An interesting plant worth cultivating for both bloom and foliage is Acalypha hispida, commonly known as the chenille plant. It grows wild in the Fiji Islands and Polynesia. Acalypha godseffiana, a dense shrub with a greenish flower spike, is grown mostly for its cream and green leaves, and another variety, called a copper leaf, or … Read more
Biennials that flower in one instead of two years grass that stays green during the winter instead of turning brown are only two of the dramatic effects on plants caused by the new growth stimulant, gibberellic acid. Since the first progress report to readers appeared in the May 1957 issue of FLOWER GROWER, research has … Read more
Through the years, men and bees have worked together to create improved flowers and vegetables. Awe-inspiring artificial moons are drawing our attention toward the skies as never before. Amid all this, it may be reassuring to realize that we have, or can have, more pleasantly diverting scientific marvels to ponder at arm’s length in our … Read more
Have you had the experience of transplanting an Oriental poppy or butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) to another part of the garden and later found these plants coming up again in the places where you had removed them? It is almost impossible to get every bit of the root system. The pieces of roots that are … Read more
Maleic hydrazide, better known as chemicals yet developed for modern gardeners. Discovered accidentally by Naugatuck Chemical’s research scientists in 1948, MH has the unusual property of temporarily retarding plant growth without impairing the health of the plant. The degree of retardation is directly proportional to the dosage sprayed on the plants. In this writing, maleic … Read more
Success with cuttings depends upon many factors, the most important of which are timing, types, hormones, media, propagating cases, and general culture. Importance of Timing Timing, which is probably the most important single factor, is as yet relatively little understood except in purely empirical terms. We know that cuttings of some varieties of common lilac … Read more
Like to try your hand at lily hybridizing? Here’s how. Select the flower to be pollinated and remove the anthers or pollen-producing male organs before any pollen has been shed. Since lilies usually do not shed pollen until they start to open, it is advisable to choose buds that will open the next day and … Read more
When frosty weather comes in the fall, the house plants set out in borders, beds, or window boxes in the spring are too tender to leave outside and often too large to bring inside. Now is the time to start taking cuttings of such plants as geraniums, begonias, coleus, plectranthus, sultana, and wandering Jew. They … Read more
You may make your green thumb even greener by rooting many of your cuttings under a new propagation system called constant mist. In this system, cuttings are bathed continuously in a fine mist of water, in full sunlight, for the entire rooting period. Special atomizing nozzles provide the mist. It can be made or purchased, … Read more
Have you ever tried to grow lilies from scales? If you haven’t, you are missing one of the most interesting gardening experiences. Many new hybrid garden lilies produce little or no seed, so propagating them from scales (the segments of the bulb which look like sections of an artichoke) is an easy way to increase … Read more