texts: Do I need to change the irrigation for my Shamel Ash trees?

texts:
I have three Shamel Ashes in my yard, all planted at roughly the same time and all irrigated in the same way. Despite professional care they haven't shown any substantial growth in over a year. If anything, they have thinned.

I live in Phoenix, Arizona (US). My research leads me to believe that the tree may struggle a bit in the hot weather but are still a viable choice for the region. I don't believe that they have been substantially under/over-watered though I could certainly be wrong. A small number (< 10%) of leaves have brown tips.

Each tree is currently watered with four drip lines located a short distance from the trunk. They are shown uncovered (normally they are buried) in the picture below.

The water has been on for an hour in this picture. Even if it soaks to an appropriate depth, it doesn't look like the water is well-distributed.

Should I add more drip lines?
Change the irrigation method entirely?
Or should I be investigating other problems?


texts: I tried my hand at growing New Zealand Spinach this year.  I sowed several seeds and they all came up, but a few of them do not look like the others!  I don't want to accidentally eat something I shouldn't, so can someone identify if this is a weed or just a taller spinach plant?  The leaves also have a sandy underside.


texts: I live in Portland, OR and I have a 100+ ft sequoia in my back yard. Keeping up with the falling needles/leaves is a year-round project. I've often wondered if they would make good compost. And yesterday there was a sever windstorm has blanketed my raised beds (and much of my yard) with a half-inch of sequoia needles. I'm considering just leaving the layer of needles at the base of my plants to act as a mulch. Does anyone have experience with this? Is this a good idea?


texts: Why could this Elephant's Ear be turning yellow?

texts:
I have a pretty large elephant's ear, that @Stephie helped me identify some weeks ago in this question. As you can see in one of the pictures there, one of the leaves is already not looking very great. Since then it has become much worse, with the flower on that part getting all weak.

I think I did a good job so far. The plant was in a reasonably lit area, with a few hours of direct sunlight every day. I've moved it in a more prominent spot right in front of a window for now, but I want to make sure I'm doing the right thing.

The air in my appartment is pretty dry, I keep temperatures between 17ºC at night and 20.5ºC by day.
I water the plant once a week, a little over a liter each time.
It's potted in ground that doesn't hold a lot of moist.

Am I doing something wrong? Here are the pictures:

Note, it's on an oven right now, but that's just temporary as this is the sunniest spot that I have available.


texts:
I just noticed that I have these weird little bugs on my bell peppers.

Doesn't seem to impact the growth as of yet, but I would like to get rid of them somehow.
What are they called? How can I get rid of them? Are they contagious to other peppers and tomatoes?

Thanks in advance


texts: When to transplant spruce tree sprout from a small bucket

texts:
I have a small sprout (30‒40 cm) of some species of spruce tree that is native (or at least welcome) to the Rocky Mountains of North America (purchased from the local Fish and Game Department’s nature centre). It is still in the small plastic bucket, and I want to transplant it in the roomier container.

When is it okay to move it? Is it too late to move it this winter (the daytime temperatures are consistently above freezing already)? When is it even normal to move perennial plants (trees) in general? I thought winter is a good time, since the plant is dormant, just like for trimming. Is it possible to move it more than once? I do not have the land to plant it in yet, but I want to move it from the medium-sized tub someday as well, would that be not much of a shock? Is there minimum time in between such moves?


texts: What kind of flower from the Yucatan Peninsula is this?

texts: Photo taken in the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico (March 2019)


texts: I had this plant growing in my greenhouse. I brought a couple of plants in over winter and now new leaves have emerged so that I am puzzled about what this is. Do you know its name?


texts:
I'm a new gardener who decided to try raised bed gardening this year due to living in South Eastern North Carolina where's there's a lot of sandy soil.

I followed some advice on companion planting this year and planted in one bed:

Potatoes
Lettuce
Marigolds
Broccoli

And in another bed:

Beans
Onions

The potatoes seem to be doing really well, and the lettuce isn't but I think it's because I planted too closed to the potatoes which I understand, however, the marigolds and broccoli aren't doing much at all.

I the second bed, the beans came up great, but just stopped and the onions sprouted and stopped also.

Any ideas on what I can do to improve my results?

thanks..


texts:
I have started to grow moss indoors and am looking for more advice.

I saw some information online, but I am hoping to clarify some points here.

If I keep the moss in a closed jar then how do I avoid molding?
Do I need to put soil in the jar?
What do to in winter?

Also, are there health concerns with growing moss indoors? Can the spores be contained if grown in a closed glass container?


texts: Information on killing yellow jackets at the end of summer

texts:
I've got yellow jackets at my house in the Pacific Northwest. Normally I wouldn't mind terribly much, they can be aggressive but if you don't go near their hives they're fine. And if you need to get somewhere they have a hive, it's generally easy to hit it with a fair amount of poison, and that's the end of it.

However, we've got a lot of eves with peeling siding on the house we just bought, and I think they've gotten behind the siding in some places to build nests. What's the best solution for getting these guys to move on?

I've bought a few traps and they seem to be catching some, but there's still a bunch exploring around the outside of the house. Should I just use a few more traps with attractant? Is there a longer-lasting poison I could spray around the eves of the house that would get them as they come/go? Or should I bite the bullet and hire an exterminator to give the house a good spraying?

Or, since it's later in the summer should I just avoid them until they die off in the winter, then try to capture/kill the queens when they emerge next spring?

Also, can yellow jackets and paper wasps actually do lasting damage to a (wood) house?


texts: Bought a house in Dayton, Ohio, and want to plant some white walnut trees.  (Temperatures: I've seen it get down to like -5F, a few years ago, but looks like it rarely gets below 15F.)  I've found a source of nuts that MIGHT be plantable (though I'm not sure how they've been keeping the seeds), but I'd likely need to stratify them, which would take a few months and then we'd be into summer.  Can you still plant white walnuts in the summer, or would that mess with their growth somehow?


texts: How Can I Turn Granular Mycorrhizae into Effective Liquid?

texts:
Looking to turn granulated mycorrhizae (combined with other beneficial bacteria) into a liquid to use.  I use a low pressure aeroponics system and would like to use this granular product but unsure how long it would have to soak, also would I need to add something else to jump start the mix or a certain PH level to make it effective?

Any help on the matter is greatly appreciated.


texts: What is causing diseased leaves on my French beans?

texts:
My French bean plants have diseased leaves as shown below:

What can be causing this? The beans themselves are relatively plentiful.

Location: India. Weather In May-June: Hot! > 95F days.

The bottom side of the leaves have small white flying insects as shown below:


texts: What is the meaning of "leaves do not run down the stem" when identifying plants?

texts:
I have some comfrey in the garden.  I am trying to work out whether it is white comfrey or another comfrey.  For white comfrey I have read: "leaves are more rounded than in other comfreys and do not run down the stem."

What is the meaning of the phrase "leaves do not run down the stem?"


texts: Does it help to bag lawn clippings prior to fertilization?

texts: So I heard from a big-box hardware store that before I lay down fall food, its best to mow with the bag on. Otherwise, I've always heard that I should avoid bagging except in very wet conditions. That said, I can see the logic in letting the chemicals penetrate into the soil instead of sitting on the layer of mulch. Is it advisable to bag prior to fertilizing?


texts:
These just sprouted at the base of my oak tree. I don’t know how they got there, but I am letting them get established.

Based on the blossoms I would say they’re impatiens, but the shape of the leaves are throwing me off.

Would anyone know what variety this would be?


texts:
Can anyone ID a pine by its cones and seeds only? I collected some cones for seeds (starting material for bonsai). I know of a little field in the outer regions of Amsterdam, where there are some pine trees. According to the tree map (published by the municipality) the field contains as well Pinus sylvestris as Pinus nigra trees. However, I couldn't see any difference between the trees, for me they all seemed the same species.

Is there anyone here with a trained eye that can distinguish both species based on the cones and seeds?


texts: What is this plant with broad, heart-shaped leaves and red veins?

texts:
My co-worker gave me  hostas two years ago.  In addition to how much I have enjoyed watching these grow, I have enjoyed getting all sorts of nice ground covers that came along for the ride.  This one, however, I have never seen before.  It might be a weed for all I know, but it looks like something I would see in a nursery.  I am in Maryland, to give you in idea of zones.

Added an additional picture showing the stem.


texts: What preventative action should I take against Fruit Flies?

texts:
I am in Sydney, NSW, Australia. This coming (arrived?) summer I have several fruit trees which will be bearing fruit for the first time. This includes a peach tree and nectarine (both of which already have masses of fruit about half the size of a golfball) and 5 different guava varieties, some of which are starting to flower at present.

In my particular area I don't know the extent of the fruit fly population, but it's a safe bet that they will be present to some extent. I have been keeping an eye on the peach and nectarine trees with no signs of infestation yet (as far as my untrained eye can tell).

Should I be taking a preventative measure right now, such as setting some baited traps? If an infestation takes hold, I'd like to use the most organicy remedy possible but I'm prepared to use pesticides to save the crop if there are no other options left. I'd much rather make a pre-emptive strike though, but I have no experience with growing fruit fly susceptible fruit trees. Any tips?


texts: I have a few Erigeron plants in my garden which are about 3 years old. This year they are producing many buds which are not developing into flowers. The petals appear stunted. Does anyone know what the problem is?


texts: Can I still revive my poor black prince?

texts:
I got this black prince almost a yr ago. I initially kept it indoors but eventually put it outside (east facing with direct morning sun) where it thrived and grew well. I placed it back inside but observed that the new sprout is not opening so I decided to put it outside again for 1 day but the lower leaves somehow got burned.
So I brought it inside again. Initially it lost its burned leaves but the upper half still has healthy looking leaves. However, recently all leaves have become really droopy and they're just coming off. The new leaf has not unfurled as well.
I have already moved it back to it's original place outside when it was very healthy but I'm worried it might eventually die.
What else can I do?
***please see below image

It only has 3 leaves the very last one to unfurl did not even fully expanded like the others. Should I prune it then transfer to a new pot?


texts: Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary plant ID query

texts: While visiting Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary on January 19, 2014, I found this shrub or small tree with a few flower clusters in bloom along the boardwalk in the bald cypress forest. It was the only specimen that I saw, so the plant might be blooming outside its normal flowering season. I would appreciate help in identifying the species. I don't know how well some of the key features will show in the image, but the leaves are alternate, lanceolate, and finely toothed. The inflorescence is a terminal raceme. Individual flowers have 5 pure white petals, 5 stamens, and 1 pistil. The sepals and short flower stalks are red/pink.


texts: What are these tiny bugs that kill my Monstera leaves?

texts:
My Monstera has pale specks on the leaves. I noticed it on one leaf first, and it's slowly spread to others. I have also noticed tiny black specks, about the size of a grain of sand, that I think may be bugs.
I treated the plant with neem oil yesterday (the shiny patches) but I'm not really sure what the pest is, or if it could be somehow related to watering. The plant is mostly kept indoors, watered about once a week.
I've read a few articles about common Monstera pests but nothing I've found has quite matched the symptoms.


texts: What's this bifurcating succulent found in a greenhouse in the Gobi Desert?

texts:
I was invited to a lunch yesterday in the countryside. It turned out to be lunch in a greenhouse full of cacti and succulents.

There were some I didn't recognise, and the only tags they had on them were prices.

This one is about 8 cm (3 in) left to right.
Location: Gobi desert.


texts: My poor sick apple tree - what’s the mould?

texts: This apple tree has this growth on many of its branches (say, 30%). It also hardly produces any fruit. How can I make this tree healthier?


texts: My chives are doing well, strong and disease free. But they are not flowering! Could mine be a late flowering variety? Is there such a thing? Or maybe a non-flowering variety? Thanks.


texts: What is this volunteer plant that resembles flat-leaf parsley?

texts:
I found this growing in my raised garden, where I had tomatoes, basil and geraniums last year.  It's approximately 2'X2' right now and growing.  It resembles parsley.

Click on photo for full size

Volunteer plant that resembles flat-leaf parsley - and has a sibling, although a brighter green!


texts: What's the best way to cut leaf lettuces?

texts:
The last few years I've had success growing romaine and other leaf lettuces. I usually try to harvest only as much as we need for a day (or couple days). That often means just a few leaves at a time Is it best to cut the leaves as close to the ground as possible and, if you do, is there any chance that those leaves will regrow?

Also, if I'm only taking a few leaves from a bigger plant is it best to take them evenly from the perimeter and slowly work inwards? Or better to do one section inwards so you get a mix of inner and outer leaves?

In short, what's the best way to harvest lettuce to insure maximum yield and the best taste?


texts:
There's a young tree in my in-laws garden, I'm 90% sure it's a peach/apricot. As you can see in the pictures, it doesn't look healthy. Can someone point me to what may be wrong with it? A couple of notes, this is in eastern/central Europe, temperate climate, hardiness zone 6-7-ish. There's another peach tree in the same garden planted at the same time, it's already bearing fruit.

Any ideas?


texts: Transplanting 7 foot (large ball) Balsam Fir and Black Hills Spruce, worried about transplant shock

texts:
Looking to move 11 of these large trees (with 2-3 foot ball) onto our property (partly clay Midwest US soil) and cannot afford to have them die after transplanting.

After having many transplanting questions answered through online research, I still cannot find info on the best way to avoid tree/root shock for trees this size.

Local tree nurseries/farms I  visit say either say leave roots alone (because they are already stressed) or add some Peat Moss (Sphagnum) and chemical fertilizer to help it grow.

Problem: 2 of the 4 sources said fertilizing the roots upon planting can harm the process. So I cannot afford to just add fertilizer "for good measure" if I can end up accidentally killing them.

Regardless of method, I will be adding black top soil topped with organic mulch (standard). So, is there any sure fire method for making these trees "catch" in their new environment or can attest to either root care method for Balsam and Black Hills Spruce trees?

EDIT trees coming 10 miles from also clay environment. Moving will be performed by the small tree farm in burlap sack after they use a spade shovel to remove it from site. Destination property is mostly flat grade.


texts: Should I do something about the curve in this sapling?

texts:
Earlier this year I was given and planted a few oak saplings. I've noticed that one has a significant curve. The trunk comes straight up out of the ground and curves sideways. The new growth since it was planted is going straight up, but it is not centered above the base. This means the sapling as a bit of an S-shape to it. It's still quite small, about a quarter inch in diameter at the base and two feet tall.
I'm worried that as the tree grows it could have problems because of the weight being off-center. Is this a situation that calls for some kind of intervention, or should I leave it alone? If I should do something, what should I do?


texts: How many grape vines would i need for a pergola that's 18ft by 13ft?

texts: The vines that I'm looking into produce black grapes.


texts:
Follow up to this question.

I've killed all of the Japanese beetles on my fruit trees, and will continue to monitor them every morning.

Unfortunately I have a lot of skeletonized leaves. Seems like they mostly went after the newest leaves.

Should I prune these leaves off? Normally when I prune dead leaves they come off easily as if the tree itself wants to get rid of them. These leaves do not come off easily so I'm worried about damaging the tree if it "wants" to keep them.


texts:
Can anyone tell me what type of hazelnut is this? Apparently it's resistant to drought and it's likely to be an Italian one. I searched online and it's similar looking to one type, but don't want to prejudge any opinions here.
Thoughts? Thanks in advance.


texts: T5 AgroLED, Hortilux PowerVEG FS + UV, UV and Mold

texts:
I am growing microgreens and wheatgrass and sometimes run into trouble with mold. I have read that mold can be controlled by using LED lights but I cannot seem to find anything more specific.

I assuming that the mold control comes from the UV.

Now my question(s)
What band of UV is controlling the Mold ?

Not all, in fact most household LED's will not be producing UV at all. I assume they must be referring to the grow specific LED's in the arket.

Do my ArgoLED's provide the required UV Spectrum ?

I also recently purchased the relatively new Hydrolux PowerVEG FS + UV bulbs. I wonder if I am getting the right UV from them.

It seems hard to locate good information on the spectral profile of my AgroLED T5 "Full Spectrum" lights.


texts: What is the ideal state of symbiotic balance in soil called?

texts: I have been looking into organic gardening recently and I remember seeing something that I found very interesting. It had to do with the soil being in perfect balance with bacteria, insects, and the like living in a symbiotic relationship that helps plants thrive. The soil was said to be in a "something state" if I remember correctly. Does anyone know the name?


texts: 8' wood fence vs 6' block wall to reduce noise in yard

texts:
Which sound barrier will be most effective if costs are equal?  Two-lane residential (with many pick-up trucks) street is 65' from the listening point.  The street is 1' above grade.  The fence/wall will be built 12' from the edge of the street.  The choices are A) a combination of an 8' high  treated wood fence constructed of nominal 6" x 1" boards that overlap the adjacent board by 1/2," and 'floating' 6" above grade (for an effective height of 8'6"), combined with a low, dry-laid stone/masonry wall that is 12" deep and 24" high built on the outside perimeter of the wood fence; or B) a 6' high masonry wall.
- There will be lots of plantings on the inside of the sound barrier and there is an 8' high holly hedge on the outside of it.
Please suggest any other StackExchange forum that may have sound engineers lurking.


texts: The true leaves of my roselle seedlings are brownish at edges and discolored.


texts: Plant Identification- Just popped up in the pot!

texts:
I have an indoor plant that I let rest for about a month this winter and now have started watering and putting it in the bright light to get ready for summer here in the Northeast U.S. I had it in this same pot now for about 2 years. In about another few weeks, I'll set it outside again.
This spring, however this mysterious plant popped up a few weeks ago and I don't know how to identify it. Any thoughts? Thanks in advance. Sue


texts: Please identify this plant. It has not flowered yet. The stem and leaves have tiny hairs. There is no particular aroma or, taste to the leaves. Place: West Bengal, India. Temperature : 24° C, humidity 98%


texts: What is causing damage to my okra plant?

texts:
What is causing the new leaves of our Ladies' Fingers okra plants to become thin and curl? One of the plants has started to dry at the bottom part of the stem.

Location: Kolkata, India.


texts: Planting shrubs on a gently sloped landscape.

texts: I have a couple shrubs I want to plant on a slanted landscape; nothing severe, maybe 10 degrees.  Should I plant perpendicular to the ground, or perpendicular to an imaginary level surface?  If it makes a difference, if I plant it perpendicular to the ground, the top of the shrub will be angled directly east towards the sunrise.


texts: A tale of two "pinch backs" (should some plants not be pinched back?)

texts:
I'm no "gardener" but I like to plant from seed and watch things grow. I am trying to learn a bit more as I go along.

I planted the zinnias in the photo below a couple of months ago, started indoors and then transplanted. My porch garden only gets a few hours of direct sun so maybe that is why they are not further along.

My question is about "pinching back" – and if there are some plants that don't like it. I pinched back #1 and #2 in the photo over a month ago. #1 clearly didn't like that. #2 rallied but is much further behind #3 (the, ah. .  "control group").

Is it just simply that a zinnia isn't a "bushy" type plant so pinching back is not appropriate and even detrimental?


texts: Watering raised bed in southern California

texts:
I have a 2'x10' raised garden bed and I have planted tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, cucumber, and herbs. I'm in zone 10 (southern California) and the garden gets at least 6 hours of direct sun. I do not plan on installing an irrigation system any time soon.
How often and for how long should I water the garden to ensure the entire root system is watered but isn't being overwatered? How do I know if I'm overwatering?
Here is a picture for reference:


texts: Self seeded oak sprouts, want to safely relocate to see if they will take

texts: I have several self seeded oak sprouts under our pine trees. I know they can't stay there at the roots of the large pines. But want to see if the tree sprouts will grow we have 2 1/2 acres & would love more large trees to grow. Can I transplant to better location? When would I do this during the year? I am in Indiana, How do I protect from winter? Do I transplant before winter? Leave them there for winter & transplant in spring? How do I save these tree sprouts in a better location? some only have few leaves at about 6" tall. One has many leaves at about 8" tall. Do I need to keep them there til they are a certain size? Or better to move them as soon as possible?


texts: My 40-year-old orange tree, originally bought by my mother's friend at the local grocery store as a tiny house plant, has been looking very sad for a while.  the main problem is that the leaves are turning brown on the edges.  I've been making sure it gets enough water, but that doesn't seem to have helped.  Does anyone have any suggestions of how to remedy this?  I'm thinking of cutting it way back and hoping that might help but I'm a little scared.  thanks!


texts: Is this night lamp setup helpful or harmful for seedlings?

texts:
If I keep the regular (so called warm white) night lamp during nights above my Echinacea angustifola and Rudbeckia hirta seedlings (like pictured in the photos), would it be helpful or harmful for seedlings?

The lamp is 3W, and doesn't produce any significant heat.

This setup was only for taking photos, I turned off the lights.


texts: How often should soft fruit plants be replaced?

texts:
We inherited blackcurrants, gooseberries, raspberries and strawberries when we moved into our current property ten years ago.

The blackcurrants and gooseberries still seem to be giving a healthy yield and it looks like they'll go on for nearly for ever. The strawberries and raspberries started to fade about 5 years ago and we have removed them.

What's the recommended lifespan for strawberries and raspberries?


texts: How to grow new leaves on rubber plant after they fall off

texts:
I have a rubber plant that lost quite few leaves shortly after we got it.  We've got it back on track and are seeing some new chutes, but I'm wondering if there's a way to grow new leaves on the stems that lost most of them?

Thanks!


texts: I have bought this like 3 to 4 month ago it has some leaf fall but no more recently .the problem is it did not grow one leaf since I've got it and also it have spider mites.


texts:
We’ve had this plant, I believe it is a philodendron Xanadu, for a couple of months now and it just isn’t adjusting to our home. It is not dying and it continues to make new growth but the leaves continue to turn yellow and fall off. It sits in the middle of the room and the room has a lot of light, just not direct light.
Any idea why it is not thriving?


texts: What would be a low- or no-irrigation lawn replacement for USDA zone 8B?

texts:
I have some lawn in my backyard that I want to replace with something that consumes much less water. I have no problem with mowing or other maintenance but the replacement does have to handle reasonable foot traffic including kids running around dogs doing their thing (we pick up after both the kids and the dogs).

Clover is one option that I've seen suggested - gravel and fake turf have also been mentioned. I would prefer something alive.


texts: What is this cactus with flat oval pads and very short spines?

texts:
I bought this cactus yesterday. I want to know its name to research how I should take care of it. I'm in a rather cold city (Zanjan in northwestern Iran) with long winters, so I think it's better if I keep it inside. Any advice is much appreciated.

Edit:

Looking through the pictures in Cactiguide.com, I think this is a Consolea. I could be wrong though since I know almost nothing about plants.


texts: Kentia Palm drooping, browning, and tiny black spots

texts:
We got a Kentia Palm about 5 months ago, and it was doing pretty well. We had it in a room with reasonably bright indirect light. And, we thought we were watering it appropriately only when the top inch of soil became dry. Over the last month, however, we noticed the leaves were starting to yellow and the branches were drooping significantly. I've noticed that the leaves and stems also now have little black dots all over them, and there are weird black things on the undersides of the leaves.
Other posts here and elsewhere online make me think this is some sort of mite or fungus infestation, but I'm not sure if it's a major issue or something we can overcome. Anyone know what might be going on here? Any help is great appreciated?
Photos (note these are from the garage, while trying to rescue the plant -- not its permanent home):


texts: Can you tell me what plant this is (pic attached)?

texts:
I took a small cutting of this, a few weeks ago. It is now four feet long and very tough.
Can anyone tell me what it is?


texts: Using Rain Bird drip irrigation tubing with quick connect fittings

texts:
Has anyone ever used Rain Bird (or similar) drip irrigation tubing with quick connect fittings (tees, elbows, valves, etc.), such as Sharkbite or John Guest fittings?  If so, what was your experience (bad, good, otherwise)?

Those fittings are obviously much more expensive compared to the barbed fittings that Rain Bird makes, but we reconfigure some portions of our garden a lot.  I've done the numbers, and if those quick fittings work technically, then some of them may be economic (and just much easier to use) for use in some of our areas.  But I'd like to know if anyone has experience with them, and whether they would actually work.

BTW, I'm fully aware of the potential UV concerns.  We'd take care of those through how we deploy them.


texts:
The majority of the radishes I harvested were of this form - bent so that part grew parallel to the soil above the ground, with the stalk taking another 90 degree turn to return to vertical.

What happened?


texts: Looking for deciduous trees to provide shade

texts: I am looking for the right trees to provide shade in summer but without blocking much light in winter, so deciduous. I’m Surrey just north of Redhill Common in a dip. We have heavy soil on top of clay and sand. It gets waterlogged in winter and can dry out in summer but we do water regularly. The side of our semi detached house faces south, so we get morning sun to the rear and afternoon sun to the front. Last summer it was too hot so we’re looking to nature for shade. We don’t want much mess except leaves, so no fruit trees. We need to avoid sticky sap or polen as well. A broad leaf deciduous tree, reasonably hardy and fast growing, roots going deep rather than horizontally would be good. We would like branches eventually to start at about 2m above ground, height 6m width up to 8m. Any suggestions welcome. I think this should be a good alternative to air conditioning and blinds or awnings. Hopefully others will find this helpful when facing hot summer weather as we are told to expect more frequently.


texts: What are some non-sweet white corn varieties?

texts: I've had some grilled white corn in some parts in south Mexico, prepared in different ways, they're all pretty good and none are sweet, I've been looking to grow some but most of the seeds I find say sweet corn, anyone know what kind they are? Some searching led me to hickory king, is that a good candidate or what other options are there (that are not the result of human tampering :)


texts: I would like to bring some pothos and philodendron cuttings with me on an international trip to give to a friend of mine. However, I'm not sure if they would actually survive the trip. Would cuttings of these sort survive an approximately 20 hour voyage?


texts:
I am not entirely sure they are hemlock trees.
They were not doing so hot when I moved in 2015, but I think it's getting worse over the past few years. They are located near Albany, New York State, US.

Photos are taken last Sunday, Jun 3rd, 2018. There are growths on all green branches, but the dead branches are looking so dead, and there are branches turning red. The tree might be around 20 years old.
Could someone tell the problem based on the photos? Can they be saved?

There is still new growth


texts: What are these seeds in papery pink casing?

texts: I found these seeds all over my yard which I think were dropped by some nesting starlings. Each seed has a dry, papery pink casing. The attached photos show the seed inside the casing on the left, with the peeled seed on the right. First photo shows topside of peeled seed, second shows underside of peeled seed. Size comparison is to a Canadian dime (coin is about 18mm diameter). Any ideas what they might be?


texts: Is there a way to harvest my chilli peppers for the best possible heat?

texts:
We have a few chilli pepper plants (I'm afraid I don't know what kind as the seed packet was unfortunately lost) but I don't know when the best time is to pick them so that they will be as spicy as possible.

I know from this question that all peppers start green and should eventually turn red and that the flavor will be better the longer I leave it but I haven't found much information about spiciness. (Certainly nothing cited.)

There is some debate over whether green or red peppers are hotter and I know that smaller chillies tend to be hotter but I assume that is according to ripened size rather than that an immature pepper will be hotter than a fully grown one.

When can I best harvest the peppers?


texts: Why is it best to start seeds in shallow trays?

texts:
Can I just sow them in a bigger pot, then ultimately transplant them outside?
What are the pros and the cons?


texts: Can someone identify this white flowering plant?

texts:
click for original picture context

Can someone help me identify this plant that resembles honeysuckle?


texts: Raised beds vs containers in greenhouse?

texts:
I recently purchased and assembled a 6'x8' greenhouse from harborfreight. My plan is to grow tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers in there (tomatoes and cucumbers along the longer walls and peppers along the shorter back wall). I have read that growing these together in the same greenhouse is not a good idea as they suffer from similar diseases and the like - however, I have also read plenty of people doing the same without any issues. I'm willing to take that risk!

The greenhouse sits on a 2x12 PT wood foundation. I had originally planned on framing out raised beds on the inside of the GH, using the foundation as the outside walls and adding additional 2x12s on the inside to make 2ft wide raised beds on either side and a 2ft wide raised bed along the back wall. My reasoning behind it was since tomato and cucumber roots grow around 2 ft deep - I would have the 1ft of depth from the soil in the raised bed + however deep they go into the native soil underneath. This would give the plants about 4-6' (depending how close they are to the center) to grow vertically (before hitting the roof).

From my research I have found that most people grow stuff in containers in their GH rather than beds, however, if I used 2ft tall containers sitting on the native soil - I would be losing a foot of height for the plant to actually grow. I have also read the big box store buckets are the ideal size to grow tomatoes... though looking at the dimensions they are only 14.5" tall.

To sum up - there seems to be a lot of contradicting information out there and I'm trying to figure out the best approach / pros and cons of each one. Any input would be greatly appreciated!


texts: How long can rhubarb, raspberry canes and gooseberry be left out of soil

texts:
i have raspberry canes and a gooseberry plant I have bought through my allotment which have been delivered, they are not in soil and the roots are in a plastic bag.

I also have 3 rhubarb plants I have had to dig up out of an old rotted raised bed.

I am in the UK so it is heading into winter now, how long can I keep these fruit plants out of the soil before I need to plant them and what is the best way to store them until I have the ground ready to replant. Would I be best off potting them up for now through the winter and then replanting into the ground in the spring?


texts: Any reason not to make my own bark chips for orchids?

texts:
Most orchids are grown in a mix that's primarily composed of bark chips.  Sometimes bark chips are also a component in soil mixes for other plants.

As I was stacking firewood, I realized I happen to have a fairly large supply of bark.  It tends to be from temperate forest trees - sometimes from pines, sometimes from hardwoods.  It breaks off fresh firewood all the time.  It's not rotten, since the trees have been recently felled.

Is there anything wrong with breaking up this bark, baking it to kill pathogens, and growing orchids in it?  Any potential hazards to making my own bark chips?


texts: Can I use ragwort tansy as an alternative pest control?

texts: I am a well experienced gardener and farmer with a growing interest in alternative methods of using herbal plants instead of chemicals for pest management and have came across a notoriously bad rep plant called common ragwort tansy. I have done a lot of research into this plant and have not found any information on the plant used as a mild pesticide spray for common insects like cabbage moth caterpillars and aphids. My question arose from observing that no insects or animals go near it due to its unpleasant smell and poisonous alkaloids. I am wondering if a person can use such a plant for such purposes?


texts: How to move a bare root plant from one place to another?

texts:
There is a small plant at my office garden, about 15 cm tall (6 inches), and it has a flower.

I live at about 40 min away from my work place. I want to take it home, where I will plant it in a small pot. It's not an indoor plant.

How do I transfer this?  I'm planning to take it in my water bottle soaking the roots in water.


texts: Closed bin compost collecting water at the bottom

texts:
I have a closed-bin compost bin (because of location/equipment, I don't have anything open and I can't tolerate the smell). My compost is almost entirely greens, now black and rotting (I didn't put enough browns).

Even though I'm starting to add browns, what confuses me is the water quantity. I put fresh greens (eg. orange peels) every day or two, and every time I look, I can see the bottom portion of the bin has liquid in it. I can see the liquid in it.

I'm trying to compensate temporary by adding more browns (shredded newspaper, dried-out weeds), but is there a deeper problem here? Is this normal to see water collecting at the bottom of my closed bin?

(It's a ~13 gallon dark blue plastic garbage can that I leave outside. I can move it into the garage if indoors is better for composting.)


texts: Question Repotting Sansevieria (Mother-In-Law's Tounge)

texts:
I was repotting some Sansevieria (Mother-In-Law's Tongue) for my mother. I'm not very familiar with the plant, though, and I'm not sure how deep to repot it.

I repotted one bunch where the junction of the leaves at the base was right above the surface of the soil. My thinking was that if I potted it any lower that water would seep into these junctions and cause rot. I planted it and used a stake and twine to tie them up. After several months of being tied, I let them loose and they were extremely floppy. Some of the other growths I looked at appeared to have those junctions under the soil. I repotted the plant, burying it deeper. There was no flopping and the plants seemed very sturdy in the pot.

After a period of time, several of the "plants" have rotted away. There are still some that look fine and healthy, though. So my question is how deep do you pot this plant when repotting it. I can find plenty of videos of the actual repotting, but none show how deep. Most of them are about propagating the plant. I haven't had much luck there either as they seem to rot on me as well.

I'm not overwatering the plant and in fact I've gone 6 weeks without watering it before. I water based on the soil dampness. I only water when it feels dry down to about 3", give or take. It may be that my soil is holding to much water, but the question is still valid. How deep do you bury this plant when repotting. Thanks.


texts: Does garlic get woody if you let it grow for too long?

texts: I'm growing garlic in my garden this year, and was wondering if it turns woody (undesirable for cooking) if you let it grow for too long.


texts: How do I transplant a 20 year old Satsuma tree?

texts:
We have a very large Satsuma tree which is at least 20 years old and was a gift from my father. We are moving and want to transplant the tree. We are currently in Southeast Texas and we will be staying in Southeast Texas.

How can we transplant this tree?


texts: Any disease or pest problems planting a Honey Locust?

texts:
My goal this spring is to plant a tree in the backyard.  The Honey Locust or Gleditsia triacanthos inermis is native, planted in my area, somewhat pest free and would do the job nicely.

When I mentioned this my arborist he said it was a poor choice as they would be dying from a new disease.  He did not say what and I can't find any mention of new pests or diseases for this tree.

Does anyone know of a new pest or disease on the North American East coast, USDA zone 4, that would mean it would not be advisable to plant this tree?


texts: Why is my apricot seedling turning brown?

texts:
My first apricot seedling has leaves, but they are turning somewhat brown. I can't find any information about this, so maybe someone knows?

Could it be too humid? It lives in a little plastic greenhouse box.
Could it be too hot? It's in direct sunlight for about 5 hours in the mornings.

They seem to be sprouting very easily, so it seems the conditions are at least somewhat okay.

Here is a picture:

Today I put it in indirect light, and took the plastic cover off so there is good ventilation, but I have literally zero idea what's happening. It may be too late for this little guy (or maybe not?), but there are a bunch more who just got their roots and I want those to live!

Edit: another picture. This seedling is quite small, so I can't get a more zoomed in picture. The browning is pretty obvious though.


texts: How do I tell which direction a gourd is going to grow?

texts:
I transplanted a 10 or so gourds seedlings growing around my garden (which somehow survived my compost [mainly because I composted them intact and smashed them with a brick later])  around a teepee that I want them to grow up so my kids can play inside (Idea from  Roots Shoots Buckets and Boots, although it doesn't say anything about transplanting).

I've got a feeling some of them are going to betray me and start growing where I would prefer they not grow, when do you know that they're going to send their first shoots out in the right direction?

Can you apply the same principle to cukes (a similarly seditious vegetable)?


texts:
My concrete sidewalks are an inch or so below grade (presumably sunken since installation by previous owners?) and are beginning to crack. I'd like to install flagstone pathways in their place. It looks like, in general, laying stone over existing concrete is acceptable. It also looks like I can use 1/2" of sand and 1" thick stone to get the walkaway about 1/2" above grade which seems suitable.

In addition to aesthetics, I'm interested in replacing the walkway with stone for long term durability. Will the pathway be as durable laid over existing concrete as it would be if I demolished the concrete and installed it more conventionally?


texts: Are mushrooms growing naturally in your garden a sign of good soil health?

texts: I noticed that in my "wild" community garden plot I have small mushrooms growing in my garden, but I don't know what type they are. Is this a sign of good soil health?


texts: How do I erosion proof a hillside with mycelium?

texts: There's a new hill that was built at a friends place, and since I'm into permaculture he asked me what type of mycelium I would recommend covering the hillside with before winter comes. He has also recently seeded it, so it's likely going to be a rough winter on the new hill. I've heard about water cannon sprinkling of mycelium, so I'm thinking along those lines for what I should tell him.


texts: Do any plants add nutrients back into the soil as they grow?

texts:
It seems reasonable that there ought to be at least a few symbiotic plant varieties that benefit from improving soil condition for other plants.

If not that, are there plants that essentially improve soil conditions if not by improving land fertility?

Improve may be relative as certain plants do have different requirements so I am imagining a sort of 'balancing' plant.

Maybe the answer is something like 'most non-fruiting plants' but I'd think most of those still are about getting what they need and not improving it for others.

For the sake of argument, say you have a near-barren lawn that only has little bits of scattered grasses. Aside from manually adding the fertile soil, can plant-life improve it?


texts:
A few weeks ago I bought two tea-hybrid roses with their roots in wet sawdust and saran wrap (it is called nude root in my area, no idea how to call it in English).
The shoots started to grow the next day, although they were still unplanted. After that, I have bought some general purpose potting soil with pH in the range of 6,5-7 and planted them.

My questions are:

Will these roses bloom this year or are they too young?
Do I need to plant them outdoors to get them blooming?
Has anybody grown indoor roses?

If it helps, the reddish one on the left is Rosa "Dame de coeur" and the other one is Rosa "Mr. Lincoln".


texts: How should I remove a patch of the wrong type of grass from my lawn?

texts:
In the foreground of the picture, you can see a brown region.  This is a different type of grass than the buffalo that makes up the remainder of the lawn.

I would like the whole lawn to be buffalo for a consistent look.  How can I achieve this?

This small area of different grass has persisted for a number of years.  It looks brown now as there has not been any rain for about 10 days.  When it rains, it will come back green again.

The buffalo seems to grow better in summer, while the other grass grows better when it is colder.  It's spring here now so I thought it might be a good time to address this.

Can I spray this with round-up, and allow the buffalo to grow in from the edges.  Do I need to physically dig it up?

Edit: I dug up the patch. About 15cm down I hit cement. The soil was quite compacted clay.

It's not clear to me what this was. Might have been an old path across the yard


texts: Jade Plant Black/Brown Roots: Is it normal?

texts:
I have this relatively small jade plant and I was going to repot it, but when I took it out of its original pot the roots were dark brown, the same color as the soil its in. I am used to roots being white or light brown, are these dark roots normal?

I am sorry about the bad photo, otherwise the plant seems to be doing fine.


texts: What is the right way to prune a mulberry tree?

texts:
I've planted a dormant bareroot 2' tall mulberry seedling, and I'm wondering what sort of pruning is required. It's a full size tree, not any sort of dwarf variety. It has several branches already.

Right now: should I do any initial pruning? (E.g. for apple trees it is often recommended to prune them to "whips".)
On an annual basis: what are the recommended timing and practices?


texts:
We've bought a new house. It has a gravel patio. I'd like to install pavers over the gravel. However, the gravel is more fine grained than I see recommended when creating a paver patio. Here's a picture of the location and the gravel.

The gravel is course like crushed stone. There are larger 2 inch bits mixed in with the gravel, but they are infrequent.
The gravel sits on top of dirt. With the gravel being about 3 inches thick in most places. If I dig down to the dirt  it is kind of mixed with the gravel and does not form a hard compacted layer.

My hope is that tamping down the gravel (I would rent a vibrating compactor) and adding a layer of sand would serve as a stable base for patio pavers. My my concern is that the size of the gravel pieces is smaller than I normally see being used. My generic question is, should I be concerned about using a fine grained gravel like this as a patio base?

My goal here is the build a solid base patio without removing all this gravel. So other suggestions are appreciated. I'm also considering using paver panels on top of the gravel or expandable paving systems to hold the gravel in place. Thanks so much!


texts: What are the little white eggs on rose leaf?

texts:
Somes weeks ago rose food /w bad things killer was sprinkled on the ground. The three roses were, just a little over a week ago, hacked back for better access to attempt to clear myrtle that had invaded the area. The white is (was) on just rose.
Location of plants is Julian, CA, US

Not a photographer, but here is the best quality photo that I have on the leaf.


texts: What are some good cheap self-watering containers?

texts:
I've made my own self-watering containers. Fun, but a bit time-consuming.

Most self-watering containers that are for sale are a bit pricey for me... I'd really want at least a half a dozen, and at $30 or so each, this is a strain.

So... anything that you can buy in the $12 and under range that will serve the purpose? I think ideally it would NOT be marketed as a SWC, but rather something that can be easily adapted for the purpose.

Again, just to be clear ... not looking for the DIY solutions.


texts: Koi Pond Needs Emptied due to safety issues

texts: We have a fairly large koi pond that needs converted to something more safe for 2 year old. It has a top and side fountain that run into it. We've wondered about removing the koi and placing a larger sized river rock in the water to where they can be walked on,  allowing possibly 2" of water above rock, but still allowing the fountains to flow? Someday we'd like to use the pond for koi again. Would this work?


texts: The state of my 40 years old scheffelera is: The bark is withering. When I scratch the bark it is black underneath. One trunk dead one living. Both share a common singular piece of trunk to the roots. My concern is that the side that is living is looking stressed. Can I save it without cutting the dead 'wet' half of the lower trunk?


texts: Can I reduce the amount of dirt that collects in corn salad / mâche?

texts:
It’s that time of the year again when I enjoy home-grown corn salad (aka mâche, lamb’s lettuce, rapunzel...).

While I love the taste, cleaning is a nightmare. Traditionally, the little plant rosettes are served whole and dirt tends to collect in the leaf axles, which means as a cook I have to do multiple soaking/rinsing rounds or the salad has some rather unpleasant “crunch”.

Is there a way to prevent or reduce the amount of dirt that collects in the plants already in the garden? I suspect splashing rain is a factor, so should I cover the soil? (Which may be difficult, considering that the individual plants are just a few cm in diameter and so far we just throw out the seeds over the prepared garden bed.) Does the type of soil matter?

Any idea?


texts: How much calcium nitrate should I add to 32 fl. oz. of water?

texts:
I have some prilled Greenway Biotech calcium nitrate (15.5% nitrogen; 19% calcium) that I want to put in a 32 fluid ounce spray bottle to spray on the leaves of pepper and tomato plants, and such.

If I fill the spray bottle with water, how much calcium nitrate should I add before spraying the plants (assuming they're in need of nitrogen and calcium)?


texts: Recently I've seen my Elderberry trees develop some yellow leaves and I don't know what the problem could be or how to fix it, so I'll leave a picture if anybody can help me.


texts: Can reel mowers be used to cut wet grass?

texts:
So, I picked up a reel mower, and thinking about cutting wet grass with it. When I think about the reasons why I couldn't cut wet grass with a power mower, none of them seemed to apply (There is no deck for wet grass to clump up on a reel mower, and gas mowers push clippings through a hole that is a fraction of the size of the total cutting area of the mower, which is not the case with reel mowers).

So, I probably won't be mowing during any downpours, but can I get away with cutting wetter grass with a reel mower than I could with a power mower?


texts: why do vines attach themselves to wood chips

texts: I was looking at my Mexican Sour Gherkin plant yesterday, and it seems like it's attaching itself to my wood chips. Why do vines attach themselves to wood chips like that?


texts: What are these brown patches on my acanthocereus tetragonus (fairy castle cactus)?

texts:
I've had this pair of fairy castle cacti for several years now, and they've done fairly well. However, I noticed today that they have developed brown patches over most of their stems and a few areas have a sort of crackled look. I can't say exactly how long it took for this to develop, but I didn't notice it on the last watering (6-8 weeks ago).

in some areas it looks "built up", like it could be chipped off (though I haven't tried). There are also a few very dark spots that almost look burnt, except they are on the side facing away from the window.

Any ideas on what is wrong with them, and what I can do about it (natural methods only please - I don't use commercial gardening products)?


texts: What is this irregular-shaped bluish flower? ZONE 7. Half shade.


texts: I have large cyclamen in pots on my south facing balcony. This morning, thanks to 'The Beast From The East' (extremely cold weather), they are frozen in their pots and drooping, what is my best line of action?


texts: How should I till topsoil into thick clay in small garden beds?

texts:
My house is in an area where the native earth is basically solid clay.  This means that wet or dry, you can't dig with a shovel and get crumbling dirt — it always clumps together, unless you break it apart with a shovel or until the weight breaks it apart, which usually results in clumps of at least 5" in diameter.  It also weighs a ton because of the water it can hold.

All of our yard is now covered, with the exception of a 4' border around the back of our house.  We brought in topsoil for these beds, but the topsoil was never really evened out or tilled into the clay.

Through various weed seasons, settling, and dirt transplanting much of the clay is now at the surface again.  I'd finally like to get these garden beds sorted out instead of just killing the weeds throughout the season.

Is there any good way to manually till this kind of clay in with topsoil, or is a machine my only option?  I am worried that the narrowness of the garden bed will make using a machine very difficult anyway.


texts: How to beautify the lavender with many splitting branches?

texts:
I have a lavender bush outside the door. It has many empty branches. I believe that they are dead after I had accidentally over-harvested the lavender by cutting all the lavender leaves.

Part A & B are the lavender branches with leaves. Part C is the branches which causes the overall lavender to look ugly.

How can I improve the look of that lavender? Any suggestion is welcomed!

Can I force the lavender branches (part A and B(s)) to grow upwards
instead of sideway?
What should I do with the empty lavender branches at part C?


texts: What are the long term effects of adding iron oxide pigments to soil?

texts:
Iron oxide (Pigment Black 11) is a intense black non toxic and very cheap pigment.
I think I have read somewhere that soil from shops is sometimes pigmented with iron oxide because it sells better. But I could not find a reference any more.

Some plants need different soil (some with more and less humus content) in my garden and the surface looks very blotchy at the moment and I wonder

what are the long term effects of iron oxide pigments in soil?

Will plants absorb the pigment and get darker too?
Will it react with rain or natural fertiliser?
Where can I find studies on the consequences of iron oxide pigments on the nutritiousness of vegetables and fruits?

According to instinct I expect nothing good from pigments in soil, but I could not find a reliable statement. Please support your answer with references.


texts:
I bought 5 azaleas from the garden centre about 4 months ago and planted them in my front garden.
3 of them are doing fine (the first two pics show what they are like).
But 2 of them are really small and the leaves are turning brown on the tips.
I planted them all in the same topsoil with ericaceous soil around them and I've been feeding them with the correct plant food etc...
Just not sure what is happening that's causing the smaller two to turn brown like this...
Healthy plants

Failing plants :(


texts: What's this flower with many long pink petals?

texts:
I'm not a gardening person, so I came here for some help.

What's this flower? I'm a photographer and it's in this photo that a client wants for a gardening blog, I think, I need to title it what it is.
Note this image has been touched up Have changed it for the original.
Thanks,
-Dan


texts:
Several months ago just for fun I planted a seed from a clementine (or maybe it was a mandarin) in a flower pot using some organic potting soil. The pot is 8 inch in diameter and 7 inch tall and has drainage holes. To my surprise, it is doing very well, especially as we have been putting it out during the daytime in this North East U.S summer. It's now about a foot tall with new leaves sprouting all the time. Being a total novice in this area, I'm seeking some guidance about what to expect and what to do. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
o Am I supposed to be feeding the plant? If so, with what and how often?
o How do I know when to replant it in a larger pot?
o I've seen various estimates for how large it might eventually grow. As I can't plant it outdoors, given our cold winters, will it eventually be feasible to keep it inside in a room with a normal ~ 8 ft ceiling height and is there something I can do to restrict its growth without harming it?
o The last sentence in this article (Which came first, the Clementine or the seed?) is confusing and I don't understand what it implies as far as being able to eat any eventual fruit from the plant :
Clementine is seedless only if grown in isolation. Don't you be tempted to plant any of these seeds, though, because if the seedlings were to bear fruits, they would not, of course, be Clementines.


texts: Rose bush diseased or natural (new growth or rose rosette?)

texts: We were told the red leaves on this rosebush indicated disease and needed to be trimmed. Can anyone confirm or explain?


texts:
Bottom of fig tree with soft spongy mold
Can anybody tell me what this is at the bottom of my fig tree? It looks like it killed part of it? Any remedy or advice. Thanks


texts: Will rhubarb grow well with ginger in MN?

texts:
I recently planted some rhubarb in the middle of my yard, and am considering putting ginger with it.

I was wondering if:
ginger would grow well mixed in with the rhubarb?
will it keep the grass at bay?  I heard that ginger grass is used in cooking.
will it keep the wildlife away?


texts: I am growing my cilantro in a pot, and it gets at least 4 hours of sunlight. I water my cilantro once a day. I also have five other cilantro plants in my pot, which is about 12 inches in diameter, and they are also wilting. I did repot my cilantro as I initially grew it from small pot, but has been over three weeks now. Is there a reason for them wilting and should I be worried?


texts: When can bokashi be considered "compost"?

texts:
Every now and then I come across an answer here that suggests "adding a bit of compost" to a plant - eg. for example to help it bounce back from an injury.

I'm composting using a bokashi bin in my kitchen which, when full, has its contents buried in a hole in the backyard.

Is this considered compost at the stage of burying? Or should it be left in the ground and then dug up after a certain time (how long?) before it could be safely added to a plant?


texts: What does 'standard' mean when referring to shrubs and vines?

texts:
I often see shrubs and vines for sale labeled as 'standards'. What does that mean?

Examples:

Roses
Rose of Sharon
Trumpet Vine
Wisteria

And so on.


texts: Will burning sticks in my garden affect the soil?

texts:
I live in a northern climate and won't be planting my garden for 4-6 weeks.

Will burning sticks in my garden negatively effect the soil?


texts: Effect of old rotting roots on soil and new plants?

texts:
I had to cut several trees in my yard for various reasons.

What happens with remaining roots of these trees? How do they affect soil and new plants planted in the same area?


texts: Why are the leaves of my ginger plant turning brown?

texts: I am trying to grow ginger and in the last three weeks the leaves turned brown. What is happening to my ginger? The rhizomes appears to be fine and no rot. In addition, I water them once every two days (Average temperature is around 25 Celcius)


texts:
Since we don't get frosts, I kept my chillies over winter, replanted them into beds, and most have survived very successfully. I was excited to see them flower early in spring, however the fruits turned a ripe colour much quicker than they did in their first season, and the size of each fruit is only about 1/3 of the size of the summer crop.

I cut one of the fruit in half (please excuse my blurry picture), and it looks like there is a green 'pea' in the centre, where the seeds should be. The flesh still has some heat, but they taste bitter.

Should I pick and discard the dwarf fruit and hope that a better crop turns out later? It looks like my jalapenos are also turning out tiny, although my other chillies haven't started flowering yet.

Update

After picking off all the miniature chillies, about 2 to 3 weeks later, new flowers fruited and the fruit is again full-sized, albeit taking much longer (5-6 weeks) to fully ripen.

A similar thing happened to my jalapenos - I had tiny jalapenos which turned red within 2 weeks of the fruit first forming.

I would still be interested to know why this happens? Early spring cold snap? Nitrogen in the soil perhaps?


texts:
My campanula has started drying the flowers.
Though all of the branches are completely dried out.
Some still have few flowers.

Is this a good time to deadhead my campanula for flowering again?


texts:
I have slowly been watching my lime tree die. I thought it just didn't get enough water last winter when we had no rain in the Los Angeles area and had heat problems. I noticed the bark seemed damaged so I painted the side that got the hot west sun. We have clay soil and I planted it too close to the garage expecting it to be a dwarf and much smaller. It had really small limes this year, but almost no new growth or leaves. The branches seem dead. I wonder if this tree looks like it can be saved? We are in the area for these Asian citrus psyllid, but I never saw them on the tree or damage in fruit. I have an orange and lemon tree both doing fine.
Should I just take it out, or wait and see if there are new leaves?


texts: Bonsai leaves turning brown and dropping

texts: I have a chinese elm bonsai tree, iv had it since febuary. At first it was goin great.. getting lots of new shoots, lots of new leaves.. it was looking green and bushy! My leaves are turning brown and dropping and i also have shoots that only have leaves at the end of the shoots.. the rest fell off! Does anyone have any ideas as to where in going wrong? I keep it indoors on a windowsill that gets plenty of light from early morning till it goes dark! Its has roughly 5hrs direct early morning sun. I water the plant every 2-3 days i just get where iv gone wrong.. as i said it was very green and bushy for a while now not so much! Can iver trimming cause brown leaves, or mayb to much fertilizer?? And help would be great


texts: Building a raised garden from old garden furniture

texts:
I have an old outdoor garden bench that I bought from Ikea and I am considering converting into a raised garden bed. We once painted this garden bench many years back.

So my concern here is that there would be a risk of toxicity leaching from the wood into the plants?


texts: Need some help for growing Carolina Reaper

texts:
I'm into hot and spicy thing, so I have targeted at this pepper. I live in Southeast Asia with tropical climate, I wonder if It is possible to plant this Carolina Reaper. If it does, how do you plant it properly?
My house has a yard enough for some gardening and the water is okay. But the soil is not that good at all, kind of dry with a lot of stone ( not really a stone at all more like a broken brick with cement ) and insect ( there are lots of fire ants ) .


texts: What is this low-growing weed with narrow stems and yellow flowers, and how do I exterminate it?

texts:
My lawn is "Blue Couch" (Digitaria didactyla). It's a pretty hardy grass and tolerates most weed killers that you can use on couch grass (Cynodon dactylon, Bermuda).

What is this creeping weed that is taking over my lawn and how do I kill it? It is aggressive and so low that mowing it achieves nothing.

I'm in Queensland, Australia. Warm climate.


texts:
My Dendrobium Nobile Apollon has fungus ...
Is it possible that this fungus could infect other plants like my Hoyas?


texts:
We have a small (about 5' tall) weeping willow tree we bought from a home improvement store. It was planted in our yard about 2 years ago. There have been a few new branches that have grown, plus the leaves appear healthy going by this and other sites I've looked at.

My question is this: we have not been regularly watering it during dry spells, and this past dry spell has been especially dry. Would ensuring it has plenty of water encourage new growth, or should I prune or fertilize it to promote more growth?


texts:
from few days I have noticed that my plants pepper plants are destroyed by these white insects I killed many with small stick , good thAt they are only in my pepper plants have not effected my tomato plants which I have placed closed to pepper plants. So I was wondering how to get rid of these insects because they are eating all leaves and plants are inactive their leaves are in inactive position mean not healthy.

More picture of insect. I have made small video of it but looks like no video upload option. These white insects looks like have colonies on pots  and also move it medium speed.

Update more pics :


texts: How can I help a rhododendron with yellowing leaves and a dead section?

texts:
I have a rhododendron which was healthy last year, and produced gorgeous white flowers.

Today I noticed that many of the leaves are turning yellow, and a section appears to have died.

There's plenty of new green growth, so perhaps it's just a natural part of its lifecycle.

A large rhododendron a few feet away looks quite healthy, though, so I fear that's not the case.

I see tearing along the edges of some of the leaves, causing me to wonder if it has some sort of infestation, however, I examined it closely and didn't see anything. We've cared for it pretty much within the parameters of this answer.

Note that our winter has been unusually harsh. We've had long cold spells, and a lot of moisture, mostly in the form of snow, which only melted a few weeks ago.

What's wrong with my rhododendron? How should I proceed in order to help it thrive?

Update-
My bush has been diagnosed with an infestation of Black Vine Weevil. See answer below for information.


texts: How to bring my Olive's branches back to life?

texts:
I have an Olive tree that I keep indoors and potted (lots of sunlight in room and let it breath outdoors occasionally), I went away for a few weeks and the leaves on the bottom few branches have completely dried out. I want to bring these lower branches back to life, because if I cut off the branches completely I'm worried it will look too top heavy.
Is there a way to trim these lower branches to promote growth without completely removing them?
Thanks!


texts: What zone 5 trees and shrubs produce the most pollen?

texts: Is some pollen more likely to provoke an allergic reaction than others? We are thinking of planting a tree or shrub like a smoke bush Cotinus and would like to know if this means more sniffing in our house when it flowers?


texts: Can you help identify this plant? I'm not sure what it is. Thanks!


texts: Why is my parlour palm which is young and in the house getting brown spots

texts: I don't have a garden I am just trying to find out what is causing brow spots on my parlour palm tree that is quite young is it the soil.


texts: How can I get rid of Cocculus Carolinus vine?

texts: I would like to know if anyone has successfully eradicated this vine from their yard/flowerbeds. I have just ordered a gallon of Remedy herbicide and am going to attempt to cut the vine near the ground and paint the herbicide on the stem. I have years of growth to deal with as I didn't know what the vine was several years ago when it would have been easier to control. I saw a news article where helium was used to kill Kudzu vine, does anyone know if this would work for killing Cocculus Carolinas?


texts:
While walking in a public garden in the UK Midlands, I came across some pretty, tulip-like foliage (but larger than that of most tulips). From the center there were some dried flower-stalks, with seedpods and seeds as pictured below.

It is strange that inside the seedpods, there is a yellow sphere and what looks like some yellow small seeds. Can anyone identify the (general species) of the plant in question?

Edit 1: Here is a size comparison photo, with one quarter, 10p, one euro, one real, one lev, and one AAA battery. Also featuring the larger green seedpod.

[1]: https://i.stack.imgur.com/xcQVn.jpg!


texts:
I was on amazon when I found this and many product like it. It is called coco coir and from what I have read in the description on that page and a few others is that it is supposed to be airy and require less water.

But how good is it for starting seeds? I mean people have pictures of plants in this but being the shell of a coconut I don't understand how the plants get nutrients without some kind of fertilizer.

So with the above question any other tips when using this stuff would be great, I might try some of this instead of getting seed starting mix once...


texts: I have an almost one year old tree from a seed.  It keeps dropping leaves as new growth happens and I can't figure out why. It only holds 3 or 4 leaves at a time.


texts: How long does it take a mock-orange bush to flower?

texts:
I have a four year old mock-orange that is eight feet (2.4m) tall and six feet (1.8m) wide, and I'm getting impatient for some flowers.

It's planted in partial shade in a valley.
I prune it in winter.
I do not fertilize it because the soil is already so fertile, the bush is growing three feet (900mm) a year.

Q. How long do they normally take to to begin blooming?

EDIT: It has been almost three more years, and I didn't yet get one flower.


texts: Is using detergent on plants a good way to revive them?

texts:
A friend said to me:

  Using a little detergent can help revive a potted (or planted) plant that has not completely died but has been under watered almost to the point of death.

I'm dubious; using detergent on a plant sounds like it would kill it rather than revive it. I found this question here which does imply that detergent (or at least some types of detergent) are best kept away from plants in general, not to mention those that are close to death.

Is there any truth to my friend's recommendation?


texts: The previous owner of my house decided to plant two large junipers in front of the house and fill around them with ~1-2" diameter gravel.  I've already taken out the junipers but now I am left to deal with about 2 to 3 yards of gravel that's been sitting there cementing for the last 30 years.  I'll be able to pick axe and shovel most of it out but I have no clue how to get rid of it.  I doubt anyone will takes it for free, it's mostly mixed and compressed with years of juniper waste and weeds.  Anyone know of a good way to get rid of this stuff without paying huge dumpster rental fees?


texts: How should I remove Bahiagrass from Blue Couch lawn? (Digitaria didactyla, crab grass)

texts:
Now it's warming up substantially in Queensland, my Bahiagrass infestation is becoming apparent. Any tips from removing this from my lawn?

It's quite long in sections so I have been able to isolate these sections and spray them with glyphosate but obviously this won't work in the short sections as it will also kill my turf.


texts:
On some pasts questions on this site, I discovered that walnuts release Juglone, which is nasty for the growth of many plants.

I had/have a part of the vegetable garden partly under a Juglans regia, for more shadow tolerant vegetables. Note: still few meters away of trunk, and sun reach for good part of the day the vegetable garden.  So I wondering if I can still plants some vegetables, and which one. On past, I had usually peas/green beans, potatoes and celery/parsley under the plant.


texts: What do healthy red maple saplings look like?

texts:
Last year I had to cut down a red maple tree. I was able to save three of its offspring.

One is ~2' tall and I moved it from where it volunteered behind a bush to the middle of the yard.

Another is ~8" tall and spent most of last year in a pot. Buried the pot in the ground in early fall.

The last one is a pure untouched volunteer, ~6" tall growing right up against the stump of the old tree.

How can I tell if these saplings survived the winter?

I see very small buds on all of them. Should these buds be hard or soft?

What other signs indicate a healthy, young red maple sapling?


texts: Is it possible for a transplanted baby Maple to grow into a Bonsai tree?

texts:
My understanding is that a real Bonsai tree is already very old living in a crevice somewhere, naturally tiny then transplanted.

In 50 years living in these pots, what would these Maples look like (1-year-old children of the 20+ year-old Maple that grows out from under the concrete next to my yard, freakishly thriving in urban dirt/rubble.) with or without Bonsai-style pruning.


texts:
I live in northeast
I have a yard in which each section gets about 2 hours of direct sunlight.
Is there a "total shade" grass seed?  Can't find one at the HD stores.
I've tried sun/shade mixes and low water, etc.
Grass just doesn't do well here
Moss, however, does


texts: What landscaping and erosion control ideas can I use on a hillside with sandy soil?

texts: I am having problems with erosion and can not keep anything on it. I am looking for any ideas to help control this problem. I had a Landscaper come out to look at it and it will cost me up to $50,000 to fix. I just don't have that kind of money.


texts:
I was turned on to the Empress by an answer that Jan Steinman gave to a question here on the forums. You can check it out here if your interested: How to grow a tree on steroids?

I was showing my sister a picture of the tree and she fell in love with it. She wants one; however, there is a problem, the tree is meant to grow in zones 5-8 and her house is zone 3/4 depending on the year. She lives @ around 6,500 ft in the Livingston mountain range here in Montana.

I was hoping to get some insight. In general, I realize its a stretch (to say the least) to think that I might get one growing up there but I have seen, Elm, beach, willow, cherry .. ext growing in similar conditions so there might be hope. Let me know what you guys think and what steps you think I would need to take in order to make it happen if, in theory, you think it might be possible.

Environment variables (soil):

Depth class: Very deep (more than 60 inches)
Drainage class: Well drained
Permeability: Moderately slow
Landform: House sits on top of an alluvial fan
Parent material: Alluvium, colluvium, or alpine till (high volume of moderately large rocks 6x6 in on average I would say)
Slope range: around 20%
Elevation range: 6,400 to 6,500 feet
Annual precipitation: 20 to 30 inches
Temperature: 60-70 F (summer) -10-30 F (winter)

Please keep in mind that the house is newely built and the land has not been managed (rather wild). I will have the ability to move large volumes of dirt (tractor) and there are plans for installing a pond. In general, it is rather windy and the natural tree is the conifer.


texts: How often should I water my vegetable garden in Arizona in the summer

texts:
Question:
I have an above ground garden that I recently built. I live in Arizona and currently temperatures rise to 100-110 degrees. I need to know how often and how long to water it.

Reason for Above Ground Just in case this pertains, I picked this because I have a 6 month black lab puppy who loves to dig. That and we live in a rental property and I really don't want to have to uproot a garden when/if we move.

Soil:
50/50 mix of Miracle-Gro Potting Mix and omni. I did not use any AZ soil.

sunlight:
Garden sits along west wall of backyard so it gets about 6-8 hours of sunlight and that tan shade is drawn over it at all times during the summer.

veggies

cilantro
basil
garlic
onions
chives
spearmint
thyme
jalapenos
annaheim peppers
green beans
tomatoes
artichoke - this has been re-planted in the ground as i learned they get quite big!

Watering Method The picture shows a soaker hose, however I have replaced the hose with a sprinkler system, with a single 360 degree sprayer for each bucket. I can control flow on an individual bucket basis. However, timer is set for the entire garden


texts: Will my seeds stratify if I sowed them in summer?

texts:
I have seeds that generally need to be stratified (cold) before planting them. (Plum, apricot, cherry, peach).
I didn't really care too much if they germinate, I just threw them in the soil as an experiment.
I did this over the last few weeks (I'm in Australia so it is summer at the moment).  Will my seeds stratify over the winter then sprout in the spring?  Or will it fail due to how early I planted it?


texts: The plant stems start to split (crack) vertically in a hydroponic system

texts:
I have planted several bell pepper plants in my hydroponic system (DWC). I have used coconut peat as the growing medium and used the following nutrient solution:

The problem is, all my plants have cracks in their stems. I read in here (Why has the stem of my chili plant split?) that it cause due to excess water. Unlike in that question, we a re dealing with hydroponics here. There's always water. So, the question is, how can I solve this issue?


texts:
Have 3 fir trees around a Hydrangea in the PNW. The area gets direct sun only for an hour in the morning, and maybe an hour in the evening, since its on the north side of the house.
Photos: https://imgur.com/a/Mm7AZK9
The firs are kinda all yellow, with new green growth at the very top only. S local nursery person had asked me to remove them.
Had two questions?

What is the best way to remove them? My current plan is to saw all the branches one by one, until only the bottom stump remains. Then, to dig around the roots.

Will removing those trees affect the hydrangea? The hydrangea is beautiful every summer and I don't want anything happening to it.

Thanks!


texts: Why is the grass under a temporary skating rink green when the rest of the lawn is dormant brown?

texts: We installed a temporary skating rink with a white poly liner early in the winter. Today we drained the water and removed the plastic to find that the grass beneath was bright green. The rest of the lawn is brown as is typical for this time of year. The plastic obviously protected the grass somehow, but can anyone fill me in on the exact reasons?


texts: Wilted cucumber plants; watered during the afternoon

texts: I left out my cucumber plants in direct sunlight after planting the transplants and came back the next day and they were wilted. I watered them in the afternoon, will they recover?


texts: Will citrus recover from alkaline soil/fruit drop?

texts: Recently bought a place with orange, Clementine, lime, grapefruit, and lemon trees. New to growing citrus and did not test soil so did a fantastic job of nearly killing them all. Our soil ph is 8.5, very alkaline. Am adding about 2" of peat moss all around the dripline and will add a light sulfur/water mix but will the trees come back ok for next year? Am I adding enough peat moss, and how often should I add more? Thanks!


texts: Is this a weed or what kind of plant is this [see picture below]?

texts: This plant is growing in one section of my backyard. But don't know if its some sort of herb or weed. Any details on this plant will be helpful.


texts: small cucumbers shrivelling, turning yellow and dying

texts: They are an all female variety, regularly watered, in a greenhouse with plenty of light. Door and window open every day.  Started with lots of small cucumbers and only 3 have fully developed, the rest got no bigger than 2 - 3 inches then shivelled and turned yellow (from the flower end).  Any suggestions as to what the problem is please ?


texts: Is using tomato slices really viable for starting seedlings?

texts:
This seems to be doing the rounds lately.  I saw it on pinterest last night.  Basically you take a slice of a ripe tomato, place it on some potting mix and then cover it.  10 days later you get tomato seedlings.

The issue I have with this is that you need a ripe heirloom, or open pollinated tomato in the first place,  which implies that it would be a mid season tomato.  And then you get seedlings which are going to be starting late which means that you'll never get a crop before the season ends.

So, unless you have a glasshouse, is this really a viable way to start tomato seedlings, or should you do it the traditional way of sieving out seeds, and storing them for the time when you want to start them?


texts: What are these white fuzzy growths on the soil of my lawn?

texts:
This morning, at about 11am, I went outside and found white fuzzy patches growing on the exposed soil of my lawn in a shady spot (in north-west England).  It does not appear to be on the grass itself.  See attached images.  On closer inspection, it was also present on the soil under the grass in the non-shady non-exposed spots.  I've searched the internet and this stackexchange, and have come across several white growths on soil, but nothing looks quite like this.  I'm assuming it is some sort of mould or fungal growth.  I'd like to know what it is, whether it is harmful, either to the grass or to a child, and whether it will go away on its own or if there is something I can do to treat it.

Some background: I recently thoroughly dethatched the lawn with a manual rolling scarifier as it had a significant thatch (and probably moss) problem.  I applied EVERGREEN NO MOSS NO RAKE lawn feed at the recommended rate with a hand-held spreader, as well as lawn seed (various varieties left over in old boxes, maybe up to a year old), and then treaded and watered it in.  I then watered with a sprinkler for about 20 minutes a couple of times a day.  This was exactly one week ago.  The grass and soil got quite wet, and I'm thinking it might not have needed the extra water, but I was worried about the soil drying out (it had been very dry prior to the overseeding) and causing problems with the new seedlings.

Thanks for any advice!


texts: What are these white insects on Areca palm? What should I do about them?

texts:
My first thought was mealybugs. But aren’t these too tiny to be mealybugs. I don’t see any big ones.

I see them quite a lot on different leaves. What should I do about it? Is it best to throw the plant out to prevent it spreading to other plants?


texts: Why are some clippings of this plant apparently pure green and others mottled with yellow?

texts:
I saw this question on “Why is the foliage turning yellow on this climbing indoor vine?” and have a tangential question. Plants in question are pictured. All indoor plants.

So understand the concept of natural variegation in these leaves but I am puzzled. On the left-hand side of the picture the green leaves are fairly solidly green. On the right-hand side, there is clearly some variegation of yellow spots.

For a bit of background, I live in NYC. The deal is clippings of this specific plant have existed in my family since the 1970s. Basically my dad bought this in the early 1970s, and kept it alive up until the 1990s when he passed away. I took the plant and I would start making clippings to make more plants and more plants.

As far as I remember, for the past 15 years or so the leaves were solidly green. But in the past 2 years I moved into a new building and the water from the pipes is—frankly—not so great. I drink bottled and filtered water personally but use tap water to water these plants.

Many of these clippings were just sitting in jars of water until a few months back when I potted them. But after I potted them and placed them in a sunny window I was stunned not only by the mottling of yellow, but also the size of the leaves and stems on these mottled clippings is noticeably larger than what I ever remember them to have been in the past. Growth also seems quite aggressively faster than what I remember.

Which is all to say: What would cause this big difference between the plants on the left-hand side of the picture versus the right-hand side of the picture? Could it be something in the water from the tap? The fact they are now in a pot? Level of sunlight in a new location? Maybe something connected to the terra cotta pots? Some are pots made in Italy and others made in Germany if that matters.

In the great scheme of things, I’m not complaining about any of this. But as someone who essentially has grown up with clippings derived from this plant for decades, I am a bit baffled as to why this kind of sudden change has happened now.


texts: What is this little insect larvae on my cucumbers?

texts: Need help identifying these little monsters creatures on my cucumber plants. It doesn't look like a beetle but working along side beetles.


texts:
I'm going to automate the bottom watering process (reservoir and wick method). This design should uses a water float valve instead of a timer.  What is the best way to do this?  Here are two methods:

Use a full-pressure water float value and use one of those steel covered hoses made for the washer/dryer.  Connect that to a float value in an enclosure.  The water will be siphoned off to all the plant sitting at the same water level as the float valve.  The washer dryer hoses can come with a safety cut-off if the water flows too quickly.  A small defect however could cause the system to loose a lot of water.

Another method might use a pressure regulator that will sit under constant pressure and work when the water is not flowing.  In other words, it will be hooked up to the outdoor faucet and be connected to a small low pressure tube.   So, the pressure can't build up when the water is off (some models say they only work when the water is flowing).  This should probably go down 10 PSI or lower.  The slower the better, a slow constant flow could feed many plants.  If the float valved jammed, water loss would be at a minimum.  This is a 10PSI preset unit for the dipper irrigation  (less than 10 dollars).  The problem was it had to be hooked up after the timer.  I'm not using a timer, I'm using a water float value.

Any other suggestions?


texts: Would this citrus fertilizer be suitable for chili peppers?

texts:
I bought a bottle of organic fertilizer which is in liquid form. The instructions are in German but the merchant here labeled it as "organic fertilizer for fruit" so I just bought it.

Now I found out that it is specifically for citrus plants.  I wonder if it is still suitable for my chili pepper.

Any ideas?

  Liquid Fertilizer for Citrus Plants

  NPK-fertilizer 7+3+6 + trace
  elements

  Mediterranean plants have a special nutrient demand. This liquid
  fertilizer covers this need and is recommended for all kinds of citrus
  plants. The trace elements support the development of blossoms and
  fruits, the added iron acts preventively against chlorosis.


texts: My acer tree looks unhealthy/is dying - Pls help!

texts:
I have a beautiful Acer tree which was re-potted about 2 years ago. The only reason me and my dad re-potted it was because the existing pot was in its last days. There was no bottom anymore and the sides started to corrode and I just thought this was the chance to do it. The pot was metallic.

The new pot is 'wooden' on the outside and I think inside the lining is plastic. It is bigger in diameter but height wise was probably the same as the old one. Maybe a tiny bit shorter.

Since the repotting, I feel like the tree hasn't flourished or gone back to its old self. This year in particular a lot of the leaves have already shrivelled, or are half red half brown.

Its location hasn't changed and the place where it is, it is quite sheltered.

I have touched a couple of areas with a sharp object and I don't think the branches seem dead.

I have bought Vitax Japanese Maple Acer feed two weeks ago and sprinkled some on top. I also put some Miracle Gro All purpose compost at the top of the pot to see if that makes any difference whatsoever.

I am attaching lots of photos. Let me know if there's something obvious or something I should to salvage this beautiful tree.

I can't attach more than 8 photos.


texts:
On occasion I end up burning some oak branches in my firepit, which gives me some ash that I typically throw out.  At times I have heard it may be beneficial to use it in the lawn, although I already have suspicions that my lawn is slightly acidic but still am not sure about that.  We have a lot of oak trees and I have noticed that the azaeleas, blueberries and raspberries we have grown in our yard seem to do really well.  With landscaping I am still learning what acidic and alkaline mean in terms of effects with the yard, and what grows best where (like the patches of moss I have).

I was wondering if its useful to use wood ash from the limbs and branches I sometimes burn to target certain areas and help improve my lawn.  I am planning on adding it to the composter and in the garden plot in the fall (I already missed my spring additions), is this a useful idea or will I make things worse?


texts:
I recently purchased a Star Jasmine that looked wonderful at the nursery but seems to be drying up at my place.
We’ve only had it a little over a month but I can’t help but think I’m already ruining the plant.
As a newbie gardener, I find it confusing to know if I’m over watering or creating root rot. And, is this the problem?
I water about twice a week right now. But when I check the soil (surface check), it’s still moist.
The pictures were taken 4 days after their last watering.


texts: What can I do to help root-bound cucumber plants?

texts:
I planted some cucumber seeds in egg cartons and then repotted the best of them twice in coconut coir pots, first a 3" and then a 4" pot. Some of the seedlings had stopped growing and had to be trashed. Three of the plants, though, have done quite well, and another one is doing okay. I have planted the three thriving plants in a 25-gallon fabric raised bed.

The problem is that when I repotted the plants I left them in their smaller pots and just plopped them in the bigger pot and put soil around them. The idea was not to disturb the roots. But I found when I disposed of one of the trashed plants that the egg carton had not decomposed and that the root ball had become bound inside the small egg carton.

I'm afraid the three plants in the 25-gallon container are all root-bound. But they are planted now and I'm not sure if there's anything I can do to help them that will not disturb the roots and make a bad problem worse. I thought about using a small-gauge wire to poke holes around where the egg carton would be to see if that helps the roots grow through it.

Is it worth doing something to try to strengthen the roots or should I just wait and see if the plants somehow make it through on their own?

UPDATE: Unfortunately, these cucumber plants got infected with (probably) the cucumber mosaic virus and I had to remove them. Fortunately, I was able to see that the roots had developed fairly well as they had gone well beyond the egg carton and even the coconut coir pots. Next year I'll try again, and will be sure to plant the seeds directly in soil.


texts:
I want to just drain by adding
rocks/cinderblocks and then top with soil/plants.
Will that work or will rain/snow collect and flood-
ruin topsoil/plants?


texts: I am designing 2ft x 6ft planter boxes to be set on concrete.  I'd rather not have to install a bottom.  Could drainage be provided by using 1 inch PVC pipe with multiple holes drilled in them lengthwise in the bottom?  Maybe use some weed barrier fabric over the pipe to prevent dirt from clogging?


texts: What's the best way to treat boxwood winter burn?

texts: I have a boxwood that appears to have suffered some significant winter burn. About half of the branches have yellow leaves.  What's the best treatment? Should I prune the affected branches, or leave it alone?


texts: Is Vigoro Triple Mix safe for growing tomatoes?

texts:
I planted some kale and hot peppers in containers in my garden. A couple of days after filling out the containers I realized the soil I bought wasn't an organic soil, just a Triple Mix type, Vigoro brand.

I'm wondering how safe it is to keep them, is non-organic soil suitable for growing plants I intend to eat (do they contain pesticides or other chemicals) ? I'm looking for MSDS or some kind of hazardous product DB to check what exactly is in them or at least some objective information that there isn't adverse health effects from eating anything grown in it.

I don't know if it makes a difference but the roots were only in contact with the soil for a couple of days until I switched them to an organic soil.


texts:
Our tomato plants got powdery mildew problem, because of wildfire at west coast, there was not much sunlight, and even some leaves at top has powdery mildew problem, as you can see in the first picture.
I have already cut some leaves and branches at its bottom, so it looks neat, should I also cut those leaves at top with powdery mildew problem? Would it give negative effect to plant's health as it will have less leaves and there're a number of green tomatoes there already?
We tried to apply mix of water and milk (ratio is 1:1) to it, but because of the dust that wildfire created, it seems like it only makes the issue worse. Please let me know if you have better way to treat it. Thank you!


texts: How to introduce an overwintered banana tree back outside for the summer

texts:
We got a banana tree last year and brought it inside to overwinter it. The tree was never put into the ground, it stayed in a large pot and is still in the large pot.

Our overwintering method was to cut off every leaf besides the two topmost leaves, place it in an area of a room with very little sunlight and not much artificial light either, and not water it.

The tree lasted Winter just fine; a good portion of the leaves are dried and brown, a good portion of the outer part of the trunk is also dried and brown, and one of the leaves didn't make it either, but it's still alive and we didn't lose the 5 feet plus of growth that we achieved last Summer.

But now the threat of frost is over and we need to place it back outside. And while there are tons of information about overwintering a banana, I've had trouble finding much information about bringing it back after overwintering it.

What steps do we need to take to bring our banana tree back outside? Should we slowly introduce it to sunlight similar to introducing seedlings to sunlight, or will it be fine to just place in direct sunlight and leave it there? What about watering it? The soil is currently bone-dry and it was only watered once over winter with about 2 cups of water. Should we start watering it slowly or should we just take the hose to it until it's saturated?

Any and all suggestions are appreciated.


texts: What's the fastest-growing variety of cherry tree?

texts:
I really want to add a tree to my garden, but logistics and budget demand that I plant a sapling and nurture it into a healthy tree.

I really like cherry blossom, so a cherry tree would be ideal. It's not necessary that the tree bear fruit, though that'd be a nice bonus for the local birds.

What's the fastest-growing variety of cherry tree that will give me lovely cherry blossoms? What can I do to encourage growth and keep the tree healthy?


texts:
We bought this lemon tree about a month ago. It was in a good condition when we purchased it.
At first, we placed it outside, and for the last ten days, we brought it inside, situated right in front of the window. When we placed it outside, the weather fluctuated between 12 and 19C. Now inside, the temperature is about 20C.
When we brought it home, it started to gradually drop its leaves. I am attaching the pictures of the leaves.
I would be eternally grateful for helping to identiy what the problem with this tree is. We really wish to preserve this tree.
Thanks in advance!


texts: Removing dandelion by cutting the root one inch below the ground level. Will this work?

texts:
Today I had the battle of my life with the dandelion on my front lawn. First a question about this: I removed every piece of it by using a long knife that I used to laterally insert as deep as I could so I could cut the root. Then I grabbed the plant and pulled it out from the soil quite easily.
My friend would bet his life on it saying that the dandelion will get back to life from that root (most of the times it was cut like an inch under the soil level) Is he right?


texts: When is the winter period for plants kept in a country with no winter (or a constant room temperature)?

texts:
Reading up on how to care for a Mammillaria Elongata Cactus I see it mentions such things as

suspending watering in winter for best care (and to encourage better
flowering)
the preferred time to re-pot is in the warm season
fertilizer can be used in the growing season, but suspend feeding in the
winter.

When are such periods in a country where there is no winter, and very little or no change in temperature, such as tropical countries (or indoors where the temperature may be constant)?

Is one supposed to follow what would be the seasons in the country where the plant is from, construct ones own winter, by choosing a time to just water less each year and sticking to it, or can you safely treat the plant the same throughout the year?