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Now Is the Best Time to Plant Anemone Bulbs for Better Blooms—How to Do It Like a Pro

Tubers are relatively small and somewhat fragile. They are vulnerable to rot during winters with continuous freeze/thaw cycles and do not tolerate wet soil. Anemones also thrive in cooler conditions with temperatures between 58F and 65F during the day and lower at night. The Spruce / Loren Probish In USDA hardiness zones 8 to 11, they are often successful when planted in September or October. Often thought of as spring flowers, somevarietiesdo bloom in autumn....

Now Is the Best Time to Propagate African Violets for More Plants—How to Do It Like a Pro

Anna_Hirna / Getty Images Mature African violetsbloom nearly non-stop adding vibrant color to your indoor garden. One is never enough as theseeasy-care houseplantsshow to best advantage when grouped in displays of three or more. you’ve got the option to easily increase your collection through propagation with this guide. Anna_Hirna / Getty Images When to Propagate African Violets African violets can be started from leaf cuttings at any time. Want more gardening tips?...

Now Is the Best Time to Prune Christmas Cactus For More Flowers Next Year—Here's How

You’ll also want to see to it that there are no buds or blooms on the plant. Choose Sections to Prune Decide which areas of the plant you’d like to cut back. Make Your Cuts For a quick, light pruning, you don’t even need shears. Elena Grishina / Getty Images Cladophyll The segmented “leaves” of a Christmas cactus are actually stems called cladophylls. Like leaves, cladophylls photosynthesize light into food for the plant....

Now Is the Best Time to Prune Croton For Better Growth—How to Do It Right

Crotons are one of the most popular houseplants thanks to their vividly patterned,multicolored leaves. Here are five reasons to prune your croton, plus some handy tips to keep this colorful plant happy. How to Prune a Croton Plant Want more gardening tips? Roman_Makedonsky / Getty Images It’s an ideal strategy if your plant has dropped leaves in response to stress. Start by cutting back your croton’s tallest stem by about a third....

Now Is the Best Time to Prune Fruit Trees for Better Fruit This Summer — Here's How

The Spruce / Evgniya Vlasova With some plants, pruning is optional. This isnottrue of many fruit trees. Proper pruning stimulates fruit trees to bear fruit. The Spruce / Evgniya Vlasova Learn why, when, and how to prune fruit trees. A few main limbs will eventually form the framework of the tree. These are called the “scaffold” limbs. Luis Alvarez / Getty Images The smaller branches stemming off of the scaffold limbs are called “lateral” branches....

Now Is the Best Time to Prune Lilacs For Healthier Flowers This Summer—Here's How

Pruning is key to keeping your shrub healthy and able to produce plentiful flowers every year. When to Prune Lilacs Prune lilacs in late spring or early summer after flowers fade. Do this annually to maintain good shape, support healthy growth, and facilitate abundant flowering the following year. Michael Davis / Getty Images Want more gardening tips? Fertilizing withbone meal can elevate pH.Fertilizers high in phosphorus support flowering. Feed lilacs in early spring....

Now Is the Best Time to Prune Rubber Plants for Happier Plants All Year — Here's How

Once you know how, pruning a rubber plant is easy. Dead or damaged leaves and branches can be removed any time. Pruning cuts produce a milky sap that can irritate skin and damage carpets and other materials. The Spruce / Cara Cormack During winter, sap production is at its lowest level. However, because the plant is growing more slowly, it can take longer to recover. Keep winter pruning light. Pruning from late spring to early summer supports vigor and encourages new growth....

Now Is the Best Time to Prune Your Citrus Trees For Even More Fruit—Here's How

Evergreen citrus with their strong branches, dont require the jot down of intensive pruning fruit-bearingdeciduous treesdo. However, youll still have to do some trimming to prevent irregular growth and an overly dense canopy. You might also need an orchard ladder to reach the canopy if your trees are tall. Lara Sanmarti / Getty Images Want more gardening tips? This tidies the trees' appearance and directs all the energy to the healthiest growth....

Now Is the Best Time to Sow Sweet Pea Seeds for Better Harvests—Here's Why

Flavia Morlachetti / Getty Images Sowing sweet pea seeds in autumn offers gardeners some notable advantages. Here are some practices and pointers to help you get the most out of these traditional garden beauties. Gardeners in zones 6 and lower can directly sow sweet pea seeds in winter or early spring. Flavia Morlachetti / Getty Images This can present problems, though, when soil is too wet or too frozen to work up....

Now Is the Best Time to Start Planning Your Spring Garden, Gardeners Say—Here's Why

With plenty of time before spring officially hits, theres no need to rush the planning phase. “Good planning now will save time and money later.” So, what does the garden planning process involve? ronstik / Getty Images What can you start doing now to prepare for the gardening season? Here are a few things to consider, according to experts. For example, do you want to enhance orbuild a new garden?...

Now Is the Best Time to Trim Bushes and Shrubs for Healthy Growth—How to Do It Right

Shrubs and bushes create attractive barriers, prevent erosion, and host birds and pollinators. With those strengths, it’s often easy to think ofbushes and shrubsas self-maintaining. But they need regular trimming to keep them healthy and in good shape. IAN HOOTON/SPL / Getty Images Learn the best time to trim bushes, why you should trim them, and how to do so. Trim flowering bushes in early spring. Want more gardening tips?...

Now Is the Perfect Time to Plant Iris Bulbs for Showy Spring Blooms—Here's How

Irisesspring up from bulbs, and those can be tricky in terms of planting schedule. If you’re planting bearded or Dutch irises, stick to this schedule. Once the cold weather lifts in the spring, they’ll pop back into action. Getty Images / Photo by Katkami However, if you’re plantingJapaneseorSiberian irises, spring could be a better time to plant. This allows them to establish their roots before summer’s hottest days set in....

Now Is the Perfect Time to Propagate Hydrangeas and Grow a New Bush—Here's How

Almost all hydrangeas are simple to propagate by taking cuttings for rooting. Learn how to propagate hydrangeas with three methods. When Should You Propagate Hydrangeas? The Spruce / Randi Rhoades Want more gardening tips? Add sterile, seed-starting mix to the pot and moisten the soil thoroughly. If using regular potting soil, mix in coarse sand or vermiculate to help create a lighter soil mixture. The Spruce / Jason Donnelly Choose the Best Stem Select a green, softwood stem that has not flowered or formed buds....