texts:
I was hoping someone might be able to help me identify this flower please.  I have tried some identification websites, but I've not been able to find anything that matched perfectly.
I don't have many details, but I am happy to get more info or more pics if you need them.
All I can tell you at the moment is that it is flowing in July in South East England (summer) and it is growing as if a weed.

The closest matches I could find from identification sites were Swordleaf inula, or Echinacea 'Cleopatra' but they just don't match exactly.

Please let me know if there are any questions.
thanks


texts: I’ve noticed this clover growing through the crack in my driveway... I added it to my vivarium and it seem to be taking well... I like it be it doesn’t grow tall it just spreads and will be perfect.They're also very small, I live in California. Thanks for any help!


texts: Browning on Silver Spurflower leaves? Is this a fungus or lack of water?

texts:
I have noticed over the last week my Silver Spurflower leaves have started to go brown and start curling. They are in large containers and other plants in the containers have also been getting similar browning on the edges of their leaves.
I'm in the UK, Zone 7, they are east facing and get a lot of rain normally but we have had a dry patch recently when I was away.
Any advice would be appreciated.


texts:
When I purchased my house last year I hoped that the tree with purple leaves in my front yard would produce fruit. Fortunately it has produced little plums about the size of a golf ball. This is my first experience owning a fruit tree so I apologize if the following is a silly question.

When I pick a plum that appears to be ripe, half of the flesh is sweet and the other half of the same plum is sour. I don't recall experiencing this with plums or other stone fruit I've purchased from the supermarket. In the supermarket stone fruit generally has a uniform flavor throughout. Is this a normal occurrence for little plums like these? If so is there anything I can do now to encourage the entire plum to be sweet now? If that ship has sailed what can I do so the plums are more uniformly sweeter next year?


texts: How to clean long neglected, partially sunken landscape rocks

texts: Not sure if there is really an easy method, but here is our situation with two pictures. It is a relatively large area (~1100 sq. ft.) inside a vinyl fence, so not easy to get heavy machinery in. I also built a box frame with hardware cloths like this setup, but an hour's back breaking work clears perhaps only 10 sq. ft. area since many of the rocks have sunken and mixed with the soil/dirt.


texts:
I’ve been caring for this cactus for about 3 years now, and it seems happy based on the amount of growth.
Recently (about 2 months ago) I started to notice a discoloration/change to the outside of the cactus. I can’t tell if it’s from spider mites, or some kind of fungus. It’s in the same pot as another cactus that doesn’t have the same issues. Can someone help me identify what exactly is going on? Pictures attached...


texts: What's the best time to harvest Black Beauty zucchinis?

texts: I am growing zucchinis in a raised bed and am wondering the timing for harvesting the zucchini.  In prior years, I had zucchinis of many sizes and shapes (will try to dig up the photo and post). However, I am trying to determine this year the timing for harvesting zucchini.  I know the guideline is to use what is on the seed packet but the zucchini is not a one time harvest.  It keeps on giving over a period of 1-2 months. (Ignore the cucumber in the 2nd picture.)


texts:
I bought a couple of potted Itoh peonies to put in the ground (Canadian zone 6a, near Toronto). They're going up against a shed that faces south. They have about four square feet each.

Given my recent failure to keep mini roses alive in this spot, I wanted to solicit some advice for best practices to make sure these two beauties don't face the same fate.

Thanks!


texts:
I just dug up this tree (I think it is a tree), and I wanted to know if someone could help me identify it. Click for larger images.

This woody plant was growing in Illinois near some marshy land before it was dug up.  The specific location was:

http://www.dupageforest.com/Conservation/ForestPreserves/Hidden_Lake.html

I have been trying to use the following resource but cannot seem to identify the plant:

http://woodyplants.nres.uiuc.edu/

FEATURES:

opposite branching
simple leaves
leave outline smooth
young branches hairy

DIFFERENTIAL:

Honeysuckle
Dogwood


texts: Can I prune a grape vine in near-freezing weather?

texts:
Most of the advice I have seen on when to prune grape vines in the British Isles is "early winter (late November/December)".

I had planned to prune a three-year old vine, which is in an unheated greenhouse which is virtually the same air temperature as outdoors, this week. Temperatures have plummeted to unusually cold temperatures for early December (around 1C, 33F).

Would it be wise to wait until the air is slightly warmer or should I go ahead and prune in these very cold conditions?


texts: What are the best growing conditions for Vanilla planfolia?

texts:
As part of my creation of a tropical growth room to grow some vanilla orchids, I was wondering if anybody knew the optimal conditions to grow this plant.

I would need:

Humidity
Temperature
Watering levels
Daylight hours

Thank you very much,
Tropical.


texts: Tomato plants: together or separate and replant?

texts:
I am growing some tomato plants indoor this season. I always burry 2-3 seeds together just in case one does not sprout. Each pellet containes the exact same species of plant.

Can the tomato plants grow so close together? Should I try to separate and replant them? Any advice and info helps. Thanks!

Update 2/10/19
Separated and replanted, they are doing well.


texts:
I have a large evergreen tree which has English ivy growing up it all around. The ivy is just on the trunk and goes about 3/4 the way up. It does not seem to interfere with the tree, but the larger vines are deeply embedded in the bark.

I have read conflicting accounts of whether ivy is harmful to trees. Some writers say it does no harm, but others say it is a threat to the tree and should be removed. Who should I believe?


texts: Did a caterpillar or mealybugs cause my olive tree to drop all ti

texts:
I brought my olive tree inside from the balcony. After 2 weeks leaves started dropping off like crazy. At first I thought it was the shock of moving it, but I found that there was a lot of clumped up spider web like residue on the leaves and they had grown in distorted ways.
Location: London, UK

However, I also found this caterpillar inside one of the curled up leaves. Could it have been caterpillars laying eggs and growing in the leaves that caused all the damage? How might it have arrived on my 2nd floor balcony?


texts: Euphorbia stems keep rotting in succession

texts:
I purchased an Euphorbia from IKEA last October. It was very robust in the beginning, but after being repotted multiple times it lost a lot of its vigour and some parts of died. I'm looking to understand what I did wrong so that I can prevent this in the future.

I didn't water this plant for the first three months I had it, from October to January. Here's a rundown of its history (pictures included below):

October 11: I moved the plant from the pot it came in, sloppily placing it in new soil that wasn't suited for it (low drainage).
November 20: I tried to improve the job by using a better mix (cactus mix + perlite) and repositioning the stems to make them stable.
December 6: the smallest stem started rotting. The first symptom was a black spot, then the whole stem became soft and squishy. When I cut it and removed the root, it was much softer than the roots of the healthy stems. Only 4 stems were left.
January 7: for the first time since I purchased it, I watered the plant.
January 10: yet another arm rotted. This time I removed it very carefully in order to avoid damaging the other ones. It was again very soft.
January 21: the plant seemed to have survived, so I watered the plant sparsely.
February 12: I watered the plant again, a bit more profusely (I had recently learned that Euphorbias need water more frequently than Cactaceae).
February 14 (today): another arm rotted, I removed it without impacting the other two, and also noticed that it had been sitting very loose in the soil, hardly any rooting had happened.

The first two times I repotted the plant I was a bit careless and probably hurt the stems or the roots it by letting the plants hit each other or hang badly.

The leading theories I have about what could've caused the rot are:

Overwatering: while the plant has good drainage, two of the stems rotted right after being watered profusely, while when I watered the plant lightly another time, nothing happened.
Bad handling: only explains the first two stems rotting, but the plant took a beating when I repotted it initially.
Bad soil: the mix that the plant now sits in is very dense in perlite compared to normal soil (looks like a 3:1 ratio or higher). Maybe this is unsuited for the plant?

Picture time! Here's how the plant looked when I had just purchased it:

Here's how it looked after the repotting on November 20.

Here's the first stem that rotted and what it looked like when I inspected it (I later on found out you should never touch Euphorbias with bare hands ):

The arm that rotted on January 10 looked like this:

The third arm to rot, today:


texts: My red leaf corkscrew hazel is going green?

texts:
I have a red corkscrew hazel:

It's in a large pot, and I'm not in a position to plant it out (nor will I be any time soon).

However I've noticed that some of the leaves are going green - a lot like the one in the photo (this isn't mine, but it's doing the same thing).

Is this a cause for concern? And if it is, what is the appropriate way to address this?


texts: Young avocado plant moves to soil for a week and leaves are drying and pointing down

texts: Hi guys, am looking for advice for my young avocado plant which has stop growing and leaves curling and pointing downward as in the picture. Moves it from water to soil a week ago and it doesn't get better. Thanks.


texts: My favorite house plant, I've had it for about 5 years now is growing far and wide. She was in a very sunny window for the first 4 years (I know that's not as directed) but she was super happy and grew slowly but healthy and full. when I moved I decided to keep her in a sunny window although it wasn't nearly as sunny as my old window, well in the last 6 months she has grown immensely but loses her old leaves very quickly :( her stem is getting kind of brown and bare because of losing leaves. Hoping someone can direct me in what to do, do I need to replant it in a bigger pot? should I move it away from the window? Hoping for some guidance, Thank you in advance!


texts:
Hi, I grew this beauty from a black pod like seed that drifts often onto our Beach here in Mayaro, trinidad. The leaves grew slowly, and the pod size ranges, but could be as big as an adult fist, or as small as a childs fist, with the growth shoot coming out at the tip, similar to a tea mangrove, but more ridges and black, as opposed to reddish brown.
I can't find anything at all that looks like it online, but it's seeds are common on my beach, so I assume it's either south american, or African.


texts:
I’m considering a moisture meter or watering globes/bulbs to help with watering my plants. My boyfriend will be caring for our plants in Los Angeles while I’m away for work for a month. He doesn’t have much of a green thumb so I want to get something to hopefully help in avoiding under or overwatering. What would be better in this case, a moisture meter or watering globes?
My outdoor plants: two lemongrass, two lavender (in one container), two aloe cuttings (in one container), two succulents (in one container); recently planted California poppy seeds and Iceland poppy seeds, each in their own container.
(Do watering globes even work for seeds?)
My indoor plants: dumb cane (next to south-facing window), zebra succulent (across from south-facing window), and jade pothos (in bathroom, occasionally moved near east-facing window). However, if water globes are the better option, I will only use them on my outdoor plants.


texts: How should I prune my lilac to shrink it?

texts:
I have a few lilacs on my property, but this one in particular is next to my house. When and how should I prune it? Ideally, I would like it to be about two feet less in diameter, but I’m worried that would cut off all the greenery.

Any tips?


texts: Wooden containers finished with Danish Oil- should I line them?

texts:
I have some wooden wine boxes that I am going to use for lettuces. I am using Danish Oil to finish the boxes (two coats) so they can be a bit waterproofed. I might also add some corner reinforcements.

Should I line the boxes with something, so the wood is separated from the soil? I could use a heavy felt or burlap perhaps. I am asking out of concern for both the wood rotting, as well as contaminating the soil by bringing it into contact with the Danish Oil (even though to my knowledge this is a fairly weak varnish).


texts:
This will be my first post; hopefully I included enough information from the get-go. Not sure if I'm asking too much for one question, but I assume growing a plant may require a couple paragraphs at most.

We're in North Carolina. Summers are hot (usually 85 - 95°F/ 29-35°C) and humid. Winters dip below freezing at night, but not by much - we rarely have to turn the water off and such.

One or two years ago, we planted some ginkgo seeds in a pot outside, and of the 5-6, one took root and became a baby plant. I was not present for the vast majority of its life, and no one brought it inside for the winter. It died. However, I know how cool gingko trees can be, and the seeds were inexpensive so we're going to try again. This time, I want the sapling to make it, and at the very least I want to provide instructions for its care even if I cannot physically be there all the time.

My questions, then, shall be:
1. Starting from the seed stage, what exactly do I need to do in order to ensure its survival during the critical beginning stages? (i.e. amount of water, how many seeds to a pot, size & type of pot, houseplant beginnings or outside, amount of sunlight, special soils, etc.)
2. Once its reached sapling stage, how can I improve its quality of life? (i.e. when to move it out of a pot and outside, what temperatures to look out for that may kill it once its outside, does its watering regimen stay the same, potential pests, etc.)

Thanks!


texts:
I've noticed some white bugs on my potted lemon tree and would like to know what they are,  and advice on how to kill them!
Any help is greatly appreciated -
Aaron.


texts: I got this tiny cactus as a present for Christmas. I am sure it is a real cactus because of the areoles. Can anybody see what species it is? The diameter is about 3-4 cm (1.5 inch).


texts:
I am new to composting and I have so far failed 2 batches of bokashi. I have a 20l bokashi bin which lasted about 3 weeks in my 2 attempts before they started to smell rotten. It usually takes me about 2-3 days to accumulate enough food scraps (in a small bowl) to add to the bin. During the period, the food scraps stay in the fridge uncovered.

In retrospective, here are the things I know I should be doing in my next attempt:

Compress food scrap after adding bokashi
Check bokashi juice more frequently at the beginning even when there is no liquid for a while
Use more bokashi?

What I still can’t find answers for and need your help with:

Should I add food scraps more often instead of leaving them in the fridge where they may grow bad mold?
If I do it correctly and it doesn’t rot, can I keep adding food scraps until the bin is full (probably in 3-4 months), or should I empty it more often?
Should the bin be absolutely air tight? When it started to rot, I can come close and smell the odour through a tiny air gap near the lid.
When it starts to rot, can it be saved with more bokashi or do I have to start over?
How is burying food crap directly into the garden any different? (Perhaps the smell?)

Thanks in advance!


texts: Why is my hibiscus plant leaves droping ,turning yellow and producing small flowers even when it has been watered?

texts:
My hibiscus plant's leaves are drooping, and yellow and the flower size has shrinked substantially. Yellow leaves are present at bottom and middle of the plant. The plant is 4 feet tall, and the pot is 1 foot tall with a diameter of 10 inches approx. It has small leaves but most of those small leaves have turned yellow. Moreover, its winters(mid of November) here in Delhi,India .
I have no idea of what is going on. It's foliage has also reduced. I can't figure out if there is a problem of watering (since I am watering the plant only when the soil feels dry.) Or is it because of the container size or could it be due to winter season  or is it pest or fungus.
I had fertilized it in the beginning of October. And it is placed in my balcony with partial lighting ( and direct evening sunlight )


texts: Could anyone inform me what tree this is?

texts: Its a kind of tree that if cut they will reroot & grow.  I originally started with 3.


texts: I have a Meyer Lemon Tree that used to be doing well, but has lately been losing most of its leaves. See How to tell if indoor lemons are ready to pick for what it used to look like. I had it outside for a while, then brought it inside when it got cold. Since then, it has been not doing well. Around the time of when I brought it in, I harvested two big lemons from it. The first image shows what it looks like. The second is a closeup. There are lots of new buds---are those for lemons or for new leaves?


texts: What is this white furry-looking mold in my potted plants?

texts:
Can anyone help me identify the mold growing in two of my potted plants, and how to treat them?

I bought the plants and potted them two weeks ago. The flowering plant is in a pot with a drainage hole at the bottom, and the succulent is in a glass jar with no drainage. Neither has any substrate gravel in the bottom. We used a combination of the two potting materials pictured below - "Miraclegrow indoor potting mix" and "Ecoscraps fresh start plant food".However, we did not clear away majority of the original soil around the roots of plants when we bought them.

The flowering plant suggest watering twice a week.

They sit in a glassed-in vestibule that gets lots of sunlight during the day (windows on the east and south side, and a clear ceiling). I moved them outside yesterday when I noticed the mold.

UPDATE: After moving the plants outside, the mold receded! Thank you SE for the analysis and help.


texts: What are the steps to prepare an overgrown, grassy area for gardening?

texts: We have an area that we attempt to use for gardening every year.  It makes a nice garden area of about 10 feet wide by 20 feet deep. It will probably end up being the subject of several questions.  But the first is how to clean it out and prepare it for spring?  We are in northern California, USA (Zone 9) so it is hard to do anything with the area through the rainy winter.  So the area is poorly cared for and horribly overgrown each year.  What is the best way to eliminate the weeds and prepare the soil for spring planting?


texts: How can I make permeable landscaping cloth drain better?

texts: I got some synthetic grass for the dogs to play on. We put down landscaping cloth which is black with blue lines about every foot. The cloth was laid down, but we noticed that the dog pee didn't drain through it.  How is this "permeable".  What should I do to this cloth before I put the synthetic grass on top of it?  Underneath the cloth is soil, and the whole yard slopes about 30 degrees downhill right up against our house.  Will be a BIG problem when rain comes...should we aerate the cloth? Please advise.


texts: Anyone know what is going on with my avocado tree last year it was fine i grew it from a seed but this year the leaves have suddenly started browning and dying off and at first i thought i was over-watering and it slowly got worse so i thought i was under watering and still no go.


texts: I stopped drinking but I have a lot of stale beer. Is it ok I pour out all this beer for raised beds? It seems as it is mostly water and yeast. Has anyone have any anecdotal experience with this?


texts:
In my region, Verbena bonariensis is a perennial rather than an annual.  It's getting quite tall, with some close to 8 feet even though it's not supposed to top 6 feet, and in the wind has taken a battering so that I've had to stake some of the bushes which were blown over.

I've read that it should be cut back after it's flowered, and some of mine are getting like that now, though I'm unsure if that applies to regions only where it grows as a perennial.

I've got flowers looking like this in their second year:

And others looking like they're forming seeds:

and close up:

This is one example of the effect of wind:

This is the base of this same leaning plant:

So, now it's going to seed, should I chop it back to the ground and wait for others to come up from self propagated seed?  Or, cut it back some inches off the ground, and at what stage?

Oh, and I've given up trying to manage the powdery mildew that affects these plants in only one half of the garden.

I'm at 150 m above sea level, and in mid summer right now though today it's wet and windy. Winter rarely gets below freezing here.


texts:
Honeysuckle seems to grow abundantly in my neighborhood in Virginia. I have read online about honeysuckle being an invasive species many sites refer to it as a "bad guy".

I have considered growing it in the backyard to attract birds and for the fragrance.

Is there anything inherently bad if I were to grow honeysuckle in my backyard from a clipping?


texts: This small plant is growing in my yard and I don't know what it is. It reminds me on cosmos in its young age, but probably it isn't. Do you know?


texts: It's so odd it's narrow to the top and then fans out. I've been trying to figure this out for years. I usually trim the branches back and will soon again. Thank you.


texts: What is this northern California perennial with variegated leaves with dark red lines on them?

texts: This is a perennial, growing in moist, shady conditions in northern California. Does anyone know what it is?


texts:
I have a potted plant in my house that needs come care (especially after my cat tried to eat it); but I don't know what plant it is, or what type of environment this plant needs.

Right now, I keep it out of direct sunlight and water it with small amounts a couple of times a week (keeping the soil between somewhat-dry and not-super-wet). It used to be in a hard to reach place (cat-reasons) but that wasn't a good spot (hard to water, couple of hours of direct sunlight) and half of the plant died.

I've put it on a shelf on a small wall between two windows so it gets indirect sunlight during the day (first from one side and then from the other), and while it did recover I don't actually know anything about this plant.


texts: I bought some steer manure from Home Depot last year. It came in bags. I was not able to use it last year and the bags are unopened so am wondering if I can use it this year. I stored it outdoors and the bag rips very easily. Also the manure is green from inside. Wondering if I should use it in my vegetable raised bed or fruit trees or for general landscaping.


texts: Should you prune your sage if you don't need it?

texts: I have a sage that is starting to bush out with multiple branches, but I don't need any yet. Should I prune it back to just a couple inches tall? I plan to transplant it into the home garden this fall as it will be like a nursery bush at the end of the season.


texts:
My lemon tree lost all its leaves a while ago. I was hoping it would recover but I’m not sure anymore. I’m a little inexperienced with taking care of plants but I’ve scraped a bit of bark off the bottom of the tree and the inside layer still has moisture.
I’m not really sure whether it’s alive or not and if it is what to do?


texts: Keeping creeping thyme, or other ground cover, weed free (aka thyme vs. clover)

texts:
I have a path with flagstone, with the gap between the stones being around an inch or so.  I've had creeping thyme growing between the stones, but it's been a huge battle keeping other plants, specifically clover (which I think may have already been living in the thyme plants when I brought them home from the nursery).  I've spent quite a bit of time pulling up the invaders and as much of their roots as possible, but it's been a very time-consuming process.  I'm worried that the clover might crowd out the thyme, which hasn't always been as hardy as I'd like.

Anyone have any pointers on maintaining healthy, mostly weed free ground covers, especially gap-filling plants?  Any hints on blocking or retarding the growth of invaders?  Or should I give up on this plant and try to find something that's going to grow more aggressively in this space (clover seems to like this location)?

Also, I'd prefer to stick to an organic solution and not use any harsh chemicals.


texts:
I am not a big fan of mowing the lawn, and am planning to cover the current lawn with washed rock completely (also to prevent weed growth).

Do I need to prep anything beforehand? Or can I simply have to cut the grass, and leave the cut grass in the lawn as is, and then lay the washed rocks over them directly?


texts:
This is a fairly recent (last few weeks) development:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/t2luwy7cuuss1c7/2020-07-18%2014.17.19.jpg
https://www.dropbox.com/s/pcj9g72eh5sh7ig/2020-07-18%2014.17.24.jpg
It appears to be a bracket/shelf fungus:
https://laidbackgardener.blog/2018/11/19/what-to-do-about-bracket-fungi/
From the link, it appears this has already been at work inside the tree for a while?  You can see two trunks coming out of a common root area; there used to be three (the third trunk came down in a wind mmm...8? years ago).  There were some of these shelf fungus eruptions on (I think this same trunk) about 5 years back, but not since.
What's the prognosis...anything that can be done to either slow or halt the intenral issues?


texts: How should I avoid pests in an open compost bin

texts:
I am starting composting. I have a pot (basically, a huge knee-high pot) that I want to use; it doesn't have much in the way of aeration holes, but it's open on top.

Two concerns I have are:

Open bins bring more pests than closed bins
I don't have existing compost to kickstart it with

What can I do to super accelerate the rate of composting (at least for the first run -- I don't have any existing compost, just a backyard) and how do I avoid those icky pests?

Bonus points for smell management. This might be my only shot at composting, and if I get bugs or bad smells, the wife will not permit future experiments. :(


texts: When trellising pumpkins, do I need to fertilise more heavily?

texts:
This year I decided to try trellising my pumpkins and am wondering about the impact this might have on the fruit, since the vines won't be putting down roots as they run. Does anyone have experience with this, or know how much fertiliser I should add to compensate?

I have good quality soil, but was planning to amend my fertilising schedule to compensate. Is this even needed? I'm not looking for huge fruits, but will still be limiting vines to 1 fruit per vine.


texts: Will potted HOYA grow well in Los Angeles?

texts:
I live in Southern California (Los Angeles) and it can be quite hot and dry here (low humidity). Can I grow potted Hoya? Does it tolerate/prefer direct sunlight or just bright light? Can it be grown indoors? Where would I find it to purchase? I have never seen it in any nursery.

Thanks for your help!
Dido


texts:
I found numerous suggestions for plants that clean the air in this question.

One of the plants mentioned is the boston fern. I have many ferns growing in our backyard, and managed to cultivate a few quite easily. However, I'm not sure that it's the right kind of fern. How can I be sure? Is this, in fact, the boston fern?


texts: How to treat a Jade plant with yellow leaves and holes in its leaves?

texts:
My succulent has developed some weird disease, first it only looked as if something was eating it but then the leaves started turning pale and yellow.. I never fertilize it and I irrigate it once a week.
Does anyone has an idea what the disease is about and how to treat it?

second angle


texts: my Peace Lily is getting droopy but I’m not sure why

texts:
i got this peace lily on May 17th from a garden centre (in england) i’ve inserted a pic from the day i got it, nice and perky and upright. i’ve been watering as instructed when the soil begins to dry out, giving it a good amount and making sure to check the pot for standing water. i have used bottled mineral water rather than tap water as i was told tap water can be bad for them. i also mist it every day or so with a fine mister. it stays indoors on my desk 3 to 4 feet away from an East facing window. i try to open the blind early so it gets a bit of morning sun but that is not every day because of British weather. so mostly it says in relatively low light. the temp in my room is ~18c

over the last few days however, it’s getting droopy and not lifting up much. i watered it a few days ago when i noticed it looking thirsty and although it lifted a little it still looked thirsty so i gave more which perked it up a bit, but it’s now drooping again already. i am not sure what chemicals they used at the garden centre but there are currently 9 spathes which i’m assuming are because of fertilisers, does it need more water whilst flowering? it has good leaf colour and shine, the leaves are bouncy and stems seem to have good integrity. i have included another pic of the drooping, and i also took it outside to have a look at the root system after watering to see if it looked overly pot bound. i know this isn’t the usual ‘dramatic’ wilting, but i’m a new plant mum and really want to take good care. drooping again within 2 days of watering i figured i might be going wrong somewhere.


texts:
A few of my beet plants (~5%) have these odd skin-like bubbles forming on one or two of their leaves.  When I pop them they're filled with these patches of black particles (possibly dead pests of some sort?).  Any ideas what they're from, and/or if they're malicious?

I'm in the high desert in Albuquerque, NM where it's been oscillating between intense sun, cool (40s-50sF) nights, and spotty rain.  I have had an outbreak of leaf miners on the beet leaves and nearby on some cauliflower and spinach leaves.  Could this be related?


texts: Support request in identification - exotic plant

texts: Can I have your support in identifying this exotic plant please? Thanks,


texts: Mint plant with white spots and black dots. Possible insect culprit

texts:
My mint plant has been getting white spots with black small dots all over it. I've cut them all down at some point, they always start to grow/sprout again perfectly without any spots, but soon enough the spots always reappear all over the leaves.
I've seen some small insects flying around the plant. I've managed to get one and look closely with a USB microscope.
Here are the white spots:

And here is the insect under the microscope:

PS: I've also checked the leaves with the spots under the microscope, but couldn't see anything special, it's like a white discoloration white some black dust on top.
QUESTION
Does anybody know what insect this is? Could it be the culprit of the white spots on my mint plant? How can I get rid of it?
There was a rose plant nearby that was getting these spots as well, but I've split them apart and the rose now seems to be doing fine without the mint plant around.


texts: When to dig out carrots for consumption at the latest in autumn?

texts:
Starting from which temperature it doesn't make sense anymore to keep carrots in the ground if their final destination is consumption?

I'm in the midst of autumn here and last week we had still 20 °C. Now it has drop to 10-15.

When do they stop growing?


texts: Have fluorescent lights in both rooms. How to protect Dumb Cane/Dieffenbachia?

texts:
From http://www.ourhouseplants.com/plants/dieffenbachia

  Light
  Another false belief about Dieffenbachia's is that they need very little light. This is actually wrong, light shade is acceptable but nothing darker. To maintain a healthy plant you should be giving indirect bright light. Too bright however and the leaves will scorch, too dark and you will be left with a leggy and sickly looking plant.

We have to light at least one light even during the daytime in our rooms. Rooms are small. Light spreads everywhere.

I have dumb cane. How do I protect it from the tubelight?


texts: How often should I water an Amaryllis plant?

texts:
I have a red amaryllis plant that is currently looking like it's doing well. It hasn't yet flowered and it is in a fairly early stage of growth. The plant care instructions said that it's important to water it enough to keep the soil always moist. However, white mold is starting to appear in the soil and around the base of the bulb. Should I water it less?

Here is a photo of the plant currently:


texts:
We've had tomatoes inside started for a while now. It's been almost a month since our last problem and now we're seeing this on some of the tomatoes:

I know tomatoes look scraggly often but this seems really concerning. We've been using a fan on them recently.

Is this leaf roll? Do we just need to water them less? Is it possible our pots haven't been draining enough (we drilled holes in bottom of the yogurt container they are in)?


texts: What are these red "quills" on my willow tree?

texts: I just noticed several clusters of red "quills" which sort of look like small buds on the main trunk and the two largest lower branches on my weeping willow tree.  The little growths are red and barely 1/4 inch long.  The tree appears to be healthy.


texts: What is the usage of French Lavender ( lavandula dentata )?

texts:
Anyone know the usage of french lavender, aka Lavandula dentata, the fringed one?

Whenever I googled this name, most of the information is generally about the growing condition and the basic information, but not the usage. Is it edible? I've heard that people usually use English lavender for ice-cream, but not French one. Any idea? Especially the foliage, because it has abundant foliage.


texts: How will I know when beetroot is ready to harvest?

texts:
How does beetroot look when it is ready to harvest?

How long can it stay in the soil after that?


texts: For a while now my apple tree's fruit has been growing with brown spots all over them. The more they grow, the worse they look. I'm wondering if this is a pest problem. Does this sound familiar to anyone?


texts:
My avocado tree is just a little bit over 1 1/2 feet (45cm) tall.

Will it survive if I put it in soil? If so, how do I replant it? For example, I'd like to know what size of pot, type of soil, watering schedule, etc.?


texts: Do I need an extra filter for aquaponics

texts: In another question, it was mentioned that an aquarium filter like this would help in an aquaponics setup (picture).  However, I thought the rocks played the role of the filter. Am I missing something?


texts: Making branches of Sophora pendula beautifully curvy?

texts:
Is there a special pruning technique needed to achieve curly/spiraled branches of Sophora pendula like in this picture (image too large to upload, click the link to see it) or this:

My weeping sophora is grafted on 2m. The pruning is meant to be for the branches above the graft of course, those below will of course be removed immediately when they appear.
New branches are always drooping in the form of smooth arc that tends to "fall" to the ground (as you expect with a weeping cultivar). However, over time, as each year new branches grow from existing branches, they may take unexpected angle. No new branch is curly!
My question is how to achieve curly, almost spiraled branches, as in the photos?
Or perhaps it just grows spontaneously like this over decades?


texts: Of course it is not ideal...  It's just my orchid has sadly passed and I've decided to replace it with a hardy herb I can use to make tea (I'm a dorm student so I only have room for one plant on the counter). What I have now is a bark-based potting mix and a container with drainage proper for an orchid. Of course I'd need to water mint more regularly, but I want to know if the resources I have are sufficient to support mint life. Thanks!


texts: I got some Blueberry bushes from my neighbors garden store, and was wondering how should I plant them?


texts:
I have a fairly small yard, in which I've got a well-established (no idea of the age) mirabelle plum tree, and 3 young trees that I bought last year (malus apple, conference pear, I-forget-exactly-what-but-not-bing cherry).

I'd like to do some grafting, with the goals of providing pollinators and adding variety.

Questions concerning compatibility:

The neighbor has a quince and at least one apple tree. This year, my apple was the only one of the new trees that produced fruit. No problem grafting a scion from his apple onto mine, right?
Would scions from his quince take on my apple (or pear)?
I've seen online that pear, apple, and quince can be grafted together (in fact, putting an apple onto a quince rootstock is supposed to make it a dwarf). Is this true?
I've also seen online that plum and cherry (and a few others...) can be grafted together. Is this true? Could I put some cherry pollinators on my plum tree? Could I put some fresh plum branches on my cherry tree (to make a "backup" of the old tree)?

Questions concerning technique:

The hot season (i.e., now) is when I should be T-budding, right? Why would whip-and-tongue grafts not take?


texts: Why is the ground  moving around my tree?

texts:
Quick question. There are 3 tree surgeons in my local area and none are available today...

I have a tree which is about the height of my house. If I wrap my hands around the trunk the trunk is about 2 and a half hands around. At about 10ft the trunk stops and branches come out making the crown? The leafy part of the tree.

The tree is about 10ft from my conservatory. If it hit my conservatory I can foresee broken glass but really the tree doesn't have enough mass to to destroy or do any real structural damage.

I do not want this tree to come down. I don't know if I can wait and hope through the night. I was thinking about giving it a little prune. As the tree still has leaves I figure I just need to take off a medium sized branch which has a lot of leaves on it. This should reduce the wind resistance and keep the tree upright.

Has anyone done something like this?

I feel that I could tackle this with a step ladder and hack saw without too much difficulty and without any real danger.


texts:
I had an infestation of grubs, as well as some severe compaction issues, resulting in a very patchy front lawn (1000 sq ft, Toronto).

Over the weekend I roto-tilled the lawn to a depth of 6 inches.  I dealt with the grubs and ordered 6 yards of a topsoil/compost blend which will allow for two inches of new soil on top of the existing.

I plan to seed next weekend.  What else do I need to do to prepare for seeding?  Should I mix in some fertilizer?  If so, what kind?


texts: Why are my jalapeno seedlings turning yellow?

texts:
I planted these jalapenos about a month ago.  I am growing them indoors before I transplant them to my outdoor garden.  They've been doing fine until the last day or two, when the leaves have started to turn yellow and even brown.  I water them about once a day, maybe a little less often.  They are planted in Miracle Gro Seed Starting Planting Mix.  I have taken them outside a few times to help them get used to the outside.

Extra info that seems relevant based on the responses I'm getting:  I live at an elevation of about 200 feet in the Northern hemisphere, 40 degrees north.

See the pictures below.  Please note these are two different plants:


texts:
It resembles an Aloe or Agave maybe a Pandanus, I am not sure. The leaves are spiky. The flower seems to be on its way out, but more or less it looked the same before I took the pictures. Long stalk, with red bloom.
The plant is not mine, I took the pictures in the stairway of a flat. They kept the plant on the window sill all winter, an unheated area.


texts: Why does one lemon seedling out of a large group have dry withering leaves?

texts:
I'm living in a student house in the UK. It's winter now and my lemon tree seedlings are placed next to a window. I'm worried about it being too cold for them, however, only one tree is showing any symptoms. The leaves are still a very deep green but the leaves are drooping and dry and curling, and feel like they might crack.

I've been trying to diagnose what's wrong with it because they're all in a group, they all get watered at the same time, and the same amount.

I just moved the sick one away from everyone else just in case it is a disease.

They've always been inside, I grew them from seeds in my uni flat which had free heating. This year they've been a little bit colder because we can't have the heating on all the time as it's too expensive.


texts: What type of tree / bush is this, which blooms white flowers in Massachusetts?

texts: I'm trying to figure out what tree this is. This is in Massachusetts (USA), hardiness zone 6a [-10 to -5(F)]. It blooms white flowers.


texts: How useful/reliable is the Parrot Flower Power?

texts:
Has anyone used a Parrot Power wireless plant monitor, is it worth the money or is it just a gimmick or fad that I should let pass? Are there any other products similar to this type of Internet of Things gadget that are also inexpensive?

Parrot Flower Power

Any information on whether it is durable or not is appreciated too, I would be interested to drive one into the soil outside next to my fruit trees but I do not want something that will break the first time I forget it and a morning dew turns the circuits to rust.

Also technologically is it difficult to use or intuitive?


texts:
(click to enlarge)

I found a seed I would like to identify. Found outdoors in early August in Columbus, OH (zone 6).  [The seed is almost perfectly round and about 1 1/8" in diameter, though it was slightly larger when first found. When found, the outer skin was smooth and pale yellow/green. Within about a week (indoors) it began to turn light tan and the outer skin had begun to shrivel and wrinkle.]

I also found one last year that was growing. While weeding, I pulled it up and discovered the seed still attached. The seed had split in half, with both halves still attached. It had 4-6 inch roots and about a 12-14 inch plant grown by late summer. It looked like a tree, with a single woody stem.


texts:
I have a grown a little mango plant from a seed all went well until about 10 days ago. The stem is about 10cm long with 5 leaves. The leaves a red, look healthy and are growing longer by the day but the stem size is not changing.
Any advice appreciated.


texts: What's the proper soil composition for growing Bursera fagaroides?

texts:
I recently purchased two plants from the Burseraceae family.  One of them, Bursera fagaroides, can be found in the wild in a range extending from Arizona to Oaxaca, along the west coast of Mexico.

Not being very familiar with this region, I am looking for guidance on suitable soil characteristics.  I know that this plant tends to thrive in arid, nutrient poor soils, but I'd love to have more detail such as soil pH and type.


texts:
I've grown a tomatoes for over a month in pots. I used normal non-sterilized soil. A few days ago, I added fertilizer, and bam, some fungi or mold started to appear on top of soil.

Is this actually dangerous for the plant or humans? Should I just put some more soil on top of it or maybe dig it up?

Zoom in for detail:


texts:
I put my wine cap box in the unheated garage all winter in a bed of coffee grounds for inoculation, and it got down to about -20F (MN USA), so I'm wondering how much I hurt my fungi.

The container was in a plastic box with open air on top (carpenter shavings), and growth medium was kept moist. One of my friends from the local mycological society said that he was able to see some mycelium in the growth medium this fall.


texts: Okay so I've done this a couple times but it never seems to work. I've tried doing it just in water but it died of transplant shock and too little sun. Then I've tried outside in soil (topping soil I think) and I'm trying the slipping method at the moment. I will soon be moving so I need an almost guaranteed method to do this. I will buy what I need but what am I supposed to do?


texts: What is a general rule of thumb for when to prune plants and trees?

texts:
It seems like every plant that I come across has a different (and seemingly random) best time to prune. Is there some sort of generally rule that I could apply to any plant and have a pretty good idea when to prune.

I really don't want to have to identify and google every time I come across a new plant. Also, what are the consequences of pruning a plant at the wrong time?


texts: What's the Minimum Space I Can Leave Between Flower Bulbs That I Want to Plant in a Planter Box?

texts:
I've bought a pile of various tulip, hyacinth, narcis/daffodil, and iris bulbs and I want to plant them in in planter boxes and small pots if I can't fit them all in the box. The instructions on the packaging suggest 7, 10, and 15cm of space between the bulbs, but that doesn't work in a pot or box; this website however suggest planting them in clusters which I prefer more.

Is it ok to take the latter advice, or do they really need 7~15cm space in between to do well?

I live in Ireland which is pretty wet and humid, and the bulbs have already started sprouting outside the soil. I'm planning to keep the boxes out in the North facing balcony which will receive loads of rain depending on the weather!

Is this appropriate or shall I cover them to avoid receiving too much rain?

P.S. The bulbs I had taken out from pots last year were wrapped in brown papers sealed in a plastic bag left out in the balcony to get some cold, and I find out some mould on a few of the very tiny bulbs as they apparently have absorbed all the humidity even through the bag.


texts: Avocado from seed - to prune or not to prune?

texts:
I trid to get an avocado tree started from a seed a couple of years ago. The advice from this website was to wait until it was around 6-7 inches tall, then cut it down to about three inches to encourage growth of other branches. I tried it, but I either did it wrong or it was bad advice, because that avocado struggled ever after and eventually died.

I've started over this year with four seeds, and two of them are at about this point (actually, they're around 7-8 inches tall) with some really nice-looking leaves growing out the top. I can post pictures if this will help answer the question, but should I prune them back? If so, what is the best method of doing so and how should I select the height at which to do so? I thought that I would just prune it back to the lowest level of big leaves, but all of the big leaves are clustered at the top.

Edit: I just saw this question; perhaps this is the correct answer?


texts: Should I plant my garden early this year?

texts:
Due to the unusual weather in the Midwestern USA this year with record highs being set almost on a daily basis, should I plant my summer garden earlier? That is, does this affect the growing season for tomatoes, cucumbers, banana peppers and so-forth?

I am in Zone 6a.


texts:
My question stems (pardon the pun) from two ideas:

That trees live for a very long time and that there have been many evolutions of trees in that time.
It is possible to graft trees of the same genus together to form a tree composed of two different stocks.

Theoretically, if trees were held back from death, would it be possible to make a segment of trees tracking their evolution and following their ancestors?

For example, a branch of a lemon tree on the branch of the citrus ancestor tree, onto its ancestor, etc. until they reached the first tree. I think it could result in a tree that could produce every fruit of its lineage, but it's just a theory, right?

Obviously this is a purely theoretical idea, but I'm curious. Or, if it's not just a theoretical idea, and that trees could be "brought back" (like there are efforts for different animals).


texts: Sweet basil: Are dark green and slightly smaller leaves better?

texts:
I planted some sweet basil seedlings into two different long planter pots and they come from the same batch of seedlings. They are at the same location and get the same amount of sunlight and water.

However, the soil in the pots is slightly different as I used different soil mixes. In one of them, the sweet basil plants are lush and the leaves are darker green but slightly smaller. In the other one, all the plants are a lighter shade of green though the leaves are a bit larger. I suspect this pot is lacking certain nutrients.

Is that correct? What should I add to it to make it healthier?

EDIT: Added the photo below. It doesn't seem that obvious from close but from afar the leaves on the left are noticeably darker and smaller.


texts:
I found an ancient text which states that truffles do not "grow (derive their growth?) from the ground". I have found two medieval opinions on what that means:

They "don't have roots in the ground, and their growth is from the air."
Their roots don't have (twigs? shoots? tendrils? thin branches?) which (lit. "do the action of (previous word)/ become (previous word)". Branch out?) under the ground, and (from them? With them?) (fertilize? Become fertilized? Pollinate? Become pollinated? Be fruitful?).

Are those descriptions accurate in light of modern understanding? Is there any sense in which "their growth is from the air" true? How exactly do they grow, and where does their sustenance come from? I have looked at a number of articles, but have had trouble understanding them.
P.S: Please forgive the many possible translations. The true translation may only be a similar word to the ones provided, but not actually any of them. Going through ancient texts can be difficult sometimes. I would also prefer to leave the text unnamed.


texts: What is the name for a weed-eater head with metal or plastic blades?

texts:
I am looking for a weed-eater head that does not have any plastic thread spool or ongoing feeder. It should have metal or sturdy plastic blades that don't wear away quickly?  I am (a) sick of having to deal with spooling problems and fixing the feed and (b) not keen on having tiny bits of plastic building up all over my yard.

If there is such a thing what is it called?


texts: Why is my Four O'Clock plant (Mirabilis jalapa) dying?

texts:
I live in Sydney. Its hardiness zone is 10b-11a (depending on the region). This autumn thus far has been warm and sunny with temperature range between 28C to 13C on average. Not too hot and not too cold. But my Four O'Clock, after flourishing in the hot summer, is now not flowering and its seed pods are yellowing. It is rather large in shape, if that helps.

All I know is that Four O Clocks 'die out' in the first frost, but we don't even have frost yet. And, as said, the weather these days has been rather warm. So what is going on exactly with the plant?

P.S. I have another large Four O'Clock in the front yard that is still flowering at parts. It acts as an annual, dying in late autumn and reemerging in late spring - Even though we live in a warm hardiness zone.

Thanks.


texts: What are these little intense colored green plants with needles?

texts:
I usually see these pop up around August in north New Jersey along a hiking trail. The picture doesn't do the color justice. They have a very vibrant color that makes them stand out.

Until I examined them closely they always just looked very much like bright green ball shaped plants as I'm running along the trail. Every fall they pop up and I've been curious as to what they are.


texts: When is it to late to in the year trim emerald greens in Seattle? I don't want to hamper their ability to recover before winter.


texts:
My friend moved into a new house where the previous owners had left this aloe. She didn’t want it, so it was given to me, but I don’t know how to save it. Because of the droopy leaves (and somewhat squishy leaves) I’m guessing it has root rot (I have never had an aloe plant so that is a guess) but the leaves are full of gel and there’s a miniature one growing off of the base. I read somewhere that a terra cotta pot and succulent or cactus soil is best for aloe, so I’m planning on getting that this weekend for this plant. My question is, is this plant salvageable? I don’t want to go buy stuff and put in the effort of reporting if it’s going to die anyways. Second, what do I do with the little plant growing off the base? And finally, some of the leaves broke in transport today, do I cut the whole leaf off or will it heal?
Thank you for you help!


texts: What are these white bugs all over my lettuce?

texts:
I noticed these tiny white bugs on several of my romaine leaves today. Detail is not great since it was a camera phone, but they're about 2mm in length and there are hundreds of them.

What are they and how can I get rid of them?

Does the lettuce they've been crawling all over need to be yanked up and thrown out...? =(


texts:
This is my very depressed plant! Is there anything I can do to revive it to its former glory? I have put it outside for the last week with no luck. It became very depressed after leaving it in a dark room for two days even though I was told it would be fine. And any tips on how to look after it in the future would be great
in water

alive!!!!


texts: What is this fruiting shrub found on the banks of a brackish pond on Long Island, NY?

texts:
This shrub is growing in sandy soil along the banks of a brackish pond on Long Island. We did not see others in the area. As you can see, it is adjacent to phragmites, which hints that it could have wet feet for at least part of the year.

The photo was taken early in November - an unusually warm autumn.


texts: Can Oyster mushrooms grow on a Yucca tree?

texts:
I am not certain of the exact species of this Yucca (Maybe Yucca Guatemalensis?)
But there are several of these trees growing in the front yards of several homes in a co-workers neighborhood in the San Francisco peninsula area.

Recently, mushrooms started growing on the trunk near the base of a few of these yuccas, one of which is now clearly dead & the one that the mushroom pictured below was harvested from looks to be on the way out too. I would guess that the yuccas were already sick & dying if these are indeed oysters, as they are a  saprotrophic mushroom.

I had never heard of oyster mushrooms growing on a yucca, nor can I find any mention of this happening through several google searches, so I am not quite sure what to think of this apparent oyster mushroom. It is fairly large (as big as my hand) and I find it a bit odd how broadly fussed together the caps are at the base.

This is one of the mushrooms, cut from the yucca next to the trunk.


texts: Help identifying narrow red-leaved weed spreading across lawn in UK

texts:
There is a narrow leaved, red weed spreading across my neighbour's lawn. Can anyone help identify it, please?

It looks like it may spread underground sometimes, as clumps of it are popping up across his lawn.

He says he uses regular lawn weedkiller, so I think it may be resistant to that, so any tips on how to remove it would be appreciated, too.
Thanks in advance.


texts: My money plant is dieing out. Please help!

texts:
I have got the money plant as a Christmas gift last year on 2018. It was indoor till October 2019 at my office window. i used to take care of it, watering whenever required. but post October month it started dieing.

I brought it to my house and transferred to beer bottles with only water in it. But nothing changed them.

Then again I transfered it to a pot, put in soil and started watering regularly whenever required. Their condition worsens. I have kept them indoor again. Untill then it was under sun. Please help how i can make it as it was earlier.

unable to attach photo.
1. no leaves now
2. stems have almost died. 2 are green others are yellow, like died.
3.3 or 4 single stem plant in one earthen pot
4. since beginning the plant was together with 5 or 6 stems. while transferring gave away few stems to my friends.


texts: Why does my rose bush have holes and white spots on the leaves? How can I help it?

texts:
I planted this Double Knockout rose bush a month ago. It's blooming like crazy but something is eating the leaves and I've noticed white spots on them as well. I have Sonic Bloom weigalas on either side and they are doing great. I'm in zone 7a.

Assuming it's bugs, what can I do to prevent them? Maybe add some other small plants around it that deter them?

Source


texts: Mango tree leaves are getting tiny brown (like dryed out) on the edges

texts:
Mango tree leaves are getting tiny brown (like dried out) on the edges. I attach photos to see better, and also a photo of the soil.
Like in this picture,
tiny bits of brown:

Same here:
How soil looks:


texts: Can I make an insect hotel from sticks that blew down in a windstorm?

texts: Will taking a lot of dead twigs blown down from a windstorm, and tossing them in a pile create the cover required for an insect hotel?


texts:
We have two cats (both female, 6 & 4 yrs old). The older one is becoming less mobile (can't get over the fence), and has started taking to digging up the lawn to do her business. Whenever I see her do it I run and shoo her away, which seems to work for a day or two, but then she starts again. There is a border along the edge which we don't particularly care about, and I've seen her use that before.

I saw a related question for dogs:
Is there anything I can put on my lawn to prevent my dog from digging? but I don't think that answer would work for our cat.

We could go back to using a litter tray but that seems an awful pain. Does anyone have any ideas on ways to encourage her to go elsewhere? I saw this article Natural Cat Repellents which suggests growing catnip plants and/or a sandbox. But how healthy would a catnip solution be in the long term for the cat? And I'm not sure about a sandbox, since we have a young child (and another on the way!) who would probably make a beeline for that as soon as our backs are turned!!

Any help appreciated.


texts: Curious to know why over-watering leads to root-rot yet the same plant can be grown in water?

texts: I bought a few pothos plants from home depot last summer, and from my investigation, it seemed they all died from root rot. I tried every thing I could to save them but they just would not stop. But at my work place, there is a pothos plant, set in a bottle of water, on the window pane in the kitchen that seems to be doing so well, even with no one really in charge of caring for it? There are a couple of those around the office and every now and then someone maybe changes the water and puts them back, and they don't die.How come?


texts: How to replant bamboo/water based plants

texts:
I have had a bamboo for several years in this tiny glass pot. It has grown very much, but its time to move her to a bigger home. But how? the pot she was brought home in was large at the bottom and narrow at the top. How do I remove her without ripping her roots to shreds? I would prefer not to break the glass.

Also, what else should I be aware of when transferring a water based plant. This is unfamiliar territory. How should general care differ from soil based plants?

This picture should illustrate the trouble I am having removing the bamboo from its original pot.


texts:
My neighbour showed it to me this morning, and she has no clue what this plant is. Her kid got this from school. I also have no idea what plant this is.

EDIT: Found this bigger version in a lawn. Probably this might help in the identification.


texts: How do I find out & treat what is eating my hibiscus leaves

texts:
I was wondering what might be eating away at my hibiscus and how do I protect my poor little plant.

I don't visually see any bugs on or under the leaves.

Update: This plant is in a pot. Location: North Texas.


texts: What is the shelf life of vegetable seeds?

texts: I bought a packet of vegetable seeds from Costco a few years back.  I still have seeds left in individual packages.  Is there a life to these seeds after which it is not recommended for use?  What is the impact of using seeds after the shelf life of the seeds?  Is it just lower germination rate or could this impact the quality of the vegetables/plants produced from old seeds?


texts: What is this flower with mind-blowing red color?

texts:
I found this flower in my garden.  I would like to know what it is. Zone 7

Although it seems as if there are two kinds of red flowers in the photo??


texts: Rhododendron in complete shade corner -should I move it?

texts:
I am in a 5b zone and I have a small Rhododendron (~1.5'' high) that I planted there last year. I am having second thoughts about that and I am thinking about moving it.

Update:The name of the plant is P.J.M Rhododendron

Two questions:

-how do I know if it is doing well there and I should not move it. My bet was that it will grow higher and then it will get more light. This is a south west fence corner.

-if the answer is yes move it, is this a good time to move it ?

the below pictures were taken around 7PM today

enter image description here


texts:
So today was my 12yr anniversary at work. The owner of the company knew I was looking to try my hand at growing a bonsai. So when I came into the office this morning this guy was on my desk.

He didn't ask what species it was when he bought it. SoI've been looking at pictures for the better part of the day trying to identify it. I think it might be a Serissa Foetida Mount Fuji, but not sure. So hoping someone else can verify or correct my guess.


texts: When removing a tree branch, should I paint the exposed part of the tree?

texts:
I am working on cleaning up my yard, and that means removing some lower branches.  I've heard removing at the node is important, so I am doing that.  I've seen other trees that have been painted at the removal point.  I'm guessing this seals the tree, helping prevent rotting.

Is painting or sealing the removal point necessary?  Is it detrimental?  Is there a specific product for the job or is paint the right thing?


texts:
I've got an apple tree in the garden which has produced a good crop, but most of the apples are covered in black spots:

What is this? It seems to be some sort of fungus, but what's the best way to treat / prevent this and are these apples now inedible?


texts: How can I keep earwigs from eating my basil?

texts:
Last night I found that earwigs have been eating my newly planted basil plants. They have only been in the ground for a few days, and it didn't take long for the earwigs to find them.

The planted ones are lost. I have read this question about millipedes, which mentions removing debris, so I'll start with that.

Is there anything I can do to prevent earwigs from eating any more herbs that I would like to plant?


texts:
Can anyone identify the oak species these acorns come from?

Here are some pics of the leaves and bark


texts:
My mint is developing brown spots on older leaves and is wilting. What disease is this? Can I save it?
https://imgur.com/a/G3oceQM


texts: What could be causing these yellow spots on my tomato leaves

texts: I have a couple tomato plants that have small yellow spots on the leaves. These plants are about 6 weeks old. I'm planning on transplanting them to my garden this weekend. Any idea what caused this and is it something I should be worried about?


texts: Pruning weeping mulberry into wild-looking crown

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How to prune a weeping mulberry so that it has main branches with lots of curves within its crown, as if they can't decide what direction to take, like this one: (look at wavy branches in the middle of the crown)

Or, take a look at this photo from http://plantwithme.com:

NOTE: The first two pics are from my neighbor's yard. He even wanted to be in the picture, I had the hardest time convincing him not to appear on photos.

When I said "pruning", I meant long-term pruning (20 year time span).


texts: How do you grow a plant not in your hardiness zone?

texts: I understand that greenhouses are an option, this question is more towards being able to grow plants that normally prefer colder climates without having to spend loads of money on climate control. I am in central Florida. This question isn’t specific to any particular plant, but is aimed at growing plants that you can’t grow normally or via traditional greenhouse.


texts:
I'm trying to identify the following bug on a lavender plant.

Theres about a half dozen of them and they appear to have six legs and a long abdomen. They're black with yellow or orange sides.


texts: How to help young tree with damaged bark?

texts: I have been very careful with the string trimmer. I think the damage is from the original city planting or freeze damage. Should I use a chisel and cleanup the wounds or just let it be?  It is a Maple and the presence of the insect in the photo is alarming as well. The tree us doing well.


texts:
So after living in our house for 3 years there's something going on with our shrubs.  In a previous post you can see the shrubs when we moved in.

However now there are certain portions of the shrub that are not growing any more and the leaves have a white discoloration on them.  (see pics)  Is there any way to treat them (ideally I'd like a non-toxic solution)?

Thanks!

]3

Edits

Thanks Everyone for the posts.  So here's the answers to the questions.  I live in San Diego, CA so the climate is pretty mild here.  The white discoloration cannot be rubbed off and the interesting thing is that there doesn't seem to be discoloration on the backside of the leaves only the side facing the sun.

I think may be the next thing to try is the fertilizer as recommended.


texts: Is this oak powdery mildew? How can I manage it?

texts:
I have just bought a new property that has a range of oak trees. Unfortunately, I noticed that some of the young trees in one area have a white discolouration of the leaves.

After some searching online, I think this is oak powdery mildew (erysiphe alphitoides).

In this question, the only answer discusses using a sulphur fungicide.

I would like to ask:

Is this powdery mildew?
Are there any other options for managing it and can it be completely cured?
Are the nearby mature oaks at risk?


texts: For the past year I have been piling up branches and limbs on a border of the yard and now it is about six feet high. I had wanted to experiment with a hugelkultur but the limbs are not very large and include twigs as well as grapevine cuttings, dead sunflower stems etc. My question is whether I can compost all of this with minimal effort or whether I should do something else with this as the winter comes. I also wonder if I add organic materials and scraps as I do with my compost whether the rats and other critters will bed down in there and cause me trouble later.


texts:
Is my ponytail palm dying and how can I save it? I have had it a few years now. Used to have lots of leaves but for the past year or so the leaves have all wilted and most recently started browning very fast. Also recently the leaves all bent over right at the top of the stalk. Any ideas why this bending happened? As for the browning, I try to cut it away but as you can see it quickly becomes brown again.

Recently I noticed its roots were growing out of the soil so repotted it, added soil, and noticed the soil stayed moist so I took it out of the new pot and let it dry then put it back and have not watered since. I heard this can be traumatic for it, but it was already looking bad like this beforehand. I’m hoping if I just leave it alone for several weeks it’ll slowly revive itself.

I live in the south where it is hot and humid. My house is usually around 77 degrees with 60% humidity. The plant does not get direct sunlight but it sits under a window without window coverings so it does get some light. I used to have it in a pitch dark room that hardly ever had blinds open and it was fine for years.

Please help!


texts: Can anyone identify these insects in my rose bud?

texts:
What are these?
Just noticed them - wondering if they are bad for the plant or my health.


texts: Can you grow mushrooms from other mushrooms?

texts: I saw a video of someone growing mushrooms from burying another mushroom in dirt. However, most other videos show only show that you can grow mushrooms from spawn or spores from a company. Can you actually just bury a mushroom and grow your own? If not is there any way to pull the spore yourself and grow mushrooms? I want to grow mushrooms year after year without buying new spawn every time it runs out.


texts: I got a few roses from my friends and I keep them in my office. I've changed their fresh water for three days but they won't stop fading. What can I do to extend their flowering? Some people tell me to put a little salt in the water, would this work?


texts:
For a couple of months, small black spots have been slowly spreading on two of the leaves of my Monstera. On one leaf, they got worse, and ringed with yellow, then suddenly the leaf died.
The black spots are physically on the surface of the leaf, and can be scraped off. I tried wiping the leaves with bicarb soda (maybe for no good reason) but it didn't seem to help.
Now, the badly affected leaf has suddenly turned yellow and died.
Is there anything I can do to prevent this happening to the other two leaves? I don't think I'm overwatering - if anything, perhaps the opposite. I check the soil is dry before I water.


texts: How do I rehabilitate a lawn at a lakefront

texts:
First time poster on stack, hoping to get some advice on how to restore a lawn. The property here is a cottage in Ontario, right on the water (as you can see from the picture). What you can also see in the picture is an utter infestation of all kinds of weeds.

Here is a picture looking in the other direction:

Some backstory: We rebuilt the cottage in fall of 1998 and at that time reseeded and top-dressed the lawn in the fall, after all the machinery and construction was finished. The next summer the lawn grew in quite nicely, and we had a decent lawn for a couple years. In one picture I have from 2005 though, seems like the weeds had already infiltrated the lawn:

Since then it has been a peaceful coexistence with weeds and the lawn, with us overseeding each year hoping to gradually drive out the weeds.  Unfortunately, that hasn’t happened.
The lawn is roughly 375 squaremeter. Its sort of in an L-shape, where one leg of the L runs parallel to the water with a very slight slope, and the second leg runs away from the water with two moderate slopes, with a plateau (where the septic tank is).
The soil composition is fairly sandy in the upper areas of the lawn, especially on the hills and septic bed (leg of L that runs away from the water).  The lower portion along the water has a ‘blacker’ looking soil with less sand.
Running a simple soil test (4 vials with different coloured caps) bought at walmart showed the current lawn has very little nitrogen ANYWHERE, and low-to-moderate levels of phosphorous and potash. Based on this test, the pH seems to be anywhere from 6-7.0 depending on the part of the lawn.  We have a fair amount of moss growing in the lawn as well, in certain spots.
Our typical lawncare routine is as follows:

Spring - manual dethatching, fertilizing, overseeding, watering when possible
Summer - nothing
Fall - raking leaves (too many to mulch and keep on lawn)
Aeration - have not done this in at least 10 years
Top-dressing - don’t usually do this as we need about 7 yards or so, to get even one inch of coverage on the whole lawn. It’s hard for me to spread all this myself, and to have it delivered.
Seeding - we typically buy the scott’s or promix grass seed from the big-box stores.

Last year I used a mower attachment dethatching blade (with the springs) and essentially scalped the lawn, We then ran a slit seeder and overseeded, and kept it moist until we saw the seedlings. We had a fairly green turf last year, but it wasn’t all grass. I am wondering why there are so many weeds this year.
At this point, given the abysmal state of the lawn, I am considering all options for how to restore it. Temperatures in this area are still in the high teens and high single digits through June, so we do have some time to grow grass. The options I have laid out for myself:

Use selective herbicide

Use Par3 or other selective herbicide to kill the weeds
Reseed the lawn, possibly with slit seeder?
Top-dress?
Manually weed during the summer
Use herbicide again in late summer
Reseed and possibly top dress again in fall
Next summer maintain lawn

Use non-selective herbicide

Spray everything and kill it all, with a light application
wait a few weeks and then reseed and top-dress
Maintain with a routine similar to the above

Manually weeding certain areas?

Are there any suggestions for how to restore this lawn? Also, how would you maintain it year after year? I am open to using something like Par3 after many hours of research, as we often are away during the week and if applied before we leave for the city I don't expect any issues of exposure. Is there something that I am missing?


texts: Are household LED bulbs suitable as supplemental light for plants?

texts:
I live at a fairly northerly latitude where we have limited hours of daylight during the winter. Low-wattage (5-8W) white LED bulbs seem to be becoming more common as a household light source.

Do these LED bulbs provide suitable light for growing plants indoors over the winter?


texts:
I have it all over my newly renovated yard. I believe it was brought in with the back fill when they used to grade my yard after I installed a pool... I think it's Johnsonsgrass, or at least that's the closest I've come to identifying it. It grew from 2" to over 10" in less than 10 days.  When I seeded I used Lesco Teammate seed (20% Rye, 60% (3 type) TTTF, and 20% KBG) fertilized with Scott's starter Fert with weed preventer. The Scott's did a great job on the Grabgrass that started coming in but nothing to this.
Any ideas what it is for sure, and how do I treat it?  I know you are not suppose to pull Johnsonsgrass, but I pulled up 75% of it over the last few days hoping its small enough that the roots aren't that deep.  They pulled right up out of the ground really easy.  But if I was a betting man this is going to come right back, till I find something that actually knocks it out.


texts:
Apart from lilac I am looking for a spring blossoming shrub which has flowers in the mauve to purple range, suitable for a temperate climate.

Ideally it would flower earlier than lilac.  Are there any?


texts: New House, Dirt Yard, Ideas in Mind, where to begin?

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I moved into my house back in December of 2015. We still have a dirt yard and want to try and get something in before summer time.

I have had a few quotes that are a little out of budget for me so I was thinking about taking this project on myself and then anything I cannot do I save up for and have done professionally (possibly cement).

My yard has a slight grade at the retaining wall going towards the house. The front left of the house is where the draining areas are on the bricks. That is the direction that the yard is flowing towards.

My question:

Since the yard is pretty tough right now, with a few holes from the dogs digging, what would be the first recommendation in terms of leveling out the yard?

Do I need to till the yard to break up the hard dirt and then screed it out and make it level?

I will be adding in sod, rock and eventually a cement area for seating/fireplace.

I am just trying to figure out how to give myself a good starting area.

UPDATE

For those who care to see what I ended up doing, pics are below. Also added a citrus tree in the middle of the back wall (not pictured). Most difficult part of the process was getting the ground level for the bricks, the rest kinda fell into place. AZ dirt is a pain in the ass, especially for the trenching, the machine struggled :)


texts: What is this potted plant with dark green leaves and puffy white flowers on long stems?

texts: I recently got this plant from my granddad, he can't take care of it anymore. Neither of us can figure out what it is, but he used to travel a lot so it wouldn't surprise me if he brought it from somewhere afar. I'd like to know how to take good care of it, so some help would be great!


texts:
I bought two Kentia palms about a month ago and over the last few days they seem to be dying. I noticed that a lot of the lower leaves were going very dark and turning crunchy so I cut those off at the stem to give the rest of the plant a chance. Both palms seem to be losing leaves by the day though. The bigger fronds at the top haven't been affected but they're not looking as full of life as they used to.

I water them only when I can feel the top two inches of soil have dried out. I recently repotted them out of the containers they came in and I didn't notice any problems with the roots (although I'm new to this so I would have easily missed any issues).

Thanks


texts: Can I shave exposed roots from a Silver Maple tree to avoid damage when mowing?

texts:
We have large roots from a huge Silver Maple tree that are partially above ground and interfere with mowing.

Can I shave them so the mower can pass over them?


texts: How do I prune an apple tree so it will grow short?

texts: I was just wondering, is it possible to prune an apple tree so that it will grow short? I just would appreciate not to have to get a ladder or anything to be able to get fruit. Is it possible and a good idea, and if so what is the best way to achieve this?


texts: Is there any harm in burying a cable 6-10 inches under the lawn?

texts:
I would like to dig a very narrow trench, nor more than an inch wide, by slicing the ground with a spade to form a line across my lawn. I will then bury the cable, and fill it back in with dirt and leave the grass to grow over the line.

My friend believes this will somehow damage the lawn, which makes no sense to me. Is there any harm in having a cable buried a few inches down?


texts: How can I tell if a maple tree is male or female?

texts:
How do you know which maple tree is the male or the female? Do you need both to produce beautiful maple trees?

Should I plant one of each in my sister's yard? She only wants one, but I think two would be better, one of each (male & female) although I don't know which is which.

There are many babies under each, do those come from just one of the trees?


texts: Is a gabion a good raised planter for a vegetable garden?

texts:
I am looking for a raised planter for a vegetable garden -- likely approximately 2'H x 2'W x 8'L. I like the look of a gabion, but I was wondering about its suitability for a vegetable garden compared to the typical cedar, corrugated metal, or plastic/synthetic wood boxes. It will be placed on the sunny south side of my home in central Texas (i.e. hot during the summer!).

In particular, I was wondering how a gabion is for vegetables with respect to heat and evaporation:

Will it get too hot and retain too much heat at night?
Will evaporation be a problem between the heat and porous walls of rocks?

If you have any experience with a gabion for a vegetable garden, I'd like to hear your thoughts.


texts: How is short grass like those at miniature parks maintained?

texts:
How do they maintain very short grass like at Legoland? Is there a variation of grass that only grows this short?

I've tried maintaining a portion of grass myself in my garden that is part of a rockery. The grass grows very quickly. A lawnmower or strimmer isn't an option because of the size of my patch of grass (>1m^2) and it takes a long time to cut with ordinary scissors.


texts: What are these weed seedlings with round cotyledons?

texts:
I know it's hard to identify plants just from the seedlings but I get these weeds every year throughout my garden in Northern New Jersey and I pull them before they grow.

They start to germinate around early May and continue to popup at other times of the year but I think it's mainly in early spring and late summer/fall.

My raised bed was covered with black plastic. When I removed it to prepare my raised bed a few days ago there were hundreds of them underneath the plastic. Most were starting to die off from lack of light.Never really had that bad of a problem with them in the raised bed but I guess the plastic made conditions ideal for germination.

The seed leaves are round and smooth but the true leaves appear to be serrated.

Here are some photos with their first true leaves. As the plants mature the stems get woody and hard.


texts: Green mould/mushrooms on houseplant soil

texts:
I recently took some cuttings from a friend, let them root in water, and then planted them.

About a week later, suddenly there’s lot of green fungus/mould on the top of the soil!

Any help identifying would be appreciated. Is it harmful to the plant? Will leaving the plant in the sun help? Should I water less...?

I live in a temperate but dry area, and water about 2-3 times a week normally. We’re in Autumn so it’s getting cloudier.

enter image description here


texts:
I have a few of these plants growing in my garden along a trelace fence in the south of the UK. Although I've seen them in my local area grown as more of a mounded shrub.

As you can see, the individual branches grow in long thin cane like structures with no discerning taper along their length.

I've never seen it flower or fruit, but it is usually kept trimmed and it seems to train itself up the trelace.


texts: How should I use one courgette plant for both consumption and seeds?

texts:
How should I handle the fruit-harvesting of a courgette (zucchini) if I also like to collect seeds?

In principle my understanding is that I just need to leave a fruit long enough on a plant for it to develop seeds. How will this influence the creation of new flowers and fruits if I leave the first one untouched?

Will it be better to wait for the end of the season and let the last one ripen until the plant is almost dead?


texts:
This morning I have noticed some strange marks on my Zinnia leaves and the leaves of the mint growing nearby:

What could that be? And what could be done with it? They both grow on an east-oriented balcony with a lot of sun in the morning, in pots of about 40x15x25 cm and have holes on the bottom without a water retention underneath.


texts: I have some plum and peach trees and have noticed several of these beetles on each one. There are also a lot of holes in the leaves which I assume are the beetles eating them. Now if that’s just cosmetic I don’t mind, but if not, should I get rid of them and how? Located in Illinois


texts:
I recently bought a house in Arizona with two very tall trees in the front. The lawn itself is normally flooded once a month by the irrigation system to give water to the plants, but during the purchasing process the seller skipped a month. During this time there was a record drought, and once I moved in I noticed that one tree looked pretty sickly.
The "leaves" on this tree are pale and sparse compared to the healthier one, and there are slight vertical cracks on the trunk. My question is if this tree is dead, dying and in need of treatment, or just dormant and will recover on its own.
We got rain and irrigation just a week ago, so the soil is wet, but since the tree doesn't look any better I thought I should ask. The tree in question is on the right of this photo.

Update: Called an Arborist and this tree is dead. He cut off a few branches and found 99% of the leaves were dried out. If anyone is wondering, this tree is about 4-5 stories tall, needs to be taken down with a crane, and will cost 1.5k - 2k to cut down :(


texts: How soon can I apply pre-emergent herbicide after a dormant overseeding?

texts:
I live in Ohio and I dormant overseeded in early January.  So far, it has worked wonderfully.  A lot of the new seed is coming up but some weeds have started to germinate as well.  I normally put down some pre-emergent, like Halts, but I waited to let as much of the seed to germinate as possible. The snows and wet springs made this method of overseeding work fantastic in my opinion.

Does anyone know when is the earliest I could put the pre-emergent down?  I would love to be able to use this dormant overseeding method every year, yet still prevent crabgrass and other weeds from popping up in late spring and all through summer.


texts: Which philodendrons may need cold protection in zones 10 to 11?

texts:
The aroids are growing in popularity in recent years.
I live in zone 10 to 11. My climate is Mediterranean with mild winters. Temperatures may drop below 10C/50F but it never freezes. Which Philodendrons need protection from that weather?
I place them under the fruit trees in my garden. In the summer, they are protected from direct sunlight. In winter, the trees protect them from hail. Hail occurs often, but it comes in short bursts.


texts:
Most of them are coming back. 12 out of 15. Will these produce this year if I can keep them from freezing again?  They've been babied in a heated greenhouse ever since.  I know I'll have to harden them off before going into my unheated greenhouse but hate to spend anymore time or room on them if they won't produce well.

I'll plant these tomatoes on the southside of my greenhouse where they can get direct sunlight when I pull the plastic up.  These particular tomatoes are the regular garden varieties, not meant to be grown in greenhouses.  Another reason I'm worried I'm wasting space...or would it be better to keep them in pots and just move in and out of the greenhouse to be able to get sunlight? And wait until my hothouse tomatoes come in the mail to be planted in my main greenhouse?


texts: Is it normal that one of my Aloe veras isn’t as thick as the other one?

texts:
As you can see in the first picture my Aloe vera is thinner than the one in the second picture and I was just wondering if this is normal (maybe because it’s a younger plant). I wasn’t really sure and kind of afraid that I was maybe over-watering or not watering enough. Also the leaves are turning brown and soft at some parts.

Is this normal or not?


texts: My first strawberries of the season are not very flavorful

texts:
I have a strawberry patch that I've left go for the past few years.  It's gotten rather wild in the back garden as I've had little time to really devote to gardening lately.  I went out to the patch to clean up and noticed I had deep red strawberries!

I picked them and washed them, expecting an extremely sweet bite.  The flavor, however, was almost tasteless.  The consistency of the meat was not mushy so I don't think I left them on the plant too long.  What other conditions might lead to a low-sugar/low-flavor condition in a strawberry patch?


texts: White fuzzy hairy stuff on plant leaves...ugh, what to do

texts: The plant is healthy otherwise, I see a few ants crawling around on it. Is this a sickness? How do I remove this and get shiny leaves like I see others have?


texts: I have a fern-like weed that does not bloom and it spreads by runners. It grows about 9 inches high and chokes out everything in sight. What is it?

texts:
Someone told me it is mugwort, but it doesn't have a rhizome and it doesn't bloom. It also doesn't have long stems; it's pretty low to the ground. It choked out an entire perennial bed last summer.  We had that bed dug out to 4 inches, and the soil and plants replaced, but bits and pieces are coming back there now, and it subsequently took over another perennial bed on the other side of the house

It appears that even a tiny piece of the root left in the soil is enough. Because it was in a perennial bed, I didn't want to spray Round-Up but I did paint it on fairly heavily, to no avail.  Can you identify this pestilence? Any suggestions?  I am ready to have the back bed dug up out 6 inches, but I can't afford to keep doing this!


texts: Is it OK to put moldy fruits and vegetables in the compost heap?

texts:
One of my frequent sources of material in my compost heap (I'm just getting into it lately) is kitchen scraps. My wife, bless her, has good intentions for eating more fruits and vegetables, but iffy execution, which means every few weeks, I wind up with moldy vegetables and fruits. I've been tossing them in the compost heap, burying them under some of the dryer materials, figuring that the heat is bound to kill off anything actively harmful, but I figured I'd get some input from others. I haven't noticed a bad smell from the heap, or large amounts of flies (although the deer seem to have decided the heap is an excellent buffet).

So, long story short, is it likely to be harmful to add moldy foods to the heap?


texts:
I have what I think is a little Crassula rogersii that's been growing out in three branches from a little trunk. The branch in the middle seems to be getting somewhat top-heavy (you can see how this middle branch is upright in the 1st photo which was taken yesterday, but it's leaning way over to the side in the second photo, which I took today).
Should I prune this plant? If so, how? I love that it's been growing like a little tree, and I'd love to see it grow more branches like the three it has now.


texts: I was in New Orleans, LA, USA this December and most plants had foliage, but this plant was bare.  What is this shrub?  It looked like it's bark was missing too, but they all look like this, see pictures.


texts: What's the best way to grow Crocosmia from seed?

texts:
I collected seed from my Crocosmia (I believe "Honey Angels") and I'd like to see whether I can get healthy plants from them or not.

What are the right conditions to make them germinate? When do I start? If not now, how do I store the seeds, and how do I "reactivate" them later on? What type of soil? Those are some of the questions I have in my mind.


texts: I'm planting some Dutch white clover in my yard from seed. The seeds came already inoculated. We generally have weeks where it rains several times a day for at least a week during the spring, can I just sow the seeds and let them sit for a week or two until we get a lot of rain, or is there some risk of either drying out the seeds or having the inoculant damaged by heat/dryness?


texts: Please help identify this aggressive vine?

texts:
I live in the Boston area, and this vine is growing in the public land behind my property.  The vine is a very aggressive grower and will overtake anything in it's path, including my fence.  I've ripped out several hundred square feet of it already, but there is much more remaining.  The stems were woody, reaching 1/2" - 3/4" in diameter, with several nodes anchoring to the ground.  I would like to ID this plant, to help me learn how best to control it.

I've done a bit of research, and it looks somewhat like Virginia creeper, but not quite.  As far as I know, it does not flower.  Any help would be appreciated.

I am adding a few pictures.  The pictures I took trying to show tendril were not in focus.  Only 1 was OK. I'll need to dig out my good camera for better results.

Here are some better pictures of the tendrils.  Hopefully, there is enough detail for someone to identify.  To my eye, I do not see any evidence of "disc shaped tendrils", which suggest that the vine is a false Virginia creeper.


texts: What is optimal orientation of drip holes on driplines?

texts: I want know what are the best orientations for driplines? especially those that are under the surface.


texts: Newly planted grass is yellowish-green, how to fix?

texts:
A contractor planted grass seed last year and it looks IMO horrible now. It is a yellowish green color and the blades of the grass are thicker, making it seem out of place compared to the other surrounding grass which has smaller/finer blades. Is there any way to correct this or should I rip it out and re-seed? Before winter, I tried adding my Scott's northeast blend, which is why you see hints of darker green in some spots.
New grass on the left:

Close up:


texts: Ipomoea / Morning Glory leaves "engraved" with whitish, silvery patches

texts:
I hope you can help me identify the problem with these Ipomoeas (Morning Glory).

It's actually two varieties of seeds I sowed together:

Ipomoea Violacea (those with tinnier leaves, I'm not sure)
Ipomoea Tricolor Heavenly Blue (those with larger, rounder leaves, I'm not sure).

As you can see from the pictures, some whitish, silvery patches are appearing on leaves.

I've already looked at the following similar questions...

What is happening to the leaves of my Ipomoea (Morning glory)?
What is causing yellow leaves on my Morning Glory?

...but I am not sure it's the same problem because in those questions it seems that the leaves became just decolored, while on mines it seems more that some of the leaf tissue  came off, and the lower layer of it became exposed (the patches).

Relevant facts:

I sawed the seeds approximately one month ago.
Plants have been taking 5-6 hours of direct sunlight and 4 hours of indirect sunlight a day.
When plants' height was half of what it is now, there was an hailstorm, resulting in very few leaves being clearly broken/cut, but this seems to not have to do with the whitish patches, because they also started appearing on intact, unbroken leaves. However - I am not sure if this is important - when the hailstorm happened, the hail on the ground did not unfreeze immediately (it was at night).
There is no trace of insects on the top face or bottom face of the leaves.
Concerning watering, I've watered them every time I saw the ground become dry, so for the first two weeks, approximately once every 3-4 days. Then two weeks ago it got warmer, so I've started watering them more (once every 2 days). Then last week got even warmer so since then I've started watering them almost daily. These days maximum daytime temperature is 22° Celsius. At night it gets to 8-10° Celsius.
The patches appeared initially only on some plants, and now more of them are showing the same thing, although not all of them.
It seems leaves are still growing, although slowly, and new leaflets are coming out.
I used a universal soil and did not add anything to it.

Sorry if I made this question too long, but I tried to be as much detailed as I could. Please let me know if there is something I might have forgotten to include.

Thanks a lot in advance for your help!


texts:
Some of the leaves on one of my new tomato plants have started showing small black spots.  The tomato plant is growing in a hydroponic setup (Dutch bucket) outdoors in southern California.
The plant has been bearing fruit and looks to be in great condition aside from these new spots.
I have seen pictures of septoria, and from what I can tell, the septoria spots look to be brown/black/yellow, with colors kind of fading out from the center.  In addition, most of the leaves infected with septoria also look like they are yellowing/curling at the edges.  They just look like bad leaves in general.
The thing that has me confused is that my leaf looks A+ aside from these black polka dots everywhere! Why are my leaves polka dotted?


texts:
When I bought my Drosera Aliciae, I was told that I have to repot it in a clean soil - without any nutrients. Unfortunately, all gardening stores in my neighborhood sell only standard garden soil, that contains nutrients.

How can I get clean soil for my sundew? Can I e.g. collect sand from the seashore? Can I take garden soil and clean it somehow?


texts: Maple tree, drooping leaves. Can I help it look Fuller?

texts:
Admittedly, I'm a new first time home owner. We have this maple in our front yard (Raleigh, NC). The leaves are droopy and it looks hollowed out in the center.

I've tried various watering, more water, less water....doesn't have much of an impact. I've given it a perticide/fertilizer combo that my neighbor recommended (she's got a beauty of a maple).

Would pruning the lower branches help at all? Any ideas?

Thanks!


texts: How close to concrete can a windmill palm tree be planted?

texts:
I am considering adding several Windmill Palms to our pool area.  However, we have a very small back yard and minimal spacing within which to place these trees.  I know that palm roots are not woody and are therefor less likely to damage sidewalk or driveway, but that there are still limits to this freedom.

What is the minimum recommended safe distance from the center of a Windmill Palm to the start of a driveway or sidewalk?


texts: How and when to plant young grafted fruit tree?

texts:
Our backyard is in a Mediterranean climate (Adelaide plains, South Australia) and we've been gifted a young grafted apple tree which has its root ball still wrapped in plastic. It's about 1.3m (4ft) high now. It's a Pink Lady cultivar grafted onto some unknown rootstock.

Remembering it's midwinter right now here:

How long can I put off planting the apple tree?
How much sunlight would it need? Would it be wise to put it up against the eastern fence so it doesn't get the nastiest amount of sun in midsummer?
Any tips to help it survive? Mulch? Fertiliser? How much watering early on?

One last bit of info is that the soil in an area like ours is not great. It is geologically ancient so there's not really much organic matter in it except what you add. It is mostly red, clay-type soil.


texts: What is this Australian plant with small red berries?

texts:
Can anyone tell me what this is? It was spotted on the coast in Sydney, Australia. The plant with the little berries is what I'm hoping to identify.

EDIT:

Here's another photo taken September 1st, 2018.