shade plants grow well in morning sun. Some plants that thrive in full midday sun also do well with dappled morning sun; they simply may bloom less vibrantly in morning sun than in the brighter rays of midday. Native plants are hardier and adapt more successfully to individual sunlight conditions in local growing regions. The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center maintains a searchable database for native plants in all regions of the U.S.
The ancient Persians and Greeks cultivated lettuce in 500 BC. Annual American consumption of this delicious green, used in everything from sandwiches to oven meals, averages 25 lbs. per person according to North Carolina State University Extension. Lettuce is normally a cool-season crop, with a tendency for stunted growth, early seeding and bitter leaves when grown in hot weather. Now home gardeners can choose from several heat-resistant cultivars of crisphead, romaine, butterhead or leaf lettuce.
The Japanese blueberry tree (Elaeocarpus decipiens) grows to 60 feet tall with a 40-foot spread. Smaller trees create heavier shade on the ground than taller species, which tend to have more open, airy canopies. Japanese blueberry trees are hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 9 to 11, which receive annual average low temperatures to 20 degrees Fahrenheit. These evergreen trees grow best in fertile, moist, well-drained soils. Companion plants must tolerate the shady conditions under the tree.
When choosing plants to grow near your pool, several factors come into play. You want plants that can handle excess water and will not wilt at the first sign of the pool's chemicals. You want plants that do not leave a great deal of debris that can clog up your pool. Several species of plants, shrubs and trees will work well in this situation.
Not only do mulched beds look nicer, they also help the plants grow strong and remain healthy. The main varieties of mulch for use in vegetable gardens are plastic and organic. Black plastic provides the most benefits for warm-season vegetables, such as tomatoes and peppers. Organic mulches work well for all types of vegetables, and is the most beneficial choice in cool-season gardens, such as lettuce or spinach beds.
An Amish heirloom tomato that dates back to 1885, Brandywine is a large, irregularly shaped tomato. The fruit often has flaws, and while it lacks beauty, it redeems itself with outstanding flavor. According to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension, Brandywine is believed to be the best-tasting tomato in the world. While many gardeners challenge this statement, the tangy taste of a Brandywine makes it a worthwhile addition to the backyard garden.
When choosing plants to send for a funeral decide if you want colorful arrangements to help brighten the mood of the funeral parlor or plants that are low maintenance and won't be a burden to those in mourning. If possible, try to send plants that have special meaning for the deceased.
Vaporizers are a common sign in the winter, especially when someone has a cold. But what effect do vaporizers have on plants? Most plants love vaporizers. Plants that love arid conditions, such as cactus, are an exception. They are quite happy with little to no humidity. Most plants, however, need humidity to thrive. When you're thinking about using a vaporizer, you need to consider not whether it is best for your plants, but whether it's the right choice for you.
Crinkly, dark green leaves of spinach (Spinacia oleracea) may be eaten raw or cooked and make a reliable source of vitamins A and C. Spinach has been cultivated for centuries and is believed to originate in southwestern Asia. This annual is easy to grow, so long as soil and air temperatures do not get too warm. Typically, spinach is grown in the cool months of spring or fall. Modern varieties of spinach tend to resist degradation and premature flowering known as bolting and are marketed using the terms heat-resistant, long-standing or slow-bolting.
Tomatoes are among the most widely grown garden plants in the United States. They are a diverse species ideal for most growing U.S. Department of Agriculture Plant Hardiness zones. The Cherokee purple is a species of tomato notable for its dusky-colored fruit. It is an heirloom variety originally cultivated in North America. It is fairly resistant to disease and produces fruit that is between 10 and 12 oz. There are a few reasons this normally hardy plant will cease to bear fruit.
