texts: Is this a pest? How can I get rid of it?

texts:
I found these bugs on my Kalanchoe plant this morning. I might have overwatered it for a while so that may be the reason why they appeared. They're tiny and green in colour, though there are some that look like little fruit flies. I'm not exactly sure how to treat it but I believe they're gnats and aphids.

My camera doesn't work that well so I hope this image is enough to identify them.


texts: What do I actually need to do in order to size/buy a DIY drip garden watering system?

texts:
I'm looking at adding a drip-watering system to my garden. I have a garden that is about 500 square feet, with roughly 40 tomato/pepper sized plants, a handful of raspberries, and about 100 feet worth of peas/green beans.

I'm trying to figure out what I need to order from Amazon for a drip system, but it's surprisingly difficult (I can't find any drip system components in local stores to 'build my own').

I'm guesstimating that I'll need:

100 feet of 1/2 tubing
250 feet of 1/4 tubing
40 drippers for the plants (1 gallon/hour?)
Some 1/4 tubing with holes for the peas/green beans
A bunch of 1/4" connectors
regulator
timer
standard hose adapter
??

Is there a good way to design this other than trial/error? I can't find anything online short of overbuying a kit.


texts: What is this (allegedly) mosquito-repellent trailing plant with dark green heart-shaped leaves?

texts:
I was given a plant a while back that I was told repels mosquitoes:

The little I know about it:

it has dark green heart shaped leaves that grow up to about 3½" wide by 4½" long (9cm by 11cm).
the stems, ribs on the leaves and the underside of the leaves all have a reddish tinge.
the leaves are alternate on the stems.
it's herbaceous in Portland, Oregon (USDA zone 8a).
it tolerates shady conditions; I have it in a half-full 10 gallon nursery pot by the northwest corner of my house where it only gets light for part of the afternoon and it seems to be doing OK.
it spreads by underground roots which are similar to those of bindweed, though it does not seem to spread as aggressively -- a bindweed would have climbed out of the pot by now, but it's staying inside.  Also, its roots seem harder to break than those of bindweed.
it may originally have come from east Asia -- my plant is at three degrees of separation from the source, who I'm told is Korean.
I don't know what its flowers look like.

What is this plant?


texts: Opinions on combining shredded bark and compost as mulch

texts:
I'm having a hard time finding anything through search and I'm hoping others here might have experience or opinions doing what I want to do.

I really like the look of black mulch (hardwood mulch dyed black commonly used in the USA) but dying my existing mulch is not practical and I'm not too keen on adding dye in the first place.

I have some garden beds that are currently mulched with cedar bark mulch. I'd like to start mulching with compost instead for a number of reasons, not just color.

I don't want to have to go through the hassle of removing the old mulch first and was hoping I could just start applying compost over top of the existing mulch (maybe 2-3" of existing mulch).

Has anyone done anything similar to this and has info on how it worked out?

I'm specifically looking for any information from people who have tried this such as will the compost help the cedar break down faster? Will the compost seep down between the bark after a few few rains and look nasty? Will the combination cause problems such as poor water infiltration?

It looks like I might be doing a little small scale test as a critter decided to dig up a shrub I recently planted and scattered the compost that was in the whole around the mulched area. :(


texts: Why are the flowers dropping and leaves turning yellow on my potted Freesia?

texts:
I bought a young (I'm guessing, it's 6"-8" tall) Freesia about a week ago. It was doing well at the time of purchase, but it's been all downhill since. Within a few days, the flowers shriveled then finally dropped. Around that time the leaves began to yellow starting at the tip of the leaf gradually making its way down. Most leaf tips are now a light brown.

As I saw this happening, I varied my care.

It was initially outdoors on my porch that receives only morning sun, then I brought it inside to sit under a north facing window that allows light in all day. Next I tried it on my back patio which receives sun from about noon to 7:00pm, but it's so hot right now in North Texas I was afraid to leave it out for more than a day. I returned the Freesia to the window, figuring it was safest for now.

As for watering, I only water if the top inch or so of soil is dry. While watering, I wait for the surface to puddle slightly and then let it drain.

Yesterday, I added maybe an 1/8 tsp. of fertilizer. 3% Nitrogen, 2% Phosphate, 3% Potash, 2% Calcium.

Any and all help or advice would be greatly appreciated- I really do want to save this little guy.

Click to enlarge


texts:
I have a colleague who is a beginner at gardening. He is trying to plant something. He bought a pre-packed plant with soil inside a can. He just put the seeds in the soil and borrowed my sprayer to spray the soil everyday (a small sprayer which I use to spray off any soil attached to my mother-in-law's tongue's base).

However, I am thinking that the water molecules created by the spray are too small and less dense than the water in a water container such as cup. I wonder if any of the water reaches to the bottom.

My thinking is the spray could wet the soil at the top and the seeds can germinate. However, when the plant grows and its root are going deeper in the soil the sprayer might not be suitable anymore. What do you think?


texts: What plant is this? It looks eerily similar to a ground cover plant that has purple flowers.


texts: Kentia Palm one of the stems dried out because of insects

texts:
We have a nice Kentia Palm within the office.

The plant is watered regularly as per the guidance. It also gets occasional misting.

Unfortunately I recently noticed the plant started drying out and one of the stems is now completely dry/dead. I tried to gently pull it and notice there were loads of tiny bugs running underneath it (probably red spider mites).

I sprayed the plant as well as the soil and around the dead stem with bug clear ultra.

I was wondering what would be the next best steps:

I would like to remove the dead stem but I worry that it has connected roots with the other stems? How are the Kentia palms normally structured? If it has connected roots would it be safe just to remove the dried parts?
What would be the best way of removing the dry stem?
Would spraying the soil with bug clear ultra be enough to kill bugs living within the soil?


texts: What is the grassy-looking plant at the base of my blueberry bush?

texts: I bought a starter blueberry bush a couple of months ago.  It has been growing well but there seems to be something else growing at the base. I'm not sure if it's more blueberry stalk or weeds, and I'm hoping someone can help.


texts: How can I remove locust eggs from the soil, and prevent future infestations?

texts:
A few days ago I saw a locust standing still in my little vegetable garden. I was really surprised that even though I went close it wouldn't jump away.

After looking closer I figured that it was actually "pumping" eggs into the soil (check this link for more details).

This morning just before watering I found find this pattern of holes, of similar size of the one that the locust left the previous time.

I have a few questions:

Since they are 1 day recent and I guess not really visible, how deep should I dig to make sure all eggs are removed?
How can I make sure that all eggs die, if in the process of digging I miss some? Should I spray the ground with something? And if yes what do you suggest (considering I also grow edible vegetables)?
How can I stop this locust from coming back and laying eggs in my garden? Is there any natural product that will keep it away? If not natural what should I use (again considering I grow edible vegetables)?


texts: Why did my grape hyacinths put out leaves in the fall?

texts: Normally my grape hyacinth only puts out leaves in the spring, but this year they all are vigorously growing leaves in the fall. Why do they do that? Is it diagnostic of a problem?


texts: Can Monstera's aerial roots grow out the base of the pot?

texts:
I recently ordered a monstera plant online and the seller mentioned that the plants they send out shouldn't need to be repotted for ~6 months, but when mine arrived, it looked to be root-bound in the pot, with a large root growing out the bottom of one of the nursery pot draingage holes:

When I raised this to the seller, they replied:

the Monsteras we send out wouldn't need repotting for at least six months. We believe the large protruding root is an aerial root, as in their natural habitat Monsteras like to attach themselves to nearby trees etc. If you find this unsightly, you could trim this back.

I just wanted to sanity check this — my understanding of aerial roots is that they would form near the stem or leaf nodes, and send out a shoot, not that they would be growing out the bottom of the soil. There is no sign of any roots growing into the soil from above, for example.
Have I misunderstood what an aerial root is? Could this be an aerial root?
Also, is their advice to cut the root back correct? My inclination would have been that the plant needs potting-up a size.

EDIT: Here's the view from the top — No sign of anything roots from this view, just the stem itself (and wooden stick on the left-hand-side).


texts:
How often should they be watered?  How much? Any parts that need cutting off? I have one potted plant which is pretty grown. And has pink flowers.

Thanks!


texts: Will a thick layer of coffee grounds cause girdling?

texts:
If you put a thick layer of coffee grounds on top of a plant, like a tomato, or a blueberry bush, will girdling occur?

If so how do you easily fix it?


texts: What breed/variety of grapes can be easily grown in the Philippines?

texts: Philippines is a tropical country with rain evenly distributed throughout the year. Many people don't believe that grapes grow in our country but we have one. We have prunes, idk if that's still a grape. Is there breed/variety you could recommend? I want grapes to to be eaten, not for wine or etc.


texts: Which trees can I do grafting? is there some combination table I can refer to?

texts:
I always found grafting fascinating, and I am now picking this again.
I was wondering about which trees I can do grafting/combine.

Is there a table that I can refer to?


texts: Does the deep watering method work for all types of plants?

texts: I recently heard about the deep watering method working for tomatoes, and was wondering if it also works for things like egg plant, and jalapenos.


texts: Is it possible to irrigate a bonsai with a drip system?

texts: I recently acquired a bonsai and am nervous about the danger of over- or under-watering. Is it possible/feasible/worthwhile to build some sort of drip system to keep the soil at a constant humidity? Or is the moistening/drying process necessary for the health of the tree?


texts: Soil wetting compounds: are they effective?

texts: Crystals, sprays, etc. Are soil wetting products effective to rejuvenate dry sections in a lawn? Any recommendations?


texts:
I've got quite a few strawberry plants, they're in those planters stat stack on top of each other and there's probably about 10/11 plants altogether.
Perhaps 1/3 of them have long stems with fruit growing on the end of them however the rest of them are really short with lots of leaves and no fruit on at all.
Is there anything that affects whether they are fruit-bearing or not such as Gender, growing conditions etc. ideally I'd like all of them to be fruit-bearing if possible


texts: Do techniques to repel slugs also work on snails?

texts:
I have seen the thread on an organic way to repel slugs. However, usually I only see snails in my area. Will the techniques in the answer there work on snails too? Also,

By the way, I've never seen a slug in my life here in Hong Kong. Are slugs/snails location specific?


texts:
I've had these two Lucky Bamboos for around 5 years and this summer when I was on a vacation all the water on them vaporized and when I got back they were bent and lost their stiffness. Now after 8 months they're still losing their leaves.
What can I do for them?
Note that in my case only the top leaves get yellow and they start from their tail, not their tip. I'd seen some questions but they were not like this one.

even some of the older nodes are getting infected


texts: Do you recommend putting compost containing tomatoes onto potato plants?

texts: For reasons unbeknownst to me one is not supposed to plant tomatoes and potatoes in close proximity to one another. But what about putting compost containing tomatoes onto potatoes or vice versa?


texts: Identifing guests sprouting in potted plants

texts:
I have several plants (peppers, dwarf fruit trees & various herbs mostly) that I keep outside except for when temperatures are too low & I move then indoors under grow lights.

After several weeks of having my plants indoors, I noticed a couple of guests sprouting in the margins of a couple of the pots. Normally I would just pluck any invaders I find, but both of these are somewhat nice looking plants & depending on what they are, I may consider transplanting them elsewhere. Any ideas?

The leaves of the green one are about 1 1/2" long, & the leaves of the red tinged one are about 1" long.

I live in the San Francisco bay area, so if they were contaminated outside, that is relevant, although it is also possible I suppose that they were in the potting soil the whole time...


texts:
What is a good generic bonsai soil mix?

What ratio of organic / inorganic material should be included?


texts: How many flowers can a single muscari plant grow?

texts:
My muscari(s) are flowering, with one stalk each, but I found a new bud coming out from the base of each muscari. I think it is another flower stalk.

Can a muscari plant have more than 1 flowering stalk at a time? If so, how many can they grow?
I froze them in fridge for 3 months before planting.


texts: Saving a lopsided Douglas fir from needing to be removed

texts:
A mature Douglas fir stands on my property. Its Western half receives no sunlight, causing nearly all of its foliage to have grown Eastwards over my home. Due to its unfortunate growth trajectory, I'm trying to assess the risk that it will fall and cause property damage. We'd like to keep the tree if we can.

(The tree stands at the bottom left edge of the circle in the Google Maps photo.)

We're currently unable to change the tree line West of it, since any trees West are on a neighbor's property. Said neighbor is unresponsive, and their maple grows fully over their property (but blocks sunlight from the West onto my own). Any action I can take needs to be on my own property, along the property line (left border of the Google Maps photo).

I talked to a local arborist prior to this post. The options he laid out were:

Crown reduction of upper foliage. This would put less pressure on the tree, but only reduce the risk of the fir falling. As it grows above the maple, we'd be at greater risk of winds toppling the tree.
Remove the top of the tree. This would expose the tree to rot, and would greatly increase topple risk when the tree dies.
Remove the tree. Safe, but costly, and reduces the foliage of our property.

So my question: when a Douglas fir grows severely lopsided (~50% of live branches in a hemicircle, East-leaning) along an outer treeline, how likely is it for high winds (>60mph) to topple the tree? I've already had my arborist and the county I live in give me an opinion, but I'm looking for a third opinion here to determine if there's any way to save this tree.


texts:
I have planted a pumpkin which has been growing really well, however today when I came up And started weeding around my plants found a brown wide ring on the emerging fruit.
Any suggestions what this might be and do I need to be worried?


texts:
Could you please help me identify this plant?
Advice on how to care for it would also be very much appreciated :)
Thank you!


texts: Can anyone please identify this plant? It has fern like leaves and purpleish/brown stems which seem to root when they lay on soil

texts:
Fern like leaves and long stems that seem to root themselves as they lay on soil.  Also will have beautiful flowers as per the person who gave me the cutting.  Writing from Central California.

Fern like foliage with purple/brown stems and will have flowers.


texts: Is my Schefflera arboricola getting the right amount of light and water?

texts:
I have a Schefflera arboricola (also known as Strahlenaralie in German). I've placed it in my office so that it receives some sunshine, but not directly - I've put it behind a plastic plant (on the right on the photo). The blinds are often closed in the office, particularly in the morning.

I've been watering it with half a glass of water every week, or every two weeks. Currently the ground is a little bit moist.

The plant has been doing OK for around half a year now (I bought it and brought it to the office in the winter). Recently, I've noticed that its leaves have been falling off and it's a little sparser than it used to be.

Is this due to the location? Should I put the Schefflera somewhere else? Or should I water it more often or less often?


texts:
I recently purchased a house with a couple of rows of raspberries (which seem to be well established) in the garden. The first row on the north side was starting to disappear, so I trimmed it down expecting to take some of the many of the wild shoots that had spread to the south and start a new row.

So how do I go about plucking these shoots out of the ground and transplanting? Any special considerations for the new row, such as ground temperature, fertilizer or spacing? Should they be in a hill?

I live in western Washington state if that helps.


texts: Scale like matter and dark spots on Lipstick Petiole

texts:
I found this scale like matter on my leaves and i noticed they have been droopy lately.
There is also tiny black things on almost every petiole.


texts: What are the black flying things and why do the leaves look like this?

texts:
These are photographs of my dahlia, marigold, and nasturtiums.
I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. But my plants are dying, and I'm unsure why. I've tried giving them a good wash previously, and cutting off diseased foliage, but it doesn't seem to have helped a great deal. There's also some flying black things, kind of like midges, I guess.
The plants sit on a south-facing windowsill, which is fairly sunny, with a radiator below and to the side. I am usually fairly careful with making sure they are kept watered, and I trim dead leaves and such once or twice a week.
How can I treat this? Would it be easier to just start again, given I have no real facilities to properly isolate the plants? How do I prevent this from happening again?
Thank you!


texts: Can I just apply less of a higher fertilizer?

texts:
I'm wanting to apply 10-10-10 to my blackberries.
10-10-10 and 13-13-13 costs identical for the same quantity bags.

Since those numbers are just percentages, and in this case they are in equal ratios, can I safely apply the 13-13-13 instead of 10-10-10, and just apply 75% of the amount instead?

Why don't they just sell 33-34-33 (e.g. adding up to 100%), and people use very small quantities? Seems more economical than shipping useless filler.


texts: Chia seeds:can I plant food grade chia seeds?

texts: I am trying to grow indoor plants that my pet bird can eat. I have wheat grass (cat grass) that has done very well, and he loves it but I also read that birds can eat chia, the plant and the seeds. I can't seem to find chia seeds at any of my garden stores and do not want to buy a chia pet. I don't find them nearly as attractive as growing a plant in a regular pot. My holistic food store and one of our high end grocery stores sells chia seeds. Can I just plant those? If not, why not? Is there anything extra I'd need to do first before planting like soaking to germinate?


texts: How to prevent rot when growing herbs in just water

texts:
I've read that it's possible to grow herbs like mint and basil in just jars of water, and articles like this and this seem to suggest that rooted cuttings can thrive in just water for a long time (the author in the first link mentions 6-12 months in the comments). However, I find in my attempts that no matter how clean my tools and water are, the wounds on the cuttings (where I've made the cut, and where I have removed leaves) begin to turn black and rot within a couple of days of being submerged in water. I have been changing the water every 1-2 days. My cuttings now have roots, but the rotting is still progressing, and I will probably have to pot them soon to stop the rot taking over.

I was wondering if anyone has had success growing cuttings in still water for more than a couple of months, and in your case, what did you do to stop the rot from developing?


texts: Pine tree root blocking my waterfall stream

texts: 60 foot tall pine has a 4-6 inch root traversing my stream. The water will not flow over the root (too high) and going under the root will also cause problems. Is it safe to cut the root? Perhaps drill some holes thru it to let the water flow through it?


texts:
At the bottom of a bank, I have a large flat area that we are going to build a small house ( 40 m2 ).  The green peg is the right front corner though we are going to shift that another metre to the left to where the brick has been placed.

Water seeps out of the bank, and we discovered a number of drains in this area.  The soil is just clay.  And even in this current drought we are having, water is still seeping out.  It's falling into a ditch that is being directed to a storm water drain to the far left.  The sand bags are to stop silt from entering the storm water drain.  The large long black coil is the water from the down pipe of the roof of the house above.

I would think everything up to the brick from the left will be filled in after drains have been laid.

I'm wondering if I can create a pond here for goldfish.  If so, what sort of things do I have to do?


texts: Tree roots are removing the tiles of my flooring. What to do?

texts:
I have a mango tree in my backyard.

Recently we are seeing that our flooring tiles in room towards my backyard has started protruding because of the roots underneath.

I dont want to cut the tree.
Is there a way for me to save my flooring?

Please let me know.


texts: Any special steps which should be taken when transplanting a potato bush?

texts:
We've got a large potato bush that we would like to move from one part of our yard to another.  Are there any special steps that we should take to ensure a successful moving?

The bush is 8-10 feet tall at this point and just doesn't work where it is any more.


texts:
Should I be worried about this Pumpkin plant discolouration?
see pictures:


texts:
I bought this cactus four months ago and it had some fake flowers glued to it. I took them off by force and with them some of the thorns were off too. I was hoping that I wasn't going to harm the plant by doing it but since then I think the cactus has started losing some other thorns too.
It is placed where it gets plenty of light ( not direct sunlight ) and I water it once in two weeks because the pot does not have a drainage hole in it


texts:
Can I get a confirmation if the pics below is poison ivy or not friendly for kids ?

the root system is stretched like vines underground.
Is going on your knees pulling them out the best option?
Thanks

pics
https://photos.app.goo.gl/onNMs9SjXJ7EsG546
https://photos.app.goo.gl/xdYXTP8Rk2z9c4ot6


texts: What am I doing wrong with my crepe myrtle?

texts: My tree is about 10 years old, it has six main trunks and is roughly 20' tall. The trunks don't seem to get any thicker and Now that it has bloomed, the flowers have pulled the tops to the ground. What should I do?


texts:
I live on a corner lot, with neighbors' fencing on two sides of my back yard, the house on a third, and an open street on the fourth.

Rather than installing a fence myself, to provide privacy in the back yard, I had the idea of planting some shrubs or bushes along about a 30-40 foot (9-12 meters) length along the road.  I'm wondering if there might be any food-bearing plants that might do the job nicely.

So my criteria, in order of highest to lowest priority, would be something that:

Will grow thick, and at least 4-5 feet tall, but taller would be nice (Clearly a 4-foot shrub wouldn't provide a lot of privacy, but it would keep wandering neighborhood children from drowning in the hot tub, which is the main concern)*
Grows well in my area (mid-Kansas, Zone 6A) and in moderate sunlight
Will make for at least a semi-attractive shrub row
Will produce a small food crop

*Note I may opt to have a (probably wire) fence in addition to the shrub row, depending on how thick the shrubbery turns out to be, for the purpose of keeping pets in, and children out. But if possible, such a fence will be mostly hidden by the greenery.  I'll also provably put a locked gate near the house (between the red line and side of the house in the photo)

I would be happy to consider a combination of plants.  Particularly because I suspect a 40-foot harvest of any single crop will be more than I can eat or give away, whenever the crop ripens.

Secondarily, I had the thought that a combination of shrubs, planted right by the road, and (dwarf?) fruit trees planted a few feet into the yard, might help with privacy more than just one or the other.

Here's an image of my yard, taken from Google's satellite view:

The red line indicates where I want the privacy wall to go.  The southern end is in direct sunlight practically all day, and the northern end is in direct sunlight all afternoon. (The image must have been taken mid-morning, judging by the shadow positions.)


texts: Why is my passion fruit's leaves are yellow? Is it dying?

texts:
I've bought a plant of passion fruit.

Recently I've changed the ground of it.
Several days ago the leaves began to be yellow and curled up.
The photos are below.

Could you please give an advise how to reanimate it?
Thanks in advance


texts: Eggplant/aubergine growing little tubular bits instead of leaves

texts:
G'day

I'm growing some eggplants in a raised garden bed. They have been fairly productive over the last month or two, but have recently begun growing small tubular "bits" instead of large green leaves. I don't know what to call them instead of "bits", add they're not leaves, but more like short stems.

This next picture really shows the mass of growth coming from the main stem at the bottom of the plants. These little tubular bits don't turn into normal leaves!

I have a feeling there is a nutrient deficiency, add they plants have stopped growing fruit and instead lots of this "stemmy" growth. I've attached a few pics that I hope will clarify things.

For your information, I live in Brisbane, Australia. So we're in winter at the moment, which is quite mild but with occasional light showers.

Cheers
Dave


texts: Does grass absorb juglone from black walnut trees?

texts: If grass grows near a black walnut tree, will they absorb the infamous juglone? If so, would it it be a lot or would plants near them be okay to eat/feed still?


texts: Help me figure out what this cute little plant is Please :)

texts: I just bought this as a gift for my friend and no one can figure out what it is, I've googled all I can but I'm not familiar with plants so I have no idea what family its even in. Please help :)


texts:
Does anyone have recommendations for permeable driveway/paving for cold climates? Not a fan of the plastic grids with grass. Here in Eastern Ontario (Canada), there is lots of snow and ice so it must be shovel-able and stand up well to freeze-thaw cycles.
We have -20 degree(C) or colder winters, as well as humid 30+ degree summers.


texts:
Just noticed this on my store bought plant (not grown from seed). It's now fruiting, and I don't see any white spots on the leaves.

Update: 25 Feb 2016 with close up of the stems and an more distant view of the plant health


texts:
I would like to experiment on growing onions form an onion, instead of buying each year seeds, sets or little plants.

I heard that planting one onion does not immediately gives more onions. Opposite to shallots, which apparently you can plant and you'll get a bunch of shallots instead. And for leek you can do the same.

So my question is more or less what is the life cycle of an onion? Can I plant my onion, where from I'll get a plant and seeds, which I can use next year? Do I need several plants or are both sexes present on one plant?

On the question: Onion seeds v. onion sets I read onion seeds are perishable. So if I harvest them this summer I should immediately start them again (in little breeding pots)? But you should only plant onions right after winter? Can I dry them and use them for the first coming season?


texts: What is this green-ish thing inside the orange?

texts: So, inside this orange there is this "alien" thing. Before I want to say that this is GMO, I need an reasonable explanation about this. What is this thing?


texts: The new leaves of my ponytail palm are cracking at the base, why and how do I fix it?

texts:
You can see my ponytail palm in the first picture. I have begin to notice that the new leaves after reaching a certain length start to crack near the base, (picture 2).
In picture 3 you can see how the crack is beginning to appear in what was a normal shoot. Can someone help me understand why its happening and what should I do to fix it.


texts:
A year ago, my grandmother gave me a cutting from her jade plant and it has grown a little since that time. I repotted it about a week ago because the pot it was in was beginning to get too small.
I used a 50/50 mix of organic potting soil and sandy dirt and I water it whenever the soil feels and looks dry. It sits in full sun for about 4 hours a day (I live in the UK so the light intensity is not extreme)

Here's a picture of it at the moment:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/5062494/junk/jade_plant_23-05-2012.JPG

It grows REALLY slowly (my chilli plants I bought a week ago have grown as much as the money plant has done in a year)

Can I make it grow faster? If so, how?
Also, is there anything I can do to make the trunk grow thicker and taller? (I want it less bushy and more tall + tree like.)


texts: Our garden seem to have some fleas (see pictures here: https://biology.stackexchange.com/questions/95248/insect-identification-question-is-this-a-flea-if-yes-what-kind). They sometimes get inside the house when we get inside after working in the garden. How can we control/get rid of the fleas?


texts:
Anyone have any luck with small critter (chipmunk, squirrel,etc) repellant. I use Bonide Repels All but that doesent help. Thank you.
2500 square feet lawn in a wooded area of Illinois with Turf Type Tall Fescue.


texts: What is the name of this indoor plant/tree with big dark green leaves?

texts: Can anyone tell me the name of this indoor plant/tree?


texts: Can citrus tree health affect the seed count in the fruit?

texts:
I have a Clementine Orange which used to produce pleasant fruit that was lightly seeded.

In the last few years, the number of seeds in each orange has increased dramatically. The tree has fallen to some neglect and I'm wondering if this could be related.

Does the health of a tree have any effect on the number of seeds it produces? Is there any way to affect how much seed an orange tree will produce, or is that strictly genetic?


texts:
I am trying to identify a bristly herb which has a corolla of around 5mm, 5 blue petals with a white eye. and an ovary made of 4 nutlets. I'm sure it's in the borage family for this reason.

It's keying out as green alkanet but the inflorescence is quite different so I am sure it's not green alkanet. Rather than having a dense, bristly inflorescence at the end of stalks, the inflorescence is single flowers at the end of branching stalks several times longer than the calyx.

It looks more like a forget me not but it has a white eye (not yellow) and the plant is bristly.
I thought it could be a wood forget me not, but there don't appear to be any hairs on the calyx.

Attached are 2 pictures, one of the "mystery" plant together with the green alkanet (you will see the inflorescence is completely different, and one of the "mystery" plant on its own.


texts: What are the optimal growing conditions for chives?

texts:
I have a few questions about starting chives (Allium schoenoprasum) and keeping them happy.  I understand chives can survive and grow in many conditions, but what are the best conditions?  A few points I would love answered:

What are ideal conditions for germination?
Should seeds be clumped together or individually spaced out?
What is the optimal soil pH/temperature?
Full sun, partial sun, shade (optimally)?
How aggressive should stalks be harvested?
Do they spread asexually (spores, clippings) or by seed only?
Should they be replanted every year or do they overwinter well?
What nutrient are they heavily dependent on (if any in particular)?

Please feel free to bring up any other aspects that may be pertinent!


texts: What are some low-maintenance vegetables and annuals that take no extra care beyond watering?

texts:
We have a fairly short growing season-- last frost mid-May, first frost mid-Sept. This year, it's even more compressed because I'm having a baby in late June (yay!). I want to put an easy garden in and use my sprinkler timers to keep everything alive. I don't want to do radishes, lettuce, etc... anything that will need thinning & reseeding... things I just won't have time for or be up to doing.
I am planning to do lots of potatoes-- they grow well here and can be basically ignored. Any other ideas?
I'm also thinking of filling my containers with some easy annuals, flowers and herbs... need something I can get planted within the next month and then ignore (besides watering) for most of the summer.
Thanks for any and all suggestions!


texts: Correct position of Bypass Pruner/Lopper Blade

texts:
I have recently bought a bypass lopper and apparently there is a correct way to position the blade when cutting; that is, reversing the position would damage the branch.

gardenmyths.com claims:

fuf.net makes the same claim:

Apparently, one side of the branch gets crushed when cutting.  Is there any truth to any of this?

In the gardenmyths image, it seems more likely to me that the blade side would get crushed, because the "hook" side has less going on during the cut.

Can anyone confirm or deny this?  Is there any convincing argument to any of this?


texts: How should I prune this overgrown pear tree?

texts: I have a pear tree, which is very zealous. Whatever it decides to do, it does in excess. First in the spring it sends out all sorts of new branches--all of them vertical. I snipped them off after they grew a few feet, but they merely resumed their skyward climb for 10 feet! Then the pear tree flowered and produced tremendous amounts of fruit. All the branches bent over more than a bow and arrow bends. Some of the branches literally snapped under the weight. What can I do to help this poor tree?


texts: How do I grow a new African Violet from a leaf?

texts: Two days ago I was admiring a friend's indoor African Violet, and she told me I could grow my own from a leaf. I've never heard of being able to do that with any plant. She gave me three leaves, each with a stem about two inches long, and told me if I put them in some potting soil, water them from the bottom, and leave the pot at room temperature in indirect sunlight, I'll see new plants in a few weeks. I did that. An online search confirmed that violets can be propagated this way, but the sites differed as to the process. Should I leave them as they are or do something else?


texts: Plant identification - similar to ZZ plant, waxy leaves with round fruit

texts: Their living condition are bright sun from 8am to 6pm daily, tropical rainfall, 26C to 35C temperature.


texts: What can I use to quickly and inexpensively create metal plant labels?

texts:
Has anyone had experience with creating their own permanent metal plant labels/tags?

My grandfather has an old Graphotype machine that he uses to label his metal plant tags, but they're rather expensive and his is very manual in operation.

I'm looking for a machine and/or technique that will quickly create metal labels for my plants without setting me back too severely in the process (<$200).


texts: Grow tomatoes outdoors inside a transparent plastic box

texts:
First time I'm going to plant tomatoes. I read up already on how to plant the seeds into pots.

My question is:
can I put the pots (containing the planted seeds) inside a big (45 liter), transparent, covered plastic box (something like this), and grow the tomatoes there? (In order to kind of emulate a greenhouse?)

      +---------------------------------------------------+ <---- transparent
      |          /                 \                      |        cover
       \     ~~~|~~~            ~~~|~~~                  /<--- transparent
        \    |     |            |     |                 /    plastic box
         \___|_____|____________|_____|________________/
                ^                  ^
                |__pots with soil and seeds

I suspect the answer is no, because I already tried researching this, and didn't find it anywhere (and I'm sure someone should have already done this, if it was a good idea :)), so the follow-up question is: why is this not possible, what would be the problem if I did so?

In case it is possible, which of the following is the best course of action, and why?

plant the seeds indoors, and wait until the plant starts to grow still indoors; when the plants start to grow, put the pots into the plastic box, and put the plastic box outside
plant the seeds indoors, and put the pots into the plastic box indoors; when the plants start to grow, put the box outside
plant the seeds (indoors or outdoors, I guess it does not matter?), put the pots into the plastic box, and put it outside immediately (this would be my preferred one)

Motivation for this idea:
- Keep plants more safe (against wind, cold, insects, etc., also green house is good in general for plants I think?)
- Less mess (any spill-over soil ends up in the box -- this is especially important if I have to plant the tomatoes indoors first)


texts: Tropical Growth Room for Vanilla Planfolia

texts:
I live in London and am designing a growth room in my garage (1m (W) by 1m (L) by 2m (H)), for a vanilla planfolia orchid.

There will be one or two, and I am wondering how many of what wattage growth lights I should install, what heaters I should put in, and I was wondering where to place these items.

It will not receive any external light, and the room temperature is ~16˚C. However, it will be in a heatproof box, with heat reflectors.

I know this about vanilla:

Rainfall: 2000mm per year (evenly spread)

Temperature: 20-30˚C

Also, it will be pruned to be 20ft long (and I shall loop it around).

So, does anyone know about the amount of growth lights or heaters please?


texts:
Our tree snapped into last spring and we had it removed and they ground it I believe with a machine.

I saw what I thought was a weed growing in it's place two month's ago which was about 2 to 3 inches tall and after looking closer the leaves looked like our tree. soooo....  I let it grow.

It is now 2 to 3 feet tall and looks more like a bush than a tree.  Will the stump eventually grow up or should I be doing something?


texts:
This one has proven to be a real mystery, even when we asked a Master Gardener.
Serrated edges, each cup 2-3 inches in width, about a foot in height.


texts: Ideas on growing leafy vegetables in soda bottles

texts:
I have a couple of questions on raising plants with hydro in soda bottles. Is it better to grow your leafy veg in a water solution or is the wick/soil approach better? I'm trying to get a little bit of an urban farming project going were I currently live, as a little bit of a side hustle, I'm just curious as to how exactly you go about raising plants in soda bottles.

I guess you would have to raise them from seeds in rock-wool, but afterwards when you transplant them in the soda bottles, that is when i'm not sure how to go about things. Is it as easy as just filling the bottle with nutrient solution and letting the seedlings roots hang in the water, or is it a bit more complicated than that?


texts: What are these sphere-like things on my Camellia azalea tree?

texts:
There are about 3 of these sphere things on my Camellia azalea tree/shrub. Can anyone tell me what they are? Are they harmful?

Also, the leaves are browning at the tips and falling. Is that due to not enough water or too much?

Click on pictures for larger size.


texts: Fertilisation in Flower-Boxes with Reservoir

texts: I'm using a flower-box that has a ~5l water reservoir. When it's time to use fertiliser, should I use liquid fertiliser and put it into the reservoir or should I apply it traditionally by watering it with diluted fertiliser onto the soil?


texts: Beginner Starting from Scratch: Weedlot to Enjoyable Garden

texts:
I live in the Pacific Northwest (Portland), and I have a small urban back yard (20'x30').  In the decade I have owned the house, I have never really done much with it, and it has ranged from boring but reasonably maintained grass lawn to complete weedlot, and everything in between.  Its current state is weedlot.

I would like to transform it into a beautiful garden...but one that's as low maintenance as possible (I am returning to grad school while working full-time: time is the scarcest resource).

Earlier this year, I planted two trees I like (a Stewartia and a Ash Cimmaron), but I am at a loss as to what to do with the rest of the yard, and I don't know where to start.  I am not in love with grass, and I like the idea of lusher, wilder-looking gardens.  I also love moss gardens, and there are parts of the yard that are mostly in shade all day long.

Various people have offered to help and, as well-intentioned as they have been, no one has really been able to see anything through, and I've realized that this is on me to do right.  So, here are my questions:

What book(s) should I read?  Katie Elzer-Peters' intro book on gardening seems like a safe bet for fundamentals, but the TOC doesn't indicate there's much there about planning a garden, or starting from scratch.  Any recommendations would be welcome.
Given that I want to essentially start from scratch, what is the most effective way to start from ground zero?  I understand that an effective way to kill everything and start from scratch is to cover the entire lawn with something that blocks the sun for an extended period of time.  Is there a book or article that describes this technique, and is that my best bet?
Is there a book, article, or website that covers budgeting for this kind of project?  While time is more critical than money, grad school isn't cheap, so I do have to budget: money is not not unlimited.  It would also be helpful to know in advance when I can expect large expenses so I can plan my budget accordingly.
I am not adverse to seeking professional help, but I don't even know the right questions to ask, or whether I should be looking for a landscaper or gardener.  And, as I mentioned, money is not unlimited, so if I were to hire someone to do all or part of this project, I would have to be mindful of that expense.  Should I consider a professional and, if so, what should I look for and what questions should I ask?

It is currently mid-summer, and it would be nice if this project were well underway within a year.  What should I be doing now to start seeing results next year?


texts: A mower that's also capable of pushing snow

texts:
This is a follow up to my question purely about lawn mowers.

We are short of space so having a lawn mower in addition to a snowblower is going to be a chore.

Is there a two-in-one device that has both attachments?


texts: Do I need to shade my veggie garden during a heat wave?

texts:
We are expected to have 100+ degrees Fahrenheit for the next 3 days. My plants are already looking pretty wilted. They get 12 hours of sunlight, often dry and windy as well. I'm really worried I will lose some of the weaker plants during this heat, but I don't want to shade them if I will hurt them from growing.

I have two tomato plants (beefeater, and cherry tomatos), a yellow bell pepper and red bell pepper, an eggplant and a jalapeno pepper. And two blueberry bushes.


texts:
The base of my cactus seems to be drying. I water it once a week. I bought it 3mos. ago. Just recently, I have seen some whitening at the base of the cactus. It was small at first but it grows bigger and bigger. I dont know what to do since it is my first cactus.

I always put it in sunlight every morning and get it inside immediately when the sun is starting to feel so hot or when the clock ticks 10am. Please help me.

What's happening to my cactus? Why is the base of the cactus drying?


texts: 2 year old avocado plant not doing too great, possible cold damage

texts:
I have 2 avocado plants that are not doing too well...

Here is a photo:

About week ago they looked fine, a couple of dying leaves but nothing too bad.

In the last couple of days temperatures have started to go below -5 °C and the plants are outside in a small greenhouse.

As you can see the leaves are really limp and they started to go brown from di inside out, the tops are basically dried and i don't see any kind of rotting anywere.

Could this be cold damage?

And if it's even possible, how can i make the plants recover?


texts: Tiger aloe, is developing brown spots and is browning

texts: So i have had this tiger aloe for almost a year now. it always seemed fine. but recently it has developed dry spots, and the inside of the plant is browning (see picture). I water it once a month by placing the plant in 15 cm of water for 20 minutes. It is also on my windowsill and the sun goes down on my side of the room, so lots of afternoon sun.


texts: This insect has a chaotic flight pattern. It is very small and I found it hidden in the soil of a flower pot. Is this a plant pest?


texts: Blackberry Old Growth on Primocanes Dying

texts: My row of Natchez blackberry is experiencing some mysterious die back. These are primocanes, the floricanes have been pruned out for some time. About 6 weeks ago the leaves begin to turn purple, then a red-yellow, and eventually turning brown and dying off. This condition has been systematically moving up the main trunk of the plant from the base. Surprisingly, the laterals seem unaffected. We haven't had any cold weather to speak of. It has been hot and dry, but I've been trying to give them a good drink on the weekends. I also did a soil test and found that my pH shot up to about 7. I am thinking it could be Nitrogen deficiency because the old growth being affected most or Iron deficiency due to the high pH.  I put some sulfur down and watered with about a gallon of water with a couple tbsp of vinegar, and I also put down some 10-10-10 fertilizer. Has any one experienced this before or notice any tell-tale signs in the attached photo?


texts: Drying a pot of fresh soil vs drying a pot of soil with bugs

texts: I was trying to dry a fresh pot of soil that I bought from a local store and a pot soil that had been exposed with bugs in it (ants/ flies/creepy crawlies). After about 3 weeks, the pot of fresh soil had completely harden while the other pot with bugs are still moist. Trying to get some opinions here if a garden with such biodiversity (ants/flies/creepy crawlies/visited by lizards) are better for plants or one that is kind of sterile? Are they considered pest or good for plants?


texts: Protecting winter potatoes from frost with a growhouse

texts:
In the first week of August (2013) I started my first attempt at growing potatoes, in grow bags. Actually got the miracle-gro root vegetable bags from garden centre and seed potatoes, so the mix should be ideal.

The seed potatoes are Maris Peers in one and Charlotte's in the other. For Christmas cropping it is advised that you protect against frost, I was wondering if placing the grow bags in something like the Gardman tomato growhouses would be a good idea.

Would the extra warmth throughout the end of the summer be OK? is this likely to offer enough warmth in winter? It should get around 4 hours of sun in mid winter.

Location is East Lothian, Scotland. Just north of the border on the east coast. I believe on the US hardiness scale it is 8b according to trebrown.


texts: Why did our frost only affect random plants?

texts:
We had our first frost the other day (the growing season has been long this year).

Anyway, I noticed that some plants were seemingly randomly affected more than others. For instance, I have two Pepino melon plants growing right beside each other (which are free of spider mites, now, just for the record). The biggest one of them withstood the frost very well, and looks as healthy as ever, and the other mostly withered. I have three Rocoto pepper plants growing next to each other, and two of them withered right away, but the other took an extra day before it withered. Seemingly random parts of my Shark Fin Melon plants were affected severely, and seemingly random parts are just as chipper as ever. The tomatoes, at least, were consistent by the second day, with the exception of a couple small shoots on a few plants. The melons seem to have withered (with the exception of a few tips of the vines of the Red-seeded Citron watermelon). There are two tiny sweet pepper plants that are fine while the big ones are all wilting.

All my litchi tomato plants survived the frost (one had a regular tomato plant growing on top of it, which plant withered): I guess the litchi tomatoes must really be frost-resistant to some degree if that's the case; hopefully it's not just time-delayed frost damage (litchi tomatoes aren't tomatoes, by the way). The arugula is all fine.

EDIT: I've found that litchi tomatoes (Morelle De Balbis) actually are frost-tolerant. Mine was tolerant and evergreen to repeated freezes until it got to about 15° F. It must have natural anti-freeze in it or something.

I've heard if it's windy that it can protect plants against frost. I don't know if that's true, but do you think something like sporadic winds or varying phosphorus levels has something to do with the style of our frost damage?


texts: I need help identifying this bonsai tree

texts:
i bought this bonsai tree in a local gardening store.
I forgot to ask what species it was.
I can't find any useful information on the website of the importer and i was unable to identify it by means of an online guide.
Kind of dumb to assume the species wouldn't matter, but i hope one of you can help me out.

Thanks in advance :)


texts: Cross pollination with a new tree propagated by air layering

texts:
I know some fruit trees like apple, plum, cherry etc requires cross pollination for setting fruits.

Let's say I have only one tree and I can propagate a new tree by air layering. So the new tree and the existing one can cross pollination. Will that work?

I don't think that will work because the new tree and the existing tree are identical generically but I am not sure.

Please shed some light on.


texts: Should I remove hibiscus flower blossoms as soon as they wilt?

texts: Will they continue to send up new buds throughout the summer, or will it not make any difference at all if I remove them after they blossom? I have at least six very tall leafy plants, but not many buds.


texts: What kind of oak-like tree is this in New York?

texts: There's only one tree of this kind around, and it's growing in a marshy field area. Does anybody know what it is? It looks oak-like but the leaves don't match up exactly with any oak variety I know of.


texts: Monkey Puzzle Tree (Araucaria araucana) shedding seeds in Summer

texts:
I own a large, glorious Monkey Puzzle Tree (Araucaria araucana) that overhangs my driveway, the driveway of my neighbour and the public footpath.  It's a female tree, roughly 50 feet high perhaps and we think it may be around 70-80 years old.
In recent years it has increased its habit of dropping thousands of seeds (every day) during the hottest days of summer.  It's getting so bad that the sharp, pointed seeds are posing a danger to car tyres and pedestrians' feet, so I'm having to go out with a broom and a snow shovel to sweep up these evil things multiple times a day!
Here's what we're looking at (with clothes peg for scale):

The tree is surrounded by concrete, gravel and grass, which I'd like to ideally keep clear of the seeds.
I've tried to pick these things up with an old, cheap garden vacuum, but that is even harder than sweeping them.
An illustration of the area and the places where the seeds tend to accumulate (yellow line is my neighbour's fence)...

They get blown into the roadside gutter which poses a risk for local residents parking at the front of the houses, and also might eventually cause the drains to clog up.  It's my tree so I am on the hook for any repair bills from the public or the local council maintenance dept.
Question:
Can anyone recommend a method for picking up these things quickly and easily?  I'm thinking that someone that has to maintain a large estate with dozens of these trees probably has some clever ideas I've not thought of.  Is there some kind of gadget designed for picking up things like this without also picking up gravel?
p.s. I normally separate out the viable seeds from the dead ones and give the good ones away for other people to grow in their gardens.  It's an endangered species and I'd like to help it out as much as I can.


texts: This is growing in my backyard. Is it a maple? It looks a little maple-y, but Google Image comparisons were inconclusive, and there aren't any maples nearby that might have dropped a seed.


texts: Have I planted my tomato seedlings too close together?

texts:
I have been following this walk-through on growing tomatoes from seeds: http://www.reneesgarden.com/articles/grow-tomato.htm

I have planted my seeds in the rectangular container.  But I believe I have possibly over-seeded them.  See the picture below on current progress.

On that link showing how to grow them, steps 7 and 8 show that you prick out the seedlings and transplant them into individual containers.  My fear with my current status is that the plants are too many and too close together, and I won't be able to untangle the roots when moving them from the large container (which they are in now) to individual containers.

Any thoughts on if this is currently still ok?

(not sure if it matters, but the front half are roma tomatoes and the back half are beef steak tomatoes)

Thanks!


texts:
My lawn is currently struggling in the recent heat wave that has hit the midwest United States. Despite how much I water my lawn resemble more of a desert than a green oasis.

I've asked around and I get conflicting advice. To prevent burning the lawn, some say it best to water in morning while others say in the evening. Some say keep the grass short, others say to let it grow out.

What can I do to prevent my backyard from becoming the first desert in Wisconsin? What is the correct time to water/mow on those really warm days/weeks?


texts:
I bought a kentia palm some months ago, and during the last week one stem/group of steams is turning out yellow. Also there are some big white stains on the leaves. Some leaves also have small white spots which I can imagine are mealybugs.
The leaves with the green stems are still healthy.
I live in a cold but humid place (sometime mold problems) and maybe I over-watered the plant, but I am not sure.

Can you give me some advice? Thanks!


texts: Re-grassing a patch where grass has died off

texts:
I've bought a relatively new house and the grass turf laid when it was built has been around for about a year and a half now, and has bedded in quite nicely.  However there was a patch where the leaves fell in Autumn and I didn't remove them, which has killed off the grass in that patch over the Winter:

This is the UK.  Are there any tips for re-seeding this section of the garden?  The ground seems a bit dry, even though I water it quite regularly, and I've tried putting a bit of grass seed down so far without success.  Are there any really hardy varieties of grass I can plant that are likely to thrive even in soil that isn't that ideal (although you can see to the bottom left that grass is quite capable of growing in it)?


texts:
I went to stir my compost pile the other day, and to my surprise, when I dug into the center of the pile, I found that it was hot. As in, really hot. Once I removed the top layer steam was literally rising off of it. I didn't have a thermometer handy, but I'm estimating that the temperature was at least 50 C (120 F) based on how hot it was to the touch.

Is this normal? Is it good/bad? How much hotter could my compost heap get?

(Note: I have a big compost heap, due to having a big yard that creates a lot of yard waste.)


texts: How to efficiently remove landscaping rock

texts:
I've got a section of yard with a considerable amount of landscaping rock (similar to https://texasgardenmaterials.com/product/river-rock-gravel/). It appears that many years ago someone had deliberately rocked the area as a landscaping choice. Unfortunately, the area has been neglected for many years. The rocks are embedded in the dirt. The area grows some grass, but mostly brush.

Ideally, I'd like to remove the rocks, add soil if needed, and return the area to being a lawn. I'm happy to rent equipment, but I don't even know what to look for. I could do it by hand with some kind of home-made sifter, but that sounds like doing things the hard way.


texts: Newly seeds lawn is 6 inches tall after one month. When should I mow it.   It’s Beginning of October now in Smokey mountains. Should I wai until the spring to mow.  I am worried it will start falling over if it gets much taller.  Lawn is large so I mow with a 60 inch deck zero turn riding lawn mower.  I worry mower is too heavy for new lawn.


texts: I've heard that Crosnes is a good crop to grow, and was wondering how to plant/grow it.


texts: Identifying cause of poor growth in rudbeckia

texts:
My rudbeckia is starting to come out, and some of the leaves at the tips are curled, dry, and in some of the plants yellow.

Last year these plants did mostly fine, considering it was an incredibly dry summer and I did not water much.

As I was taking these pictures I was pulling a weed near the base of one of these plans, and some kind of grubby critter stuck to my hand. Not sure if it's to blame. Picture of the bug at the end.

Location is Southeast Michigan, USA.

Any ideas on identification and treatment?

PS: did some more careful inspection of the plants today, looking for small bugs and whatnot. Saw nothing. It did occur to me that we've had an unusually cold spring, with light frosts many times for the past couple weeks. It's just starting to warm up now. Could it simply be frost damage?


texts: Should I repair 2005 John Deere or purchase a new mower?

texts:
I have a 2005 John Deere 115 19 HP automatic riding mower.  After leaving it in the garage all winter, I started the mower, drove it about 50 yards, engaged the blade.  After about 20 feet it made a loud boom and has not started since.

I had a lawn mower repair guy come out who said that the engine was "gone".  He didn't do really anything as far as I could tell other that listen to it and spin  the top if the engine.  He said the engine shouldn't spin like that.

He said he would do research and see about options on a replacement.  He said it was going to be $450.00 US for a "Short Block" which he would charge an additional $200 US for labor.  He said that he would just bolt my existing parts (starter, muffler, etc) to the short block and it would be fixed.

My question is whether or not I should put $650.00 US into a John Deere mower which is almost 10 years old and that I paid about 1,300.00 US for when I bought it brand new.  As far as I can tell, it will cost me about $1800.00 US for a similar replacement.  I'm really not sure if this "short block" solution is common and a good option.

Is it worth the repair costs or should I just buy a new one?


texts: Will Bradford pear suckers produce flowers?

texts: A 21 year old Bradford pear split and was cut back to ground level. After a couple of years there are at least 20 suckers that are 4 foot high making a thick hedge. Will they keep getting taller or remain bush like? Will they flower if left alone? There are no thorns.


texts: How do I dry Hydrangeas to preserve as much color as possible?

texts:
I have blue to purple hydrangeas and would like to dry them. I have tried hanging them upside down, standing in a vase, cutting and rinsing the stems then drying in a vase.

Nothing seems to leave as much color in them as the ones I have seen for sale down on Cape Cod.

How do I dry them and preserve as much color as possible?


texts: They look like these .., they all grew tall and flowered... it looks nice in the beginning but then they seem to over grow and they start leaning in different directions and then it does not look compact and neat anymore


texts: What is this small plant with tiny yellow flowers?

texts: This small plant with tiny yellow flowers is collected in South-Central Europe. Found in a field.


texts: Dealing with Hydrangea with dark green flower tips and wilting leaves

texts:
I had a pot of hydrangeas for a few months which I keep outside. I water them twice a day: in the morning and in the early/late evening. They receive little to no direct sunlight - which according to multiple internet sources is perfect.

The flowers have had these dark green tips for some time. Many of the leaves are also wilted from the middle towards the tips. Also note the brown steam, though I am assuming that this is normal?

Perhaps I am over-watering them; however, I used to also water them (but a lesser amount) and was told by a gardener that they need a lot more water (they were quite dry).

What is wrong with my flowers?


texts:
Please tell me if this Aloe Vera leaf is healthy. Most of the leaves are green but there are some leaves with these black patches.

Is it safe to consume these leaves raw?


texts: Is this plant a Crassula Ovata or a Portulacaria Afra?

texts:
:)
What plant is this? I tried to compare it to both the Crassula and the Portulacaria but I think it has a bit of both. Also, the pot is of oval shape, is it necessary to have it? or can I switch to a regular one? I initially thought this was a bonsai and that was the reason it was in this pot but apparently it’s not.


texts: Shall I remove broken or partly dead leaves of a Kalanchoe?

texts:
I have two Kalanchoes.

The first one of them did not bloom, and some leaves I think are starting to die. Is there anything I can do to help it bloom? Shall I remove the dying leaves?

The second one has broken leaves, but has more flowers. Shall I only remove the broken leaves?


texts:
I have healthy okra plants based on leaves and trunk observation, with small buds that are taking too long to blossom. They are planted in 5 liter pots.
I found 1 flower that has dried up and fallen and it revealed a nub. Today, I found out that the small nub fell off.
I live here in the Philippines and it is pretty hot. I water them everyday with quantity of maybe 2 cups of water as I was informed they don't like too much water... I water them with blackstrap molasses once or twice a week and have used rabbit manure to fertilize the soil , leaves are green , no holes or any signs of pests infestation.

this bud fell off. this is the second one.
What seems to be the problem?


texts: Which plants/trees will benefit from using urine as a fertilizer?

texts:
We know that urine can do a plant good. Certain plants (like citrus trees) will absolutely do well if you add urine to their intake.
But urine is very high in nitrogen and could potentially "burn" the plant. What are some common plants/trees that can flourish with urine as a fertilizer? Is there some way to tell which ones to avoid, lest they shrivel up and choke on the nitrogen?


texts: Why is dumping kitchen waste (like peels of a potato) in a potted plant a bad idea?

texts:
I've heard that dumping kitchen waste, like rinds of potatoes, cucumbers, gourds, onions, etc. is a bad idea. Why it is a bad idea?

And if I dig that type of kitchen waste an inch or so in the soil and then cover up with soil any better? Apart from animals digging it up.

I know this question is asked before, but I need a detailed answer, if possible.


texts: Will I harm my trees if I put sports field turf around them? Should I keep a certain distance away? Thanks


texts:
Is it possible to grow tomatoes as a pot plant? In the limited space I have I can afford pot of maximum depth = 12 cm and diameter = 12 cm. what size pot will be ideal to start with?

In India what would be the best time to plant them and how can I take care of it at later stages?

Sun is not that harsh is winters here - temperature ranges 5-35 degree centigrade, average day temperature would about 24 degree centigrade.

Plant will be placed outdoors and will get all sunlight all through the day.


texts:
I have 2 ginger bulbs planted and while the plants grow fast (it has grown from zero to this in about a month), they are getting very high. Right now nearing a meter. The plant is mostly on a windowsill that gets afternoon light. I took the picture elsewhere just to get a better image.

Could the windowsill be too intense with light? Although, I have to say, it almost never gets direct sun.


texts:
This may be a long shot, but I've got a very large (1.5 inch diameter) root running along the side of my house.  There is ivy, bamboo and lilac growing above it.  There is a 20 foot magnolia about 20 feet away.  There is a 50 foot Red Maple about 40 feet away.  Or is it something else entirely?  The roots seem very distinctive to me, so I have hope.

Any help appreciated!


texts:
I have bought a garden in Austria (Central Europe) which has some grape vines (I don't know the exact kind). The previous owner told me they harvested 20 kilograms of grapes last summer. Currently (early July) the vines are bearing a good handful of grapes -- still developing of course, less than 0,8cm each -- but a friend told me that the grapes would not be good unless I remove some of the fruit, so that the remaining fruit will be better (sweeter, juicier). I found this similar question which says to prune in early spring. Since I didn't prune then, my question is:

Can I thin the fruits in July? If so, how? If not, will the grapes be any good this year?

Considerations of how the vine would grow next year aren't relevant because I will be building a house here next year and the vine will have to be sacrificed. This year, I'd rather have few but enjoyable grapes than buckets full of bad ones, so I would not mind pruning ruthlessly, to get any good ones this year. I'm just hoping it's not too late for that?

There is apparently only one vine growing; another one or two seem dead.


texts:
I am very much in favor of getting a composting bin (like the one below).  Before I do that, I want to get your thoughts on the following:

Does it attract unwanted pests/rodents (bugs, mice, etc.)?
Does it create an undesirable odor that can bother the neighbors?

Any suggestions on the questions above and the bin shown below would be great


texts:
I'm trying to come up with a suitable crop rotation regimen for garlic. What are the plants suitable for planting on the "garlic space" the second and third year of rotation?

In particular I am interested in garlic-hemp (the one without psychedelic effect) combination. Hemp and garlic seems to be such a new combination that I've barely found anything written about it.

On other side, I've found out that potato and legumes are a no-go. When I hear legumes I typically think of beans. Does that mean that alfalfa too shouldn't be used as a cover plant once the garlic is taken out of the soil?


texts: How much should blackberries grow in their first year?

texts:
I planted 15 small (6" tall) blackberry plants from pots (9 Triple Crown Thornless and 6 Prime-Jim) in late April in southwestern Pennsylvania (USDA zone 5).

All of the plants look very healthy in color and shape, but after 6 weeks the Triple Crown hasn't moved more than an inch, and the Prime-Jim has grown at most 2 or 3 inches.

The native soil does have a lot of clay, but we added a bunch of compost and topsoil. There is definitely enough rainfall (maybe too much?). And while it's not full sun, it's not far from full sun, and there are healthy tall weeds growing nearby.

I read that the Triple Crown won't fruit during the first year, and growth should be moderate, but at this rate they don't look like they'll be much taller than a foot by the end of the season. What should my expectations for blackberry growth be during the first year?

I haven't done a pH test yet, it's a new property. But I did apply this blackberry fertilizer.


texts: Growing conditions for hydroponics - Vanilla Planfolia and Saffron (Crocus Sativus)

texts:
Creating an indoor, temperature and humidity controlled hydroponics setup. Wanted advice on whether I can grow the following:

Vanilla Planfolia
Saffron (Crocus sativus)

I was also wondering if anybody knew the optimal conditions to grow these plants. I would need the  following info:

Humidity
Temperature
Watering information (I'll be using a drip system)
Lighting (I will be using LED solar lights (Red and Blue))

Thank you very much


texts: Can I save my apple tree? Trunk's been bored practically through

texts:
I don't know how I missed it, but one of my apple trees has been bored by some insect(s) or even maybe by birds practically through:

Now, the tree still looks healthy, all the leaves are green, there are budding apples, etc, but the hole obviously isn't healthy. It also goes practically through all of the tree diameter, if I put in a stick it seems to go to bark on the other side. The only blessing is that the hole doesn't seem to become larger on inside:

Now, what can I do to save it, if possible?


texts: Will a field system being dug near my Norway Spruce have any effect on it?

texts:
My neighbors are having a field system dug for their septic system.  The digging is just beyond the edge of the drip line of my very tall, 60+ years old, Norway spruce.  Will my tree suffer any consequences of these trenches being dug?  We have had a very wet spring but the trenches were left open over night.  I am concerned that major roots could have been damaged or destroyed and that leaving the trenches open may cause dry out of any roots remaining.
Could there be ramifications later?


texts: Kentia Palm Dying! Sooty Mold? Root Rot?

texts:
I've tried searching but I can't find any similar cases to mine. I'm a plant newbie so apologies if I'm missing something obvious.
My Kentia Palm (bought about 2 years ago from IKEA) is really struggling. For a couple of months now it has had this kind of black dirt on the underside of the leaves. They brush off easily, and in the below picture you can see they have marked/stained the wall. From some Googling, I thought this might be 'sooty mould' but now I'm not so sure.

I used a damp cloth to wipe down all the leaves and bought some neem oil and sprayed it with that before I went home for Christmas. But when I came back 2/3 weeks later, the black dirt/'soot' problem was back and now many of the leaves are browning, thinning and the whole plant appears to be dying.
Could it be sooty mould? Or root rot? Any help to diagnose and save it would be much appreciated. Or if it's too far gone and a lost cause, please let me know.
As some background info to help diagnose the issue... It's been great for years but recently has been moved around a lot, from flat to flat, which probably hasn't been good for it.
I moved in to my current flat in September (all these flats are in London by the way), and it's only since then that the problem has started. This flat did/does have a problem with damp, and mould, in some places. We've since got a dehumidifier to sort this out but now it's hard to tell if the problem could have started from overwatering (the flat being too damp/humid for it to dry out properly), or now, the air being too dry at times..?
Also, my small bedroom isn't the brightest so perhaps it's not getting enough light, I just dont really have anywhere else to put it without it blocking my small window.
Any help much appreciated!


texts: Identifying unusual wild raspberry plants?

texts: I am located in Southwestern Pennsylvania and I know wild black raspberries are native to me and the surrounding counties. The plants are randomly growing in patches throughout the woods on my property which tells me they were spread by bird droppings. Primocanes reach about 8ft long and the floricanes are a deep purple color. Floricanes are not pictured. The canes are a bluish white (glaucous) color, the cane is smooth/round and not angled/squared like some wild blackberries, whitish underside of the leaves, and tip rooting. These are all common black raspberry traits. However, I have never seen the canes flower/fruit. This makes me wonder how they spread so randomly if it was from bird droppings. No fruits = no bird droppings. I am uncertain that these are black raspberries (Rubus occidentalis). Is there such a thing as a non fruiting rubus-looking plant? If they are black raspberries, they must be a late bearing variety.


texts:
Why are my oranges lumpy and they only grow in the top of the tree out of reach?
Can I trim to a more manageable height?


texts:
I am planning on doing my own backyard to save a bunch of money on labor. The first step will be digging the trenches for my sprinkler system.

Before I begin, i was hoping to get any thoughts or opinions on how I have the sprinklers / drippers laid out which would change up my trenches.

In the image below, P=Plant, S=Sprinkler, green lines are the two proposed trenches. One zone will feed all the plants/flowerbed and veg bed. The other will be for the grass.


texts: How can I get rid of my umbrella grass (papyrus, Cyperus alternifolius) completely? Will glyphosate kill it? Or do I have to dig it out? I've cut it to the ground. It was taking over too much space.


texts:
My jade plant is very droopy. I keep it in my southwest facing window and try to keep it behind a few other plants to get filtered sun. I water once a week (if I remember -- let's just say it's definitely not overwatered). I've had it for several years, I can't even remember when or where I got it at this point. Here's a picture so you can see. It's never grown up, only down.

It also has these weird, as I call them, "fractal jade" formations. Instead of growing up it just sort of branches out.

I have another jade plant that grows perfectly upright and "normal" looking, and I treat these two the same, so I'm not sure what gives.


texts: My basil is "rotting", here's all the clues I have gathered

texts:
This is my third try in having a basil that lives more than a month and I've been rather successful with my last try. But now, for some unknown reason to me, it's dying.

Here are many pictures of what I have gathered and my comments to help you understand and, hopefully, help me understand and overcome this situation. I've found many basil related questions on this site already but they didn't seem to have the same symptoms (most of the time, basil was being eaten by something, mine seems to not lose matter, but to rot instead).

Image 1 : These are the stages of the process. From left to right, healthy to dead. The last one is completely dry and often falls off just by barely touching the branch.

Image 2 : I've had to cut leaves regularly as they became more and more infected, and cutting infected leaves seemed to slow down the infestation of the remaining leaves. All of them seem infested now.

I think it happened from bottom to top, since only the top leaves are now alive, but they are also the last ones to have been growing so I don't know.

You can also see in the background I'm using a fertilizer to help nourish the plant, as the last two basils I've had died, I'm just trying to boost my chances.

==== Here are some close up shots to help you gather more information ===

======= End of close up shots ======

This image should help you grasp the size of the current plant. This is the largest basil I've ever grown, I think becauseI started in May and not because I'm a "good gardener".

And now the most important bit and maybe what I should've started with

These white crawling insects are all over my plant.
They do not seem to grow.
They don't seem hairy.
They're about 1.5mm long, but I've eyeballed it

I can find them inside/under leaves, and that's about it. I've seen them in the dirt but I think its just from the leaves falling. They're now on my table from all the dead leaves I've removed.

I've also found a very small spider, I have no idea if she's related either. I'm hoping she's enjoying all the food, but I don't think she can eat all those bastards alone.

Okay, I know taht's a lot of pictures, most of them are probably all irrelevant, but since I have no clue I'm trying to provide as much information as I can.

Oh, also, I live in Belgium, summers are not really hot here but there can be 10° (celsius) differences in a single day. The plant is inside, always watered from the bottom. That window right next to it is pretty much always open, and the plant is exposed to direct sunlight about 1h or 2 at least every sunny day.

Please ask me for more information if you need it. I'm not sure what I can do for my next basil since this one will probably be dead in the next few weeks.


texts: How to treat fungus on indoor avocado plant leaves

texts:
I have an indoor avocado plant which I just repotted but up until this point have really neglected.  Despite this it seems to have grown happily over the last two years and hasn't required or received much attention.

I would like to take better care of it and in repotting I noticed that there is potentially some fungus growing on some of the leaves as shown here:

I do not know if it is a fungus or not but the white speckles seen most easily at the top of the leaf cannot be easily rubbed off the leaf and feel a bit hard to touch.  These spots are on about 50% of the leaves (maybe a bit less).  The rest of the plants' leaves look very healthy in my opinion:

I would like to know if there is anything I should do in this situation?  I have read that I should both leave and cut off any leaves with fungus on.  That I can buy some anti-fungal stuff for the leaves etc.  Is there anything I should do to help the plant?

Some of the tips of the leaves are also brown.  I read that this is probably due to a high concentration level of salts in the soil and have since repotted the plant to try and fix that issue.  I am assuming the brown leaf tips and the fungus are unrelated.


texts:
I've planted some herbs on my balcony in hanging flower boxes. I live in Illinois so it's pretty hot and humid around this time of the year. My parsley has been showing discoloration my basil has some kind of brown spots on some of the leaves. Also, the rosemary seems to be unable to grow new stems and the base of the existing stems is somewhat brownish. I've posted images for all three. Here are my questions:

Parsley: I thought at first that the issue is related to the heat of the sun, but then I read somewhere that this could be fungus . Any ideas based on the pictures? I ordered a bottle of fungicide from amazon and it should be arriving tomorrow.
Basil: in a previous thread I asked a question about finding a lot of insects in my old bag of potting mix. After seeing the comments I ended up using the soil; the basil plant seems to be the one with the most "infestation". I am unsure if these dots are a result of the insects or heat/sun related.
Rosemary: I suspect that the roots might have rot or something. How can I be sure? Could something else be the issue?

I would appreciate any advice on the matter! Thanks!

Pictures of all the pots in which the plants are planted:


texts: My Aloe Vera has one leaf that is flattening after I just repotted it, is it wilting?

texts: I've been watering it around twice a week, and it has been getting a good deal of sun, save for some recent rainy days. Yet the largest leaf seems to be flattening out and another feels kinda soft, whilst the others feel firm. It's facing SE, and is planted in succulent soil. I checked the roots and everything seemed alright, but the leaves show no sign of improvement. I was wondering what I'm doing wrong?


texts: I would like to know when do Carnations (Dianthus caryophyllus) become responsive to their photoperiod for flowering. That is, at what leaf stage e.g. two leaf, four leaf. Thank you a lot.


texts:
hi my mulberry tree bears lots of fruit but the fruit shrivels up before it ripens.
i don't know how old the tree is but i'll guess OLD. never cared for until my sister bought this property 6-7 years ago and i didn't pay attention to it (or know it was a mulberry) until 3 years ago, except to free it from vines that i think nearly killed it. it looks pretty healthy now. i don't know what kind of mulberry it is. i've seen fruit that looks like white mulberries then i'm gone for a week or 2 and they're all very dark and shriveled. it's next to a lawn but the lawn doesn't get fertilized. i did throw some composted chicken manure around it early this spring. it gets full sun from morning 'till mid-late afternoon then bigger trees shade it.
            Thanks for any insight you might give me.
         R


texts: What is the recommended elevation between the water table and the growing surface?

texts:
I'm starting to plan out my garden for the spring planting, and am trying to figure out how much surface I need between where the green part of the plants and the water table. I'm trying to have a big enough garden (about an acre of knocked down grass) this year so my local tree service can drop off their load of wood chips and pick enough vegetables for their family as payment so they remember to come back more often. A slow flowing creek runs right along the edge of my expansion zone.

My zone 4 planned planting includes:

tomatoes/tomatillo
cucumbers
Stevia
okahijiki(edible ground
kale
Nasturtium (edible ground cover)
Thyme
Basil
Anise
Thyme
Carrots
Longevity spinach
Okra
Ramps


texts:
These fruit had already fallen, but the fruit is sometimes being eaten on the tree. Just one or two fruit at a time. No noticeable teethmarks, though I will examine the intact lemons more often to see the start of the damage
Location is Melbourne, Australia. Variety is Improved Meyer Lemon.
Suspect some invertebrate, though it could be possum or rodents.
I visit this tree regularly, so can do experiments with it.

....and another one in the last 5 days. Found (again) on the ground, open surface down. The stem looks chewed through.


texts: What is this weed, native to south-western Ohio?

texts: What is the name of this plant/weed, found in south-western Ohio? They are fairly common and grow wildly. This particular one happens to just be growing dead-center in a pot:


texts: What is my Sago Palm releasing into the air and is it seasonal?

texts: I just bought a small Sago Palm and it's been sitting in my room for the last week. It doesn't have a flower spike, so I assume it's not releasing spores. But it gives off a slight musky smell, and my allergies have been going haywire. If it's not spores, what could it be releasing? And is it likely to be seasonal, or permanent?


texts: Cactus ID: Globular, multiple straight prominent ribs, spiny, somewhat wooly, fibrous root

texts:
I need help identifying one of my old neglected-so-far cacti. Unfortunately and somewhat deservedly, it has not flowered for me yet.

It is the size of an apple (since I have treated it horribly, or more precisely, not at all, it may well be undersized for its 10-year-old age)

It has multiple (~20) prominent ribs. The ribs are straight (I'm thinking therefore this is not an Echinofossulocactus ( = Stenocactus)

It has fibrous roots (I haven't got a picture of the roots, but I have repotted it recently and you will have to take my word for it)

It has 4-6 spines per areola, one of which is noticeably longer than the others, reaching up to 3 cm in length. The spines aren't very strong, i.e. they'd rather bend than cut through the skin.

The plant appears dusty, but if one takes a closer look, it seems the "dust" is some sort of wool on the stem. I don't know. Maybe not.

I am thinking of Echinopsis (in the broad sense of the term, e.g. including Lobivias (Lobiviae?)) but because of the quantity of the species in the genus and the variability of plants I am having a hard time. Hope I'll get some good guesses here.


texts: Pink Anthurium in apartment - leaves turning brown and dying

texts:
I've been keeping 3 plants of pink anthurium in my apartment - bought at different points of time from different shops, all plants initially healthy. All three however end up showing the same symptoms: leaves start turning brown at the tip, eventually killing the leaf. The plant themselves sprout new leaves but quite slowly, with a lot of "stumps." Moreover, some young leaves already have brown tips (see photos).

I try to water them once or twice weekly (although I tried changing the regime and doing it once weekly) and spray them every 2-3 days but it doesn't seem to help.

One more data point: the apartment doesn't get a lot of sunlight.

Am I treating the plants wrong? Please help!


texts:
I grew this chili plant from some seeds I had from some left over dried chillies a couple of years ago. It is now around 4 months old and has these nice chilli peppers. By the looks of it, it seems like jalapeño but I would like to confirm what species it is. There is a bit of variation between the first one it grew that came out very straight and the other two which came out crooked.
Any idea what type of chilli it is?


texts: Why are my jalapenos turning brown?  The plant looks healthy.  The fruit turns brown after it is about inch and a half from tip to stem.


texts:
I have about 12 to 15 corn plants in my garden and it keeps breaking off about 6" - 12" from the ground and falling over. Some Google search indicates that it is not getting enough water. I also have a lot of chipmunks in my yard, so it could be either of those. So my questions are:

Do corn plants tend to break if not watered enough? Is there any merit to this claim?
If it is the chipmunks, could I get some suggestions on repelling them from the garden? I recently put up a fence all around to keep the rabbits away, but the gap between the fence wire isn't small enough to keep the chipmunks out. This question suggests an owl in the garden, but is there any other suggestion to keep them away? Like some sort of pepper spray on the fence wire or something more active.
Would tying them to a stick and standing them back up actually help them grow again? Or should I just pull them out and resolve my root cause of the issue first, and then replant them?


texts: What problems can come from a tree with its graft union 5 inches above the soil line?

texts:
I planted a grafted apple tree in a pot and shortly thereafter realized the graft union is about 5-6 inches above the soil line. My gardening books and online searches recommend the union be no more than 3 inches above the soil line.

Will it harm the tree if I leave it as is, or should I stop being lazy and replant it?


texts: What should I do with some volunteer potatoes growing in my compost pile?

texts:
I have two or three potato plants growing in my compost pile. I'm pretty sure they are some red potatoes I tossed after they got too old. I bought them from a local organic produce store.

The plants look pretty healthy (to my untrained eye).  What should I do with them, considering I want to grow some potatoes this year.

Kill them.
I'd generally prefer to grow potatoes from known good potato stock intended for such a purpose, but considering they're grown from organic potatoes, is there much risk?

Protect them in the compost pile so I can harvest them there later.
This could be a bit of a hassle, considering I continue to add to the compost pile.  I also wonder if growing in the compost pile directly might not be best for the potatoes--would they be happier in regular soil?

Transplant them to my main garden area for a real potato harvest later.
I'm not sure how realistic this is... I suspect this would basically amount to harvesting the (likely small/immature?) potatoes, and planting them anew in my garden.  At this point, I may as well buy some actual seed potatoes, right?

Something else?


texts: Dead branches and new growth on the same plant

texts:
I planted 5 Japanese Yews in the Spring and 3 of them have both dead/dying branches and new growth on the same plant. What would cause this? I live in North Texas. Thank you

I believe they are podocarpus.


texts: How can I get my Wandering Jew to flower?

texts:
I have had a Wandering Jew (Tradescantia zebrina) plant for several years, but it has never flowered.

It is in a hanging basket outside during the warm season, and indoors during winter.
The temperature gets down to 45°F (7°C) in Miracle Grow potting mix.
It gets lots of water from the rain, but during the dry period I water it.
I make worm (compost) tea from my vermicomposter and use that as a liquid fertilizer feed.

Q. What should be done to get it to flower?


texts: How do I inoculate plants with garden giant when not disturbing the soil?

texts:
I'm wanting to hook my plants into Garden Giant spawn, but not disturb the soil. How can I best, and quickly put the spawn into the plants while not harming the plants?

Is it reasonable to put a shovel in, open up the ground, and put a little spawn in the hole?


texts:
My neighbor is growing this vegetable and forgot what kind of gourd it is. Is it a bottle gourd or a type of butternut squash?

And here's the flower:


texts: This is the culprit. What kind of plant is it, and what's the best way to care for it?


texts: How does fall planted garlic cope with snow, and freezing temperatures?

texts: Last fall I planted garlic, and it has a few leaves sticking out of the ground now. How will this effect the leaves?


texts: Why is my avocado tree losing its leaves?

texts:
I live in Florida and have an outdoor avocado tree which is 20 ft tall. This winter it had plenty of leaves, but once it set fruit the leaves started to yellow and fall off. I have a sprinkler system which comes on twice a week.

Any idea what's going on?


texts: Is my calculation of 1x Cubic meter of Top Soil correct?

texts:
I have a 366cm * 366cm round above-ground plastic pool - but the yard runs at a downhill slope.

I want to lay down soil (the grass must grow back when we remove the soil)
so as to level the 366cm * 366cm area. I tried to indicate the slope in the picture, it is at a maximum at the back end about 1x Brick height (8cm)

My calculation
Volume = 3.66×3.66×0.08 = 1.071648 meter3

Questions:
Are my calculations correct? Will 1m cubic soil be enough for just the pool?
Should I get topsoil only?


texts: Why is my purple sprouting broccoli growing pods?

texts:
I noticed today my purple sprouting broccoli is growing pods where leaves should be.
Why is this?
What can/should I do about it?

I found a picture from someone else:


texts: This is the closest photo I could get of the leaves (it's a very tall tree). The leaves are large, bright green, and the tree has white flowers. Does anyone recognize it?


texts: Little brown spots on my variegated rubber tree

texts:
Hi

I have these little brown spots. When I google mostly the issue is with browning leaves (from the sides)

I’m not exactly sure what these are from. They were propagated in water and recently been moved to fresh soil.
Watered it-with drainage holes and a very mulchy soil.
I put it next to a south eastern window. Since it’s vairegated I thought it needed more light. (I live in the northern hemisphere)

Is it sun damage? Or something in the roots? It’s literally been less than a week with the transfer from water to soil.


texts: Can a dark but warm environment put plants into dormancy?

texts: I bought a Juniper. During winter, can I make it undergo dormancy by putting it in a dark but warm (around 20 - 25 degree Celsius) location? Thanks.


texts: Is drylok a good option for an aquaponics fish tank?

texts: I've been looking into making a 3000-4000 liter system. When the water tank came in to play I wasn't happy with the sky-high prices so the next option was to dig a hole. For cover I found EPDM pond liner, but that posed its own problems and is also expensive. Then I saw a post on using drylok. I'm wondering if this product can handle that. Also does it have any adverse effects on the fish or plants... or me when harvest time comes?


texts: Is it safe to change the soil completely for mint? And is it bad for the plants that the roots are sticking out?

texts:
Change of Soil + Roots:
I recently took a gardener's mint plant back home alongside some of its soil in a quite small flower pot. I didn't know that mints grow and spreads VERY fast and it's starting to take over the whole pot and some of its roots are sticking out, and I wonder would that affect its growth.
Back to subject. I'm deciding whether I should buy a new and bigger pot and buy the soil from supermarket because the soil that I have brought back is not enough for a larger pot.

Oh no I think I'm killing my plant. There are around 10 mint plant growing on the same root but the largest one seem to be dying. The leaves are getting very black and die quickly. Others are fine though. I'm trying to add banana peels in case its lack of potassium but its not quite working. I think I should just cut the whole plant off


texts:
I was given an Orchid several years ago and just wanted some advice on if I am taking care of it properly and if it needs to be in a larger pot.  I am not much of a green thumb but this orchid has some significance so I would like to keep it well taken care of.

The orchid tag says Dan Airy Red Jumbo.  I am yet to see any flowers in 3+ years but it has been growing.  The leaves on the older stems have started to go off colour a bit and there is tons of roots sticking out everywhere.

I live in a tropical part of the world so we water it regularly and it stays out of direct sunlight.

Should I repot this into a large container, if so any soil type recommendations and fertiliser recommendations?  The current pot size is 100mm diameter at the top and 85mm high.

Any other recommendations on the general welfare / care taking of this orchid?

Thank you


texts: Why is fruit dropping from my apricot tree?

texts: Our apricot tree is about 15 years old. The tree bears flowers and then fruits, but as the time passes all the fruit drops from the tree.


texts:
We’ve had 3 or 4 arborists over to the house for tree work over the years and we always make sure to ask if they know what one type of tree is. Each arborist has given us different but wrong answers.

I just tried a google image search us My a leaf and that was unsuccessful too.

Can anyone help? We live in Northern California but I’m not sure if the tree is native or not.

The tree is not flowering now, but when it does, it’s yellow and red, and when it drops it looks like yellow hairs scattered about the yard. When the leaves dry up they turn rather sharp and very unpleasant to walk on.

Any guesses?


texts:
About a month back I planted some dahlia and marigold seeds in a pot. It seemed unsuccessful till this sprout came up.
However, I'm not sure if it's actually something I grew or worth keeping.
Thoughts anyone?


texts: White patches on leaves on my indoor lime tree

texts: I have an indoor lime plant that flourished through its first winter.  Then, scale invaded, and I have been busy taking it to the shower and carefully cleaning leaf by leaf and stem by stem.  The most recent "scale purge" found only a few affected leaves and stems that i carefully cleaned, first with alcohol, then with water from the shower and finally with a Boneem Spray.  However, between the last "scale purge" about 3-4 weeks ago and the most recent, these white patches have appeared on some of the leaves. It's not mold.  It looks like the depigmentation of skin in humans called vitiligo.


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Last year I planted one already flowering lily plant, in north eastern North Dakota. This year in its spot lots of shoots are coming up but there seems to be 4 different types of shoots coming up. Can someone please explain this to me?

Follow up, not sure how it happen but the lilies grew into 3 different colors


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I just propped it up but it is really top heavy and some of the leaves are pretty droopy. The outside leaves seem to just stack on top of eachother and never spread out and around. Should I cut the bottom long leaves off and plant the stem deeper?
Do I need to be trimming the leaves more often?


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My husband and I purchased a home in Sterling, VA (zone 6b) about 4 years ago.  There are two Japanese Maple shrubs out front.  Since we've purchased the house, one of them comes back less and less each year. The other has some dead branches, too. This year, we're worried it has completely died. We'd like to figure out how/why, and what we can do to save the other one.

We mulch around them each year. In previous years, I've done my best to prune off dead branches each spring. We've not fed them, other than any food they happen to pick up from the roses next to them, but from what I understand, they're not supposed to need feeding.

The shrub that's doing better has black tape around the base of it.  I'm wondering if these trees were grafted, and the graft has slowly failed on the dying shrub.

Does anyone have input on what to do for these?