Category: Home & Garden

Ocimum spp.

Highly aromatic with sparkling green or purple leaves and a sweet anise flavor, basil is one of the most popular culinary herbs – and it’s also one of the easiest to grow!

Extremely versatile and widely used, basil’s unique taste has been enjoyed in many cultures for many centuries, adding its distinctive flavor to both sweet and savory foods and beverages.

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The fresh, bright, and flavorful leaves with notes of cinnamon, licorice, or mint are a must-have for kitchen gardens.

And the herb is well-suited for cultivation in garden beds and containers. Plus, its quick growth means you can enjoy several harvests from successive plantings.

When mature, basil plants produce upright spires of small, white to mauve flowers that attract a variety of pollinators such as bees and butterflies – and the edible flowers also make a pretty garnish for plates or beverages.

The flavorful, elliptical leaves are a breeze to preserve and can be quickly dried into flakes or frozen into herb cubes for later use in dishes like sauces, soups, and stews.

And basil’s good for you, too!

Loaded with antioxidants, Ocimum species have long been used as a curative in traditional medicines and now modern science is also showing positive, health-related results via the latest research.

Aromatic, easily grown, healthy, and flavorful – are you ready to add this outstanding herb to your garden? Then let’s jump right in!

Here’s what we’ll cover up ahead:

What Is Basil?

Basil plants are species of tender perennials in the Ocimum genus grown for their highly flavorful, deep green or purple leaves that are used extensively in culinary applications.

Fresh or dried, the leaves are a popular accompaniment to eggs, fish, meat, tomatoes and tomato dishes, pasta and pizza, sauces, soups, and vegetables. And their tangy flavor adds a refreshing zip to beverages like cocktails and vinegar-based shrubs.

A member of the intensely fragrant and flavorful mint family, Lamiaceae, basil is closely related to other common garden herbs like lavender, mint, rosemary, and thyme.

Rich in essential oils such as methyl chavicol, linalool, methyl eugenol, and methyl cinnamate, the fragrant leaves have a sweet, lightly spicy taste with a variety of undertones, such as anise, cinnamon, clove, licorice, mint, or pepper, depending on the variety.

The genus has about 65 accepted species, plus numerous cultivars and hybrids with sweet or common varieties, with O. basilicum being the most common.

Sweet basil varieties include popular selections such as ‘Boxwood,’ ‘Cinnamon,’ ‘Genovese,’ ‘Red Rubin,’ and ‘Spicy Globe.’

Other popular garden choices include citrus varieties (O. americanum), Greek (O. basilicum var. minimum), holy (O. tenuiflorum), and Thai (O. basilicum var. thyrsiflorum) cultivars.

A warm weather herb that’s grown as an annual, the fast-growing plants allow for several harvests each growing season when seeds or starts are planted successively every two or three weeks.

Flower buds are typically pinched out to concentrate energy into leaf production.

But when allowed to flower, they produce pretty spires of small, orchid-like blooms in colors of mauve, pink, purple, and white. And like most mint family members, the flowers are highly attractive to bees and other pollinators.

Fan-shaped seed pods form at the base of the flowers and produce an abundance of small, round seeds – each stem can contain hundreds of the brown or black seeds!

Garden cultivars grow to a mature height and width of 12 to 24 inches with dwarf varieties staying as small as eight inches.

Gardeners within basil’s hardiness range of USDA Zones 9 to 11 can grow these plants as biennials or short-lived perennials.

But in temperate regions outside of their range, they must be grown as annuals and planted out only once temperatures consistently stay above 50°F in the spring.

Plants typically die off from cold weather or frost, but they may be brought indoors to overwinter or used for propagation.

Cultivation and History

Native to tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, India, and Southeast Asia, basil has been cultivated for millennia.

Along with culinary applications, ancient traditional cultures from Egypt to Greece to India used it as a curative, perfume, preservative, and sacrificial herb.

Traveling along the spice trade routes, the herb made its way to Greece and Italy around 300 BC, and some say it was carried by the troops of Alexander the Great.

Documentation of its use in Europe can be found as early as the first century AD in the treatise “De Materia Medica,” written by Greek botanist and physician Dioscorides, who prescribed it as an antidote to the bites of sea dragons and scorpions!

Ocimum plants moved east through Europe and arrived in Britain in the 1500s, then came to the North American colonies in the 1620s.

Derived from the Greek word for royal or kingly, basilikon, it’s often referred to as the “king of herbs” – thought to refer to its wide range of applications and as an ingredient in royal perfumes.

Today, this highly popular herb is cultivated around the globe and used in a variety of industries, including cosmetics, food and beverages, holistic practices, perfumes, and pharmaceuticals.

Basil Propagation

Basil is easily propagated from seed and via stem cuttings.

Start Seed Indoors

To start seeds indoors, fill a flat or tray with lightly moistened, sterilized seed starter soil.

Scatter seeds lightly over the surface then cover with one-quarter to one-half inch of soil. Gently firm the soil over the seeds.

Water gently to moisten and place trays in a warm location.

These seeds don’t need light to germinate, but they do need warmth, with soil temperatures ranging from 50 to 70°F. The best germination rates occur closer to 70°F, so use a bottom heating mat to maintain warm conditions if needed.

Seeds germinate in five to 10 days.

Once the seeds have sprouted, the seedlings need a minimum of six hours of bright light daily. Use a grow light for indoor seedlings if needed.

Keep the soil slightly moist but not wet to avoid fungal problems like damping off. And good air circulation is also important for healthy seedlings – a fan can be used to provide a gentle breeze to keep the air moving.

Once the seedlings are about four inches tall and have at least two sets of true leaves, thin to two inches apart.

After all danger of frost has passed and temperatures remain above 50°F, plant out into garden beds or containers.

For more details, be sure to check out our guide on how to propagate basil from seed.

Direct Sow Outdoors

To direct sow seeds outdoors, wait until the soil has warmed up to 60 to 70°F, with the best germination occurring closer to 70°F.

Plant in beds or containers prepared with well-draining, humus-rich soil in a full sun location. Scatter seed lightly over the soil surface and cover with one-quarter to one-half inch of soil.

Keep the surface soil lightly moist for seeds to germinate.

When plants have two or three sets of true leaves, thin to six to 12 inches apart in garden beds and four to eight inches apart in containers.

Depending on the variety, plants can become quite bushy and require ample space, but they don’t get as large in containers and can be planted closer together.

Stem Cuttings

For stem cuttings, choose three- to six-inch stems from mature plants and cut below the last leaf node.

Remove leaves from the bottom two inches of the stems.

Place stems in a glass with two to three inches of room temperature water and put the glass in a sunny windowsill.

Change the water every other day.

Roots form in two to three weeks, and once they’re one to two inches long, the cuttings can be planted out or potted up as outlined below.

Our guide to propagating basil has more information.

How to Grow Basil

Basil requires a full sun location in humus-rich, well-draining soil with a slightly acidic to neutral pH of 6.0 to 7.0.

Plant out once all danger of frost is past and soil temperatures are consistently above 50°F, or when air temperatures reach 65 to 70°F. The warmer the weather, the greater the leaf production will be.

To prepare the soil in garden beds, use a garden fork or spade to loosen it to a depth of eight to 12 inches.

Mix in a shovelful of compost or well-rotted manure to add nutrients and tilth.

Add a shovelful of grit such as landscape sand, pea gravel, or stone chips to improve drainage – basil cultivars are prone to root rot in wet soil and must have excellent drainage.

Before planting, mix in one or two tablespoons of bone meal for healthy, strong roots.

Create planting holes and set plants in place.

Backfill and cover the root balls with one to two inches of soil, firming gently in place.

Water lightly to settle.

Keep the soil slightly moist throughout the growing season, allowing only the top inch of soil to dry out between water applications.

For container plants, choose pots and planters with drainage holes to ensure the soil doesn’t become overly wet.

I like to add a couple inches of loose materials like broken pottery over the drainage holes to keep water moving freely and to prevent the roots from sitting in wet soil.

Fill pots with light, loamy, and gritty all-purpose potting soil.

Enrich the soil with two parts compost or manure to four parts soil.

Amend with one to two parts grit as needed for free-flowing drainage.

Stir in a tablespoon or two of bone meal before planting.

Set plants in place and backfill with soil, firming it gently over the root zone.

Water deeply but gently to settle plants in place, and place containers in a full sun location.

Keep the soil lightly moist throughout the growing season. Depending on their size, containers may need to be watered daily in hot weather.

Once plants are about four to six inches tall, feed with an all-purpose fertilizer with a balanced NPK formula, such as 10-10-10. Feed every two to three weeks for the duration of the growing season.

To help retain moisture, add a two-inch layer of mulch such as compost, leaf mold, or straw to bedding and container plants if desired.

For seed collection, don’t pinch out the tops of a few plants and allow them to flower and set seed, then follow the steps in this guide on how to harvest and save basil seed.

Basil is thought to improve the flavor of certain vegetables and makes an ideal companion plant for tomatoes and other nightshade members, such as eggplant, peppers, and potatoes.

However, it is best to avoid planting in proximity to rue or sage, which are said to change its flavor and inhibit growth.

For a long season and continuous harvest, start a tray or container of seeds every few weeks – start successive plantings indoors, then sow seeds outdoors when temperatures are warm enough.

To successfully grow plants indoors over winter you’ll need a grow light to provide the duration and strength of light they need. You can find more information in our guide to growing basil in winter.

If you wish to collect seed for sowing, avoid mixing cultivars because Ocimum plants cross-pollinate readily. Also, don’t pinch out all of the flower buds, but allow a few to remain for seed formation.

Growing Tips

Easily cultivated, keep the following tips in mind for an abundant harvest:

• Grow in a full sun location.
• Provide organically-rich, well-draining soil with a pH of 6.0-7.0.
• Heavy feeders, basil harvests are most abundant with regular applications of fertilizer.

Now, let’s look at some popular varieties to try at home.

Basil Species and Cultivars to Select

With dozens of varieties out there, there’s no shortage of delicious and pretty species, hybrids, and cultivars to choose from. Here are a few favorites to get started!

Genovese

The creme de la creme of sauce and pesto cultivars, O. basilicum ‘Genovese’ has generous, soft leaves with a spicy fragrance and sweet, piquant flavor with notes of clove and mint.

Highly flavorful, the leaves are ideal for use in a variety of savory dishes, and sweet ones as well, such as cakes and cookies, berry granitas or sorbets, fruit galettes, and jams.

‘Genovese’

A beautiful, perfumed choice for containers, kitchen planters, and cottage or herb gardens, ‘Genovese’ matures in 60 to 90 days.

Seeds in packets and larger packages are available from True Leaf Market.

Find the details on growing ‘Genovese’ basil here.

Greek

An adorable dwarf variety, Greek basil (O. basilicum var. minimum) has small, narrow leaves on plants that grow in the shape of small, symmetrical globes – but they pack a big punch with robust flavor that’s more intense than that of large-leaved varieties.

The taste is more spicy than sweet with tones of anise, clove, mint, and pepper, and it’s used for flavoring dressings, salads, soups, and pesto.

Greek Basil

This is an excellent choice for the kitchen garden or a small container on a sunny kitchen windowsill.

Maturing in 55 days, open-pollinated seeds are available at High Mowing Seeds.

Italian Large Leaf

An heirloom, open-pollinated cultivar, O. basilicum ‘Italian Large Leaf’ features large, delicate leaves similar to ‘Genovese.’

The substantial leaves have a delicious, sweetly spicy flavor with hints of clove and mint and is a preferred variety for use in breads, salads, sauces, and pesto.

‘Italian Large Leaf’

Plants mature in 60 to 90 days. Seeds in a variety of package sizes are available at True Leaf Market.

Limoncello

For something a little different, O. americanum var. pilosum ‘Limoncello’ has a tangy citrus flavor and bright fragrance that makes a refreshing garnish for cold summer beverages.

‘Limoncello’

It’s also a flavorful choice for curries, fish, grilled foods, stews, stir fries, and soups, and a handsome, aromatic herb for borders and containers.

Plants mature in 80 days. Seeds are available from Burpee.

Red Rubin

A striking cultivar with bronzed burgundy to plum foliage, O. basilicum ‘Red Rubin’ has large, scented leaves, pretty pink flowers, and a sweet taste with notes of cinnamon and clove.

The unique coloring makes an attractive beverage or plate garnish and the leaves may be used for flavoring salad dressing, simple syrup, herbed vinegar, pasta, and salads.

Plus, the bright purple sprouts make colorful microgreens.

‘Red Rubin’

‘Red Rubin’ matures in 70 days. Seeds are available in a variety of sizes at True Leaf Market, where you can also find organic seeds.

Find tips for growing ‘Red Rubin’ here.

Thai

With a sweet scent, overtones of anise, deep green elliptical leaves, and gorgeous purple flowers, Thai cultivars (O. basilicum var. thyrsiflora) are a tasty addition to many Asian-style recipes.

Thai Basil

Bushy and multi-branched, the plants make a beautiful addition to beds, borders, containers, and herb gardens.

Plants mature in 60 to 90 days. Seeds are available from Botanical Interests.

Read more about growing Thai basil here.

Managing Pests and Disease

Overall, Ocimum varieties are quick and easy to grow, but there are a few issues to watch for.

Pests

Many of the usual garden suspects can target basil plants, including:

Aphids

Aphids are small green, gray, or black sapsuckers, warm-weather insects that feed on tender growth and cause curled or puckered leaves. They can also spread some of the below-mentioned problem pathogens.

Remove aphids with a blast from a spritz bottle and repeat as needed – avoid using a strong jet of water from the garden hose, which can easily bruise or shred the tender leaves.

Japanese Beetles

Japanese beetles are small, coppery metallic beetles that create uneven holes and chew marks in the leaves.

A soapy, homemade spray is effective on these critters – find out how to make it and discover other solutions in our guide to battling Japanese beetles.

Slugs and Snails

Slugs and snails also like to munch on the leaves and cause damage. Handpick gastropods and dispose of them in a bucket of soapy water.

This guide recommends several additional methods to protect your garden from slugs and snails if you need more ideas.

Whiteflies

Whiteflies are small, whitish-green sapsuckers, flying insects that group on the undersides of leaves to breed and feed, causing pale speckling with leaves eventually yellowing before dropping off. They can also spread problem pathogens.

Whiteflies can be difficult to control, and management can include the use of predatory wasps or insecticidal soaps. Learn how to control whitefly infestations here.

Disease

Here are some common diseases to keep an eye out for:

Damping Off

Damping off is caused by soilborne fungi that lead seedlings to collapse, and is prone to occur in conditions of high humidity, poor air circulation, wet soil, and cool temperatures.

To avoid damping off, use a sterile starter mix for seedlings and soq seeds sparingly to prevent overcrowding.

Don’t overwater and keep soil temperatures close to 70°F in a location with ample air movement.

Downy Mildew

Downy mildew is caused by a fungus-like organism known as an oomycete that enjoys warmth and humidity.

It causes yellow, then brown leaves that curl and wilt with a gray fuzz on the underside. Infected plants need to be removed and destroyed.

Spread via infected seed and soil by wind and splashing water, wet conditions can cause aggressive spread.

Avoid overhead watering, ensure the soil is well-draining, provide ample air circulation, and allow the top inch of soil to dry between water applications.

Fusarium Wilt

Fusarium wilt is a common soilborne fungus in wet, warm conditions.

Transmitted by infected seed or soil, it causes wilted and yellowing leaves, brown spots or streaks on stems, stunted growth, and leaf drop.

There are no known remedies for fusarium wilt and plants need to be promptly removed and destroyed.

Also, don’t replant the same area with mint family members for three years, and be sure to disinfect containers, gloves, and tools after handling infected plants.

Leaf Spot

Leaf spot or blight is a bacterial disease that causes water-soaked blotches of dark discoloration on the leaves and stems, starting when soil pathogens splash onto plants from rain or watering.

There’s no known cure for blight and affected plants should be removed. The incidence of infection can be reduced by avoiding splashing via overhead watering and choosing resistant seed stock where available.

Stripping away leaves growing close to the soil line can also help reduce infection, and improves air circulation as well.

Harvesting

Harvest leaves in the morning after the dew has evaporated and when essential oils are at their peak – once the hot sun hits the leaves the oils begin to dissipate.

You can begin to harvest as soon as the plants are six to eight inches tall by pinching out the topmost leaves. Pinching also encourages branching and bushiness while delaying flowering.

Pinch out the tops with your thumb and forefinger or use clean, sharp scissors to snip the stem just below leaf clusters.

To pick more than a few leaves at a time, remove full stems by clipping off the top third just above a leaf node, which also encourages branching and leaf production.

Continue to pinch out tops and clip stems as long as plants keep producing new foliage.

If flower buds start to form, clip or pinch them out to encourage further leaf growth.

Preserving

Nothing beats the flavor of fresh basil, but the leaves can also be dried or frozen for use after the growing season ends.

Dried leaves aren’t as flavorful as frozen ones, and frozen leaves darken and have a soft texture when thawed, but they still retain plenty of flavor for use in sauces, soups, and stews.

Keep sprigs of fresh leaves on the counter in a glass of room temperature water until you’re ready to use them – but don’t place them in the refrigerator, which can blacken the leaves.

Leaves can be preserved by air drying or dried in a food dehydrator. Oven temperatures, even on the lowest setting, can cause burning, and drying in the microwave tends to strip the leaves of flavor, so skip those methods.

To air dry, keep leaves on the stems and rinse under cool running water. Use a salad spinner to gently dry the leaves. Our sister site, Foodal, has info on the best salad spinners.

Use kitchen string to tie the stems into small bundles of six or eight. Hang them upside down in a dry, warm location out of direct sunlight and with good air circulation.

Leave them hanging for up to 14 days or until the leaves and stems are completely dry and crumble readily.

To dehydrate, strip leaves from the stems and wash in cool running water. Spin dry with a salad spinner.

Spread the leaves out in a single layer on dehydrator trays and dry on the lowest setting until they crumble easily.

Store dried leaves in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid and keep in a cool, dark, and dry cupboard for up to two years.

Freezing basil is the best way to retain flavor and frozen basil can last for up to six months in the freezer.

Wash and spin dry leaves then spread them out on a baking tray in a single layer and freeze for two hours.

Once frozen, package leaves into zip-top bags for freezer storage.

Or you can chop the leaves in a food processor and freeze in a small amount of olive oil in ice cube trays. Once frozen, empty the trays into zip-top bags for storage.

Ready to preserve a crop of leaves? We have guides on how to dry basil and how to freeze herbs for you to read as well, with extra tips.

Recipes and Cooking Ideas

With such a great range of applications, it’s hard to choose just a few ideas!

Basil is extremely aromatic and lends itself well to recipes with tomatoes and garlic, like sauces, soups, and stews.

Or add it to a cheese platter or charcuterie tray. Simply pinch off some leaves, place atop the cheese on a cracker or a piece of fresh bread, and you have a flavor explosion that’s ready to go!

For cooking, our sister site, Foodal, has some excellent recipes.

You won’t want to miss this one for classic Italian pesto – bellissimo with focaccia bread – find it here!

And for sweet dishes, try out these scrumptious gluten-free basil shortbread cookies, also from Foodal, or strawberry basil jam, which you can find the recipe for here.

Quick Reference Growing Guide

Plant Type:	Tender perennial grown as an annual	Water Needs:	Moderate
Native to:	Africa, India, Southeast Asia	Maintenance:	Low
Hardiness (USDA Zones):	9-11	Tolerance:	Salt spray (moderate)
Season:	Summer	Soil Type:	Humus-rich with some grit
Exposure:	Full sun	Soil pH:	6.0-7.0
Time to Maturity:	60-90 days, depending on variety	Soil Drainage:	Well-draining
Spacing:	4-12 inches	Companion Planting:	Nightshades
Planting Depth:	1/4 inch (seed), depth of root ball (transplants)	Avoid Planting With:	Rue, sage
Height:	8-24 inches	Order:	Lamiales
Spread:	Up to 18 inches	Family:	Lamiaceae
Growth Rate:	Fast	Genus:	Ocimum
Common Pests and Disease:	Blight, damping off, fusarium wilt, downy mildew; aphids, Japanese beetles, slugs, snails, whiteflies	Species:	Americanum, basilicum, tenuiflorum

A Culinary Delight

A wonderful addition to any garden, basil is an easily grown culinary delight that thrives in a sunny spot.

Its aromatic quality and robust flavor always pleases and makes a welcome addition to so many recipes.

Keep the soil lightly moist and feed regularly for the best foliage production and remember to pinch out the tops to encourage branching and even more leaves!

What are your favorite types of basil to grow? Let us know in the comments section below.

And for more basil know-how, add these articles to your reading list next:

The prickly, toughened exterior of a cactus might not look too inviting. But to certain critters looking for food and shelter, it’s actually quite alluring.

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In many ways, cacti are the ultimate survivors.

Features such as water-conserving stems, modified spiny leaves, and a crassulacean acid metabolism allow these plants to live in blistering desert environments that would leave weaker plants shriveled, cooked heaps of dehydrated vegetation.

But they’re not invincible. I mean, don’t get it twisted: the rugged morphology of a cactus is a powerful deterrent for many animals. But other creatures are, as the kids say, “built different.”

For a cactus to not just survive but thrive, it’s important to do your darndest to keep pests away. Most of them won’t damage your prickly plants that severely, but prevention and management efforts can make a significant aesthetic difference in the long run.

This guide provides the low-down on 11 kinds of cactus pests, and walks you through everything you need to know to control them, as well as keeping them away from the get-go.

Let’s boogie!

But first, some words of warning:

The surfaces of cacti are coated in oils and waxes that are very effective at preventing water loss.

However, they can also be particularly susceptible to damage from certain insecticidal soaps and high concentrations of neem oil – more so than other plants.

Therefore, it’s imperative to double-check the compatibility of your chosen chemical controls with the species that you plan to use them on.

Product labels, the opinions of skilled succulent growers, and supplemental research can all be very helpful in this arena.

You can also take matters into your own hands and find out for yourself by testing your choice of chemicals on a small portion of your plant first, just to see how it reacts.

This does add a little time to your pest management plan, but it’s better than just assuming safety, applying it wholesale, and leaving your entire specimen damaged.

If you do spray a cactus with harsh chemicals that could potentially disrupt its protective coating, make sure to do so in the evening to mitigate any sun damage that could result. 

And here’s one last piece of advice, regardless of the types of plants and pests that you’re dealing with: proper cultivation is absolutely essential for preventing pest problems.

Much like dogs can smell fear and moms can sense when something is wrong, pests can tell when a plant is unhealthy.

And since unhealthy plants are easier to infest and harm than healthy ones, it pays to keep your specimens in tip-top physiological form.

1. Aphids

I know we’re technically doing this alphabetically, but it also makes logical sense to start our list off with aphids.

If you’ve been a green thumb for any significant amount of time, then you’ve probably encountered or at least heard of these annoying bugs already.

Small, soft-bodied, and translucent, aphids come in black, yellow, red, green, whitish, and gray colors.

Using their piercing-sucking mouthparts, aphids extract vital fluids from plant tissues, which can result in stunted growth. Plus, they excrete honeydew, which can lead to the formation of black sooty mold.

Strong sprays of water should blast these pests right off of infested surfaces.

To treat plants in indoor spaces that you’d rather not soak with high-velocity agua, try gentle sprays of horticultural oil or diluted isopropyl alcohol.

For the latter, go with a 70 percent isopropyl alcohol solution.

That’s just for the foliar-feeding types, though. 

Some kinds of aphids infest the belowground roots of cacti, which can cause chlorosis, wilting, and stunted growth above the soil line.

These can be treated with soil drenches of imidacloprid or dinotefuran, and infestations can be prevented by working diatomaceous earth into the soil above the root zone.

Monterey Horticultural Oil

Need OMRI-certified horticultural oil? Monterey sells some in concentrated and in ready-to-use forms at Arbico Organics.

2. Coreids

Also known as “cactus bugs” or Chelinidea vittiger, cactus coreids are true bugs from the order Hemiptera. 

Nymphs hatch from tiny, reddish-brown eggs laid on the underside of cactus spines in spring. As the juveniles grow and mature through five instar stages, they increase in size and lose their mostly green to orange coloration.

C. vittiger adults are entirely dark brown to black in hue, save for bright orange to green stripes on their heads and around the perimeter of their backs.

These pests use their piercing-sucking mouthparts to extract sap from cactus flowers, fruits, and pads, leaving circular, light-colored blemishes behind.

Over time, the spots can merge, leaving entire structures pitted, yellowed, and necrotic. In time, significant populations can kill a plant outright.

Nymphs are best controlled with appropriate insecticidal soaps and horticultural oils, while adults can be managed and infestations prevented with foliar sprays or soil drenches containing imidacloprid.

Acetamiprid can also be used as a foliar spray, if you’d like a more environmentally benign neonicotinoid option.

You can also attempt to pluck these bugs off of infested plants and crush them, if you have a Mr. Miyagi-like talent for grabbing agile insects.

Gentle sprays of water can drive the bugs up plants, if you need a strategic advantage.

Bonide Insecticidal Soap

You can whip up your own insecticidal soap by adding a few drops of dish soap per quart of water.

Alternatively, Bonide offers 12- and 32-ounce spray bottles of their bug-killing formulation, available via Arbico Organics.

3. Fungus Gnats

As if “gnat” wasn’t gross enough… 

Fungus gnats are mosquito-like black flies that are typically seen hovering above the soil line. The adults are harmless, but their soilborne larvae are fond of consuming cacti roots.

This isn’t usually enough to kill adult specimens, but it’ll really do a number on juveniles and seedlings.

Visits from these pests can be prevented by avoiding overwatering your cacti, since fungus gnats love laying eggs in super soggy soils.

If your soil is already drenched, allow it to dry out in full sun as soon as possible.

Read more about protecting houseplants from fungus gnats in our guide.

4. Longhorn Beetles

Consisting of 20 species from the Moneilema genus, cactus longhorn beetles are easily identifiable in adult form by their pitted, glossy, black, and occasionally white-mottled, hard shells.

The grubs are soft and dark tan, with brown heads.

Active from spring to fall, these nocturnal beetles live among the sharp spines of cacti, feeding on the tender growth between them.

After mating in spring to summer, the females lay eggs at the base of plant stems.

Once they hatch, the larvae burrow into the cacti to feed, leaving black, gooey, tunnel-sealing masses behind them. Within the plants, the larvae pupate and mature to adulthood.

All of this feeding results in aboveground damage, yellowing, soft spots, rotted tissue, and hollowed-out stems. This leaves the infested specimen open to pathogens, and may even kill it in severe cases.

You can control these pests by going out in the evenings at the start of their mating season with 12-inch tweezers, which’ll allow you to pick the pests off while staying clear of the pointy spines.

Wear gloves to protect your hands from the beetles’ skin-puncturing mandibles.

Once you’ve caught them, kill ’em dead by freezing them or crushing them underfoot. If you do this before eggs can be laid, then you’ll be preventing larval damage, too.

Learn more about cactus longhorn beetles in our guide.

5. Mealybugs

Another pest of the piercing-sucking variety, mealybugs are flat, oval-shaped, and covered with a mealy white wax.

These pests extract vital plant juices, which results in weakened growth, distortion, and possibly even the death of the cactus.

Mealybugs also excrete honeydew, which leads to that gnarly sooty mold that’s so ugly and unhealthy.

Strong sprays of water should knock mealybugs off of sturdy cacti, and 70 percent isopropyl rubbing alcohol can be rubbed on mealybugs via soaked cotton swabs.

Direct applications of permethrin and neem oil can work as well.

Learn more about mealybug identification and control in our guide.

6. Moths

Also known as Cactoblastis cactorum, the cactus moth is a South American native that has proved itself a significant invasive species in the southeastern United States.

The larvae are over an inch long and colored orange with black stripes, while the adults are grayish-brown moths, with a wingspan of about an inch.

Adult females lay chains of 70 to 90 eggs in stick-like protrusions on cactus pads. When they hatch, they consume the pads from the inside out, which can hollow out infested structures in time.

After feeding sufficiently, they emerge, cocoon themselves, and pupate on the ground near the bases of plants, eventually emerging as adults to continue the cycle elsewhere.

Cacti infested with large numbers of C. cactorum larvae can easily be killed. The best form of control is promptly removing the conspicuous “egg sticks,” as well as any infested pads.

Additionally, reaching out to local extension agents may be helpful for both parties – they may have more recommendations, and you’ll be informing them of nearby invasive species activity.

7. Root-Knot Nematodes

Armed with sharp stylets and a very fun scientific name to pronounce, root-knot nematodes are microscopic, eel-esque roundworms from the Meloidogyne genus.

Dwelling in the soil near plants, they puncture the roots with their stylets, which triggers them to swell with knot-like galls. These puncture wounds also create entry points that bacteria and fungi can use to enter the roots.

These galls limit the plant’s uptake of water and nutrients, while also giving the nematodes a place to feed and develop.

Above the soil line, symptoms such as distortion, chlorosis, and stunted growth can become apparent.

It’s best to focus on prevention, since management can be tricky. Using sterile soils, soilless media, and planting in containers can help to prevent nematodes.

Additional tips for root-knot nematode control can be found in our guide.

8. Scale

Multiple types of scale are known to infest cacti, from cochineal scale to brown soft scale.

These round, flat, piercing-sucking pests extract plant sap, which also ends up sucking away the plant’s vigor.

Scale also excrete the ant-attracting and sooty mold-promoting nastiness known as honeydew, which definitely leave their hosts worse off.

First and foremost, you’ll want to quarantine your infested plants, if possible. Move potted specimens to their own quarters to prevent further spread.

Scale can be blasted off with strong bursts of water, pried off by hand, or even scraped off with hard-edged tools.

Sprays of isopropyl alcohol and insecticidal soap also do the trick. Severely infested and afflicted structures should be pruned, and plants beyond saving should be eradicated.

Additional scale management strategies can be found in our guide.

9. Slugs and Snails

Slugs and snails are notoriously gross and slow members of the mollusk phylum.

While the former lacks an external shell and the latter has one, both use a muscular, mucus-secreting foot to move around.

They also both use abrasive tongues to leave irregular, yet smooth-edged feeding holes around the spines of cacti.

Full sun is rough on these creatures, so they tend to do their feeding at nighttime or on overcast days.

Be sure to modify the nearby environment to remove shelters for these pests by removing things that slugs and snails could use for shade: rocks, large weeds, and so on.

Place traps near the stuff that you can’t move, such as outdoor structures and beloved plantings.

For a three-pack of effective slug and snail traps, go visit Gardener’s Supply Company!

Slug and Snail Traps

You can also go out at night with a flashlight and pick slugs and snails off of your plant by hand. When you’ve got them, you can crush them or throw them away in a trash bag.

If you’re interested, more slug and snail management tips can be found here.

10. Spider Mites

Coming in a variety of different colors, spider mites are arachnids that can damage cacti by sucking out plant juices, leaving small brown feeding dots and clumps of webbing in their wake.

With time and increased severity, this feeding can lead to chlorosis and overall deterioration.

At a fiftieth of an inch in length, spider mites are very small – it’s hard to make them out without a hand lens, or perhaps the magnification app on your phone, if you’re cutting-edge.

Insecticidal soap, neem oil, and strong sprays of water are all solid control measures.

Learn more about managing spider mites in our guide.

11. Vertebrates

It’s not just the spineless creepy-crawlies that can feast on your cacti. Birds and mammals may also have at them.

Various species of birds can peck at your cacti, leaving unsightly feeding wounds in their flesh.

If the damage looks like a beak did it and there’s bird scat on the nearby soil to boot, congratulations: you’ve got birds!

Birds are best kept at bay with visual and/or auditory deterrents. Reflective materials, decoy birds of prey, large “scare eyes,” programmable noise machines, and banging pots and pans are all effective choices.

No matter how you choose to deter birds, it’s essential to mix it up every one to two weeks, as birds will quickly become used to any given deterrent.

Cacti can also be munched on by rabbits and rodents such as rats, gophers, and ground squirrels.

Whether they go to town or just take a curious bite or two, these pests definitely warrant your attention.

Surrounding your specimens with wire fencing that’s four feet tall and buried four to six inches deep should keep out rabbits and gophers, while the climbers should be kept away with species-specific repellents.

Placing mint plants nearby can also work as a natural deterrent.

Managing Pests of Cactus Just Takes Practice

Now that you have the know-how necessary for dealing with cacti pests, all that’s left is to put it into practice! The best teacher is experience, after all.

When they’re kept healthy, cacti are truly glorious. And with the proper pest management, yours are sure to be as well.

Any further questions? Pest problems of your own to share? All of this and more can go in the comments section!

Need some cacti plants to keep pest-free? These three are a fantastic trio to start with:

You may be buying the wrong tulips. Yes, you read that right. There is a whole world of tulips out there, and not all are bred for the same purposes. Whether you want showy rainbows of colour or hardy perennial bulbs, here are the types of tulips you need to keep on your radar this fall.

Most people will get their tulips from Home Depot or the garden centre and just plop them in their yard in the fall. In the spring, they’ll get showy displays of bright tulips that dethaw the winter blues. We often think the work is done, planting them once and expecting them to return.

So why are your tulips not coming back? Or perhaps they’ve gotten less impressive as the years have passed.

Well, what if I told you there are many different types of tulips, some of which are annuals while others are perennials? Not every Tulipa is the same!

We see these big flower farms with epic displays of tulips, ranging in different hues and shapes. They’re skyrocketing our expectations for our own gardens. But most of those growers buy new bulbs every year!

Yes siree, the world of perennial tulips isn’t so cut and dry as you may think. Today, I’m breaking down the many different types of tulips to help you make the right bulb-buying choice this fall.

This post will cover…

The Fascinating History of Tulips

Tulips have been a hallmark of Holland, alongside windmills and wooden clogs. But before they rose to popularity in Holland, tulips had humble origins as a wildflower in Central Asia, southern Russia, Turkey, and Iran.

The wild tulips were small and grew in warm red, orange, and yellow colours. The flower would spread through seeds via the wind or slow bulb division. While people didn’t often frequent the mountainous regions where these flowers grew, traders and soldiers eventually carried the seeds to the Turkish and Persian courts.

Tulips were cultivated in Persia as early as the 10^th century. Today, they remain a national symbol of Iran. They were called “lale,” a word that shares the same letters with the name of God.

The first record of tulips in Western Europe comes from the journal of German botanist Conrad Gesner. He saw the flowers in the garden of a rare plant collector in 1559.

The French were the first in Europe to go wild for tulips. At one time, tulips were as expensive as jewels. The noblewoman would pin them to their decolletage when dressing for court. The breeding industry began to grow, and tulips found a home in formal gardens.

But growing political upheaval in the 18^th century and the rise of Dutch breeders took away from the French popularity of tulips.

The Dutch and Tulipmania

In the early 17^th century, the Dutch Republic was one of the richest countries in Europe. With so many affluent people residing in Holland, the rich sought a way to show off their wealth. The tulip became a symbol for those affluent people.

The tulip craze started slowly, beginning in the 16^th century. Then, middle-class artisans and farmers were the ones who cared for, bought, and sold tulips. But by the 1630s, tulip prices increased quickly, and the tulip market became a place to get rich quick.

The rare tulip bulbs were the most sought after, with the broken tulip being the most rare of all. In 1636, a single Semper Augustus bulb cost as much as a large house on Amsterdam’s best canal. It was the rarest tulip flower, a swirled red and white broken tulip.

But as the rare bulbs became more common, the tulip market crashed. The supply of tulips was higher than the demand.

While the tulip market crashed, Tulipmania meant that the Dutch knew how to grow tulips. Tulips had also gained worldwide attention at this point, and the export industry took off. Today, the Dutch still produce about 60% of the tulip bulbs worldwide.

Perennial vs. Annual Tulips

You may have been like me, who, at one point in my life, assumed that all tulips were perennial. I would plant them in my garden, and they would return for years to come.

But not all tulips are meant to be perennials. Thanks to their popularity as cut flowers, some are meant to be grown for one season, producing one large showy bloom to be cut and displayed in a vase. For this reason, annual tulips are best for mass colourings and showy displays.

Perennial tulips are meant to remain undisturbed in the ground. Don’t cut the flowers if you want them to come back! That goes for the foliage, too. Even after the flower is gone, the leaves charge up the bulb to return the following year.

There are also tulips designed for naturalizing. Like perennials, they will come back each year, but they’re even longer lasting. Under ideal conditions, they will reproduce on their own, and their numbers will continue to increase.

The 15 Types of Tulips

There are an endless number of tulips out there. The Netherlands alone exports over 8,000 varieties of tulips every year. With so many tulips, they can all be classified into 15 groups to make identification easier. These tulips are grouped based on their flower shape and their flowering period.

Here are the 15 different types of tulips you can grow in your garden.

Single Early Tulips

One of the first tulips of the season, they often emerge in April and produce a single layer of large, rounded petals. They’re great for containers since they only reach about 40 cm tall.

Double Early Tulips

These tulips also bloom early in spring but instead produce large double flowers. When open, they can be upwards of 10 cm wide, but they don’t grow as tall as single early tulips.

Triumph Tulips

Triumph tulips are a hybrid of single early and single late tulips. They also happen to be the largest group of tulips, and they can feature quite a range of appearances and colours. Some appear pointed, while others have rounded flowers.

They begin flowering in mid-spring and are known for their sturdy flower stems reaching 40-50 cm tall. Many choose them as a container when protected from the cold in zone 7 and higher. Most triumph tulips can be perennialized.

Darwin Hybrid Tulips

Darwin Hybrid tulips produce the classic egg-like tulip shape before opening wide. They have strong stems and long-lasting flowers. If you want a perennial tulip, Darwin Hybrids are one of the best options, and they will rebloom for several years. Just make sure to allow the foliage to die back naturally.

Single Late Tulips

This group encompasses many tulips. Single late tulips typically bloom in May, with elongated flowers on sturdy stems about 60 cm high. The famous near-black tulip, ‘Queen of the Night,’ belongs to this group of tulips.

Lily-Flowered Tulips

As the name suggests, the petals on this tulip flower are pointed and create a distinct lily shape. Lily-flowered tulips grow on slender stems that can reach 50-60 cm tall and may need some shelter from wind. This tulip blooms in late spring and is great for annual bedding gardens. Many will recognize the popular ‘Ballerina’ cultivar from this group.

Fringed Tulips

Also known as orchid tulips or crispa tulips, fringed tulip flowers are one of the more playful and unique types of tulips out there. The petals on the ends are serrated, giving them a noticeable fringe and fluffy look. Sometimes, the fringe is a contrasting colour to the rest of the petals. These tulips bloom mid to late spring.

Viridiflora Tulips

At first, these tulips appear almost entirely green in colour as the outer petals are green when new. But as they get older, the secondary colour shows more and more. Once in bloom, the flowers last quite a long time, beginning to bloom in mid-late spring. They can range from 20-50 cm tall and can be a perennial tulip.

Rembrandt

The name tells us just when these types of tulips were in peak popularity, as they were often featured in paintings due to their unique markings. They have stripes or markings in brown, red, bronze, red, pink, or purple on a white or yellow petal. It’s why they’re also often called broken tulips (like the rare tulip from the 17th century!).

Historically, these markings were from a tulip virus and could destroy a stem in the long run. Now, the descendants of these tulips are virus-free but retain the colourful patterns.

Parrot Tulips

Thanks to a mutation, parrot tulips have a distinct colouring and form. The petals can be fringed, curled, cut, and twisted into unique shapes. Many of them are also bi-coloured. They bloom late, opening up into large, saucer-like flowers. Their height ranges from 40-60 cm tall, and they should be protected from heavy wind.

Double Late Tulips

Also known as peony-flowered tulips, these tulips can really be mistaken for peonies if you don’t look closely. The double flowers have large rounded petals and grow very big and lush. Double late tulips come in many colours, and many are bi-coloured. They’re one of the best tulips for a cutting garden and look fantastic planted in mass.

Kaufmanniana Tulips

Also known as waterlily tulips, Kaufmanniana tulips will open wide in the sun and resemble water lilies. They come in various colours, often with contrasting centers. They grow compactly, with stems that are only 10-25 cm tall. This makes them an excellent option for rock gardens and containers, though they need protection from cold in zone 7 and below. They’re known as an early-blooming tulip and are likely to naturalize.

Fosteriana Tulips

Fosteriana tulip flowers aren’t quite as popular in North America as in Europe, but if you can get your hands on some bulbs, they’re well worth seeking out. They’re one of the best bulbs for naturalizing, and if you’re seeking perennial bulbs.

They bloom from early to mid-spring and have large flowers atop grey-green stems 25-40 cm tall.

Greigii Tulips

Another reliable perennial tulip option is greigii tulips, likely because of their close resemblance to species tulip. They are typically found in red, yellow, or white and will have purple-speckled foliage or stripes on the leaves. So they look interesting even after the flowers have finished blooming in mid-spring.

Species Tulips

Also known as botanic tulips, these tulips are the closest relatives to the first collected tulips. They’re much smaller than other tulips, with their height only ranging from 12-20 cm and have star-shaped flowers. They’re the best tulips out there for naturalizing and will quickly cover areas en mass in the spring. This makes them a perfect choice for those planting a stinzen garden.

There are 65 species tulips, and each has their own fragrance and appearance. They are amongst the first types of tulips to bloom.

Frequently Asked Questions About Tulip Flowers

More Tips for Growing Bulbs

The spring sunshine in Cape Town has a brittle quality, where periods of intense clarity are suddenly muted by bursts of rain. Moments later the sky clears, Table Mountain reappears from the shrouding clouds, and the world sparkles. At Jaftha’s Flower Farm in Constantia, fields of ranunculus and stocks are in bloom, posies of violets are sold by the delicate bunch, and long-stemmed, fragrant freesias are bought by customers who bump down Brounger Road (freshly potholed by a sodden winter) to the small, fifth-generation farm. (Learn the history of the farm in our previous story.) Jaftha’s is a destination for any flower-loving visitor to the city, and for me, recently, the welcoming farm offered floral comfort during a visit from New York City to see my unwell mother.

Photography by Marie Viljoen.

I last visited Jaftha’s Flower Farm in summer, when its rows of plum trees were dropping ripe fruit and the fields were filled with the dahlias for which the Jaftha family is famous. Now, in early spring, the fruit trees are in bloom and the dahlia tubers that were lifted before the Cape’s wet winter are about to be planted again in the rich black soil of the valley.

Buying flowers directly from any cut flower farm is a treat, and at Jaftha’s the same flowers cost around a third of local store-bought bouquets. For visiting Americans, there is an exchange-rate bonus: The prices are exceptionally favorable at a time when one US dollar buys around 18 South African rands. For example, at the time of writing, a R50 bouquet of vivid ranunculus is $2.65.  And those flowers last up to 10 days, in fresh changes of water.

Pyrus pyrifolia

Maybe you know them as apple pears, papples, or nashi pears, but whatever you call them, the fruits of the Pyrus pyrifolia tree are delicious.

Juicy or crunchy (depending on the variety and maturity), honey-sweet yet not overpowering, mature Asian pears can be enjoyed right away when you pick them. Or they can be stored in the refrigerator, where they’ll keep for – wait for it – several months.

Often round like an apple, some P. pyrifolia cultivars are teardrop-shaped like their European counterparts.

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They can be hard to find at your local grocery store or farmers market in some places, but luckily, if you live in USDA Hardiness Zones 5-9, you can try your hand at growing them at home.

Even if you don’t have a large yard, you can still grow P. pyrifolia: some cultivars can grow up to 40 feet tall, but widely available dwarf varieties reach just six to 15 feet in height.

Are you ready to find out how to grow and care for your own Asian pear trees?

Here’s what I’ll cover:

What Are Asian Pears?

Like apple, nectarine, and peach trees, Asian pears are members of the rose or Rosaceae family. They are also sometimes called P. serotina.

To set fruit, these deciduous trees require around 300-500 chill hours at temperatures lower than 45°F each winter, which isn’t too hard to achieve even in the warmer climates of Zone 8 or 9.

They blossom with fragrant white petals in the springtime and, depending on the cultivar and growing conditions, produce fruit four to seven months later. Asian pear trees can take between three to five years to begin producing fruit after propagation.

Like apples, each fruit contains five seeds. Unlike European pears (P. communis), Asian varieties don’t turn soft and mushy when ripe. They ripen on the tree and maintain a crisp, juicy texture.

Asian pears are either round with greenish-yellow skin, round with bronze skin, or pear-shaped with green or brown skin, depending on the cultivar you are growing.

But they all have that delicious and enduring crunch that Bartletts can only dream of and that some of us prefer over the texture of a European pear.

Despite some cultivars producing fruit reminiscent of an apple, the Asian pear is not a hybrid with this fruit. Botanically, it is a true pear. I love it because I prefer firm and crisp varieties of this fruit, and if that’s your preference, you will too.

For best results, you will need to plant two varieties that bloom at the same time for pollination. Some cultivars, such as ‘Shinseiki,’ ‘20th Century,’ and ‘Tennosui,’ are self-pollinating.

Planting a P. pyrifolia alongside a European variety can also encourage more honeybees flock to both trees, as they’re typically more attracted to European varieties.

Cultivation and History

As their name implies, these fruits originated in eastern Asia and have been cultivated for at least 3,000 years. More specifically, they’re native to western China, and long ago naturalized in south and central Japan.

Despite their long history in Asia, they’re relatively new in the United States, arriving here in 1820 when horticulturist William Prince imported the plant to grow in Flushing, New York.

Chinese miners and railroad workers planted seeds in California during the Gold Rush, and additional cultivars from Japan arrived with Japanese immigrants starting in the 1890s.

China, Korea, and Japan are the main commercial exporters of the fruit, but it’s also grown in the United States in California, Oregon, and Washington, thanks to those early immigrants.

High in Vitamins C and K, and rich in fiber, the crisp fruits are often sliced and added to salads, baked into pies, and enjoyed as snacks.

If you’re looking for an exciting fruit to grow at home that tastes like a pear but has the crunchy texture of an apple, look no further than P. pyrifolia.

Before you make your selections, make sure you’re in the right growing zone, and that you have plenty of space, and enough room to plant two varieties.

Propagation

As with many other types of fruit trees, P. pyrifolia are most often propagated by being grafted onto rootstock of another variety. This is because seeds don’t grow into exact replicas of their parent trees.

Because grafting takes skill and special equipment, the best way to plant an Asian pear tree is to purchase two varieties from a nursery or gardening store and find a perfect area to plant them together.

Other methods of propagation include micropropagation via tissue cultures.

Some adventurous gardeners try to root new trees from cuttings, but this has a 30-90 percent success rate under the most ideal conditions, in a professional greenhouse with controlled humidity and misting hoses.

Read more about pear propagation here.

How to Grow

If you’re growing trees grafted onto dwarf rootstock – aka dwarf cultivars of P. pyrifolia – you can plant them in containers. This is an excellent option for those with limited space.

Or, plant a dwarf or standard-sized cultivar straight into the ground for a beautiful and tasty addition to your landscape.

We’ll cover both planting methods to make it easy for you to choose which is best for your garden.

Planting in the Ground

The first thing you need to do before you bring your trees home in the spring or fall is to select the perfect location.

First, make sure you have enough space. The two trees will need to be planted about 15 feet apart if they’re dwarf varieties, and 30 feet apart if they’re full-sized cultivars.

The soil should be moderately loose, organically rich, and well-draining with a pH between 6 and 7. You can conduct a soil test to determine the pH and nutrient balance of your soil and amend accordingly.

The site should receive at least eight hours of full sun every day in Zones 5-7. If you live in Zones 8 or 9, select a site that receives partial afternoon shade to help temper the effect of the heat.

When you’re certain you have the perfect place for those saplings, place your order or bring them home and dig holes for the roots. Each hole will need to be the same depth as the root ball and twice as wide.

Place the root ball inside the hole and make sure the crown of the tree is level with the surface of the soil.

Backfill the hole with two parts native soil and one part well-rotted compost or manure, and water deeply.

Keep the soil moist until your area’s first wintertime freeze, especially in the sapling’s first few years of growth. To check the moisture level, stick your finger about one inch down into the soil. If it feels dry, give the tree a thorough watering.

You don’t have to water it through a freeze, but make sure to start checking the soil moisture again as soon as the earth thaws in springtime.

Planting in a Container

It’s easy to plant a dwarf tree in a container. Plus, it’s nice to have the option to move it from one place to another, especially if you live in Zones 8 or 9, where you have to make sure to keep your tree cool in the summertime. Container growing is also ideal for a patio or small backyard.

The most important consideration here, of course, is the size of your container.

It should be at least 20 inches in diameter. I love whiskey barrel containers for growing dwarf fruit trees, like this one from the Home Depot that’s 26 inches in diameter across the rim, 17.5 inches deep, and 21.5 inches wide at the base.

White Oak Wood Whiskey Barrel

This size will give a dwarf tree some elbow room while making it (relatively) easy to move, most likely with help from a friend or by placing it on a cart with wheels.

Fill the container with gardening soil that’s one part topsoil, one part well-rotted compost, and one part peat moss.

Vermont Organics Raised Bed Recharge

Or make the task easy by filling it with premixed raised bed soil, like Vermont Organics Raised Bed Recharge available from the Home Depot.

Make a hole in the soil that’s as deep as the root ball and just a smidge wider. Set the root ball inside and backfill with soil, making sure the crown of the sapling is level with the soil surface.

Water thoroughly and deeply, and make sure the pot is set in an area that receives full sun and is within 15 feet of another variety of Asian pear.

You can add a three-inch layer of dark mulch to help keep the tree warm during the winter, and a light layer to help it keep cool during the summer.

Use organic mulch such as straw or wood chips so that the material can add nutrients to the soil as it decomposes. Replace it each season to keep that layer of protection over the tree’s root system.

Growing Tips

• Plant in rich, well-draining soil
• Choose a location with full sun or partial afternoon shade if you live in Zones 8 or 9
• Fertilize every spring with a 10-10-10 (NPK) fertilizer

Pruning and Maintenance

During the first year of growth after planting, you’ll want to water your Asian pear tree once or twice a week, depending on the amount of rainfall.

Give it a thorough soaking at the base, and let the top inch of soil dry out before you water again.

Once the tree is established, you can water it once a week, or when the top two to three inches of soil dry out.

Every time you water, check for weeds. You don’t want any weeds or grass growing over the root system and competing for water and nutrients.

To retain moisture and suppress weeds, consider putting down a three-inch layer of mulch. In warm areas, use a light-colored mulch to help keep the roots cool.

As for fertilizing, you only need to make sure the tree receives fertilizer once a year: as soon as the soil is workable in the spring.

Simply add a balanced 10-10-10 (NPK) fertilizer to give the plant a boost.

To keep the tree healthy, prune away diseased, broken, or injured branches during its winter dormancy period.

You can also prune the tops of the branches farthest away from the trunk, as those produce fruit that’s less sweet and often smaller. This will also help to keep the height manageable.

In addition, trim some of the branches nearest to the trunk to encourage them to produce blossoms. To do this, use pruning shears and cut the branch about two or three buds away from the main branch.

In all, you should prune about 10 percent of the tree’s total branches each winter.

If you are growing your Asian pear in a container, you’ll want to prune it to remain about five to six feet tall – essentially turning it into a fruit-bearing shrub rather than a fully dwarf-sized fruit tree. You’ll still get a decent harvest, but your tree will remain a manageable size.

Once the tree blossoms and begins fruiting in the spring, thin the fruits to one pear every four to six inches on any given branch.

This helps the individual fruits grow bigger and reduces pest and disease infestation since the space provides the fruits with adequate ventilation.

Cultivars to Select

Peruse our three favorite cultivars of this tasty fruit:

Chojuro

True to its name, which translates to “plentiful” in Japanese, ‘Chojuro’ produces ample fruit, often in its very first year after planting.

With its round apple shape and juicy-sweet butterscotch flavor, this variety is the one most commonly found in grocery stores (when you can find them!).

‘Chojuro’

But you can have it in your own backyard, too. ‘Chojuro’ is a dwarf cultivar that grows to a mature height of eight to 10 feet with a spread of six to eight feet.

Easily pollinated by planting ‘Hosui’ alongside it, ‘Chojuro’ requires 450 chill hours.

You can find trees available from Nature Hills Nursery.

Hosui

Are you ready to dive headfirst into the world of growing P. pyrifolia? Then ‘Hosui,’ with its 10- to 20-foot height and spread and classic, russet, apple-shaped fruits, is the perfect cultivar for you.

In Japanese, ‘Hosui’ means “abundant juice” or “much water,” depending on the translation. You get the idea: this is a large, extra-juicy cultivar.

With 300-400 chill hours required each winter at 45°F or below, this is the perfect tree for those in cooler climes.

Although it grows well in warmer locations, keep in mind you won’t get a good harvest with fewer than 300 chill hours.

‘Hosui’

This cultivar often begins producing fruit in its second year, though it can take up six years before you can pick a decent harvest. Fruit tends to ripen in early August.

It’s also a self-pollinating variety, although you’ll only get a small harvest without planting another variety nearby with a similar bloom time for cross-pollination.

You can find bare root ‘Hosui’ trees available at Burpee.

If you prefer a dwarf ‘Hosui,’ which reaches up to 12 feet in height, you can find it at the Home Depot.

Shinseiki

‘Shinseiki,’ which translates to “new century,” is a cross between two popular varieties: ‘20th Century’ and ‘Chojuro.’ When ripe – usually sometime in August – this mid-size fruit is bright yellow and extremely crunchy.

With a mild flavor and coarse texture, this is the fruit for those of us who love firm pears with a hint of rose flavor.

‘Shinseiki’

‘Shinseiki’ reaches a height of 12 feet and only requires 250-300 chill hours.

Container trees are available at Nature Hills Nursery.

20th Century

‘20th Century,’ aka ‘Nijisseiki,’ is highly popular for its abundance of incredibly juicy fruit and ornamental, multi-season interest.

The attractive mid-sized fruit is bright yellow with a hint of rosy blush, and it has a crisp texture and mild flavor. A good keeper, fruits store well for up to five months in cold storage at 31°F.

‘20th Century’

Before the leaves appear, branches are covered in clusters of showy white blossoms. Fruit is ready to harvest starting in early August, and in autumn, the glossy green leaves turn a vibrant orangey red.

Trees reach mature dimensions of 12 to 18-feet-tall with a spread of 12 to 15 feet.

‘20th Century’ requires 400 chill hours at temperatures below 45°F. Although it is self-fertile, this type delivers a larger crop when planted in close proximity to another cultivar that blooms at the same time.

Container trees are available at Nature Hills Nursery.

Want More Options?

Be sure to check out our supplemental guide, “9 of the Best Asian Pear Varieties for the Home Garden” to find the best choice for your soil and climate.

Managing Pests and Disease

While P. pyrifolia don’t fall prey to too many pests or diseases, there are a few major troublemakers to watch out for.

Herbivores

If you have deer or moose in your area, it’s time to learn how to keep the large herbivores away from your precious Asian pear trees.

Moose and Deer

Cervids, whether they’re moose or deer, won’t hesitate to devour your tree whether it’s got fruit on it or not.

Trust me, I learned this the hard way.

But I also learned how to keep the pests out of my apple orchard, which you can learn more about in our guide to keeping moose out of your yard.

Plantskydd

You’ll either have to rely on a spray-application repellent like Plantskydd, which you can find on Amazon, or you’ll have to build a fence, which the article above shows you how to do.

I do both. I don’t take any chances with Cervids.

Insects

There are two major plant pests to watch for when you’re growing Asian pears.

Codling Moth

The first is the codling moth (Carpocapsa pomonella), which eats through the fruit to get at the seeds, rendering it inedible. Codling moths lay tiny translucent eggs on the leaves. The larvae have black heads and white bodies.

If you happen to spot eggs or larvae before they do too much damage, you can try releasing moth egg parasites (Trichogramma spp.), available from Arbico Organics, according to package instructions.

BONIDE® All Seasons Horticultural Spray Oil

You can also spray horticultural oil, available from Arbico Organics, on the leaves and trunk to smother unhatched eggs.

Another way to prevent infestation is to space the fruits far enough apart so they aren’t touching, thinning them to one pear every four to six inches on any given branch.

Twospotted Spider Mite

The twospotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae, is a tiny brownish-green pest that causes damage to foliage and usually only bothers a tree if it is water-stressed.

Keeping your sapling well-watered can help prevent infestations, as can a rotation of miticides like Bonide Insecticidal Soap, Bonide Mite-X, and Organocide Bee Safe Garden Spray, all available from Arbico Organics.

Diseases

There’s one major disease that threatens the health of your P. pyrifolia plants. Below, you’ll find out what it is and how to treat it.

Fire Blight

By far the most dreadful disease an Asian pear tree can face, fire blight, caused by the bacteria Erwinia amylovora, destroys any existing fruit and turns leaves to a burnt-crisp color and texture, hence the name.

It spreads easily and can kill entire trees. Early treatment is crucial to the recovery of a plant.

If you notice the telltale shriveled leaves, remove the entire affected branch at least 12 inches below the first infected leaf. Take it far away to be burned or dispose of it in the trash.

Dip your shears or pruners in a solution of water and 10 percent bleach to help prevent the spread of the infection.

BONIDE® Liquid Copper Fungicide

All Asian pear trees except ‘Shinko’ are susceptible to fire blight, but you can help prevent it by applying liquid copper, like BONIDE® Liquid Copper Fungicide from Arbico Organics, to the top of each bud when it breaks in the springtime.

Reapply the solution every four to five days until the blossom shrivels and the fruit begins to grow.

Harvesting

Fruits may be harvested any time between August and October, depending on the cultivar you’re growing.

Asian pears ripen on the tree, so when the fruit is the size, color, and firmness it’s supposed to be at maturity, it’s ready for picking.

If you think it’s almost picking time but you’re not sure, take one pear off the tree and bite into it. Does it taste like a delicious, crisp, juicy pear? If so, then it’s harvest time!

To harvest, gently grasp the fruit, lift it, and twist it off the branch. Pack your bounty in a padded bucket until you decide what to do with them, as they bruise very easily.

You can learn more about how to harvest pears in our guide.

Preserving

The best way to preserve them to eat whole? Place them in the chiller compartment of your refrigerator. They’ll retain that irresistible crisp texture and flavor.

I doubt they’ll even last you three months, they’re so delicious.

You can learn more about how to store pears in our guide.

You can also dry slices in the oven. Start by washing each fruit, peeling the skin off (if you want to), and coring it. Cut into slices that are 1/2 an inch thick.

Lay the slices on a greased cookie sheet. Place the sheet in an oven heated to just 175°F and cook for about four hours, flipping the slices over every hour, until they have a leathery texture.

Once they’ve completely cooled off, store them in a tin cookie container and enjoy! They’ll last between six months and one year in a cool, dry location.

If you’d rather freeze your pears to puree later for smoothies or baking, you can do that too. Peel them, core them, and slice them into halves or into smaller pieces.

Lay the pieces on a cookie sheet and put them into the freezer for four hours or until they’re frozen solid. Transfer them to a freezer bag, and voila! Just remember to eat them within six months.

Recipes and Cooking Ideas

In my opinion, the best way to eat an Asian pear is fresh off the tree. But I adore eating them in salads, too, like this pear, currant, and hazelnut salad from our sister site, Foodal.

The recipe calls for ‘Bosc’ pears, which you can easily substitute with sliced P. pyrifolia.

If you have a sweet tooth, you could also use some of your crop to make this heavenly pear sorbet with ginger-infused maple syrup, also from Foodal.

Quick Reference Growing Guide

A Peary Happy Harvest

I dream of traveling to Japan and China someday, to sample their expertly grown P. pyrifolia fruits. If you’ve ever had this experience, consider me jealous, but in a good way.

Have you ever grown Asian pear trees in your backyard? I’d love to hear your stories or questions in the comments section below.

And for more information about growing pear trees, check out these guides next:

We’re in Malvern, Pennsylvania, today, visiting with Carla Z. Mudry. She’s reflecting on the tail end of summer in her garden.

The summer has flown by! It has been a crazy summer, full of battering thunderstorms that have caused flooding, and in between those storms, heat, humidity, and sometimes drought conditions. Yet the garden survives and thrives. I have a layer garden, and right now it’s a jungle, so it will require some trimming up and tidying soon. Meanwhile, I’m distracted by the flowers of August, like the dinner plate hibiscus (Hibiscus moscheutos hybrids, Zones 5–9), cannas (Canna hybrids, Zones 7–10 or as tender bulbs), black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia fulgida, Zones 4–9), and roses returning. The butterflies are loving the New York ironweed (Vernonia noveboracensis, Zones 5–8) and seven-son flower (Heptacodium miconioides, Zone 5 – 9). I needed to remind myself this week of the simple joys of the garden. There is nothing quite like it. Happy gardening!

Everything here in Carla’s garden looks lush and green. Carla says the weather has been rough, but I see no sign of it here!

A garden-art dragonfly hovers over sage (Salvia officinalis, Zones 5–8).

Reblooming roses fill the late summer garden with beauty and fragrance.

The flowers of panicle hydrangeas (Hydrangea paniculata, Zones 3–8) are white when they first open, then they gradually age to a rich red. They’re beautiful at every stage.

Different cultivars of panicle hydrangea blooms mature at different rates and are more or less prone to turning red, so some will hold longer in the white stage than others.

Luxuriating in the sheltered heat of the greenhouse, these huge pepper plants are loaded down with fruit.

Containers highlight some special plants in the shade garden.

False sunflower (Helopsis helianthoides, Zones 3–9) usually has yellow flowers, but this looks like the newer selection ‘Bleeding Hearts’, which has wonderful orange-bronze blooms and darker foliage.

We’ll be back to enjoy more highlights from Carla’s garden tomorrow.

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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Cauliflower, Brassica oleracea var. botrytis, is one of the more challenging cruciferous crops to grow.

It requires optimal conditions, including nutrient-dense soil, consistent moisture with good drainage, cool temperatures during head maturation, and minimal temperature fluctuations.

Without an ideal environment, a variety of head disorders may occur.

In this article, we will discuss why heads that should be smooth sometimes look fuzzy.

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We’ll identify the phenomenon, explore causes, recommend avoidance measures, and learn if it’s okay to eat a crop in this condition.

Name That Fuzz

When all or part of a developing cauliflower head exhibits a fuzzy, hairy, velvety appearance that looks a little like cooked rice, it is referred to as – wait for it – ricing.

Wow. I could have thought of that.

Yet, as simple as it sounds, it has a profoundly negative effect on the value of a commercial crop.

Let’s learn how this disorder happens and what it means to the home gardener.

What Went Wrong?

While I’m not a botanist, the gist of what’s happening is this:

An environmental trigger causes a plant to switch from vegetative growth, or leaf production, to reproductive growth, or curd formation, or vice versa.

The likely culprit is a spike in temperatures that top out at 80°F around the time of curd formation.

The stressed and confused plant tries to flower when it should be producing a curd, or reverts back to vegetative growth in the middle of curd formation.

The physical manifestation of this is a fuzzy appearance.

Other heat-related issues may appear simultaneously.

These include leaves growing between the florets, a pink or purple hue, yellowing, sun-scorching, and the formation of tiny florets in what is known as buttoning.

Contributing factors may include excess moisture in the air or soil, an overabundance of nitrogen in the soil, and drastic temperature fluctuations.

Let’s learn how to avoid this phenomenon.

Avoidance Strategies

Here are 10 proactive measures you may take to minimize the risk of ricing:

1. Purchase seeds that are suited to your USDA Hardiness Zone.
2. Plant early- and late-maturing varieties as directed so that heads form during the coolest weather, either before the summer heats up, or after it cools down.
3. Prevent moisture buildup with well-draining soil.
4. Space seedlings per seed packet instructions to allow for the air circulation needed to keep humidity low.
5. Use only well-balanced fertilizers. Avoid those heavy in nitrogen (N), to avoid excess vegetative growth.
6. Apply mulch to help maintain even moisture and keep the ground cool during temperature spikes.
7. Water early, especially during warm weather, to keep plants cool and hydrated all day.
8. Limit watering during rainy periods to prevent waterlogged soil.
9. Blanch white cauliflower heads to minimize sun damage by shielding them from direct sunlight.
10. Use shade cloth to protect plants from the intense UV rays of a heatwave.

Now that you know what the fuzziness is and how to avoid it, the big question is whether or not affected plants are edible.

Let’s find out!

Can I Eat It?

Here’s what we’ve learned so far:

When a maturing curd is adversely affected by its natural environment, it may exhibit fuzziness called ricing. There may also be other heat-related anomalies present, such as a pink, purple, or yellow hue; scorching; or buttoning.

In and of itself, the fuzz does not render a curd inedible, nor does it change its flavor. However, the presence of other heat-related anomalies may cause bitterness, and sun-scorched portions may require removal.

Barring pest infestation, or signs of disease – like black or brown splotching and a mushy consistency – you may consume cauliflower that rices due to environmental adversity.

Even when it’s a little fuzzy, cauliflower is an excellent source of nutrients that’s loaded with vitamins B, C, and K, and healthy dietary fiber.

Rice, Rice, Baby

Speaking of ricing, besides the fuzz on growing curds, there’s a whole new food craze these days – cauliflower rice.

If you aren’t familiar with it already , it’s grated cauliflower that you can prepare as you would rice, only without the carbs.

For a variety of additional nutritious and tasty ways to use cauliflower, visit our sister site, Foodal, and find recipes for fabulous dishes like easy vegan cauliflower Buffalo wings with lime, and cauliflower and chard fritters with spicy yogurt cilantro sauce.

Keep an eye on your crops, provide optimal conditions to the best of your ability, and monitor for signs of stress or disease. You’ll be chowing down on a healthy pizza with a homegrown riced cauliflower crust in no time!

For more information about growing cauliflower in your garden, you’ll need these guides next:

© Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Uncredited photos: Shutterstock.

Botryosphaeria ribis

You think you’ve got it made with your pecan trees, Carya illinoensis, and have visions of pies (at the least) or even some sales at the farmers market when all of a sudden – the husks start turning black.

There are several things that can cause this, and one of the most serious is stem end blight. This fungal disease is caused by Botryosphaeria ribis (sometimes called B. dothidea) and is spread by insects feeding on your trees.

Unless you leap into action, this will not end well. And it still may not end well due to the severity of this disease.

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As soon as you see the damage, you’ll need to spray your tree with a fungicide and then repeat the treatment 10 days later.

Read on to learn how to identify and treat this severe disease that affects pecan trees.

Symptoms of Pecan Stem Blight

Keep an eye out during the water stage of development – the period between pollination and the hardening of the shell. To learn more about growing pecan trees see our full guide.

At this stage, which takes around 90 days, the shell and kernel seed coat will be forming, as well as the liquid endosperm inside.

The timing of this development depends on the climate – July into August in warmer climates like those in Texas, and September or October in cooler areas.

Look closely at the developing nuts, and you may see a black or brown spot on the husk near the base of the nut, where it meets the tree. The lesions will be sunken and shiny.

These lesions will spread until the husks start to turn black. At this point, the nut is easily dislodged from its stem, and some may fall to the ground.

If you cut the nut open, the liquid endosperm inside will have turned brown.

This disease is spread by insects feeding on the trees, so it’s possible that not every nut is affected. You may have infected nuts next to clusters that appear healthy.

How to Treat

These symptoms do not bode well for your harvest. You can prevent some losses, but no one has been able to completely eradicate this fungus successfully.

You may be able to partially salvage your crop if you spray with an appropriate fungicide within the first 10 days of the water stage.

Benomyl-type fungicides are considered to be the most effective. The Pecan IPM (integrated pest management) Program recommends thiophanate methyl to treat this disease.

You will need to spray once more 10 days later.

Your odds of having a healthy harvest are best if the disease strikes later in their development, when the nuts are almost mature. The earlier it appears, the worse the prognosis.

Prevention

Since pecan trees are susceptible to a number of different diseases and pests, you would be well advised to take precautions to reduce this risk when you plant your trees.

Space the trees far enough apart so that there is adequate airflow between them.

Make sure you prune any dead branches from mature trees to improve air circulation, and remove any plant debris from the ground around the tree. This will help to prevent infection and reduce its spread.

Plant your pecan trees in the sun, and avoid salty soils.

The Harmful Combination of Insect and Fungal Damage

Stem end blight would probably not be such a problem were it not for its spread by insects, meaning that if one tree in your neighborhood contracts it, then all are at risk.

The disease can destroy whole crops, and speedy action is necessary if you identify it on your trees.

You should immediately spray with an appropriate fungicide and then repeat 10 days later.

That will help to slow down the infection, allowing you to salvage some of your crop, but this disease is very difficult to eradicate.

To read more about pests and diseases that can plague your crops, check out these guides:

Prunus hybrids

Some of the best things in life spring from the fusion of two beloved favorites.

Think of the culinary delight when East meets West on a plate, or the thrill of a science fiction novel intertwined with a mystery.

Recall the fun of sporty sneakers transformed into a high-fashion statement and the entertaining combo of a heartwarming, yet funny rom-com on the big screen.

Well, in the world of fruits, we have our own blockbuster pairings: the plumcot and the pluot.

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These sensational hybrids marry the nostalgic charm of plums with the sweet elegance of apricots, crafting a taste that’s as unforgettable as any cross-genre classic.

Intrigued? Let’s explore the orchard’s most harmonious mash-ups and discover how you can cultivate these interspecific hybrid fruits in your own garden!

Here’s what I’ll be covering in this article:

These aren’t your great-grandmother’s traditional orchard trees, but rather, high-performance hybrids of the modern fruit world.

Curious about how to add these to your garden? Keep reading to discover their juicy secrets!

What Are Plumcots and Pluots?

Plumcots and pluots are born from the hybridization of various cultivars (cultivated varieties) of plums and apricots, which both belong to the genus Prunus.

The terms “plumcot” and “pluot” are two simple portmanteaus of “plum” and “apricot.”

Plumcots are a 50-50 hybrid of these two fruits. Pluots contain more plum genes than apricot, usually around 60 to 75 percent plum and 25 to 40 percent apricot.

There are several species of plums, such as P. domestica (European plum), P. americana (American wild plum), and P. salicina (Japanese plum), among others.

Japanese plums are often used in modern hybridization efforts due to their hardiness, sweet flavor, and juicy texture.

The most commonly cultivated species of apricot is P. armeniaca, the common apricot. This species is typically used in hybridization efforts for creating plumcots, pluots, and apriums.

The hybridization process within this genus has evolved over the years. The original plumcot, developed by Luther Burbank, was a simple 50-50 hybrid of plum and apricot.

However, modern pluots, as popularized by the Zaiger family and other breeders, involve more complex and repeated cross-breeding.

I’ll dive deeper into the origin story and the breeders later. But for better context, I’ll give an example of the hybridization process first.

To create a pluot, plant breeders might cross a common apricot with a Japanese plum to create an initial hybrid, a plumcot. Then they might take this plumcot and cross it with another plum to get a fruit with a higher plum-to-apricot genetic ratio, a pluot.

They could take it even further and perform crosses with other selected varieties to achieve desired traits in terms of flavor, texture, appearance, and other qualities. This iterative breeding process allows for a vast range of flavor profiles, looks, and textures in the resulting fruit.

Because of this intricate process, and the vast number of potential combinations of various plum and apricot cultivars, pluots and plumcots come in a wide array of varieties, each with its own unique characteristics.

Plumcots and pluots, like their parent fruits plums and apricots, are best suited for temperate climates. They require a certain number of chilling hours, or hours with temperatures below 45°F (7°C), during the winter to break dormancy and promote flowering in spring.

However, the exact chilling requirements and the best USDA Hardiness Zones can vary from 250 to 800 hours depending on the specific variety of plumcot or pluot. Generally, these trees thrive in USDA Hardiness Zones 5 to 9.

Plumcot and pluot trees typically have an upright, spreading habit. At maturity, depending on the variety and growing conditions, these trees can reach heights of 15 to 20 feet with a similar spread.

One of the most attractive phases for plumcot and pluot trees is early to mid-spring when they burst into bloom. The trees produce an abundance of blossoms, often before the leaves appear.

The flowers are typically white to light pink and resemble those of both plums and apricots. Following flowering, leaves emerge, typically with an elliptical shape. The foliage is usually medium to dark green.

Small green fruits form after the flowers have been pollinated, gradually growing and changing color as they mature and ripen.

Depending on the cultivar, some fruits may have smooth skins, while others might be slightly fuzzy, and colors can range from yellow and green to deep purple or reddish hues. Some fruits are ready to harvest as early as mid-June, some in the summer, and others as late as October.

The trees maintain their lush green canopy throughout the summer. Some plumcot and pluot varieties can offer beautiful fall color, with leaves turning shades of yellow, orange, or even red before they drop. However, not all varieties will provide significant fall color.

After leaves drop in the fall, plumcot and pluot trees reveal a skeletal structure.

While they might not offer significant winter interest in the way some ornamental trees might with unique bark or persistent berries, their bare branching patterns can still be visually pleasing, especially when frosted or adorned with a soft layer of snow.

The dormant period of winter is essential for the tree to undergo the chilling hours necessary for bud break and flowering in the following spring.

In addition to their aesthetic appeal, plumcot and pluot trees can also provide habitat and food sources for various types of wildlife, especially pollinators during the spring bloom.

Now that you have a basic understanding of these fascinating fruit trees, let’s take a trip down memory lane to learn how they came into existence.

Cultivation and History

The history of the commercialization of plumcots and pluots in America can be traced back to the pioneering work of Luther Burbank, an American botanist and horticulturist in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Plumcots predate pluots, so we’ll begin the story there. The exact date of the first successful plumcot hybridization is a bit hazy, but it’s widely acknowledged that Burbank was tinkering with these hybrids in the late 19th century at his experimental farms in Santa Rosa, California.

Burbank’s work aimed to capture the sweetness and texture of apricots and the juiciness, texture, and varied flavors of plums. Through careful hand pollination, Burbank crossed the apricot and plum successfully.

This kind of hybridization involves transferring pollen from the flower of one species (say, the apricot) to the flower of another closely related species (the plum) and then waiting to see what kind of fruit results.

Burbank managed to successfully crossbreed plums and apricots to produce the plumcot, but it didn’t achieve widespread commercial success due to various challenges, including inconsistent fruit quality.

However, it laid the groundwork for future breeders to create further hybridizations such as the pluot, which did find significant commercial success.

The development of the pluot can be credited to Floyd Zaiger, a noted fruit breeder, and his family’s breeding program at Zaiger Genetics in Modesto, California, during the late 20th century.

Floyd saw potential in refining the plum and apricot hybridization process and set out to create fruits that combined the best attributes of their parent species including improved flavor, attractive color, resistance to disease, and extended shelf life.

The Zaiger family’s work was characterized by complex hybridization techniques. To develop the pluot, they did not simply stop at the initial hybridization of the plum and apricot.

Instead, they backcrossed the hybrid with plums multiple times to achieve fruits that contained up to 75 percent plum and 25 percent apricot in their genetic makeup.

This genetic ratio meant that pluots had more of the plum’s characteristics but retained some of the apricot’s sweetness and other qualities. The Zaigers patented the name “pluot” and were responsible for introducing several varieties of this fruit.

Over the years, the Zaigers and other breeders developed numerous pluot varieties, each with its unique flavor, texture, and appearance. This led to the increased popularity of pluots in grocery stores and farmers markets.

Some of the most popular pluot varieties include the Dapple Dandy®, Flavor King, and Flavor Queen, among others.

The success of the pluot led to the creation of other hybrid fruits, including the aprium, which is more apricot than plum, and several others, all of which offer unique flavors and textures.

It’s worth noting that the names “plumcot,” “pluot,” and “aprium” are sometimes used interchangeably in casual conversation, but they are distinct in their genetic makeup and breeding history.

In summary, while the idea of crossing plums and apricots has been around for a long time, modern-day plumcots and pluots owe their existence to the breeding experiments of dedicated horticulturists like Luther Burbank and Floyd Zaiger.

These fruits are a testament to the possibilities of selective breeding and the ever-evolving world of fruit cultivation. And speaking of breeding and cultivation, let’s take a closer look at the possible ways to propagate these fruit trees at home.

Plumcot and Pluot Propagation

Although it’s possible to grow plumcots from seed and it might be a fun experiment to try, it’s not a reliable method if you’re serious about growing these trees.

The seed is inside the stone, or what some people call the “pit,” found in the center of the fruit.

Growing these hybrids from seed has its challenges and considerations. In general, it can take several years before a tree grown from seed will produce fruit.

Plus, the seed will contain a mix of genetic material produced via sexual reproduction, so the fruit produced by a tree grown from seed will likely be very different from the fruit from which the seed was taken.

In comparison, scions grafted onto specific rootstocks often benefit from increased disease resistance or other favorable characteristics imparted by the rootstock in addition to producing fruit with identical qualities to the parent plant.

Grafting is usually done in late winter to early spring. The procedure involves taking a scion, which is a shoot or bud from the desired tree, and attaching it to a rootstock.

Both the scion and the rootstock are carefully cut to create matching “tongues” that lock together. The key is to ensure that the cambium of both parts, or the layer right under the bark, align perfectly.

Once joined, the union is tightly bound with grafting tape or raffia to secure the connection. The graft point must be monitored for callus formation, indicating a successful graft.

When grafting, it’s important to use healthy plant materials and a sterilized sharp knife to make precise cuts so that the surfaces meet seamlessly. If a graft fails, it’s often because of poor alignment or use of low-quality plant materials.

If you’re interested in grafting and budding, you can learn more and experiment in your home gardens or orchard. Courses might be a good idea for beginners to master this skill.

It’s also possible to propagate these fruit trees by rooting cuttings, and you can read more about it in our plum growing guide.

But if you’re interested in obtaining a healthy and reliable plumcot or pluot to start with, it’s generally best to buy a grafted tree from a nursery.

This ensures that you’re getting a tree that will produce the desired fruit and have other known characteristics such as size and disease resistance obtained from its hardy rootstock.

Here are the steps to follow for transplanting bare root and potted trees:

Transplanting

Before I dive into transplanting, let me give you the scoop on two important things: fungi and spacing.

I typically recommend incorporating mycorrhizal fungi into the soil when planting new fruit trees.

Healthy, established tree roots form a symbiotic relationship with mycorrhizae already present in the soil. This fungus colonizes the root system and helps the roots absorb nutrients and water to efficiently supply the tree with everything it needs.

When planting a new tree there is often little to no beneficial fungi present to give it a good start.

You can help your new tree out by adding the correct type of beneficial mycorrhizae at the time of planting.

Root Build 240

You can find different products containing inoculants at your local nursery or online. I like this product called Root Build 240, sold by Arbico Organics.

Learn more about using soil inoculants in our guide.

If you choose to incorporate soil inoculants or any other product into your planting method, remember to read the label carefully.

Now let’s talk about spacing between these trees.

You’ll want to plan ahead for two reasons: to give your trees a minimum amount of space to grow to their full size without crowding and also to achieve successful pollination.

Depending on the cultivar you’re planting, the recommended minimum distance between plumcot and pluot trees is 12 to 20 feet. You can plant them further apart if you’d like, but not too far! Don’t forget about cross-pollination.

Cross-pollination is a requirement for producing a harvest. Another pluot or a Japanese plum can serve as a pollinator, but it’s crucial to plant these trees within 50 feet of each other to ensure successful pollination.

Now that I’ve given my speech on fungi and spacing, let’s get to planting!

Your pluot or plumcot could be a bare root or container-grown specimen. Start by preparing your hole for transplanting.

Dig a hole deep enough to accommodate the bare roots or root ball, and twice as wide.

Next, remove your tree from its bag, wrap, or container. Locate the graft point. It will resemble a crooked knob above the roots.

Identifying this graft point is important. You’ll want to make sure this knob sits about one to three inches above the existing grade or soil level after the hole is backfilled.

As a guide while planting, I like to place a stick or the handle of a shovel across the hole before backfilling to visualize the grade line against the trunk.

For bare roots, make a small mound of soil in the bottom of the hole and spread the roots out over it so they angle outwards and slightly down.

For potted trees, inspect the root ball. Tease out and loosen roots that are pot bound and trim off any damaged roots.

Set the root ball in the hole. Ensure the roots are spread naturally and not twisted or cramped in their new home.

Before backfilling, check the graft point and adjust the height if necessary. You can add soil or dig some out to get just the right planting depth.

When you’re satisfied with the placement, backfill the hole around and on top of the roots, tamping down gently to squeeze out any air pockets.

Water the new tree thoroughly after planting. I like to wait about 10 minutes and if the water is all absorbed, I water again.

Now is a good time to add a layer of mulch. I’ll discuss more details on this later, so keep reading.

The ideal pH level for the soil should be slightly acidic to neutral, ranging from 6.0 to 7.0. If the soil lacks essential nutrients, it can be amended with organic matter to enhance its fertility.

Not sure what the makeup of your soil is? Conduct a soil test before you plant.

Watering is crucial, especially for newly transplanted trees.

During their first growing season, they should be watered deeply at least once a week, with each tree receiving about three to four gallons of water.

It’s essential to ensure that the soil remains moist but is well-drained to prevent root rot.

To retain moisture and suppress weeds, a two- to three-inch layer of organic mulch should be spread around the base of the tree, extending about three to four feet from the trunk.

This can be done in the spring or fall, but remember to keep the mulch a few inches back from the base of the tree, so it doesn’t touch the bark.

Growing Tips

• Choose a sheltered location with full sun.
• Plant in well-draining soil with a pH of 6.0-7.0.
• Amend the soil with organic matter to enhance fertility.
• Plant another pluot or Japanese plum to promote cross-pollination.

Pruning and Maintenance

Plumcots and pluots require regular pruning to maintain a healthy structure and promote fruit production.

Most are Japanese plum hybrids, so you can follow the same recommended techniques as you might for these trees.

You’ll find in-depth details for pruning Japanese plums (P. salicina) in our guide, but these are some basic guidelines:

Annual pruning of both new and established trees is essential and should be carried out in late winter or early spring when trees are dormant.

Use the open center system. Also referred to as open vase, this involves selecting three to four main branches growing 24 to 30 inches off the ground in different directions and removing the central stem entirely.

Begin by removing any dead, diseased, or damaged branches. Established trees should have about 25 percent of their branches removed to allow light penetration, which increases fruit quality and encourages new branch development.

Like plums, plumcots and pluots produce most of their fruit on short spurs on wood that is two to five years old, but they also produce some fruit on the basal buds of one-year-old wood.

Regular removal of suckers, or shoots coming from the roots or stem below the graft, is also necessary.

In terms of fertilization, there are no specific recommendations for homegrown plumcots and pluots. However, you might want to monitor the growth rate of your trees and fertilize based on your observations.

Trees under five years old should produce new shoots averaging 10 to 20 inches in length each year and older trees should have a growth rate of eight to 10 inches of new growth per year.

If these growth rates are not achieved and you’ve eliminated other causes like poor irrigation, poor drainage, pests, and diseases, consider fertilizing.

Test your soil to see which nutrients are lacking and remember that excessive fertilization can be harmful, so it’s crucial to monitor the tree’s growth and adjust accordingly.

To ensure larger and better-quality fruits, it’s advisable to thin the fruit when they’re about the size of a dime. This process involves removing excess fruits, leaving about one fruit every four to six inches.

Regularly cleaning up fallen fruits and leaves can help reduce the risk of disease and infestation. This practice is especially important in the fall to prevent overwintering of certain pests and disease pathogens.

Following some routine maintenance guidelines and paying attention to your trees’ needs will result in a bountiful harvest.

Plumcot and Pluot Cultivars to Select

Plumcots and pluots have desirable ornamental value aside from their food production. The hypnotic fragrance of their adorable spring blooms make them excellent additions to home gardens and orchards.

It’s a good idea to research and select a variety based on your specific region’s average number of chilling hours and climate conditions.

Before planting, always consult local nurseries or agricultural extensions for advice on the best varieties for your region.

These experts can provide insights into which specific cultivars of plumcots and pluots are most likely to thrive in your local conditions and give you more details about chilling hours, pollinators, and planting.

Keeping in mind that plumcots are usually equal parts plum and apricot while pluots lean more toward the plum family, take a look at these popular varieties to consider planting in your own space.

Dapple Dandy

The Dapple Dandy Pluot® (Prunus ‘Dapple Dandy’) is a fun and tasty option for the whole family. This tree is suited for Zones 5 to 9 and reaches 15 to 20 feet tall.

‘Dapple Dandy’ is sometimes called Dinosaur Egg because its fruit has a spotted appearance and mottled skin coloring.

The smooth, shiny skin closely resembles a plum. Its greenish-yellow, red-spotted exterior develops into a maroon and yellow dapple as it begins to ripen.

With a moderately late harvest, this variety can be pollinated by the ‘Santa Rosa’ plum.

Dapple Dandy

This tree requires about 400 to 500 chilling hours. You can order a four- to five-foot-tall potted sapling to transplant into your own garden at Nature Hills Nursery.

Flavorella

The ‘Flavorella’ plumcot tree reaches a height of 15 to 18 feet at maturity and is suited for USDA Zones 7 to 10.

This tree produces fruit characterized by its beautiful golden yellow skin with a faint red blush. When ripe, the medium-sized fruit is very sweet and incredibly fragrant.

The flesh of the fruit is juicy and firm with a yellow hue. The flavor is described as a harmonious mix of a super sweet apricot with a touch of full-bodied acidity from the plum.

‘Flavorella’

When it comes to pollination, it’s recommended to plant this type with a ‘Santa Rosa’ plum, ‘Gold Kist’ apricot, or another plumcot nearby.

‘Flavorella’ requires 500 to 600 chill hours and you can find it at Nature Hills Nursery.

Flavor King

The Flavor King Pluot® is recognized for its deep red flesh and intense, sweet flavor.

Reaching a mature size of 12 to 20 feet, Flavor King® is perfect for home gardens. Once established, it’s low maintenance and thrives in USDA Zones 5 to 9.

This tree requires about 400 to 500 chilling hours and a pollinator such as ‘Burgundy’ plum, Dapple Dandy, or ‘Methley’ plum.

Flavor King

The fruit matures in mid- to late August and will typically remain firm on the tree for a few weeks, so there is no rush to pick them.

Find Flavor King® at Fast Growing Trees.

Geo Pride

The ‘Geo Pride’ tree reaches a height of 12 to 15 feet and is hardy in USDA Zones 6 to 9.

In the spring, it showcases fragrant white blooms, attracting bees and butterflies. Despite its smaller stature, the tree is highly ornamental and can be a focal point in any garden.

The fruit it produces has a smooth golden yellow and reddish-purple mottled skin, complemented by golden yellow flesh. The flavor is a harmonious mix of plum and apricot, and the fruit has a crisp texture.

The fruit matures in mid-season and is medium-sized.

‘Geo Pride’

For successful pollination, it’s recommended to plant Geo Pride near other pluots or other compatible pollinators such as Dapple Dandy® or ‘Flavor Supreme.’

This tree requires about 400 chill hours. Plants are available at Nature Hills.

Splash

The Splash Pluot® tree produces small to medium-sized yellow to orange colored fruit that boasts super sweet and juicy flesh.

It reaches a height of 15 to 25 feet and is hardy in USDA Zones 5 to 11.

Splash

The tree requires about 400 chill hours and fruits are typically ready to harvest in July. Splash Pluot® plants are available at Nature Hills.

Managing Pests and Disease

Management of pests and disease is critical to growing any plants successfully, but this is especially important when you’re aiming to achieve food production with fruits like the pluot or plumcot.

Herbivores

Plums are a favorite for deer, mice, and rats, usually when they’re ripe, but sometimes even before they’re fully ripe.

And from personal experience, I can tell you that bunnies are known to nibble at the tender trunks of young trees. If you share your garden with wildlife, take this into account and plan ahead.

To deter deer from snacking from low branches, plant your plumcots and pluots in a protected area or consider installing a fence around them.

Pick up fallen fruit from the ground to discourage small rodents like mice and rats from setting up camp in your yard.

And if you’ve spotted bunnies hopping through your grounds, think about adding a cage or wrap to the trunks of young trees.

Insects

Insects that target plum trees will also prey on plumcots and pluots. These include aphids, peach tree borers, plum curculios, and scale insects.

Insects can carry disease, so it’s important to stay on top of infestations before they get out of control.

Disease

Diseases common to plums will also attack plumcots and pluots. Look out for black knot, brown rot, and silver leaf fungus.

Regular monitoring and early intervention are crucial. It’s essential to maintain good sanitation practices, like cleaning up fallen fruit, to reduce disease risk.

Harvesting and Storage

Plumcots and pluots are typically ready for harvest from mid-June to early July, but some varieties will extend the season into fall.

Check your chosen variety for more information about when to harvest.

The best indicator for harvesting is when the fruits are plump and exhibit rich coloration. Gently squeeze the fruits to feel how firm they are. They shouldn’t be too firm or too soft for perfect ripeness.

Japanese plums are revered for eating fresh, and in my house, they disappear quickly.

Since pluots and plumcots are in the same family, follow storage recommendations similar to what you would do with plums.

Once harvested, these fruits can be stored for later use. If you’re planning to use them within three weeks, store them in a cool and humid environment, ideally between 32 and 40°F (0 and 4°C). 

If you’re storing them in a refrigerator, it’s the perfect environment. However, when you’re ready to consume them, bring the fruits out and let them return to room temperature first. They’ll taste better this way!

Enjoy your plumcots and pluots throughout the winter by freezing them. Remove the pits and slice into chunks.

Place the chunks on a cookie sheet or tray and put them in the freezer to freeze individually, without touching each other.

Once frozen, transfer the fruit to freezer bags and store for up to eight months.

Recipes and Cooking Ideas

These fruits are best known for eating fresh, but similar to plums, they can also be processed into jam, jelly, and can be dehydrated to make fruit leather.

To make your own fruit leather, try this recipe from our sister site, Foodal.

Showcase your freshly harvested fruits in a simple summer salad, and make them the main attraction.

Toss in some toasted ginger, garlic, and some fresh herbs like mint, basil, or cilantro to make it more savory. Add a squeeze of citrus and a dash of soy sauce and you’ll be in heaven.

Of course, you can bake a simple crisp using these fruits. But why not try something new? Galettes are one of my favorite rustic desserts.

Not only are they delicious, but they make an impressive presentation when served to guests. Let them think you spent hours working on it!

Most any fruit can become the star of the show here, but plumcots and pluots would be absolutely brilliant. Find a fantastic recipe for this dessert on Foodal.

Quick Reference Growing Guide

Plant Type:	Deciduous fruit tree	Water Needs:	Moderate
Native to:	Cultivated hybrid	Maintenance:	Moderate
Hardiness (USDA Zones):	5-9	Tolerance:	Some drought
Bloom Time/Season:	Spring blossoms, spring/summer/fall fruit	Soil Type:	Loamy
Exposure:	Full sun	Soil pH:	6.0-7.0
Time to Maturity:	3-7 years	Soil Drainage:	Well-draining
Spacing:	12-20 feet	Attracts:	Bees, butterflies
Planting Depth:	Same as growing container (transplants), graft point just above the soil, crown just below the soil (bare roots)	Avoid Planting With:	Black walnut
Height:	12-20 feet	Family:	Rosaceae
Spread:	12-20 feet	Genus:	Prunus
Common Pests and Diseases:	Aphid, deer, mice, rabbits, rats, plum curculio, scale, wood borer; brown rot, black knot, silver leaf	Species:	Hybrids

Perfectly Orchestrated Duets

We’ve journeyed through the orchard’s melodious blend of plums and apricots, arriving at the plumcot and the pluot.

Here, we have two blockbuster duets, showcased by nature with some production assistance from humans.

Now, step out into your garden and envision it as a stage where the magic of plums and apricots come together in one delightful specimen.

Try one, try both, or try any other stone fruit hybrids you might find locally that are suited for your Zone.

I’ve covered the history of these fruit trees and all the necessary information you need to know to grow them. I’ve even given you a few suggestions for cultivars to get you started.

I’m hunting for a companion pollinator for my own plumcot now in Zone 5b. Let’s hunt together! Which trees are you considering or which are you already growing? Please share in the comments below.

If you’re interested in growing food-producing trees, you might be interested in reading these articles next:

Many plants have something to ­offer as the growing season winds down, but to truly take advantage of the best of fall, one should grow the three pillars of the autumn garden.

The first pillar of the autumn garden is ornamental grass. During this third ­season of the garden, masses and mounds of these plants explode into bloom and set a framework for everything else still strong enough to be standing. The second pillar is the aster. Regardless of what divisions they have been split into—Aster, Symphiotrichum, Eurybia (Zones 4–8)—all asters stand equal to orna­mental grasses in autumnal impact, if not in height. The third pillar is the upright ­sedum, now given its own classification apart from its low-growing cousins, Hylotelephium (Zones 3–9).

All three pillars play a subordinate, almost invisible role throughout spring and summer, often being merely the plant next to the one that is blooming. But the wait is worth it.

The pillars are just the start 

So many plants shine in -autumn, a season full of color and interest that rivals—and in some ways surpasses—spring and summer. Start by exploring the great diversity among asters, grasses, and sedums, then keep looking. Here are some ideas to get you started.

1. Fountain grass (Pennisetum alopecuroides and cvs., Zones 5–9)	2. ‘Brilliantissima’ red chokeberry (Aronia arbutifolia ‘Brilliantissima’, Zones 5–9)
3. ‘Monch’ aster (Aster × frikartii ‘Monch’, Zones 5–10)	4. ‘Grace’ smoke bush (Cotinus ‘Grace’, Zones 5–9)
5. Alma Potschke New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae ‘Andenken an Alma Pötschke’, Zones 4–8)	6. Oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia, Zones 5–9)
7. ‘Oneida’ viburnum (Viburnum ‘Oneida’, Zones 5–8)	8. ‘Postman’s Pride’ sedum (Hylotelephium telephium ‘Postman’s Pride’, Zones 3–9)
9. ‘Waterlily’ autumn crocus (Colchicum ‘Waterlily’, Zones 4–7)	10. Arkansas bluestar (Amsonia hubrichtii, Zones 5–8)

Foxglove (Digitalis spp.) is powerfully toxic, the source of vital heart medication, a charming cottage garden staple, a valuable native plant, and a hummingbird favorite.

It’s hard to imagine a garden without its pretty, bell-like flowers.

Common foxgloves (D. purpurea) are biennials that bloom in spring and early summer before fading in the heat of summer.

In temperate climates, this species is grown as an annual. There are also hybrids that bloom in the first year, and so these are truly annuals.

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If this is the second year that your plant has been alive and it has bloomed and faded, there’s no need to protect it over the winter. It’s going to die naturally, and any seeds that it dropped will germinate in the spring to start new plants.

Yellow (D. grandiflora), small yellow (D. lutea), wooly (D. lanata) and sunset foxgloves (D. obscura) are short-lived perennials.

Some common foxglove cultivars and hybrids, such as ‘Dalmation Purple,’ ‘Polkadot Polly,’ and ‘Snowy Mountain’ are short-lived perennials as well.

These should be winterized each year to ensure that they’ll return.

If you need a refresher on how to grow and care for foxgloves, check out our guide.

This guide will explain the process, with a few steps for giving your foxgloves a fighting chance at surviving the winter. Here’s what we will be discussing:

If you can feel winter’s approach in your bones and you’re ready to protect that garden, I’m sure you can’t wait to get started. I get it! Let’s jump right in with the first step.

1. Divide Plants

If you haven’t done so already, foxgloves should be divided in the fall at least a few weeks before the first predicted frost.

To do this, dig up the plant, taking care to lift as much of the roots as you can. Brush away the dirt and gently tease apart a clump or two that includes both roots and stems.

Replant with appropriate spacing for the type and add water. This is also a good time to add mulch so your plants have a bit more protection after this abrupt change.

2. Prune Back

Most people leave the flower stalks in place after the blooms fade in order to encourage self-seeding.

Remember, these plants are biennials and they will die after two years. If you want them to return, you need to let them seed themselves.

By late fall, the seeds should have fallen and you’re safe to remove the flower stalks. Prune these off with a clean, sharp pair of clippers or scissors.

Cut back any foliage on herbaceous types that hasn’t already died back, and remove any dead leaves. 

Evergreen types can be left as they are, but you might want to give them a small haircut to tidy them up a bit. This protects them from heavy winds or surprise snowfall.

3. Clean the Area

Don’t leave any debris in the garden where your plants are growing. Not only can this trap moisture, but it also can lead to diseases, as well as harboring pests.

Clean up any leaves, fallen flowers, stems, and the like, and burn, compost, or otherwise dispose of them.

This can be done any time, but it is especially important if there’s snow in the forecast.

4. Add Mulch

Some foxgloves are hardy all the way north to USDA Zone 3. It’s not the cold of winter that’s the concern here – it’s the natural freezing and thawing cycle that can damage foxgloves.

When the ground freezes and thaws repeatedly, it leaves the plants exposed to frost heaving and damage.

A nice, thick heap of organic mulch acts as a layer of insulation, moderating the temperature fluctuations of the soil and helping to prevent frost heave.

How thick of a layer you use depends on just how much freezing and thawing you experience in your area.

In places where the ground stays frozen for the most part, plants won’t need as much mulch as those grown in an area that warms and freezes repeatedly all winter.

Anywhere from two to six inches of leaf litter, straw, or shredded bark will work to protect your plants.

There is an exception to this: Do not add mulch if you’re hoping that your foxgloves have dropped seeds and will return via those seeds next year.

The seeds need light to germinate, and if you cover them, they won’t be able to grow when the weather warms.

5. Protect Plants from Excess Moisture

Few things will kill a foxglove quicker than soggy roots, especially in the winter. These plants are extremely sensitive to wet feet.

The most important part of protecting the roots is planting them in well-draining soil. Assuming you’ve already done that, there are a few additional things you can do to support your plants.

As an added layer of protection, place a few inches of well-rotted compost over the garden bed.

Even better, slope it away from the plants so that some of the water will run off before soaking into the soil.

A layer of pine boughs can also help dissipate some of the water or snow melt.

Potted plants can be moved under an awning or something that will protect them from excess water.

6. Protect Containers

Foxgloves growing in containers are much more susceptible to the freeze-thaw cycle than plants in the ground.

Additionally, containers can sometimes collect water as winter snow and rain falls. That’s why it’s best to protect your pots and planters if you live in Zones 4 to 6.

I recommend moving containers against a wall that has an overhang or rain gutters to deflect some of the falling moisture.

A wall can also provide some additional warmth, though you have to be careful not to exacerbate the freeze-thaw cycle. A wooden fence or east-facing wall is best.

Heap pine boughs over and around the containers to provide some insulation. Be sure to remove these in early spring so your new plants can emerge.

If you live in the coldest Zone that the type of foxglove you’re growing can tolerate, bring the container into a shed or unheated garage.

You might also opt to wrap the container in a thick layer of burlap, cardboard, or wool. Be sure to add water once a month or so.

7. Store the Roots

If you want to be absolutely certain that the roots remain protected, or you’re worried that the soil will hold too much water during the winter, the safest option might be to dig up the plant and store it during the winter.

Foxgloves can’t be stored as bare roots. When you dig them up, you need to collect not only the root ball but a few inches of soil around them as well. Place the whole thing in a plastic bag or container.

Don’t seal the bag closed. You don’t want to retain too much moisture.

Place the bag or container in the refrigerator or a location with temperatures that remain consistently between 30 and 40°F. Don’t store them anywhere warmer.

They need a period of vernalization with temperatures below 40°F in order to grow and flower.

Once a month, add just a bit of water to keep the roots alive. The soil should be allowed to completely dry out between watering, and you should only water to the point where the soil feels just barely moist.

Replant the roots In the spring when the soil can be worked.

Old Man Winter Can’t Hurt Your Foxgloves

It’s easy to neglect your garden chores as the winter approaches. You’ve been watering, pruning, and feeding for months and it’s time for a break.

But with a few quick steps, you can ensure your foxgloves will be back and better than ever in the coming spring.

What kind of foxgloves are you growing, and how do you plan to protect them this winter? Share with us in the comments section below!

If you’re looking for more information about foxgloves, and you found this guide helpful, read these articles next:

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