Gardening by ShapiroA

What specific meteorological datum, averaged over a set of 30 observations, does the USDA use to define plant hardiness zones? Your smith has the privilege of gardening in Zone 10.

What monosyllable describes the function of the coconut husks in this photo? Some of the smith’s neighbors have been known to use more humble materials for this purpose, such as cardboard and strips of carpet.

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If you’re interested in growing the kind bud, one thing you’ll certainly want to know is that cannabis is dioecious. What does that mean? Ginkgo is another well-known dioecious plant.

What are these li’l microbes? Though beautiful, their fossils are fatal to some garden pests, and a powder containing them is sometimes applied as an insecticide.

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Wisconsin Fast Plants™ don't look, taste, or smell good; they aren't nutritious and they have no industrial purpose. But they *do* grow fast—from seed to flowering in 14 days. Who are these plants mainly marketed to?

What trait gives Hibiscus mutabilis and Rosa chinensis ‘Mutabilis’ the ‘mutabilis’ part of their respective names? Lantana is another favorite garden plant with this trait.

A popular method of designing attractive annual containers calls for three components—a tall showy plant, a bushier plant that complements it, and a third plant that trails over the side. These roles are referred to by what three rhyming words (none of which is a ferny-leaved herb used to flavor borscht, gravlax, and pickles)?

What chummy name is given to plants that mutually benefit one another (e.g., by repelling each other’s pests) when growing in close proximity?

When he began gardening, your smith was excited to discover tomato plants at the nursery that purported to mature rapidly and need no staking. He was less excited when, weeks after yielding their first tomato, these plants abruptly ceased growth and produced no further fruit. Your smith should have paid attention to what precisely-defined 11-letter word on the tag?

What is the bright white volcanic glass seen here, commonly used as a potting soil component, as a soil amendment to improve drainage and as a rooting medium for cuttings?

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Alpine, Seascape, Quinault, and Mara des Bois are a few delicious varieties of what short-lived perennial that spreads by runners (but does not climb like peas or beans)?

What is the verb for removing wilted flowers from a plant, either to produce a tidy appearance or to prolong flowering and prevent the plant from going to seed? This practice is well-known among rose growers—perhaps specifically American Beauty devotees.