texts: Why should I cut my indoor banana plant down to soil level?

texts:
I have a little banana tree plant growing on my kitchen windowsill.

This advice says:

  Banana palms will often reemerge from the rhizomes, so when the weather begins to cool, cut your indoor banana off at the soil level (their trunks are soft and easy to cut) and hopefully, new shoots will emerge for next season.

But why should I do this? I'm obviously not trying to grow bananas, nor do I really have any long term plans for it. Is there any reason to not just let it keep doing its thing, even if its growth slows as we go into the winter months?


texts: Best way to avoid seedlings from bending and dying

texts:
I love starting plants from seeds. I love the fact that from something tiny comes out something so amazing. I find, though, that I have a very bad survival rate with my seedlings. I would say 90% of them bend and die, which I have read it is because of a fungal disease at the soil level. I was wondering if I could have some tips to avoid this problem.

This is what I do.

I plant my seedlings in small newspaper pots like these:
http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/img_9738.jpg
I use seed starting mix, not soil.
I water them from the bottom letting the paper and soil to absorb the water.
I place the pots in a plastic box and cover them until they germinate to maintain moisture.
When a pot germinates, I move it to a different uncovered box to increase air circulation.
The problem happens even in pots that are  not overcrowded (2 sunflower seedlings, for example) and with all sort of sizes of seedling (from petunia to sunflower).


texts: Are my tomatoes and cucumbers dying from overwatering?

texts:
I sowed some cucumbers and tomatoes in April and already lost them all. Now the other batch is dying; I presume it might be over watering as I used different compost.

Basically the leaves became a little bit yellowish on their sides, then the whole plant became stunted slowly and the leaves starting to drop from the one at the bottom.

I pulled up some plants (see photo below) and it looks like their roots are almost completely gone instead of filling up the whole pot.


texts: As the title says.  Saw this palm tree in Florida and the wife really likes it.  Just curious what type it is.


texts: What is this plant with large leaves that have a white substance on them?

texts:
I have a plant of unknown species on my closed balcony. Since the last few months it seems to vegetate and starts to lose its leaves without producing new ones. For some time there was some white powder spread over the whole plant, but it seems to be gone now. Anyone have any idea what plant it is and what could be wrong?

Thanks for your help!


texts: White coating on bottom side of pepper leaves

texts:
I just noticed this white coating on the bottom side of a few leaves of my pepper plant. I can not wipe it off. Is this some kind of fungal disease or some pest?

Edit: I made some more images using a digital microscope. There is absolutely no movement visible.


texts: What is causing the curling and brown spot on my Philodendron Congo Green?

texts: I just purchased this plant last Sunday. I repotted it and watered it the same day. Since then the leaves have begun to curl and one of the leaves is developing a large brown spot. The temperature in my apartment ranges from 72-80 degrees. What's causing this issue and how do I fix it?


texts: What is this plant? Broadleaf, bushy, narrower leaves

texts:
southeast Michigan USA.  We weed-spray a right-of-way for basically everything.  The next spring, this little guy pretty much takes over the place (as everything else but bull thistle is still suppressed).

What is this?

(Disregard the viny one coming over from bottom right, its roots are well beyond the treated area).


texts: Growing in October, the weather is warm; this is in the Northwest Georgia area.


texts: Will a plastic liner in a Redwood raised bed make the wood last longer?

texts: I was thinking of getting 2x6"x8' redwood planks to make raised beds.   The beds will not be burried at all.  Will lining the inside that with that black plastic make these beds last longer, or does it not matter?


texts: Can I save this ficus elastica (rubber tree)?

texts: This tree was so lush when I bought it! I took it home, repotted it, and put it in an indirect sunlit spot by the window that usually has light for at least 6 hours. There was no new growth but I wasn't too skeptical since winter was approaching. After a few months, it started dropping it's lower leaves. I took a break from watering, although I always checked my soil prior to watering anyways. It's summer now and the tree has lost almost ALL it's leaves in the past week!! One trunk is actually completely bare! Is there any way to save this poor plant? :(


texts: Can anyone identify these small orange growths? They're just over an inch long and just appeared in my North Florida backyard

texts: These small orange growths are just over an inch long and just appeared in my North Florida backyard. The skin surface is smooth and they look almost like small bell peppers, but still different. I'm concerned they might be toxic - I have a dog and don't want her to get sick. I definitely didn't plant them. Any ideas?


texts: What factors could cause a young oak tree to leaf out late?

texts:
I have a young oak tree (ETA: It is a White Oak) that has been in its current location for 7 or 8 years. This year it is very late leafing out. In fact, it has only just started getting leaves in the past week. All of the other trees in the neighborhood (including mature and immature oaks) have been fully leafed out for about 2 weeks now. Reasons I've considered:

The tree does not seem to be located in a frost pocket. This is the first year it has leafed out significantly later than the other trees.
We did have several late spring frosts/freezes - but again, no other trees in the vicinity seem to have been affected to this extent.
When looking at the tree, I see no obvious signs of disease or injury. The bark is intact, I see no damage to the trunk or roots.

What am I missing? Or is the most likely explanation simply that it was more susceptible to the late frost than my other trees?


texts:
I've got some Aunt Molly's Ground Cherries fruiting on me, but I don't know when to pick them.  I've never planted them before.  I've picked a few and they don't taste very good so I'm thinking they're a little early - about a quarter of an inch in diameter. I just don't want to pick them to late.

So my question is, how do you know when they're ready to pick?


texts:
So we planted these cherry bushes (yes they are bushes not trees) and even though the cerries are starting to come in the leaves are dying.

We are watering every other day for 30 minutes.
our soil is pretty poor around here so we added a few shovels full of organic dirt from home depot and a shovel full of rabbit poo.

Any ideas what is going on with our plants? and more importantly how do we fix it?


texts: What is a good alternative to pressure treated wood for raised beds?

texts:
I've had my pressure treated wood raised beds for my vegetable garden since 2005 and was recently made aware of the potential risks of using this kind of wood.  I have seen conflicting articles saying that it may be OK to use pressure treated wood after 2003 such as this one:  Using Pressure Treated Wood For Raised Gardens...Is It Safe For Growing Food?? However, I am trying to replace my chemical habits with good non-toxic ones.

What type of wood will be good for a few raised veggie beds?  About how long do you think it will last before needing to be replaced?  I'm in zone 7B if that makes a rotting difference.


texts: Is this soil appropriate to plant this succulent baby?

texts:
I was browsing among the succulents section of this department store, and I found this offspring plant fallen apart on the floor! I took it to plant it since it was going to die there. The plants in the succlents sections weren't named, so I'm wondering if this is a real aloe vera.

I read the previously asked questions regarding aloe vera, and it was mentioned that it can be reproduced from these offsprings.

I used a small pot with the soil mentioned in the picture, but the plant was very unsteady in the pot, kept falling with smallest moves. I also read that the soil should be completely dry, so I'm drying it on the radiator at the moment.

However I wonder if this is a real aloe vera and if the soil is ok to be used with this plant?


texts: What's this (yellow, rubbery thing - pic attached) I found in my Box Hedge plant?

texts:
I am cutting back a hedge plant today and found this in the middle of it. It's sort of rubbery, not attached to the plant but just nestling in there.

It has sort of a top part, and a corkscrew-like "tail".

Is this some kind of fungus? (It has that sort of stretchy, slimy texture that fungi sometimes have, but I'm certainly no expert!) Is it safe to touch and how to get rid of it?!

Edited to add: I took it out as per the comment, here's a picture of it with my hand for scale.


texts: What is this April flowering shrub with clusters of small flowers?

texts: I'm trying to find out out what kind of flowering bush this could be.  It's located in Nitro, West Virginia. It smells like Gardenia. Some of the bushes are quite tall.


texts: Why can't I kill bamboo roots with bleach?

texts:
This is a follow-up to my first question on the gardening stack exchange. Unfortunately the horrid bamboo continues to plague me this summer. To the point that I'm actually considering packing up and quitting this home: I really wanted a yard with minimal maintenance needs, and now with the bamboo's invasive spread, I seem to have ended up with the very opposite, taking away precious time from the more important things I ought to be spending it on.

A suggestion from the linked post was to apply glyphosate to the ends of exposed roots. Before trying that, I wanted to try a "less toxic" approach because of proximity to kids and carcinogenic concerns. A friend suggested offline to soak the exposed ends of roots in saltwater; the theory being that the saltwater would soak through the root system and kill the plant. I thought to go one step further and try soaking the exposed root ends in bleach, thinking to myself "there's nothing more caustic than bleach - surely soaking a plant's roots in it will kill it." Picture below:

So I filled a couple of spray bottles with 100% bleach, and dipped exposed ends of bamboo roots in it. I taped up the tops to ensure no spillage onto innocent soil. It's been one week, now, that the roots have been soaking this way, and there is no change in appearance to the bamboo roots! I expected some manner of shriveling or necrotization - but there's no change I can perceive at all! So I can't tell if this treatment is having any effect at all.

The reason I'm attempting this is that the root system has grown under the very thick hardscaping that covers most of the area of concern. So it is practically impossible for me to dig up the roots that have grown under in this manner. So I was hoping to find some way to "kill the root system upstream".

So, my questions for knowledgeable gardeners, horticulturalist, and maybe biochemists are: is soaking the exposed end of a bamboo root in a noxious liquid a viable method of killing a bamboo's root system? If so, was bleach a good choice? If so, how long should I continue the existing soaking treatment, and will I eventually see a visible change in the root system so I can know that it's dying? If bleach isn't the right thing to try, is there something else I ought to soak the roots in that will have the intended effect of travelling upstream and killing the root system?


texts: Is this spotting on my schefflera houseplant caused by alternaria?

texts:
I've had a medium-sized schefflera or 'umbrella' houseplant for about five years now, and it might have been as old when I first got it. Lately, I have noticed black spotting on some of its lower leaves - the leaves higher up don't seem to be affected. The affected leaves are slightly sticky.

My question is twofold. First, is this caused by alternaria? Second, what is the best means for dealing with it? I'm reluctant to use any sort of fungicide or bactericide as I have two cats that are fond of this and other plants. Can it be controlled with removal of the affected foliage, limiting the moisture of the soil, and ensuring that the remaining foliage is kept dry?

As a bonus, I also encountered some small yellowish growths of what appeared to be a fungus on the surface of the soil a few months ago. Whenever I saw it, I would scrape it off and dispose of it, but it kept creeping back. I can't provide a picture, as it now seems to have departed, at least for the time being. Could this be related to the spotting of the leaves, or share a cause (overwatering)?


texts: What to look for in a good electric chainsaw?

texts:
I will need it for clearing large tree limbs and small trees, mostly for storm cleanup in a medium sized yard surrounded by mature, healthy trees.

I am looking for recommendations for safety and convenience features, as well as advice on how to choose the amperage/HP rating and bar length - and also how to tell a reliable model apart from a problem-prone one. Consumer Reports recommends a Poulan Pro 400, but that model seems to no longer be available.


texts:
i've been trying to grow some wild plums from seed. They've spent two months in the fridge in a ziplock bag with some perlite and a bit of water, after that i've cracked them and placed the seeds in a wet paper towel. I dunked them beforehand in some water to check if any are viable.
they've been now for months at room temp and nothing is sprouting.  There were 15 seeds, only three moulded and I removed those, the rest have been in the wet paper towel and haven't shown any signs of moulding or sprouting, they're just not moving anywhere.  I even put them on a seedling matt 10 days ago, and still nothing.
Any ideas on what's going on / what I might be doing wrong?


texts: What can be planted at this time of year in a greenhouse (in the UK)?

texts: Normally we plant tomatoes and cucumber in our greenhouse during the summer here in the UK. We didn't do so this year, but I was wondering what could be planted in a greenhouse, if there is anything, for the winter months? The greenhouse isn't heated, it's just a glass structure.


texts: Can I grow a fall-winter flowering witch hazel bush in Zone 6?

texts:
I live in Massachusetts, Northeast United States, Zone 6.  The lowest temperature in our coldest months can go down to -10°F (-23°C), although it's usually a bit warmer.

While reading an article about local shrubs, I found mention of a witch hazel bush. Apparently it thrives well under the same soil and weather conditions as lilacs, pussy willows, and forsythias, all of which I have. What intrigued me most was that these bloom in the fall and winter, long after everything else has gone by.

Having never heard of one, I searched and found that the witch hazel genus, Hamamelis, includes a number of varieties, four of which are common in North America.

Out of those, Hamamelis virginiana seems to be my best option.  According to the Arbor Day Foundation, and Missouri Botanical Garden, it's native to Eastern United States, and hardy in Zones 3-8. It has yellow blooms from October through December.

I'd really love to have a flowering bush that late in the year. However, before getting one, I just want to make sure that it's likely to grow here, and that it actually does bloom in those months.

Also, what is the proper way to spell that plant? I've seen it as witch hazel, witchhazel, and witch-hazel.

Source of pictures.


texts: Will wisteria clippings take root in a compost pile?

texts: I just did a major pruning of a wisteria. I don't look forward to bagging all the clippings and hauling them to the town site for yard waste. Could I simply gather them up and dump them in the compost pile in the woods behind my house or is there any danger that the wisteria clippings will take root? I don't want to risk the woods being taken over by wisteria. If there is risk, I wonder if it decreases if I leave the clippings drying in the sun for a few days to make sure they're dead?


texts:
We are wanting to grow tomato plants from seed this year.  We've not done this before, so we have some questions.

How big should the containers be that we start the seeds in?

How long should they be in the containers before they get transferred outside? (i.e. how much before my outside planting should I start them?)

And, what am I forgetting/not thinking about? (I am asking about hardening in a separate question, but I'm sure there are other considerations that I haven't even thought of asking about)


texts: What should I do with perennials in pots over the winter?

texts:
I had a small stone planter box built in to my front entrance.  In this planter I had a handful of perennials.  I needed to have my driveway torn up and repaved this year, and I thought it would be neat to have the contractor re-do the planter at the same time.  In preparation, early this summer I moved the plants from the planter into portable pots and placed these on the front porch above where the planter box had been.  I fully expected to replant them in the new box just a few weeks later.

Well, that contractor did a very bad job (I paid them for the driveway,
but refused to pay for the planter, and they agreed) so I am going to have to start over with a different contractor next spring.  The plants have been in those pots for several months now.  I think some have died, but others might be salvagable.

The location is U.S., Ohio valley region.

What to do with those portable pots during the winter, to maximize the chance that at least some of them can be brought back next spring?

A.  Leave them where they are, as-is.
B.  Leave them where they are, covered with a tarp or similar.
C.  Bring them into the house.
D.  Toss them out and buy all new perennials after the new planter is
ready, since the damage is already done and they can't be saved.
E. Other?


texts: How many/how much (by weight) orange blossoms do you get from an orange tree?

texts:
An average is fine, and ideally specific to the bitter orange tree.
I'm trying to understand the economics of cultivating for Neroli oil.


texts: Should I remove the small leaves growing out of the bottom of my pepper plants?

texts:
My peppers plants are doing well (I hope...), but while looking closely at them today (I was looking at the flowers (or fruit?) poking through at the base of the leaf stems), and I've now really noticed that near the base of each of the plants are two really small leaves, branching out like a centimetre above the soil line.

Generally they seem healthy, so I've been ignoring them, but they're obviously tiny in comparison to the rest of the plant, and I've now noticed that these still have little buds forming at the base of their stems.

Should I remove these tiny leaves? Ignore them? Or what?

Because it will be much more effective than any explanation I can form, here's a photo of one of the plants, with the leaves at the base highlighted:

And here are the leaves up close:


texts: Are the yellow leaves on my Massangeana due to root rot?

texts:
I bought my Massangeana (Dracaena fragens) 15 months ago, and he's be doing really well. Started off with a few burnt ends, but I switched to filtered water and he was good again.

In the last couple of weeks I've noticed some leaves have suddenly turned yellow.  I'm not sure if this is root rot or something less serious.

I've tested the trunk of the plant with a finger nail and it's still firm (not mushy, the bark doesn't scrap off either). Also, I've tried pulling gently on the yellow leaves and they're not falling away. They're very limp compared to the green leaves, but they're not falling off.

This plant is particularly personal to me and I'm desperate to save it. If it is root rot, I'm under the impression the plant is pretty much done for, but I wonder if there's a chance I can grow a new plant from cuttings?  Or equally, does this plant really look and sound like it's got root rot (pictures below)?

Really hoping someone can help me.

Thank you so much in advance.

Click to enlarge


texts:
I have purchased some capillary matting to aid with watering in my greenhouse. It is the first time that I have used such a product and I have a rather novice question as a result. Which way up should I be placing the capillary matting on my surface?

The matting in question has a white fence fluffy side and a blue-green mesh like membrane side.

The instructions go over the basic setup but do not suggests which way up I should place the matting.

This question extends to the tail which is placed in the water reservoir. Should it be placed with the sides matching that of the main matt or should it be placed with a certain side up?

I have put a waterproof layer of plastic under the mat. If I find it drying out rapidly or my greenhouse becomes too humid, I'll put a layer of gravel or plastic ontop of the watering mat too.


texts: Chopping old vegetable/fruit to the ground as compost

texts:
Sometimes I have vegetable/fruit that's gone bad and it's going to be thrown. I was thinking about chopping it and mix it with the ground of the plants I have (not so many).

Will it be helpful for the plant? What I was thinking is that I don't know how the rotting process of the vegetable/fruit will affect the plant, is it useful in the beginning of the rotting process, or only afterwards, as done with regular compost?

If it will, once in how long it will be good to add one? A few weeks?

(My plants are pretty small. They lay in pots by the window)

I leave in a small apartment so I don't have room for compost, and there's no place near me that collects it.


texts:
My salvia was really thriving and then suddenly the leaves began to go soft, droop and die off. The other plants in the high bed seem fine and I water them all equally. It is next to some bush beans, capsicum, and chives. I thought perhaps it needed more drainage (although there is no bottom to the bed), so I elevated it. But it still continues to die back. I used regular all-purpose gardening soil in about a 1-2 foot layer, plus sand, over compost and dried wood, leaves as the bottom-most layer (about 1-2 feet). The salvia planted in other parts of the garden both in beds and the ground (sandy) seem fine. Could the soil in this bed be too rich for it?
Thankful for any clues,
M


texts: Help with my Calathea - strange blue and clear spots?

texts:
I recently found that my Calathea plant has these clear spots on them that are sticky to touch. It has created many translucent spots on the leaves and I am very concerned that it is dying.

[


texts: Can I put scratch paper on my vermicompost?

texts:
I have lots of scratch paper here and am wondering if I should put it in my vermicompost or just throw it away.

Would it be dangerous for worms?
Will the soil benefit from it?

As for the type of worms that I'm using, I am still looking for the worms that I can buy so for now there's just a little amount of worms that I've randomly found on soil. I am in the Philippines.


texts: Someone suggested to consume this plant to help in my breathing problems. But I don't want to consume it without knowing what it is ? It looks like a medicinal plant, but what is it ?


texts: Most effective way to remove mold from microgreens

texts:
I've seen a few ways to remove mold from microgreens, but I'm not sure how to do this exactly to be harmless for my customers. I've read this article and as far as I understand I need to use 35% since this is for food grade. Do you know any others ways to fight the mold or how exactly should I use peroxide? Any resources with information are welcome, thanks
From the resource:

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is a clear, colorless, odorless liquid. It’s
a combination of hydrogen and oxygen and is available in many
strengths (indicated by the percentage of dilution with water).
One dilution of hydrogen peroxide is 35 percent H2O2 and 65 percent
water. Food producers use 35 percent H2O2 for a variety of purposes,
including processing cheese and bleaching wheat flour. It’s also used
to kill microorganisms in food packaging materials.
This 35 percent dilution is called “food grade” in part because it
doesn’t contain certain stabilizers:
acetanilide phenol sodium stanate tetrasodium pyrophosphate


texts: Does anyone know what this might be? It came up in the garden. It doesn't look like any other tree we have on our place.


texts: How do I pick the right type of grass for my lawn?

texts:
I'm trying to pick a type of grass for my backyard lawn. I've researched some on wikipedia such as:

Kikuyu grass:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pennisetum_clandestinum

Kentucky Bluegrass:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poa_pratensis

Bermuda Grass:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bermuda_grass

But still don't know which is best for an Arizona backyard. I've had the guy from the Nursery come out and look but he's never heard of Kikuyu grass so is not much help.

Anyone out there have experience with multiple grass types in Phoenix, AZ?


texts:
I have a question on the identification of two trees, which I am pretty sure are hawthorn species. First of all, where I live: Gants Hill, London, England, UK. I took the two photos below in the middle of last month, i.e. mid-May.

I’m very sure the top one is Common Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) but not so sure about the bottom one. I think it may be Midland Hawthorn (Crataegus laevigata). The leaves are clearly different: those of the C. monogyna (top) have lobes with deep cuts while those of tree below have shallower lobes – characteristics which are consistent with what I’ve gathered from my own Google research on the two species.

So, does anyone know if the bottom one is C. laevigata?


texts:
I’ve had this plant for about two years and it grows so well in our sunny office window. I don’t know what it is and it’s getting tall that it droops. Should I be tying it up? Should I be trimming it? I’m sure it needs to be repotted but should I be waiting for spring?

Thank you in advance. I really try but I’m lost on this little plant. For reference, I live in Minnesota in zone 4b.


texts: Why build a worm bin? Why can't you have a worm heap?

texts:
I understand the value of vermiculture, and grew up with a wormbox on the back patio that made beautiful castings. What I don't understand is the purpose of the bin.

If I kept a heap of worm-friendly scraps, mixed with some dirt and kept moist, and covered with a layer of dirt to keep pests away, wouldn't that accomplish basically the same thing as a worm bin?

In other words, wouldn't a poorly run compost heap that doesn't get hot basically turn into a worm heap anyway, no need for a bin?

I feel like I might be missing something important, but a heap is a lot cheaper and simpler than a bin, and wouldn't dry out as quickly or have as much susceptibility to temperature swings, and wouldn't rot and need replacing every few years.


texts: Should I remove the top of a tall, skinny eucalyptus to promote a stronger core?

texts:
I've got a tall skinny eucalyptus tree that I planted about a year and a half ago. When I bought it, its trunk was somewhat narrow, and tethered in at least three spots to a stake to keep it straight. However it seems that this has caused it to not have a strong trunk, as it hasn't had to fend for itself in the wind and weather.

Fast forward a year and a bit, and it's at least another meter taller, but no stronger. I've released the tether except for one right at the top to prevent it from bowing over and breaking.

To recover this, can/should I lop off the top in the hope that it re-sprouts further below and develops a stronger trunk on its own (without the tether)? If I do this, how far from the top should I cut?

Here are some close-ups for identification of the specific type of eucalyptus:


texts: Why does Tenacity® (mesotrione) kill bentgrass but not other grasses?

texts: Tenacity (mesotrione) is used to kill bentgrass, clover, and other non-desirables. I get how an herbicide could selectively kill broadleaf weeds while leaving grasses alone, but how does it manage to kill bentgrass and poa annua while not harming other turf grasses?


texts: What flowering plants are recommended for a roof garden in a climate with hot dry summers?

texts:
I live in a hot (now 42 °C to 25°C) and dry (14% relative humidity just right now) city, and I have around 15 hours of sunlight. I wanted to plant some flowers on my roof, where there are no shadows during the day. It also can get subzero (around -10 °C) and 60 to 70% humidity in winters.

What flowers do you recommend for such conditions? For example I have also some Aptenia cordifolia and they're growing well in similar conditions.


texts: I am thinking of placing a 1000L rainwater tank in greenhouse to prevent temperatures inside greenhouse from dropping below 0°C(32°F). The tank is from PE-HD plastic. I am not able to assess how likely it is that the frezzing water damages the tank. Does anyone have any experience with water freezing in rainfall tanks? Does it damage the tank even if you fill only 3/4 of it?


texts: Name that bug: Mites on an indoor hibiscus plant

texts:
A while back a store bought sunflower was absolutely covered in little green larva looking things. I left it outside but they appear to have migrated to my hibiscus. I've been spraying it with a water + soap + rubbing alcohol solution. None of these mites seem to be alive and I see no movement, but they still seem to multiplying around new leaves. They leave a flaky yellow crumb looking sluff behind, have small green larva and adults seem to be the brown guys in this picture.

Any ideas on what they're called or how to kill them completely?


texts:
I just ran into an article that they are using drones to pollinate orchards.  Has anyone heard of this or better, witnessed this? Does anyone have any knowledge of this at all?  Drones used for pollinating, probably nanobots most likely will 'work'.  If drones work then who will care about mitigating our practices in gardening to save bees?

drones NY Orchards


texts: What is this flower that smells like a skunk?

texts: This has been blooming in the sun in my yard in Massachusetts for the past two weeks. We've only lived here since last spring and since I didn't plant it, I'm guessing it's a  perennial. What's intriguing is that the flower smells like it's been sprayed by a skunk. The leaves have no odor. Can anyone tell me what it is?


texts: What is this Prickly Plant Sending Out Runners

texts: I'm clearing some bushes out my backyard and found these awful prickly plants. They look to be part of a bigger plant that isn't prickly and have sent runners out all over. I'm trying to id them so I can figure out how best to eradicate them.


texts: This tree is growing in Escambia county(in panhandle of Fl). It is, roughly measured by comparing to our 6ft tall fence, about 10-12ft tall. It is growing in my neighbors yard but it grows over the fence, dropping the fruits into our yard when they are ripe every late summer. I am assuming it is a fruit tree, but I don't know what kind. Are the fruits safe to eat? It is probably 7-10yrs old, but I'm no tree age expert. The flowers were a dark color, maybe a brown/maroon? I didn't think to take pictures of it when they were blooming so maybe that was the flower color just before turning to fruits. Thank you for the help.


texts:
I have a dwarf peach tree that isn’t producing fruit this year. It’s also sprouting new big shoots from the bottom. Should I prune these new shoots or should I let them continue to grow?

Thank you!


texts: Help identifying landscaping plants in western Massachusetts

texts:
Having spent most of my life living in big cities, I had a hard time recognizing the plants around my house in west Massachusetts. I spent a stupid amount of time trying to decipher them using Bing image search (which is surprising better than Google's) and various apps, I still have quite a few that I can't identify and would like to ask the experts here for help.
 (large)
[Update] Here are two pictures from this month.
 (large)
 (large)


texts:
I am getting ready to upgrade my aging and rotting wooden raised beds to ones made from 8x8x16 hollow concrete block (Concrete Masonry Units). As I understand it, the lime in the concrete can leach out over time and increase the soil pH, making it very alkaline. Blueberries are acid-loving plants and require quite acidic soil.

If I have a raised bed that is 4 feet wide, and 2 feet deep, and I plant a row of blueberries down the center of the bed, will they be negatively affected by the rising pH of the soil near the concrete blocks?


texts: Is there a way to make "swamp coffee" with kitchen waste?

texts: I've heard of compost tea from John Kohler, and have an excess of swamp water at home, but can't exactly transport much of it well to the community garden, so I was wondering if I could make "bog coffee" from table scraps, coffee, and water I've let sit for at least a day to evaporate chemicals.


texts: Digging French Drains - Rent Mini-X or Tractor Loader Backhoe?

texts:
I'll be digging a few french drains in my backyard.  I'll need to dig the trenches, smooth them out with right slope; put in a few inches of drainage stone; lay the pipe; more drainage stone; top off with topsoil.

I have to run about 160' all total over 3 branches.  My yard is about 12-18" dirt, then 18" of very moist clay, about 3' down I'll hit water.  The Mini-X seems well suited to the task but i'll need to go back and forth to gather and place the stone.  My backyard isn't terribly big - it's about 3K square feet total.

Which would you rent from Home Depot - the Mini-X or the Backhoe?

--Updated information --
My problem is that my lawn is nearly always soaking wet.  In addition to the heavy clay and high water table,  I have a wonderful neighbor that installed a drain pipe of his own - and exits it 6 inches away from the property fence - and right into my lawn.  The result is half of my lawn is pretty much just shy of mud all the time.

In the back of my yard i have one of the county's stormwater drains - i'll exit into that.  Originally I had thought just connect PVC to both my house's gutters and run one over to the fence line - but then I stumbled across this video.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7goh7iDCx0  which isn't too far off from my yard.

My idea was to put in a drainage that primarily gets rid of the water being forced into my yard and to assist in draining out the high water table water also.

When i look up drain tile - it seems like it is a french drain?  https://www.uswaterproofing.com/learning-center/what-is-drain-tile-101-how-drain-tile-works

Neighbor property on the left, mine on the right.

Here is what i'm thinking as far as drainage.


texts:
I have a small all-glass conservatory. It's essentially a greenhouse joined onto the side of the house, and it's getting remarkly hot in the current sunny weather (North London, UK).

When the doors/windows are fully closed, a metal digital thermometer has been just about hitting 60 degrees in the direct sun.

Even with 2 windows and the doors full open, the temperature is comfortably getting into the 40s. I have some tomato saplings, and I pushed a digital thermometer a few cm into the soil, and yesterday it peaked at 39 degrees (Celsius).

Is this too hot for plants in general?

What about tomatoes specifically?

Is there anything I can / should do (beyond keeping a careful eye on watering, obviously!)


texts: It's a groundcover plant, only about 10 cm tall. As you can see the leaves are bi-colour, sage greenish on the upper side and purple underneath. The leaves are sword like, and how it looks is almost like succulent (only the leave arrangement, it's not a succulent).


texts: Automatic Sprinkler: Calculating how much and how often - based on weather and other parameters

texts:
At http://wiki.bitplan.com/index.php/Sprinkler#Requirements I am gathering requirements for a sprinkler software that I intend to create and make available as open source. The hardware is already in place - i have a garden pump connected to a sprinkler that I can switch on and off by software.

I do not want to add extra sensors but would rather like to use weather information for my location (history,current and forecast) to determine the amount of water needed.

My usecase is irrigating a small single zone lawn of some 100 square meter surrounded by some hedges and other plants with a tree that gives shadow most of the day.

Now I'd like to create an algorithm that applies the "right" amount of water. I found some sources see http://wiki.bitplan.com/index.php/Sprinkler#How_much_and_how_often.3F
stating parameters like how much water the lawn needs per day.

Some sources suggest to sprinkle only every 3-5 days and then a lot early in a morning e.g. the equivalent of 15 mm rain per sprinkle.

Other sources say it depends on how hot it is and how much evaporation is created by the heat.

I'd like to get this information more precise and hope to get some input from users here.

What sources for the "watering algorithm" would you know and what do they state?


texts: Any advantages/disadvantages to adding pistachio and peanut shells to my barkchip mulch?

texts:
I have a small area in my backyard to which I'm starting to add barkchips for weed-avoidance and water retention. It contains newer small trees and bushes.

My question is whether adding generous amounts of peanut and pistachio shells would -1) do nothing 2) will enhance the area 3) will harm/detract from the area
Google seems to suggest that to do that would be primarily be for aesthetics, but I'm wondering if the different textures might need advantageous.


texts: What are good plants to use in a container-based winter garden?

texts:
I live in an apartment that has a small outdoor patio and I'm looking to create a little container garden this autumn/winter. I'm located in the US (hardiness zone is 7) and I'm looking for ideas (plants) that might work well in this environment.

The containers are of an undetermined size at this point. The deck patio area we have to work with is about 4 x 3 (ft.) and is facing west. We are looking to plant in late autumn and have the garden through the winter.


texts: I'm building a horseradish bed with the Back to Eden method about 2 feet above the water line (floods every 5-10 years) along a creek. Will this be enough room to grow good sized horseradish roots?


texts:
I live in Israel and this pepper plant leaves are falling out (but little ones are growing back)

would appreciate any help!


texts: How to encourage new raspberry stalks to grow away from the main stalk?

texts:
Here's a photo of my Canby raspberry plant. The new stalks are only growing near the original stalk. My Fall Gold raspberry plant is also doing the same thing. Is this caused by my mulching? I would actually prefer the new stalks to grow away from the main stalk so that there's better airflow. A row of plants would be more aesthetically appealing also.

As a side question: are red raspberry's supposed to be yellow before they're ripe? My Fall Gold (yellow) is nearby and maybe the cross pollination caused my Canby to become yellow too. Can cross pollination even do that?


texts: concave leaf curl in the center of the tomato leafs

texts:
I've got some concave leaf curl going on on my indoor tomato plant. I haven't found any images that resemble this condition. The plant itself is strong as heck, got really thick, dark green leafs, planted 30cm deep 14 days ago and with the main stem cut off a week after.

These are the images. They are 6000x4000 so zoom in as much as you want. My go-to culprit is too much water or too little. What do you think?


texts: building a flagstone patio near fence with electric and telephone line

texts: We are trying to build a small patio along the end of our yard (along the fence), but there is a small power line that runs through all the houses in our side. Is it safe to build a patio along the fence which is closer to the power line? (the power line is in our neighbor's yard)


texts: So I ordered a batch of red venus fly trap seeds (seeds to grow completely red fly traps, not green fly traps with some red inside of them) from the fly trap store and started sowing them about 4.5 weeks ago. So far I have seen 14 of the 15 seeds sprout, so that is awesome (they are currently green). From what I understand, because I have seeds and not a clone, there is a small chance they might not be red. That fact aside, hypothetically if the seeds are to turn red, does anyone have a guess as to when I can start seeing the sprouts/plants turn red? And when cloning from a leaf pulling (of a red venus fly trap) do the new leaves grow in red or do they also start green and then turn red?


texts: Can I save an Aloe barberae tree with a split in the trunk?

texts:
Today I purchased an Aloe barberae tree from the nursery. During the time it was delivered to my home it split itself on the trunk where it has two branches. The split is approximately 120 mm (just under 5 inches) long and about 5 mm (1/4 inch) wide.

I have tied both branches together with rope to close the split and removed some of the lower leaves to make the branches lighter.

I'm just wondering if this plant will heal itself in time, and if there's anything more I can do to ensure that it has the best chance of healing itself.

Here are a couple of photos.


texts:
I'm not particularly green fingered but recently purchased a compost bin however I'm not entirely sure what I do with it once it's full.
I've been putting grass cuttings and fruit/veg waste from the kitchen in it over the past few months however I've got a couple of questions.

How do I know when it's all composted down?

And is there anything I need to do to help this process.

Once it's become compost,

How do I use it
Does it need mixing in with soil/earth

Are there certain things I shouldn't put in there.

I've avoided putting bramble cuttings in there and any branches I've cut down as it seemed that these would take longer to decompose.


texts: Is it possible for an almond tree to grow in a tropical country?

texts:
I have been searching in Google, but I got neither information or reference regarding this issue. I'm wondering is it possible for an almond tree to grow in a tropical country such as Indonesia?

If it is not, why? Is there any study to make it possible?


texts: How to prevent a crab apple tree getting any taller?

texts:
Last spring (18 months ago) I planted a 6/8 Malus John Downie crab apple tree. It has an unusually long trunk, the lowest branch is almost two metres up.
As it is growing, the leader is going straight up and is now already getting too high to pick fruit. I specifically want my trees kept low and easy to pick either from the ground or a short ladder.

Is it safe/normal to just hop the top off the main leader at the height I want the tree to be or is there a better technique?


texts: Is this a weed, please help me identify this plant

texts: Found in backyard in Sydney, Australia. Can someone please identify this plant. At first I thought it was a kind of hosta.


texts: Various Questions About Fairy Castle Cactus

texts:
I have a few questions about my Fairy Castle Cactus.  It’s barely grown since I bought it, in contrast to my other plants.
I’ve read conflicting info about the amount of light it likes. I’m using the right soil, not overwatering.

So, why are the joints growing in a spiral like/twisty fashion?
It’s not a very attractive plant right now but I’m giving it time to grow, lol. If I prune it a little, will that help it or just damage the plant?

Also, I’ve read the “fake flower” could be real with the glue actually being cactus sap?  I dont know if there’s any truth to this.  And, the flower, opens and closes by itself. So how could it be an inert thing? I’d be suprised if a fake flower still reacted to the environment like that. Please help me understand!


texts: I want to change the type of head being used on Black and decker LTE 525

texts: I have had a Black and Decker, 20v, cordless trimmer. Single line, auto feed. I don’t care if I have to let go of some features I just want and easy string replacement other than the prestrung spools. I’d like more than a single string, be able to use heavier gauge. I just don’t know what kind of universal head replacements will fit. I don’t care about auto feed or edger functions. It’s not great as an edger. I can use a dedicated edger. If any of these changes are doable point the way. I can remove the auto feed trigger in the spool housing.


texts: Will removing flowers at the end of the season make peppers ripen faster?

texts: My poblano peppers are still producing a lot of flowers and I think they will not have time to form mature peppers. Would it help the plant to cut those flowers off now to help speed up the growth of the present smaller peppers?


texts: Root barrier suitable for organic vegetable garden

texts:
My neighbor has a line of tall arborvitaes next to my vegetable garden and I'm getting invaded by the roots. I think I need to install a root barrier. The products I see are generally reprocessed polypropylene type 5 plastic for the hard ones, and high density polyethylene (HDPE) type 2 plastic for the more flexible rolls. Fabric barriers won't hold up. Are these plastics bad for use in organic gardens? Any ideas for a safer barrier? I was thinking maybe metal roofing, but they're probably treated with chemicals and I question using metals. Seems like there are no good options short of cutting the damn things down in the middle of the night :)
Thanks


texts: I've found a lot of empty and broken hazelnut shells lying under huge hazelnut shrub. (Most of them were eaten by squirrels but some have worm holes). Is it safe to use them for composting (maybe grinding them would speed up the process)? Or they can be used for mulching because they seem to last long?


texts: Peperomia Albotittata loosing leaves and drying up from the support out and falling off still green

texts:
My Peperomia (which I believe I correctly identified as Peperomia albovittata, but I might stand corrected) has lost 50% of its leafage over the last 8 months.
At first it had no troubles at all, indirect sunlight, a nice spot, but then the winter came and my house can be really dark. When the leaves started to fall, I moved it to a (slightly) brighter spot. However, this wasn't enough.
You'll see from the picture, which is quite brighter than in reality, it started to lose a lot of leaves. They all start to dry off from the leaf branch toward the leaf top. Sometimes, the support is so dry the leaf falls off still looking green and succulent and shiny. When that is not the case, the leaves remain in the underbush until they are completely dried out. When I first brought it home, I couldn't see the soil in the vase.
I'd rule off repotting, as it is fairly new. I'm only watering when the soil is bone dry, leaving the pot in a basin and letting the water flow up through the soil. Right now, the top inch of the soil is completely dry (and the leaves are a little bit droopy).
Humidity in the house is around 50%. There are some new leaves sprouting, but I can reap off half a dozen leaves a week now.
What am I doing wrong?


texts:
I set up an experimental seed starting tray, but can' remember exactly what seed I put for some seedlings. One of them is a HUGE seedlings pictured in photos below.

I just vaguely remember that it could be an Agastache, or so some form of mentha.

I think this is the second one of the same kind, just at the early stage of development:

Update:

It turns out it was Cucurbita pepo - decorative pumpkin. Out of 8 seeds, 2 germinated. Those two seedlings are now in their own containers:

You may have noticed that a cotyledon of the smaller seedlings is whorled. I posted a separate question on that: Why is my pumpkin seedling's cotyledon twisted and whorled?

Update 2:

I already thought there will be no more pumpkin seedlings, but two more appeared this afternoon - boy, they are moving earth:


texts:
I have a plant that I separated from the rest of the flowers and plants for the aphids.
This aphid is very weird.
Every week, I clean the substrate under water and cotton from aphids.
But again the aphids are found.
First, the black dots appear below the leaves Then the black dots become insect.
And the leaves begin to pierce.
Please help me if you know how to deal with this pest.


texts: What are the variables I need to consider when planting my Eidelweiss?

texts:
I've done a fair bit of research to avoid people doing work for me but I'm still a bit confused. I have purchased three Eidelweiss that have arrived a week ahead of schedule and I'm woefully unprepared.

I do know that mulch is used during the winter to simulate its native condition but..
I live in Florida and it's pretty warm this time of the year. I know this flower is hardy but I have questions in regard to planting them.
Since they are well past germination, I'm under the impression these should be planted in the ground and I need to manage conditions such as acidity of ph and drainage. What are the best ways to achieve this if they are to be planted in the ground ?

I've included an image of each plant.

One: Leontopodium Alpinium

Two: Leontopodium Alpinum Matterhorn (Rep too low to post 3 links)

I've also discovered a few bits of conflicting information such as allowing this plant to take in sun through a window versus don't you dare window sun soak!

How long can this plant grow in this pot? Should it be planted immediately? And how do I prepare my soil for these beautiful flowers?

You'll have to forgive my ignorance as I'm aware I've picked a pretty peculiar flower to start with.

By the way, are these flowers in decent shape?

Any help at all would be much appreciated!


texts:
The mangos sometimes fall off, but most of them develop like a split right in the middle where it’s curved (dry, then it falls off). This did not happen last year.

We water it 2-3 times a week, enough to keep the soil moist every now and then.


texts: This tree is very tall and huge, and has many branches. I want to know the name of it, and I need to know the basic features of it.


texts: What’s eating the leaves of my bell pepper plant

texts:
I am so shocked to see my Bell pepper plant this morning.
My bell pepper plant looks like this yesterday

When I checked it this morning it looks like this

My hunch is rats. But I’m not sure because the plant’s always been there, and so are the rats, and nothing’s eating it like so. Almost all of the leaves are gone in just a night. I also noticed that the surviving leaves are the topmost ones. Could this indicate the height of the eater?
Notes:

this bell pepper plant is ~5months old and never bore any fruit yet
the garden is situated  in a tropical country
I am certain that there are no rabbits, mole and deer in the area


texts: I have a flowerbed area that surrounds my house that is covered with pine straw. I have dug a trench around edge of flowerbed and cover the trench with the pine straw. There is no border between yard grass and pine straw. For the grass that grow runners along top of the pine straw, what would be the best way to keep the area edged? I am trying to use least expensive way possible. I had thought of getting a rotary edger to serve this purpose. I have a weedeater, but I thought this would use a lot of line. Would I need something with a bigger blade to take care of this?


texts: What species of plant is this? (Jasmine-like)

texts: Can someone help identify this plant? Thanks in advance.


texts: I have Malabar Spinach planted in three pots. In the third one, the leaves are very healthy while the other two have discoloured new leaves. What is the cause of it?


texts: Could termites cause a hole with dirt in the middle of a cut tree?

texts: I recently cut down a tree in my back yard, and after looking at the stump I noticed a column of dirt in the middle. This didn't look or feel like rotted wood, but actually kind of muddy. In the picture, you can see the hole, and also some of the 'dirt' that I scraped out and wiped on the stump next to the hole. It seemed to go quite deep. Is this termites? I recently bought the house, and there are termite traps located in the yard around the house.


texts: What is the gardening purpose of an l-shaped groove knife hand tool?

texts:
What is the gardening purpose of an l-shaped groove knife?

(credits to http://www.chillingtontoolsonline.com/groove-knife-p62 )

It appears to be a weeding or cultivation tool, a little-bit like a "wrong sided" billhook.


texts: When I dug up a young apple tree to move it to a sunnier location, I noticed some sort of white material on the roots.  Is this cause for concern?


texts: Why have some of the leaves on my cherry tree sapling suddenly gone very pale?

texts: Several months ago, I planted three cherry trees, one in the front garden, one in the back and one in a container in the house. The one in the front has really struggled, whereas, predictably, the one I kept inside has flourished. Four days ago, I dug up the one in the front garden and swapped it with the one I grew inside. I notice today on the one I moved outside that some of the leaves have gone pale, almost white, and flimsy. What does this mean? I've watered it regularly, every three days or so, but maybe not in great enough volume. We have had some rain, but also some very hot weather in the last 48 hours. I live in the UK.


texts: Can I grow an apple tree by planting an apple from a nearby tree?

texts: In our road we have a crab apple tree that has fruits but there have never been any small new trees rooting from the crab apples. Once, years ago, there were 3 crab apple trees within 100 yards but 2 of these were destroyed by some ignorant house owners. However in my 83 years of living within 50 yards of these three trees I have never seen any young new seedling trees. Some of the apples must have fallen onto the surrounding soil that is never disturbed. Will an apple tree grow if I deliberately plant some of the fruit from this one remaining tree?


texts: What is this pink/lavender flowering shrub?

texts: The previous home owner has planted these in my backyard in Austin, Texas. They are blooming currently. What are these beautiful flowers?


texts:
When organizing community gardening events, weather sometimes gets in the way. In most cases a little rain or cold doesn't hurt and the event goes on with dedicated gardeners doing their thing in the rain. In some cases though the weather is too severe, as is the case with thunderstorms or high >30mph sustained winds.

In terms of precipitation alone, how much rain is too much to garden in? For example, <5mm seems like fair weather to garden in, 10mm is probably OK too for people not too bothered by the rain, but >15mm seems like it's pushing it to even ask folks to show up. What threshold is used by gardening organizations to decide when to cancel an event due just to rain?


texts:
I've recently bought Cestrum nocturnum from local nursery and transplant it in pot with 40% sand soil, 40% organic compost and 20% coco peat. But I don't know why its leafs are falling continuously.

Same with rose,

Pumpkin was growing fine in compost and coco-peat but when I transplanted in soil, compost and coco-peat mix its growth slows down and leafs keep dying

Falsa died completely after transplant but now new leafs are growing but still dying after some time

EDIT:
The soil was moist and soft.
Here's the pictures of pumpkin roots and soil


texts: Is there an irrigation trencher that can create sloped trenches?

texts:
Unable to find any well suited trencher for digging ditches for irrigation pipes to be laid into. It seems there are no models on the market that would take care of the slanting for us. All models are just able to manually set the trenching depth and use that one all along, nothing like an 1% or 2% slant option. Also, I would need them to go about 2 feet deep maximum. Are there any such trenchers on the market ? Thanks!

EDIT: slanting as in sloping the trench:

  The easiest way to deal with lawn drainage problems is to slope all land, patios, walkways, etc. away from your house. The minimum slope that I work with is two percent, or 1/4 inch per foot

http://www.landscape-design-advice.com/landscape-grading.html#.VWTNrrzsc2s

EDIT 2: I feel I am not making myself understood.

So, the trencher should automatically lower its sawing head (chain / disk) into the ground as it advances. For a 1% slope, it should continuously lower its sawing head at a rate of 1 cm for every meter of dug trench. The operator should just set up the initial digging depth together with the desired sloping (1% for our case), walk along the trencher and after 10 meters of walking the sawing head should be 10 cm lower than initially set up. Hope I was clear, thanks!


texts:
I understand (1, 2) that whether and how much time a plant needs to be in the dark depend on the type of plant. What's the answer for the olive?

The reason I ask is that my city shines lights up on the branches and leaves of an olive tree on my corner all night and I wonder whether that's unhealthful for it.


texts: What are the best materials to use to build raised garden beds on my roof?

texts:
A part of my house (about 30ft x 15ft) has a flat roof and is south facing, perfect for building a little rooftop garden. Obviously, unlike other raised beds, the actual bottom of the bed will need to be elevated off the roof to prevent moisture from possibly destroying the roof.

I want to build 3 8x4 beds. Now, I know I can use cedar to reduce the chance of rotting, but I'm not rich enough to do that.

I can use Douglas Fir for the walls and some composite for the bottom if I can line the inside of the bed with some kind of plastic (I do plan to drill holes in the bottom for drainage).

Painter's plastic? That antiweed landscaping plastic? I'm open to other construction materials as well, provided I don't have to file bankruptcy after I buy them.

What's the best way to build a completely elevated bed on a budget?


texts: Why is my Sunshine Blue blueberry bush flowering in the fall?

texts: I live in the San Juan Islands in the US Pacific N.W. and planted my Sunshine Blue this spring in a container.  It only had 10 or so berries which I understand is OK for a first year plant. It is flowering now (late Sept.).  Should I remove the white flowers or let them be?  I can't understand why it's flowering now.  Any advice would be appreciated.


texts: What are the black creatures on my pumpkin leaves?

texts:
My Giant Atlantic pumpkins are now 12 weeks old and I've noticed grey/black things on the underside of some of the leaves.
I thought this was a growth of some sort but when touched, they move and seem to be little beetles.

What are they? Do I need to worry about them and if so, what's causing them and how do I get rid of them?


texts: I am hoping it will be a wildflower, as it is spread throughout our school wildflower garden, but no buds yet.


texts: Drying and curled up leaves on pluot tree

texts:
We planted the tree about 2 months ago. It was thriving beautifully. Last week suddenly the leaves curled up and dried becoming brown. It coincided with dry days (I’m in northeast) so I started watering it every day but so far it hasn’t recovered. The main stem and branches look,healthy and their tips are still green.
I tried to give it plant food but noticed no difference.
My neighbor suggested it may have used up all the good soil from the pot where it came and now it is facing the clay soil in my house. Is it possible? Is it dying?
Any suggestions?
Thanks.


texts:
How can I improve germination rate at the summer peak temperatures? I will be planting radich.

Do you use covers? If so, what kind?


texts: Is there a strawberry that grows as a bush?

texts: I've heard that strawberries will vine out, but will any breeds grow as a bush so that I don't need to put out lines to keep the berries off the ground?


texts: Should I remove potato leaves when mounding soil around them?

texts: I want to know if I should remove the leaves on my potato plant as I bury it more after it has grown 12" or so. Or do I leave the leaves on the plant?


texts:
My backyard has about ten Italian cypress trees which are 25 feet tall. I plan to cut them down but my backyard does not have an enough space to make the entire trees fall down. So, the trees should be cut piece by piece from the top, I believe.

The thing is that I do not want to climb up a ladder for 25 feet. I would feel comfortable to climb up for 10~15 feet but no more than that. So, one plan I am thinking is to cut the top part of the trunk with a pole saw to lower the height of the tree to about 15~20 feet, standing on the ladder. Then, the rest trunk would be cut with a normal chain saw. The top trunk seems to be thin but I am not sure if the pole saw would have enough power to cut the trunk.

I am just wondering if this plan makes sense. If the only choice is for me to go up to the top of the tree, I would probably hire a professional.

Thanks,


texts:
We have a patch of raspberries.  Mixed in is one or more poison ivy plants.  We know for sure because they're easy to tell apart when the berries are present.  We currently do not harvest the raspberries due to the ivy.

Is it worth the effort trying to save the raspberries or should I eliminate both plant out of caution?


texts: How much harvesting of Fomes Fomentarius is sustainable?

texts: I'm fairly new at harvesting mushrooms, and was wondering how much Fomes Fomentarius I can harvest sustainable from a fungal garden.


texts: Cactus Identification? Are the buds real?

texts:
My friend brought me a little cactus from a plant sale. Unfortunately I don't have a clue about cacti and was wondering if someone could tell me what the little orange buds are? Are they real? I can't see any glue around it but they seem too perfectly placed to be real.

Thanks for your time & enjoy the pictures of my cactus:


texts: What should I do to improve a lawn growing on a new construction lot?

texts:
A builder built a new home for us last year (2013) and put sod in the front, and a seed blanket in the back.  The seed blanket came up somewhat patchy, so we bought a few bags of seed and a spreader, to put down some additional seed to help the lawn grow.  Also, we don't have a sprinkler system, but I did move a single hose/sprinkler around the yard to help it grow.

Fast forward to Spring 2014: the snow has melted, and the grass is starting to green.  The back yard still has lots of patches, and weeds are growing everywhere.

What am I doing wrong?  What would be the best way to help thicken the back yard as I would imagine this is the key to a weed free yard.   Should I pull weeds manually or use an herbicide? Should I fertilize?  Should I aerate early in the year?  Should I put down more seed?

Edit:  I wanted to include this wonderful article I found online as well: http://www.richsoil.com/lawn-care.jsp (both for my reference as well as for other visitors).


texts: What is this plant with yellow flowers on long stems?

texts:
Could anyone name this plant?

Idiotically I forgot its name right after buying it last week. I'm pretty sure it started with a C.

Many thanks in advance.


texts:
I have this fungus in my garden and it is slowly moving to my house. The picture shows it with a one Euro coin so you have an idea of the scale.
1.  Do you know what kind of fingus this is?
2.  Is it harmfull
3.  How do I get rid of it

Thanks for our help.
Erwin


texts: How late in the spring can I plant a citrus tree in Phoenix, Arizona?

texts: Due to circumstances beyond my control I will only have the option of planting citrus trees at the beginning of June this year. The temperatures in Phoenix, Arizona will average highs above 100°F (38°C) throughout June. Is this too hot for new citrus trees to survive, even with daily water?


texts:
Good day everyone!

I would like to ask for some help on how to save my dying rose plant. This rose plant was thought to be dead last year when it dropped all its leaves and I did not remove the "dead" stem from the pot, and just left it unattended. Surprisingly just 5 months ago it sprung back to life when it produced new leaves from its bare stem and after that I have resumed to water it regularly. Now it is happening all over again. Just a week after it produced a flower, some of the leaves suddenly turned yellow, and dropped. And today I noticed that all of its leaves have curled/wilted, and its stem near the base turned brown/black(root rot?).

Is there a way to save this plant? or is it a goner? What could I have done wrong with this ?

I am suspecting that I have over watered it, but I am not really sure. It does get direct sunlight in the morning for about 5 hours (until it gets covered by the shadow cast by the tree behind it). The soil is kind of sandy, so it should drain well. I've only sprayed foliar fertilizer on it thrice in a span of 2 months, and sprinkled a pinch of epsom salt once around the base of the plant. It does not get sprayed with any sort of fungicide or insecticide though (the leaves does not seem to show any infestation).

I would really appreciate any response to this


texts: Harm a tree by trimming top/exposed only part of root in lawn?

texts:
I don't see this question out here specifically asking about trimming only the top part of a tree root that is protruding higher than the lawn surface.

35 year old silver maple, with one or two lawn roots coming up in lawn.

Can I trim the roots flush with the lawn surface using a reciprocating saw with a nice clean cut?  I would not do this in the heat of summer.  Will it heal?

If not, how is this any different than nicking it with the mower blade?


texts:
I have in mind to plant bulbs for various flowers, for next year. (Specifically, I'm thinking about crocuses and tulips.)
I know that the recommend planting months for these are in the autumn, but will anything bad happen if I were to buy and plant the bulbs now?
I'm worried that I'll forget / not have time, in the autumn. So if I were to do it now ... would they just sit and wait for next year, or would planting the bulbs now ... break things?


texts: How to encourage new branch growth in a peach tree?

texts:
I have a white peach tree that I planted about two years ago. Last year, I found that the tree had many little dead branches so I pruned them off. After pruning, the tree now has only several long thin branches left. Then, this spring, I wished that I would see the growth of more new branches and leaves. But, there is no sign of new twigs coming out either from the trunk and the existing branches and the leaves are coming out only from the tip of the branches (not from the middle part).

Does this tree look OK? Is there anything I can do to make the tree grow more branches and leaves?


texts: What is this ladybug-like insect that is damaging my kale, and how can I control it?

texts: This insect has seriously damaged my kale, and almost killed my brussel sprouts in less than a week. What is it, and how can I control it. My garden is organic, so a non-chemical solution is preferable. Diatomaceous earth does not appear to phase them.


texts: Yet another indoor Meyer Lemon tree that fails to thrive

texts:
Had this plant for two or three years, and it's never bloomed, let alone produced fruit.  Produced some gigantic leaves, but that's it.  Hasn't produced a leaf in months.  Windows are facing south, so it gets good sun.  Previously had a mini orange tree here that consistently fruited.
Any bright ideas?  I'm about ready to toss the thing.


texts: Why won't my Craftsman 6-0 Briggs & Stratton lawn mower stay running?

texts:
My Craftsman 6-0 Briggs & Stratton push lawn mower will not stay running. If I keep pushing the primer it will stay running, then when I stop pushing the primer it dies. I cleaned the carburettor and I still have the same problem.

What is causing this and how do I prevent it?


texts: This is growing in a sunny yard in a planter in Northeastern Illinois near the Wisconsin border. It's growing in a planter that should be butterfly-friendly specific. Don't want to yank it if it's beneficial; it's pretty darn healthy!


texts: The USDA just released the first new hardiness zone maps since 1990.  Am I still in the same zone?


texts: What is this native North American lily with a downward facing speckled orange flower?

texts:
I suspect this is a native North American lily that I grew from seed and the label was lost over the years they take to flower.

It's quite happy in full sun in USDA zone 4 in Ottawa.  It has a nodding flower which hangs downward. For the picture I held the flower up. Any ideas on which species?


texts:
In my other question What is this plant on the pictures? I was asking about the identity of certain plant.
The reason I was asking was that this plant has gone for the worse recently.
The whole plant somehow faded and the liitle sprout seen on first picture has sagged and lost most of its leaves. Well, it went from bad to worse. The liitle sprout just toppled over with no roots left. My guess is that the roots have rotted away. My question is: Can I save that sprout and how. Would putting it in a water with a bit of liquid fertiliser help? Or is it gone.
My worry is that the big plant might follow soon.


texts:
Last year I laid a lot of mulch down. After a few storms, the mulch ended up piling on one end of the landscaped area. Either it was blown or moved by rain water.

Is there a good way to prevent mulch from blowing or washing away?

Update

The mulch I used is Earthgro. It is a mix of finer and larger bark chips. I placed it directly on the dirt, no plastic underneath it. I live in Chicago. I'll update with pictures when I get home.


texts: Can grafting increase fruit size, productivity, and ease of growth?

texts:
I've been considering the possibility of grafting a giant watermelon variety (such as Carolina Cross) onto a giant pumpkin/squash/gourd rootstock (such as Atlantic Giant pumpkin, Weeks NC Giant, Zucca gourd, or Kikinda Competition Strain Edible Gourd). Would that affect the size of the fruit, ease of growth, and productivity, at all? I understand grafting onto squash and gourds can affect some aspects of fruit, such as firmness, at least.

Anyway, I'm hoping this might result in unusually large fruit, or at least easier to grow fruit in less than ideal conditions.

'Ease of growth' probably needs further explanation. Basically, I mean, Might it make it easier to grow large fruits (not giant, per se) without special treatment? For instance, Zucca gourds don't require special treatment to grow large, but people who grow giant watermelons and pumpkins usually report all kinds of tricks employed to get them huge (not that Zucca gourds are that big, though).

From what I read, it sounds like a gourd might be better for a rootstock than C. maxima x C. moschata, if I want good quality fruit. I'm not sure about plain old C. maxima.


texts: Cover crop - cutting rye before it flowers

texts:
I planted a fall cover crop last fall to loosen up our compacted yard in Sacramento, California. Currently, it's very tall, like 3 feet, and I'd like to mow it soon.  But it contains winter and annual rye that has not yet gone to flower. Everything I read says wait for these species to flower before mowing.

I'm getting some seedlings ready to put in the ground and I'm wondering if there would be detrimental effects if I go ahead and mow the cover crop before it flowers?


texts: What Is The Best Way To Kill Grape Vines?

texts: Before we moved into our new house there were grape vines everywhere. We got rid of one stump, but another one by the fence is harder to get rid of. So I want to know what would be the most effective way to kill this plant off for good?


texts:
These bugs started to appear on one of my rose plants. I don't want to kill them if they are not pests. They seem like they could be ladybird larvae but i want to be sure. They are quite small, less than a 1cm in length.
Can anyone confirm what they are?


texts: What are some good companion veggies/flowers/herbs to scare off beetles?

texts:
I've had the biggest problems with Asian Stink Bugs (an invasive species that is terrorizing the Midatlantic USA region) and Asparagus Beetles.  Oddly enough the asparagus beetles (right pic) are mostly found on my radishes, turnips and brassica, and only occasionally on my (young) asparagus.  The stink bugs (left pic) are the worst, since the birds won't even eat them.

Source: Wikimedia commons

I've been hand picking and squishing them all, and I've occasionally used neem.  But I'd prefer to scare them away or confuse them with some flowers or herbs so fewer of them will show up in the first place.  Any suggestions?


texts: What is this tall, alternate leaved plant from Piedmont region MD?

texts:
It comes up in the spring, gets about 3.5 ft tall, never blooms & dies back in winter. I've pulled up a lot of it; it grows from an underground thick runner type root system. I think it's a general weed, but want to be sure before I kill it all. I'm trying to eliminate invasives and encourage natives on the property.    Close-up of top click here.

EDIT: Jul 22, 2014 - It is dog bane, a/k/a indian hemp with buds. It did "bud up" and finally bloomed but not large flowers, just barely open little bell-shaped blooms. See also bottom right link on this page; branching near top, somewhat reddish stems. Dogbane is a nectar source for adult monarchs (and many others), but NOT host plant for the monarch caterpillar. It is hosting an unidentified communal web that produces a small green, becoming a fuzzy white caterpillar (growing larger over a couple weeks). I have not seen a cocoon to know what, if anything, it becomes.


texts: What is this bulb with pink single flowers and glossy strap-like leaves?

texts:
I live in Sri Lanka. But this is not a local plant. Can anyone point out the name of the plant of this flower. The leaves of the plants are pointed with red arrows. The leaves of the plant are only the ones pointed with red arrow.
Leaf is just grass like thick thin max 15 cm long kind of.

I forgot to mention each has two or 2 leaves long like I mentioned above. Each plant is having a bulb like red onion, but much smaller in size and unlike red onion this bulb is more white like in color.


texts: How to take care of White Sandalwood Plant in the Pot?

texts:
Previously, I have posted this question on SE and it was related to Red Sandalwood plant (dead now).

Recently, I have purchased a new White Sandalwood plant. But, I think that the condition of this plant is not good. I am new to gardening and I am trying to grow sandalwood 3rd time.

Location: Bangalore, India

Type: Santalum album (White Sandalwood Plant)

Size: 1 foot

Planted: In full sunlight, inside pot.

Soil: Red soil, Cow dung (for nitrogen).

Host plant: Haven't considered planting yet. Sandalwood plant is just 1 year old.

Following are the pics:

  Does this plant look healthy? and how to care for this planet?

Update(20-Jan): I have followed what was suggested to me in the answer.Secondly, I have bought this plant on amazon.in and I read following feedback from a customer:

    Received a good plant. however the leaves dropped off. am waiting for new leaves to emerge. the host plant (probably some pulses) packaged along with is doing fine. Have had a good experience with this seller in the past.

Same situation is going with my plant as well. Leaves have started to fall. I hope they regrow.


texts:
New gardener here. I saw little holes in my basil, bean, and epazote leaves. What's eating them, and how can I get rid of these pests? Obviously spraying something on the leaves is less than ideal for the herbs.

Pictures are linked to below.

Thank you!

Picture links:
Basil
Epazote
Beans


texts: Looking at grape plants, I noticed that they all say the height is variable, or only list the spread of the plant. Does that mean that as long as I provide a tall enough trellis, I could grow a grape plant as high as I wanted?


texts: I was planning to prune the emerald green hedges on my driveway. I don’t know what they are exactly but looking on the internet, I think these are Emerald green (thuja). Although on the outside they look green, on the inside it has dead leaves. The green leaves are on the tip of the branches and are about 2-3 inches. What are some of the things I should do to take care of these? Can I prune them now about an inch? Should I clear all the dry leaves?


texts: Performance of a bamboo (Phyllostachys) hedge in South-West UK

texts:
I am considering a bamboo hedge. I want something with substantial culms, so Phyllostachys sp. and I would like them to stay green. I really like P. glauca. P. bissettii and P. vivax also look good.

I'm based on the southern edge of the Cotswolds, England, so it'll be exposed to mild, wet but blustery south-westerly weather. We get some frosts, but temps rarely drop below -5°C. Soil is free draining, over limestone. Beautiful texture, low in nutrients.

How would a bamboo hedge perform? What sorts of heights can I expect and what time for establishment? How would it look in winter? I am aware of the need for root barriers but depths, spacings and planting tips welcome.


texts: Considerations when planting foundation shrubs

texts:
I am looking to put some Japanese Boxwood in front of my property to disguise my raised foundation and was wondering if there are any big no-no's I should avoid?

I am looking to place some some brick in front of the plants to separate the lawn from the foliage and was wondering if I should have the bed raised behind or keep it level with the lawn?

For reference, here is a look I am looking to imitate. Thank you!


texts: In a garden path with scoria as a base and pebbles on top, will the scoria rise readily to the surface?

texts:
I had a digger remove top soil from our backyard so that I could install raised garden beds with pebble paths between them. The soil was removed a few cm deeper than I'd planned, and the level of the pebbles needs to align with concrete paths/pads. If I use just decorative pebbles for the paths, I'll need substantially more of them than originally planned, and they aren't cheap.

There is woven weedmat on the ground ready for the pebbles to be brought in.

I consulted the local landscape supply business, and they suggested using a layer of scoria (a light, bubbly volcanic rock, excellent for drainage) underneath the pebbles. Scoria is substantially cheaper than the decorative pebbles.

Given that scoria is very light (as rocks go), will it rise to the surface and mix with the pebbles as the path is walked on, over time?


texts:
Hi!

I’m hoping someone can help me with a fig tree problem. We are located in Lebanon.

There seems to be something resembling sawdust around the tree bark. This is my parents’ garden and I am relying on their verbal information about symptoms. No worms have been seen as far as I understand. All we have all seen is this sawdust.

It would be great if someone could verify what the issue is, or if there is an issue at all. If you do recognize anything in this image that verifies what the problem is, it would be great if you could suggest a solution.

Thanks in advance!


texts: I noticed some weird tiny holes on the trunk of a giant tree in my yard. I'm not sure if the previous owner used this tree as a dart board or what. Poking it, the tree bark kind of felt soft and bendable. I easily peeled some off to realize that there are ants or some kind of insect living inside the tree. Is this a sign that the tree is at risk of falling? I'm concerned since the tree has a slight lean straight towards the house.


texts: Are cockroaches pests in the compost heap?

texts:
I dug up my compost pile last weekend. it is made of aerated concrete blocks, just layed in a square, no cement. located on the rooftop of our 4 stories building, located in Hong Kong.

Beside the worms, BSF larvae, flies and other insects, I saw a lot of geckos and a nest of cockroaches.

In that specific environment, should I consider them as pest?

I have none in the house, in Hong Kong, cockroaches are extremely common and they are really located at the compost pile place only.

I believe they are helping the organic matter breaking down process, but is that true? do they come without side impact?


texts: what is the minimum lumens of light required to grow a single tomato plant and similar flowering plants Indoors?

texts:
I am planning to grow a single tomato plant Indoors. I am doing research on what grow light to invest on as a beginner. I want to know how many lumens does a tomato plant requires?
If I want to grow similar flowering plants like cucumber, then what is the minimum lumens I should target for? I am interested in getting an LED light for that purpose. I have a small budget since I want to experiment first before I dig further into hydroponics.


texts: Added vinegar and dish soap to kill clover. but it killed my grass. What should I do?

texts: I heard that it doesn't kill the root so grass should regrow. I used 5% acidic vinegar.


texts: What is the best temperature to germinate Haworthiopsis limifolia seeds?

texts:
I have a batch of Haworthiopsis limifolia seeds that I collected from my own plants and would like to sow.

I won't ask when to sow them, because your climate may differ. I will rather ask what temperature range is best, and what difference between day and night temperatures triggers germination.


texts:
Over the past month my lawn has changed from a consistent luscious green to yellow. I have an irrigation system that runs for about 10 mins 3x a week. And I fertilize according to the 4x/year schedule using Milorganite (which I think is 6-4-0).
I'm not sure what kind of grass I have. I live on Long Island, New York (zone 7A).


texts: Ideas for bushes or shrubs greater than 6 feet that will grow in partial shade against a building in Zone 2-3?

texts:
I have a narrow garden bed at the back of my carriage garage made out of retaining wall.  It is directly against my building.

I would like to find a bush, hedge or similar that will grow in this shady area, ideally eventually become over 6 feet tall to blend the building face into the landscape (primarily for neighbour benefit). I live in Zone 3.

Any suggestions of some robust hardy bushes that might be up to the task and thrive in this challenging environ?


texts: Plant with serrated leaves and orange-red five-petalled flowers?

texts:
I have this in my garden in India.

The flowers will form seeds in 2-3 days mostly. I wanted to know what is its name. The flowers are small and are having somewhat orange color


texts: What is this small plant with tiny white flowers and tiny saw-teethed leaves?

texts:
I got a small plant (from my mother-in-law... ) on which I would like to have an ID with your help. I cannot say much about its life-cycle as I only got it recently: she told me it was once in a pot and she put it outside. Thus I assume it survived winters with peaks down to -20 C.

tiny white flowers (1.5cm in diameter)
saw-teethed leaves (2cm long, 1.5 large, reminds me of birch-leaves)
flowers die back quite fast (a few days), but new one are coming out again quickly

Some images (click to enlarge)


texts: What house plants or flowers act like a dehumidifier

texts:
I live in a wet climate and the house I currently reside in gathers a lot of moisture on the windows, this is due to no ventilation on the windows among other factors. We are only renting so I'm looking for an alternative. I know I could just buy a dehumidifier, but what fun would that be?

What I'm looking for is a plant or flower, anything, that acts like a natural dehumidifier. What I want to achieve is to reduce the moisture by putting plants on the windows or around.


texts:
I wish to thicken my trunks on a few ficus hawaii, ficus benjamina, maples and juniper trees in a shorter space of time.
What species of bonsai and to what effect will vertical cuts thicken the trunk? Does wiring the trunk tight create a thicker trunk? Is it best to grow it in the ground instead?

What techniques can be used to thicken trunks without compromising the health of the tree?


texts:
All was going well with my Carolina reaper seeds using the baggy method. After it had grown its second pair of leaves I decided to plant it in a pot with some of the paper since the roots had grown through it.

Say two weeks later it hadn't grown very much but looked fine. But when I got home one day the leaves had all dropped down. The day after they're even worse and seem to be curling and maybe slightly yellow.

What's caused this and what can I do to fix it?


texts:
I have raised beds, and I noticed sunchokes beginning to grow this spring. I cut down (and thought I had ripped out) the single sunchoke I planted last spring sometime around Christmas last year thinking that was the end of it (didn't even try it after my friends told me horror stories about "severe gastrointestinal distress" they had experienced). I went to dig them up and ended up harvesting over 3lbs of sunchoke tubers (yeah, I weighed them, 3lbs 4.3oz). I'm feeling more adventurous now, and am curious if anyone has experience eating them after such a late harvest (they were sprouting new plants and were about 6 inches tall above the soil, and some of the tubers were over a foot deep. I really dug these things up).

Are they worth cooking, or should I just toss them?


texts: Are these scale insects? How to get rid of them?

texts:
I have tried to kill them with Neudorff Spruzit spray (Pyrethrin) and Provanto spray (Flupyradifurone) and they still keep spreading after 2-3 months from first poisoning. I really need help because now they spread somehow in my Thai constellation monster.

Other photos:
https://ibb.co/n0Zx1mv
https://ibb.co/7Kxq0Hx
https://ibb.co/ncfZLDg
https://ibb.co/5hXxnJj


texts: My Magnolia ‘Vulcan’ flowers are not looking right. Attached photos are all new growth (in Australia, just entering Spring). Any thoughts as to the issue?


texts: How to compost bacon grease, cooking oil, and other voluminous fats?

texts:
I don't often deep fry, or have bacon in the mornings, but when I do, I always have the same question of what to do with the grease. Usually, I just put it in the city compost bin, figuring all the raked leaves, etc from others will dilute it enough for the city to handle it. But can I compost it? Or is there a yeast, a fungus, beetle, worm, or something that I could feed it to that would turn it into something useful? And how could doing so be relatively straightforward for someone like me with kids and a job and not a lot of time and money to experiment with?

I found a neat q&a about grease and oyster mushrooms which seems relevant, but I'm guessing I'd have to adopt mushroom farming as a hobby to be able to use that advice.


texts: Can somebody help me identify these two grasses in Lake Placid Florida?

texts: The one on the left grows up to 1 inch stock thick and straight and in some parts gets up to 8' high. It tends to have a bushy bottom.  The one on the right seems like a grass and shots up like this during winter/dry season. The one on the right the stock is hollow.  The one on the right might be cutthroat seep grass?


texts: Should I tell my vineyard consultant to spray my fruit trees with the sulfur he sprays on the vineyard?

texts:
We have a very small (450 vines) pinot noir vineyard that we are raising organically.

My vineyard consultant has people spray the vines with sulfur a few times each season.

Last year, one of my apple trees (about 7 years old) just broke and fell over - presumably from a fungal infection ...

I am wondering - we have apple trees and pear trees and we have never done anything but water them and give them some basic fertilizer - should we just spray the apple and pear trees with the same sulfur that we spray the vines with ?

It seems to me that as long as those guys are there spraying 450 vines, why not spray 20 more trees ?

Thanks.


texts: Fast-propagating, inexpensive ground cover / border

texts:
I'm looking for a ground cover / border for my flower beds that's:

Fast-propagating
Will tolerate zone 6 (although zone 5 might be more appropriate given the way the past few winters have been).
Morning sun.
Mostly wet. Soils here tend to be pretty high in clay content.
Hoping for at least 6" (15cm).
Inexpensive is a big plus!

Liriope is my choice if nothing else comes, but I wonder if you experts out there have a more interesting, better-looking, or faster-propagating recommendation.


texts: Why is this tomato rotten at the end, and loosened from the plant?

texts: On of my tomato is rotten at the bottom. At the same time I observe that the  connection between the plant and fruit is broken. Not sure what happened first though. Is this just a physical damage that caused rotting? Am I missing calcium?


texts: Can anyone identify this insect on my aloe plant?

texts: Can anyone identify the insects on my aloe plant? Thank you.


texts: How long is bacillus thuringiensis active?

texts:
A few weeks ago I sprayed my broccoli and bok choy plants with bacillus thuringiensis in an attempt to control caterpillar numbers. I'm pleased to see no new caterpillars (pieris rapae larvae) since then even though I have seen eggs laid on leaves.

However, bacillus thuringiensis is said only to persist on the leaves for a few days so why is the effect lasting so long? I think the recommendation is to respray after three weeks so it's not just me.

Do the bacteria numbers increase in the soil after application, or is there some other mechanism that suppresses the larvae?

Ps: diy expansion of the bacteria using a milk culture


texts: What is this very thin and tall plant called?

texts:
This plant is very tall and thin (measures about half a meter in height). The trunk/stem has layers of previous leaves and is light brown. Leaves are very thin and light green but this is possibly due to new growth or unhealthy plant. Can anyone identify this plant or name it? Thank you
This is the plant (link).

Is it a young dracena marginata?


texts: What are these yellow, eight-petal flowers?

texts: What are these yellow flowers? There are currently lots and lots of them (here in Central Europe, zone 6), mostly in the shade of large trees in a park environment. The flowers are approx. 2 cm in diameter. A lot of purple liverworts grew in the same environment, but those have mostly withered by now.


texts: ZZ Plant in ICU. Root rot due to water. Need help quickly

texts:
I will explain how this happened, but one stump just came out easily, and I suspected root rot. Now, I took the plant out and examined the roots and found rot rotting with the tubers rotted too.

On the first plant, I cut the two tubers(potato) right away cz I got frightened. And I washed the roots to get rid of the bad soil with possible bacteria from root rot. And I also took the liberty to remove all the rotted or rotting roots.

Now this is what is left of it:

What should I do? I am thinking of re-potting in a better soil and wait. Or should I throw away this plant or consider propagation?


texts: What's the deal with these spikey seedy things from my blue carex grass?

texts: We are in our 2nd season with this blue carex grass, which runs the length of the house. But this year there are tall, spikey, seedy looking things coming out of them. Not all of them, but most of them. The picture tries to capture some that have it and some that don't.  Any idea? Maybe this is normal and I'm just supposed to cut them back? I've had trouble getting clear answers through generic Googling. [Location: Maryland/DC suburbs]


texts: What is this tree with green spherical fruit?

texts: I have searched everywhere and cannot seem to identify the type of tree this is.


texts: What to do with the spent flower spike of foxgloves (digitalis)?

texts:
I've had a glorious display of foxgloves in my garden this year, but now pretty much all of the flowers have wilted and fallen. I don't particularly want to collect seed from the plants, but what should I do with the remaining flower spikes / plants?

Should I cut the spike off the plant near its base? And if I do, will the plant recover to produce another spike next year?

Or should I just get rid of the plant entirely and sow seeds now for next year's display?


texts: we had an unusually dry season and my hydrangea blooms looks burnt I have noticed new growth is it ok to dead head the old flowers


texts: What is this vine/crawler growing in my yard?

texts:
I noticed that next to my garden box (not from it, and not climbing into it) I have this vine?  Maybe a crawler?  I'm not sure technically what this would be called.

What is this?  Any thoughts?  It's the three-lobed leave vine.  Looks like some of the leaves are purple-ish, but mostly green.

Thanks in advance!


texts: Plants that can be grown in USDA zone 8a

texts:
I live in a condo complex in zone 8a, and I can have potted plants on a patio area.

What I'm planning on growing: Tomatoes, Peppers

What I'd like to grow as well: peas, green beans, strawberries.

Potential plants that sound like fun: Carrots, spinach, lettuce.

In this USDA zone, is it possible to grow these plants.  If not, are there any recommendations on what plants can be grown?


texts: How long can an Opuntia (prickly pear cactus) live?

texts: Thanks to another question, we know that Opuntia can live for decades. Can they live for centuries? Rather than determining the age of a specimen, answering this positively might mean identifying one which is known to have been growing since long ago.


texts: Are plants cloned from a hardened donor effectively pre-hardened?

texts: I got a clone of a nice oregano from someone recently and this oregano had apparently managed to survive through a frosty winter outdoors in the south of Ireland. I was very impressed as I've always had difficulty with oregano so I'm wondering if this character would be maintaned in the clone ?


texts: What kinds of fruits and vegetables can I grow at the end of August in zone 7b/8a?

texts: I am in northeastern Mississipp (zone 7b/8a). What are good fall/winter fruits and vegetables that I can start growing now (end of August)?


texts: Why is growth on this Stromanthe streaked with green rather than purple undersides & some leaves have defects?

texts:
This is a non-variegated Stromanthe. The new growth forming has green instead instead of purple undersides.

Underside of leaves have green streaks instead of solid purple

Underside of leaves have green streaks instead of solid purple

Also, a few leaves have defects near base of leaf
Humidity: 54% to 60%
Temperature: 68F
Watering: when reaches 2 or 3 on the moisture meter (~7 days)
fertilizer: 0.6g 20-20-20 soluble every 4 months
pests: none detected


texts: How I can persuade an olive tree to flower?

texts:
I have an olive tree that was a mail order gift about four years ago. Unusually for mail-order florist "living plant" deliveries, this one has survived more than a few months! It came with two olives on it to prove that it was an olive tree, but I haven't seen any signs of flowers or olives since!

Location: North Texas. We do get winter frosts, so it is in a pot which comes in for winter. The rest of the year it is on the deck and gets a lot of sun from mid-morning to early evening. It is also quite thirsty. Thirst is partly due to the summer heat, but when it dries out it does drop its leaves. This has only happened a couple of times and the leaves come back again, but I wouldn't be surprised if this prohibits flower buds for the year.

When it comes in for winter, it will get some morning sun, but not a huge amount. The house windows are not very good for plants.

It gets a liquid fertilizer perhaps once a year. I gave it some about a month ago, whilst doing the young pepper plants.

So what can I do to encourage flower growth?


texts: Are there downsides to planting in fall in Northern California?

texts: I'm a new homeowner and need to replace plants in our lawn in Northern California). Is it okay to plant now or is there a reason to wait for Spring? Is the main difference flowering? Will plants root and survive now?


texts: Is there a way to avoid the recurring cost of microbes when composting at home?

texts:
I am planning to start a terrace garden and to generate compost for it. I found two sellers Seller1 and Seller2 in my city. Seller1 has "patented microbes" and Seller2 has microbes, saw dust, dry leaves and treated coconut husk to help in composting. The problem is that I'll have to purchase these microbes and extra composting material every month, and the cost seems much higher than what I'll be saving from the vegetables I cultivate.

Problem specifics:

Seller1 says that if I don't want to purchase the microbes every month, I could take half of the old compost and re-use the microbes, but I wouldn't be able to do that more than two cycles, and would need fresh microbes. Each handful of "patented" microbes costs Rs.300. (To compare that to your currency, a loaf of bread here costs Rs.30)
Seller2 has cheaper microbes at Rs.60, but also requires us to purchase sacks of dry leaves + saw dust + treated coconut husk for Rs.140.

Questions:

Is there a simple, safe way for us to culture and grow these microbes ourselves (and not have to spend so much money for other raw materials needed for composting), instead of depending on what looks like a clear business strategy by these sellers? Is it really so necessary to purchase these microbes?
If I take the top soil from some land which has flourishing plants and use it in my flower pots, won't it already have the necessary microbes? If I water the soil regularly and provide sufficient shade, wont the microbes continue thriving such that I won't need to do any composting in the first place? If I ever need more microbes, couldn't I just get some fresh soil from that land again? The empty plot of land full of wild plants and weeds is just next to my house. If I throw organic kitchen waste there, won't the composting happen automatically, so that I won't have to buy any composting equipment or spend time on composting?

The cost kills the enthusiasm of doing composting for the sake of gardening.


texts: What is the name of this purple leaved hanging plant?

texts:
One of my hanging plant's name I don't know, can you identify it? here are its pictures:

Full Plant:

Leaves Front Side:

Leaves Back Side: (Purple side)