texts: What causes sudden discoloration and leaf drop in a mature lemon tree?

texts:
We have a 30yo lemon tree in a large container. It spends winters inside and summers outdoors.

We moved it outside a few weeks ago, when day temperatures were between 10 and 20 C and night temperatures at 5C and above, and it seemed initially quite happy.

It was lush and dark green (best winter ever, so far), but the top leaves may have gotten less light than the main crown while indoors. It had none of the huge etiolated leaves that indicate lack of light, though. Temperatures indoors were around 20C, because we inhabit the room.

It was fertilized regularly, following the instructions on the bottle.

After a very short time outside, leaves started to drop and roll a bit lengthwise. We suspected lack of water (although we had thought the soil to be humid enough) so we watered very thoroughly, letting the excess run off. Leaf shape went back to normal.

Since a few days we see a massive leaf drop (ca. 100 leaves in total) and discoloration: Leaves take on a yellowish, almost coppery tinge overall, in some the veins are lighter, and some are spotting grayish circles on the top that can be rubbed off (but need vigorous rubbing). The leaves are more leathery than usual and the scent is missing.

What is especially strange is that it seems as if the tree has difficulties drawing the water from the soil - after a week of dry and sunny weather, the soil is still more humid than we would expect it to be based on our experience.

We did have a very light frost, but that’s not the first time the tree was exposed to it and it never caused this kind of symptoms.


texts: Train Parthenocissus quinquefolia as ground cover - possible?

texts:
I planted a virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) just beside a large tree, and it developed two strong straight shoots (7-8 feet long) this year so far - one going up the tree, and another straight over the soil.

Shoot up the tree is ok, but how can I train the shoot at the soil level to become ground cover, not just one line of leaves?


texts: What is the diagnosis and treatment of a 5 year old Blueberry plant?

texts:
Our five-year-old blueberry plant, that has always produced well is full of berries and all of a sudden has dying branches and leaves turning red. I’ve included  picture. We did fail to prune it last year so it has too many crowed branches and small fruit. Please help diagnose and recommend treatment. We want to save this plant.
[1]: https://i.stack.imgur.com/Gb0qx.jpg![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/tb2e7.jpg)


texts: Should I worry about cross-pollination from the sterile comfrey cultivar, "Bocking 14"?

texts:
I am looking at growing some comfrey, Bocking 14 maybe, but I see that this is a sterile hybrid to prevent the weed from growing out of control.

My concern is: I save most seeds from what I grow, cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes etc.

Is it possible that the pollen from the Bocking 14 flowers could cross with my other plants, making my seeds sterile for my other vegetables?


texts: Drip watering system drains water tank with inactive pump

texts:
I have a 200 litre water tank on my balcony with a submersible pump at the bottom and a hose + drip system attached.

Pump is supposed to automatically switch on twice a day while we're on vacation.

During the first week of testing, the tank was running almost empty already while I calculated 200 litres to be sufficient for about 2 weeks.

The problem is, that the water which remains in the hose creates underinflation which sucks the tank empty even with inactive pump.
Water continues to flow till the water level in the tank reaches the height of the sprinkler outlets attached to the end of the hose.

Do you have any suggestion how to avoid ongoing waterflow with disabled pump? I can't really move the plants to a higher location so the water level in the full tank will always be above the level of the output sprinklers.

This is the pump I am using
https://www.amazon.de/dp/B00B18KADW/


texts: Should I harvest potatoes even if they haven't fully flowered?

texts:
I planted some potatoes about 10 - 14 weeks ago. They have tall strong tops. Only a few small buds/flowers appear, then drop off. They have been well watered every day.

Should we start to harvest now? What if no flowers appear?


texts: Polyembryonic Honey Mango seedlings don’t look too good

texts: My seedlings we’re doing good but now leaves are blackening at the base and at the tips. I recently moved the seed to a pot with drainage holes. I am using some organic bug pesticide. I have gnat    Problems.


texts: What is happening to my succulent and how can I cure it?

texts:
My wife got three different succulents from a friend for her birthday. One of them started turning brown on the stems and tips of leaves about a week ago.

She's been watering them consistently (checked the soil this morning and it's damp), and it is possible that she overwatered them. From what I've read, though, it doesn't look like overwatering. Can anyone shed some light on this? What is happening to our succulent and how can we cure it?


texts: Flower identification and black spots diagnosis

texts:
I'm trying to find out what type of flower this is, what the black spots are and if they're normal. They appear to be seeds but I cannot tell for sure.

I am in the Northwestern United States, hardiness zone 7B.


texts: How can I stop removed branch stumps from spouting 'beards'?

texts:
I've a lot of substantial trees, mostly sycamores (related to maples I think, they might have a different name in the US?)

I can see over the past the last owners pruned branches on the main trunk but each time, a spray of new branches has sprouted around the stump. In some cases they clearly cut these back and then each of those sprouted - the end result is a messy 'beard' of new branches coming from the trunk.

Is there a way to stop this happening? Should they be pruned at the right time, or the raw stumps treated to prevent regrowth, perhaps? Or is this just how some trees grow and I have to resign myself to managing it?

Please note my growth is coming directly from the stumps of the cut branches. Which is exactly what the answer to How can I stop a sycamore tree from sprouting new growth? doesn't cover, that focuses on sprouts from the trunk/roots rather than from the 'scar' of my pruning. I am not pollarding my tree to encourage new growth, I am removing unwanted branches where I want no growth.


texts: Why does my new ZZ plant have yellow and broken leaves?

texts:
I got this ZZ plant (Zamioculcas) from the nursery (and tried choosing the best one) yesterday. I noticed some yellow leaves and broken leaves. When I asked the gardener (or whatever we call her) she said it was caused by sunlight. I don't know the real cause of it. Upon Googling, I learned that it was due to overwatering. Is this the case?

Also, does it need repotting?


texts: What kind of plant is this and how do you take care of it

texts: What is this plant and how do you care for it?


texts: Is there anything wrong with letting cucumbers get large?

texts:
The top and light green cucumber is the one in question. I thought it was fitting to use a cherry tomato for scale.

Is there anything wrong with letting a cucumber grow that large? Is there a well understood difference in flavor or texture? Any impact to the plant itself (aside from weight)?


texts: What are these patches of fluffy white growth on this young apple tree?

texts:
Out of three young apple trees, one in particular has been suffering with pest problems, mainly aphids. I check it almost daily, and probably once a week on average I find aphids swarming a terminal bud. It's usually many or none, and when I see them I just smoosh them off gently with my fingers. Today I checked the trees and see these patches of fuzzy white growth on that troubled tree:

I did a little research online and see woolly aphids as a potential culprit. I did have aphids as I mentioned, but I haven't seen any there in a few days - this is a lot of material appearing fast! Last I checked this tree was just two days ago.

@Stormy has mentioned that mulching potted trees with wood chips is a bad idea. The other young apple trees don't have wood chips and they are having fewer pest problems, so that seems like good advice. Tomorrow I'll have gardening time and plan to brush off these fuzzy growths and repot this particular apple tree in some fresh soil with no wood chips on top. Any other advice to go along with identification of these growths is appreciated!


texts: Increase chances of good fruit from seed propagation

texts:
I understand that propagation by seed does not produce trees that resemble its parent. However, I am forced to propagate by seed some rare fruit that are prohibitively expensive to ship to my home. How would I increase the likelihood that a seed would produce good fruit?

Do seeds from sweet fruit have a higher chance of also producing sweet fruit? Or is there no correlation?
Are there any visual characteristics of a seed (size, color) that make predict how good the fruit will be?


texts:
I was cheerfully eating all raspberries from the small plot in the backyard, including the 5% with white spots—pictured.

Today while pulling one of those with a white spot, I saw a little puff of white powder at the moment of pulling.

I'm starting to wonder that the white spots may be mold.

Can you shed some light on what they are, whether they're edible, and whether they indicate an upcoming wilder disease hitting the plant?


texts:
This vine is steadily growing up my ponga fern and I'm wondering if I need to be concerned, and whether I need to cut it in case it's damaging the fern. None of my pongas of a similar height has this growth on them. I'm in Wellington, New Zealand.

And closer up of bottom storey

And of middle storey


texts: Can I do anything about horse chestnut leaf miner?

texts: I have a young horse chestnut tree in the garden, about twelve feet tall.  Most of the leaves are discoloured by leaf miner.  Can I do anything?   I am in London UK.


texts:
I have lots of fruit trees, some of them fairly old, and some of them just drop significant number of fruit. some of them prematurely, some of them naturally. Anyway, most of them are not for human consuption - and I am not concerned about loss of them.

However, what to do with them?

A. Leave them where they fell. (but mowing could be tricky)

B. Collect them and put in the compost pile.

C. Collect them and put around other selected plants.

D. Collect them and throw them over the fence to neighbor's yard.

E. Collect them and put in garbage.

F. ???


texts: What flowering houseplant can I grow in a ceramic container with no drainage holes?

texts:
I have a thick ceramic planter that's made to hang on the wall. The back is flat.  The sides and top round out to a diameter of 4 inches, and it's 5 inches tall. There are no drainage holes, and no viable option to make any.

I bought it for a lucky bamboo, as I believe they do well in that type of container, but my house could really use some color.

Is there any flowering houseplant that will thrive in that pot? If so, what do you recommend?


texts: How to ensure more female Cannabis plants from regular seed?

texts:
This concerns dioecious plants.  Where a plant is either male OR female NOT both as in monecious a plant with both male and female parts for each plant.  I've read that just by tweaking the environment one can make a dioecious plant within the first few weeks to be one sex or the other!?

I've got some answers but I'd like to hear what others understand.  To change the sex of a plant or actually predispose the sex environmentally is a new idea for moi.  I don't care if it is Cannabis or other plant, I've got this incredible Encyclopedia of Cannabis, a gift, that has gone into details one rarely sees in plant books.  Most likely growers of dioecious plants understand this...amazing.


texts: I am growing F1 Cherry tomato (Sweet Aperitif,Sweet Million, Sun Gold), they set flowers, and some flowers drop and start to get fruits, the weather is clear and between 23C to 30C most days, but yesterday and today the weather was 40C all the morning, I know that the high temp more than 40C degree is reducing fruit set , but is this true for my case which is just 2 days of high temp?


texts: Phalaenopsis Orchid identification - purple veins

texts:
Like the title says - can you help me identify this orchid? It's a phalaenopsis, but what hybrid exactly? (I'm looking for a recognised hybrid name, not a flower shop generic one)

A "little" bit of research led me to several guesses, amongst which Brother Stripes or Chih Shang's stripes (is the only difference between the two the 'broadness' of Chich Shang?), New stripes, Taisuco stripe, and the Sogo Tyler. There are so many similar varieties, and I can't believe that they can be so similar yet considered different hybrids. But I'm new to orchids, so maybe this is normal? Or these are different names for the same thing (like 'Bee Sting' is florists' name for 'Chiada Francis Picotee'?)


texts: How can I prevent stones from rising to the soil surface each year?

texts:
My allotment has a lot of flint stone (UK, Bucks area). I am preparing the beds for the first time, and have been reducing the amount of stone as much as possible by raking and removing stones as I can. I have been told that there is a virtually limitless amount of stone further down that rises up over winter (I guess when the soil is wet enough, the larger stone rises to the surface?).

How much truth is there in the rumour that they keep resurfacing?

Is there any where to reduce or stop them rising up? If I were to dig down a good way and put a weed membrane would it stop the stones, or is it likely to cause issues with the soil structure/roots etc?

Or do I need to just keep pulling stones out, and expect to repeat the exercise every year?


texts: Is it worth paying the extra for F1 hybrid seeds?

texts:
These days, the seeds on display in garden centres are usually a mix of F1 hybrids and traditionals. And F1 seeds are invariably priced a quid or a couple of quid extra.

My question to expert gardeners is: when is it worth paying the extra money for F1s? Or rather, given that (I assume, for most of us) our time, energy and effort is more valuable than a few extra pounds spent on seeds, when is it ever not worth paying extra for F1s?


texts: I have a pomegranate tree that I planted 4 years ago. The tree is heathy but the fruit production is not great. The flowers fall off before developing into fruit or soon after.  The fruits crack open and the size of the fruit is average size but that may be a function of the tree I have planted.


texts: What is the minimum a tree/bush root needs to be planted in the ground?

texts: The soil I have access to grow in is in a seasonal wet zone, and worry about the plant getting too much water, so approximately how much of the root ball has to be planted in the soil, and how much can I leave under mulch with the plants likely to survive? I'm asking for the safe rule of thumb answer, not the all plants answer.


texts: Please help me identify this tree with irregular leaves

texts:
I found this tree growing on a farm on the outskirts of Johannesburg, South Africa.

p.s. The pink fabric is not part of the tree :p


texts: Brown spots and yellow leaves on morning glory

texts:
I live in Redwood City, Bay Area California (From wiki -Redwood City, along with most of the Bay Area, enjoys a mild Mediterranean climate, with warm, dry summers and cool, relatively wet winters.)  and we have a morning glory in a potted container. We have had it from last summer. This summer it has developed brown spots on its leaves and some of the leaves are also yellowing. The brown spots are on both yellow and green leaves. I did some research but does not look like it is a insect problem. We have been watering it consistently allowing the soil to dry out.

My only suspicious is that the last week has been extremely hot 80-90 F so could it just be too much sun.


texts: What wildlife fencing should I use around my 5 acres to keep my critters in and wildlife out?

texts:
We want to keep costs down, but want something that will last, that wildlife can't get in and our critters can't get out.

Saw 6ft high steel fencing with rectangular mesh that got smaller at the bottom (for rodents).

Wildlife:  deer, skunks, coons, rodents
Critters:   Couple of German Shepherds, chickens,  maybe goats
Terrain:  somewhat hilly, Northern California terrain (rainy winters, hot dry summers)


texts: Is a Corten steel planter strong enough to be used as retaining wall?

texts:
My backyard is sloped with various boulders and retaining wall bricks used to create random terraces and slopes (I wouldn’t consider them terraces more like slopes).

I am trying to remove retaining wall blocks to create more space.

Is a corten steel planter or similar object be used to create a terrace? Or are blocks better because heavier?


texts:
On a barley farm, there are yellow and brown spots on leaf tips.
Possible causes:

Some kind of parasite
Weather condition
Bad seed

Looks like some farms using the same seed are affected

What might be the actual cause? What could be the solution?


texts: Need help identifying this disease for my lemon tree

texts: Some of the branches on my lemon tree don't look particularly healthy. Taking a closer look at the leaves indicates that it may be related to some disease. Please help me identify the issue and cure. Attached are some pictures.


texts: Need help identifying some shrubs in the mountains of Israel

texts: I see some bushes around my house and am wondering whether they are useful (if so, I will propagate them from cuttings.) Can anyone identify these?


texts: Mushrooms sprouting for the first time, should I gather them or let them be?

texts:
In the spring I "sow" some mushrooms in a shady part of my garden - Blewitt (Lepista nuda), Wine Cap (Stropharia rugosoannulata) and Elm Mushroom (Hypsizygus ulmarius).

The mushroom spawn I sow came in the form of mycelium sprinkled on various kinds of seeds (at least looked like this).
I prepared the mushroom beds as a mixture of straw, sow dust and autumn leaves depending on the requirements of the different species.

Yesterday I noticed that some mushrooms have just sprouted.

I would like to have the sown mushrooms as a permanent addition to my garden, so I am wondering whether to gather the mushrooms or let them get big and hopefully spread through the whole mushroom bed.
If I am to gather them, should I cut the mushrooms, or twist them?

I live in zone 6.

EDIT: After letting the mushrooms get big enough, I realized they are none of the species I have bought, so I am not eating them. Nevertheless, when hopefully I get sprouts of let's say Garden Giant, what would you suggest doing with the first crop?


texts: Lighting Suggestions for Weeping Mulberry?

texts: Just did a little trimming and while staring at it thought this area could possibly look nice with some type of lighting beneath the tree.  Any suggestions on the type of light and where to place it?  Thank you.


texts: How to properly germinate almond seeds and start growing them?

texts:
I've already attempted growing almonds in my usual "just plant and water" way which resulted in a large pot of moldy soil and no almonds after a month, whereas all my previous attempts with seeds from other types of plants were consistently successful, and there were no mold problems whatsoever, even though they've all been growing in the same soil.
Internet says US has a problem with almond seeds where they're all pasteurized, even if labeled "raw", so it's hard to find truly raw seeds there, but I'm in Europe, so I guess it shouldn't be a concern.
Various sites list methods where seeds need to be soaked in water or damp cloth for several weeks or months and kept in the fridge. Some sites say the fridge stage only needs to last from 8 to 24 hours. Youtube videos show storing seeds in a jar filled with water, stored in a kitchen shelf behind closed doors (no light). I'm not sure but I think this has to do with the fact that most people don't try to grow almonds, but eat them instead, and this method gets into the search results and related articles about growing them, so this part is unclear.
Mold has been a big problem in my previous attempt, and various articles say that it's to be expected, but there is not enough information on how to prevent or remove mold from the seeds without harming them and being effective at the same time.
So my questions here are:

What are the steps for germinating the raw almond seeds?
How long to soak them in the water?
At what temperature (is the fridge necessary)?
Is sunlight going to be a problem?
How to avoid/remove mold?
How can I tell that it's time to plant a seed?

Update on what happened some years ago when I finally found some raw almonds from a nut cart at a market:
I planted about 100 of them, only 3 sprouted, and the rest got as moldy as possible and rotted into mush. Then 2 of the 3 stopped growing and got moldy, and the only good one has been growing extremely slowly, unlike most of my other house plants (chili peppers, mini cherry tomatoes, all the herbs and salads, and grain). I don't know if it's hungry for sunlight or what, but it's only green from spring until the dim days start in mid-autumn. Most of my other plants seem to be ever-green or grow well enough starting in any season. Maybe it's just a needy plant and my "whatever grows - grows, whatever dies - dies" approach is not agreeable enough for home pot-grown almonds.


texts: What are and how to prevent these maggots in my lovage?

texts:
When harvesting some of my lovage I noticed that some foilage has dried out or has large yellow spots. In one of the leave I saw an inhabitant - see below. This maggot was inside the leave: on both side there was still a layer.

What is this maggot and how can I prevent its parents to infiltrate my the leaves? Preferably in an organic way.

The maggot is located in the yellow bubble in the center of the leave on the right side.

After I ejected the maggot.


texts:
We have a house and the lawn is in this state.
There are brown patches, there are barren areas, there are weeds.

What are the steps to remedy this and  'bring' the grass back?

FYI:
We live in Los Angeles.

That's a Magnolia tree in our yard.

We've been just manually weeding. We've also started watering every other day for about a week.


texts: I found these seeds but I lost their tag. Could you please help me identify which plant these are from?


texts: Should I remove tomato plant leaves to Increase yield?

texts:
Many garden websites recommended that you remove 50% of the tomato plant (Cordon Variety) leaves in order to increase the yield.

It's my first time growing tomatoes, and I am growing Sweet Million, Sungold and Sweet Aperitif cherry tomatoes.

The question is, if I remove 50% of the leaves of my plant, will I have new fruit trusses? Or do I do it in the last crop of the season?


texts: Is direct sunlight okay for houseplants in Winter?

texts:
Ignoring plants that love or require direct sunlight, my understanding is that generally plants don't like it too much (leading to sunburn) and rather prefer bright indirect or filtered light. I did read though that direct sunlight is acceptable if it's only for a couple of hours a day, e.g. in the morning or evening.
Since my flat is somewhat dark but has some okay south window spots, I was wondering whether direct sunlight in Winter may be "less problematic" than direct sunlight in Summer. Spring is about to begin where I am and right now I'm measuring some 180k Lux (~16700 footcandles) of illuminance on the windowsills.
I'm mainly concerned about my new Monsteras but I also have some Alocasia, Peperomia, Rubber Tree and cuttings that could use some photons.


texts: Is it safe to eat tomatoes affected by early blight?

texts: My tomatoes have caught a case of early blight. Is it safe to eat the them? The fruit themselves look fine, but I don't want to feed my family anything that's potentially dangerous.


texts:
I cut open some hinklehatz peppers from my garden today to dry them out and to my (unfortunate) surprise, I found some worms living happily inside a few of them!  I stupidly reacted in a disgusted way and got rid of them before I took any pictures, but could someone who has grown these peppers help identify them?  They were tiny, only a few centimeters long and white.  Almost the same color as the seeds.  I actually thought they WERE seeds at first until they started moving.

The peppers themselves also reeked, I'm guessing from the worms causing them to rot.  I noticed two of them had a tiny pin sized hole or two, possibly an entry point. I also cut open some thai peppers which did not have any worms if that helps.


texts: Does a sprinkler system by a house attract termites?

texts:
Does a sprinkler system by the foundation of a house attract subterranean termites up into the house?

I heard subterranean termites (at least in the desert) come out of the ground at night to seek water. Does that mean I should set the sprinkler system to run at sundown, so they don't have to come up for water? Would that keep the termites underground?


texts: What type of plastic is safe for lining vegetable garden beds?

texts:
You know those roles of black plastic you can get at Home Depot?   What does the plastic have to be made of to be safe for lining a garden bed?

What if the plastic is exposed to sunlight - what plastic is still safe to grow edible vegetables from?


texts:
I have a huge Aloe. I've had it for about 3 years and it was huge before I got it. It just blossomed for the first time. Actually I should say it has a first time bud. All I do is water it and leave on an indoor sunny porch.

I got busy with work  and she mass produced. Here is my problem, when I transferred her to a larger pot she was perfectly centered, she looks very healthy but now is lying over the side of the pot. I want her more centered. Any ideas?


texts: Can anyone help me diagnose issues with my rubber plant?

texts:
I bought my rubber plant a couple months ago. I have it in a room that receives bright afternoon light - the window across the room is southwest-facing.

When I bought the plant it was quite full but has since lost most of its leaves. The top has good new growth but almost all the bottom leaves have dropped off. Since I took the below photo a week ago, all the leaves have fallen off the bottom limb.

The leaves have brown spots as shown here:

Could it be that it's not getting enough light? Could it be pests? I have only watered it twice since I got it so I highly doubt it's getting too much water.


texts: I suspect this is a weed. Am I right? Zone 7a, continental Europe.


texts: Do succulents need to be kept out of the pot for some time before re-potting?

texts:
Some people recommend to leave the plants, in particular the Aloe Vera, lying down out of the pot without soil in its roots for up to 3 days before re-potting. But  I always come to find some people contradicting what I have just learned.

So, is this right? Is this for all succulents? Is it just for the Aloe Vera or for all potted plants in general? What's the rationale behind that?


texts: How to save my Fittonia (Nerve plant) after repotting?

texts:
I bought a pot of Fittonia (red leaves) yesterday. I was really in good health. Yesterday I moved those 3 plants into new pots since the actual pot was pretty small.

I used soil bought from store (slightly moist with perlite) and once I moved the plats in 3 new pots and I watered them as I heard that Fittonia needs much water.

Since today morning, 2 of those 3 Fittonias have lost the crunchiness of the leaves and they are wilting. The 3rd one looks fine till now.

I am not sure what the reason is. But, there are no bugs.

Can anyone please help me to save those?


texts: I found this blue/violet flower on an acre in the Polder of Holland. It was growing in a sunflower field. The picture was taken in mid-october.


texts: What is this black plastic-looking drain hole in my lawn?

texts: I bought my house a few months ago and have noticed a long and narrow strip that is mostly bare of grass in my backyard.  I have no idea why it is there, but recently I found what looks like a plastic drain hole along that strip.  See pictures below. What is it, and why is it there?  What should I do about it?


texts:
I just had SOD installed in my yard. I live in Arizona so our dirt/soil is not the best. I checked under some of the SOD cuts and didn't see that any mulch/seeds/nutrients were used which worries me a little.

On top of the watering, is there anything I should apply on the grass it self in terms of nutrients/seeds that will help the grass take root?

I would like to refrain from having to lift back each piece of SOD and put down seeds, but if that's my only options, please let me know.

Thanks


texts:
I’ve been growing a mango plant from seed and transferred to pot a couple of weeks ago. Since, the top has hardened to an almost woody nub - is this healthy or did it get damaged in transfer.

Also, while I was loosening up the soil a bit today I knocked a 5p sized corner off the seed. The plant already has roots etc. will it be okay with this damage or not?


texts:
This Chili was a present and i am not really good with plants actually they keep dying. But I want this one to stay alive. So I have the following questions.

What is this plant? (I know a Chili, but I guess there are different kinds of them)
How to handle this plant?
How do I know when I can harvest the Chilis?

I was told to water it twice a week. Still the leaves don't look healthy to me. Plus I put it into a new/bigger pot with fresh soil, maybe the pot is to big?

Thanks in advance.


texts: What does this pattern and discoloration mean?

texts:
This is seedling of either an eggplant or a tomato:

There are some wavy lines and a general discoloration on the cotyledons. What does this incdicate? Is it a disease or malnutrition?


texts: Are pepper plants worth trying to save after root rot?

texts: I am very much a newbie gardener.  I found out the hard way that I was definitely over watering my pepper seedlings, which led to root rot and leaves falling off, as well as the main stem (the tip of it) looking dry.  I have recently transferred the plants into new soil, and although they look healthy, I have no idea if the main stem will repair itself and keep growing/producing leaves, or if the harm has been done and there is no chance for survival.


texts:
Today I finally caught my Venus Fly Trap in the act, or rather caught this snap of the bug relaxing on the trap. The plant just won't eat. It may have been on a local store shelf for a while (instruction sheet says source is http://flytraplady.com/ ).  I filled a tray with 1" of reverse osmosis water and pushed a wandering box elder bug inside the dome. Today the bug is sitting on the one wide-open trap, looking lost, but untrapped.

I have not poked the traps in any way since I got it. Is this trap just exhausted? Is it not able to eat these guys (a pity because it's common inside in the winter.)


texts: Can you have too much drainage in a garden?

texts:
I plan on using some of these drainage bricks to build a retaining wall.

The installation of the drainage bricks recommends that a drainage layer is used to route the water away from the base of the inner wall.

I am thinking to lay a very wide drainage layer, however my concern is that I "Dry Up" my garden.

is it possible for me to over-drain my garden, whereby any moisture absorbed into the ground is routed away too quickly?

is there any drainage guide which i can apply?


texts: How to straighten my Scindapsus Aureum (moss stick)

texts:
The moss stick of my Scindapsus Aureum of about 180 cm has gone crooked. I tried to fix it by placing another stick beside it, but that doesn't seem to help (for long).

How can I fix this so the moss stick will keep straight and not lean over?


texts: How can I keep squirrels from digging in my pots and gardens?

texts:
I live in a wooded area which is home to many local squirrels. They are constantly digging up plants in my garden and in my pots. They never eat anything, they just dig holes everywhere.

What is an organic way that I can deter them from digging up my plants?


texts: Looking for recommendations for houseplants to freshen up air that do not grow much

texts:
I do a lot of soldering in my room which smells. Not only that, I find my room smells stale anyway.

Ideally I want a fairly small plant that is easy to maintain and doesn't grow into a forest/ palm tree. It should be widely available too. I live in Manchester in the UK.


texts: I have a chili plant but I don't know what type it is? Attached below is a pic to help whoever answers this question.


texts: What kind of shrubby willow is this (in central New York)?

texts:
There's a low lying area on my property with lots of impenetrable shrubby willows growing in the sun, along with sensitive ferns, marsh marigolds, and poplar. The growing zone is USDA 5b but in this dip it's probably closer to 4. Soil is clay-ey. The willows grow approximately 20' high. (I should have taken a leaf closeup last summer... unfortunately, didn't.) The upper branches appear reddish in winter when viewed from a distance, but not as bright as red osier dogwood.
I'm curious if these willows are native and if they're useful to wildlife or to me, and what I should look for when it comes to differentiating willow shrubs. Any ideas what species or kind these willows are?
Thank you!

Click on image to enlarge.


texts: Should I re-pot this Ponytail Palm or wait more?

texts:
This ponytail palm is root-bound for years (3-5 years) and it is still growing. Not sure if this requires re-potting or I should let the plant grow in this same pot?

It's a 12" pot. Never fertilized.Total height of plant is about 3-4'.

I asked a question 3 years ago, and I was advised to re-pot this at that time. (yes, it's in the same pot). I couldn't re-pot it for some reason. Now I see that the plant is still growing and don't know if this is the right time to re-pot of not.

https://gardening.stackexchange.com/a/27384/14009


texts: What is this part between the fuel line and primer bulb on my lawn mower?

texts:
My lawn mower engine will not start.  After many tries I got it to start twice and it died after a few seconds.  The fuel line is clear and full of gas.  The primer bulb is brand new.  When I push the primer bulb all I hear is air getting sucked in (I recall the sound of liquid in the past).  I suspect that the silver bulb between the primer and the fuel line may be the issue.  What is that part called and could it cause this problem?

Model:  Craftsman 917.370561


texts: Pacific N.W. sandy, sloped probably acidic soil. Needs ground cover!

texts: I have a 5 acre parcel of land and just excavated it, leaving just large cedars and firs. I am trying to find a low ground cover that's pretty dense and can cover at least an acre of hillside that can't be mowed. Any help would be appreciated.


texts:
When cleaning my lawnmower I have to put it on its side so that I can clean its underside.  However, I keep on reading that you can only put it on one side, not the other, otherwise oil and/or gasoline leaks into other components.

I have a PowerPlus POW63771, which has a 4-stroke engine. There is no information in the manual saying on which side to put it.

Below is how it looks:

According to MarionMowers, It says:

  If your lawnmower is four stroke (which it is), tip the mower so that the spark plug is pointing skyward, never tip it on its side with the spark plug to the ground.

I cannot work out on which side to tip my lawnmower. Given my picture where the spark plug is almost in the middle of the mower, should the oil cap (which is truly on one side) be pointing to the ground or to the sky?

Thank you.


texts: How can I save spinach seedlings I planted in a pot with mint?

texts:
I put a mint plant inside a small container, and then proceeded to plant spinach seeds inside it. I have since learned that mint grows rampantly and should be confined.

My poor seedlings! I already thinned them once, they've been in there a little over 2 weeks. Should I transplant the seedlings, or the mint? How and when? I'd love to save them, I'm assuming the mint is going to hog all the nutrients in the soil.


texts: Old leaves of Chinese Elm bonsai have gone brown at the edge and yellow at the center and then falling off

texts:
I have a 7 year old Chinese Elm bonsai. So far it has been growing new shoots without any problems. As of last week I noticed most of the leaves of the old shoots have started going yellow at the center and brown at the tip. After a while they become crispy and fall of the tree. It only seems to affect old shoots, as far as I can tell all the new shoots look normal to me. I’ve attached a picture for reference.

I normally wait until the soil looks dry (it changes color) before giving it a thorough watering.

Is this natural? Or could this be caused by overwatering? Under watering? Over fertilizing? What should I do?

I’ve also noticed a thin layer of white crust forming on top of the soil.


texts: What is the white powdery substance on my Dracaena's leaves?

texts: I bought a Dracaena about 3 months ago.  I water it 1-2 times a week and make sure the soil is moist, but not too damp.  About 3 weeks ago, it started developing a white powdery substance on the leaves.  Can you tell me what this is or what I can do to get rid of it?


texts: Are these bright orange bugs with beady black eyes ladybugs?

texts:
I have a few bugs on my pumpkin plant that seem to be eating the leaves. They are shaped like ladybugs but the color isn't red and black. It's more of a shiny bright orange.

Since ladybugs are good for controlling aphids and pests, I want to keep them (if indeed they are ladybugs) around even if they eat some leaves.

Here are some photos. Are these ladybugs?


texts: Hi, could someone please tell me what these are?


texts:
The leaves on my dwarf hollyhock are steadily turning yellow and falling off.  It's new to the flower bed, gets 6+ hours of full sun/day, and has been sufficiently watered.

Could this be a mineral deficiency?


texts: What is the safest weed killer to use around a toddler?

texts:
I have a grass lawn, a vegetable garden, and a strawberry patch. The garden is in a raised bed, but no fabric under the soil or mulch on top. The strawberries were in a nice bed to themselves, but have become choked with weeds and it's our fault because we have slacked. (Remember, I have a toddler to chase ;) ) The grass has not been treated with a weed & feed since we bought the house almost 3 years ago and is looking like it needs some saving as it is also getting choked by weeds.

What's the safest weed killer for each of these to use around my toddler? What ingredients are OK and what should I avoid?


texts:
What are the stages in a vegetable's lifecycle?

(Example: Seed to maturity to harvest)


texts: How to differentiate between Albizia and Delonix Regia?

texts:
How can I differentiate between Albizia (Mimosa, Silk Tree) and Delonix regia (Flamboyant) when the plant is young?

I live in Maui, where Albizia is an invasive species responsible for monocultures, loss of habitat, build and road damage, and even falling and killing people. I want to be aggressive about removing it from my property. It's also much easier to kill when it's young.

However, I also have a Delonix regia (Flamboyant) growing in my backyard which looks similar except for its flowers.

How can I differentiate between the two when they're young so I can kill the Albizia but not the Delonix regia?

Update: I've recently learned that there are two different species (genuses, actually!) called Albizia here in Maui: Albizia julibrissin and Falcataria moluccana. I also don't know how to differentiate these, but they're both invasive, so I want to weed out both. It seems Falcataria moluccana is more common.


texts:
I have a rose. I have noticed that some of the leaves have got white dots and do not look healthy. There are also strings between some of them (similar to spider webs). I also noticed some small flies around my rose a few weeks ago.

Can someone explain what is going on and what I should do? What can I do to avoid a similar situation in the future?

Here are some pictures:

Click any image for full size

Update:

The white spots seem to be inside the leaves. The leaf on top is washed with warm water and there are still the white spots.

There are moving black creatures under the leaves. There are also things that look like eggs/larvae.

Update 2:


texts: What is the exact species used for the canned magic beans?

texts:
I got a magic bean in a tin can, which is basically just (some kind of) a bean placed in dry Vermiculite, and when opened and adding some water it starts grwing. However, out of the thousands of places its' available, nowhere does it say what plant species this bean belong to.

Here's a picture:

What is the exact species of these?

Thanks to alephzero's answer, I found more info here:

https://www.feedipedia.org/node/326
https://sites.google.com/site/efloraofindia/species/a---l/f/fabaceae/canavalia/canavalia-gladiata
https://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/56333/
https://sheffields.com/seeds/Canavalia/gladiata/

However, the trunk/stalk of the one I have doesn't quite look like it belong to Canavalia Gladiata. The answer also doesn't address the issue of the different colors of the beans.


texts: How to get papyrus houseplant to grow more fully?

texts: Inherited this when it was full and thick but dried and browned stalks. Hadn’t been watered in weeks.  Cut all back, repotted as it was root bound, and surprised it started growing again. But it’s very thin. I had cut off tops of a few viable stems and propagated. The pic shows two tallest stems and there are several shorter stems opened or close to opening up. How do I get it to be more bushy? I cut one to propagate but there are so few that I don’t want to cut more. Do I just wait and hope more pop up?


texts: What is the best light spectrum for growing chili peppers?

texts:
Natural light is best for plants during all growth phases, but I'll be growing indoors, It's a good idea to have a basic understanding of the light spectrum and how it affects plant growth, in order to choose the best lighting for my indoor gardening needs.

By Photosynthesis. Chlorophyll in the plant converts carbon dioxide into food using light energy. Light quality, quantity and duration. Quantity refers to light's intensity, while duration is the length of time the light is present. Quality of light refers to its wavelength, or color according to some scientists.

Sunlight includes all colors of light. Plants only absorb light in the red and blue wavelengths, so orange, yellow, green, indigo and violet are theoretically are unnecessary.


texts: How to propagate japanese maple from this street (mutant?) specimen?

texts:
There is a neatly pruned japanese maple in a public area close to my work:

We had warmer than usual weather last several weeks, and new growth appeared:

It is hard to believe, but this new branch was not there three weeks ago:

Is it possible to cut these young branches, and get a similar maple elsewhere one day?

NOTE: Looking more carefully, it occurs to me that this may be some kind of reverse mutation, no? But even the 'reversed' version looks attractive to me.


texts: Does anyone know of a somewhat comprehensive plant database available online?

texts:
As a gardener I've found that doing some paperwork while gardening really assists in keeping things organized and on schedule.  It occured to me the other day as I stopped to check my beeping phone that it'd be REALLY handy to have a software application to assist in some of the paperwork items that I do every year.

I've got the knowledge and the gumption to make it happen, but what I really need is a lot of common data about the type of plants we, as gardeners, find ourselves planting.  I'm looking for any sites that provide the following data points:

Common Name
Scientific Name (or maybe the full KPCOFGS classification?)
Light requirements
Soil pH requirements
Water requirements
Average germination time
Average time till flowering
(if fruiting) time to fruit

I am sure that no such database exists with all of these pieces of data available, but I'm curious to see what solutions other people are using to get this data.


texts: My 14' weeping willow tree's pruned main branch is growing off center

texts:
I pruned the main branch of my (7') weeping willow tree last year too low (I'm guessing) and now the main branch is about 3-5" off center. The tree is now about 12-14' high.

Is this a problem? If so, how do I correct it?


texts:
I was gifted a small pine tree of unknown species, around 30 cm tall. I don't know how to take care of it, so with not much fantasy I just moved it into a larger pot, added some soil, and watered it till I saw water in the plant saucer. I do not have any balcony or garden, so I placed it in front of the only window of my studio, that points to west.

Am I doing anything wrong? What should I do further? When should I water it?


texts: What are some resources for region-dependent planting schedule/calender?

texts: Is there a website that has planting calendars for various regions?  Is this sort of information more typically acquired through books, or just by word of mouth?  I'd like to have a list of crops, sorted by safe first sowing date, also by transplanting date, and perhaps also by last sowing date.  Obviously this is quite dependent on local climates, and even micro-climates, but perhaps there is a resource out there that could serve as a rough guide.  I'm located in Maritime Canada, but am hoping that this can be a good general question for people in a variety of regions.


texts: Will onion sets overwinter in USDA zone 4?

texts:
I have garlic, and ornamental onions and chives planted.  They overwinter, how about those bargain onion sets I bought?  I planted the bag of twenty or thirty but it was a dry summer and those I harvested were not much bigger than when I put them in. They died down in the summer and the ones I left have started new foliage.

I don't know what kind they are but they look like a

  Yellow Onion, also known as a Brown Onion, is a variety of dry onion
  with a strong flavor. White inside, its layers of papery skin have a
  yellow-brown color.

If I leave them in the ground will they over winter and grow again next spring?


texts: Is there a selective herbicide for crabgrass that can be applied during high temps?

texts:
I'm in Alabama zone 8a, and crabgrass is taking over my Zoysia lawn. I just purchased the home and was not able to put down a spring preemergent. The crabgrass infestation is pretty thick in spots and spreading. The average daily temps are above 85f, and there is little chance of them being cooler any time soon.

So my question, "Is there a selective herbicide for crabgrass that I can use on my Zoysia grass lawn while the temperatures are still high without damaging the lawn?"


texts: Why are my honey-locust tree leaves turning yellow in mid-summer?

texts:
As hot as it's been I've been worried that the tree was not getting enough water, and it seems with increasing the water amount the leaves have turned even more yellow.

How can I tell if I am over- or under-watering the tree and what else can cause the leaves to yellow?

The tree was planted last year, but was already 2-3 years old.


texts: This is part of my home yard, I want to change this as a sweet spot for the eyes of those who see it, How is it possible?


texts: What vines should I plant to cover my aluminum patio in southern Texas?

texts:
I have an ugly aluminum patio roof. It doesn't fit in with the rest of the house or neighborhood. It's too expensive to replace so I thought I could grow some vines up it's poles and roof. Add a bit of beauty to distract from the ugly white aluminum.

Does anyone have some recommendations on vines to grow? I suppose the biggest issue is the shear size of my patio roof. Not sure if there are large enough vines that could cover the whole thing.  Pictures included at bottom.  Each pole is 10.5 ft high. The roof is about 12x25 feet. Quick facts:

In Southern Texas, Zone 9b.
Area is well irrigated for lawn but prefer drought tolerant species.
Soil is clay with ~7.2 ph.
Patio is west facing, gets alot of full sun
Prefer flowering species if possible.
Must climb 10.5 ft just to reach roof.
Bonus points for native species.


texts: String trimmer lines, What types and whats best?

texts: I know about the different shapes for string trimmer (weed wacker) like square and round and all the others. But there is plastic and nylon and stuff like that. I have a 0.065" size trimmer and deal with fairly thick weeds. What should I get and what should it be made of? I would rather not have to buy a new weed wacker that uses bigger string, I love my Ryobi!


texts:
In the first picture you can find my fingers, a ladybug and small yellow balls.

I found them in the soil, close to roots of a plant (Hardy Kiwi) that died last year, probably because of heat stress (I've described the problem also on StackExchange).

What is it?

Eggs of a snail?
Balls with fertilizer?

I got the plant at a local nursery. I have not been adding any fertilizer myself, when planting it, so it probably have been included in the plant original soil by the nursery.


texts: Improving germination with Plasma activated water and lettuce seeds

texts:
I've been able to germinate about 90-95% of old seeds (about 15 year old bean seeds) using Plasma Activated water.  But I can't get even one lettuce seed to germinate (same age 15 year old packet).

I've tried adding honey to the water, adding small amounts of crushed aloe (the clear flesh washed without it's yellow poison), leaving seeds in the water, leaving seeds in just a damp paper towel and placing seeds in a damp cotton ball.  Any one else have any other ideas how to germinate old lettuce seeds or a protocol to use.  I normally wait about a week and half to see if germination starts.


texts: Prickly pear wilting after being in the sun

texts:
my prickly pear has been doing great, until this morning I put it outside in direct sun and within a few hours the new baby on the top started to lean. I also watered it the same day. Any ideas as to why?
I normally keep it inside in direct sunlight on my window sill. The temp in my apartment is normally around 70 degrees.


texts: Will different species of elderberry get the same cross pollination benefits

texts:
I recently planted a Lemon-Lace Elderberry (a Sambucus racemosa cultivar). Since I've read online that elderberries produce much more fruit if planted in multiples of different varieties, I'm looking for a mate for it. I'm planting in a very small yard though, and other varieties of S. racemosa grow very large - the other elderberry varieties that are described as small are all varieties of S. canadensis. I've only got room for a small bush. My question is, will S. racemosa cross-pollinate with small S. canadensis cultivars like "Ranch" or "Nova"? Or do I really need another red elderberry?
I'm planting the elderberries more for the birds than for myself, if that matters. And I'm in USDA hardiness zone 6b.


texts: I am new to indoor plants.  I have an indoor palm I purchased in late January.  I am trying to find the proper watering dance with this guy.  In some ways it looks healthy as there seems to be new growth, however, I also have some browning and yellowing.  I am attaching pics to share what I am seeing.  Any advice is greatly appreciated.


texts: What is this tree with oval leaves and yellow flower?

texts:
I'd like now what this tree is in order to find out how to prune and whether or not the shadow of a rubinia close by is a problem as I have the impression the tree is weak (at least it was the case last year.

The tree has yellow flowers and oval leaves. The fruits/seeds have a similar form as a maple-tree.

Here are some pictures (click to enlargen):


texts: Any way to save a large tree that's starting to split/crack down the middle?

texts: I have a large tree in my front yard and last fall I noticed a crack down the middle. Six months later, it appears the crack is getting larger (see pictures below). Is there any way to save the tree, or does it need to be removed?


texts: I bought a pot of cilantro from the supermarket. After 1 day at home it's now wilted. The soil is moist and the plant is near a sunny window.


texts: How and when should I prune my 5 in one dwarf apple tree, including the suckers?

texts:
We have one of those 5 in one apple trees and actually got a couple of apples off of it last year. It seems like we have more trees growing off of it.

There are some branch like things sprouting from the bottom of the tree or out of the dirt. From reading another question here, I think those might be non-fruiting suckers. Are they just where the tree is growing new trees off of it, because I'm told this type of tree does that?

If they are suckers what season should I clip them? Some places say wait until summer and some say cut as soon as possible. It's been rainy here and with El Niño no one knows whats going on. I'm in zone 8.


texts: Are moles effective at controlling Japanese beetle grubs?

texts:
My garden is under assault this summer by Japanese beetles from above, and moles from below. From my research, Japanese beetles lay their eggs a few inches underground, and moles are voracious insectivores.
I've been hand-picking the beetles every few hours but as they're nearly constantly getting it on this time of year, I'm sure they've already laid plenty of eggs for next year's crop. I notice that the moles' surface feeding tunnels seem to be concentrated more heavily near the infested plants. Is this a coincidence or can I count on them to gobble up the eggs and grubs?
I don't love how the moles push up the lawn, but I can tolerate pushing the turf back down every morning if I knew that they were cleaning up the grubs underneath.


texts: Hydroponics Nutrients and Fertilizers, are they same?

texts:
Let me start of by saying that I am a person with very little experience of gardening. I have just been growing some plants in my balcony and in the process fell in love with this hobby and stumbled upon Hydroponic gardening. Since then I have been reading a lot about hydroponics but one thing has been confusing me and I would like someone to clear confusion revolving around nutrients.

I understand that all the nutrients that plants need in hydroponics are provided through water. I am not clear about the following things:

Should I use normal hydroponic nutrient (sold in two parts A & B) or
should I use so called hydroponic fertilizers.
If I start with A & B Nutrients, should I replace them with
fertilizer at the later stage when plant starts producing flower,
should I mix them both or will simple nutrient formula be enough for
the plant?
Can I use ordinary soil fertilizer, for hydroponics and save some
money or will it not be enough?

I know the question of nutrient will depend heavily on the plant under discussion so I am taking chilli peppers and tomatoes for reference.


texts: Can I use miracle-gro all purpose plant food to root raspberry clippings?

texts:
One of my neighbors moved away and the new property owners bulldozed their house for new construction

They left behind their raspberry bushes so I want to root some clippings from the plants to put in my garden area before the plants are torn out as well


texts: What is this the correct name for this skinny-pergola type structure?

texts:
We're looking to grow roses onto something like the structure pictured below. We'd like to look at photos of various forms, however I don't know what to search for. Pergola and trellis give very limited results.

Is there an architectural term for this mini pergola ?

Edit: This came up using Lorel C.'s suggestion that it might be called an "arbor." This is what I'm looking for, only it would be much longer, running the entire length of a patio. There MUST be a special name for this thing.


texts: Raising the ground in a large area that will eventually be a patio. What type of substrate to use?

texts:
I'm gearing up for a bunch of landscaping at my new home. The backyard is kind of a mess: rotted-out deck, terrible lawn, low spots, high spots, etc. It's mostly all going to get redone.

This question pertains to the current deck area. The deck is getting ripped-out as it's not salvageable. The area is ~24' x ~25' so it's almost a square. It sits in between the house and a garage in the back, so there is the foundation of the garage and house on two ends of it. The ground level below the deck is about 1' below the grade of the house and garage. My plan is to build up the grade in this area so that the ground is more level with the house and garage doors. I then plan to build a roofed pergola to cover it and make this into a patio area with a wood-fired oven in the middle. The ground under the pergola will be a majority of gravel, with pavers placed in the most-used areas.

To build this plot up ~1 foot higher, I think I need around 21 cu. yds. of substrate but I'm not sure what the best type of substrate to use is. The current ground is relatively hard-packed soil. I haven't dug down too much but judging from my neighborhood, there should be a bit of clay and kind of gravelly, dark, rich soil. It's quite compacted so I'm not worried about it settling too much. What would be the most cost-effective way to fill in this area? I believe I'll have to build small retaining walls on the two ends of the square that are not backed by the house and garage. I will also be sure to make small "egress" areas so that my crawlspace vents do not get covered up.


texts: What would be a beautiful house plant suited to the Atlantic winter?

texts:
I'm looking for a Christmas gift for my girlfriend, and I thought of a nice plant she could keep in her room. We live in Baltimore. I'm looking for something that would be beautiful, but not take a whole lot of effort, and would be able to live in the Atlantic winter, with not too much light and warmth.

Any suggestions?


texts: Are garden gnomes and similar decorations safe to install indoors?

texts:
I think of buying a garden decoration similar to a garden gnome - a ceramic hollow figure of a bird - sold at a gardening store and meant for installing in a garden. I want to install it indoors.

My concern is that since it is meant for a garden it might contain materials that release toxins and so can't be installed indoors, only outdoors. There store doesn't have any documents that say anything definitive about indoors usage.

Are such figures typically safe to install indoors?


texts: What is the best way to remove poison ivy from a yard or trees without getting it all over yourself? I figured that even with an herbicide that the dead poison ivy would still need gathered up, and the oils would still cause problems


texts: What is this plant with bee-attracting small blue flowers? Flowers are small, but they seem to be good for polinators.


texts:
How does one diagnose Sugar Maple problems? There is some green on the trunk and the leaves haven't filled out for a couple years.

Climate: Southern Michigan

Soil: ~18 inches of topsoil with clay underneath

Fertilizers used: 1) Jobe's regular tree spikes each spring, 2) Osmocote Plus Smart-Release Plant Food for the bushes near the tree, and 3) composted manure.

Known insects nearby: Clover mites (no idea if these are contributing to the problem)

2018 update - It's been 3 years since I posted the original question and ended up cutting the girdled root that was constricting water to the others. The tree has now been growing new limbs and the leaves look healthy. As one respondent said, it still doesn't look like a normal tree and may never fully get there, but it's certainly no longer in danger of dying and falling. See the last picture for the 2018 update.

Pictures:


texts: How far apart should I space Jerusalem artichokes?

texts:
How much room does a single Jerusalem artichoke (AKA sunroot, AKA sunchoke) plant need, given plenty of sun and a semi-arid climate?

I've grown some wild seedlings (from true seeds from Kansas Native Plants), which I just transplanted fairly close, but I plan to split up some tubers a traditional distance when they're mature enough (probably next spring). So, I'll need to know how far to space them.

The seedlings are looking pretty good. I grew lots of them for plenty of genetic diversity.


texts: Why are the flower buds in my pepper plant wilting and falling off prematurely?

texts: I'm growing long Indian pepper variety. I have taking good care of my pepper plant by regularly fertilizing them every 30 days using npk 20:20:20 and applying liquid seaweed every 15 days with the recommended does. I water them only when the top 2 inches of the soil feels slightly dry. Overall the plant looks healthy but only the top part seems to have some issues. Only 20% of the flower buds are blooming and rest of them are dropping off prematurely. The plant receives direct sunlight for 5-6 hrs a day and the temperature fluctuate between 70 to 90 degree Fahrenheit throughout the day. So far plant has produced no chilly. What could be the reason?


texts: How to get rid of sprouts coming from a chinaberry stump?

texts:
I had a 30ft (9m) chinaberry (Melia azedarach) removed that the previous owner left for me, four months ago. It had multiple split trunks at the bottom that made every arborist that looked at it concerned, and it was positioned close to the front of the house, so a storm could easily knock one of the major trunks onto the house. The tree removal people cut it down to an inch from the ground. I left an option open to have the stump ground down but didn't have that done.

Now, I haven't been making it a priority to remove it, but I just noticed what looks like chinaberry sprouts coming from the edge between the bark and the wood. As I have read online so far, this sounds bad because I didn't apply an herbicide to prevent this from happening. So, now I am wondering how to best proceed with killing off the chinaberry for good.

Apparently, since it was a four months ago, applying glyphosate to the stump won't help to kill off the roots. Is that right? Should I apply glyphosate to kill the sprouts and possible future sprouting? I already have some potassium nitrate (stump removal chemical) that I was thinking about applying inside the stump.

Also, from what I've read from other chinaberry sufferers is that they have roots all over the place. However, I don't seem to have roots from the chinaberry exposed anywhere.

My gut is telling me to apply glyphosate and then drill holes into the stump and apply the potassium nitrate. But, I also want avoid a dead lawn where I can't grow anything to replace it. There are two live oaks near it that were being dominated by the much taller chinaberry that need help growing especially in the central Texas climate.


texts: Snake Plant's leaves drooping and curling

texts:
I've had a snake plant for about a year and its leaves started to curl and droop a couple of months ago (photos attached, the one with the window is where it normally sits). I typically water it every ~3 weeks (haven't changed that habit during the year). We recently repotted it after seeing some drooping in the leaves. We have an AC unit that is about a meter away from the plant that is on most of the day at ~60 Fahrenheit and our window gets fairly direct sunlight (4-5 hours a day).
When I've looked online I've found some sources which say that it's due to over watering, and others that say it's due to under watering. I've found another source which says that it's likely to due to:

cold
fungus
overwatering

How do I save my snake plant?


texts: What are all the methods to control powdery mildew?

texts:
This particular disease is totally vexing!  I admit, I love cramming plants together, especially in a garden.  I hate bare soil.  I do prune for aeration.  I do use free water to wash off leaves early in the day so they can dry by evening.  I have used milk; to water plants for more strength (seems to work well) against fungus and virus.  I have sprayed with milk.  No difference that I could see.  I do use mega fans all day and night for aeration.  This is a virgin garden and typically all the squash, summer and winter, the cucumbers and tomatoes are always infected.  As soon as I see any sign (usually the first cool nights of the summer) I spray with neem oil.  It does not stop powdery mildew.  Just slows it a bit. I wash vegetables to get rid of any Neem, I hope!

Is there an expert out there that has figured out how to control this fungus?


texts: What are these spots/pimples/holes/punctures in my succulent's leaves?

texts:
My succulent is otherwise healthy as far as I'm aware. I don't know whether this is normal and I never noticed it, or whether it's a sign of something more concerning.

My mother-in-law speculated it could be insect bites, but is unsure.


texts: I am a landscape gardening student and have been asked why the word landscaping is used and its origin. Does anyone know?


texts: How do properly I plant small shrubs or flowers from a bucket?

texts: I have several plants (some flowers, some shrubs) in 1 and 2 gallon buckets.  I want to know how to plant them correctly.  I intend to spread mulch of some sort over the planting area afterward, so I think the top should stick out a little.  The ground is pretty flat as well, so no surprises there.  What do I need to do to make sure they survive?


texts:
Doesn't this plant have root rotting property? I tried to grow this in my home which had the tubelight burning only for 6 hours at night. And at the rest of the time it is a shady place.
We used to change the water after 3-4 days, still its leaves started turning yellow. How do I preserve this plant? I want to see it growing big!

When purchased from the shop, it looks exactly as shown below.


texts: May have planted my tree wrong... is it too late to dig it up and replant it?

texts:
I live in climate zone 7a in New Mexico, and I planted a pear tree in my backyard three days ago. Following the directions on the tag, I dug a hole twice the diameter and depth of the root ball and filled it with potting soil, topping it off with purchased topsoil with fertilizer in it and cedar mulch, figuring this was sensible advice because we have really bad soil here that very little grows in without heavy amendment.

Now I'm reading online that you should fill the hole mostly with native soil, to train the roots to grow beyond the hole you dug. Did I do the wrong thing? And if so, is it too late to dig out the potting soil and replace it with native soil?


texts: How closely related do plants have to be for grafting purposes?

texts:
I have a lovely trunk / rootstock that I want to use for bonsai. It is a field maple (acer campestre). I don't particularly want to foliage though.

I will have (hopefully at the end of the season) some Japanese maple (acer palmatum) saplings. Would it be possible to graft these saplings to the field maple seeing as they are both acers? Or do they have to be more closely related?


texts: The fruit is around 3in in diameter. Zone 7, private yard.


texts: Leaves on my Cherry Blossom Tree are Wilting

texts:
While I was in Japan a few weeks ago I picked up a small cherry blossom sapling to bring home (I believe it's a Yoshino cherry blossom). My girlfriend's grandfather who we were staying with on his farm, wrapped the roots up after dipping them in some sort of liquid to help them survive (I'm not exactly sure) to prepare them for my travel back to Ontario Canada. Luckily I was able to make it home without it being taken away at the airport. When I got home I did as much research as I could and found that Cherry blossom trees do best in soil with good drainage. The same day I went to my local hardware store and picked up some "cactus potting soil" that said it provided good drainage and aeration of the roots.

I transferred it into a pot on April 4th and within a day the blossoms started budding, but after a few days, just wilted and died but in their place came bright green leaves so I just assumed it was because it was the end of the blooming season.
I proceeded to water it every second day, letting the water begin to drain before stopping. I later changed it to every three days. Within about a week the bright leaves started to wilt and I'm not sure exactly what to do. I don't want to let this tree die. I've waited about 5 days to water it since then and the soil still feels moist.
It is in a place with moderate light beside a window facing east, so it only gets light in the second half of the day. I'm not sure if it is transplant shock or over watering or if I need to grab better soil with more drainage, but I really don't want this tree to die.

Thank you so much!

(Just as another note, when I bought this in Japan, the soil it came in was very stoney and had amazing drainage, draining out water almost immediately.)


texts: Is there an ideal drainage to soil layer ratio in terrarium etc.?

texts:
The question is about the size, ratio and composition of the drainage and soil layers in some improvised terrarium. It's made out of a 8'' (20cm) truncated/shaved off glass sphere (basically a cookie/candy jar); accessories include some colorful fish tank gravel, activated coal, a nylon bag, some potting and dark soil, as well as a couple of small random plants...

I read that:

Maintaining the soil moisture is difficult even with an adequate drainage layer.
It's theoretically possible to restrict root growth; a smaller
area to grow roots in means less soil to grow in I would imagine.
How deep the root zone is varies from plant to plant.
Coal is only a must in you have a closed up terrarium.

I've seen different types of layering, proportions, even mixing the coal with the gravel or even with the soil in some instances... is it just about aesthetics?

Is there an ideal drainage to soil layer ratio in a terrarium; is it 1:1?

How would you setup the layers here, in particular the soil layer, so
as to restrict root growth and ultimately constrain growth to the jar; 1 inch per?
In terms of composition, how much coal does one use and is it layered above or below the gravel, or would you mix it in any other way; does it matter where it is and can it be detrimental in some cases?
Do you see any issues with having the soil layer made out of different types of mix (such as potting and this dark mix) side by side?


texts: What is the average Haney Test composting results for a pile of wood chips?

texts: I've heard a lot about the Haney Test from different soil scientists, and was wondering how the Haney test average results look for wood chips that compost for 6 months-5 years.


texts: Planted the coriander seeds in two small glasses made up of glass. They were initially indoors. After sowing I would water it everyday. They started sprouting only after 8 days or so. They are just growing long stems and bending over. Eventually they started having two small leaflets. But now the thin stems are wilting, thinning from the bottom and they are dying . Please point out a solution.


texts: How can I eradicate skunk cabbage from my yard?

texts:
I have a backyard that was mostly a wooded area up until 2 years ago. It now completely consists of a lawn and a decent sized mulch area on a hill with some ground plants that are supposed to eventually spread across the mulched area.

The problem is that this hilly area used to be infested with this incredibly fast growing incredibly large broad leaf weed that looks like a type of skunk cabbage.

Repeated attempts to pull these from the root have proven pointless as more little ones crop up where there weren't any before and left unheeded become enormous broad leaf plants in a matter of a few months.  They are a real eye sore.

Is there an easy way to get rid of these permanently so they won't show up anymore?  I tried pulling them when they are small but they are too weak to get the root out at that size.  I have to wait until they are fully grown before I can pull them completely.


texts: Should I replace my Colorado Blue Spruces?

texts:
I have two Colorado Blue spruces, both looked to be damaged at installation. One is missing about 2 feet area of twigs near the top. They looked to have broken off during transit? The other has had its top broken off.

Should I rip them out and start again? Will the side branches grow back again? Will it look terrible?

They are both around 13 feet tall.

Thanks


texts: Should i use rocks in a (VERY) large container for gardening? (no drainage)

texts:
Alright so, i"m starting a large project and i have two current plans, i"m not very sure which to go with.

I'm extremely new to gardening
I'm in coastal north carolina, lots of rain.
For my eagle scout project, I'm planning on converting a large 15x5x3 feet
Brick fountain into a flower/vegetable garden in my local retirement home. There's no drainage holes except for a large concrete overflow pipe that sits about a foot off of the bottom.The bottom of the fountain is solid concrete. After a heavy rain, water seems to puddle up to about 6 inches off of the bottom of the fountain.

Plan one: Fill the first 6 inches of the fountain with Large rocks, then fill the rest with a few truckloads of compost/soil mixture. my idea is that since the water already puddles that high, it'll keep the soil from becoming oversaturated. (I'm talking big jagged 6 inch in diameter rocks) Instead of the water staying saturated in the soil, it'll fall through and make a pseudo-water-table in the bottom. However, someone on reddit commented there would be issues with the "perched water table" being too high, and the rocks not helping.

Plan two: Just fill the whole thing with the compost/soil mixture.

Any thoughts?

(edit) I'm planting things in the outer, bottom section. the middle is to be filled with smooth stones and a neat statue that's being provided by the establishment. :P

A sub irrigated planter sounds awesome! but i'm not sure how i'd go about getting a layer of air down there, i guess maybe putting a layer of mesh over the rocks could possibly work, but i'm not sure how to go about that without ripping the mesh, that's about 2 feet of dirt that'd be piled on top of it. also when it comes to the other plan of just drilling a drainage hole in the bottom, the inside of the fountain sits about 3 inches lower than the outside, so i'd have issues with puddling.

Idea 3? Fill it with dirt and place pots on top.
any input is appreciated, i've never grown more than a cactus before


texts: I aerate my water before using them on my plants.  I would like to know if I should go by the pH of the water before or after aeration.


texts: Are white stuff on avocado root a disease?

texts:
Are this white stuff in the avocado roots any illness of the plant?

Should I do anything about it?


texts: I bought some sort of a mint in March and it is in a half-shaded spot on my patio. It has been growing really well and still is. However, just today, I noticed that many of its leaves have weird yellowish/brownish spots on it. Is that some sort of fungus? Is it dangerous to consume mint leaves with those spots on them? How do I take care of this problem, whatever it is?


texts: Corm and bulb please for god tell me something ?

texts:
What is a corm in plant ?
What is a bulb of a plant ?


texts: Are synthetic fertilisers necessary in potting plants?

texts: Is it possible to have healthy plants (edible ones) flourishing in pots without the use of synthetic fertilisers? I have concerns regarding fertilisers polluting nearby water sources/soil from drainage as well as sustainability.


texts: Remove Clay Soil and Install new soil that is good for Bermuda Grass

texts: I would like to remove the top 2 inches of my compacted clay soil and replace it with the best soil to grow Bermuda grass. In other words my current soil is garbage that nothing will grow in so I plan to till it and remove the top 2 inches. After that I plan to lay down 2 inches of new top soil then planting Bermuda seeds. I don't know what type of top soil I need to plant my bermuda grass seeds into. Can someone please advise? Thank you in advance.


texts: Do I need to cover up Dwarf Fig trees in the winter time?

texts: I read that a dwarf fig can grow in zone 4 (jujube figs can't grow there), so I was wondering if I can grow dwarf fig trees in my zone well. What made me wonder is "Root is hardy anywhere, but the top will die back below 5° F".


texts: Does a Hover mower with roller or a cylinder mower with roller better fit with my requirements?

texts:
I have a new large back garden with about 1/5 acre of grass. At the moment, the neighbor comes in and cuts for us on her ride-on.

I've had electricity points put in all up the garden and would like an electric mower, I prefer electric.

We like stripey lawns :)

To mow the largish area, should I go for the widest cylinder mower I can find or should I get a get something that's fast (like a hover style) but doesn't stripe, and then whiz around with a nice wide roller afterwards?

I like the roller idea since I'd also be flattening (it's an old farm field).


texts: How to completely rid my potting soil/container of fungi which seems to continually attack my plants

texts:
So, after so many dead plant and ruts, I have come to realize that for some reason, my plants seem to contract some fungal issue most every week. I am not exactly sure why but I have had to pluck up brown roots from most all of my current stock at least 1 every week in January and I wonder how much longer I can keep this up. I have resorted to soaking the roots in fungicide solution before replanting, and this of course is after changing out the potting soil failed. I have made certain to test and retest drainage on most all the posts, even adding stones and more holes to help in any way possible but somehow the roots keep getting infected after a couple of days. How can I completely rid my plants of fungal infections for pete's sake?

Thanks in advance.


texts: Why doesn't my turf grow against the exterior wall?

texts: My grass does not grow under the eve of the roof and against the brick wall even though the area receives full sun. Instead, a broadleaf grass intruder has taken over. What is causing this to happen?


texts: What pest is attacking my poor Monstera Minima?

texts:
I have a beautiful Monstera minima that is being attacked by something.
what is weird - I don't see visible pests with my eyes. it looks however like something is sucking the leaves. the plan is dull and yellowing. and the underside of the leaves have a transparency that looks like something is sucking out the "juice" from the leaves but I can't see webs or anything powdery to think it's spider mites or lots of brown to think it's thrips.
Any advice is appreciated. I did spray it  with neem a while back once and rinsed if off after.
Oh today I found a brown bug on it - I have no idea what it was but it was bigger. I didn't get a picture of it. but I was wondering if it was feeding on something on the plant?
Pictures are below. Thank you in advance for any help with this!


texts:
I have a plant which I've been told is a Deadly Nightshade - but the more I look into it, the more skeptical I am - for a start the berries are in large clusters, and it looks to me like a tree rather then a bush ( This relates to question this link    where I ask how to get rid of it !).  I'd really appreciate help identifying this plant.

I speculate that it must be some kind of nightshade based on the flowers and leaves.

I live in North Auckland, New Zealand, equivalent to US Hardiness zone 9.  I suspect that the plant is not more then 2 years old.

The berries are about the size of cherries.

I have a couple of these on my property - about 20 meters apart, but they do not appear to be "taking over".


texts: What is this plant with thin green stems and little yellow flowers?

texts: Can someone please identify this plant? I salvaged it from work but have no idea what it is other than it is an outdoor climbing plant, with thin green hardy stems and little yellow flowers produced during wintertime. I live in Birmingham, England.


texts: What's wrong with the emerging root of my mango seed?

texts:
I recently started to germinate a mango seed in a damp paper towel. Today, when I went to check if the towel was still damp, I noticed that the once soft pink root has darkened from the tip. It also left some yellow residue on the paper towel.

Is my seed at risk? What can I do to save it?


texts: What are these evergreen berries/fruits?

texts: We see these berries or fruits often in the Houston area, Texas. It looks evergreen, not sure if it's citrus.


texts: Is there any concern to prune back lilly pilly and Murraya rather aggressive?

texts:
I have two plants that have grown over the years without serious trimming/pruning. As you can see in the pictures, they have grown a lot taller than the fence.
I want to trim them back to about 0.5m taller than the fence. Is it too aggressive? are there any potential issues and cautions I should know of?
Murraya

And
Lilly Pilly


texts: Why are my Dracaena Fragrans leaves browning from the base?

texts:
I just brought home a Dracaena fragrans a couple of weeks ago, and it is in dire straits. Hoping someone here will have some ideas.

The problem(s):

Leaves turning brown from the base of the leaf (not the tip).  Brown leaves easily pull off with just a tug. This seems to be happening to leaves near the top of the stalk.
White fuzzy substance just visible at the tip of the stalk, near the small new leaves.
Yellowing leaves.
Small holes in some leaves.

I have considered lots of theories but am not sure what to think. Some things I've considered/tried:

Too much sunlight? I originally placed the plant right next to a southwest-facing window. We are pretty far north (New Brunswick, Canada), and during the winter I figured a jungle plant would prefer all the sunlight it could get. I've subsequently read that the dracaena fragrans developed in shaded conditions; maybe it was too much light? I have moved it away from the window.
Too cold? There is a heater right under that window, so I thought the plant would stay nice and warm. But my husband says the top leaves look almost like frost damage to him. Maybe the chill from the window damaged the top leaves?
Over/underwatering? I've read all the warnings about overwatering, and made sure to test before watering by feeling the dirt with my finger at least 1-2" below the top. It often felt wetter than I expected, and as a result I've watered less than I would have otherwise (about 1 liter every 2 weeks). Maybe this is still too much? The pot does have a drainage hole.
Fluoride in the water? We have well water and I don't know what the fluoride concentration might be. I have ordered a test kit; in the mean time, will leave water out for at least 24 hours to let fluoride/chlorine evaporate before watering, though I've read conflicting reports as to whether this actually works.
Too dry air? We have a Venmar air exchanger that controls the humidity in the house, and in the winter it does get pretty dry. Maybe a tropical plant needs more humidity? Though I've read that humid conditions can also contribute to fungal infections, which leads to my next point...
Fungus or pests? There is a white, fuzzy substance of some kind visible in the crook of the top of the stalk, by the newest leaves. Google has suggested mealybugs, spider mites, and powdery mildew. I haven't been able to find any bugs anywhere on the plant, but the fuzzy substance doesn't look quite like the photos I've seen online of powdery mildew, which seems to be spread in a thin, even layer over the entire surface of leaves. This is concentrated in one spot and is maybe 1/2" deep.

So, maybe multiple problems going on at the same time. I'm frankly just kind of amazed and dismayed that this nice-looking plant has gone downhill so fast. I have other houseplants that seem happy enough in the same room (a fuschia and an ivy plant). Any ideas?


texts: Storing bare root trees short term before planting in permanent location?

texts:
If bare root trees are dug up to be sold or moved and planted, how should they best be stored until planting if it could be a few days (e.g. 1-7 days)?

I usually buy bare root trees with roots wrapped in plastic bags, often with some substrate (wood shavings, sand, soil) and plenty of moisture. I understand if I'd have bare root trees waiting a season or more to be planted, they need to be heeled in or temporarily planted in an actual bed/mound. For just a few days, can the bare root trees just stay in that plastic & substrate they originally come in? Is it better to pot them so they can be watered & drained well during the few days until planting?

Closely related question, what substrates are suitable for bare root trees when they're waiting a few days before getting planted? The ones I'm aware of, in order of most to least optimal (maybe some incorrectly):

loose, fluffy loamy soil
sand
wood shavings
mulch
finished compost

In all cases, they'd be kept slightly moist (some watered more often than others to achieve that).


texts: What is this plant, and is it worth saving

texts:
My well meaning father-in-law transplanted this plant into our flower bed, thinking it was a rose bush.  So far (2 years) we haven't seen any flowers.  It has some pretty serious thorns and is kind of growing wild, reaching out of the flower bed.  Therefore, I'm inclined to remove it, but before doing so I thought it would be a good idea to properly identify it and find out if it has potential to be a nice plant.  If you recognize this plant, or can lead me into the right direction, I would appreciate it.
Thanks


texts: If I use bars of soap to deter deer from destroying my trees, does the bar of soap in any way harm the trees? Whether I hang it from the tree, or place it on the ground around the trees? I tried using soap that had a strong odor, like Coast & Irish Spring. Thank you


texts: Is there a climbing flowering vine that is both deer resistant and not favored by bees?

texts:
We are building a 'sitting area' with a bench and a few chairs, and I would like to setup a trellis (47" high x 60" wide) with some sort of perennial climbing flowering vine behind the bench.  This is both to block the view behind the bench with a wall of green and flowers, and to provide a beautiful backdrop for the bench itself.  The latter is probably the more important goal.

We live in SouthWestern PA and have a large number of deer so we would like a plant that is deer resistant.  We also would like to be able to use the bench without fear so I would like something unpalatable to bees.  We had originally planned on Wisteria, but upon doing some research found that it doesn't meet either of these points.

Is there a climbing flowering vine that won't attract bees or be eaten by dear.


texts: Wet pre-sprouted seed potatoes, is there an hurry to plant them?

texts:
I inadvertently left pre-sprouted seed potatoes on my balcony and they suffered a severe shower today.  I didn't plan to plant them before 4 days at the very least.

Is there an hurry to plant them now that they are wet ?

They are currently laying spread out in a wood crate.


texts: Can I grow asparagus in a small container?

texts:
I have read countless times that asparagus cannot be harvested in the first two years. I do not own my property so do not want to invest that time into something I leave behind.

Are there any gotchas around growing asparagus in something small and movable, should I need to?


texts:
I'm wondering what's causing the leaves of my morning glories to turn yellow and develop black/brown patches, along with what looks to be like white mold, as shown in this photo:

This is worse in the cotyledon leaves, but I did notice some true leaves having these as well, as shown here:

Something else I have noticed is that a couple of vine ends have turned brown. Also, some of the leaves that are not yellow do not look very healthy. Specifically, they appear bumpy with a very slight yellow-green tinge - not bright green and smooth. Both of these characteristics are shown in this photo:

Finally, I found some of these bugs hovering around the soil. They look like fungus gnats:

If this is correct, then I'm wondering if my plants have a fungal disease, as I read that fungus gnats can spread these diseases. But I'm not sure what disease this is. I have always kept these plants outdoors and for now, I just trimmed off the bad leaves. Does anyone have any ideas of what it might be, and how to treat it?
This summer was my first time trying to plant morning glories from seeds. This is already my third try (the other two times I had some kind of pest eating up the plants). It has not been easy! Any advice is greatly appreciated.


texts:
For the past three years (since I started gardening) I've tried with no luck to grow peppers. Two years ago I was able to grow a few pepper plants (out of many) but the peppers did not get very big. I've tried almost every variety of both seed and the pre-grown variety you get from the nursery. I've tried every spot in my garden.

The seedlings always get about 3 inches tall and then die and the pre-grown plants always die. I think they are getting plenty of water. All my other plants (squash, tomatoes etc) do just fine.

What could I be doing wrong?


texts: Will garlic cloves that are broken off the root 'plate' still grow?

texts:
I bought a bulb of organic garlic to try and grow.

While separating the cloves, a couple of them broke off that woody root 'plate'.

Will they still grow?


texts: A fire burnt my Leylandii hedge, what should I do?

texts:
We just moved to a new house. The which previous owner used to take good care of his garden. A few days ago I was pruning the hedge and which I believe is a Leyland Cypress. I found some brown patches and now I am worried. ( will take some pix later and update this post).

A fire destroyed a good portion of it, and regarding this I have 2 questions:

Should I cut off the burnt branches to help regrowth or can I leave it as it is?
How long will it take to grow again?

Thanks very much in advance.

Burnt area


texts:
I am a bonsai beginner and a friend gifted me a ficus bonsai. A stray cat got into the house and jumped on the table where I had kept my bonsai pot, tipping the table and breaking the pot. I wasn't around at home when this happened and my dad did the best he could and carefully transferred the bonsai into the nearest pot. This is the pot:

As the pot is deep, my bonsai has started growing more new leaves.

Am afraid to transfer it again as I feel it will hurt the bonsai but the friend who gave me the bonsai said now that the pot is deeper, it has started growing and that's not good.

Whats the best thing to do now?


texts: What is an aggressive grass that will grow from seed in Maine?

texts:
My lawn is a hodgepodge of different grass types - notably Bermuda grass on my front lawn.

Is there a grass that you can seed that will push other grasses out?

For reference I live in Maine.

Edit:

Based on answers below, I should concede to the Bermuda grass. So, I'll leave the front lawn out of the equation. So with the hodge podge of grasses in my side and back lawn, is there a grass that can make it all cohesive? Or do I seed bermuda grass everywhere?


texts: Do's and Don't's for re-potting a plant?

texts:
What are some important things to do and not to do when re-potting a plant?

I know it varies from plant to plant, but can anyone give me some general Do's and Don't?


texts: What is this plant growing beside my house?

texts:
Please excuse the somewhat stark photography. I'm currently in tech week for the show I'm in, so I don't get home until well after dark. This plant is growing in the patch of land where the grass is still failing to grow even after adding more soil and reseeding with a shade/drought-tolerant species.

As can be seen in the pictures, it's got a 7-pointed lobed leaf. My first thought is that it looks a little like a tree, maybe a poplar or maple, but I'm not botanist. I'm happy enough that anything is growing there, but I'm curious. If it helps, all of this sprung up within a few weeks.

Here is a close-up of one of the leaves:


texts: Why would we cut off leaves of strawberry plants once the harvest is done?

texts:
Each year since I'm following Gardener's World (a BBC show for gardeners), Monty Don cuts off the leaves of his early strawberry plants once the harvest is done (in June or July). Last year I did it for the first time on my plants. This year I had the biggest harvest in 4 years.

What is the reasoning behind the idea of cutting off the leaves?
Was this (one of) the reason(s) my harvest was outstanding this year?


texts: Why do my passion fruit flowers lack pollen?

texts:
I have a passion fruit plant that is about 4 years old, and all the fruit it ever given were two little cracked marbles that fell off the plant quickly.

I water it regularly, I attempted to water it more and sometimes less to see if it changes anything.

I recently noticed that flowers on other passion fruit have a lot of yellow pollen on them, and mine don't have any at all (Seriously, not even a slight bit)

What could cause this? should I try giving it a specific fertilizer? or should I just pull it out?


texts: Symptoms of nutrient deficiencies in trees

texts:
Are there some good rules of thumb to what symptoms map to sorts of deficiencies. If leaves are turning yellow out of season, what sort of deficiencies could be responsible?

I have read the following and would like to know how accurate such information is.

Lack of BORON
New tip growth dies and the plants become brittle.

Lack of CALCIUM
Tips of young leaves curl and die.


texts: How do I prevent holes in the leaves of my vegetable garden?

texts:
Something is eating the leaves of several plants in my vegetable garden. Can you help determine what is causing this and how I can prevent it?

This affects several of my vegetables: Turnips, Lettuce, Spinach, etc.

I live in Los Angeles, CA and this is taking place now (January).

Thanks for your help!


texts: What is this vine / tree growing up my giant poplar?

texts: I've cut away a lot of the leaves towards the bottom of the tree and can see that they are coming from some tree/vine that is growing up my poplar tree. I want to identify what it is and how best to get rid of it. It is probably around 10ft tall now, so I can't reach the leaves and branches that are higher up. If I cut off the branches (that are wrapped around the poplar trunk) from the bottom, will those at the top die off?


texts: Need to relocate an Oak Sapling growing near roots of larger tree

texts:
There is an oak sapling growing about 4ft from the foundations of mine and my neighbour's house so I feel we need to relocate it.
The problem is that is seems to be growing right at the base of a much more mature tree.
If I start digging down surely I'm just going to hit mature roots and I won't be able to detangle the new oak roots.
Any ideas? I'd love to have an oak in the garden but I'm not sure how to dig up the sapling safety and as easily as possible.


texts: Why is my Australian Tree Fern's leaves curling up at the ends and looking kind of burnt?

texts:
I have an Australian Tree Fern and its leaves are starting to turn 'crispy' at the tips. One branch looks like it's been burnt almost.

Can anyone tell me why?


texts: Is old un-used potting soil still good for use

texts:
I've had a larger bag of potting soil sitting outside on a deck for about two years.
Recently I decided to try and grow fruits and I was wondering if the potting soil would still be okay to use


texts: Bees surrounding soil of nearly dead basil

texts:
I recently took in a nearly dead basil plant from a friend. The stems were elongated and dark with only the leaves looking healthy.
My recent observation has been bees surrounding the soil of this particular plant even though it is not in a flowering stage.
I wonder if it's not to late to revive this plant but I am more curios as to why the bees are surrounding this plant in the first place. Even though I live in a desert region of the middle east, I still think that perhaps my soil's moisture content might be attracting the bees.


texts: Can anyone help me to identify  what is wrong with my Muscat Vine?


texts: What plants can I grow in an air-tight jar?

texts:
Recently I found out about a way to grow plants in air-tight jars, where the plant is recycling water and air so it is basically a no-maintenance plant. There is a product available from Pikaplant (not affiliated with them in any way) called 'Jar Coffea' (Coffea arabica).

  These Coffea plants are sealed airtight inside an upside down Mason jar. This means all of the water inside a Jar stays inside, and the plants continuously recycle the water they have. All you have to do is give your self-sustaining plants a nice place to live, and enjoy the view.

Because their product is rather expensive, I would be interested to try something similar, make my own jar but with other plants inside.

Which plants could be good candidates for this project and what kind of preparations should be made considering plants would be in a sealed environment? (According to that company their plants are flourishing for over 40 months.)


texts: what is this flowering succulent type plant?

texts: The leaves feel little plump and watery. Is this succulent? How do I care for it?


texts: What type of grow light should I buy for young citrus seedlings

texts: I have several young, potted citrus trees that range from 1 to 3 years old that are mandarin, grapefruit, key lime, Meyer lemon and eureka lemon varieties. They spent a productive spring, summer and early fall outside growing vigorously, but are now subject to spending the winter indoors since I live in the greater Seattle area. They are living in a Southern-facing window, but I fear that the constant overcast will not provide sufficient light. What type of light would be best for these young guys to keep up healthy leaf production?