texts: Leaves of young Mango tree are getting yellow

texts:
I have a question about a mango tree that I've planted few months ago. At first, it was planted incorrectly and too deep so it took a bit more time than it should to sprout and get to sunlight. Since then, however, it was growing quite fast and nicely, until recently the upper leaves started getting yellow and a little bit curly. Older leaves that you can see on the right look much better, helthier and more green. But it's still not the ideal colour, I think. I'd like to know whether this is insufficient amount of water, or the soil is not suitable. However, for two months it had no problems and looked fine in the same soil.

And yes, it's in a bucket, which is not the best way to grow a mango, but there is no risk I think. It has holes on the bottom so the excess water flows out and I hide it if it's raining too much so it does not overflow fron top. The bucket, was colored white from inside, but these are used for carrying milk and such, so in no way it is toxic for humans, but for a mango tree? I do not know. But I will move him into an actual, bigger pot soon.

I am from Slovak Republic, living in a valley. Temperatures reach as much as 37C in shade, much more in the sun. Nights are not that cold, very rarely dropping under 15C.
(Sorry for mistakes, English is my second language)


texts: What kind of plant is this thorny bush/vine in my yard?

texts: Just moved into a new place and this plant seems to be taking over most of the planting area and seems to be choking some of the other trees and plants around it.  I'm about to aggressively prune it down but wanted to know what kind of plant it was - whether it will flower, and whether there is any reason for me not to drastically reduce it.  (The thorns hurt as well)


texts: Why are my Hibiscus leaves turning yellow?

texts:
I live on the coast of northern California, and my patio hibiscus is showing yellow leaves:

It has been hot lately (25-30C, >30% humidity), and I have been watering the tree every-other-day.


texts: Why are my tomato plant seedlings dying?

texts:
Some of my tomato plants are dying for no reason. I just transplanted a few seedlings in the pot and after 3-4 days, a few are dead and some are doing well. Is this some kind of transplant shock? This never happened to me before. Soil is coco peat + vermi compost + sand.
The temperature range is 18-30 degree C.


texts: What kind of flower is this? Saw it online while looking up photos for a biology project and now I'm curious as to what kind it is. Thanks.


texts: How do we deal with abnormally heavy rain?

texts:
I just started gardening this year, and we've tried a few methods to see what works best, including a straw bale garden, compost bag gardens, and a tilled field.  Things were going great until about a week ago when the rain started.  Since then, it's rained every day and will continue raining for the next week.  With the rain and the clouds, my plants have slowed their growth.  In particular, my squash in the tilled field is stunted and yellowing and my tomatoes hardly seem to have grown at all.  The problems are the worst in the tilled field relative to the straw bales and the bags.

What should I do?  Do they need more nitrogen, or is it going to take a few sunny days to get back on track?  And is all hope lost at this point?  Will my plants recover when conditions improve or have I missed a vital growth period?


texts: How do I get a nice dense folliage back on my Chinese Elm?

texts:
I'm new here and quite new to growing bonsais! I'm in possession of a Chinese Elm, which I bought 3 months ago. It was held outside by the previous owner, so it had no leaves when it arrived here. I'm keeping it inside. After a month it started budding and the foliage was getting back and it looked dense. But.. I think I underwatered it so the tree almost lost all of its leaves again :(. Now it shows some shoots and leaves again but all the little older side branches don't seem to have any foliage. I live in the Netherlands and spring 'officially' started here 20th of March.

As can be seen in the picture below, the soil is not looking that great.. also the soil came loose from the sides of the pot?

I have a couple of questions and I hope the pictures will help clarify:

--> I don't use fertilizer yet, just ordered some.

Do I just let the trees grow this spring/summer without pruning it? Or should I keep pruning, to get a denser foliage?

With kind regards,

Martijn


texts: How to prevent stacking in split rock succulents?

texts: My split rock has 4 leaves, should the outer leaves be removed at some point to prevent stacking in order to prevent death of plant, and if so how do I do it?


texts: Giving a beautiful orchid as a Christmas gift to your mother?

texts: What rather rare and colourful orchid that you can't find in supermarkets could I order on Amazon as a Christmas gift for my mother?


texts: How do i keep my bamboo plant straight and healthy?

texts:
I brought a packet of little bamboo plat seeds from eBay, i am not sure if this is really a species they just look good in eBay post.

Now its been around 3 months and they are growing.. I tried to put a stick with plant to keep them straight but these bamboo plants are not keeping them-self straight also they are not looking like they looked in the eBay post. Can you guys identified which bamboo species is this and how they will look like when they will get bigger.
And most importantly what should i do to keep them straight and healthy? What water and soil requirements? Currently soil is cocopeat + vermi compost and i water them whenever soil seems dry.


texts: How to sharpen garden scissors without dedicated tool?

texts: Is there a simple way to sharpen garden scissors without using a dedicated tool for that?


texts:
Location: Columbus, Ohio

Early in the season, maybe too early to identify.


texts: Tilling the garden at the end of the year.

texts: My dad has always tilled the garden at the end of the growing season, and therefore I have as well. But today I want to ask this group a simple question, is there really a benefit to tilling at the end of the season?


texts: How do I prevent damping-off of my lettuce seedlings?

texts:
I have successfully germinated 10 lettuce seeds from a tissue and transplanted them into a pot. They grew more and showed new leaves, but after some time I noticed that their stem from the base started to turn brown and become thinner.

I googled it and I confirmed that my lettuce seedlings experienced what they called damping off. I read about how to prevent it and many said that the soil must be baked in an oven or sprayed with some anti-fungal, but that's not advisable because it may be toxic to plants and to people. The problem is that we don't have an oven to use and even if we have, my mother will not allow that method.

The next possible thing I can do is to let the soil dry from the sun but I don't if it's OK to do that, or are there other alternatives to prevent damping off from occurring again?


texts: Why don't people cultivate sarana (Kamchatka Lily)?

texts: Cultures around the far northern Pacific rim enjoy the lily root, sarana. Supposedly its slight bitterness is satisfying in both sweet and savory preparations. My information is not complete, but in the linked article, no one grows it on purpose -- it's always foraged. Is there any reason why sarana would not be a good crop to grow in a vegetable garden?


texts: Yellowing and falling of lime tree leaves

texts:
Following this question, I have re-potted my key lime tree into a bigger pot, changed the soil (using the "best" potting soil I could find around, i.e. one that does not hold water), and stopped using the liquid plant food I was adding to the water.

As before, I make sure to only water the plant when the soil looks dry (one or twice a week).

However, some of the leaves have recently been slightly curled (as one can see on the top left corner of the photo at the bottom of the post; and, more concerning, this morning when I arrived in my office I noticed that one of the leaves had fallen and was almost entirely yellow.

Being quite attached to the plants I have, this got me worried: should I be concerned? What am I doing wrong?


texts: Help identifying shrub, long narrow leaves, white flowers

texts:
Can anyone help me identify this bush, shown in the photos? It is growing happily in our garden in the UK. We are coastal, and rarely get a frost.

We planted it 6 years ago when it was about half the size of a football, it is now about 10ft across.

It is a spherical shrub, evergreen, with long narrow leaves growing in pairs. The flower had is made up of lots of tiny white flowers, as shown in the photos. It is just starting to flower now in July.

Any help greatly appreciated.


texts: How to remove mucilage from dragon fruit seed for better germination?

texts:
I bought a yellow dragon fruit (Pitaya) and extracted the seeds. After soaking the seeds in water in preparation for sowing, I noticed that a thick clear sac (called mucilage) swelled around the seeds.
There is a lot of literature around mucilage of tomato seeds. The general consensus is this mucilage prevents the seed from germinating while inside the fruit/vegetable. So one must soak the tomato seeds in water to dissolve the mucilage before sowing in soil.
All the literature on dragon fruit is littered with technical jargon that will make my head explode, so I thought I’d make some analogy with tomato seeds. The opposite effect seemed to have occur with dragon fruit seeds. The mucilage is now stronger than ever. I have difficulty removing it as it is extremely slippery and gooey when ruptured. What are your tips to remove this?


texts: what is the liveable temperature range of winecap?

texts: I'm trying to promote wine cap growth, and am unsure if I should leave a black tarp on it, or take off the black tarp.


texts:
I’m in the Caribbean, and someone’s selling a 6-ft potted tree that seller identifies as “pine”. I’m including pictures.

Can anyone identify this tree? I only have these pictures.

Can this remain in the pot? The seller tells me it grew in the pot. I have an apartment, so it can’t grow over 6-ft.

I also have a terrace without a roof, so it would receive tons of sun if I move it up there.


texts:
I planted various varities of tomatoes a couple months ago and they're all dieing. Based in Baghdad (Iraq), weather is 35 deg c midday, 25 deg c at night.

They were all healthy, started producing tomatoes. Now half the plants are dead, basically like they've dried up. I've tried to ID the problem but am unable to. I thought it might be tomato bacterial wilt but there's no oozing. Any help will be greatly appreciated.


texts: HELP! New grapevine yellowing from bottom up w/ white fuzz & black tips

texts: I bought this vine 3 weeks ago from a local nursery. Planted in new potting soil. I think I over watered in the beginning but have backed off to once a week since it’s been hot. The leaves have a white fuzz all over them. I’ve sprayed twice with copper anti fungal but it’s only looking worse. Now it’s yellowing from the bottom up and any new growth has dried and fallen off. The tiniest leaves are turning black at the tips. What should I do?


texts: I saw this attractive climber in Cambridgeshire, England. Can anyone reveal what it is?


texts: Can the experts please help us identify this tree?


texts:
I want to grow vegetables in my garden in beds because the soil is clay and I feel that’s the best option.

Wooden beds seems the best way to go as recycled plastic seems awfully expensive.

There seem to be a lot of debate online regarding tanalised beds with the chemicals eventually sipping through the soil and getting in your veg.

If That’s the case, what wood is best to use? What alternatives do I have?
I live in the UK


texts: Coleus leaves have been slowly losing their color, whats going wrong?

texts:
I recently planted a set of three coleuses outside (in Florida) and two seem to be doing fine but one has started losing the color in its leaves. I'm worried about it dying, can someone tell me what is wrong with it and how to keep it alive?
Here is an album with some images of the coleus, close ups of its more pale leaves and one that fell off.
https://imgur.com/a/UYgjJi9


texts: The stalk is hairy.  It looks like Nettles but isn't though they often grown together.]2


texts: Is this a sucker? Can they grow above the graft line?

texts:
I have a citrus tree of the Washington Navel variety, which is around 4 years old (and has been here for 2 of those). Naturally this means it's a scion grafted onto rootstock of which I don't know the variety.
A few weeks ago I got this branch shooting out from the middle of it, to the point where it doubles the height of the tree. The leaves are wider than those of the rest of the tree, and with its growth I worry that it's a sucker.

That's a close-up of the leaves. It also has some spines but they're not that exaggerated.
Now the thing is, from what I can see, it's coming from above the graft, which is what has gotten me confused. In fact it seems to be coming from the place all the other branches are.

So, is it a sucker? Should I have it cut down? Or is it just a branch which is growing very quickly?


texts: Is it normal for drip hose to tear when pulled from compression fitting?

texts: I have an older drip/soaker hose setup that I'm attempting to patch.  I've had leak troubles which means I have pulled the hoses from the compression fittings several times while attempting to fix it.  The old hose deals with this just fine but the new stuff tears every time. The older hose is also smoother, while the new one has a pebbled surface and seems like it might be made of recycled bits of something else. Is this normal with newer product or did I get a poor quality hose?


texts: How to grow purple yam from the grocery store?

texts:
I bought some purple yam from the Asian supermarket. I think they are true yams because there's laws for correct labeling of yam versus sweet potatoes.

Cut open one end to show you the purple flesh inside.

My question is how do I grow new yams from these? I've been reading some online articles and I'm hearing some confusing information:

One website said you you can use small tubers. From the pictures, I don't believe I have any tubers.
One website said all yams in USA are actually sweet potatoes because they can't grow in USA. So they suggest to grow like sweet potatoes by submerging half in water to grow roots and slips. But what if this was imported from another country and this is a true yam? Is the growing process different?
One Youtube video said to cut an inch off from the end that has roots and put the roots pointing down into soil. Then cover with two inches of soil. Looks like I only have one yam with two tiny roots. How would I be able to grow the ones without roots?
No one really mentioned how to water them as they are growing roots. Do they like moist soil or drenched soil?


texts: Encourage new leaves along Devil's ivy stem

texts:
I have an Devil's Ivy that is a couple of years old. It's been through periods of neglect, but is now getting a lot more attention and is looking pretty healthy overall. It has 5-6 long stems.

On a couple of the older stems, there are no leaves along the first 75cm or so, so it looks a bit scraggly. There are plenty of leaves past that point and the tips are growing well. I assume there used to be leaves, but they died during one of its phases of neglect.

It currently lives on a windowsill facing south (in the Southern hemisphere). (I know it might grow better on an east-facing window, but I really want it here.)

Is there a way to encourage leaves to re-grow on the lower parts?


texts: how to kill weeds without chemicals in front yard and garden bed?

texts:
St Augustine grass in my front yard is healthy, Luscious and thick.  However there is one patch where weeds have taken over and keep expanding outward in 360 degrees.  I've tried smothering it with weedkiller fabric and cardboard for a month.  Also tried laying mulch over weeds in rose bushes.

What is this weed? Is it crabgrass?
Is a propane weed torch or naturezap the fastest way to kill these?

Related Question #1

Related Question #2

update:  Zoomed in photos added of St Augustine grass with weeds growing in it (bottom 3 photos with me holding it up)


texts: guys name of bonsai species ?, how to care? in over my head!

texts:
I picked this up in a yard sale, the old man seemed to know a lot but our language barrier made it difficult to follow and remember his instructions, ridiculously I forgot to even ask him the name of this particular tree, I gathered a few bits of information but some step by step basics would be highly appreciative, I would be mortified should this beautiful thing deteriorate under my care.

from what I remember, he said...

**its not an indoor plant

**I should cut the black cord after approx 2-3 months, he explained it encouraged the tree to grow slanting to one side as intended or as is aesthetically more pleasing?

**the soil under the rocks should be moist/damp at most times and if dry I should water the soil.

recommendation for watering (I found heavy handed but what the hell do I know), **put the tree under a sink and let the water reach just above the pot, submerge it all until level with the bottom of the roots.

that's as much as I know, if anyone can identify its name and give or confirm the old mans instructions to be sound, that would be highly appreciative...I paid $40 AU, I think that's a good price although again I really have no idea, thanks

EDIT : i should mention its fairly cool weather here in Sydney AU, not a lot of sun, Autumn although rather cold

click here** for close up of leaf


texts:
Please see the photo. Any idea what the plant is?

Thanks!


texts: How should I care for freeze damaged tomato plants?

texts:
I've read the other answers but this question is a bit different.  We've had 2 freezes each month this summer.  90 to 100 degrees (F) daytime and plummeting to 35 or lower at night.  We have covered with newspaper and row cloth and that really helped but then July and August we started feeling too safe and lazy.  Gorgeous tomato plants (30) laden with fruit.

There are a few tomato plants (6) that weren't damaged at all. I am unable to figure out what is common about them; their placement, their variety? All of the tomato plants are laden with beautiful green tomatoes.  The weird thing is that the basil, cucumbers, squash, beans were not damaged.  The sweet potatoes are complete goners.

Is there a chance by leaving the tomato plants alone (we built the new greenhouse right over the garden and just got the skin installed, no heat as yet)... that the green fruits will ripen?  Is there enough photosynthetic property within the green stems to allow this?


texts: How can I get rid of these bugs on my African violets?

texts:
I had two pots of Saintpaulia (African Violet). They've been doing pretty well, lots of flowers, and breeding! However one of them has starting having bugs. When the blossoms open up, there are one or more of the three types of bugs. I've been trying to kill them with a cotton swab dipped in white spirit/ alcohol, it's helped a lot in reducing the bugs, but still there are some. I was observing my other pots, and they were all fine, until the other one had some flowers recently and I found a few bugs there, as well.

These brown bugs are the largest among the three that I see:

The second type is the white, small bug, I know there are lots of white spots on this picture, but not all of them are bugs! Just a few. They're pure white, with pure white limbs! Very small.

The third type that I don't have a picture of, is yet another brown bug, but long and thin, as if it's a very thin, narrow piece of stick, or just a thin thorn.

Is there an efficient, easy, home-made solution to this issue?

This is how the overall plant looks:

And this is the baby pot born from my other pot. They seem to be doing good, as well; but I noticed the leaves seem a bit curly. Is this also a bug/fungal, or is that normal?


texts:
I have some crabgrass in various patches in my lawn that I would like to remove.  At the same time, I would like to fill in some patches (and the crabgrass locations) with new grass seed.  I can buy some fertilizer with crabgrass preventer, but I assume that this will make it so the good grass seed does not grow.

Is there any way to kill crabgrass and grow good grass in its place?


texts: Tips about trying to get tree sapling to grow after winter fallout

texts: I sprouted this sapling from seed in my backyard, and it grew to a foot tall with 2 big leaves in 2 months. But winter came and it stunted its growth, and the top part of the stem dried up. Now it is getting warmer, and I am wondering if there is anything I can do to allow it to grow, as the leaves are still mostly green, the stem is green and intact, and the roots are still intact. I am in hardiness zone 10, and the tree is a jackfruit tree.


texts: Why are leaves turning yellow in a recently propagated pothos

texts: I recently propagated some cuttings from my golden pothos in a pot filled with soil. After few days the leaves and stems strated appearing yellow and frail. What could be the cause of it?


texts: What is this grass that is growing in my desert yard?

texts:
I live in New Mexico (zone 7a) and my yard is basically a desert. However, I was surprised to discover some grass growing near the edge of my patio slab today. I didn't plant it and I certainly haven't watered it, so I was surprised to see it!

I'm hoping someone can identify what this stuff is so maybe I can plant it elsewhere since it seems to like growing here!

Bigger versions here: https://imgur.com/a/aY4kL


texts:
I bought a holly (Oakland) that I wanted online because I could not find it locally.
The nursery trimmed and shaped it nicely before shipping including cutting the central leader.
I want this to grow freely as a tree and not a regularly manicured shrub.
Will this still be possible?


texts: Is corn a fruit or a vegetable or a nut?

texts:
I've been debating with my friends whether or not corn kernels are considered to be fruits or vegetables or nuts. To my knowledge, a fruit is defined as "an over ripened ovum" of a plant's seed. A vegetable is part of a plant that is eaten but not part of the seed. I was under the impression that nuts were only from a specific "branch" of plant evolution that is predominantly trees. This information would lead me to believe it is isn't any of them.
Looking into it myself, I learned the word aril, but I'm not sure if corn's kernels are like that, either. It doesn't sound like it fits the criteria of that, or any of them.

Taking up from there, I'm a bit confused on what corn should be called. Do we have a name for corn like we do everything?


texts: What is this plant growing from a pineapple plant

texts: I have been growing pineapples in my backyard for around five years and this is the first time I have seen this plant grow from underneath a pineapple plant.  The pineapple plant is from the top of a pineapple. Now the leaves are thin and soft and easily pliable.


texts:
The whole story start off as an accident. At the beginning, we bought some sweet potato and mean to cook them, but we forgot one at the bottom of a chair and next time we discover it, there were green leaves growing from it. So we put the sweet potato where it can access sunlight and leave it there (and foolishly assume it'll take care itself). After a period of time the sweet potato look like the following photo now.

I've tried to ask my friends and google whether if it caught a disease or something, but no one is entirely sure if it is still alive. Since there's still one or two green branch and leaves on it, I wonder if it can still be saved? And if there is still hope what action should I take to save it (I live in an small apartment in a city so putting it in the backyard is not possible, I've read some other question that it is possible to grow them in a big bucket, but I would like to know before stuffing it into the soil in a bucket should I do something first)?


texts: Is it normal for an oak tree to slough off its thick bark without it growing back?

texts:
I have several oak trees in my forested back yard that are in various stages of loosing a thick outer layer of bark, revealing thinner whitish bark underneath.  Once this bark is lost, it doesn't appear to grow back.  The the tree in the photo below is in the middle stages of this process: most of the other oak trees I have have nearly totally lost the thick bark (except for patches here or there), and a one or two haven't lost any.
I had the city arborist over a few years ago for a different reason, and he mentioned offhand that this didn't look normal.  I believe he said my trees were Bur Oaks.
Is this condition normal, or is it the result of a disease or pest?


texts: LED light or Indirect Sunlight for Hawaiin Tree Fern?

texts:
How should I best grow a Hawaiin tree fern in my New York City apartment? I have LED lights that are currently helping my Thai and Genoa Basil plants grow. Should I also put the Hawaiin tree fern under the LED lights? Would the fern be fine on the window sill, which mainly gets indirect sunlight (maybe at most 5 hours of direct sunlight during the summer)?

My apartment does not get a lot of direct sunlight (hence the LED lights for my basil plants).

Also worth mentioning I just repotted my fern after a suspected case of root rot. It appears we were either overwatering the Hawaiin tree fern or the pot was not draining adequately.


texts: Is there a drinksafe Y-connector for garden hoses?

texts:
Most brass connectors contain lead. Can anyone point me to the most durable type of y-connector to buy to water my garden that will not inject any lead or harmful plastics into the water stream?

I am setting up an automatic irrigation system, so I have no way of dumping the first 2 litres of lead water first and then using the rest for watering the garden.


texts: In our garden there are two northern white-cedars (thuja occidentalis) that have gotten a strange light-greenish area on the base of their stem (see the image enclosed). The infected species are in direct neighbourhood to each other. So it might have spread from one bush to another. The area is visible for about two years now. Does anybody have an idea what this could be? To me it looks like a moss or any kind of fungal infection.


texts: Determine species of figs, care in very wet Texas June, harvest time(s)

texts:
I have a fig tree growing in my back yard, and do not know the species.  This is central Texas (the "Hill Country"), and our normal hot June and July is so far very wet and cooler than normal.  The size in the picture is about the size of a grape; they're all growing at the same rate.  My question is what species, as well as care and harvest date(s).  I have a net canopy around the whole thing, sorry birds, find something else to eat :)

The tree is about 8 feet tall.


texts:
In a section of our yard, I have a small field of beautiful daylilies, nine varieties in all. (I can't take credit for them, as they were here when we bought the house a few years ago!) True to their title, the flowers are at their best for only a day or two before they begin wilting. At that point, I can either gently pluck them off, or wait until they shrivel up and fall on their own.

I know that with some plants, removal of the spent blossoms is important so the energy can be used to produce new flowers. With daylilies, is deadheading necessary, or even helpful?

I understand it makes them look better, but I'm not always in the mood to climb through the field to reach those in the back.

I couldn't resist adding some pictures! Click on them for full size.


texts: There is some black stuff on the top of my lucky bamboo - it seems to be in a shady corner - is this mold? Should I be worried? What should I do?


texts: Is there an enzyme/compound I can use to quickly rot fallen fruit?

texts: I have two crabapple trees that drop crabapples down every year. They get awfully gooey and sticky and make walking through my yard barefoot a terrible ordeal. Is there some sort of enzyme or chemical compound that I can put on them to speed up the rotting process and therefore get them out of my yard quicker?


texts:
Suddenly I have noticed that the leaves on the mandarin tree are looking dull and curling (whole tree). It's a 3 year old tree and it has been producing lot of fruits.
I watered the tree yesterday and noticed this today. Could it be because of over watering? If yes will the tree recover! I am extremely sad :(


texts: Can I force Sedum spectabile 'Neon' to rebloom?

texts: I grew some Sedum spectabile 'Neon' and it flowered very well, but the flowers do not last very long. I would like to extend the flowering period. I noticed a scattering of rebloom, but it was not very good. Could I force a consistent rebloom on these?


texts: Any suggestions on how to control clover and grass in a flowerbed?

texts:
I have an out of control clover infestation in my flower bed, but every time I dig out a batch of clover, it just springs back up within a month.  The native grasses also seems to love the flowerbed.

It's my understanding that the broad leaf herbicides that kill clover will also kill the flowers.

Does anyone have tips or suggestions on how to keep a neat flowerbed?


texts: Since it is quite warm in Florida Zone 9b and will be for a long while, can I direct sow peppers and tomatoes in the garden instead of starting indoors?  My plot gets about 6-7 hours of direct sun.


texts: Do opuntia (prickly pear) cacti readily form hybrids in the wild?

texts:
I suspect the answer is yes, because they are the most diverse group of cacti.

The reason I ask is that we actually have four varieties/species and I'm having a lot of trouble identifying them! The better cacti books that I can find typically only list the dozen or so of most common/notorious species and finding matches has been difficult.

Of the four we have, two are almost certainly cultivars:

A spineless large-pad example sold as simply "opuntia spp" from a local nursery (I bought it because it was spineless)
A "cinnamon bunny ears". No spines but red hairs. Smaller pads. Looks very pretty but those hairs are worse the fibre glass! This was a case of pad-napping in rural Central Texas. shh

The two wild ones are:

A Mexican large pad-variety. Only limited frost tolerance. I grew it from seed though.
A local "weed" rescued from a tree planting event. This is the most identifiable as it will be a wild variety local to North Texas. The books are helpful here.

I guess at the end of the day it is idle curiosity. All can tolerate our frosts except for the Mexican variety which can only handle the milder winters. The local one has had flowers. The cinnamon grows very well and is decorative.

At Shane's request here are a couple of pictures from back in April. We had a small cactus bed which was greatly expanded at the end of March into quite a big xeriscape bed - these pictures are only a few weeks later, so things still look a bit bare. I've since thinned out some of the cinnamon opuntia and the "hummingbird plant" (sorry can't remember the name, the Misses bought it - it went very bushy this year, has red long, small flowers. liked by insects and hummingbirds, likes droughts). I added three agaves at the weekend, and a low,creeping sedum to replace one of the phloxes that died (2 out of a dozen dieing isn't bad).

The red yucca produced a flower bud, one week after it was planted! It is still flowering.

Here is the right end of the xeriscape bed, this is centered around the old cactus bed. The red yucca is on the left. Mexican sage at the back. The bulk of the cacti are the "cinnamon bunny ears". These grow very well. Pads are quite small, no spines, but lots of hairs - old pads are also furry. In the middle of that, flowering with the yellow flower, is the local opuntia (saved as a 'weed' from a tree planting event). This has had a few flowers, so I'm hoping for tunas later in the year - perhaps gifts when I return to the UK if I can get them through customs :-) First time I've had an opuntia flower.

The Mexican opuntia was down to one plant after this winter and was broken into individual pads. One is in the lower left (and has since died). There's a strong one hidden from view, and another single pad on the right.

Also on the right (with two pads) is the spineless opuntia from the nursery. This was recently purchased and has just put its first new pad out.

Here is a close up of the middle:

The opuntia in the middle with the yellow flower is the local 'weed' opuntia. It is surrounded by cinnamon opuntia which are 1-2 years old. The plant at the back and the cinnamon opuntia have since been thinned, giving the local opuntia some more space.

It doesn't show up on the top photo, but there's also a mammary cactus hiding in the lower right. This also had flowers only a few weeks after planting, but they were a dull straw color. Unlike opuntia, it was a little pricey so we're hoping it survives!


texts: How should I take care of a Hyacinth bulb growing in a vase of water?

texts: I just picked this plant up from the store. What is the best way to take care of it? Can I leave it like it is and let it sit in the sun?


texts: How should a lemon tree with yellowing leaves, peeling bark, and small fruit be saved?

texts:
Our lovely lemon tree is in trouble... We live in Northern California. Starting mid-last summer our tree began yellowing.

We've called an arborist out to the house but the advice has been pretty useless.  (Advice was to turn off all yard sprinklers near the tree and nothing else to recommend. We did this and if anything the tree seemed to be getting sicker.)

Here are the symptoms:

Most leaves are turning yellow and very few leaves at top of tree.
The fruit is smallish relative to past season.
The bark is peeling starting from the base of the trunk and going up.

We have supplemented with Iron/Magnesium solution per directions on package (1% by volume) two times over two months, total volume of 2.5L poured around base tree and roots. This has not seemed to help the color.  I measured the soil pH and best as I can tell from the kit it seemed normal within range for citrus trees. Also, there seems to be a green mossy color on the branches.  We're not sure if this has always been there or if it's getting worse.

Questions for StackExchange include.

What is wrong with our tree?
What is causing the bark to peel?  Is this "collar rot"?  Something else?
Are the yellow leaves related to the peeling bark at base of tree?
How can we fix the bark, the leaves. Basically, how do we save the tree?

We're not gardeners but we love this tree... please help if you can!
Any advice, questions or treatment options?

Yellowing Leaves

Smallish Fruit

Peeling Bark

Formula we used to supplement at 1% by volume

 (total treatment volume 2.5L at base of tree two times over two months)


texts: Methods for saving amaryllis bulb infected with narcissus bulb fly

texts:
One of my amaryllis bulbs is infected with the narcissus bulb fly : ( It was planted and it started seeing white mould forming around the bulb. I took the bulb out and sure enough it was starting to rot on its side. By pressing on the decayed area I found a maggot.

I know most people recommend discarding the bulb, but I rather try to save it. The damage seems to be mostly on the outside layers, since it is a big bulb. I know most likely the mother planted two eggs on the bulb, though, so there might be another maggot eating away the bulb where I can't see it. So my questions are:

Has anyone actually saved an infected bulb? What method was used?
If I use the method of soaking the bulb in hot water (43c - 44c) for 40 minutes, do I need to keep the water constantly at that temperature?
Can I cut the decayed part of the bulb (mostly on its outside) and plant it again? Wouldn't it rot (like it was doing before) not having its protective layers?
I have seen some people slice the bulb completely to get the worm out but I could not find a description of the whole method. How does this method work? Can I plant the halves afterwards?

Thanks in advance.


texts: Comparing flowering duration for Cherries, Cherry Blossom, Other Stone Fruit, Apples

texts:
Are there any rules of thumb for how long various fruit trees flower for?
Of specific interest - do Cherry Blossom trees have blossoms for significantly longer then regular cherry trees ?   Similarly, are there any fruit trees known for their blossoms?


texts: I need help determining if something may be wrong with my dumb cane plant

texts: I've had my plant for 4 years and I recently started to notice that the stem of my plant have these marks on them and the leaves of my plant have been yellowing. I recently staked my plant but made sure to leave room around the wire and stem and even the plant stems that do not have wire have developed these marks. I may need to repot my plant and check the roots to see about the yellowing issue but I still don't understand the stems appearance.


texts:
I acquired a plant that needs identifying.  I would like to know how to care for it.  Care instructions would be nice too, but I can find those if I knew the plant name.

It is:
10 in (25 cm) tall
Soft needles/leaves
Single stem from soil branching to many
No discernable smell (i.e. doesn't smell like a pine tree)


texts: How to get rid of mosquitoes in the garden?

texts:
We have a modest garden, about 90 sq.m, with a large, shady tree in the corner. Of late, we've noticed a lot of insects emanating from that corner, particularly some nasty mosquitoes that hang around at all hours of day and night, and make it very unpleasant to sit outside. It may have something to do with the damp soil in that area; we have drip irrigation throughout the garden, but only that corner is permanently shaded from the hot Israeli sun.

What can we reasonably do get rid of the mosquitoes? Bonus if we can get rid of the flies too, but at least they don't bite.

Video here, so you can get a clearer picture.


texts: Why are the edges of my cucumber leaves drying out?

texts: I have been growing cucumbers under 40% shade net. Last week the temperature was at 42° Celsius (105° F). At the end of last week, some of the plants started having burning and drying of the leaves' edges, then eventually the whole leaf start wilting. What can be the cause of this problem? The plant is situated in a dry hot valley, Southern Africa, Namibia.


texts: Treat Grubs this late in fall? (Maryland)

texts:
I've read conflicting things about whether you should apply Grub control products in Fall. It's likely insecticide companies trying to sell more insecticide.  I'm sure the spring is a better time to prevent grubs. But, that's not my situation.

It's Mid-October you've invested a lot in a fall overseeding/watering... the cost of failure is high. You just found a Grub... Do you treat it or wait till spring?

Questions:

How long will grubs continue to eat my roots?
Are the chemicals in Grub Ex going to have a long term negative effect on my soil?
Besides the wasted $15 to cover my lawn, any reason to not
   do it.

ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND:

I'm near Baltimore, MD.  Tall Fescue.

Did an overseeding... have spent a small fortune on water the past month (have had no rain)... was carefully hand raking an area of my lawn where no grass seed was growing to give it one last try for the year and found a Grub. Honestly, I feel like i've used a lot of water... and the idea of putting more seed down in the spring potentially and having to repeat daily waterings again makes me sad.

So, I'd rather burn $15 now then use a lot of water in the spring to fill these spots.


texts: What is this tiny plant with multiple leaves and small white tubercles scattered over its leaves?

texts:
Could you please help me with identifying the following plant?

It's a tiny one, smaller than a forefinger. It has multiple dark green leaves, with small white tubercles scattered over each leaf. The tubercles are prominent on the lower (outer) side of the leaves, but the upper (inner) side of leaves have less clear tubercles, too.

Here's a picture:


texts: Should I trim dead shoots from a Croton grown as a houseplant?

texts: I have a potted plant that started growing some new shoots. However, I think they died. Should I just leave them alone, or try to trim them, remove them, etc? The plant is a croton.


texts: How do I revive an air-layer that has dropped all its leaves?

texts:
I bought a Sweetheart Lychee air-layer a month ago. It is less than a foot tall. I immediately planted it in a plastic container whose diameter matched the canopy size. For the first week, I kept it inside by a window that only got 5 hours of sunlight. Then I transitioned it outside for a full 10 hours of sunlight. The weather has been consistently over 50 F at night and lower than 80 F during the day. I water it 3 times a week, letting water drain out from the bottom. I've only put one crushed eggshell and some tea leaf pellets on the surface.

All the leaves eventually started browning from the edges and fell off. Some new leaves are sprouting, but they've shriveled before reaching full size. There's also a rusty color developing on the soil around the trunk. I had a similar experience with my Wax Apple (Jambu), but with only a third of the leaves getting scorched. That one recovered quite well by putting out new leaves without me adjusting anything. At one point, I moved the Lychee behind the posts of my porch to see if shade would help it, but it did not improve.

I would like some tips on how to revive this baby. It was $50 and it's not available in any local nurseries, so it would be a pity if it died.

To see the full resolution: Right click -> View Image.


texts: Please tell me the disease/issue with my mint plant

texts:
These mint leaves are pale yellow-green. Please tell me what is wrong with them with all the discoloured appearance.
Pot-12~14 inch
Soil mix-Old vermicompost~vermiculite~perlite mixed with about 20 percent garden soil.
No fertiliser added. Watered using drinking water.


texts: Is September too late to plant winter greens in USDA zone 6?

texts: I have Red Russian Kale and Collards that I want to grow for a late-season crop, but I keep procrastinating.  Is late August/Early September too late to put them out in order to get enough greens to have a mess or two to eat?   I live in USDA zone 6 (on the line between 6a and 6b) and we get our first frost usually sometime from the middle of October to the middle of November.


texts: If a climber (clematis plant) attaches itself to a plant, is it harmful for host plant?

texts:
I have a Chinese clematis plant probably, which seem to grow in direction of other plants, and attach itself to the stems of hosts. My question is, is the climber behaviour to its host is just for support or is it parasitic as well, does it grow roots at the junction? How has the plant affected your garden if you have them
Attached is the image of the same
PS: I scanned the plant species using PictureThis android app


texts: Is the Atherton Raspberry known to hybridize with other Rubus species?

texts: Is Rubus probus (the Atherton Raspberry) known to hybridize with other Rubus species? It sounds like it would be pretty awesome in breeding programs.


texts: Recently transplanted a small Peach Tree from indoor to outdoor about a week ago.  Tree seems like it was doing fine until today, today is the first day the temperature has reached above 85 and it is extremely bright and sunny(Delaware). A few of the very top leaves have learned a much lighter color, has a whiteish tint to it. Should I put a cover it to try and limit sun exposure?


texts: What is the effect of candling pine evergreens?

texts:
I recently purchased a dwarf evergreen (a Japanese White Hagoromo and a Japanese Black Pine) and was instructed by the salesman to twist off all of the "candles" at about the halfway point once they have reached an inch or two long.  He said this was necessary in order to keep it from growing too large.

I've read somewhat vague effects of performing this ritual on selected candles.  Could someone go into a little more detail and ideally provide before/after photos?


texts: What kind of green watermelons have a red spot?

texts:
When I was a child, I saw an awesome large long watermelon (I'm guessing about 2.5 to 3.5 feet long and 1 to 1.7 feet thick, but I could be off considering I might have seen it in a garden catalog instead of in person). It was an awesome looking green one, probably with stripes, as is common for large watermelons. However, it had a cool red spot on the side (on the outside), maybe a few inches long (a kind of oval-shaped spot, with the long part of the oval going the same direction as the long part of the watermelon). The red spot was about the color of red watermelon on the inside (so, it was very red).

I've heard of moon and stars watermelons, and they have spots, but the spots aren't red.

So, what variety of watermelon (citrullus lanatus) has a (one) solid ruby red or crimson spot (maybe egg-sized, if the melon is 25+lbs) on the exterior of the rind of the fruit, wherein the rest of the exterior of the rind of the fruit is green? These are sometimes striped and sometimes not. I don't have a picture, nor do I have a way of obtaining a picture without knowing what it is, and I don't have the melon (I just saw either the melon or a picture of it ages ago).

Any green-skinned watermelon variety that may produce a red spot will suffice in answering the question. If you know of a watermelon with multiple red spots or that only sometimes has one or more red spots, that will also suffice. I've been curious about this for a long time. I should note, however, that melons with red skin do exist (the tigger melon for instance, although the tigger melon isn't a watermelon; there are also red-skinned cucumbers), but I'm only looking for a spot on an otherwise normal-looking watermelon.


texts: Does anyone know what might be eating my new Rhododendron leaf? How concerned should I be?

texts:
After inquiring at a local nursery in the west of Ireland, I planted in a handful of Rhododendrons last year, to see how they might tolerate my soil. They seem to be thriving pretty well, But I noticed what look like bites taken out of some leaves.

See photo.
Any suspects?


texts:
I want to put limestone blocks 2x2x5’ for seats in a 10x10, 4’ deep fireplace area, I rented a digger and dig the hole I and plan to put 6” of base inside the entire area first then the blocks around the pit sitting on top of the base, will it sink over time?
I need it to drain and stay put right?
Maybe 4” compacted smaller gravel, then some base? I’m in north Texas incase code is a factor, I figured it would be like a retaining wall or so but can’t seem to find a DIY


texts: We have a bay laurel tree in the back garden. We have noticed the pot is no longer draining. It’s been filling up with rain water for months now. I’ve been too worried to go near it! Too much googling about legionella and n fowleri. We can’t avoid it any longer. How do we safely get the water out? The tree is long dead I’m afraid!


texts: Can you identify this small, formerly flowering houseplant?

texts: I received this plant as a gift. It had flowers, but they have long since vanished. The plant seems to be doing fine- it's been putting out new leaves, and it's been six months. I recently moved it into a larger pot, and it's been receiving a few hours of direct sunlight every day. After someone identifies it, I'd be glad to know what to do to get it to flower again, one day.


texts: Does sphagnum peat need to be sterilized for starting seeds?

texts:
I have been making my own seedling potting mix, but I have a few questions before I use it.  (I posted a previous question about the amount of drainage needed)

This question is about Sphagnum Peat.  I do not think I need sterilize it before I use it.  But, I am not 100% sure.

Does sphagnum peat need to be sterilized or is it sterile by nature?


texts: What could be causing my blueberries to have a funny taste?

texts:
I have just harvested some of the ripest berries from a row of 6 blueberries of different varieties. They all have a slightly odd taste that I have never detected in store bought blueberries. It is difficult to describe. My wife suggested it almost tastes like a hint of basil, or some similar 'grassy' note. I have read they can taste sour if you pick them too soon, but I wouldn't call this a sour taste.

Is this possibly just what these varieties taste like? Unfortunately I don't have the exact names of them.

What could cause blueberries to taste like this? Could this be a soil, watering or fertilising issue?


texts: There are several clumps of this grassy weed growing in our lawn. The leaves are green, long, curly and thin and have a pale stripe down the center. Thanks for your help!


texts: Maranta leuconeura (prayer plant) leaves going brown and dying

texts: We have this prayer plant in a large pot and it was doing well for a couple months. Then leaves started to go brown. Bit by bit, most of them are dying. We water 1-2 times a week, although we also paused watering for a while thinking that could be the problem. Any ideas?


texts:
Here is the bark

I am just curious and really want to find out


texts: When to repot vegetables into normal earth?

texts:
A month ago, I sowed some tomatoes, paprika and kohlrabies into nutrient poor sowing earth. They are growing nicely, but I am wondering, when it is time to repot them into normal (nutrient rich, pre-fertilized) earth.

Right now, the paprika are about 4 cm/1.6 in tall, carrying massively green leaves.

The tomatoes are about 6 cm/2.5 in tall and their leaves got a bit darker in the last days.

The kohlrabi is up to 8 cm/3 in tall and looks great with fresh looking green leaves.

Is there a rule of thumb for when it is time to repot into fertilized earth, that can be applied to all vegetables?

And do I have to add an intermediate step and plant them into a normal/sowing earth mix, before putting them into 100% normal earth?


texts: How do I get grass to grow in what looks like pure sand?

texts:
The previous owner of my house had a 1 ft. wide strip of mulch next to the walkway.  I'd like to just have grass grow up to the edge of the walkway instead.

However, the ground is extremely sandy.  Under the mulch woodchips, there's about 1/2 an inch of dark soil that is probably remnants of the mulch material, and then sand underneath.  To my novice eye it basically just looks like pure sand.  I'm sure that's not actually true, but it definitely does not bear any resemblance to anything that could be called 'soil'.

The good news is that I can get as much compost as I'd like from the town dump for free.  Will mixing the sand and compost at some ratio produce reasonable soil?  What ratio would that be?  And how deep of a trench should I dig and replace?

Are there any other options that people would recommend?


texts: The plant was fine a couple of days ago until recently I found that its leaves are curling down and is not having any progress in growing.


texts: What is the proper method for repairing the holes left behind after pulling dandelions?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  What can I plant in dandelion graves?

I've been very active this year religiously pulling dandelions with a dedicated weed removal tool and my lawn is virtually free of the "yellow menace" now. When I pulled the dandilions out, a small but noticable hole is left behind. Typically I step on the hole in an effort to close it, but I feel like I should fill it in with soil or something. Can someone recommend a good solution to fill the many holes on my nice green lawn?


texts: Can I use bonsai liquid fertilizer on my regular houseplants?

texts:
I have 0.5 liter bonsai liquid fertilizer that has outlived my bonsai. I have tried to give it away for free in my local Facebook plant groups, but as it seems no one is really into bonsai in my area. So I was wondering if I could use them on my regular houseplants.
These are the ingredients (NPK 3,8,5?):

N (3.0 m/v%)
P2O5 (7.8 m/v%)
K2O (5.1 m/v%)
Cu (0.002 m/v%)
Fe (0.02 m/v%)
Mn (0.01 m/v%)
Zn (0.002 m/v%)

These are the type of plants that I have:

Pothos
Chinese evergreens
Dracena
Monstera
Philodendron hederaceum (regular green and Brasil), Rojo congo and a Golden dragon.

Apart from these I have a ZZ plant, a Yucca, a Pandanus and an Aloe vera.

Which plants and how often could I fertilize during a growing season without worrying of over fertilizing or other problems?
My Pothos are still growing could I use the fertilizer on them during the winter?


texts: What mint is there growing in my garden?

texts:
Can you help me identify the three mint plants growing in my garden?

The left has purple stems and a bit furry leaves that are thicker than the middle.

On the right the leaves are distinctly spiky.

When I bought them in pots in the supermarket the labels very helpfully said "mint".

Location: central Germany.

Thank you all!


texts: How and when should I prune Acer shirasawanum?

texts:
This is an acer from Japan, but not Acer palmatum, it is a 10-years old Acer shirasawanum, left alone for all these years: (in the background is a chery, it won't grow larger)

This is a view rotated by 90°:

Even in this state, the tree is fantastic to me.

However:

It bothers me that it doesn't have a single leader
The crown is somewhat sparse
I can't walk around the tree, in proximity of the trunk.

Can this be corrected by pruning?


texts: Does it make sense to chop up dead branches and leaves for use as fertilizer?

texts: In terms of pot plants, how effective would it be to put back into soil dried out or broken parts of a plant? Is it worth the effort? It would seem logical, but I don't know how much of the actual plant (sans water) are substances suitable for use as fertilizer and if it's even a significant amount.


texts:
I’ve got several tomato plants. They are all in large containers, watered regularly and given tomato feed every 2 weeks
All of the leaves are starting to curl as seen in the pictures below.
Does anyone have any thought on what could be causing this or what I can do to fix it?


texts: How do you make a Kalanchoe blossfeldiana bloom?

texts:
This plant was beautiful and full of flowers. They all withered away. Now the buds just don't want to open. I read somewhere that Kalanchoe at home needs to be bloomed by doing some tricks like putting in shade for some time and then in sun etc. Not sure, as I had placed it in very bright indirect light and it was still not blooming.

Should I just place this in indirect bright light and wait? Or there is really a way to make them bloom?


texts: Bulbs start shooting too early in the year

texts:
For the past few years now the bulbs in my garden (mostly variants of tulips and daffodils) start shooting far to early in the year (December/January), which means that when the coldest part of the year happens late January or February they take a big hit and most don't flower at all before the whole cycle repeats again next year.

What can I do to try and break this cycle and encourage them to start shooting later in the year so they flower better?


texts:
I made oswego tea for the first time tonight and my wife thought I had given her oregano tea. It was too much of a coincidence to guess that I think. She had no idea I made tea out of bee balm and the bee balm was planted right next to the oregano (probably too close now, since both have grown a lot in the last year).

I've heard it is possible for some herbs like basil to somehow weasel their oils in to tomatoes, but is it possible to corrupt herbs in a similar way? Or does Oswego tea just more or less taste like oregano?


texts: Why are the leaves on my peach tree sapling wilting and dropping off?

texts:
I have a peach tree and it stopped growing and the leaves started to wilt, but then the tree grew new leaves and they looked great. However, the old leaves kept getting worse. They are now dropping about one a week and I was wondering if I should trim all the poor leaves off it and try to encourage new leaves to grow. I saw it done with a pepper plant before, but didn't know if it will work for a small peach tree.

Here is a picture of the tree. It is a couple of weeks old and the problem has gotten a little bit worse.


texts: Whats the name of this plant and is it edible?

texts: Today i was wandering over a random meadow located outside the city of Groningen, The Netherlands. I was checking out some oak trees until i suddenly noticed these small plants between the grass that resembled field lettuce. The whole meadow was full of them! At a point i really started to wonder what they taste like, so i plucked one of the leaves and stuck it in my mouth. The plant had a very fresh mildly sweet acidic taste and i kind of enjoyed eating it to be honest. I kept on eating it until i realized that i really don't know what this plant is despite being so damn delicious. It could be a highly toxic plant! But its been about 5 hours since consumption now and i'm still not feeling sick so i guess its either not toxic or i just havn't consumed enough of it to feel its toxic effects on my body. Hence the question: What is the name of this plant, and is it edible? And if its edible, how nutricious is it? I want to harvest more of these plants so that i can put them in my salads. I really like the taste of this plant! Anyway, heres a photo of the plant.


texts: Does fruit on fruit trees need to be thinned?

texts:
Do fruits need to be thinned on the tree? For example, I have a young Pomelo tree that's producing fruit for the first time. In order to get bigger, nicer fruit, should I be thinning the fruit? How is it done?

Here's a good example cluster from my Pomegranate tree:


texts: How can I stop my Ficus from dropping small pea-sized fruit?

texts:
My 30 year old, 20 foot tall outdoor Ficus drops fruit or seeds (pea size tan nut-like balls) in the summer.

Is there any way to stop the production of these messy balls?


texts:
Here's the plant that sits on my desk:

It is, I believe, a money tree. I've had it for about four months and seen some pretty substantial growth - 4-6 inches of overall height and many many new shoots (including that random one that points down for no reason).

I'm sort of dumb at plants, but I'm determined to make this one thrive. How will I know when it's outgrown its little pot? What size pot should I move it into? What sort of soil should I move it into? Can I get rid of that moss around the base, or is it functional somehow?


texts:
We are in a position to move onto a large city lot of about 0.75 acre.  I like the idea of having a large lot for economic and quality of life reasons but I see an opportunity to set up a sizable garden that can yield fresh food (further enhancing QOL?).  We live on a tiny lot now and have a small garden that has had limited success despite being in the shadow of a wall and trees during the winter months.  We have coaxed cherry tomatos and a few jalapenos out of the garden but hardly enough (or of high enough quality) to call ourselves competent gardners.

We are in the southwest US where temperatures range from just barely sub-freezing on extremely cold winter nights to 120°f/49°c at the peak of summer (elev ~1500ft/450m).  The soil supports traditional desert plants but I don't know what, if anything, should be done to prepare soil for non-native plants.

I grew up in this environment and have seen non-native trees (pine, orange, sissoo, pomegranate, etc) grow without problems but I've never had much luck with plants.

What should be done, at a very high level, to lay the groundwork for a productive garden and avoid a time consuming, frustrating, and expensive excercise in futility?


texts: Raised vegetable interior bed sides and paint?

texts:
I made a raised vegetable bed (using pine boards) like the one in the link:
I painted the interior with a white external house paint to protect the wood.
I painted the outside with an exterior stain.
Question: Could the paint lech into the soil and contaminate the food?
I made something like this and painted the inside sides


texts: Full-spectrum fluorescent light on hot pepper seedlings

texts:
I'm new to starting TAM Mild Jalapeno peppers from seed; this is my first time ever starting any peppers from seed.
I was lent a full-spectrum fluorescent light yesterday, and I now have it turned on and suspended about 7 inches above the tops of my plants (they do not have their "second" leaves yet).

There are two bulbs in one "holder", and they are both GE F40PL/AQ bulbs.

Is this going to work? Should I buy a different color-temperature bulb? Do I need to suspend it higher/lower? What ratio of light/dark should I try for?


texts: What are these corn looking buds on my palm?

texts: In Florida, palm in our front yard is sprouting something that looks like corn?


texts:
The zone is 8a, Central Europe. The photo is taken mid-May.

The back side is little purplish:

Helicopters:


texts: What is this plant, which has a spreading root system and purple, crinkled petunia-like flowers?

texts:
Click to enlarge

This is a hardy perennial that grows up to 5' tall. It has a spreading root system and purple, crinkled petunia-like flowers. What is it?


texts: When transplanting seedlings, why shouldn't I put them straight into the ground?

texts:
I just started gardening, and I'm getting really into it.  I live in an apartment and I've been planting seeds in containers and putting them on my balcony.  I read the instructions on the seed packet and some say to "plant in a small container, leave in dark for a few days, keep moist, then transplant into bigger pot."  My question is why transplant? Why not just put the seed where it's eventually going to go and you're done?

I transplanted a seedling into a larger container and I butchered it, it was my first time.  I think I exposed the roots, and I haven't seen any growth in a couple weeks.  I think they are in shock, or otherwise not doing well.

I can see if it's cold outside and you want to protect them from the weather, but that doesn't apply to me.  Why can't I just put the seed in where it's supposed to end up and save the added work and the risk of botching the transplanting? What is the benefit of transplanting?


texts: What is this evergreen oval-leaved shrub?

texts:
I found this shrub in a local nursery, I liked it, and I purchased three of them. However, the nursery guy says it is Viburnum opulus. I don't think he is right. Can you help me ID these shrubs, so that I can find the right home in my garden for them?

Additional info: I live in zone 8a. I have the impression that the shrubs are evergreen, but they could be semi-evergreen. We had several warmer than usual weeks in December. The plants were kept in the open. The nursery guy also says that flowers are small and white, and grouped in round shapes having the size of an apple (that matches more or less V. opulus flowers description to my understanding).


texts: Why are these leaves white on my plum seedling?

texts:
What in the world are these? This is my plum seedling and he is pretty small, but all of his other leaves are large and green. However, he hasn't grown any proper leaves in a while, and all he's putting out are these white ones all clumped up. It looks like a flower but it isn't (and also it makes no sense given his age). What's going on?

He is on a south-facing window, so I think he get enough sun. I have other plants on that window and they don't seem to be suffering. I water it when it gets dry to the touch. Could that be the issue? Do plums need more water? Is the soil type wrong maybe? This is just generic indoor plant soil.

I live in Canada.


texts: Several years ago I purchased a plant that looked like a tree trunk .  Leaves sprouted out from the sides and the top had a wax covering that needed to be scraped off.  The leaves are dark green and long with a pointed end.  However the leaves started to turn black and eventually dropped off.  It no longer produces leaves and is just a dried looking trunk.  Before I toss it, does anyone know what it is and if it can be revived?


texts:
I'll keep this short. I bought a mandarin tree back in March, a few weeks before the Covid-19 outbreak. I kept it in my room in London. It grew a lot of leaves and seemed to do well.
Then I left my flat for over half a year. My flatmate kept watering it for a few more weeks and then forgot. He might have watered it once or twice more in the months after.

Now the leaves are yellow/brown and completely dried up although not fallen off. All the branches are brown. Is my tree definitely, 110% dead or is there anything I can do?


texts: Can Physalis be propagated in any way other than seed?

texts: How can Physalis, or Cape Gooseberry, be propagated using a method other than seed propagation?


texts: Bugs eating all the leaves in the garden bed

texts: I see a few types of bugs in the garden bed, I'm not sure who is eating all the leaves is the veggie plants. Please help


texts: What products similar to "lawn mousse" can I use my own seed mixture with?

texts:
There are a number of retail products on the market that allow you to attach to your garden hose and spray-fill areas of lawn that have been damaged. These products all contain their own seed mixture which I would rather not use. I have my own high-grade grass mix that is suited for my climate that I would like to add to something so I can get it to stick on some areas that are sandy and wind-exposed.

What products (either DIY or retail) are out there that allow me to cheaply hydroseed/patch areas of a lawn with my own grass seed mixture?


texts: Problem with Growing coleus blumei propagate in water

texts:
I have one coleus blumei main flower which have had black stem problem.

So i removed the black parts and placed that corrupted part into bobble with water like this:

And after almost three-day i have again black stems on them, i have seen some growed coleus blumei flower at water like this video and :

So what fo you think i do know is better?

Thanks.


texts:
I have seen a lot of videos on how to propagate an aloe with leaf cuttings. They usually let the leaf stand for a few days, then stuck it into wet soil.
It does not work for me - the leaf just starts to rot after a few weeks.
What I tried

put leaf into soil, with and without rooting hormone
put leaf into wet clay perlites
wrap peroxide sterilized leaves into wet kitchen towel and foil

Result was always a rotting leaf. Can this plant propagated by leaf cutting? If yes, then how?


texts: What qualities should I look for in gardening tools so that they're long lasting?

texts:
I've been purchasing most of my lawn equipment from a home improvement store and most of the equipment (rakes, shovels, etc) I have bought from them over the last 2 years has broken during what I believe to be "normal use".  They have been pretty good about allowing me to return/exchange my stuff.  However, it's sort of frustrating to start out my day with a broken tool and have to make un unexpected trip to replace it (find the receipt, etc).

What things should I look for when I purchase tools (such as rakes, shovels, etc) if I want them to last a long time?


texts: My diffenbachia leaves curl up from time to time.I water it once a week and it gets moderate sunlight. It opens back up eventually. Can anyone explain why this happens?


texts:
My San Pedro has been growing quite a lot the past 2 years, but very thin. It was windy the other day and found him tipped over. Not completely broke in half, only half way. So I tipped him back right side up and have braced him in place.
I am curious if I need to make a clean cut, around the blackened areas, and repot the top half after it has calloused. Or if I should keep him braced and hope he will heal. I’m just concerned of the blackened parts and the areas around that. It’s not normal looking.
Any advice would be much appreciated.

Also wondering why he hasn’t grown wide the past 2 years. I find a lot of my cactus grow thin and long.


texts: Have ground cherry plants.  Cherries are coming out yellow but have black dirt? on them and in the husk?  Not sure what this is and it cherry is still editable?


texts:
In the pot I see small lumps that look like rocks, but they crush like dirt. Additionally, there's fuzz on the main stem that looks like a spider's web. Finally (what a brown thumb I've got) there's what looks to be red-orange creep near the base of the plant.

I'm pretty sure it's got web blight, but I'm a new gardener and wanted to be sure.


texts: Aerate, de-thatch & overseed. Is this really the correct order?

texts:
I operate an equipment rental delivery service in the Portland, Oregon area. It's that time of year again when DIY homeowners are renting these items together.

Aerator (core aerator)
De-thatcher (Power Rake)
Overseeder (AKA Slit Seeder)

We rent them together as a lawn renovation package.  Yep, that's a link to our website.

Anyway, each time we deliver these items, we are asked to suggest the correct order for their use.

My traditional thinking has been to aerate first then de-thatch (more like de-moss here in Portland) so that the de-thatcher will break up the plugs while it's also lifting thatch and moss. Finally, after removing all the moss and thatch, use the overseeder.  This will leave the seed undisturbed so it can germinate.

Does anyone else have a justifiable opinion for using these machines in a different order?


texts: What causes tomato plants to bear large fruit?

texts:
Of course I know that some tomato varieties yield bigger tomatoes than others, but on a given plant, some of the fruits are bigger and some are smaller, so I am just wondering: Besides variety, what factors determine the size of a tomato (fruit)?

E.g.: Abundant water before they start to turn color swells them up? Abundant sun makes them ripen too fast before they get big? Hot weather? Fruit late in the season bigger or maybe smaller? Too many tomatoes on the plant makes them smaller? I'm sure there are plenty other possible reasons as well.


texts: Do you need micro and bloom formulas for plants without fruit?

texts:
The liquid fertiliser I want to use is a three part formula, grow, micro and bloom. I intend to only cultivate plants that dont fruit, like most kinds of leafy veg. Is it then ok to omit the micro and bloom formulas from the feeding schedule.

Just for reference Im using  EHG grow formula.


texts: How do you safely and effectively stop a cat from pooping in your yard?

texts: Our neighbor's cat keeps pooping in our mulch and around our yard. Is there a safe and effective way to stop neighborhood pets from doing so? Has anyone used a method that works well?


texts:
I grew some good lettuce this year, cos (white seed) and crutterbunch (dark seed). I like the crutterbunch better and it is sometimes tough to find the seed in the store so I made sure to cut all the cos before it flowered and let the other go to seed. No other lettuces local to me within a mile at least. As individual flower heads ripened and showed fluff I picked them carefully and saved some good black/brown seed. It was easy to seive and blow off chaff and from these I saved pretty much 100% good dark seed so I have lots for next year.

I got fed up with this slow process, decided to upscale the production and waited for the flowering head to mature much more and then just cut the whole head with lots of stalk and brought it in the house to dry. After much threshing and drying the winnowing process produced the mix as in the picture:

As you can see there is a lot of immature seed mixed in with the fully mature dark seed and a bit of chaff. Quite a different result from the painstaking careful selection of fully ripe.

I'm now faced with how to separate the pepper from the salt. I tried setting up a blower but it did not work, salt fell in the same place as the pepper. Experimenting with water separation (heavy seed sinks, immature seed floats) only works partly and was very messy. I could have waited longer for the heads to mature fully but was trying to be careful not to have lettuce all over the garden next year. For my own use I could also just sow the white along with the dark in confidence that the white will not germinate. But how to separate the white from the dark?


texts: How do I keep an indoor plant hydrated while I'm away?

texts:
I'm trying to grow chili plants in my dorm room. So far I'm just starting, so I have just four small pots (until they grow larger and I have to give them a bigger home). I'm usually away for only a few days, but especially in summer my absence could be even a few weeks. The biggest problem so far is keeping the plants hydrated during the time that I'm absent from my university city.

One of the solutions that was suggested to me was Tropf Blumat system. Are there other ways of keeping them hydrated?


texts:
Hi guys I have lemons plants in pots in my home and I noticed that there are a lot of bugs stick to Leave do not know what are they. I tried to spray soap water but they are not dying  I throw pressure water on them which dropped it from the leaves but next day they were there on leaves again. So please guide me how to get rid of them and what is the danger level of it.

Update.


texts:
I got a Bonsai tree and I can’t find anywhere what type it is.

Can someone help me, please?


texts: Strawberry plants brown & brittle - is it disease, climate conditions, or bugs?

texts:
Most of my strawberry plants have leaves that first turned red, then brown and brittle. Leaves often snap off when harvesting what berries remain after the critters get them.

I'm trying to balance watering - I've been holding off a bit more on the watering since the berries are sitting on the ground and were rotting before ripening. The leaves began turning before I cut back on the watering.

It's my first time growing strawberries so I'm not sure what to do.


texts:
It's some sort of acacia, but I am not sure which. Nilotica?

https://photos.app.goo.gl/4N4fXk4aMpZPWMUo6


texts: Blueberry bushes leaves turned red and fell off

texts: I was told to add coffee grounds to my blueberries. After I did the leaves on two of them turned dark red and they all fell off. Leaves have returned and loads of flowers, but the berries seem to not be developing well. It is also about a month after my berries should have been picked. I am in Largo Fl. Is this due to coffee grounds and why?


texts: How should I treat brown patches in my St. Augustine grass lawn?

texts:
We recently got a love letter from our HOA to re-sod or treat our lawn and I am trying to see if I can fix it myself or should seek professional help.

Our lawn (St Augustine grass) was kind of neglected this past summer - we were out of the country from July- mid August and the lawn was not watered regularly. Before we left, I mowed the lawn to the lowest setting on my mower. The lawn was green and healthy. But when we got back, there were a lot of brown spots and some dried out dead grass.

We don’t have a sprinkler system so the only water it got was from the occasional rain shower during that 6 weeks. We live in Houston and this summer was really hot – 90 to 100°F every day.

Can I put in fertilizer to revive the lawn? If so, what type of fertilizer do I need? Since I didn’t water the lawn regularly, does it only need watering? Do I need to re-sod?

This is what the lawn looks like. The curbside one doesn't look really good.


texts: Do any bulbing bunching onion varieties multiply like potato onions?

texts:
Do bulbing bunching onions multiply like non-bulbing ones and potato onions, do?

According to one source, there is a non-bulbing variety that does multiply (and is a perennial): the He Shi Ko bunching onion. I have yet to find such a source about bulbing types.

High Mowing Seeds establishes that bunching onions (not particularly bulbing ones) are hardy perennials that are for some reason usually grown as annuals, but it does not say if or how often they generally multiply.

Another source says that technically the non-bulbing ones are bienniels, but people often refer to them as perennials because they multiply, leaving a continual supply. So, are the bulbing ones the same in these regards?


texts: What's this spindly weed with sharp seeds?

texts: The plant below has thin black seeds, almost needle-sharp, that are also slightly burred so their sides cling to fabric.  Seeds maybe a half-inch long. It grows in medium shade (not deep shade) at forest edges, reaching maybe a foot or two high.  It blooms in late spring, goes to seed in July in the Willamette Valley in Oregon.  The flowers are small at the end of thin stems, and yellow if I recall correctly.  Do you have an idea of what it might be?


texts: My indoor plant has an orange mold-like substance growing on it and has tiny white bugs. How can I remove it?

texts:
I have my very first plant in my cube and it seems to be doing just fine.

However, there is an orange mold-like substance growing on the top of the soil, and I can see a few tiny white bugs crawling around in the soil.

Did I do something wrong?  Should I be worried?  Is there anything I can do to fix my potential issue?

Here is some additional info, unfortunately I do not have answers to most of your questions as this plant was just given to my by a friend with no details provided.

I do not know the type of plant. (See pic)  It will not bloom, and sometimes grows extentions of itself which can be cut off and replanted elsewhere. (That's how I got mine.)
The pot is just the cheapest plastic pot I could find at the local store.  I's essentially a glorified tupperware container with holes in the bottom.
It's planted in potting soil that my roommate had sitting in the apartment. It seems like simple black dirt with those little white balls in it.

Here are some photos of the mold and the plant. The white bugs are too small to photograph with my camera.  They are only about 2mm long and .5mm wide.  They look like tiny white larva of some sort perhaps.

(Click all photos for full-size)

Photo of mold (Inlined to make post shorter)

Another photo of mold

I'd like to apologize for my ignorance.  Please help me provide you with more info if needed.


texts: What is this plant/bush found in Eastern Europe?

texts:
Does anybody know what this plant is?

I took these pictures today in Moldova, Eastern Europe.

it's a bush, 1.5 meters tall, the leave size of my hand, there were more of them growing from the root have been cut off, haven't seen any flowers yet, growing for 2 years already

these were planted on purpose, we were told they are Aronia, but they obviously aren't

Click on pictures for bigger view.

larger pictures:

https://postimg.org/image/liqijn9fh

https://postimg.org/image/zarxk71ux

https://postimg.org/image/hlbdpz65x

november update:
leaves have fallen off:

2019 UPDATE: it finally made fruit
here's the pictures:


texts: Half of my peace lily is droopy, the other half is fine

texts: I have a ten-year-old Peace Lily that I have brought back from near-death experiences several times over the years. I recently repotted it, not in a larger pot but to give it fresh soil (the old soil was half terra cotta beads, and was draining too quickly and I needed to water it twice a week). Almost three weeks since repotting, it seems to be very happy except on one side the leaves are horizontal, not vertical. I made sure it was evenly watered and move it every few days so all sides get indirect sunlight (it never gets any direct sunlight, north-east facing window). Photo attached showing the droopy section on the bottom right (it's temporarily in the kitchen after being watered). What would make just one section droop?


texts:
I am amending my yard with plants attractive for birds, and I noticed Prunus padus as one of such plants. However, on multiple sites I found info that it is poisonous for humans if the fruit is consumed and have sour taste, to such extent that it can cause death.

On the other hand, it is said that birds love its fruit. I am confused. If it can be poisonous for humans, it could very well be toxic for birds too.

Can you enlighten me regarding this plant toxicity?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prunus_padus


texts: Is it safe to use wood from a tree if it has a fungal infection?

texts: Some ash trees have been cut down near where I work. I was thinking about taking some of the log sections for woodworking material, but I heard something suggesting that these trees might be getting removed because of sooty canker disease. If these trees are in fact infected, does handling and using the wood from them risk spreading the fungus (for example to trees in my yard at home), and is there any health risk to me and other people?


texts: I just made this small compost container but I'm not certain how to use it. Should I just put the scraps in there and "let it do its thing" or are there other steps needed?


texts: What is this plant/seedling growing from hard, oval, mottled-brown seeds?

texts:
I found some seeds when running outside:

I planted one for curiosity and it has 4 leaves now:

Any idea what it is?


texts: Natural Organic slug/snail/pest repellants

texts:
currently all of my plants seem to be getting devoured by slugs or snails or both. I'm currently growing the following.

Mint
Basil
Sunflowers
Tomatos
Strawberrys
Runner Beans

What can I do to reduce the slug/snail population?
I'm quite keen on the idea of encouraging wildlife that will eat the slugs/snails such as hedgehogs and birds, however I'm conscious that birds could then become a problem eating the fruit/veg.
I'm also wondering if there are any plants that deter slugs/snails, apparently mint is included in this, however they seem to enjoy eating it so not sure how effective this would be.


texts: Help! Why is my pepper plant experiencing dogs vomit slime mold?

texts: I have a potted pepper and tomato plant (I know I need to move one out for more space) but yesterday I walked out and my pepper plant was having its leaves just fall off and my tomato plants almost all lower half leaves were yellow. I walked out the next morning to see the slime. Is this the reason for my plants badly reacting? Also what should I do?


texts:
Hi, my succulents have recently been getting holes in them and I have no idea what it is.
Please help!!


texts: I live in northern Mississippi, where I think it is usually fine to have already planted pea plants. I did so and they have recently started coming up and are still very small (less than an inch tall). Unfortunately, we are supposed to have extremely cold (for Mississippi) weather coming up, with it expected to get as low as 9 °F. How can I protect my peas?


texts: I purchased these on the WISH app. They were under $1 and advertised as Monstera Seeds. I knew 100% that these were NOT monstera seeds, but had to snag them to try to figure out what they are. At first glance, they look to be bamboo - but I’m still not solid with that. Any guesses on what these could be?


texts:
How much it would cost yearly to mow a 50 acre lawn (by yourself or hire someone permanently) and what machinery should be used to cut grass to 2 inches once a week?
10 acres an hour should do the job quicker.


texts: What kind of dirty-pinkish-flowered plant is this?

texts:
I would like to know the species of this plant. It os 2ft tall, and consists of several spikes like pictured. It has nice tropical-feel foliage, with leaves organizes in star-like groups of 5 to 11 leaves, as visible in photos.

Also, if someone knows the kind of the bee, please tell me, it is important to me, because of polination.


texts: Are stinging nettles commonly used for security?

texts:
Stinging nettles are known to be a common annoyance. Are there any examples of nettles being used to deter intruders in combination with other methods of physical security (perimeter fences)

Also are they practical considering the speed at which they grow?
How do nettles compare with thorny bushes?


texts:
My Rudbeckias have had a great 2nd summer, have now grown up to 60cm ish in height and have flowered like mad for at least a couple of months.

I'm just wondering how best to care for them over the winter? (in the UK midlands)

This RHS article doesn't mention pruning them back to the ground (or at all), so should I just leave them to look after themselves, or would some pruning protect and / or promote more growth next year?

Any other tips on keeping them happy and flowering would be appreciated.

Thanks, Ted


texts: Can I rejuvenate a very old lilac bush that has regrown from the base?

texts:
I have a very old (about 120-125 yrs. old) lilac bush. It was cut almost to the ground 20 years ago. I had been told that this was how to control giant lilacs. It had formerly been 18' high and 25' across, and was hard to mow under. I regret this step, and the bush has never looked good since. The spruce tree behind it has really grown, and the lilac is growing at an angle, with thin, spindly stems.

The shrub is on foundation soil from the house
It gets full sun from noon to about 7 pm
I fertilize with compost and Spray-n-Grow Perfect Blend
I don't water it, but the soil stays moist most of the year
I've treated for hornets in the past when they were an issue chewing bark
Most of the growth is root suckers-the old stumps are mostly rotted out

I like to keep as many 'historic' plants as possible on my property. Assuming I want this one to live and recover, what should I be doing to maintain it, or keep it from going downhill?


texts: Is Dawn dish soap effective and safe to kill ants on my houseplants?

texts:
I have used Dawn dish soap on my animals to combat fleas and I was wondering if it is safe to use on ants in my plants as well.

We have a real problem with ants in our yard and I had some of the houseplants outside for the summer. When I brought them in for the winter,  they had a ton of ants in them.

I need to know if using dish soap to kill those pesky ants we get here in the southern US is safe for potted plants!?


texts:
We have a plant that is not doing well...
Can someone help us identify it so we can research a little bit more about it?

Thank you


texts: Why do my calla lilies not develop full color?

texts:
I have been growing calla lilies in my front yard on the south side of my house under a large ash tree for about five years.  Each fall I dig up the tubers and store them in the basement in a large paper bag.  Each spring I turn the soil and plant the tubers about 4" deep.

The tubers are mixed, about half brilliant pink and half bright yellow.

Last year the blossoms were not so bright, so last fall I spread a nice layer of compost after I dug up the tubers, hoping that they needed some ordinary nourishment.  No luck.  This year the blooms failed to reach their full intensity of color, exhibiting no strong hint of the expected color, but for the most part remaining more of an olive drab color.  The blossoms seem to be fully developed since some of them have grown seeds.

From what I have read on the internet, it seems that they might not be getting enough light, but I am perplexed because of the success that I had the first few years.

Is it just a matter of light to develop full colors?


texts: Safe to use dirt with a dead possum in it?

texts:
So I just bought some bagged topsoil and a week in I'm covering my compost with it and I discover what looks like the hide and fur of a possum or racoon. I shoveled it out and there's no wet anything or visible particles of anything in the soil like bones except like two that were still attached to the hide. I mean it looks completely decomposed. Minus the hide I would have no idea that there was anything wrong with the soil.

Get rid of the soil? Keep it? Wait a few months? Safe to compost animals in general? I know people bury fish with some plants but mammals might be another story. Advice would be appreciated.


texts: Need help identifying a new plant/weed? in my garden

texts:
this appeared under Norway maple, but nowhere else in my yard. Can't find it on the Internet (yet). Deer/something ate it at first but stopped.

I've added a picture of the stem. I think the other weed had opposite leaves, while mine doesn't. The stem is hollow, and does not exude any sap. It does not have a significant taproot. There are no spines/prickers on the leaves.I think it is a Nabalus albus/Prenathes alba, a/k/a White Snake Root or White lettuce.


texts: Can I plant comfrey in rotting compost to help it grow better?

texts:
I'm looking to grow some more comfrey for next year's planting, and was wondering if I can just plant it in rotting plant material, or if I should just put it directly in dirt in the bucket.

On a side note I plan to put the comfrey in used driveway tar buckets with holes in the bottom for it to drain.


texts: How do I use a suggested spray for white fungus on my pumpkin plants?

texts:
I've got 3 pumpkin plants growing and they're pretty huge and producing.
The white fungus is pretty bad so I'm using a suggested spray, and I hope it works.

The spray is 1 tablespoon each of baking powder and vegetable oil per gallon of water.

Questions:
Will the spray kill the flowers?
Can I safely spray on the main trunk going into the ground?
(The leaves around trunk have got it.)
It is powdery mildew.
Pretty sure its so bad because the plant is growing over grass creating the perfect dark damp environment.


texts: Is there a creeping plant that will absorb pollen, dust and pollutants?

texts:
I live in an apartment on the 10th floor & facing a major road. As a result fine dust and pollen make their way into my bedroom easily at night when I keep the window open.

I have allergic bronchitis and am allergic to these fine particles. I am suffering a lot due to this.

So as a solution I was thinking of planting a creeping plant which will absorb these particles. I live in Maharashtra, India.

I would like to have recommendations from you people for this, maybe if somebody has already faced this problem. So can you please recommend plants which grow in my climate?


texts: I have more gloxies, which i care for the same, and that all are in the same place, but i do not know why some of them turn their leaves. Can you help me? Thanks a lot!


texts: I have this Neem tree and was told that they are gender specific. I have tried looking on the internet to no avail. Is there an easy way to identify the gender of a Neem tree?


texts: What is the name of this tree? - currently a bonsai

texts:
I'm trying to find the name of this tree. It's currently a bonsai and isn't doing very well, indoors or out. It came with no identification and very basic instructions like "don't let it dry out." Hoping if I know the type I can better care for it.

I'm the kind of person who feels sad when a houseplant dies. Losing a bonsai would be like killing a relative...


texts:
I have about a dozen, 1 month old, chilli seedlings in a pot ~20 cm diameter.

I'm broadly under the impression that I SHOULD separate them out into multiple pots, but do I NEED to? What bad things will happen if I don't?

Do I need to do it now, or can I wait 6 months and then separate them?


texts: It it possible to soften hard soil without removing a lawn?

texts:
My lawn was done some 2 years ago but I had many problems: it wasn't level, and in some spots it was very hard (probably due to compaction and clayish soil). The people who did it told be it would even out and soften within a few months, but nothing like that happened.

Is it possible to salvage it without tearing it down and redoing??


texts: What are these white spots and wilting leaves on my cucumber seedling transplants?

texts: I just transplanted 6 cucumber plants from one of those Burpee seed starting crates to a large outdoor planter (sits on my roof deck). They were doing great indoors, but within a day or so of going outdoors, developed these white areas, and some of the leaves have wilted off. I'm using an automatic irrigation controller for watering, the planter is 9" of soil on top of ~3" of packing peanuts, with drainage. Full sun. Any ideas on what this could be?


texts: I have root bits from the previously grown basil in a soil that is perlite vermiculite coco coir and compost. Is there a way to remove them? If not, then how much new potting soil should I mix in? Moreover, how do I ensure that these root bits don't catch insects detrimental for planting a new plant?


texts: Why does the water in my rain barrel evaporate quickly?

texts:
I have some rain barrels in my yard. After a certain amount of tinkering, they collect rain water well. However, I notice that a day or two after the rain, most of the water is gone. I've checked for leaks in the barrels and their hoses without finding any. I also moved the rain barrels out of direct sunlight as much as possible. Is it normal to lose so much water this way? Is it evaporation, or something else?

The barrels are entirely covered, except for a small hole where the water gets in. They are in my back yard, so I doubt that anyone else is using them. And the cats wouldn't be able to get at them for a (several gallon) hearty drink.

Besides the rain barrels, I have some buckets to do rain catching. These do not seem to lose water at the same rate. What gives?


texts:
I have a small vineyard and planning to grow cover crops between the rows.

I have little experience with cover crops and first of all I'm not sure when to mow them, and if the cut crops should be removed and used to make compost or if they should be left there as kind of a green manure?


texts: Peach tree yellowing leaves with red veins?

texts: Does anyone know what’s going on here, and if there is a fix to this?


texts: Wisteria cutting healthy with plastic bag on; drying out when bag removed. What to do?

texts:
I am looking for a recommendation about what I should do with a Wisteria cutting I took about 2 months ago.
It has rotted down from the top of the cutting to the first leaf node,(please see picture attached) but from there plenty of new green branches have sprouted so I believe it has roots. I planted the cutting in multi purpose compost as I didn't have any special compost. It is in a plastic pot (cylindrical, diameter about 12cm, height about 15cm) with a sandwich bag over the top to keep a humid atmosphere. The new branches have started to reach the edge of the bag but they look very green as they touch the condensation on the edge. This leads me to believe I should take the bag off soon to allow it to grow better without being cramped in. However, I have tried this a few times and each time the leaves seemed to start drying out. I hastily returned the bag to covering the pot and the plant generally recovered, except for a few leaves with dried out edges. New growth has occurred since so I know I didn't kill it. This led me to believe leaving the bag on was right for this stage, but then I thought about the fact that maybe the plant should lose its leaves since it is nearly Autumn (see below) and also I wondered if by adding the bag I was stimulated leaf growth but by taking it off I was stimulating root growth. Of course I really want root growth but I am unable to see the roots. I wondered if maybe you had to sacrifice the leaves drying out a bit to get a good root growth? I don't know - this is just a speculation as this is my first cutting of any type.
Do you think I should take the bag off permanently and let the leaves dry out a bit, accepting that it is better to have a free to grow plant, or should I take the bag off and cut some leaves out, or should I leave the bag on for a bit? I don't know if I should expect the leaves to dry out as it is September here in the UK so it is nearly Autumn. Should young plants and cuttings lose their leaves in Winter? I don't know.
I have read somewhere that Wisteria (grown up ones rather than cuttings) grow well in direct sunlight and in a pot which has damp but not sodden soil, i.e. decent drainage. (maybe this is pretty generic for most plants!) At the moment the cutting is inside in a conservatory but right by the window ledge. The garden is North facing so it gets sunlight around half of the day.
I have also heard about the possibility of overwatering leading to root rot and I was wondering if that might be a possible factor in causing the leaves to dry out. Do you think this is a possibility?
An auxiliary question to (or a re-phrasal of) my original question is what should be the next step after taking a cutting and having it take root. I have seen lots of videos online telling me how to make the cutting but I am not sure what to do after that. Should I plant it into a new pot and let it grow for a bit before going straight into the ground? I am not sure.
Thank you very much in advance for your help and don't hesitate to mention if I have done something wrong for this site - it is my first post - or if you need more information.
Regards,
Hamish.

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UPDATE : I took the bag off because it seemed healthy enough but it has since died. The solution is likely to use rooting hormone to get more roots so the plant can survive on its own because it was too big for the bag so leaving it on would probably not have worked either.


texts: Are there any plants I should not grow near my rhododendrons?

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The author of this answer to this question mentioned that toxins in rhododendron leaves can prohibit growth in nearby plants. (This is a paraphrase, not a direct quote.)

I have six huge rhododendron bushes that have a variety of bleeding hearts, azaleas, hostas, forsythia, pussy willows, young trees, old trees, daylilies, daisies, other wildflowers, and some things I can't identify, growing under, through, and around them. Various groundcovers and low-growing plants, including vinca, catmint, lily of the valley, are all growing in abundance around the roots. It looks like a jungle out there and I love it!

Since everything is growing nicely, I assume the rhododendrons are not having a negative affect. However, if I understood the answer correctly, there may be some things I should be aware of for future plantings.

Is there anything I should not plant in the vicinity of my rhododendrons? If so, what?


texts: We moved to our house in the late summer and found a plant in the garden full of long green chilis.  It produced well into the autumn and all chillies were green.  Then, in the spring, it started to bud and produce all red chillies - with one or two half red and half green.  Can anyone explain this?