PlantLife Online

I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the earth's sweet flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in Summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.

by Joyce Kilmer

This is a picture of a stem gall caused by the gall wasp Andricus chrysolepidicola on a costal live oak. Gall wasp pose no threat to humans and little to the plants in fact many small was species are considered beneficial insects.

Here is another great group of potted plants!

Sometimes it's the simple things that turnout looking so good! Here are three blue pots all with different a design, shape, and size. In those pots are three simple elegant plants one flowering and two ferns.

What are Mycorrhizae?

It's that time of year when those pesky garden insects start to emerge from their overwintering hideouts. The most common garden pests tend to be aphids, mites, scales and caterpillars which can easily be controlled if they are detected early. Its time to get out there and inspect young plants and new shoots for any insects and/or damage. Populations can be controlled organically with the use of beneficial insects and selective sprays like Bacillus Thuringiensis (BT).

Did you know you can control soft body insects like aphids and mites with a simple solution of common dish soap and water? Soaps have been used for insect control for around 200 hundred years and recently have become more popular among homeowners. The soap solution should be applied to the upper and lower surfaces of the leaves, the soapy solution as no residual effectiveness and should applied directly on the insects. Repeat applications over 7-10 days may be needed for complete insect control.

Planting cool-season veggies and herbs in your garden will allow you to harvest fresh homegrown produce year round in many climates.

When removing a branch at the point of attachment the goal is to remove the branch as close to the trunk as possible without cutting into the branch bark ridge or leave a stub. The diagram below is numbered in the ideal order for removing a limb that is best for the tree and safe for the pruner.

(1) Make a cut on the under side of the limb several inches from branch union. This will keep the weight of the limb of the from striping bark down the tree.