texts: What purpose do joints serve on a dragon fruit (pitaya)?

texts:
I just bought a Pink Delight Dragon Fruit. I noticed that all of the cacti at the store had joints, dried flesh that tapers to small point. They seem like a weak point to me, a brittle point that can snap off. How are these joints formed, what purpose do they serve, and should they be prevented?

The joint is illustrated in the lower right of this photo. It is the tan portion on the right stalk. It looks as if it was severed at that point, but it's obviously not because the upper portion of the stalk is still green.


texts: What are the limits to growing plants hydroponically?

texts:
I'm working with a group of artists, educators and engineers to develop new methods for STEM teaching in classrooms and museums. Right now, we are trying to design a room-sized model of the carbon cycle that illustrates the relationship between oceans, biosphere and atmosphere. As part of this, we want to have a tree growing hydroponically (tree will not be very large, aiming for more sapling-scale).

Does anyone know whether it is possible to grow larger plants hydroponically, and if so, what the biggest challenges do doing this are?


texts: What are these white arthropods infesting my succulents?

texts:
My attempts to grow succulents continue to struggle - two from my wedding, which had been doing fairly well, appear to have developed, fairly swiftly, an infestation with some sort of mite:

Any idea what these are, and if there's something I'm doing wrong that's "triggering" an infestation. I've been trying not to overwater, and all the plants are in pots suspended in another container to allow drainage.


texts: Is mid-October too late to seed a lawn in Ottawa, Canada?

texts:
My yard work has been delayed this year. This past weekend, I finished spreading the topsoil (which has been on the driveway since May) to rebuild an area of my lawn.

Is it too late to spread grass seed this year?

If so, what's the best way to control weeds until the spring?


texts:
Last year my wife and I built a small 4' x 8' raised bed and were pretty happy with our success (both first-time gardeners).

Last October I reached out to a 'master gardener' in our area and asked for her advice in closing the bed for the year. She instructed me to:

Pull out all organic matter (roots, vegetables, weeds, etc.) and discard
Aerate the top soil by turning it over a few times
"Seal" it with a layer of leaves

I followed the advice. Now I'm in the process of reopening the garden, and the leaves are still there, as well as a few plants (weeds?, baby trees?) that I didn't expect to see.

I'm wondering:

What should I do with the leaves? Remove them? Put top soil & compost mix on top of them? Roto-till the first six inches of dirt and effectively 'mulch' them into the existing top soil?
And what do I do with the weeds that have already sprouted up? I could rip them out but am worried that perhaps their roots have already grown deep into the bed.


texts: I found these seed pods in some flower pots that I picked up roadside for free. I've been scouring the internet but can't find anything that looks like them. Does anybody know what they might be? Any help appreciated!


texts: What is this tree with twisted bark, fern-like leaves and bright red flowers?

texts:
Please help me to identify this tree. You can see the leaves and red flowers in my photos.

I like it and want to seed it. How should I germinate this lovely tree?


texts:
I've started growing garlic each year, with the idea being I'd store most of it for seed the next year to gradually increase the amount I was growing.

Last year, I planted 100 cloves, and saved about 80 head of garlic in July when I harvested. I hung them in a shady, warm location for a week, and then put them in a bowl and forgot about them till October.

The skin of the cloves was still in pristine condition, but the actual clove has shrunk - I think it had dehydrated. I managed to salvage enough cloves to plant 100 again, but I'd like to avoid this set back again "Growing Great Garlic" but the author didn't really address the storage of garlic for seed.

Searching the internet hasn't really clarified the issue. Some people claim that you should store it in the fridge at a specific temperature and then state it will sprout at that same temp. The University of Georgia says commercially, garlic is stored at 0 Celsius and that home refrigerators are too warm. I've heard people say to store it in a damp terracotta bowl with a lid, but that seems to be a recipe for mold.

How do other people store their garlic?

On a side note, I let my garlic produce scapes, and I harvestedthe bulbils. They dried out fine and had no issue with dehydration, and I'm currently growing them to adjust the garlic to my micro climate..


texts: I have asked this question on here before, but these brown spots are different from the ones that I have asked about in my other question. These brown spots are very dark and are scattered, and they're appearing on the newer foliages. I would put a link to the question I asked about the other brown spots but I don't know how to do it. Why is this happening? I know why it's happening from my previous question but I don't know about these brown spots; these spots are different.


texts:
I've recently re-planted my carrots into my new garden and they've almost all turned purple.

The carrots were originally planted in a pot and grew into about 3-4cm high green sprouts. I'm a newbie so planted way too many (100-200 in a pot about 50x50cm) but under the instruction of my grandpa I separated the small 4cm green sprouts which has small roots on them and planted them spaced apart in my new garden. They looked fine for the first few days but have now almost all turned a dark purple colour.

Since they went into the new garden they've been watered very well, the soil is always moist. The old carrots (I had tonnes left) are still in the pot next to my garden and are a beautiful green colour, and I water them the same amount roughly.

Can anybody answer why my carrots have turned this colour and what I should do?

Thanks.

I've updated the post with the pictures below as per request:

That shows the still planted carrots that are a normal green and I've circled the best examples of the purple. It's hard to see in the photos because of the soil and purple colour similarity. I'm aware of this and apologize.

Here's another of the carrots close up

And here's one of many of the purple carrots

Please let me know if I can help any other ways, I'll retake the photos in better lighting somehow if necessary. Thanks.


texts: Should I prune other veggies the same way I prune tomatoes?

texts:
I just finished pruning the foliage on my tomato plants and am wondering if other plants in the garden would benefit from a similar trim?

In particular, my eggplant and peppers have very dense leaves and honestly, cutting the leaves back would help me keep track of how ripe the veggies are.  I don't want to hurt or stunt the plants though.  And what about other veggies?


texts: Fungal or bacterial infestation ? Pachypondium Lamere or Pin Palm

texts:
I have this Madagascar Pin Palm or Pachypondium Lamerei which has been attacked by some kind of fungal or bacterial infestation.

I've been using an antifungal solution, yesterday was the 3rd application (spraying the solution mixed with water once a week) but it doesn't seem to get any better as new black spots appear on the back of new leaves (see pictures).

I have been using Amystar from Syngenta mixed in a water solution according to instructions from the producer.

Does anyone know what this is and if there is a better solution?

It doesn't have any pests, at least none that I can see and it didn't have a pest infestation before.

I water it every almost 5-7 days and it sits in full sun for about 5-7 hours in a South-West window. The soil is specifically for cactuses/succulents and the pot has a drainage system in which the extra water can spill.

Images:

https://imgur.com/a/mQc3KeC
https://imgur.com/9EDNli5
https://imgur.com/G1B48kl
https://imgur.com/gri9woA
https://imgur.com/uQ1cxS7
https://imgur.com/Cuv2A7Y
https://imgur.com/mDX8OJO

Thanks,
Radu


texts:
I would like to find name of the plant.

Found in West Bengal , India.
Was grafted on another plant, grew thick roots.
Died after planting on soil.


texts: What to do with the damaged leaves of the Snake Plant (Sansevieria)?

texts:
I planted my Snake plant today and chose the best from the bunch. However, some of the tips has either dried off or damaged by some other means. I am posting some pics for better understanding:

Cut the whole leaf from the bottom or remove the damaged part or leave them?


texts: Should I bury my blackberry/raspberry canes in mulch over winter?

texts:
I have some blackberries and red raspberries, and I'm not sure how to winter-prep them. After pruning (which I'm skipping this year, since the primocane raspberries are only in their first year), how should I mulch them?

Should I take them down from the trellis and lay them flat on the ground, and pile straw, leaves, and woodchips on them by about an inch?

I'm in USDA zone 6a.

And if I get cow manure, should I put it under the mulch? Likely I won't get cow manure until spring. I don't have compost.

Do I also need to add mouse-traps/rat-traps around to kill rats as some suggest?
 Will the rats damage the plants? If not, the plants are far enough from my house that I don't care if the mice are there.
Are poison traps alright (the bait stations with solid blocks they munch on), despite it being near plants I care about?


texts:
Is it possible, and is it wise if it is possible, to grow Ipomea tricolor 'Heavenly Blue' so that it protrudes through mid-sized (9m/30ft) conifers?

I think it could be an interesting aesthetic effect - blue-yellow flowers hanging from greenish conifer.


texts: Climbing Rose, is it true that I need 6 hours of sunlight?

texts:
I live in West Yorkshire, UK. It is mostly cloudy here. I am thinking of planting a red climbing rose. I know very little about gardening, so I thought I'd ask the pros here.

Do I really need 6 hours of sunlight in the spot where I plan to plant the climbing rose?
What do I need before I go and buy the plant?
When buying, what signs should I look for so that I know the plant is healthy?
How long do these plants stay in bloom (flowers open)?

I'd appreciate some tips and advice.


texts: Can someone help me?!?!? I started leaving my mango plant outside so it can get used to it, but 2 days later the leaves started turning brown! It was fine the first day, but when I woke up in the morning on the second day the leaves were brown. I don’t know what to do. Is it normal for the plant to turn brown? If anyone knows please tell me what to do, I want the leaves to turn green again. Btw I am new gardener, that is why I am really worried.


texts: How do I prevent growth of fungus on outer wall of ceramic pots?

texts:
Many times fungus gets accumulated on the walls of my ceramic pots, it gets too thick & smelly. It is difficult for me to completely remove it with knife.

Is their any way by which we can prevent its growth on ceramic pot ?

I dont want to re-plant all of my ceramic pots plants to plastic pots for this.


texts: Is 90% - 95% humidity too much for mint / basil / tomatoes?

texts:
I just got a new Socker greenhouse from Ikea and have been trying to grow herbs inside of it. I noticed my mint and basil started to grow brown spots and a chopstick I inserted into the soil has this white mould growing on it after 3 days.

The humidity inside the greenhouse is around 90% to 95%. It is too moist inside? The humidity around my apartment ranges around 70% to 80%. Is there any point of me to continue to use my greenhouse to grow anything?


texts: Is it bad to turn over an upside down plant?

texts:
I decided to plant 2 heads of garlic this spring, and noticed that one is upside down, so I was wondering how to properly plant the clove so the side of the garlic that grows the roots has the correct side up?

FYI: It is planted about half way in the ground on its side.


texts: Rainbird DIY vs Professional irrigation system

texts:
I want to install an irrigation system. It seems that their are 2 options.

Rain Bird ETI
A legit controller, valves, and a valve box.

I don't understand why anybody would choose to do option number 2. It requires an electrical hookup and seems to require that you have a professional blow out your lines every year. My question is what benefits do you get from choosing this option over a simpler system like the Rain Bird ETI?


texts:
I have several walnut trees in my yard, and this year I am going to make compost for the first time in my life, and would like to know whether I should include walnut leaves in my compost pile.

There are contradictory opinions on this matter on the internet.


texts: Fixing leaks from drip irrigation compression fittings

texts:
I have an older installation of .710 drip irrigation hose which has sprung some leaks, and I'm trying to patch it with .700 hose (because .710 isn't available anymore).  This means I'm using .710 fittings with .700 hose, and the resulting joint is pretty leaky.

I've mostly fixed it by wrapping a couple of layers of gaffer's tape around the ends of the smaller hose, but am dubious as to how long that is going to remain effective.  Is there a better way to handle this situation?


texts: What is this tree that looks like an ash tree?

texts:
What is this tree? I was told it's an ash tree. I would like to know if it is.

The underside of the leaves are lighter than the top, indicative of white ash?

There are little white nodes on the trunk, not sure of the real term, and the buds are brown.


texts: I put my peppers and cucumbers in the same bed, and it appears that I am overwatering my peppers. It'd be preferable to not remove any plants, as I don't have room. Is there an advisable way to build a dam in my garden bed to keep the plants separate? My first instinct is to shove in a thin piece of plywood but I'm afraid that the glue will leach into the soil.


texts: What is this small white pest on the leaves of my office plant called?

texts:
I'm an office worker in IT and have just enough knowledge of flora to know that these office plants are probably not healthy, but I have no clue what this is or what should be done with it.

I would appreciate any pointers, and I assume both plants suffering from this condition would welcome it as well.

Edit: Here is another, hopefully better picture


texts: Is this colored (brown, red, yellow) and hairy caterpillar dangerous for my strawberries?

texts:
I found this caterpillar on a strawberry-plant-leaf. The leaf had a lot of holes - I assume it was caused by it.

The caterpillar is about 2.5cm long and has a diameter of ~5mm (without the hairs). It is quite hairy. Most of the body hair is white, except two wisps on each side of the body, one of it it is yellow, the other one black. The body is brown and white/grey with red dots. It is has 4 yellow big wisp of hair on its back. It seems to have 2 black eyes - at least as far as I could see.

Is this one dangerous for my strawberries or my garden in general?

click to enlarge (intentially left small in the question - not sure if these image can be shocking for sensitive people)


texts: What's going on in this picture (old landscaping equipment)?

texts:
This picture, taken in 1967, seems to show some piece of small equipment doing some kind of landscaping.  Is there perhaps a blade coming out the front of whatever he is sitting on?

EDIT

Based on the answer received, I found a picture of a trencher from the 1960s:

EDIT 2:

I emailed Thomas Berry, the Archivist and Editor at the Historical Construction Equipment Association, and he said "From what I can tell the machine is a miniature crawler tractor for work in confined areas. Can’t tell what the attachment is on the end away from the camera, but it’s likely a bulldozer blade or possibly a trencher for digging a narrow trench."


texts: Growing *Sarracenia* in a pond in the Southern Plains

texts:
We have moved to Wichita Falls, Texas. This is Hardiness Zone 7b. We're at the southern end of the Southern Plains, near the Oklahoma border - 2hrs from Oklahoma City, Lubbock, and Fort Worth.

The garden has a pond and a reasonable amount of shade. Can I grow Sarracenia in these conditions? I'm thinking it should be possible to grow it as a marginal in a pot that is on a pond shelf (ie. base is submerged), but raised up so that the soil (or coarse sand) surface is an inch or two above the pond surface.  Is that possible? Has anyone tried something like this?

I was thinking of Sarracenia alata because of the size (18-24in) and I have seen it growing in the wild in East Texas (shaded bottom-land forest/swamp).


texts: Planting moderately acidophilic plant under the rain downspout

texts:
I bought a couple of slightly acidophilic plants, and my soil is neutral, and also I don't like to use any chemicals.

Would it be a good idea to plant them at the base of rain downspout? (The plants like lots of water, so wetness won't be a problem)


texts: I think my zucchini got too big for the seed starting containers they were in and have started to die unfortunately. I've attached pictures for reference but as can be seen they've turned yellow and are suffering. I've transplanted the healthiest ones outdoors into my raised garden bed and threw away the rest. Is there any hope for them? Anything I should do to give them the best chance they can have?


texts:
What is your experience with using perlite on its own for planting succulents?

I add slow-release pellets for start-up, but will feed with liquid fertilizer when plants establish themselves. The perlite grains are size 4 (coarse).

Plants: Plants belonging to the genus Haworthia, Gasteria, Aloe, Sansevieria, Echeveria, Pachyphytum, Graptopetalum. My cacti and Euphorbias do well with 50/50 peat/sand mix, and I don't feel any need to move them to pure perlite. On the other hand, Haworthias and Gasterias are the most in need of a more professional potting mix to make it through the winter.

Local climate, conditions: Mediterranean climate, often with a very wet winter. That is where perlite may prove helpful. Winter weather is always above freezing. Summer is dry but very humid, as I live close to the sea.

Additions to the soil mix: As I said, I'm interested in pure perlite. However, pumice is hard to get in my area and I never saw it being sold. I tried to use ground tuffa/scoria, but the grains come with sharp edges which damage the thick roots of some Haworthia species. I have found that the grain size is too large, and dust is plenty. I may add, if necessary, ingredients like peat, coir and Vermiculite. These are much easier to find.


texts:
I have a lime tree inside behind the window in a pot. It's got a couple of fruits on it and it seemed to happily grow new foliage up until about 1 month (or so) ago. I also stopped watering it a few days ago as I thought it wasn't as thirsty anymore i.e. the soil would stay moist and not dry out. What could be the problem here? When I shake it, it doesn't drop any leaves. but also it doesn't have a whole lot of foliage on it...

The leaves on the bottom are rather new and on the branch on the left side, you can see a fruit, the largest on the tree (there's three smaller ones), too.

I tried to take another picture to give you some better context but it's difficult as it's nice and sunny out.

EDIT1
When watering it, I've been using a fertilizer that contains:

Nitrogen
Available Phosphoric Acid
Soluble Potash
Iron
Manganese
Zinc
EDTA

Is that okay, should I keep using it or use just water or a different fertilizer?


texts: Quick blooming flowers to grow from seed in late spring (mid/late June) that will flower in late summer/Autumn

texts:
I am new to gardening, and appear to have missed ideal planting time for the year. I want to know if I can salvage the year and get some colour. I would like to grow from seeds rather than buy plug plants.

So, is there anything I can plant now (mid/late June) that will also flower this year? I am in the UK in the midlands, so temperatures should be low/mid 20's for the coming few months.


texts: Do herbs & spices need dark time, in order to develop flavors and nutrients?

texts:
When you grow cannabis indoor, it is considered beneficial, to have lights turned on up to 24h / day, during the "grow" phase. While this would prevent blooming, it is beneficial for building plant material.

When you grow spices and herbs, such as rosmary, savory, thymian, parsley etc., wouldn't it be beneficial to have the lights on 24h / day? Or do they need some dark time?

I have them in a room, which receives some indirect sun light. In addition, I have some grow lights on top of them, which are on for about 14h per day, during the day.

My idea is, to increase the lighting time to 24h / day and make use of the much cheaper night electricity price by either artificially lighting only during the night or artificially lighting 24h.

Would this be a good idea or do herbs and spices definitely need dark time?


texts: New home yellow and patchy lawn from animals

texts:
If I thatch and aerate my lawn add some compost and seed will it help prevent this?
should I add tons of seed or tougher grass?


texts: Does water temperature affect vegetable plant growth?

texts:
Generally speaking, when watering a vegetable garden, are there any benefits to using cold water vs warm or vice versa?

I'm in Wisconsin, so 90+°F is about as hot as it gets around here. Typically the temps are in the 80s during summer months. I'm mainly comparing water that has been sitting in a brown rain barrel in the sun (warm) vs water from a hose (generally cold).


texts: What is this small annual with white trumpet-shaped flowers?

texts:
Moving into a house with a garden last year, I collected black-pepper-like seeds from a dried out small shrub.

Putting two of them in a seeding pot resulted in having 2 small shrubs with relatively big green leaves and white trumpet flowers. The flowers remind me of various morning glory-kinds I have seen, but none of those had this kind of leaves.

The dimensions are 40-50cm large and 30-40cm high.

Click the image to enlarge


texts:
In Jerusalem we have warm enough weather to grow pineapples, with plenty of sunshine and sunny days.

But every few years it will snow, and everything will get covered in a dusting of snow for about a day.

About once a decade we'll even get about a foot of snow and have to suffer/enjoy it for a few days.

Will our pineapple plant survive the snow, or should it be covered somehow? Any information is welcome.


texts:
This Old House recently published an article about splitting overgrown perennials.  They suggest doing so every three to six years--however, I have a large bed of daylilies, and it's hard for me to imagine how they'd be considered "overgrown."

Is this a necessity for the plant, or is it just a cosmetic issue?  And if cosmetic, I assume this only applies to small plantings, not an entire bed?  It would be helpful to see an example of what people consider "overgrown" to look like vs. a more desirable appearance.


texts: I would like to transplant Mint to a large area as ground cover by planting 2-4 inch cuttings of rhizome. Will they grow?  Each cutting would have 2-4 fibrous roots.  Thanks,  BG


texts:
This is the background for my question...

I had a plant that I bought from a supermarket some time ago. I noticed it was dying, so when I inspected it I noticed the soil had worms (I recently posted a question about this).

So I took the plant, washed it really well (ie removed all the soil with water) and moved it to another planter with fresh potting soil.

I continue monitoring the plant for several weeks and I notice that it’s still not improving. I remove the plant again and notice that the trunk has small worms inside of it.

My concern is that the potting soil has been contaminated with these worms.

My question: is there a way to make sure that the potting soil isn’t infected with these worms?


texts: What is growing out of my raspberry bush?

texts:
I bought a raspberry bush and it has some vine-looking thing growing right out of the base of the raspberry plant. I followed the stem down into the dirt and I could swear it's coming out of the raspberry plant, so at first I thought thought nothing more and forgot about it (oops). But now that it's gotten bigger, it is obviously some impostor.

The leaves look nothing like the raspberry's, and the stems have no thorns. It has small white buds of some sort.


texts: Looking for input as to next steps for my lawn issue

texts:
Hello fellow garden lovers
I’ve had my lawn for about 7 years since the turf was laid by the landscaper. Pictures attached. I’ve had a lawn care company attend about 3 times a year to apply feed, herbicides etc.  Not this year due to COVID.  As I now have access to the professional nutrients I’ve decided to take care of it myself.
The lawn had a large amount of moss this year mainly around the now black area. I applied the correct amount of Sportsmaster Renovator Pro(https://www.green-tech.co.uk/fertilisers/lawn-and-turf-care/sportsmaster-renovator-pro-feed-weed-mosskiller-14-0-5fe-fertiliser) which has done wonders for the most of the lawn and as you would expect the moss patches turned black. However, when I would gently rake it would tear clumps of moss and the supporting soil. To add insult to injury the foxes have been doing their bit with scratching and scatting. Unhelpful!
My original plan was to aerate( the lawn has suffered from bad drainage issue over the years, as it’s on London clay), scarify and overseed at the end of the summer. However, I’ve now got a 30mm clumpy differential between the soil and the base of the turf. As a side note when I tested my new Bulldog garden fork for aeration there was a little lift in the turf in certain parts of the lawn.
My options as I see it, are:
a/ try and fill the affected area with soil(??) and sow seed. I fear this will create an uneven lawn.
b/ cut a square fill the affected area with soil(??) and sow seed. This may be easier to get even
c/ admit defeat, buy turf and replace the offending area.
I’d really appreciate any input or advice.
Many thanks
Symon!]2


texts: How should I prune my persimmon tree that has a lot of thin branches growing upward?

texts:
I want to get advice on how to prune my persimmon tree. As the photo shows, many of the branches are growing upward. They are thin and at a very acute angle against the main trunk. Particularly, the top part of the main trunk (right photo) has many branches going upward.

I planted this tree about 4 years ago when it was 5 years old. Since then, I haven't done any pruning, but several thick lower branches have been accidentally broken. All these upshot branches came out this year.

The tree seems to need a proper pruning after this winter but I have no idea how to shape this tree with all these upward branches. I would appreciate if you can give me some guidance.


texts: I used a general purpose weed killer to kill off clumps of grass in my driveway. Now all of those dead clumps of grass have been replaced by tons of ant hills. What’s going on? Do I need to be concerned?


texts: What is the purpose of this bundle of sticks?

texts: A friend of mine has bought a garden in Dresden recently. The previous owner has left a few strange bundles of sticks hanging around, but we can't figure out what their purpose is. Any idea?


texts: What are these reddish-brown growths on my succulent plant?

texts:
I recently discovered upon close examination of these strange, small, brown-reddish growths on the stems of my plant (picture below). This was a recent occurrence, after I placed the plant on the windowsill in my kitchen (close to where a lot of greasy cooking occurs, unfortunately).

I was wondering if anyone happens to know what these growths are called, and if so whether they are endangering the plant. And if it is indeed harmful, how should I try to remove them and also prevent further growths?


texts:
What tips and tricks are there to building steps?
can it still be accessible for equipment and the elderly?
how can I make it look like it has always been there?


texts: Is it possible to get this badly-pruned magnolia back to a natural shape?

texts:
We bought a house a few months ago that has a magnolia tree in the front, as shown below:

As you can see, it's sort a mess, with long thin branches shooting upwards and down. If you get inside of it, it almost looks as if someone took an imaginary dome over it and just cut everything back indiscriminately. As such, the tree grows up to about a 5-6 foot height, and then at that point you just have a bunch of long, thin sucker-like branches coming off from every large branch. An example of this is shown here:

The top of the tree is the same, with the sucker-like branches extending 4-5 feet upwards with no other structure, as shown here:

Am I correct to believe this plant is not supposed to look like this? And if so, is  it salvageable? How should we prune this to get it back to a regular shape? I'm okay if we need to do it piecemeal over the course of a few years.


texts: What's wrong with this Photinia fraseri tree?

texts:
I've got three Photinia fraseri trees in my yard in Tucson, Arizona.  They were planted last May (2013) and now in September (2014), one of them is turning entirely brown and losing all its leaves (over the course of the past month or two).

The branches are still soft, so I don't think it's dead (yet). Is this a disease?

The other two trees seem to be doing much better and they're all on the same irrigation schedule, etc.

(The black marks on the bark are from Spectracide pruning sealer applied after planting because the support post had damaged some of the trunk/branches prior to planting.)

Whatever happened to that first tree looks like it's starting to slowly happen to the tree next to it.  I used a cheap soil test-kit -- and it appeared as if the pH was slightly high -- so I've been trying to flush the soil with some long, deep waterings (although it doesn't seem to be helping).

Um, what is up with moderators coming in and changing the content of our posts?  That change mis-characterized the time frame I was describing -- not 4 months, but 16 months.   Please refrain from the gratuitous grammar corrections ("3" vs "three", really?).  There's already an exchange for that: http://english.stackexchange.com.


texts: I live in west Essex, England. Several years ago I planted a group of three Liriope muscari in partial shade in very heavy clay soil. They flowered the first year, but have not done so since and haven't really spread much, though their foliage is reasonably healthy looking. Any ideas why this might be? In the same bed and thriving are Geranium 'Rozanne', Persicaria 'Firetail', Rosa 'Graham Thomas' and Fatsia japonica.


texts:
I got a catalog from Johnny's seeds the other day and saw their soil block makers. I've been looking into them and I'm thinking about trying them to start my garden plants this year as an experiment. I'll make my own soil block maker to test and may buy the nicer ones if I continue using them. I do have a few questions about their use I was hoping you could help me answer.

One question is about the compacted soil. It's my understanding that with plants, especially young seedlings, you want to make the soil light and airy to allow it to spread it's roots easily. However, if you're compacting the soil enough to hold a block shape, does this not prevent easy spreading of the roots.

Another is about potting up. I've seen with ones from Johnny's Seeds, that they make an indentation the correct size to drop a 3/4" cube into the top of a 2" cube. Would it be preferable to just start the seed in the bigger cube if you knew it was going to need the extra room before transplant or would you start it in the smaller cube and transfer it up. Maybe you just put it in the bigger cube if you needed more time than you thought.

What signs are you looking for to indicate that it's time to pot up?

How durable are these? I know you water them with a wicking action, but how long do they last? It seems to me that they'd tend to want to come apart. Are they just meant for the short time period (~2months max) that you'd start a garden plant before transplanting it into the ground?

Lastly, for this Q&A, has anyone used these for cuttings with success. It seems like they might be good for that purpose. Thanks for the help.

Here are some links and pictures of the soil block makers for sale at Johnny's Seeds at Sue's request.

http://www.johnnyseeds.com/search.aspx?searchterm=soil+block+maker&isusersearch=1

http://www.johnnyseeds.com/p-8087-hand-held-4-soil-blocker.aspx


texts: Is it a bad idea to make coffee ground decomposable baskets when planting?

texts:
I've noticed that all the plants I put coffee grounds on are huge about 2 months into the growing season, and was thinking that since those plants do so well I may want to use more of them on my father's day gifts.

This is what I will be planting for him:
3 strawberry plants (freebees for my zone)
5 sea buckthorn (1 male, 4 females)


texts: Bought this plant in a local supermarket but cannot remember what it is. The berry itself looks like a small raspberry but shiny like a blackberry. It tastes sweet.


texts: Why are the leaves dying on my Ctenanthe?

texts:
I bought a Ctenanthe a while back and it has been good ever since. I keep it in a medium bright spot, no direct sunlight, and always a pretty stable temperature.

Recently I have seen some brown leaves, and leaves looking pale as well. I cut away the completely rotten leaves, but after a week, other leaves are dying as well. On the other hand, it is sprouting a lot of new leaves as well. That's why I'm a bit confused about what's happening.

I attached some pictures to help diagnose the problem. I am wondering what I should do to fix the plant.

Click on the pictures for closer view.


texts: Waxy white squares on stems of rosemary plant

texts: I have these little waxy things attached to the stems of a rosemary plant. They come off easily and are filled with some reddish liquid if you squeeze them. I'm assuming it's a bug. Just curious what it is and if I should pick them all off. I haven't tried spraying the plant with anything and they don't move.


texts: Which species and group of clematis is this?

texts: Hi! I'm new to the site, and have long been wondering who I could ask to help me identify this clematis. I've done a bit of poking around online at various nursery sites hoping to find it, but I'm a little overwhelmed by how many varieties and species are available. A relative bought the plant a few years back but she can't remember where. She regrets her purchase now, because it's such a vigorous vine. It topples obelisks and scrambles underneath the siding boards on the house. I've basically inherited it now (or rather rescued it on its way to the compost heap), and would like to know which species and group it is, if anyone has any idea. I'd love to know the variety too, but maybe that's too much to hope for. I'm fairly new to ornamental gardening, I usually just grow edibles, but I didn't want to lose this lovely vine, and want to know as much about it as possible. This picture is of the first flower of the year, which opened April 2nd (I'm in the South Eastern US, zone 8 if that is important to know). The back sides of the petals are a slightly paler purple with green stripes, and the flowers have 8 petals and are about 6" in diameter. Previously, the plant has been cut down to about a foot of growth every year, and it always comes right back in spring. I'm curious how tall the plant will likely grow to, so I can provide it with an adequately tall and stable trellis. I appreciate any help that anyone can give me. Thank you!


texts: Strawberry leaves have purple-red rust spots

texts:
I bought some strawberry plants from Homebase and kept them inside until the weather improved slightly (perhaps Homebase isn't the best garden centre to buy plants in the UK, I don't know).

Then, I hardened them off in a cold frame before planting in a hanging bed (made from felt).

While they were in the cold frame, they developed a strange white, humid film over the leaves, almost like a fine, wet mould.

Then, immediately after planting, they developed severe markings on the leaves. A dark red, almost purple blotching, and they don't seem to be doing very well.

Can anyone advise me on what is wrong and whether it can be fixed?


texts: I can't find a proper succulent mix in the stores in my area. Online items too have bad reviews. I still managed to find a product that seems okay. It is silica sand. The product looks like coarse grains almost like rocks. I thought it might be good as it would not retain water. I'm thinking of adding a little bit of dried cow dung into it as a component for nutrition. Is it okay to purchase it or is silica sand bad for succulents? Here is a picture of the product.


texts:
I planted a lavender hedge in the front garden last autumn. It's English lavender (Hidcote). Everything seemed fine and they were growing well. Then all of a sudden one plant just died. Simply went brown and kicked the bucket. I was a bit shocked as it seemed to be growing well and had doubled in size this summer.

I've now noticed another plant (at the opposite side of the garden) also starting to go brown and start to die off. Unfortunately I don't have photos to hand but one side is dying where as the other side is not. This happened to the previous plant and eventually the entire plant died off.

I'm a bit confused as to what's going on. It's a sunny part of the garden (North facing but not in shade). The soil is quite rich (loam) so I planted the lavender on a mound with plenty of grit added under the plant to prevent the root getting water logged.

I haven't particularly watered them a lot as I was wary of over watering.

Is this a moisture issue or some kind of disease/parasite? What should I do to save it?

Dead plant

Dying(?) plant

Soil is mounded (though this seems to of dropped since I did it). I added a good handful of potting grit under each plant to improve draining. Is this the problem then maybe?

__  |  ___ <-ground level
  \   /
   ---
   grit


texts: Would a rotovator cope with a thick mat of ivy?

texts:
I have a smallish area of land which has been completely taken over by ivy (the regular English kind). I'm starting to reclaim it but there is a solid mat of vines/roots up to 6" thick... You can actually cut a hole in it to find the soil underneath!

I am trying to figure out how to deal with it and wondered if a rotovator might work? I am treating this as a long term project so my first goal is just to get rid of this mat which makes planting or even preparing the soil impossible... I thought perhaps getting it all chopped up and stuff into the soil would mean it would start to break down over a couple of years?


texts:
In a recent storm two large branches broke off of my tree. They broke off right at the trunk, so I can't cut it back further to make it a clean cut. is there anything I should do to help protect the rest of the tree?

EDIT: Here are some pictures that were requested:

The tree is in Southwest Ohio, near Cincinnati.

Tree as a whole. You can see essentially the whole back half came down. From the front of the tree though it still looks good.

Side view of the broken section so you can get a better idea of how thick the tree is there: (Couldn't get a good side view because other branches were in the way.)

Leaf:


texts: Can you please check the leaves of my adenium? It grows black in colour and I don't know why. Please share the reason so that I can improve the health of my adenium.


texts: Will the power of sunchoke ruin plastic?

texts: I have some large PVC pipes near my sunchokes, so I was wondering if it's been known to damage PVC pipes.


texts: I have a rose bush in the front yard and several in the back yard which just started exhibiting the issues show in the pictures. I live in Missouri and these bushes have been healthy until this.


texts: Monstera Adensonii (vining) Cuttings not growing and curled leaves after 3 months

texts:
I've had 3 monstera aderisoni leaf cuttings from etsy since the end of August. They shipped from Florida. All are still alive but none have tried to grow a new leaf and all look a bit curled up. I'd love some advice. Below is a leaf i've had in water since October. I change the water every few days. It gets a bit of afternoon sun from a far every day.  I have a bright home with lots of light in Colorado.
Here's another one in soil see how its curled up and has a bit of brown on it?

The last picture is the most bizarre. This leaf totally turned brown. It was in soil. I pulled it out of the pot (same pot pictured above) to throw it away and saw roots and a tiny bit of green at the base of the stem so being a scientist a plant experiment ensued. In a jar I can see roots. And it is growing a new leaf - and quickly! But again after 3 months i'd expect more than a single leaf on the three cuttings.
The Backstory
When I got all three cuttings in the mail I put them in water immediately. When they started to grow roots I moved them to soil in the pot pictured in this post.
When I moved them to soil they started to get curled up and I got nervous id lose all three so one went back into water in October (pictured above) so I could watch it grow roots. In late October the one leaf (of two in the soil) totally turned brown. Maybe over over watered? it looked dead. That is the one that i moved into the glass jar that is now sprouting a new leaf.
Any thoughts on what I may be doing wrong with these beautiful cuttings?

UPDATE: i'm going to try boiled (and cooled) de-chlorinated water  as suggested below and more hours of brighter light! i'll report back on what i find.


texts: How do some seeds germinate and flourish in soil filled pots?

texts: I have regularly seen people not recommending plain soil for pots, since the roots of the newly generated seedlings suffocate in the lack of oxygen due to its compact nature and lack of water drainage. Yet, I have seen people here propagate marigold and holy basil (Ocimum sanctum) pretty much fine in plain soil. The plants also turn out pretty healthy. Same goes with aloe vera. How is that?


texts: We have some land but won't be living on it for another year. I've purchased a few apple trees and peach trees with about a 1 inch thick trunk and about 6' tall. I know about using the flexible black drainage pipe to protect the trunk of the tree but what can be done to protect the branches? I'm worried the deer might nibble on those and kill the trees. Should I even be concerned?


texts: I need advice about climbing vines/plants for my handicap ramp

texts:
I am having my handicap ramp rebuilt and will have wood lattice installed on both sides. I live right outside Kases City, MO. I want to plant something that can climb on the lattice. I want something that is hardy that will grow in almost full or mostly full shade. I want as much color as I can get with continual blooms either from one plant or a mixture of plants
 I am handicapped so I'd prefer it be as maintenance free as possible. I've never planted vine-type plants before. Do they send out tendrills? Do I need to train them? How do I prune them to keep them from turning into a jungle or"overflowing" at the top of the railings? If it matters, I won't be able to plant until August. I also need something that's maintenance free during the winter (no covering up to protect) and it must be a  perennial. Would Clematis work and, if so, how far apart should they be planted? I appreciate any help you can give me to make my ramp look as beautiful as possible.  Sorry to be so specific but I need it to be handicap friendly. I can only garden in my Hoveround so I am limited. Thank you!
p.s. I tried to post a pic of the ramp but it wouldn't let me. I can provide one another way if it helps


texts:
For some reason, the bottom of the body of my Chrysanthemum is dying (probably root rot?):

Using the arrows, I have tried to show that for the middle part, it is dead on one side. Of course I can wait, and see if it heals or dies completely, but I prefer to ask questions and hope there is anything I can do to save my Chrysanthemum:

Is this a disease?
Shall I cut the upper part, trim some leaves, and stick it in some soil?


texts: Help! What is wrong with this Coleus? Overwatered? Underwatered?

texts:
Not entirely sure this IS a Coleus plant so apologies if I'm getting it wrong from the start! Currently housesitting for a friend and while it was looking a little limp when she left, it's taken a turn for the wilted worse.

All I've done so far is water it once a week. I'm conservative if anything with the water but it is damp to the touch (but definitely not oversaturated wet soil). It's in a small conservatory style section to the back of the house and while not directly in the window, it's still likely getting a decent amount daily.

The only differences I can come up with apart from me is that it's been a lot colder here for the last couple of weeks, but nothing else has suffered in the same way.

I'm now nervous of what to do next. I'm not keen to be going down the repotting route as it's not my plant but would welcome any tips on what I could try. I have to walk past it daily and while the rest of the houseplants are healthy, it's depressing me how sad it looks!

Any thoughts / tips welcome!


texts:
I bought this eggplant over 4 months ago but made the mistake of planting it in the back yard where it only got a few hours of full sun, and was also under netting. It's now starting to flower but we are well into autumn now.

An eggplant is a perennial, and I'm wondering whether I can dig it up and pot it, and keep it inside hoping it will fruit. I might order a grow light as well since I'll be moving it to my office which only has a few hours of sunlight.

The leafs are showing signs of aphid damage.


texts: Should I heat water first and let it cool before watering in winter?

texts: Winter is approaching. It gets cold here. Cold water. Would the cold water shock the roots of the plants or not?


texts: What do I do with over crowded tomato plants?

texts:
Very new to gardening, but trying to get it right! I put a lot of tomato seeds into one container and now they are growing. They are obviously too crowded.
How do I correct my error? Can I lift them out and re-pot them? Thank you.


texts: What is this shrub with red leaves on top with spherical seeds? (PNW)

texts:
I have this shrub in the front of the house that I'm trying to identify. Here are 3 pictures of it:

I'm in the PNW (Washington State), and this is pretty large (6-8 feet high). Trying to figure out what it is so I can properly take care of it.


texts: Weird brown fungus on moist surfaces that releases powder when contacted with water

texts:
I can't seem to find out what this is. It was growing on soil that's why I didn't make a huge deal of it but now it started growing in the thyme plants and I'm wondering if I should discard the entire plant.
The pictures attached are of a 3 gallon fabric grow pot. A cluster's size is no larger than a quarter inches. It populates relatively large & visible brown cloud of spores when contacted with water.

It starts as blue or pink (I have seen both) dots on the surface then converts into little spikes.

Location: Memphis/TN, grow zone 7


texts:
The kids have been slipping on the decking on their run towards the swingset ever since we moved in and I want to sort it out.

The way I see it I have some options

replace the decking with slabs and possibly gravel
replace the decking with resin
replace the decking with anti slip decking
Retro fit the decking with anti slip stuff
anti slip varnish??

It's about 2.4m by 7.1m.

I've been looking at this stuff https://www.edecks.co.uk/m/products/8625/219/107/0/Silver-RetroGrip-Anti-Slip-Inserts-(1000mm)/

It looks great but if I was to do all the grooves it would be ridiculously expensive and I'm not sure how many to do to strike the right balance between safe, nice looking and reasonably priced.

Has anyone had a similar dilemma, how did you solve it?


texts: How can I rejuvenate my overgrown Elaegnus & Deutzia?

texts:
My elaegnus and deutzia bushes are 3 or 4 meters tall.
They are bare for the first 2.5 meters, and above that is the foliage & some shoots
that appeared this year.

If I cut all the stems back to about 0.5
meters (18″) from the ground now, in mid July on the south coast near Brighton (UK),

Will I get new growth this year?
What do you think the result will be next year?
Should I expect any flowers?


texts: I have two apple trees. I have lived here for three years and I am sure they are a couple of years older than that. They are both producing fruit but I do not know how to water them. Do I put a ring in the dirt around them about ten inches from the base and soak them once in a while, or do I just water the ground. How often do I water them. And how do I prevent the little pin hole size bad spots on the fruit? I live in northern California just above Sonora at about 3000 feet.


texts: I was watching some videos on how to plant trees close together, and was wondering if doing a 3 in 1 planting will cause girdling, or any other problems.


texts: Are there any plants that glow in the dark?

texts: Are there any plants, grass etc. that glow in the dark?


texts: What are some tips on growing strawberries from seed?

texts:
I have a reasonable amount of practice growing things from seed but I recently spread a whole packet of strawberry seed at the right depth and didn't get a single sprouter.

I'm hoping to get some pro-tips on how to grow strawberry from seed.

The packet said I could grow them in place so I didn't try growing in trays.

I live in Sydney Australia and the temperature here has been in the mid 20s with a reasonable amount of rain.

If you have had experience growing strawberries from seed can you give me some suggestions.


texts:
I'm hoping that using a Popsicle tray I can freeze 6 cloves of garlic and once removed transplant them into an indoor garden.

Would a fridge freezer be cold enough to trigger the budding process in garlic? If so how long would they need to stay in there for?

How large would the Popsicle cone need to be to accommodate the roots growth experienced during freezing?

If its dependent on the type of garlic please let me know the differences.


texts: Shallow root thorny plant zone 6 (NE Indiana)

texts:
What are some thorny plants that will thrive in zone 6 but also have shallow roots? The reason I ask is my neighbors, despite everything else I've tried, wont keep their dogs out of my yard. I can't plant anything large close to the road, and anything with deep roots would risk my sewer and gas lines. Alternately, is there any plant that will simply repel dogs by scent?

The area is full sun, the soil is clay but sits on a slight incline so it drains fairly well.

EDIT: Thinking about it, I suppose it need not be thorny if it grows thick enough as to be impenetrable. Whatever a dog wouldn't like to walk through and squat on.


texts: Why is my hibiscus shriveling, losing buds, and having other problems?

texts: My hibiscus has white stuff around the buds. The green leaves are small and shriveled and the buds dry and fall off before they even open. How do I correct this and stop it from going to my other plants?


texts: Is there a flower which can handle temperatures up to 40 Celsius?

texts:
The temperature in my country can go around 40 degrees Celsius in summer.

So I wanted to know what are the flowers I could plant that can handle temperatures such as this?


texts: How can I keep snails off my Day Lilies?

texts:
I have never had a problem with snails, but since planting a large swathe of day lilies I have found between twenty and fifty snails a day in that patch. I have been disposing of every one, to no avail.

Are day lilies especially tasty to snails? Is there something I should be doing to keep them off?


texts: Cymbidium orchid - black spots on the leaves

texts:
I bought a cymbidium orchid two days ago. Today I noticed that about 30% of the leaves have black spots on their tips (see the picture). Should I be worried or is it something normal? If it's some kind of disease should I react in any particular way?
Thank you in advance for your help.


texts: Are both of these flowers chrysanthemums?

texts:
I was told that both of these plants (they grow as neighbors in the same bed) are chrysanthemums, and that one is an annual and the other is a perennial kind.

Could that be right and if so what are the two specific kinds?

UPDATE A look at this assortment suggests that both plants may indeed be chrysanthemums but I am still interested in an expert opinion.


texts: Apple Tree Leaf Growth/Disease? Cedar-Apple Rust?

texts: Can anyone help me identify what is wrong with this apple tree and how to cure it. Most of the leaves have these. Yellow/orange spots on top and growths on the bottom of the leaves under those spots. I took the best pictures I could with my phone's focus. My best guess from research is cedar-rust. There are definitely a lot on the property, but none nearby. Didn't notice this in the spring when I mulched and fertilized.


texts: I just finished a 100ft mister system in my back yard using 1/4in poly tubing and adding misters ever 3ft. It is stapled to the top of my wooden fence. The tubing is connected to my water source through a 1/4 to 3/8 connection. However the water pressure is really low. My first 5 misters do well but the remaining 8 just dribble water. Should I have used a larger tubing than 1/4in?


texts: Will pre-emergent kill new wildflower seeds

texts:
We have had a serious crabgrass problem since we bought our house.  This is on a slope that we don't want to have to mow and are looking at wildflowers as something that could out compete the crabgrass.
Will pre-emergent used to kill crabgrass (basically our entire lawn) also kill our new wildflower seeds?  Having trouble finding this answer on google.


texts: How can I help my young mulberry tree grow a thicker stem?

texts:
I have my young mulberry tree, which is a little more than a year old. I grew it from a seed, and have it indoors in a large pot at the moment.

It is growing tall and thin, it even needs a stick to support its weight, so my question is:

How do I make my tree develop a thick stem?

Is pruning the right way?

Also, as you can see at the photo, is has developed two long branches from the short stem. Should I remove the youngest of them? Or some of the shoots?

I have no experience in growing and pruning trees so all advice will be helpfull.

I live in Gothenburg, Sweden.


texts: Is dyeing home-grown roses fundamentally different from store-bought?

texts:
I have a Mme A. Meilland rose in the garden, and I'd like to dye some of the blooms from it. There are plenty of guides online for buying roses from a shop and dyeing them all sorts of colours, but I'm also aware that shop roses might be treated with hormones and other chemicals to encourage them to bloom, and I'm not sure if this would make a difference.

Is it just as easy to dye roses from the garden? Given that I can take cuttings whenever I want, can I get a better result by cutting the stem before it's fully bloomed? Will I need to take better care of the cut stems given that the plants are untreated?


texts: What is a good strategy to fix up a lawn in winter?

texts:
I have an issue with my lawn.

There is a huge patch of dead grass just below a covered area. The area gets plenty of sun, but I guess it just does not get enough water.

What is a good strategy to fix this ugliness now that winter just started?

Should I bother fertilizing the dead area?
Should I buy a few more rolls of grass?
Should I add top soil?
Should I invest in a sprinkler system for the dead area, if so what?
What about de-thatching?


texts: Will removing the above-ground roots of an oak tree compromise its safety?

texts: I have a large oak tree with above ground roots that grow towards my house and the other way. Will removing the roots endanger the safety of the tree in case of heavy storms. Part of the tree overhangs my roof.


texts: Can somebody tell me the name of this flower? Thanks


texts: I was walking around town with my kids the other day and this bush caught my eye. I just love it and want one of my own lol. Can someone help me out in identifying it please. It's located in north eastern North Dakota.


texts: Help - my tomatoes are turning brown on the bottom. This one plant out of 15.  It's not every tomato on this plant. Maybe 1/3 have this problem. t's an heirloom, brandywine.   I am in zone 9b. This just happened in the last couple of days. I have a drip system and all my other tomatoes are doing well. But we have had a sudden heat wave of 100 plus days for the last 3 days. Is it disease or a heat/water issue?  Should I quarantine?  It is in a fabric pot so I can move it.


texts: Why are my holy basil leaves turning black?

texts:
I have 2 holy basil plants in the same aeroponics setup. 3-4 days before all the lower leaves of one of the plant turned black and fell. Now today, the same thing is happening with the second plant.

Does anyone know what is happening and what can be done to save these plants?
Thanks


texts:
In the pic you can see big sticky drops on my indoor citrus tree.
I have the citrus tree right next to window.
I have there also another 3 small citrus trees like this, but only this one has sticky leaves. I treat them the same way.

How should I cure citrus leaves?


texts: why has my elephant ear suddenly turned yellow?

texts:
One of my three elephant ears on my deck in Brooklyn(only a mile from Stack Exchange HQ) has suddenly turned yellow.  I had some yellowing on it's sibling earlier in the year, which I diagnosed as excessive water and corrected. The elephant ears are originally from Costa Rica according to the nursery I purchased them from.

However, the plant in the picture was growing fast and green until 3 days ago when I practically bleached.  We had a very wet week with thunder showers, then much high temperatures and more sun. So I would diagnose it as too much sun, except its neighbor is green and happy.  there are two environment differences between the two elephant ears:
- different pots so slightly different soil and drainage
- the green elephant ear gets more shade from the yellow elephant ear, and a royal palm.

is the yellowing an absence of chlorophyll? If so, how does excessive sun reduce chlorophyll?
would excessive sun yellow the elephant ear in a few days?

Thanks

Jeff


texts: Tips to help an ash tree, trying to grow from the roots of an EAB victim

texts:
Two years ago, emerald ash borer struck my region.  I and several of my neighbors made the tree services rich, taking down the trees before they came down on their own and causing damages.  I lost three trees total (although I gained 2.5 cords of firewood).

Of those trees, one of them was special.  All of them were covered with little D-shaped holes, all of them had pieces of loose bark, and all of them had few if any leaves on their lower branches.  But that one had much better bark adhesion, and many more leaves in its upper branches.  Further, there are now a few saplings growing around that stump- they are full of leaves and almost 4 feet (1.3m) tall already.  I've convinced myself this tree was of hardier stock than the rest, and possibly genetically pre-disposed to EAB resistance.  I want to encourage that.

While I burned out the other two stumps, I've left this one, and would like to give these saplings the best chance to make it.  I started this April with an Optrol (Imidacloprid) soak, and will continue each year.

What other steps should I take?  Among the things I am wondering:

Should I pick one sapling and focus on it, pruning back the others?  Would this allow that one to maximize use of available nutrients and moisture?  Or would it be better to wait a few years and see which ones do best on their own?  Or would it be best to let it grow as a multi-tree?
The stump.  It is maybe just larger than one foot (0.3 - 0.4m) around and the same in height.  The saplings are sprouting right at the edges of the stump.  Should I cut it lower, cut it away from the edges of the saplings, leave it alone, or other?
This year, some blue-white shelf-shaped fungus grew on the stump.  Should I do anything about that?  Does this change the answer to the above?


texts: I've read Levi's questions, and your responses; however, watering is not an issue w/my trees as we've had consistent/adequate rain all summer long, and the landscape is lush and green; a neighbor has a peach of similar size that looks very healthy.  Unlike Levi, my 2 trees were grown from pits and now are about 2 yrs old, and about 3' tall.  All the leaves, on both trees, are a consistent yellow, and have been for the entire growing season.  The trees are planted at the edge of my garden, approx 5' from our lawn, which is treated by a lawn service, which makes me wonder if they are getting inadequate/inappropriate chemicals?  Could the yellowing be caused by an iron deficiency?


texts:
I recently visited an urban farm and was intrigued with their irrigation system. I haven't been able to find the components online either because they built it from scratch or I'm using the wrong terms. Unfortunately I didn't take a picture of the set up.

The main line is pvc pipe with holes rather than polyethylene pipe and it had 1/4" tubes coming from the pvc directly to each individual pot. Water drips out in drops rather than as a stream.

Anyone has an idea what this system is called or where to get the components?


texts: What is causing the tip to brown and die on my Norway Spruce?

texts:
2 years ago I had a 7' Norway Spruce put in and it has never given me much trouble. A few weeks to a month ago, I noticed that the very tip of the tree was turning brown and starting to die. The browning is slowly creeping lower and lower.

It hasn't been particularly hot or dry here yet this summer and I didn't notice any signs of bugs or fungus, but it may be that I just don't know what to look for. There are two other Norway Spruce to either side about 6 feet apart that are doing fantastically so I'm a bit at a loss.

Other than upping the watering (I've been soaking 2-3 times a week, but there doesn't seem to be any improvement), what can I try or look for? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

EDIT: Adding more pictures


texts: I have a very large Staghorn  ( about 100 fronds /5 ft diameter), and recently found scale. It has lost about 15 fronds but I have gone over every frond and scrapped off the scale with finger nail, But , a week later I see more young scale ; I am thinking of applying oil with a cloth rather than spray . ( About 5ml /liter of water) . Any alternatives?


texts: What is this New Zealand weed? Plants grow to about 50cm-1m tall and have long leaves

texts:
Can anyone identify this weed - I'd imagine its quite common in New Zealand.  (I'm in Auckland, and its flooding my untended padocks, but also flowing over into used areas).

It proved remarkably difficult to get a good picture, but hopefully this one shows the key characteristics - these appear to be a flat white or brown/red flat head of flowers.   Plants grow to about 50cm-1m tall, and are long-leaf.  I'd imagine they are part of - or similar to the papyrus family.

Looking at Google Images, I wonder if it could be an umbrella Sedgeweed - I think the flowers are similar in the early stages to what I have seen online, but I saw nothing with similar large flowers - the description would seem apt though.

Not sure if it should be a separate question, but is it toxic to livestock ?


texts: How to seed grasses correctly if the area has moss and lack of sun

texts:
I just bought a bag of seeds from Costco: Pennington Smart Blend

https://www.pennington.com/all-products/grass-seed/pennington-smart-blend

My lawn has many dead grass spots due to some plants being in places I didn't want them 2 weeks back. It also has mosses.

I raked them all to make the surface a little rough then spread the seeds down like the photos

Questions:

Did I spread it enough?
Should I put compost? Because there are some mosses?


texts: I’ve had Milo (aloe) and chalk sticks for about the same time, which is about a year. Milo’s leaves are worrying me because they aren’t necessarily browning, but they are not what regular aloe look like. They are thin and somewhat squishy, I know it’s a sign of root rot, but I recently repotted him with more pearlite. He seemed to be doing a little better. I also live in Ohio so light is hard to come by, I have a sunlight for all of my succulents who all seem to be doing alright except for Milo and the chalk sticks. As for the thin chalk sticks, they’re too thin and as pictured, a little wrinkly. I do my try to keep them on a watering schedule of once every two weeks, or two and a half.


texts: I just planted a Paperwhite bulb and I broke the roots. Will it still grow?

texts: I planted it, indoors, about 2 days ago. I rotated it because I thought it was leaning. Then I heard a snap and realized i'd broken the roots. I didn't think roots would have already sprouted :(. Did I kill it? Or will it re-root itself??


texts: How can I eliminate this large grass organically?

texts:
The pictured grass is growing in a paddy field which has been abandoned for several years. The leaf is in the background and the seed head in the foreground. A fully grown plant can be sized up to nearly 10 feet (3.3 m). It grows as a bush.

We've tried controlling it by burning when we've had no rain for a few weeks in a row, but after the next rain new plants grow. We've also tried to remove the whole plant with its roots, but again it regrows from seeds from somewhere else.

We don't want to use synthetic weedkillers because we want to use the paddy field for growing crops, so how can we eliminate them organically?


texts: What should I do to this rock between apple tree branches?

texts: There is a rock stuck inside apple tree and I cannot get it off. I have bought this garden and previous owner has put it there. I cannot get it off unless I cut some branches of tree. Should I cut it or should I leave it there.


texts: Why isn't my Ginkgo biloba growing any leaves even though it's already June?

texts:
I have a couple of Ginkgos. Last year I got them by mail, there were already yellow leaves when I got them. They went to sleep around October or November. This year it is already June and they have nothing, no leaves, nothing, and they are not growing any at all. When I check the trunk it looks healthy and green. They don't look dry or sick but there is not one leaf.

What should I do?


texts: Is a fungus causing my butter lettuce stems to rot right through?

texts:
I'm growing some butter lettuce in a grow bag full of Happy Frog potting soil.  It's been particularly rainy the last few days.  Today I inspected the plants and a few of them popped right off of their stems.  They had rotted all the way through at close to soil level.

It looks like a fungus got them. Does this mean I watered them too much? What should I do now?

Here's some photos.

Click on pictures to see larger close-up view.


texts: Cucumber plants are healthy, but wilt badly in hot sun, then recover

texts: If cucumber plants are growing well, wilt very badly in the sun, revive quickly in shade and over night, is the wilting harming them? Their soil tests okay for water. I am in northern California and the sun gets blazing hot with temperatures up to, and sometimes over 100 degrees Fahrenheit (~38 °C). I fear bitter cukes will result from this scenario. Should I throw cheese cloth over them or screen them in some other way?


texts: My cactus is turning brown on top. Is this usual?

texts: I've just bought this cactus and it's turning brown. I'm wondering if it's because I watered it too much or because of the changing weather? (We rarely have cold days here and it's started to get cold this week) or because of other thing???


texts: Can I safely store and/or use greywater in my garden?

texts:
A friend is doing some remodeling in his house and he realized that he could easily redirect and store some of the greywater from the kitchen and bathroom to the garden. Either using it immediately or storing it for later use.
Can this water be used directly or does it need some filtering?


texts:
I have a multi-trunk muscadine vine where instead of maintaining/pruning root shooters, the previous owner let them grow out of the ground from the root system.  Now I have 20 trunks at the single location, where it grows up a fence trellis to a tabletop arbor.

How should I prune this to get good sweet fruit?  Should I cut all but one trunk? cut half this year, half next year, etc? ... Leave them all and manage them via small sections on top of the arbor?  There are actually 4 groups of multi-trunk grapes, but I didnt want to complicate it too much.  Willing to experiment some but just looking for some guidance on whether it matters much which path I choose.


texts: What plant is this and how should we take care of it?

texts: I am sorry for my ignorance in advance. My wife has received this beautiful plant as a Christmas present. We love to know what it is, and more importantly, how we should take care of it to keep it alive as long as possible.Should we change its plastic pot?


texts: Anything else I can do to promote growth?

texts:
I bought this plant some time ago, but I’ve noticed that it’s not looking that great. I decided to replant it with new soil since the original soil’s garbage.

I decided to take a picture of the plant and the roots. The roots and the way the plant was cut is really odd...

This plant is usually indoors.

What’s the name of this plant?

Is there anything else I can do to promote its growth?

Does the plant look healthy?


texts: tree branches of Green tomato tree start to drying

texts:
I have planted one green tomato tree around 2020 February and it was growing well by my observations but now after almost 2 months i have seen the tree branches start to drying like this ( maybe could not be seen in pics but could be sensed by pressing the new leaves and seeing that they are dried!!):

And more pic like this:

So my place is in some near dessert situation by this weather :

Also give it almost 2 litter of water for every day.

So i like to know your opinion about the reasons and treatments.

Thanks.


texts: Can trees starve for water as they get bigger?

texts:
We had this huge pecan tree that stood alone. The landlord said it used to put out paper shell pecans that could be cracked with one hand a decade ago. I also heard that smaller pecan trees put more nuts out and I wander why? All the nuts this large tree did put out were dry and shriveled on the inside. So one year I left water hose that leaked at the base of that tree all year and the nuts tripled and were full.

Do some trees requirement for water in the soil increase as they get larger to the point where the tree would thrive as a smaller tree but be stunted after a certain size?


texts: What are some heat tolerant nutritious greens I could plant for a tortoise?

texts:
I've recently posted a question about raising a few leafy greens, and turns out quite a few favor cold temperatures and will turn sour (bolt?) when exposed to heat. Our temperatures here should vary between 70-90 F.

I'd like a list of heat tolerant greens that are both nutritious and relatively basic in care requirements. I need high fiber and calcium, low protein and oxalic acid greens, so if you can also list them based on the most nutritious then that'd be great. Other than that I'd like to know the basic care requirements for these greens.


texts: How can I waterproof garden walls which have bad damage to the rendering?

texts:
Our garden is on an extreme slope, so I got someone in to landscape it. Unfortunately after one winter the walls are a complete mess. I'm not getting the person who did it back, so I am after any advice on fixing the problem.

The walls are made from breeze blocks and it seems that water is coming through from the inside and destroying the rendering. What would be a good way to fix this? I'm not too worried about it looking perfect, I just want it sorted. I've played around with the idea pulling all of the rendering off and painting the breeze blocks, but I'm thinking that will be a nightmare job as breeze blocks are quite soft.

Could I do something to the inside of the walls to waterproof it, or could it be that the water might be coming down from the top? Any advice would be great!


texts: What is causing yellow spots with 'hair growth' on the underside of the leaves on my tree?

texts:
I've slowly been bringing this tree back from some devastating summers 5 years ago where several large branches died.  I've been diligent about pruning and feeding.

For lack of a better description, the leaves now have holes along the edges, burn marks, and yellow spots that have "hair-like" growth on the underside.

It's a type of apple tree that has had several large branches die or break several years ago and many small branches die. Years ago it would flower in the spring but it hasn't flowered in at least 4 years since it had all the damage.

We live outside New York City on Long Island if that matters.

Here are some pictures in addition to the photo below.


texts: Why are my Ginkgo Tree leaves yellowing after transplant?

texts:
I transplanted a 7 ft Ginkgo Tree within the same zone 1 month ago.  We dug a 5' diameter hole, approximately 3' deep to make sure it had ample space to grow.  We did not bury any more of the tree than it had prior.  We have been watering well.  Some of the leaves are starting to yellow.

Is it possible that we did damage in digging it up?  It was difficult to get out of the ground.  Is there a solution?


texts: Identify brown fungus growing on dead branches of an Escarpment Live Oak

texts: I had a dead branch fall from one of my Escarpment Live Oaks in a storm yesterday.  It has these brown mushroom-like growths on it.  There are 4 or 5 growths like the one pictured on the 10-foot section that fell.  I only see them on this and one other dead branch that is still on the tree.  The rest of the tree appears healthy.  Also, the affected branches are not close to the ground (they're about 20 feet up).  Any help identifying it is very much appreciated.


texts: How do I cope with a wisteria gone wild?

texts:
It is entirely my own fault and I have no excuse.

Having planted it, I have stood by and done nothing for three years except screw a trellis to the wall ... and then another trellis ... and then another, as the thing went out of control.

Belatedly, I checked out YouTube and discovered it is supposed to be heavily pruned  - and that, twice a year - to keep it under control and to make it flower.

Now, it is just a mass of leaves and tangled branches.

Can anyone suggest a way out of this mess ?


texts: Are there climbing vines that don't damage stucco?

texts:
Based on my research, climbing vines such as Creeping Fig attach themselves to surfaces using 'peds', which are next to impossible to remove, and end up damaging surfaces such as stucco. It has been recommended to me to build a lattice 8-12 feet away from the wall, and let the plant climb on that, but that isn't an option for me.

What other options are available for less destructive vines to cover the wall of a house or other stuccoed surface without damaging the surface?


texts: Are seeds from tomatoes that turned black while drying able to sprout?

texts:
Last year, I saved some seeds from tomatoes that I have grown. In some batches, the seeds turned completely black.
We have been having a bad yield this year of tomatoes and I was wondering if this could be the reason.
I feel the reason why they turned black was that they were not thoroughly washed thus leaving that gooey texture on the seed.


texts:
What is this most likely weed, though with interesting foliage color?

The only specimen in my yard, growing under a mespilus tree.

The flower is NOT of this plant, but the photo is for stem details:

Stems:


texts: Is dead Hemerocallis folliage brown or green composting material?

texts:
I wish to start a hot compost pile. I have access to a huge supply of free brown material (wood chips from the city).

I am looking for a source of green material and someone has offered me a trash can full of dead browned Hemerocallis (day lillies) leaves.

Is this green or brown compost material?

Garden waste is supposed to be green material but then again tree leaves are supposed to be brown. This Hemerocallis foliage is brownish leaves but it is garden waste so I'm confused as to what type it is... It seems to fit in both categories.


texts: Is there a way I can make transparent soil for plants at home?

texts:
I want to observe root development of plants for a hobby home experiment. I need transparent soil for this purpose.

I asked some local gardening stores for it, but they said that they don't sell such a thing. Is there any way which I can make it myself at home with as simple materials as possible?

Requirements:

It must be very transparent if not completely.
It mustn't contain any ingredients that would harm plant roots.
It must be able to carry oxygen from air to the roots of the plant.
It must be able to hold water in it, and supply it to the roots.


texts: Is there any replacement for the privacy that the thick undergrowth in woods provide?

texts:
In the back of my lot I have about 20 feet thick of woods/brush. This provides some very nice privacy from the house that is on the other side of that brush. However, I have had problems with poison ivy and in general just have had a hard time preventing the woods from creeping into my back yard.

I am considering clearing out the woods, leaving the big trees, and trying to replace it with something that can be maintained a little easier. So, that leads me to my question, what type of plant(s) can provide the type of privacy that you get from the woods without the painful (literally painful with poison ivy) upkeep of brush.

Some details: My lot dips down into a drainage ditch. These woods/brush is currently located on the slope. It is probably about a 10 foot drop over 20 feet. The house on the other side is about the same elevation as me, so the privacy would need to come up about 20 feet (10 for the slope, 10 from my ground level). I am in zone 6B.


texts: SO, I was able to get the pictured flower off the parent plant and wondering if this stem is good enough for planting.


texts: My Philodendron has little black spots that look like warts on the stock/stem. What could it be?


texts:
I've been pulling these all summer but this was the first one that made me pause - the roots were very rhizome-y?

Wondering if this is a weed or something that may have been left there by the previous owners (this is my first growing season here)


texts: Why are my cherry tomato sprout’s leaves yellowing and getting brown/gray spots?

texts:
This is my first year trying to grow cherry tomatoes from seeds in my raised garden bed. My 2 month old tomato sprout was looking super healthy until last week or so and it started getting yellowing leaves with small brown/gray spots on the older leaves but it’s pretty quickly spreading to the newer growth leaves as well. I live in Alabama, the bed gets about 8+ hours of direct sunlight, I water once a day first thing in the morning, unless it rained recently. It was planted in Miracle Grow Garden Soil for vegetables and herbs. Am I over watering? Or is there some other issue? I initially thought the cause was a plant vitamin foliar  spray I was using called Super Thrive which is 0.005% nitrogen and derived from kelp. But I stopped using this and leaves that I don’t think were ever sprayed are also getting the spots now.

[1]:

Edit:
I think I figured it out, if anyone else comes across this question here’s what I did: I did more research and decided the reason was probably nutrition deficiency since we just used the potting mix for the initial planting and then had not fertilized since because the bag said it would feed plants for 3 months. I added Epsom salt, since it seems we should have done this from the start, and then mixed in a balanced pellet fertilizer. Well sho enough, this little guy is looking way better a week later! So it was most definitely not the nitrogen foliar spray, and in fact, I should have been applying this more often.


texts: Need rock garden plant and layout guidance

texts: I am converting a small fountain and pond into a rock garden. Space to work with is about 2' x 4'. So far, I have Anouk Lavender in the top-left corner, Blue Star Juniper in the bottom-right corner and Cooper's Ice Plant in the lower-left corner. I just purchased a rosemary, Angelina Stonecrop and Blue Spruce Sedum (seen in middle photo's foreground), but I'm unsure of where to place them, if at all. It a high sunlight location in zone 7A and gets quite hot in the summer. Bonus points for evergreen plant suggestions.


texts: My particular geranium situation for winter (must keep it at desk at work, can't do it at home)

texts:
I have a geranium which I really like, and I need to do the right thing for it this Fall/Winter. It's too cold here to keep it outdoors, but I can't keep it at my house because we have a cat who will eat it (despite being the greatest cat ever).

So my only option is to keep it at my desk at work. I have a fluorescent lamp under my shelves, which keep light on the plant during the day. I don't have access to direct sunlight at my desk.

The room temperature here is about 70 Fahrenheit. It is living in a pot that is meant to hang and drain, and I can water it and let it drain into my trashcan anytime I like.

Meanwhile, it is very long-legged, and I'd like to trim it way back to allow for more bushiness. I can't put it in a paper bag and hang it, like I've read online.

So here are my questions, pertaining to this particular situation, and please see images below:

How often should I water it?
How far back should I trim it?
Is it even possible to keep it like this without it dying?


texts: Beet plant - leaves turning yellow-brown

texts: I have a beet plant that I grew from seeds. They started off great and healthy. In fact I plucked some leaves to use in a salad. After that some of the leaves are turning yellow and drying up. What could possibly be the reason?


texts:
I have a gravel driveway that I want to finish with concrete. The driveway is about 200ft on virtually flat property having less than +/-2% grade at any point. It has a runoff ditch that runs along it until the end where my driveway turns 90° and the ditch passes under it through a culvert.
The driveway consists of 0.25"-1.5" diameter gravel on top of red clay and has been driven on for 10+ years and has became a very hard service without any loose rock. Is it possible for me to achieve good results if I pour concrete directly on top? Or is additional aggregate necessary for a long-lasting surface?
I appreciate any advice y'all may have. I'm a carpenter and this is not my area of expertise.


texts: How much water should I give my veggies every day?

texts:
I have the following plants, each with their own drip feed:

Corn
Tomatoes
Peppers
Squash
Cucumber
Cantalope
Crenshaw mellon
Zuccini
Artichoke
Bush beans

I have a bunch of drip ends that are 1 gallon per hour, would it be good enough use these for an hour a day on all of my plants or do some of the above require more/less water?

Also, should I break up my watering or just do it all at once?


texts: Are these mealybugs and how do I treat them?

texts:
My basil is infested with pests, and from this earlier question I think they might be mealybugs.

How should I treat it? I have previously sprayed it with Natrasoap (Potassium salts of fatty acids), but it didn't seem to have any much effect. Just keep applying it more regularly?


texts: Garden plants that do not require full sunlight

texts:
I am interested in garden plants that do not require a lot of sunlight. I have limited space so I am trying to stack 3 layers in the same area, one on bottom, second 1m off the ground and third 1m above the second one and reflect light at the crop at the bottom and middle.

My thought process was that plants, that do not require a lot of light are probably small with little foliage. For example compare onions, garlic, lettuce with tomatoes.

Which plants do you recommend growing?


texts: I have what I believe is a Flax plant in my yard and many of the leaves dry out and shrivel up.  Any idea why and what I can do to make it stop?


texts: What is this leafy plant with thick stems and carrot-like leaves?

texts: This is a volunteer.  Not sure what it is.  Can you tell me?  I would pull it if it's a weed but not sure. In Omaha, NE in the mostly sun partial shade.  I had two pop up one is by the driveway the other close to the house.  Just regular dirt with mulch. The leaves remind me of carrot leaves but a little bigger.


texts: Should a citrus tree growing very close to the house be killed?

texts: The previous owner of my house grew a citrus tree less than 1 foot away from the house. I don't know the exact species of this tree, but it produces orange-colored tangerine-sized fruits that are sour. It is about 8 feet tall now. I'm worried that the roots will continue growing and damage the foundation of my house or rupture water pipes. What do you suggest me do with this tree? Kill it? If so, how? With pesticide or with a chainsaw?


texts: Crepe Myrtle and Pink Magnolia Trunk Question

texts:
I have a question about two of the trees in my yard. I have the same issue and question about crepe myrtles and pink magnolias. I have two of each in my yard and they all have multiple trunks coming up out of the ground. The biggest trunks are smaller than the diameter of a broom handle.

I've seen older crepe myrtles with thicker trunks and it looks to me like these smaller trunks are either fused together under ground and the main trunk rises out of the ground over time, or the bases fuse together like trees that grew up too close together. I don't know whether to cut all but one main "trunk" away or to leave them alone. My thought is to leave them along, but I don't want to put a lot of energy into growing them to find out that the rest need to go.

I have the same issue with my Pink Magnolias (sorry, that's all the tag said when we bought them from home depot). They are 3-4 years old and grow extremely vigorously. They also have multiple trunks. I cut off the new ones coming up out of the ground every years and do heavy pruning to keep the air flow and light open. I have the same thought about them, though. Are they supposed to be multiple trunks, will they merge over time, or should I just cut out enough of them to keep them from rubbing. I don't even know how thick they get in the end, so I don't know how many to cut out. Thanks for the help.


texts:
I sowed seeds for Marigold (purchased from Home Depot) and used Miracle Pro potting mix. The seeds germinated quickly and my plant grew 6-8 inches. From past 10 days, I am seeing the peripheral leaves turning purple-brown. I have no idea what's causing this. I water them daily, they are in full sun (like a marigold needs) and the pot is well drained. I would be so grateful if you guys can help me out. I can see a white powdery thing on the surface of the soil in one of my marigold (I have total two). I feel its some sort of fungus infection but I am not sure. I read online that phosphorous deficiency can also cause the leaves to turn purple. The discoloration is not spotted. The entire leaf is turning purple-brown.
Please help me and my plants.
Thanks,
Raina


texts:
We've got a few 15 year old decorative broadleaf evergreens around our house as hedging. We're selling, and had to get the foundation fixed as part of the sale. While the foundation contractor was working, he uprooted two of the trees to gain access to the foundation, and replanted them when he was finished.

The trees are not dead (we cut some branches and they are still green around the edges) but all of the leaves have turned brown and died due to transplant shock. We pruned off the dead leaves and are hoping that it will bounce back in the next 3 weeks before closing.

We plan to water the crap out of it obviously, but is there a fertilizer or soil additive out there that we could use to help it along? We live in middle Tennessee if that helps.

If this doesn't do the trick, is there a cheap 7-8 foot broadleaf evergreen we can go out and buy that will make a suitable replacement to the untrained eye and is resistant to shock?

EDIT: Pictures of the healthy trees (looks like 2 species, maybe Cleyera, and some kind of Holly?):


texts: Re-potted my Sciadopitys verticillata, and now its turning orange - what should I do?

texts:
I have a Sciadopitys verticillata on my balcony (Berlin, DE). I potted it out of its nursery pot, now the tips of the needles are turning orangey/ brown.

Will it recover once its settled in, or should I fertilize or add something to the soil. I have read I should water it once a week in a pot.


texts: Clicked this photo in a plant nursery. They told its name as 'Philishiyan' but I could not find any details on internet regarding this name. Please Id this plant.


texts: Rooting store bought table grape bunches

texts:
In the past few weeks some of my local grocery stores have been receiving an influx of table grapes. I have found a few varieties that have some exceptionally great flavor. Black Corinth, red grapes, and some green grapes. Is there any possibility that a grape bunch (of course after you picked all the grapes off of it) could root? I currently have a semi-sterilized bare grape bunch in a small container of distilled water and honey solution. The grape bunch stem was dipped in Garden Safe Rooting Hormone before being placed in the water and honey solution. There was a decent piece of the peduncle and cane (shoot) still attached to the grape bunch. I have experience with cloning tomato plants, peppers, and even pumpkins, but grapes seem to be a new challenge for me. I also thought about using some gibberellic acid as a rooting hormone. But at about $25-$50 per gram, well that could get quite expensive. Why am I doing this you may ask, well the grape vines are not available for purchase.
Please let me know if this is possible. Or if there is another way I should attempt this experiment.


texts: How much peat moss would I need to lower the ph of my soil

texts: I had my soil tested.  The ph is 8.2. What is the best product to lower the ph.  I’m reading about sulfur, aluminum sulfate and peat moss.  Peat moss looks like the best bet but how much do I need to add?


texts: How often can you produce cuttings from mint?

texts:
If I create a cutting from my mint plant and begin to grow it in a container, about how long after it gets established should I wait before I create another cutting?  What is the minimum waiting period after the roots begin to become established that a cutting can be made without harming the health of the plant?

Assume that I am trying to create as many mint plants as fast as possible.


texts: What is this hardy plant with purple flowers?

texts:
This plant, originating from a flower seed mix, is the only survivor of the central European winter on my balcony.

The flowers have a mild scent of roses
Other plants in the package that I could identify are cornflower (Centaurea cyanus) and bell flower (Campanula medium)
The plant in the picture has been exposed to temperatures ranging between -5°C and +35°C

What is it?


texts: What is it called when picking the produce the farmers are not collecting?

texts:
Recently I've found an association that collects the produce the farmers are not picking and gives it to charities. Many times, the farmers are not picking the fruits or vegetables they grow because it's not worth it. The market price is too low so the price of picking + transporting the produce is higher than the income they get from selling it. In some cases that's because the produce is simply not the first quality, in other cases that's because they were affected by diseases or bad weather (hail).

The association has a good relation with the farmers and then, when the farmers don't want the produce, they call this association to come and pick them. The association is collecting it using volunteers.

What's the name of such an activity?


texts:
I found this plant on the floor it was snapped off its pot.
So I took home and rooted it
Now it has roots I decided to propagate it but I still don’t know what it is!
Any help would be appreciated.


texts: Which side of a dead branch should you prune?

texts:
The last few inches of a young branch on a fruit tree (several branches, several trees) are dead so I plan on cutting it off.

Should I make the cut in the living section or dead section?


texts:
Do you know what is causing the black dots in this bloom?
Some concerns - could it be infestation or mold? Is there something (that isn't this plant!) incubating-growing inside?
Since bringing this plant home, I have noticed a number (though not too many yet?) of small black flies.


texts: How to trim grass on edges using only manual tools?

texts: I have decided to cut the grass around the house using a manual push mower which works like a charm, except on the edges. I have a lot of edges like the one in the picture below and I don't really know how to efficiently deal with it to make the grass look nice. I have tried with scissors but it's a lot of work and it doesn't really do a good job. The grass sometimes goes in between the blades and it doesn't cut it properly. Tried with different scissors and there is the same problem. Besides, it doesn't look that good even if I manage to cut it. It's not straight. Does anyone have any experience with this that would like to share with me? What kind of methods/tools are you using to fix this issue? It has to be manual, as I don't want any electric/gas-powered machines. I would appreciate even advice on what kind of tool could do that kind of work. I may be able to build it by myself, but right now I have absolutely no idea and I'm new to this "field of work". Any help/advice is highly appreciated!


texts: How can I stunt the growth of a Night Blooming Jasmine?

texts:
I have been trying to grow a Night Blooming Jasmine, Cestrum nocturnum Jessamine, plant indoors. The plant is growing pretty rapidly. I read that the height of the plant goes up to 8-10 feet, which is quite a bit for my small apartment.

What are the techniques I could use to stunt the growth of the plant, but keep it healthy and make it bloom? Also, is it possible to bonsai train the plant?

I am a complete newbie and this is my first plant that has grown so well. So, please feel free to advise about any basics.


texts:
This forum has been a great source of info and help for years, so before I begin, thanks to everyone who takes the time to pitch in with answers.
I've had a ficus elastica since December 2019. For the first year, it grew considerably, and is now about 5 feet tall from the floor to its highest leaf. Apart from repotting it once in that time, in spring 2020, I've never really had to worry about it, beyond learning how it likes to drink.
In the past month or two, however, it has been dropping its lowest leaves, which are yellowing first, a lot more frequently than ever before. In fact, I don't think it dropped any at all in the preceding winter. The house has been particularly chilly so far this winter, but I have reduced watering and I don't think the plant needs repotting just yet.
So my question is this: could the change in behaviour simply be the result of less daylight and fluctuating temperatures? Living in a flatshare, where not everyone is on the same page on heating, the place can go from very cold to toasty in a matter of hours. Alternatively, the plant is still producing new shoots and several leaves have appeared in the time that others have been falling off the bottom, so could it just be that the leaves are old and reaching a natural end?
I've included a few pictures here.
Thanks for any and all advice.
George


texts: What is this small tree with partially serrated leaves and blue fruit?

texts: What it this small tree? It is growing in the woods so I can't get a wide shot. It grows about 15' tall and wide, with wide, arching branches. The leaves all have round shiny indented bumps scattered on them. The fruits eventually ripen to blue.


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This climbs and strangles all  it touches.

What plant is it and how can I remove it?


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Are these plants worth growing? Or they are plain useless?

Weed 1

Weed 2


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texts: I got this plant from my mother, who had been keeping it in a pot that doesn't seem to drain. I was digging around to see if there was gravel at the bottom or if I'd need to repot, and discovered this mold. Not sure if it's white root rot or something more harmless. I'm relatively new to gardening so any advice is appreciated!


texts: Are ornamental peppers annuals or perennials when planted in containers and maintained indoors?

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Consider an ornamental pepper such as this:
https://www.panamseed.com/plant_info.aspx?phid=045600001036964
It's listed as an annual, but I'm not sure if this just means when grown outside they're expected to die, or if there are fundamentally limited to a lifespan of one year or so.

Any thoughts?
Thanks!


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i was wondering why those leaves are turning brown.
i've searched over the web and i'm getting answers like
"it may need more water" and on the other hand "you might be overwatering it".

would appreciate any help!


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My Acer has started to wilt. I'm confused as it's well looked after. Could it be because it has been so mild for the past few weeks and now very windy and cold?
It has good drainage as I put stones in the pot before we planted it.

Can I save my favourite garden plant?


texts: What is this plant with long thin leaves with serrated edges and spikes of pink flowers?

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Can anyone identify this plant with long thin leaves with serrated edges and spikes of pink flowers at the tip of the stem? Is it a weed? Getting quite a few growing around my garden and not sure whether to pull them out or not.

Thanks!