Category: Home & Garden

…that the garden was ever filled with overflowing green growth!

I shared a picture and a post of the 2023 spring Grocery Row Garden over at Patreon yesterday.

We’re transplanting lots of trees and shrubs into pots right now, taking some of what grew last year and getting it ready for our spring sales. Since we’re launching a booth at the Palafox Market in Pensacola on March 2nd, we’re scrambling to get our stock ready to go. There is so much to do! We had a hard time keeping our nursery stocked when we were selling at the flea market, and the Palafox Market has much higher traffic.

This is make-or-break time for our nursery. We gotta pay for our plant addictions somehow.

Yesterday I also bought about 100lbs of seed potatoes, which need to be planted soon. And the yam beds need to be created. And we have meat birds arriving in the mail in a week.

St. Isidore pray for us!

It’s February, and it’s go time.

Also, I have now gone without smoking for an entire month. And no alcohol in 24 days. It’s been an interesting experiment. My mind is definitely running faster and my energy levels are higher – which I need at this time of year.

Cherry Ong, a frequent GPOD contributor from Richmond, British Columbia, has a narrow side yard in her garden that she calls the Fern Fairway. She always makes the most of this little space with a beautiful selection of plants, focused, as one might guess, on ferns and other shade-loving plants.

Today she’s sharing some photos of the garden as it looked at the height of summer last year.

This is the north side of the Fern Fairway, with its mainstays Leucothoe fontesiana ‘Rainbow’ (Zones 5–8), Athyrium ‘Godzilla’ (Zones 5–8), Hosta ‘Big Daddy’ (Zones 4–9), Hakonechloa macra ‘All Gold’ (Zones 5–9), and a metal fern ring.

Athyrium ‘Ghost’ (Zones 4–9) gets bigger and better with each passing year.

A longer view of this very narrow shade garden

Athyrium filix-femina ‘Dre’s Dagger’ is such a show-stopper. The first time I saw it was in Thomas Hobbs and Brent Beattie’s country garden, and it was love at first sight.

One of my houseplants on vacation

Fuchsia ‘Pink Marshmallow’ (Zones 10–11 or as an annual) brings joy to both humans and hummers!

Did I mention that it is difficult to photograph this corridor?

This planter is across the kitchen window. I tried something different this year and used square plastic pots as inserts. When the hostas went dormant, I replaced and rearranged the plants. This extends the season of the container without as much work for me. I can also bring in the annual ferns earlier.

I believe this is Asian saber fern (Polystichum neolabatum, Zones 5–9), a relatively new addition to the Fairway.

The delicate blooms of Cardiandra alternifolia (Zones 5–9)

Paris polyphylla(Zones 5–8) was a raffle win from a local garden club, and Tricyrtis ‘Renkaku’ was a purchase from a home plant sale by a well-known local gardener. I love the combo!

Have a garden you’d like to share?

Have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a particular collection of plants you love, or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit!

To submit, send 5-10 photos to [email protected] along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos. We’d love to hear where you are located, how long you’ve been gardening, successes you are proud of, failures you learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden.

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A year ago, the Matyas family, owners of Seeds for Generations, suffered a devastating fire that destroyed much of their seed business. Many people supported them with money, materials, labor, prayers and more, helping them get back on their feet. I was pleased to see this update posted this morning. God is good, and He brought good things from the ashes. 

*         *         *

After the smoked cleared from the fire, and it became clear that our seed business had been destroyed and we would need to start over again right as our busy season started, we had some pretty big obstacles to overcome.  Though we considered a number of options for how to get operations started again, we quickly settled on buying a mobile shed building to set up operations in.  We quickly obtained new bulk seeds and re-packed many thousands of seed packets with the help of our kids as well as neighbors and friends from around our area that all pitched in to help us get our inventory back in stock quickly. With the help of several skilled neighbors and friends, and the financial support of so many, we got the framing and electrical on the new office space done very quickly, and we were able to start using the main part of the office for order fulfillment within a month of the fire.  God blessed us to be able to resume taking orders on our website three weeks after the fire and shipping them in the week that followed.

The seed-buying season, along with shop cleanup and trying to organize everything without our main tool storage area kept us busy for a couple of months, and we got behind on seed starting and garden prep.  That required a little more focused effort around our last spring frost, which came a bit late, but we got most of our crops into the ground on time.  It seemed like we were always behind on some garden tasks for the entire year, but the Lord was good to us and gave us a great harvest overall.

For a myriad of reasons, our seeds sales were down about 40% from the time we re-opened after the fire and remained that way until near the end of the year.  This significant drop in revenue gave us some significant constraints – most of all that we were not able to easily hire more help to assist us with our overflowing task list.  Due to this cashflow and manpower shortage, we did not make much progress on cleaning out the shop and documenting items for insurance claims for most of the year, and are still in that process today.  Please pray for diligence in completing this difficult process.

Despite these challenges, God’s blessings were abundant and overflowing to us this year.  First, no one was hurt in the fire, and there were some tools and other items that were not destroyed.  We had financial support that came from everywhere it seemed, and offers to help were abundant in our local community, and that was instrumental in us being able to get back up and fulfilling orders in only three weeks.

A tragic setback like this offers the temptation to only focus inward and cease looking for opportunities to serve others.  Fortunately, due to our family’s desire to prioritize hospitality and our children’s love of people, we hosted monthly country dances at our farm throughout the summer for the youth in our church and community, which provided lots of opportunity to create a wholesome culture for our kids and others like them to enjoy time together like the old days.

At the end of the summer, we were especially blessed to have four of our children baptized in our creek, with nearly 140 family and friends in attendance.  God has been good to redeem our covenant children and make them His own, renewed to walk in faith in Him.

When Thanksgiving arrived, we had much to be thankful for, including the aforementioned blessings, and topped with the news that our oldest daughter Lydia was engaged to be married to a wonderful young man named Jonathan, who bought also just bought a new house for his future bride, and they are working diligently to prepare it to be their home when they get married in May.

Keep reading here

You can also use our affiliate link to buy seeds from Seeds for Generations here, or bypass our link here and buy directly. 

I am glad to hear they are doing well. It’s good to support family businesses, and it’s amazing to see how people come together in tragedy.

In the 1980s and 1990s, mulberry trees were banned in several states because they spread a lot of pollen and their fruit stained sidewalks and streets. Also, people found that mulberry pollen made them react more strongly than other types of pollen. The trees are also pretty spread out.

This helps explain why mulberries are against the law, but what parts of the tree are bad, and where are they against the law? How about we take a better look?

Why Are Mulberry Trees Bad?

Some mulberries, like the red mulberry, are native to the US and don’t cause as much trouble, but the white mulberry is the most well-known.

In temperate Asia, white mulberries are natural. Before the 1980s and 1990s, they were a popular, fast-growing landscaping tree in the southwest US for homes and public spaces.

After that, people started having strong reactions to pollen and to the pollen and fruit that got tracked inside on their shoes from the streets, driveways, and kitchen floors. Because of this, a lot of upkeep was often needed.

Birds liked the fruits and would spread the seeds through their droppings, which made the tree pretty hard to get rid of.

Since the 1990s were a very wet year, mulberry trees grew very quickly. Around this time, some states started to not allow them.

From what we could find, these places don’t allow people to buy or plant mulberry trees:

• Tucson, Arizona banned in 1984
• Las Vegas, Nevada banned in 1991
• In 1992, El Paso, Texas, banned it

Mulberries that were sown before the ban are getting close to the end of their lives, so the number of them has been going down.

There are reasons for and against mulberry trees right now.

Why Are Mulberry Trees Special?

Mulberry trees are very helpful because silkworms can only eat their leaves. It is their cocoons that contain all of our silk.

Silk was first made in ancient China, which also built the world’s longest trade routes, known as “The Silk Road.” People from all over the world, like the Romans, Greeks, and Egyptians, liked this silk.

Since then, silk is still being made the exact same way.

The market for silk is still important, and the one type of fabric brings in about $23 billion a year.

Because the silkworm’s cocoon needs to be kept at a steady temperature, these qualities stayed in silk clothes. In other words, silk stays cooler in hot weather and warmer in cool weather.

Are Mulberries Edible? Why Are Mulberry Trees Illegal?

Yes, most mulberries are safe for people to eat, but only when they are ready. Mulberries are a treat in some countries.

Mulberries are good for you in many ways.1,13 People all over the world love mulberries because they taste sweet.

Even though mulberries are used in many foods, some people like to eat them raw. Mulberries taste good, are full of vitamins, and are good for you in many ways.

But you need to be careful to tell the difference between mulberries that can be eaten and ones that can’t. But any mulberry that isn’t fully ripe or has white sap on it is poisonous.

It is also very dangerous for pets and little kids to touch the tree’s leaves and bark, which have white sap on them.

So, planting a mulberry tree on public land can put towns and states at risk of legal trouble if someone eats the fruit without knowing what’s going on.

Is Mulberry Bush Or Tree?

Mulberries are grown on trees, but the Mulberry Tree can be either a bush with many stems or a tree with one trunk. The Mulberry Tree can get bushy if it isn’t trimmed every so often.

Like, the truth isn’t trimmed; it will grow into a bush with many roots.

On the other hand, if you trim the mulberry tree often, it can grow into a single tree with a unique canopy. The environment also affects whether the burrow will grow into a bush or a tree.

In particular, a mulberry that grows in different temperatures and amounts of humidity turns into a tree. Instead, those that grow in disturbed places like fields and along roads are more likely to form a bush.

Are Mulberry Trees Invasive?

You might be interested. It is easy for mulberry trees to spread, especially the white kind.

This tree gets up to 40 feet tall very quickly.

White Mulberry comes from China and was brought to the US during the colonial era to help start the silk business.1 Even though the silk business stopped, the White Mulberry was better than the American Red Mulberry.

So, you might be thinking if White Mulberry Trees take over other plants. Yes, it is bad for the environment because it grows in wooded areas, open woods, and areas that have been disturbed, just like the mulberry weed does.

The White Mulberry Tree can handle drought, wind, and salt, but it outcompetes and breeds with the natural Mulberry Trees. Invasive species aren’t always bad; they help the environment change over time.

However, this doesn’t mean that white mulberries aren’t dangerous trees and should be allowed to grow anywhere. They normally beat out the native Red Mulberry, which makes too much pollen, which is one reason why Mulberry Trees are illegal.

How To Kill Mulberry Trees

There are many kinds of mulberry trees, and they have been around for a long time. Is it even possible to think that you could kill a mulberry tree? Mulberry trees are not only beautiful to look at, but they are also very good for you and can be used in cooking.

Silkworms eat mulberry leaves, which is why mulberry trees are so important to the silk business. In addition, mulberries are a key part of many baked goods.

Even though they are useful in many ways, mulberry trees are houses for birds and animals. Even more important in the discussion of climate change is the fact that mulberry trees help store carbon, which reduces the effects of the urban heat island effect.

Different types of Mulberry Trees are different in size and look. Some can grow up to 80 feet long if they get enough sunlight and the soil is well-aerated.

How Big Do Mulberry Trees Get?

Mulberry trees are known for being big and living for a long time.

It’s possible for some species to grow over 80 feet, but most of these trees only get 20 to 60 feet tall.

A healthy mulberry tree can grow to be 50 feet tall, which is a lot of shade. Mulberries grow slowly, and their open structure makes it easy to trim and shape them into different shapes.

Some types of mulberries are stumpy, which makes them great for growing in pots. They need to be pruned often to keep their growth under control. Most of the time, Mulberry Trees are very tall and big.

Is Mulberry Poisonous?

Some mulberry trees have fruits that are poisonous, but the ones that are grown for their healthy fruits are not toxic. To avoid getting sick from eating, diarrhea, or puking, it would be smart to find trees whose fruits can be eaten before eating them.

It is also important to know that people with a moderate allergy to mulberries may respond differently, especially if they are also allergic to figs or kiwis. Fruits from trees like the Pakistani Mulberry Tree are very long, about 3 to 4 inches, and bright red. They are known for being very sweet.

Environmentalists don’t talk about stories about how to kill mulberry trees. Having mulberry foods is still healthy, but only in small amounts.

Separating mulberries that are safe to eat from those that are harmful is still very important.

Conclusion

To sum up, white mulberry trees are sometimes not allowed because

• They easily take over natural ecosystems.
• Roots that are too shallow hurt buildings over time.
• Lots of messy veggies and juice that stains things are a pain.
• Pollen that is very allergenic when flowers are blooming.

Others, though, say mulberries aren’t really alien plants that need to be wiped out. Careful control and placement may be enough.

Even though they are limited in some areas, mulberry trees are still good for the environment, food, and wood. Their fruit and shade are also good for backyards.

So instead of “why are mulberry trees illegal? “, it would be better to ask “where are they legal to grow?” Look at your neighborhood codes to get ideas.

We hope this helps make the argument about limiting mulberry trees clearer! Leave a comment with your ideas or experiences on how to take care of mulberries.

FAQs

Can You Eat Mulberries Raw?

Yes, you can eat mulberries raw without any problems. When they are ripe, they taste great. They taste both sweet and sour, and you can eat them right off the tree. You should always wash them first to get rid of any dirt or other things that might be on them. Berries that aren’t ripe should be avoided because they can make your stomach hurt.

Where Do Mulberry Trees Grow?

Mulberry trees are very flexible and can grow in a lot of different climates. They are native to warm parts of Asia, Africa, and the Americas, but people have grown them in many other places. For the most part, they like full sun and soil that doesn’t stay soggy. You can find them on farms, in home gardens, and along city streets where they are allowed.

How Do You Grow Mulberries?

It’s usually easy to grow mulberries. They can be grown from seeds, but cuttings or nursery plants are better for getting better fruit. Put them somewhere warm with moist soil that drains well, and they won’t need much care.

They can survive in dry conditions, but giving them regular watering makes them produce more fruit. Pruning trees every so often helps keep them healthy and in good shape. In a few years, you should see fruit.

Growing asparagus is an investment in the food you will eat in the future. With asparagus, you can grow the same plants in your garden year after year, which is different from most veggies.

The new shoots that come up in the spring are what we eat as spears. In order to grow asparagus successfully, you need to be aware that the first taste of homegrown asparagus will not come for a few seasons.

You have to wait for plants to fully grow before you can gather them. They will stay in the same spot in your yard for 15 to 30 years. For that matter, an asparagus bed is a good reason to fix up your house instead of moving!

You can grow asparagus in most of the country, but it does best in cooler places where winters are longer and colder. Asparagus spears grow stronger in the spring in places with cooler winters than in places with warmer winters because of these periods of dormancy.

Quick Guide To Growing Asparagus

• In an open spot with rich, well-drained soil, plant asparagus in the spring or fall.
• It takes a few seasons for asparagus to grow up, but you can gather it for 15 to 30 years after planting it, so pick a spot that won’t be touched for a long time.
• In the fall, improve the soil in your garden bed by adding compost or other rich organic matter. Then, cover the bed with mulch for the winter. This will make it ready for planting in the spring.

In the spring, plant asparagus 12 to 18 inches apart in rows that are 6 to 8 inches deep.
As the asparagus gets taller, fill in the gaps between the rows with soil until the plant is level with the garden bed.
Once the lines of your rows are level with the earth, add a layer of mulch to keep the soil moist and keep weeds from growing.
During the growth season, give the plant a continuous-release plant food every few days.
Don’t gather until the second or third season. When the asparagus is 8 inches tall, it’s ready to be picked.

How Asparagus Grows

One of a kind, asparagus is a crop. It is one of the few veggies that can be grown all year in Minnesota. The other two are horseradish and rhubarb.

The spears are the parts of the plant that can be eaten. The stems of the plants are what these are. The spears grow from buds that are buried at the base of the root system. We call these buds and roots “crowns.”

When spears are left to grow, they get leaves, which are what we call ferns. This is because the plants need time for the leaves to grow and store energy for the next year. This is why asparagus is only picked for two months out of the season.

The energy that the fern makes will be saved in the plant’s roots so that it can grow spears the next year. It’s important to keep the ferns in good shape even after the gathering is over so that you can always get good crops.

Soil pH And Fertility For Asparagus

Asparagus grows best in soils that drain well and have a pH between 6.5 and 7.0. It can’t handle soils that are too acidic. It can grow in sandy, heavy, or medium-weight soils as long as they drain well and don’t hold water after it rains.

For asparagus to grow well, you should test your dirt first to make sure it has the right amount of nutrients. Based on the results of the soil test, add the fertilizer that was suggested.

There are times when adding some fertilizer before planting is best, like in the fall or spring. However, when planting, you should add about half of the phosphorus and potassium. Once the tops start to grow after planting, nitrogen should be added.

One to two pounds of 10-10-10 (10% nitrogen, 10-10 phosphorus, and 10-10 potassium) yard fertilizer per 100 square feet is what you should use for asparagus if you don’t have a soil test report.

If you want to keep your asparagus patch healthy, you should test the soil every three years and do what the test says before adding nutrients.

Once the asparagus patch is set up, it can be fertilized with compost, manure, or fertilizer before the spears come up in the spring, or it can be fertilized again after the gathering in late June or early July. You should only add these things if the soil test says you need to.

Put the fertilizer next to the row of plants and lightly scratch it in. Do not let the tool go deeper than an inch into the ground so that you do not hurt the plants that are below the ground.

If a soil test shows that the garden has a lot of phosphorus, use a low-phosphorus fertilizer like 32-3-10, 27-3-3, or 25-3-12. You can also use a non-phosphorus fertilizer like 30-0-10 or 24-0-15, but only use half a pound per 100 square feet.

It is best not to add more phosphorus to the soil than what the soil tests say is needed. When high-phosphorus fertilizers like 10-10-10 or 15-30-15 are used over and over, or when a lot of manure or compost is added, phosphorus can build up in the soil and hurt plant and soil health over time.

Shed-killing fertilizers, like “Weed and Feed” products, should not be used on veggie plants because they can kill them.

How Long Does It Take To Grow Asparagus?

As was already said, it could take two to three years for recently planted asparagus plants to really get going and start producing. On the other hand, asparagus plants can produce for decades after they are established.

Also, asparagus plants make new spears pretty quickly. For a few weeks in the spring, they send up new spears every couple of days. We believe the wait was well worth it because the plant gives us ½ pound of spears per foot of row in the spring and early summer.

How To Plant Asparagus

• Plant crowns deeply to keep them safe from the tilling that is needed to get rid of weeds every year.
• Make a hole that is 12 to 18 inches wide and 6 to 8 inches deep. If you’re going to dig more than one ditch, leave at least 3 feet between them.
• Before you place the crowns, soak them for a short time in lukewarm water.
• In the middle of the trench, make a ridge of dirt that is 2 inches high. Place the asparagus crowns on top of the ridge, making sure that their roots are spread out evenly.
• From root tip to root tip, space the asparagus stems 12 to 18 inches apart in the trench.
• There are two ways to plant from this point on: the usual “little-by-little” method or the easier “all-at-once” method.

How To Harvest And Store Asparagus Harvesting

In Year 3, asparagus gathering starts. In Year 3, plants can be picked for up to four weeks. Cut spears that are 9 inches long at ground level. Gather all the spears because spears that are already tall stop other spears from growing. After 5 years of growth, you can harvest for up to 8 weeks after 6 weeks in Year 4. When most of the spears are smaller than a pencil, you should stop gathering. Harvest should end by early to mid-June in most places.

After Harvest Plant Care

Once the gathering is over, pull out the weeds and let the spears turn into ferns. Kill any pests that come up, fertilize the beds, and water them often. Cut down ferns in the fall and use the leaves as dirt mulch. Do not till the asparagus beds because it hurts the head. To get rid of weeds, use mulch and pesticides.

Productivity

During harvest time, a fully grown asparagus plant can give you ¾ pound of spears per plant. 25 plants should give you enough spears to eat right away and store for later. At 35°F and 95% relative humidity, pears will stay fresh for three to five days.

Asparagus Care Light

It’s best for asparagus trees to be in full sun. Don’t forget to give your plants enough sunlight every day. Weak plants and spears are more likely to get sick.

Soil

If you want to grow a permanent plant like asparagus that lives for a long time, you should take the time to improve the soil. Add a lot of organic matter to the soil and make sure the pH level is between 6.5 and 7.0. Get rid of any weeds and big rocks that are in the area as well. Soil that drains well keeps plants from ever being wet.

Water Asparagus needs to be watered often, especially when it’s young. During its first two growing seasons, give it 1 to 2 inches of water per week, and after that, give it about 1 inch per week. If you give them a good start when you plant them, you’ll have less trouble in the years to come. You could add drip watering or a soaker hose to the bed where the asparagus is growing.

Temperature And Humidity

Asparagus grows best when it’s between 70 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and between 60 and 70 degrees at night. When the dirt gets to 40 degrees in the spring, it will start to grow shoots. If it freezes after the shoots start to grow, it will hurt them. If it’s above 85 degrees or below 55 degrees, growth may be slow.

Fertilizer

To get your asparagus bed ready, dig a hole and fill it with compost, an all-purpose organic fertilizer, and rock phosphate, a natural mineral powder that helps roots grow. These nutrients will help the roots of your asparagus grow well and strongly. To keep the soil healthy and help the asparagus plants grow, add compost to the top of the soil once a year.

This can be done in the early spring before the shoots come up or in the fall after the leaves have died back and been cut down to the ground. Asparagus needs a lot of food, and the fertilizer instructions on the package say to give it a dose in the middle of spring when it is busy growing.

Types Of Asparagus

Newer types are bred to have only male flowers. This means that they will only grow the plant and not make seeds. Here are some common choices:

• “Mary Washington” is the most popular type; it was bred to resist rust.
• “Jersey Giant” bears fruit early and doesn’t get rust or fusarium wilt.
• “Brock Imperial” is highly valued for its high output.
• “Purple Passion” is a sweet purple variety

Green Vs. White Asparagus

The plant that makes white asparagus is the same plant that makes green asparagus. The plant goes white by blanching, which takes away its light so it can’t make food.3 This is done by putting soil or plastic tubes over the spears as they grow. The finished product is smooth, white, and almost completely free of fiber, as long as the spears that are picked are chilled right away to stop fiber from forming.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Long Will Asparagus Last?

For 10 to 15 years, the plant should keep making spears.

Why Are The Spears Always Skinny?

Last summer, plants may have had too little water. Since new spears grow in July and August, stress like water, heat, and other things will change their size. Ferns that are healthy help plants grow and store enough food for spears to grow well. As the harvest season goes on, spears naturally get smaller.

Can You Harvest Asparagus At Other Times Of The Year Beside Spring?

Though these plants don’t usually produce much, you can do it. However, the bed will not last as long.

Can you grow white asparagus in Utah?

Yes, but you need to pile dirt on top of the bed where the plants are and cut the spears just where they break through the soil. The spear will turn green if it gets light. Cover the beds with black plastic in the spring. The light won’t get in.

How Come It Takes Three Years To Grow Asparagus?

That’s how long it takes for a small sprout to grow into a strong plant that can be picked for at least four weeks a year. If you buy healthy, vigorous crowns that are one to two years old from a garden shop or seed catalog, you have a better chance of being able to harvest after three years.

Does Asparagus Keep Growing After You Cut It?

If you cut an asparagus stalk, it won’t grow back, but if the patch is already established, different stalks will grow and pop out of the ground at different times. After you cut the asparagus stalks, they will grow back the following year because asparagus is a permanent plant.

How Much Asparagus Do You Get From One Plant?

About half a pound of spears can be made from one crown. A row of twenty plants spread one foot apart will give you 10 pounds of fruit each season.

Can I Grow Asparagus In Pots?

In theory, asparagus could be grown in open pots, but for a number of reasons, this is not a very good idea. It takes two or three years for asparagus roots to grow into stalks that can be picked. If you can grow it to maturity in pots, the plants will die after two or three years of hard work. With that in mind, trying container culture is usually not worth the trouble.

Can I Grow Asparagus Indoors?

When asparagus is grown indoors, it’s usually by commercial growers who use expensive and hard for home growers to keep hydroponic equipment. Because asparagus needs cold winters to grow new roots, it can’t be grown indoors. But sometimes seeds are started inside and then put outside in the yard in the spring.

The genus Morus is made up of about 10 kinds of small to medium-sized trees in the family Moraceae. The fruits of these trees are sweet and can be eaten. Mulberries come from temperate Asia and North America. Many kinds are grown for their fruits and as ornamentals. Silkworms also need mulberry trees because they have food for them.

Physical Description

Mulberries lose their leaves every year and have leaves that are toothed and sometimes lobed and are grouped alternately along the stems. People can be monoecious, which means they have both male and female flowers, or dioecious, which means they only have male or female flowers.

The tiny flowers grow in tight groups called catkins. A multiple is the scientific name for a fruit that grows from a whole clump of flowers. The fruits look a bit like strawberries and turn white, pink, red, or purple when they’re ready.

Major Species

The red mulberry (Morus rubra), which grows in eastern North America, is the biggest tree in its group. It can grow up to 21 meters (70 feet) tall. Its leaves can have two, three, or no lobes, and its dark purple flowers are edible.

White mulberry (M. alba) comes from Asia but has been grown for a long time in southern Europe. Its name comes from the white fruits it bears, and silkworms eat its leaves. It has lived in eastern North America for a long time.

The cold-resistant Russian mulberry (M. alba, variety tatarica), which was brought to western North America for use as shelterbelts and for its wood, is one useful type of white mulberry. Other useful types include the fruitless “Stribling” and “Mapleleaf” kinds. People often plant the weeping mulberry (M. alba ‘Pendula’) as a garden tree.

Black mulberry (M. nigra), which is the most common species, comes from western Asia and was first grown in the west. It was grown a lot in Italy until the 15th century to raise silkworms, but white mulberry has since taken its place.

It is now an imported species in North America, and its main purpose is to grow big, juicy purple-black fruits that taste better than red mulberry fruits.

Mulberry Tree Size & Growth Habit

The white mulberry tree can get as tall as 50 feet and have branches that are as wide as it is tall. It can handle dryness, pollution, and bad soil. The cap is round and open.

This tree can get as big as 40 feet. It likes the ground to be wet and open. It also has a round crown made of its thick branches. It is native to North America and lives in plains and small gaps in forests.

The smallest tree is the black mulberry, which can grow up to 30 feet tall and wide. It grows in a thick way and often needs wood to support it.

The wild mulberry grows to be 60 feet tall very quickly. It spreads quickly and doesn’t mind bad circumstances.

How To Identify Mulberry Leaves

Along a branch, mulberry leaves are spaced out in an alternating design. They aren’t always symmetrical, with two oval lobes or three fleur-de-lys-shaped lobes.

The glossy green leaves have veins that spread out from the stem and have serrated ends. The curve isn’t even, and the lobes are in the wrong place.

It has short leaves that look like hearts. The red mulberry has rough leaves with tips that are pointy.

Mulberry Fruit Appearance & Taste

The red mulberry has inch-long, red to black leaves that taste sweet and sour. The black mulberry has the best tart-sweet taste in its black, 2-inch-long leaves.

The least tasty mulberry fruit is the white one. They are also the tiniest and range in color from white to purple.

Durese, which are mulberries, are a group of small fruits, each with a seed. They look like strawberries.

What Do Male (Fruitless) Mulberry Trees Look Like?

Any type of mulberry tree can be used to make the barren mulberry. It makes a lot of pollen, which can make people with allergies sick.

It can grow up to 50 feet tall and has a thick crown with a round top. The leaves don’t all have the same shape. They can be oval or have lobes. Young twigs are a color between orange and brown. They have bunches of light-green flowers that don’t stand out. Any kind of dirt is good for it.

Mulberry Tree Region & Habitat

The white mulberry tree has spread to all 50 states except Nevada and Alaska. It lives in old fields, along roadsides, in forests, in cities, and in other places that have been changed.

It manages to do well in places that aren’t very friendly. Some cities, like El Paso, TX, and Phoenix, AZ, don’t let it live there because they see it as a pest.

The United States is home to red mulberry trees. They mostly grow in Zones 4–9 in the New England states.

The black mulberry comes from Asia and does best in Grow Zones 5 through 9. It grows best in open, well-drained, sandy soil. For its big, sweet berries, it is the most sought-after.

When Do Mulberry Trees Produce Fruit?

From June to September, they have flowers. Once the berries start to fall, you have a whole month to pick them. Put a tarp on the ground and gently shake the branches to get the fruit. They don’t need a mate because they can make their own seeds.

The berries can get on clothes and other things and color them. Birds love to eat them, and then they spread the seeds to other places. Animals in the woods are also drawn to the food.

Conclusion

You now know how to spot a mulberry tree. There may be blackberries on a tree near a road or in the woods. Before you pick them, check the leaves. Then be happy about what you found.

Mulberry trees aren’t often sold at local gardens. They think they are a bothersome weed. Use Google to find approved nurseries near you that sell mulberry trees that have been grown.

Dwarf mulberry bushes can be bought at StarkBros. Nursery. They make the sweetest berries, and that size would make them easier to handle.

Do not cut the roots of a mulberry plant that you find in your yard. Instead, pull it up. If not, cut it down and cover the stump with Roundup or white vinegar that hasn’t been reduced. It might need more than one entry.

Snake plants, or Dracaena trifasciata, are popular pets that are known for having tough, long, succulent leaves that look like grass and are also easy to care for. They can handle being ignored, which makes them a great choice for people who are just starting to gather houseplants.

But many people aren’t sure if it’s safe to keep these plants in a home with dogs, even though they look cool and are tough. Dogs and cats should not be able to get to snake plants because they are poisonous.

Also, people can get sick from them, so if you have little kids, the same goes for you. People used to call this plant Sansevieria trifasciata until 2017. A lot of sites still list it with that name. People sometimes call these plants mother-in-law’s tongue, golden bird’s nest, or viper’s bowstring hemp.

Toxicity

Dogs should not be around snake plants because they are mild to fairly poisonous. They have saponins in them, which make you salivate a lot, your eyes get bigger, and your stomach hurts. It is in the leaves of the snake plant, and eating a lot of them is the worst thing that can happen. If you take in a small amount, the effects are generally less severe, but if you take in a large amount, they may be worse.

Signs That Your Dog Has Been Poisoned by Snake Plants
Snake plant overdose often causes sickness, vomiting, and diarrhea. Keep an eye out for any signs that your dog is acting strangely or that he or she is having stomach problems.

Warning

If you think your dog has eaten some of your snake plant, you should call your vet or an emergency animal hospital right away. Do not make someone vomit unless told to by a medical worker. You could either tell the vet what kind of snake plant the animal ate or bring a picture or piece of the plant for them to look at. While you wait, keep an eye on your dog and make sure he or she doesn’t eat any more of the plant.

How To Prevent Your Dog From Eating Your Snake Plant

The snake plant is tough and can do well in low light, so it can be used in many places around the house. This will keep your dog from eating your snake plant. Put it somewhere high up that the dog can’t get to, like on a shelf or a tall plant stand. If you take the plant outside for the summer, do the same thing.

You could also put the plant somewhere your dog isn’t allowed to go. You might have to give your snake plant to a friend if your furry friend is known for getting into trouble and you are worried that he will still find a way to eat it.

Diagnosis Of Snake Plant Poisoning In Dogs

After you bring your dog to the vet’s office, the vet will start by giving your dog a physical check. This will let her check his symptoms and record any changes in his vital signs right away. If your dog throws up while he’s at the vet’s office, the vet will look through the vomit to see if there is any sign of what he ate.

In the event that your dog has diarrhea, a sample of its poop may be collected and tested to rule out other possible reasons. Two things that your vet will want to rule out are having too many bugs in the gut and having internal parasites.

The doctor will look at the blood work to see how the internal organs are working and to see if there are any problems starting to show up. A full blood count (CBC) and chemistry panel will give the vet the information they need to do a good evaluation.

To find out about water, a packed cell volume (PCV) test can also be used. If your vet thinks it’s important, she may also do a urinalysis to get a better idea of how well your kidneys are working.

The vet will be able to figure out what toxins are hurting your dog. When you go to the office, make sure you bring a piece of the plant with you.

Treatment Of Snake Plant Poisoning In Dogs

The best way to treat your dog’s snake plant poisoning will depend on what signs he is showing. In order to get rid of any remaining plant parts in your dog’s stomach, if he isn’t vomiting or hasn’t vomited at all since eating the plant, the vet may make him puke. She may also decide to give the person activated charcoal to take up any extra toxins before they are absorbed by the body.

People will start fluid treatment with electrolytes if your dog is throwing up and having diarrhea. If your dog is dehydrated, giving them fluids will fix the problem and keep it from getting worse. This will also help the body get rid of the poison as quickly and safely as possible.

When the doctor thinks it’s necessary, extra therapeutic drugs will be given. She may give your dog an antiemetic if it is throwing up uncontrollably. If he is having stomach problems, medicines that guard the lining of the stomach and intestines may be given to him. Based on your dog’s complaints, other treatments will be given.

Recovery Of Snake Plant Poisoning In Dogs

Snakes may not be very dangerous to dogs, but it depends on how much they ate. If only a small amount was eaten or he threw up what he did eat, the outlook for a full recovery is good.

His chances of fully recovering go down if he ate a lot or if he didn’t get medical care quickly. For the next few days, your vet may tell you to feed your pet simple foods so that its stomach can get back to normal after the event.

Conclusion

Snake plants look nice and clean the air, but they can be dangerous for pets, which shows how important it is to know about plants before you buy them. Pets and plants can live together peacefully if you know the signs of ingestion, get your pet to the vet right away, and take preventative steps.

Finding a balance between eco-friendly living and pet safety is important for making sure that the lush beauty of snake plants and the safety of beloved pets can live together in peace. Making smart decisions lets you have the best of both worlds: a lush indoor garden and the loyal love of your furry friends.

FAQ

What Happens If My Dog Eats A Snake Plant?

The plant’s toxic saponin foams, which can cause mild to serious stomach problems like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and in the worst cases, red blood cells that break.5 As soon as possible, call your doctor.

How Toxic Are Snake Plants?

If you eat any part of the plant, you will get sick. How bad the symptoms are relies on how much you take; too much can kill you. People who take in even small amounts should be treated right away because it is a serious matter.

Can My Dog Be In The Same Room As A Snake Plant?

The plant is only poisonous when eaten, not when touched. You might be able to leave the dog in the same room as the plant, but it depends on where the plant is and how old and calm the dog is. A baby might be able to get on top of a plant stand, but an older dog might not be as curious or quick. For safety’s sake, you shouldn’t leave your dog alone in a room with a snake plant nearby.

What Is The Time Frame For A Dog To Show Signs Of Being Sick From A Snake Plant?

As soon as the toxic saponin gets into your dog’s digestive system, the symptoms usually show up pretty quickly.

Are All Snake Plant Varieties Toxic To Cats And Dogs?

Both types of Sansevieria and Dracaena have saponins that are poisonous to cats and dogs if they eat them. That’s why it’s important to keep your pets away from snake plants. In the same way, if your pet is outside, you shouldn’t grow them outside as porch plants.

How Can I Tell If My Pet Has Ingested Part Of A Snake Plant?

Keep an eye out for signs like diarrhea, vomiting, feeling tired, or losing your hunger. Seek quick veterinary care if you think the animal has eaten something. Give them information about how your pet acts and the type of plant it eats so they can give you the right advice.

Is The Mother-In-Law’s Tongue Toxic To Rabbits?

Yes, mother-in-law’s tongue, which is another name for a snake plant, does have saponins that are bad for bunnies. To keep them from getting poisoned, they must keep this plant away from them.

Are Snake Plants Toxic To Humans?

Snake plants are usually safe for people to eat, but they can cause mild irritation if they do. But it’s best to stay away from the eyes and don’t eat or drink it. If you have any strange symptoms, you should see a doctor.

In organic farming, Epsom salt is often used as an extra. Epsom salt is a great thing to use in an organic yard if you want to live in a green way. If you take good care of your plants, both inside and outside, Epsom salt is a cheap, gentle, and environmentally friendly way to treat them.

Epsom Salt, which is also called Magnesium Sulfate, is one of the most useful and inexpensive salt-like substances in the world. Its chemical makeup is different from any other. Epsom salt has been used for a long time to help gardens grow lush grass, full roses, and healthy, bright green plants.

It is thought to be the secret ingredient that makes gardens, trees, and grass look so beautiful and lush. In the same way that fine salt works with other ingredients to bring out the flavors and make a meal taste better, Epsom salt works with fertilizer to make the soil more alive.

Many people love Ultra Epsom® Salt because it is the best Epsom salt on the market and is great for plants, lawns, trees, shrubs, flowers, and even fruit and veggies.

Why Epsom Salt Works In The Garden

Because it is mostly made up of magnesium sulfate, Epsom salt is very high in these two minerals, which are both important for plants to stay healthy. Minerals that are good for bathing and doing chores around the house are also good for your garden. 

They will help it grow to its best potential and make your outdoor space lush and full of life. Epsom salt doesn’t build up in the soil over time like most fertilizers do. This makes it safer to use than chemical soil additions.

Magnesium

Magnesium helps plants from the very beginning, when the seed first starts to grow. A mineral called magnesium helps seeds sprout by making the walls of plant cells stronger so the plant can take in important nutrients.

Magnesium is also very important for photosynthesis because it helps make chlorophyll, which plants use to turn sunshine into food. In addition, it lets the plant take in phosphorus and nitrogen, which are important parts of soil fertilizer.

Magnesium is thought to bring more flowers and fruit to your garden. It can also make your room look better.

Sodium Sulfate

A chemical called sulfate, which is made up of sulfur, is also an important nutrient for plants. Sulfate is important for plants’ health and life, and it helps them make chlorophyll.

It works with the earth to improve the plant-use of important nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. When you mix sulfate and magnesium, you get a mix of minerals that are good for your garden’s health.

How To Grow Your Garden With Epsom Salt

Epsom Salt For Plants

The plants in pots that you have around your house and on your porch might be the most natural and easy place to start with Ultra Epsom Salt. Adding Epsom salt is an easy way to make their flowers healthier, and you can do it every day without much trouble.

For planted plants, all you have to do is mix two tablespoons of Epsom salt with one gallon of water. Water the plants normally once a month, but use this solution instead.

When houseplants have been in pots for a long time, natural salt can build up in the dirt and clog the root cells. This Epsom salt solution is especially helpful for these plants because it removes the salt.

Ultra Epsom Salt can help get rid of this buildup of natural salts in the pot, which can also help the plant stay healthy and bright. It also helps a plant that has just been put in a pot because it makes it easier for the plant to get the nutrients it needs and get off to a good start.

Most plants need a lot of sun to get the benefits of Ultra Epsom Salt and make food, so unless you are told otherwise, keep your houseplants in warm spots. There are also benefits to using Ultra Epsom Salt with veggies because it can help the plants give you more food.

This is especially helpful for people who live in apartments or don’t have a yard because Ultra Epsom Salt can help you get a lot of stuff in a small area. It’s a great way to grow food quickly and easily, even from the roof of an apartment!

First Planting With Epsom Salt

Sprinkle up to a cup of Ultra Epsom Salt on every 100 square feet of garden dirt to get it ready for planting or seeding. Then, work the salt into the soil. In turn, this helps the seeds sprout and grow in a strong, healthy way. Also, it can help older plants that you add to your garden because the change can be hard on their health and growth.

Vegetable Gardens & Epsom Salt

Epsom salt can help you give an old garden a new lease on life or start a new one off on the right foot. Extra Epsom Salt doesn’t stay in the soil or hurt plants when it’s used, so it can be used safely and effectively at any time of a plant’s life.

In general, Ultra Epsom Salt is a good choice for a tank sprayer that needs a salt solution. Just put one tablespoon of Ultra Epsom Salt into every gallon of water in your tank sprayer, which you can find at most home improvement and gardening shops.

Spray your garden after you put the seeds, again in about a month, and finally when the vegetables start to grow. People think that this will make your vegetables healthier and give you a lush veggie garden.

Please keep in mind that Epsom salt can be used on any plant except sage. Talk to a gardener in your area to learn more about the best ways to do things.

Epsom salt can be especially helpful for vegetable gardens that grow peppers and tomatoes. More information can be found below.

Tomatoes & Epsom Salt

Later in the growth season, tomatoes can get magnesium deficiency, which can show up as yellowing leaves and less fruit. Applying Ultra Epsom Salt treatments to your tomato plants before you put them and all through the growing season can help keep them from getting magnesium deficiency and fix it if it happens.

Just sprinkle the area with one or two tablespoons of Epsom salt for tomatoes before you put seeds or transplants. You can add one tablespoon of Ultra Epsom Salt for every foot of plant height around the base of each tomato plant as it grows, or you can use the tank sprayer solution and spray the plants every two weeks.

Peppers & Epsom Salt

Peppers can also lack magnesium, just like tomatoes. Epsom salt works just as well on tomato plants as it does on pepper plants. Add one or two tablespoons to the area where you planted seeds, starter plants, or full-grown plants. Then, add it twice a week, depending on the plant’s height. 

This will give your pepper plants the magnesium they need. According to a study by the National Gardening Association, four out of six home gardeners noticed that peppers that had been treated with Epsom salt were bigger than peppers that had not been treated.

A lot of farmers say that Epsom salt is the reason their peppers and tomatoes stay healthy and bright.

Flower Gardens & Epsom Salt

Like veggie gardens, flower gardens do very well when Ultra Epsom Salt is mixed into the soil or used as a liquid. Epsom salt can help your garden become the peaceful, calming place you want it to be, and it will also make your home and yard look better.

Follow the steps in the “First Planting” part to use it with both brand-new seedlings and plants that are already grown. Next, put one tablespoon of Ultra Epsom Salt into one gallon of water and fill a tank sprayer with the mix.

This treatment should be used after planting, again when the plants start to grow, and finally when they bloom. Not having a tank sprayer? You can use a watering can with one tablespoon of Ultra Epsom Salt per gallon of water to make this mix.

Roses & Epsom Salt

When Epsom salt is added to water, roses really do grow better. People say that adding it to plants will make their leaves greener and healthy and help them grow more roses. To get the most out of your roses, soak rose bushes that haven’t been planted yet in half a cup of Ultra Epsom Salt per gallon of water before you plant them. 

This will help the roots stay strong. When you plant, put one tablespoon of Ultra Epsom Salt in each hole before you put the rose bush in there. In a tank sprayer or watering can after planting the roses, make the same Ultra Epsom Salt solution. 

You can also just work in one tablespoon of Ultra Epsom Salt per foot of the plant. Also, at the start of the season, you should work half a cup of Ultra Epsom Salt into the plant’s base to help the canes bloom and the base canes grow in a healthy way.

Shrubs & Epsom Salt

It has been shown that Epsom salt can make flowering and green plants, like azaleas, rhododendrons, and evergreens, bloom better. For every nine square feet of bush, work one tablespoon of Ultra Epsom Salt into the soil over the root zone. This lets the shrubs receive the nutrients. For best effects, do this every two to four weeks.

Lawn Care & Epsom Salt

You can give both your garden and yard a new lease on life with Ultra Epsom Salt.

Epsom salt is great for making grass healthier, lusher, and softer and stopping it from turning yellow. You can use a yard spreader, a tank sprayer, or a hose with a spray attachment to put it down.

Three pounds for every 1250 square feet (25′ x 50′), six pounds for every 2500 square feet (50′ x 50′), and twelve pounds for every 5000 square feet (50′ x 100′).

If you are using a tank sprayer or a hose with a spray connection, make sure you mix the salt with a lot of water to make a concentrated solution.

Trees & Epsom Salt

Epsom salt can also help your trees, which are the biggest and oldest plants in your yard. By adding it to the soil, tree roots can take in more minerals. This will make the trees strong and healthy for many years to come.

If your trees bloom or bear fruit, Ultra Epsom Salt can make them create more flowers and fruit. Three or four times a year, work two tablespoons of the mixture into the dirt over the root zone for every nine square feet.

Planning to do this at the start of each season is a great way to get the tree ready for the weather to change. It also makes the tree stronger and healthy in the weeks to come.

Conclusion

Epsom salts are good for some plants, like roses, tomatoes, and peppers, because they contain vitamins.

In some cases, they can help make the soil better, but in others, like when the soil is acidic, they would make it worse. Because they don’t have any important nutrients, Epsom salts shouldn’t be used instead of a balanced manure.

An English plant that looks like a cup of tea on a cloudy day, ivy is loved for its looks. It generally grows on top of brickwork. Its long stems and pretty pointy leaves give it a romantic, slightly wild feel. The good news is that it’s fine living inside with us.

We can pick between two ivies. Ivy is a standard English type with leaves that are a medium shade of green. Effy, which is also called variegated ivy, has leaf tips that are a light cream color.

It does well almost anywhere, and it will look great hanging from your bookshelves or over them. Take care of it like this:

• It does well in most kinds of light, but bright light is best.
• It likes slightly cooler weather than most plants.
• Check the dirt often to make sure it stays damp but not soggy.
• For its sake, mist it every other day. It likes dry air.
• Roots that grow up could leave marks on your walls.

Is Ivy Easy To Care For?

Even though ivy is usually grown outside, it does very well indoors. Plus, it’s easy to take care of, which makes it great for people who are new to gardening. It doesn’t mind cool places or dim light.

It’s used to the weather in Britain, so ivy only really cares about how wet it is. So long as you mist it and keep it wet, it will be healthy and happy.

How Much Light Does Ivy Need?

Good news: ivy can survive in almost any light. The place where you put it doesn’t really matter, from bright windows to dirty corners. Place it near a window, but not in the sun, if you can, so it gets bright light from the side.

If you picked the variegated ivy Effy, the leaves might look duller if there is less light. That means you should put your plant somewhere bright if you want it to stay healthy.

How Much Water Does Ivy Need?

Your ivy likes dirt that is damp but not soaked. So we suggest that you check the dirt often and water it when the top two inches feel dry. Also, it likes it damp, so mist it every other day with your spray bottle.

Ivies also like to take showers every once in a while to clean their leaves of dirt and other things. Not much is needed—a quick rinse in the bathroom should be enough.

How Fast Does Ivy Grow?

When you’re outside, ivy can quickly climb up walls. Even though you keep it inside, it still grows quickly. But don’t worry—it won’t take over your living room overnight.

Ivy loves to climb, and if you let it, it might sneak up your walls. It sticks to surfaces with tiny flying roots that grow along its stems. Just keep in mind that the roots might leave marks.

Can I Trim My Ivy?

It is perfectly fine to cut off the biggest stems of ivy if it is getting out of hand. The plant won’t get hurt at all. Read on to find out more about cutting.

After cutting back your plant, why not use the roots to make more plants? Take off about 4 to 5 inches, then put them in a jar of water on a sunny window sill. You can put them in small pots once their roots have grown. It’s that easy to get free new plants.

Common Problems With Ivy

Prinzo says that too much water on the leaves or at the roots of ivy is the main cause of most of its problems. “If the entire leaf turns brown, it’s likely root rot, and either the watering should be reduced or the soil amended for better drainage (or both),” she adds.

Both bacterial and fungus leaf spot look like small spots on the leaves. They happen when water stays on the leaves’ surface for too long. “To remedy leaf spot, avoid watering from overhead by using drip irrigation, or water in the morning so any moisture on the leaves has more time to evaporate before evening,” says Prinzo. Good news: Cubian says that both of these problems are easy to fix with the right trimming and watering.

How To Propagate Ivy

Weed lovers will be happy to know that ivy is easy to grow in water. “Cut off a 4- to 6-inch piece of ivy from a plant that is healthy.” “Take off the leaves from the bottom half of the stem and put it in water like you would a cut flower,” says Prinzo. “Keep the cutting in bright indirect light and replenish the water as needed.”

Around the third week, roots should start to appear. By the fourth to sixth week, there should be enough new roots to move the cutting to new soil.

How To Repot Ivy

If the dirt isn’t draining as well as it used to, or if you see roots coming out of the holes in the pot, it may be time to repot your ivy. You’ll need a pot that is just 1 inch bigger in diameter to do this.

Once you’re ready, carefully take your ivy out of its current pot and put it in the bigger one. Make sure to add fresh dirt below and around the plant.

Conclusion

Take better care of your ivy plant indoors than in the yard, where the vines can grow out of control. This vine could spread quickly, but you can enjoy it safely at home as a pretty houseplant.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Indoor Ivy Like Direct Sunlight?

Ivy that you keep inside needs bright light to grow, but not direct sunlight. If there isn’t enough artificial light, the ivy won’t look as colorful, and it will grow less quickly. Rooms for ivy need to be between 50°F and 70°F during the day.

Does Indoor Ivy Attract Pests?

Even though indoor ivy doesn’t get many plant diseases, mealybugs, mites, aphids, whiteflies, and scales can still get into seedlings. Termites may also use ivy as a way to get into your home.

What Is The Fastest-Growing Indoor Ivy Plant?

Pothos, also known as Devil’s Ivy (Epipremnum aureum), is an indoor ivy that grows over 40 inches a year. This plant is easy to grow and doesn’t need much care. Pothos grows best in shady spots, which makes it a great houseplant.

Andy Schenk of Malvern, Pennsylvania, calls his garden “Look Again Garden,” and today he is sharing some photos that will certainly make you look again, as these are some of his top plants that look beautiful in the winter. His garden sits at the edge of Zones 6 and 7.

Hamamelis ovalis (Zones 6–9) is a relatively new species of witch hazel in cultivation, native to southeastern North America. The flowers are small but are great for early color in the garden.

Prunus ‘Fudan-zakura’, a gift from the Morris Arboretum, is a cool prunus that flowers in both fall and spring much like Prunus × subhirtella ‘Autumnalis Rosea’.

Croton alabamensis (Zones 6–8), showing stunning fall color and still mostly evergreen at this time, is native to the southern United States.

These Cyclamen hederifolium (Zones 4–9) seedlings are displaying amazing leaf colors and patterns.

Danae racemosa (Zones 6–8) is a fantastic evergreen shrub that is happy in deep shade. Its red fruit is spectacular right now.

This Torreya grandis (Zones 8–9, maybe colder) has surprised me for its hardiness. It also appears to be deer resistant, as I have never seen any browse.

Torreya jackii was another surprise. I love the long needles and weeping habit.

Cephalotaxus fortunei (Zones 7–9) is a rather uncommon species of Cephalotaxus. It is a great evergeen for a shady spot and also shows excellent deer resistance.

Cornus (aka Benthamidia) elliptica ‘Summer Splash’ (Zones 7–9) is one of the evergreen dogwoods, but its variegated foliage makes it even better the others.

Good-old Chimonanthus praecox (Zones 7–10)—I could not imagine a winter garden without this fragrant beauty.

Have a garden you’d like to share?

Have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a particular collection of plants you love, or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit!

To submit, send 5-10 photos to [email protected] along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos. We’d love to hear where you are located, how long you’ve been gardening, successes you are proud of, failures you learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden.

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Indoor plants improve air quality in other ways as well. Plants release water vapor into the air, which increases humidity, and this can help improve respiratory and skin health by offsetting the drying effects of heating systems. This can be an incredible benefit to those with respiratory issues, headaches, and allergies.

Plants also increase oxygen levels in the air by absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen during photosynthesis. According to a Seattle Times article, you can maximize your benefits by placing plants “in your ‘breathing zone,’ within 6 to 8 square feet of where you normally sit or lie.”

A positive effect of this increased oxygenation can be to improve our mood, energy, and mental focus. In fact, studies have found that when people were allowed to have indoor plants in their office space, their work performance improved! No wonder so many new tech offices are including indoor spaces reminiscent of forests and tropical oases. Not only are they beautiful, but they also help people feel better and work better.

Rhubarb is easy to grow, and an excellent choice for beginners and experts alike. Especially if you want a low-maintenance option for your vegetable garden.

This hardy perennial is a staple for many long-time gardeners. But, to be successful, you must first understand how to care for it correctly.

In this guide, I’ll tell you everything you need to know about growing your own rhubarb, no matter what your skill level. You’ll find all of the essential information about soil, water, fertilizer, sun, temperature, pest control, and much more.

Quick Rhubarb Plant Care Overview

Information About Rhubarb

Rhubarb (Rheum rhabarbarum) is a perennial vegetable native to Asia that’s been cultivated worldwide for hundreds of years.

It has long stalks, or ribs, with large green leaves at the top. A mature plant can be 4’ wide or larger and have stalks that are red, pink, or green.

The leaves contain oxalic acid, which makes them toxic and inedible (source). But gardeners love the stalks for their sour, tart flavor. They’re popular in baking, preserves, desserts, and sauces.

These low-maintenance plants rarely has pest or disease problems, and they can continue to produce for 8-15 years.

Different Types

There are many varieties of rhubarb with differences in hardiness, stem color, size, and growth rate. But thankfully, all of them can be cared for in the same way. Here are a few of the most popular types:

• Canada Red – This plant has shorter stalks that are red inside and out, and more tender than other varieties.

• Riverside Giant – This slow-growing, cold-hardy variety produces long green stems.

• Macdonald – The long, tender pink stalks on this variety are juicy and less tart, making it a popular option.

• Victoria – This is one of the most favored cultivars due to the slight sweetness and tender stalks, which have red exteriors and green interiors.

Hardiness

Rhubarb is a very cold hardy perennial that will come back every year in zones 3-8. Temperatures as low as -20°F (-28°C) won’t damage it.

In fact, it needs the cold to produce new stalks every year. You’ll have a hard time growing rhubarb if it doesn’t get below freezing where you live.

How Does Rhubarb Grow?

The edible fibrous stalks grow from buds that form around the crown or rootball. Each year, clusters of new buds develop on the outside of the previous year’s, gradually causing the plant to become wider.

Large, broad green leaves grow from the top of each stalk. On mature plants, tiny clusters of flowers can develop on tall spikes in the spring.

As it warms up in the summer, the stalks will get thinner and shorter as the plant focuses on storing energy for next year’s bounty.

Related Post: How To Make Rhubarb Jam: Easy Recipe

Where To Grow Rhubarb

In the cooler zones of 3-5, choose a full sun location to encourage the quickest growth. In the warmer zones of 6-8, find a spot that gets partial shade in the afternoon to protect it from the hot sun.

For best results, the bed should have has rich, fertile, and well-draining soil. An area that stays consistently moist, but not overly wet, would be perfect.

When To Plant

Plant your Rheum rhabarbarum as soon as the ground is workable in the early spring. You can start it from seed, but it will take several years to reach full maturity.

Dig deep holes and fill them with compost or a well-rotted manure. Add a slow-release fertilizer, then plant the crown 1-2” under the soil.

A single rhubarb plant will grow wider over the years, so make sure to space them 3-4’ apart so they have plenty of room, and don’t become overcrowded.

Rhubarb Plant Care & Growing Instructions

Now that you have the right location in mind, it’s time to talk about how to care for rhubarb your plant. My tips below will help make it an easy addition to your garden.

Sunlight

Rhubarb needs 6-8 hours of sunlight to produce healthy stalks, and to ensure the crown has enough energy stores to grow back every year.

Choose a full-sun location, unless you live in a warm climate (zones 6-8). In that case, provide shade in the afternoon during the hottest part of the day to prevent sunburn.

Water

While it can handle short periods of drought, rhubarb grows best with consistent moisture, and it doesn’t like to dry out for too long. Water deeply when the top 1” of soil is dry.

Give it a deep soaking, but never to the point where the water pools or the ground is soggy, because too much can lead to crown rot.

Mulch around the base of the plant to help retain moisture, especially in the summer when temperatures rise. Compost, hay, or shredded bark will work great for that. Stop watering in the fall when the foliage dies off as the plant enters its dormant period.

Related Post: How To Can Rhubarb At Home

Temperature

These cold hardy plants do not like the heat, and will grow the most in the spring and early summer when it’s between 40-75°F (4.4-23.9°C). Anything hotter can cause drought stress, wilting, bolting, or scorching.

Cooler temperatures will trigger the plant to go dormant in the fall and winter. But that’s a good thing, because it needs a rest period below 40°F (4.4°C) to produce new stalks the following spring.

Fertilizer

Rhubarb is a heavy feeder and will benefit from regular applications of a balanced general-purpose vegetable fertilizer from spring through summer.

Use an all-purpose liquid twice a month spring through early summer, or top-dress with slow-release granules before it breaks dormancy in the spring.

In early spring, top-dress with compost or well-rotted manure, then work slow-release granules into the soil monthly. Or apply a liquid like compost tea or fish emulsion every two weeks.

Soil

One of the things that makes rhubarb so easy to care for is that it can grow in almost any type of soil, as long as it’s well-draining. But the ideal mix is rich, fertile, porous, and loamy

It should also be slightly acidic, or between 6-6.8 on a ph probe. If your soil is alkaline, you can amend it with a slow-release acidifier.

You can improve poor-quality garden soil by digging a deep hole before planting, and adding compost or well-rotted manure, as well as slow-release fertilizer granules into it. Or you can top-dress your plants.

Pruning

You don’t need to worry about pruning your rhubarb, it will grow just fine without it. But regular trimming can help maintain the appearance and control the size of the plant.

Remove dead or damaged stems by simply twisting or cutting them off. Use sharp pruning shears to snip away the flower stalks as they appear, to allow the plant to divert the energy back into the crown to store for next year.

Propagation

If your rhubarb is older than five years, you can remove new clusters or divide the crown in the late winter or early spring, while the plant is still dormant.

Use a sharp, sterile garden knife to split them, and make sure each section contains at least one bud. Share them with friends, or replant them with plenty of space to grow.

Pest Control Tips

Though they are usually pest-free plants, the rhubarb curculio beetle enjoys feeding and laying eggs on the stems.

These pesky bugs overwinter in plant debris and dead leaves, so make sure to clean up your garden in the fall to help prevent them.

Holes and oozing sap in the stalks are signs of an infestation. Hand-pick the insects off the plant and drop them into a bucket of soapy water to get rid of them.

Disease Control Tips

Crown rot is a common problem in heavy, poor-draining soils, and is usually caused by overwatering. The main symptoms are wilting, yellowing leaves, and soft stems.

Leaf spot is a fungus that can spread from water or wind. It causes red, yellow, or brown circular lesions on the leaves. Keep the ground clear of old plant debris and water at the base to prevent splashing on the leaves.

If you notice spots on any of the foliage, remove and destroy the infected ones immediately to keep the disease from spreading.

Tips For Harvesting Rhubarb

You can begin lightly harvesting your rhubarb in the second year of growth by removing just a few of the larger outer stalks.

By the third year, you can remove up to ⅓ of the plant with each harvest as soon as the stalks reach 12-18” tall.

The best way to pick it is by holding a stem firmly in your hand and twisting it from the base. Remove the leaves immediately and discard them. They’re inedible and will make the stalks soft if you leave them on for too long.

Related Post: How To Freeze Rhubarb (With Or Without Blanching)

Troubleshooting Common Problems

Rhubarb is low-maintenance and rarely has issues, but no plant is problem-free. If you encounter one of these more common issues, my tips will get you back on track.

Thin, Spindly Stalks

Lack of light, nutrients, or age can all cause thin stalks. If your rhubarb plant is in full sun, try fertilizing it with add an all-purpose liquid or slow release granules.

If sun and nutrients aren’t the issue, and your plant is between 5-10 years old, it may be time to divide it. You can rejuvenate it by cutting the crown into sections, or by removing and transplanting the new bud clusters.

Brown Spots On Leaves

Leaf spot, a fungal disease, is often the cause of brown spotting on rhubarb leaves. It can come from moisture sitting on the foliage, poor airflow, or old plant debris.

The best approach is to remove any affected leaves and destroy them. Keep the plant’s base clean, avoid overhead watering, and make sure your plants are not overcrowded.

FAQs

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