texts: How to salvage a cactus plant that is half dead

texts:
This plant did very well for a year and bloomed. At some point I think I over watered it and it started looking 'dusty' and then parts turned black. I snipped off the worst parts and let it dry out for quite a while. About a month ago I started watering it once a week and all this new growth started appearing.

It looks like the center is still in poor shape. Should I try to remove more?


texts: What plant can I grow in these conditions?

texts:
I have a small pot at home. I need a plant that produces fruits as much as possible in a very short time (1 year max) and lives as long as possible :) The place may have direct sun but it's in shadow most of the time.

Pot Dimensions: 8 * 8 inches.

Pot Depth: 10 inches.

Winter and summer weather: 50 to 115 °F

I need a plant with relatively small or short roots to fit in the pot.


texts:
I found this tree in a forest park in Gothenburg, Sweden.
It is ca 10 meters high.

Next to a regular oak.

The largest leaves I found. My hand is ca 17 cm long.

Stem is much smoother than regular oak.

Leaves are much larger than regular oak leaves from the neighbouring tree (seen on left).

Buds are quite small (these are from June 21).


texts: What hole spacing for a pvc watering system?

texts:
I'm making a pvc watering system for my garden based off of a youtube video. I have all the pipes and I'm ready to assemble. I have a roughly 20'x20' garden and based on the video, I bought a water hose connection, a ball valve to control flow, 3/4" pipe to run down the length and 1/2" pipe to run down each of 6 rows.

My question is how far apart I should drill the holes. They guy on the video said he'd experimented and found that 1/16" holes were ideal. Granted he was doing a raised bed that was significantly smaller than what I plan. He had two beds done this way that probably came near my square footage and while they choked down with two running simultaneously, they still put out some water.

This guy didn't give info on spacing the holes, though. He drilled a lot of holes near each specific plant. I plant to space them evenly to water the whole garden, so that I can use them year after year and not worry about the spacing.

We have good pressure and the pipes get choked down from a 3/4" to a 1/2", so that should increase it some. I was figuring on trying every 8" first, though I think that might be too far apart, it'll be roughly 180 holes at 1/16" dia. I suppose if they don't have sufficient coverage, I can drill a hole between each hole and double that. I just worry that if I drill too many holes, even with good pressure from the well, that I'll end up with soaker pipes. I do plan to put each pipe as close to the base of the plants as I can, so it won't need to squirt very far, but some leeway would be nice. Does anyone have any ideas on this. I plan to drill the holes today or tomorrow. My garden isn't doing good with me hosing it down. It does soak in as well and I'm loosing tomato blossoms from watering top down. Thanks.


texts: Right now I have 3 eggplant plants of the same variety (I think Ichiban, but I may have that confused) growing fruit, two of them are growing golden brown fruits, as pictured above, the other's growing normal colored purple. All the veggies on my garden have been putting out small or no fruit. I definitely overcrowded them (my yard is tiny) but would that make for brown egg plants?


texts: Why does my Choko keep dying off, but then it grows up from the ground again?

texts:
A Choko is vine which is supposed to thrive all year round but mine's dying off every winter. It grows in a subtropical area, but the weather is very changeable, sometimes it's as hot as summer other times it's cold winter weather.

The other thing is it's supposed to flower and fruit in Autumn and Winter but it dies off before it gets the chance to.

Could it be a pest or a disease? Or could it being over watered or over feeding it? I've given it mushroom mulch 2-3 times a year. Or maybe it's a male vine?

If anyone know why it's dying let me know.


texts: Why do the leaf margin and a few of leaf blade of my peach trees turn brown and red?

texts: The peach trees are about two years old and young leaf color turns as shown in the picture below:


texts: What can i do with this Aloe Arborescens?

texts:
i have this plant but it's terribly heavy and unbalanced. I don't know much about aloe but i don't think it should look like this, especially because without a stick the plant just falls over.

So my question is, is it possile to cut the aloe in the pointed space and replant it?

Maybe it has something to do with the small vase but i live in a small apartment and i cannot afford a huge vase spot.

Anyway, suggestions?


texts: Global warming is real... My bulbs are dying

texts:
Something strange is going on. This is a rather warm winter, and up to less than a week ago, I was mostly walking around with a T-shirt and shorts. When I switch to longer pants and sleeves for riding my bike to work on the cool mornings, I feel rather hot during the rest of the day. I live in zone 10 which (although warm) should have been much colder. At-least it's raining...
It seems that my Hippeastrums are enjoying the somewhat tropical climate, and few have decided to flower in the fall, which is a bit unusual. They normally flower in spring. I planted them at roughly the same time. Some are leafing-out faster than others, and two are about to leaf-out after they are done flowering.
Crocus and hyacinths have sprouted a short tip and then entered into some suspended animation.
Two hyacinths from last year did the same, and they turned-out to have root-rot. They did not infect the other hyacinths nearby, so I guess it's not a disease.
My Narcissus bulbs which I have kept for few years are fully-grown, but the new ones I bought have sprouted and decided to go dormant, leaving a small green tip poking-out of the soil...
My tulips are not to be seen anywhere... I did not dig them out to see what's left of them.
If the temperatures drop before the end of winter, will they sprout and complete their cycle before the summer? Can they survive a warm winter in that situation and grow again next fall? Are they total-loss?


texts: Do these trees/overgrown shrubs growing close to the house need to be cut?

texts:
There are five trees/shrubs around this house that are planted very close to it. Should they be removed? If so, what would be an appropriate method for removal? Would cutting them short be enough?
Tree 1

Tree 2

Tree 3

Tree 4

Tree 5


texts: How to get crisp lettuce in a green house

texts: I am raising lettuce in my green house. It works, the lettuce is tasty, however it is not nearly as crisp as the lettuce I grow outside the greenhouse (same variety). What can I do to make my green house lettuce more crisp?


texts: What is this weedy grass and how can I control it?

texts: I have a grassy weed with flowering seedheads at the top. What is it and how do I get rid of it in my yard?


texts: I planted a 10X15 plot of sunchokes this spring, and only got out about 10 freezer bags worth. The stalks were blooming, plenty of ground cover from grass, but still fairly green, with a lot of woody parts. Why did my sunchokes not produce like John Kohler's/et al do?


texts:
I've got an idea for a tool for placing seeds directly in the soil.

Imagine that square ABCD is a sturdy sheet of wooden or other material of size 600mm x 600mm x 5 mml, and all other points are holes in that sheet with diameter 10mm. The sheet would be supposed to be placed on the ground, and seeds inserted though holes. This would be repeated as needed.

What do you think?


texts: How should I dethatch zoysia without harming it?

texts: Is there a method to dethatch zoysia best without harming the runners?  I went over a small portion of my lawn yesterday with a thatch rake, and came up with a ton of thatch, but felt like I was catching in the zoysia quite a bit.  I tried to exercise care and back off when I felt it catching, but it still felt like it was doing some harm.  Is this just a natural effect of detatching, or was I going at it too aggressively?


texts: Why are my violet leaves no longer pointing up?

texts:
When I bought these violets, the leaves were pointing up. Now, they seem healthy and are even flowering,  but the leaves are going downwards. What makes them point up or lay down like that?

They looked like these originally:


texts: Perennial geranium collapses in late spring

texts:
How can I care for this plant differently so it doesn't collapse in on itself? Do all geraniums fall in on themselves?
Every year these geraniums grow like crazy and get full, tall and beautiful like this...

... and then at some point it will rain and the whole plant collapses like a fallen cake and never really recovers.


texts: My neighbor gave this to me right before she moved out of state she didn't know anything about it except that it would make a beautiful flowering plant. This is just the bottom of the start that I have It had been growing in a bowl of water long ways instead of stem down please help


texts: How long does it take to grow Tagasaste (Tree Lucerne) from seed?

texts:
I am planning to plant a few dozens of Tagasaste (Tree Lucerne) on my section in Southland, New Zealand in August/September this year. I have read a few instructions on how to germinate seeds and start growing them in pots until the plants become half a meter long — when it is time to plant them in their permanent place outside.

However, none of those instructions seem to clearly convey the time that Tagasaste normally takes to grow from seed to half a meter long. When should I start germinating seeds if I am planning to put the plants into permanent soil in early September?


texts:
I am in Baltimore, MD. I just bought this jasmine (in a pot). Healthy for only 1 week. 2-3 little blooms fall after 3 days and then I noticed that leaves are turning yellow and falling. Today, I saw little white bugs over the leaves. I am so worried about it.

Should I start with diluted soap? What else? I do not have that much experience with plants. Can these bugs attack my lemon/Lime little sprouts?

I grow them from seeds and they are healthy so far. Any advise is so appreciated.
Thank you,


texts: Pruning Coleus (and silly 15 character requirement)

texts:
I have some coleus that about 20-24 inches tall and "leggy", as they say.  So I want to prune them down and have looked at several YT videos.  But their plants are all perfect for pruning and it's clear what they need to do...mine are all pretty much straight shoot up from the ground (see pic URL included)
Where, exactly, should I clip them?  Some random point along the length of each stalk?
https://www.dropbox.com/s/g4wbesmdc987k21/2020-07-30%2009.14.20.jpg


texts:
I would like to achieve a Cascade looking shape for my bonsai and would appreciate advice as per how to trim my current tree.

Here are the pictures:


texts: Why the water drained by my pot is yellow?

texts:
Whenever I water my Dracena Reflexa(song of India, Song of Jamaica), pale yellow water runs out of the drainage hole.

Is this normal or something wrong with the soil?


texts: At what age/size will an avocado tree survive a European winter?

texts: Me and my brown thumb finally managed to grow an avocado tree. I'd like to grow it for a while and then plant it in the garden in a few years. I read that avocados shouldn't be left outside during the winter but some sites state that older plants tend to be more robust. Wikipedia says these trees will grow to heights of 20 metres so I figured at some point, it should be able to survive a few days below zero. Is this assumption correct?


texts:
I am trying to plan out our new garden, and I would like to have some bulbs and perennials, perhaps both in the same area of the garden. I want to make sure that there are no concerns with planting these types of flowers close to each other, and how close they can be to each other if planted together. I am specifically interested in having daffodils and tulips in the same plot as lavender, lingonberries, bearded iris, red hot torch lilies, and possibly azaleas or rhododendron; I would be interested if there is a general way to determine what plants can be planted together.

I am in US zone 8b.


texts: Pumpkins survive and continue to produce but fruit went rotten after some development

texts:
I seeded some "atlantic giant" pumpkins in april, in a big lawn at full sun for all day long.

They started to grow and to flower, and after some time they started to produce some pumpkins. They grew until they became as big as a football. Then the plants started to produce some more fruits. While the first fruits were continuing to grow, the second set become as big as football. Then their skin became wrinkled and they just "collapsed" due to rot.

I've been removing fruits as soon as they start to rot, and the plants remain alive. Their first fruits became bigger and continued to produce some more pumpkins after some time.

What could have been the cause of those fruits rotting?
Is it possible to avoid it next time?

Notes: I've been supplying water every morning and every evening to the plants (about 2 liters per plant each time) until the first rotten fruits appeared, then I stopped. I didn't noticed any particular desease on the leaves.


texts: I have a Craftsman Trimmer and I'm was not getting a spark when starting it.  I tested it with a spark tester and had no spark. I next removed the ground wire from the magneto to isolate it from the starter circuit, but still had no spark.  I removed the magneto completely and was about to replace it, but decided to put it back on after a few days and re-test it by turning the flywheel with a cordless drill. I thought I may not have been turning the flywheel fast enough, well I got spark both with the spark tester and with the spark plug.  I then replaced the ground wire on the magneto, but I got no spark. Then I decided to test the magneto again with out the ground wire and lo and behold, I got no spark.  Reset the gap, but I'm back to no spark.  Could there be something that killed the magneto after I put the ground wire back on?


texts: Is the calcium deposit in my kettle utilized?

texts: Can plants utilize the calcium that sediments in the kettle when water is boiled? Should we be "feeding" it to them?


texts: Buds don't blossom on Chilli plant ( bud drop )

texts:
I have a green chilli plant. For the past 2 months, the flowers on the plant have never bloomed. There are a lot of buds but instead of blooming, they just dry off. What is going wrong?

I water the plant once a day every morning. The water used is around a 1/3rd of the mug that you can see in the first pic attached below. I also add a handful of fertiliser once every fortnight. It gets sunlight from around 9:30 in the morning to 4-5 PM in evening.

P.S. I am based out of Mumbai, India. It's winter season here but the temperature rarely goes below 18°C.

Here are few pictures as requested:


texts: What are these tiny, white, 6 petaled flowers that are growing on my lawn?

texts: I live in Canada, and it's pretty cold here still so I was surprised to see we have a BUNCH of tiny white flowers all over our lawn! All the usual flowers are blooming actually, but these ones I've never seen before. They're off-bluish white and are sort of clustered together- but in a line- on the top of their stem. Anyone know what they are?? Apologies for the dark picture by the way, my dad and I were out taking photos of the sunset when I noticed them.


texts: Why do you need to change potato seeds every couple of years?

texts:
My relatives say that you need to change potato seeds every couple of years. They didn't specify why.

Why is that? Is it because we normally leave small potatoes for seeds and generate negative selection?

Would potato crop be better if we planted the biggest potatoes every year?

Update:

The question is about planting parent potatoes, and than their children and then grandchildren, and than gran grand children is presumably a bad think to do.


texts: Where does the carbon that makes up a plant come from?

texts: I have had this question throughout the time that I have been gardening. Where exactly does the carbon that goes into the plant structure? Is it like the nitrogen cycle? Does it come from the air? Is it from the ground? Is it a combination? I recently saw a presentation on soil where the roots go between the soil particles. Does it get some carbon there?


texts: What kind of tree is this? ...and is it strong enough for a tree house?

texts:
I want to build a tree house.

This tree has sprouted into three trunks.

The pines in the vicinity are too thin.

Is this species sufficient?

EDIT:  Leaves at base of tree.


texts: Is it possible to propagate raspberries from cuttings?

texts:
Based on my preliminary Internet research, you can't  propagate raspberries from cuttings the common way, i.e. cutting pieces from the stem and placing it in water or a rooting medium. I tried it myself with no success (I have near 100% success rate on propagating citrus, blueberries, and many other plants ... just so you know that I have some experience in the matter).
I wonder if anyone had any success on this, and if so, how (rooting medium, rooting hormone, humidity, temperature, lighting, ....)?


texts: Why have my chilli seedlings stopped growing?

texts:
6 days ago, I repotted some chilli seedlings after they started showing their 3rd pair of leaves. They were the biggest seedlings at the time. Since then they seemed to have stopped growing. These are the ones in the green planters in the picture.

I left some of the slightly smaller seedlings in their original planter. These are the 4 seedlings in the black planter in the bottom left of the picture. You can see that they are doing much better than the ones in the green planters.

I found a question about stunted seedlings, but mine don't look malnourished:

Why have my lemon seedlings stopped growing and turned yellow?

What can I do to get the green planter seedlings growing again?

Update

It took a while, but my chilli seedlings have started growing again. I have been lightly fertilising as suggested, I can't say that it definitely helped, but it certainly didn't hurt the seedlings.


texts: Thornless Blackberries, can I root from cuttings?

texts: I dug up and brought a Stalk Thornless Blackberry home in a big chunk of its own ground, and put in in my ground with a bit of manure compost on top about a month ago in Idaho, (Early May) and one of the big stems had leaves and broke off so I stuck it in a two litre soda bottle full of water and placed it on the back porch. Both get sun all day except the one in the bottle gets shade about 3 pm. Now,(early June), the one in the bottle looks healthy and strong, has a flower but no roots, and the one in the ground is just sitting there being a plant... no new growth. The mother plant where I got this from is blooming, so maybe its late because it endured a move? Will my flowered cutting root? Also, I'll take any pruning tips. (as I am asked to add tags to this post I see there is "rooting hormone" which I have not used. Is it necessary? Ill go read up on that. ;) )


texts: Should I trim yellowing leaves/branches on my tomato plant?

texts:
Should I trim my determinate heirloom tomato plant of yellowing leaves and branches?
I did a lot of research on how to trim, but all I could find was the general advice of “determinate plants don’t need trimming.” Does this mean I SHOULD NOT trim my determinate tomato plant at all, and leave yellow and dry leaves on the plant?
If not, and I should trim, how? Should I cut off just the leaves that are yellow? If an entire branch is yellow and drying out, should I cut off that branch? The entire circled branch 1 is yellow; the entire circled branch 2 is also yellow, though no leaves and very short; circled branch 3 looks like it will all go yellow but currently it’s just some of the leaves.
Background: It‘s a German Johnson variety that I transplanted from a nursery into its current pot almost two months ago. I water with filtered water; I fertilize with Fox Farms Grow Big liquid plant food 6-4-4 every two weeks; the soil is covered with organic mulch.
Just noticed that one of the tomatoes (pictures) looks like it might be getting blossom end rot. I have added an eggshell to the soil roughly once per week for the last month. Should I be doing more and/or something else?


texts: There are a lot of white insects on my tomato plants Lower base stem and some on leaves I wonder they useful or should I kill them or if they bad what are they called and how to to get rid of them.


texts: How do I remove a tube from a compression coupler?

texts:
I have a half-inch compression end cap attached to some half-inch tubing. The compression end cap is similar to this one: http://www.homedepot.com/p/DIG-1-2-in-Compression-End-Cap-Q58/100125237

I haven't been able to work out how to get the tubing out of this so I can reuse it. Any ideas?


texts: I gave my friend a fittonia that I propagated from my own plant. Since she's had it, I've been checking up on it a bit, letting her know the best light placement, etc. Almost a year since I last checked it, she showed me the plant and it looks like it's nearly dead, and I'm not even sure how I would try to save it. The leaves are tiny and shriveled, and the stem system is very thick and crawling. Any ideas? If it can't be saved, I'd also love to know what went wrong in this case. I've posted a picture of the mother plant, and a picture of my friend's plant in the current state.


texts: I've tried other websites and there's no exact lookalike plant. There're countless plants that look similar but I've never seen leaves that look exactly the same. The stem is fuzzy and square like the mint family and the leaves are also slightly fuzzy. I keep hearing sage but they are green, nowhere near as long and not jagged. There're 2 sets of leaves that grow across from each other all the way up. When crushing a leaf with my fingers it smells slightly minty fresh but also sweet. I have basil and spearmint and am sure it's neither of those. The smaller leaves don't smell minty at all while the larger leaves smell minty on a half pressured squeeze then when I squeeze harder they smell only sweet (to me). There're about 30 plant stems growing very closely together but definitely not from the same stem.


texts: Why does this succulent/echeveria have brown leaves?

texts:
I believe this is an echeveria. I got it maybe 6 months ago and transplanted it to this pot. It has regular potting soil and one thing to note about the container is that it doesn't have a drainage hole at the bottom.

In the past month I've noticed some of the leaves in the interior are turning a brown or dark rust color.

Why is that happening? What should I do to make this plant happy? (bigger container, different soil, more water?)


texts:
I live in a building with a very small patch of property out back I am allowed to do stuff with (Townhome with strict HOA kind of thing). I managed to fit a 4x4 raised garden bed very nicely (though it isn't a mobile one). it is on the soil, with about six or seven inches (16cm) of depth. There is landscape fabric between the soil and earth below it, but due to the size of the building, and the placement of the sun... the garden receives zero direct sunlight. The building is in the way, and there is some tree-cover (that I can do nothing about).

Is there anything I can do in this situation or should I just give up and enjoy my patch of nice soil? Instead focus on indoor gardening with grow lights?

What can I grow in pretty much constant full shade?

Hardiness zone 9b


texts: There are 4 bushes. I know one is a white rose and smells lovely. I couldn't tell you what kind or classification any of them are. If anyone can help me find out I would love it! Or maybe tell me a web address.


texts: What is the optimal soil composition range for growing salad greens in pots at home?

texts:
This year I wanted to experiment with growing edible salads, Chinese cabbage, spinach, lettuce and herbs at home in pots under artificial lighting, so I got the seeds, but not the soil (or lights, or pots) yet. So far I've been using any random "soil for flowers" and all the seeds I have planted have grown to maturity, and I can't really complain. But maybe I could be losing out on potential leaf mass, so I wanted to ask: Is picking the most optimal soil makes a noticeable difference, or starting with just any random "flower soil" is a safe bet and I need not spend more time looking for the best?
If the soil composition is indeed an important enough factor, then out of this range of soils I can find at my store, which one would be the best for a simple "plant and forget" (without re-upping nutrient contents for the duration of the useful growth) approach for edible greens?

N 120, P 140, K 230, pH 5.8-6.8;
N 135, P 180, K 270, pH 5.5-6.5;
N 135, P 180, K 315, pH 5.5-6.5;
N 170, P 200, K 320, pH 5.0-6.8;
N 180, P 180, K 225, pH 5.5-6.5;
N 230, P 300, K 350, pH 5.5-7.0;
N 100-180, P 100-180, K 130-260, pH 5.5-6.5;

The last soil bag has these wide ranges, and looks like a very generic brand of soil, so I don't know if it's safe to risk it even in a general case, but maybe this one is actually the best of them, for all I know.

Additionally, would I be missing out on a noticeable amount of edible plant mass if I never added any nutrients after planting in a pot? If the difference is in the range of 5-15%, I think I can ignore it, but if it's high, like >40%, then I'll look into how to keep the nutrient contents of the soil at an optimum for food greens.


texts:
I have been trying to find what plant this seed is. It was a gift from a friend and it cracked while I was wearing as a necklace. I am quite curious.
thank u!


texts: What vegetables should I grow in my raised beds in winter in Zone 9b?

texts: I am in Zone 9b and have 3 raised beds that I want to use during the winter season to produce something rather than leaving them idle (let me know if that is a good thing).  Should I grow vegetables and if so which one's would be best? Would root vegetables like carrots, beet, ginger germinate and grow in this weather?  How about vegetables like kale, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage?  If none of these are an option, should I just put fava beans so that I can harvest and use those to enrich my compost?


texts:
I've been trying to build some large (24"x24") planters on my own. I don't want to spend more than $20 on materials.

So I asked myself... why not use tiles to build it? This stone tile at home depot is $1.06/sq ft.

Has anyone tried using tiles like these to build large planters? These planters would be outdoors and will be grow fruits and vegetables.

I was thinking of something like this:


texts: How do I prevent suckers from coming up every few weeks on a developed tree?

texts: W few years ago we decided to clean out the rocks under a huge basswood tree, and ever since then it was sending up many suckers from the base of the tree. How do I prevent this from happening?


texts: What is this climbing plant with blue flowers?

texts:
I bought this astonishing, climbing plant months ago, but I wasn't able to identify it.

Here's a picture:


texts: What does the Victory Hosta look like fully grown?

texts: I purchased a giant Hosta Victory, and have never seen one in the fall, so I'm wondering what to expect in the fall when it had all season to grow. Can you please post your best picture of it with a size reference, so that I know what to expect (I'm guessing a wheelbarrow full of leaves every fall, but no ideas beyond that)? I've seen ones similar like the Empress Wu, but can't seem to find online a good full grown example for the Victory.


texts: Heights of inlet and outlet pipes in NFT set up

texts:
I have read quite a few diy Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) guides online. Most are sparse on specific implementation details.

In an NFT setup, does the water need to pool in the trough or must all the water received at the outlet immediately drain away?

Referring to the cross-section below, should height h2 be close to zero (to immediately drain away water), or should it be a positive value (some water will pool in the in the trough).

To clarify the diagram: Water comes in from the inlet pipe, flows down the sloped trough and drains out the outlet pipe. Raising the outlet pipe above the bottom of the trough will mean water does not drain away immediately.


texts: I have two trees along with a tomato plant that have sprung up in the garden, I suspect birds as I cant see anything else similar. I would like to know what they are to see if I should keep them and replant somewhere or dispose of them. I am located on the Gold Coast Australia if that helps.


texts:
I accidentally dug out an almond seedling to realize that all the 3 shoots come from the same seed.

Is this a common occurrence?
What is the branch in the middle with a brownish tip that I broke please?

Thanks!


texts:
I lust over one of these:

This is the kind of aerator that is towed behind a lawn tractor, with some cinder blocks or other weights on the ledge to help the tines dig in.  So far, I have not been able to justify the expense for something that will spend 364.5 days per year stuffed in the back of the shed.  I rented one once, but the rental place near me no longer offers one.

In the mean time I have these:

These are sandals with nail-like protrusions on the bottom that strap over your shoes.  I've used these each of the last couple years across my small suburban yard.  I am finding I have the following challenges with these sandals:

Keeping them on.  Even when I bear down on the straps as hard as I can, they still seem to slip off every fourth step or so.  I can usually wiggle my
shoe back into place, but sometimes I have to sit down and re-strap them.  Walking duck-toed seems to reduce the problem, but see item #4.
Keeping my balance.  The first time I tried these, I stumbled a few times.  I then added a hiking staff and it helped a lot.  Like with #1, walking duck-toed helps at the expense of #4.
Ensuring good coverage.  I take short steps and follow a zig-zag path across the yard, using things like trees, fence posts, and the corners of structures
as landmarks to keep in line.  However, there is still a fair distance between steps, and probably between each zig and zag, that does not get covered.  I know I don't need to puncture every single inch, but I wonder if I am getting enough.
After effects.  I am just old enough to have entered the wonderful world of arthritis.  For three or four days after my latest foray with these sandals- taking high steps and walking duck-toed the whole time- my poor hips and knees were screaming at me.  Even though I only needed about 90 minutes to criss-cross my quarter-acre, that was enough to keep the makers of Naproxen in business for a while longer.

Has anyone else experienced similar issues?  How have you adapted and overcome?


texts: A new gardener chopped down our 1 year old purple poui (Tabebuia impetiginosa) tree!! He clearly didn't have a clue about what he was doing...we asked him to trim the branches and cut the top as the tree had grown higher than our 1 story house.  Instead he topped the tree at 5 feet from the ground and removed all the lower branches. Will it regrow or should we just finish chopping it down and remove it?


texts: I'm new to plants and am having a tough time. My aloe plants (creasing, not growing or spreading out) + fish hook plants (wrinkly and soft leaves) seem to be dying. What should I do to save them + prevent it from happening again?


texts: I recently inherited a garden on my university campus in Buffalo, New York. We think that it's a fruiting plant, but we're not sure what it is. Can anyone help?


texts: Is it safe to put mushroom plugs in living trees?

texts:
I'm looking at ordering about 500 spawn plugs, and was wondering if it's safe to put mushroom plugs directly into live trees, and let them sap over while temporarily using tape caps to protect the plugs.

What type of tape should I use?

How do I determine the number of plugs I can put in the tree?


texts: Are there trees with edible fruit from the family Mimosaceae?

texts:
I am looking to graft (I hope this is the right word) some fruit on top of an "Acacia saligna".
Can this be done? What fruit tree types would be suitable for this?
The temperatures where I live range from -2°C in the winter up to around 38°C in the summer.


texts: How come my majestic palm has patchy dried out spots?

texts:
This is an indoor pot plant.
We have quite a bit of natural light thanks to a skylight, but not much direct sunlight unfortunately.

The dry patches have been there for a while and I’ve tried various things to get rid of them.
I have misted the plant daily.
Have checked the leaves for spider mites or aphids and I’ve wiped all the leaves down in soapy water just in case.
I put a tray beneath the pot with water and stones.
I have recently repotted the plant into a self watering pot, during which I noticed some tiny white bugs in the soil - which hopefully I’ve gotten rid of... not quite sure what they were but the internet says possibly soil mites which doesn’t seem dangerous to the plant anyways.

However the plant still does not seem happy.
I’m at a loss for what else I can try? Any ideas?


texts: White, fur like strands and spots on underside of chilli plant leaves

texts:
I am growing scotch bonnet, jalapeno and cayenne pepper plants indoors from seed. The scotch bonnet plants have what looks like white fur growing around the veins on the underside of their leaves. This is accompanied on some leaves by small hard white spots.

This is not visible on all plants, the plants that do show this fur seem to be suffering, some of their leaves have become soft and are rolling up. Neither the fur or the small white specs move when I rub them with my fingers, they remain on the leaf.

Can anyone help me identify the problem?

Update: 04/08/14 20:42

More pictures, the same leaf top and bottom:


texts: Plant identification - small rubbery leaves

texts:
I acquired this plant from a friend recently, but am unsure how to properly care for it!
The leaves are quarter sized at their largest, and they are stiff and rubbery feeling.


texts: What is the average lifespan of most maple trees?

texts: In general how long do maple trees live?  Does the lifespan vary a lot according to species?  I'm thinking of planting a few in my yard and I'm wondering how long they will be around.


texts: How to plant the right tree in the right place for shade?

texts: Since the sun is at it's brightest around noon, does that mean that a tree should be planted towards the south side of the house? If so then what if your front lawn also sits towards the south. Would i need to shift all my vegetables and flowering plants towards the east? What kind of tree would do best and what kind of shadow would you get from the tree around noon?


texts:
I was about this ask this question in a comment from a different question of mine, but I thought it deserved its own question since it may help a fellow novice gardener.

How often should I loosen the soil in a vegetable garden?  Do I want to loosen it deeply (12" to 24") before planting?  Should I loosen it at all after planting?  Should I do it in the Autumn once the plants have died to get ready for next year?  Or should I simply do it a week or two before planting?


texts:
I planted 5 seeds for a Norway spruce (Picea Abies) on January 12, 2020, and so far I have three seedlings that are growing at a similar rate (though one is a bit bigger).

I noticed something very particular with one of the seedlings however.  At first I thought the seedling was growing downward because instead of the branches/cotyledons part of the seedling I saw an actual seed and it appeared the seedling was growing out of it. Upon further inspection I noticed that the seedling

Is standing strong, I tugged very gently and it did not move so I’m assuming it’s rooted.

At the top of the seedling where the seed is, it looks like the seedling is attempting to grow.  Please note the appearances of tiny spaces between the tiny branches/cotyledons.

So I’ve changed my assumption from the seedling growing upside down (and forcing its seed out of the soil) to the seedling somehow grew into an adjacent seed that did not germinate and the top branches/cotyledons part is stuck.

I guess my question is

Is this even possible?
Is there anyway to remedy the situation?

I’ve thought of removing the seed from the branches/cotyledons but I’m worried I will damage the seedling (especially if the seed does in fact belong to that seedling).


texts: Plant identification: wood sticks growing in between green leaves

texts: [I'm on a learning mission to figure out what are growing around my house.] Here is something I can't come up with any guess what it is. It has these hard wood sticks coming out in between the leaves.


texts: Can I plant a Nordmann Christmas Tree in my garden?

texts: I have a lovely Christmas tree that is in a pot, is it ok for these to be planted in a garden ? Not sure how I post a photo?


texts: Can I use unused pine bedding as mulch in my potted outdoor plants?

texts: My hamster recently died and I have lots of pine bedding left over. Is it possible to use unused pine bedding as mulch for the potted plants in my garden?


texts: How should I prune a cleistocactus that got too tall?

texts: When I have a slender, columnar cactus like a Cleistocactus (pictured below), and it gets too tall, How can I prune it, to get it back to a manageable height?


texts:
I have a small container garden (https://vegepod.com.au/collections/raised-garden-beds/products/raised-garden-bed-small) which I used to grow some bok-choy and silverbeet about 18 months ago.

The soil that I used is a combination of premium potting mix, and some cow manure.

Since moving about a year ago the container garden has been sitting on my balcony, and has not been used to grow anything since the move.

I'm looking at planting some new vegetables, and I am wondering if it will be safe/effective to reuse the soil, or whether I should replace the soil?


texts: Plant whose leaves turn to pink. What is it?

texts:
What is this flower plant that turns its leaves to bright pink? How do I care for it?

Location: Delhi.

Stem:


texts: How should I care for my struggling Nepenthes Miranda?

texts:
I purchased a Nepenthes Miranda roughly over 6-7 months ago and for the first long while it was going super well. The leaves looked waxy and the pods grown were plentiful and large. It wasn't until maybe 2 months ago I noticed things were going wrong.

The waxy look to the plants leaves had started to fade and the pods seemed to stunt in growth. It wasn't long before the protective leaf atop the pod started to wilt and dry up followed by the rest of the pod in the following days. I decided to take my somewhat limited plant knowledge into account and trim off her dead pod at the very top of the vine in hopes the drying/rotting wouldn't spread unto the rest of the plant.

Unfortunately it didn't end there, all the pods fell in line having the same fate as the first. Currently it has one pod that's only just opening up and two pods on the way. The rest of the pods have died and been cut off. I then started to notice the leaves that didn't sprout pods in the first place were starting to wilt and go brown.

I then wasn't sure if I should trim those off (so they are still on the plant). When I purchased the plant it had a couple of dried out dead leaves attached at the base and I never trimmed them off out of fear there was a reason the seller didn't, as he seemed quite passionate about the plants.

I kept it in living conditions I researched and found suitable for the plant. I had an old fish terrarium laying around, so for the longest time I kept my Nepenthes in there. I turned the light on when I woke up in the morning and turned it off before I went to bed to try to emulate daytime/nighttime cycles for the plant. I watered it every time the soil felt dry and even put the lid of a cheese grater under the pot so there wouldn't be any sitting in water. I also used osmosis water and nothing but osmosis water.

Sadly my Nepenthes has out grown the terrarium and after a lot of research I learned that the Miranda can live outside of one so shortly after the repotting process I set her on my bookshelf and got my father (a carpenter) to take the lid of the terrarium with the light and fixture it above my plant.

I live in Canada so you can imagine why I don't want to sit a tropical plant by the windowsill for its sunlight. I'm worried perhaps my room isn't humid enough or that it's getting too little/too much water and sunlight.

Oh and I also feed the plant freeze-dried crickets which I read from multiple sources work best for these plants if you don't live in a bug infested home. I only gave her one in a random pod at a time until I saw it was visibly disintegrated because the crickets were fairly large. I have currently discontinued giving the plant any crickets because it has just been repotted and is still going through stress.

Any help on this matter would be much appreciated!

The current set up, you can see one of the withered pods I just cut off.

The leaves that are drying out and dying.


texts:
My question is this :

Given the type of Grass I have as pictured below and all these different kinds of weeds I have - what kind of weed killer do I need to use to kill the weeds and promote the grass to grow.

I know if the weeds were something I wanted to grow they would for sure be dead, and if I wanted the grass dead for sure I would have it growing everywhere as the only green thumb I have is in how to grow weeds (and for those of you thinking to be funny - that is weeds with an S ).

1: I do not know what kind of grass I have so I am not familiar with what kind of weed killer I need to use in order to allow the grass to still grow. I do have a picture... below.. see that single beautiful green blade (yeah I know it is a rare beast in my 'lawn'.

2: I do not know what kinds of weeds I have but I have pictures - I know one is a dollar weed others I don't know..

Dollar and Others??

StrangeGrass


texts: What should I do with this Ficus elastica (Rubber fig)?

texts:
Something is wrong with my Ficus elastica (Rubber fig).

What is this white hard salt-like thing?  It is on the backside of some leaves. I cleaned this with water and cotton and it came off, but it was somewhat hard. Is it sap? Is it the thing which helps in rubber production? If yes, can I make an eraser with it?

Should I cut the aerial roots? would that be good or bad for the plant?


texts: Topsoil depth for growing grass over a clay base

texts:
I am in Tasmania, a southern state of Australia. My soil is clay (although not heavy clay) - grass will typically grow OK on it.
I have sprayed the area I want to grow new grass with glyphosate - as soon as everything dies off, I will be looking to sow new seed.
I have a rotary hoe that I can use if needed.
I will be bringing in new "lawn mix" topsoil which is just a topsoil with added conditioners, fertilisers and composts for growing grass.
What depth should I use over the existing soil base, and do I need to hoe the clay before I put the new topsoil down?
I have heard figures ranging from between 50-150mm, and I am working with a very large area, and don't want to purchase more topsoil than required. I'm also very open to any other advice you might have to share to ensure the success of the new grass.


texts: Low-maintenance vermicomposting in a tall bin?

texts:
Most vermicomposting instructions I've found use either a shallow bin, or a stack of shallow trays.

I'm looking for an effective but low-maintenance approach, and I won't need to harvest the compost very often.

I'm wondering: What if I simply use a tall, narrow bin - like perhaps a narrow kitchen trash can, about 1' by 1' by 4' deep? The idea would be to add compostable waste at a rate of 1 foot every couple of months, so that the worms can stay in the top foot or so, and anything more than a foot below the surface should be entirely composted by the time it's too deep for the worms.

Air holes drilled along the side could allow some aerobic composting to continue in the deeper soil, in case it's not fully decomposed, and a drain hole at the bottom could release excess leachate. No work at all would be required until the bin is full, at which point I could scoop out the top layer with the worms and set it aside, then harvest the rest of the bin all at once.

Is there any reason this wouldn't work? Is there a name for this approach?


texts: Will installing pavers help keep the soil cool around trees and shrubs?

texts: I have this area that im working on. Got rid of all the existing soil and will have it replaced with better quality soil. Both clay btw but the other is rock free. The area is 20ft long and 10ft wide. I plan on planting 2 crepe myrtles spaced 10 feet apart from the middle and a few juniper shrubs around the sides and the front. Since I'd be left with a lot of barren space, im thinking about installing pavers. Would that be a good idea? Will it help keep the roots cool in our dry climate or make it worse by restricting water supply to them? I'll be doing this project all by myself so I've got a few questions that need adressing. Should i install the pavers first and then plant my trees and shrubs and How much space should i leave in between for my plants?


texts: As boiling water helps take the chlorine out of the water but not chloramine, is chloramine bad for lucky bamboo? As I thought it would be easier for me to boil the water and let it cool and then place my lucky bamboo in it with some lucky bamboo feed.


texts: Why is my pear tree blooming in September?

texts: We have a pear tree that is producing ripe fruit now (it is early-September).  The tree is doing what I've never seen before: There are blossoms on some of the branches!  Is my tree dying?  It looks so healthy, and the pears are delicious.  Why is it doing this?


texts: I live in Central Ohio and I have this grouping of trees in my back yard but I don’t know why they are. Does anyone know what type of trees these are?


texts: How can I get my mushroom kit to finally fruit?

texts:
I've never grown mushrooms before, but I bought a Herbal Since Ling mushroom kit 6 weeks ago. It consist of a plastic miniature greenhouse and a substrate block. The substrate block was covered all over in fluffy white mycelium and the plastic bag it was packed in had tiny drops of condensation, but since there was no date printed on the package, I don't know how old it actually was. When I unpacked it, it had already clusteres of pinheads in several places.

During the next week or two, I watched 5 miniature mushrooms grow, but then they stopped. I watered the substrate block with cold water at least twice a day and more pinheads grew all over the place, but still not a single full-grown mushroom.

I did quite some reading on mushroom growing and binged some Youtube, where I learned that a too high CO2 concentration could stunt the growth. So I cut 2 tiny holes into the bottom corners of the plastic greenhouse to allow CO2 to flow out (and simplify the watering process by enabling drainage).

This is the current state. I marked the mini mushrooms that stopped growing in red.

I don't know why this substrate block, that looked so perfect when I bought it, wouldn't grow even a single mushroom. Do I have to remove the existing pinheads to stimulate new growth? Should I change the environment? Put it into a darker or lighter place? Could the substrate be too old and depleted? How do I get this substrate block to finally fruit?


texts: Why is my snake plants' leaf fading in color?

texts:
I've had this snake plant for quite some time, but recently one of the leaves has been fading in color.

The mix I'm using is perlite based, and I water it once a week. I give it sunlight in the mornings, and in the evenings I put it back on my table away from the window.

What am I doing wrong? Should I cut that leaf off? Also, I want to use rocks instead of perlite mix. Can I switch to rocks only? Will it grow with only rocks?


texts:
I have a white powder/fungus showing up on my raspberries and actually my blackberries too.
Does anyone know what this is and how to treat it if necessary? My 18 month old eats off of this so non toxic needed please.
Zone 5 SW of Chicago IL USA


texts: This tree is growing in my yard in Phoenix.  It's leaves are turning a bit brown; the same seems to be happening to a similar kind of tree a few doors down.  What is the name of this plant?


texts: What's causing discoloration and spots on my Tomato and Bell Pepper plants?

texts:
I had an issue with tomato hornworms. I sprayed my plants with a BT Dipel  solution. A few days after I sprayed them, I noticed a change in the plants. I did some research and found that it could be early blight. I purchased a copper spray solution and sprayed the plants with it. However, it did not make a difference. I am not sure what's going on any more. Can I save these plants? Should I keep or burn them?

Click on pictures for full size.


texts: What is this plant with strap-like leaves and a yellow-orange spear shaped flower bud?

texts: I bought this flower plant 2 days ago. But I don't know the name of the flower. Can anyone pls tell me the name?


texts: plant id - purple flowers, tall stalk, grass like, beige spore

texts:
What is this plant? It has purple flowers and very pretty. I don't think it is weed, just because of the spots in the backyard where I find this plant.

purple flowers, about 2" in diameter
About 3 ft tall
grass-like, has tall stacks
beige spores that appeared within the last week, as big as a baseball or perhaps bigger


texts: How can I remove crabgrass from a Zoysia lawn, and flower beds?

texts:
We just bought a new house in Orlando. The home is great but we noticed crab grass taking over and a few other weeds. I'm a total noob with grass stuff, although I'm researching all I can.

The grass type is Zoysia.

Trugreen recently came and did their application for the lawn but they said they couldn't do anything with the crab grass. I went and bought round up. I was planning on to spray all crab grass invested areas and then probably lay sod or just reseed? I'm not sure if you can just throw seeds in there. (Total noob).

Also, I have flower beds in front and back of the house. I wanted to put stones in there and do some brick edging. There are weeds there as well. What is process of cleaning that out? The guy at Home Depot told me to dig out the weeds, spray some round up, put a weed mat on top and then cover that with fresh top soil and then plant my new plants and go from there whether I wanna do mulch or stones.

Am I on the right path? Please advise.


texts: What do I have to pay attention to with pre-potted growing sets of herbs?

texts:
I'm very inexperienced with gardening and I got two growing sets from IKEA, including sets for basil, parsley, peppermint, coriander, oregano and thyme. Most of them have begun to grow and it seems they are in good shape so far:

http://imgur.com/a/OS6bX

I bought the basil, parsley and peppermint first and the other 3 were added later. Now the IKEA instructions don't tell me a lot about how to take care of the herbs, which is why I'm asking here.

Do I have to repot them at some point? In the IKEA pictures, it seems they can be left in the included pots for a very long time, but I don't know if that's a good thing.
If I have to repot them, can I put a few of them (say 2-3) in a single pot or do I have to put them in separate pots?
They are currently sitting on a window sill facing east inside my living room (I don't have a lot of light in my kitchen unless I turn the lights on). Should I put them somewhere else where they are not exposed to direct sunlight or will they be fine?
How often should I water them? I have some other indoor plants too, and the way I have to take care of them varies a lot, some need the earth to almost always be wet whereas others should be left until the earth has become a bit dry.
Do I need to use fertilizer at some point? Which one?
What do I have to pay attention to if I want them to survive the winter?
And most importantly: When do I know that I can use them for cooking? What do I have to pay attention to when I use them? Should I only use a few branches every time?

Thanks a lot in advance for any help!


texts: lettuce seeds germination in Petri dishes

texts:
I dipped lettuce seeds in distilled water for 12 hours than transfer it to Petri dishes that having Whatman filter paper double folded and moisten with distilled water.After that i give 72 hours continuous light but seeds cannot germinate.

What the reason behind this?


texts: How much wiggling for trees is too much?

texts: I've heard wiggling is good for plants, because it promotes root spreading. Does artificial wiggling do the same thing? if so how much should I wiggle the tree artificially?


texts: There are white spots on the Tulsi leaves. Can't go outside to buy manure or fertilizers due to lockdown. Please suggest home remedies for this..


texts: best chemical to kill off grass but leave the trees alive

texts:
I have a patch of my garden with some rain trees interspersed with grass (I think its st Augustine)

my question is: which chemical can I use to kill off the grass but leave the trees intact?
location is Orlando, Florida


texts: Growing beneficial, edible plants in the woods

texts: We are purchasing some land in northern KY. and want to start growing food in the wooded area. We plan to plant ginseng but beyond that we are looking for other suggestions as to what we can grow in this thick woods. Very little undergrowth, older forest with a creek near by. Lower level floods in the spring for a short while so that could be helpful with certain plants. Mostly hardwoods, in hardiness zone 6b.


texts: What kind of mushroom is this and should I get rid of it?

texts:
We got a lot of rain in Austin over the last few days and now there are mushrooms popping up all over my vegetable garden. The garden bed is raised and only about two weeks old. I'm worried the mushrooms are growing too fast and too close to the plants.

Does anyone know what they are, and if I should try to get rid of them?

Here's a picture:


texts: What is this weed with tiny yellow flowers found in eastern Australia?

texts:
It grows very fast in summer. Hundreds of little round seeds seem to grow on stems where the leaves join to the main stem. Wind or manual removal causes them to fall off everywhere.

Older stems seem to turn brown/reddish, with newer growth stems being green.

It's located in eastern Australia, in a cool temperate climate. It has taken off massively after recent rains followed by steady 20°C temperatures.


texts: Can LED flood lights supplement north facing balcony light to grow tomatoes?

texts:
I have a north facing balcony that does not get enough light to grow most flowering plants or tomatoes.
I want to try supplementing with LED flood lights from behind. Is it worth the effort?


texts: What do globe amaranth seeds look like, and can I harvest them from dried flowers?

texts:
During this past summer I grew a plant with beautiful small, round, bright purple flowers that looked like puffballs. I was told it's called Globe Amaranth. Its height was about six inches, and much of what I read said they're generally much taller. That probably depends on the variety, so I'm comfortable with the identification. I believe it's a perennial in some areas, but is considered an annual here in Massachusetts, zone 6a.

Three weeks ago I picked the last two flowers and brought them in for the purpose of harvesting seeds. I ignored them and they dried without losing their color, so I put them in a container on a shelf in my living room.

Even after an internet search, I don't actually know what the seeds look like or where they're located, so that's my first question. My second is, now that the flowers are dry, are there still viable seeds? Finally, if so, can I leave them alone for six months until it's time for germination?

If there's a general rule of thumb for whether or not a dried flower can store seeds, I'll gladly ask that as a separate question!


texts: Composting and/or using chopped blackberries

texts: I have wild blackberries in my garden that grow like crazy: They grow under the earth, over the earth with offshots - and possibly via seeds - I don't know, I just started gardening. I cut a lot of them and put them into a chipper. Can I put the chipped material (is it called mulch?) on a compost heap or will even the chipped blackberry material grow into blackberry bushes? If I cannot put the blackberry on the compost heap - what should I do with the material instead? One idea is to spread it out and have it dry by the sun. Not sure if that helps for killing the material and/or making the composting faster. Is there a smarter way to use the material.


texts: What kind of small/bonsai-tree is this pictured one?

texts:
Recently I moved to a new house and there was a bonsai tree that seems to be very weak.

What kind of bonsai tree is it?


texts: Can I grow fava beans as a fall crop in New Jersey (USDA Zone 7A)?

texts:
I grew fava beans this year for the first time and really liked them. The issue I had is that about half my seeds didn't come up, so I have a fairly small crop. If I started more seeds in July would they do well over the summer and produce a fall crop for me? I'm in New Jersey and my growing zone is 7A.

Update 10/12:
As mentioned in the comments below I started a fall crop this year. The seeds were planted on July 25th after soaking for 2 or 3 days. They came up and started flowering near the end of August and still are. Despite all the flowers I haven't seen a single bean on any of the plants. I had other bean varieties that were flowering at the same time which I was getting quite a lot of beans from so this couldn't be due to a lack of pollinators in the area could it? In general I haven't had the best of luck with fava beans, mostly due to extremely low germination rates, but I at least got some beans off those plants.


texts: Yucca trunk died but the leaves still appear healthy

texts:
I have a small yucca plant (1ft high). I believe I overwatered it and the trunk went spongy and now feels like it's totally empty inside when I squeeze it, as if the entire inside rotted away to nothing.

Should I transplant the growing leaves which are on a small yellow attachment? The yucca was sold with three trunks with the smaller two having flat tops and the leaves are on the side at the top.


texts: Is it a good idea and how to introduce frogs in my garden?

texts:
I am trying to sustainably get a grip on the flies, mosquitoes and other such insects' population. We live in the San Francisco Bay Area.
We have a decent sized backyard (about 3000 sq ft of garden/landscape space). We have a bird feeder and a recirculating water fountain/bird bath. This brings us so any birds and the flowers are mostly from succulents/natives like Sages, Canary Aeonium, Roses, Bird of Paradise, Cactus, Lemon tree, Hibiscus etc that bees and humming birds are always busy in our yard/house.
When we bought the house 6 months ago we hired a pest control provider who, at our request, used less toxic/green products. But on an ongoing basis, I was wondering why not do things that would naturally bring more beetles, ladybugs to keep flies, fleas and ticks in check. And then I thought, if I buy/introduce a pair of frogs that should help a great deal too.
What should I keep in mind? Is this a reasonable approach? Should I worry that the frogs will multiply out of control? Help!


texts: Cleaning up leaves in a rock landscaped garden

texts:
After a few great years, my garden, which is landscaped with medium size rocks has lost some of it's shine.  The, originally, white rocks are now off colored and the leaves are piling up thick under the bushes and herbs.

Is there a trick to cleaning up the leaves and restoring some of the brightness to the rocks?


texts: I have what seems to be Wild Grape Vines killing off my hedges.  Is there any other recourse besides uprooting them all?  Would clipping them down and spraying stump rot be another possibility?


texts:
I just planted a cherry tree, and it has a light amount of mulching (mostly fragments of dried-up mulch). I'm not sure if I've mulched enough, or if I can (or should) mulch it more.

Is there some rule of thumb on how much to mulch a tree? For example, if I barricade around it with topsoil, should I put the mulch only on the outer part of the topsoil and on top?


texts:
I know it must be really hard without proper equipment to check the quality of vermicompost, but is there, still, another way to test the quality?

To me, this doesn't look like vermicompost at all. It feels like soil mixed with some white seeds-like stuff.

They were all black in the bag it came in and when I applied it as a topsoil and watered it, most of the "castings" went from black to light brown and pale yellow. Is this casting drying out in sun or it is some other cheap material? How do I know it is real worm casting?


texts: Why should I prune roots of bare root blackberries before planting?

texts:
I bought some bare root blackberries from a reputable nursery and in the instructions they said to "prune roots 1/2" to 1" with sharp pruning shears" before planting.

What purpose does this serve?


texts: Why doesn't my guava tree flower and fruit?

texts: It has been in the ground in SoCal for about 4 years, and it is probably about 8 ft. tall.  The leaves turn yellow and fall off, and I have not seen one flower yet.


texts: Lily leaves are turning yellow, the old flowers have gone to seed. Advice on how to bring it back to health?

texts: my peace Lily with yellowing leaves . And what I can only assume are the flowers producing bulb's??


texts:
6 months ago, I received my first coffee plant that I immediately repotted in a 14" pot. It was 6 " in height, now 2 ft tall. I have recently realized that it was actually made up of 6 plants:

2 have not grown (at all)
2 have reached 1 ft
2 have a much larger trunk. However:

one took a turn after reaching 1 ft and is now horizontal
the main one has a few bends and turns/grows at an angle.

I would like them to eventually make coffee beans. Should I attempt to separate them now and repot them separately (with some guaranteed damage to the roots) or let them live their life?


texts: Unknown pest identification - eggs? On a grape vine, UK

texts:
Something has laid eggs (I think?) on my grape vine.

They are all over the main branches of this vine, which is decades old. Don't recall seeing them before. They are maybe 4mm long.

Excuse the rain!

Ants seem to be attracted to them - unsure if they are anything to do with the ants, whether the ants are somehow tending them, or attacking them, or something else.

Location is south-east UK.

Anything I need to worry about?


texts: Please identify this beetle (?) that has appeared in large numbers

texts:
This is a small insect/beetle that has appeared all over my decking today.

The things are about 5-7mm in size. The decking is wooden, made from tropical hardwood (Balau if that matters).

I am based in London, UK, and it has been unseasonably hot and dry here the last week or so.

There seem to be hundereds of the things crawling all over the deck and the garden furniture.

What is it?
Does it bite?
Does it indicate anything bad - for example rot or decay in the deck?


texts: I live in the tropics where It's warm almost all year round. Is it possible to grow Hyacinth?


texts:
I recently started composting, and I was reading about top-dressing. Two questions I have about top-dressing are:

Is there a maximum to it? Most of my reading suggests up to once a year max.
Do I really need to rake it under the grass? Some sites suggest leaving it on your grass (it'll disappear by itself), some suggest raking it until it goes under the soil.

If you're wondering, my backyard area has quite a few weeds (hoping to eliminate most of them), a few small bare patches, and a few areas of yellow/dead grass. I'm aiming to eliminate most of the weeds and get a consistent, thicker grass for this year; maybe some vegetables next year.

Edit: I live in a place where we get cold winters (-20C and under) and hot summers (up to 30C or so).


texts: Help with Hydrangea hybrid identification

texts:
This one may be impossible... My wife purchased an Hydrangea after she attended a talk at Klehm Gardens in Rockford (it was a table centerpiece). It came with no information as to which hybrid it is. I'm pretty sure that it's a form of H. macrophylla, which is usually not hardy in N. Illinois- unless it's an Endless Summer variety, which this may be (although new to me).

Why not ask Klehm, you're thinking, right? Tried that - they actually don't know, either. My main concern with the ID is to get the plant's hardiness correct, as my wife would like to keep it from year to year, and I don't think it'll do well in our semi-heated basement over the winter (too warm); I'd rather plant it and forget it over the winter.

In the photos below, the flowerheads are slightly too purple. They're definitely NOT blue or pink; mauve-ish would probably be most accurate. They may also have a white picotee, which may be difficult to see. The leaves have been preyed upon by a cat, so they're pretty ratty in some cases.

Thanks!


texts: What is this?   It had blue or purple flowers in early summer


texts: Pollinating C.pubescens (rocoto) peppers

texts:
Inspired by this question, I have grown some rocoto (C.pubescens) from seed. Despite using grow lamps and salt petre, germination rates weren't high, but after only 3-4 months I have some strong plants and at least one is covered with purple flowers. However none appear to be pollinating!  This compares with some pepperoncini which I sowed at the same time and produced their first fruit a couple of weeks ago.

Do I need to manually pollinate C.pubescens and are there any recommended ways of doing this?


texts:
I have had a ZZ plant for 1,5 years. It was already big when I got it. It grew a couple of leaves last spring. The old pot was changed in August 2020 and the new one is 12 liters with Lechuza PON substrate. Also, it was growing new leaves in December. Also, the ZZ is going to get a flower now.
I live in not a sunny place and now, in winter, there is little sunlight. At the end of December, I decided to use extra lights for the plant. I use 2 linear lights (85cm-12W-4000K-1000Lm and 105cm-16W-4000K-1400Lm), but the lights are bigger than the plant diameter and, I guess, only 60-75% of light flow reaches the plant. I used luxmeter app on the iPhone and it showed 300lx.
I watered the plant once every 4 weeks before using the light and once every 2 weeks now.
The plant dries out small old leaves.
Now I found some light spots on the leaves. I guess some conditions are not ok but don't know what exactly. Could you please help, I don't know what it is and what I should do with it now.


texts: How many dahlia tubers can I plant in a pot 12 inch pot

texts:
I have bought Dahlia tubers from a big box hardware store. According to the packages there are 3 plants per package.

Each package contained 1 clump that was about fist sized and two smaller clumps (size of the smaller clumps varied wildly).

I bought 3 packages: Blue Boy, Thomas Eddison and Arabian Night.

I have some pots that are 30 cm wide and 25 cm high (around 12 inches wide and 10 inches high in the imperial system).

I've read that I should plant these indoors 4-6 weeks before the last frost date which is about now.

Considering I want to maximize the number of tubers per pot, how many per pot can I realistically plant.


texts:
My citrus tree has Psorosis, and I am thinking about cutting it down and putting a new tree in its place. But I am concerned that the disease will spread via the soil.

Does Psorosis spread through the soil?

(A Psorosis infected tree looks like this: )


texts: Why are the leaves of my ginger plant drying out?

texts:
It's only been 3-4 months since I potted my ginger plants.
I water them every 2-3 days depending on the the weather. I try not to get the soil too moist.

Over the last couple weeks, the leaves of one of them have been drying out, though it still appears to be growing.

The other appears fine. What's gone wrong?


texts: What is the easiest way to get started with Bokashi (japanese "fermenting" composting)?

texts:
Someone suggested Bokash composting of non meat kitchen scraps b/c it doesn't attract insects nor does it smell.

What's the easiest way to get started?
Do I need to buy more  bokashi "microbes" everytime the compost bin is full?


texts: Is dieback a real disease? As in; a living pathogenic microorganism (i.e. germ, virus, bacteria)? Or is it just a term used to describe a common correlation (of symptoms) or syndrome?


texts: How do I prune boxwoods to control for boxwood leaf miner?

texts:
Our boxwoods have a moderate infestation of boxwood leaf miners. Sources recommend pruning to help manage them, and mention that you should cut at a certain time in the pest's lifecycle. But they don't give detailed info on how much to remove or the timing outside Missouri.

How do I know when I should prune in my area?
How much should I remove?
And what should I do with the debris after pruning?


texts: What is this shrub-looking plant with large pink flowers?

texts: I saw this flower while walking outside and would be really interested in growing it in my garden. Could anyone give me the name for them!


texts:
My spider plant first looked like this when I bought it, which is about a 5 weeks ago. (https://i.stack.imgur.com/siszj.jpg)

I put it in a the corner of a south facing room that has floor to ceiling window, approximately 9ft from the window.
I repotted it after I brought it home to a pot 1inch bigger (7”) than the original one. The new pot is much deeper so I layer some activated charcoal before I put the plant and new potting soil in. I water it once every week or two, generally a few days after the soil feels dry 1 inch down. I’d water it thoroughly until the water comes out of the draining whole.

But now my spider plant looks like this:
(https://i.stack.imgur.com/ZLHPL.jpg)

(https://i.stack.imgur.com/0ua1d.jpg)
The leaves are not as curly. It’s soft and thin. The color is less saturated. I have to cut out quite a few dead leaves at the bottom.
There are no gnats or bugs hanging out around the plant. No eggs or fungus in the soil.
Please let me know what might have caused the problem. I’m really worried about it right now. Thank you all who have spend your time reading this post. I’d really appreciate if someone can give me some suggestions!


texts: What is this 3 metre tall shrub whose bottom comes from lots of thick stems?

texts:
I'm not sure if the berries change colour or not. Right now they are the size of peas and look like little watermelons. As you can see, the leaves are weird and look like sea urchins.

Can anyone tell me what plant this is?


texts: Why have my yews lost all their needles?

texts: My yews lost all their needles this winter (I'm in New Hampshire). I planted them 3 years ago and this is the first for this. Will they be ok? Will the needles grow back? I hope so- I really do love them.


texts: I'm growing some herbs in pots on my patio, and I've let things get away from me a bit: my cilantro and lemon basil are flowering. I  know it's considered bad to let my cilantro flower like that, and it'll not taste as good now, but is the same true for lemon basil?


texts: What is causing black leaves on my Aloe Vera plant?

texts:
This was a perfect plant. This started happening a week ago. All the leaves have gone from bright green to black. Some of the leaves are mushy.

I water this plant once a month.


texts:
In the animated film "Curse of the Were-Rabbit" the context is how a community prepares their garden produce for the great vegetable show. The actors have clearly garden-related names like Miss Thripp, Mr. Mulch, Lady Calendula and so on. However there is an odd one, Mr. Caliche.
Caliche in some parts of the world is a dense mineral substrate that is highly alkaline and devoid of organic matter so one would think rather an odd choice of name in a garden context. It is well known that Dreamworks, one of the producers of the film, was worried about the film's predominantly UK flavour and sought in various ways to make it appeal to North American audiences, and it may be that someone in the production team introduced a term that might make American audiences feel more at home in the story with no real knowledge of its relevance.
But maybe it is just my lack of experience with that material - can anyone shed light on the issue? What does caliche have to do with gardening where you dig holes in the dirt?


texts:
I noticed this tiny plant growing in the pots where a tomato and a squash are growing. A few days ago I found this same plant growing in a pot where I'm growing lettuce. This makes me doubt if the strawberry plants I'm attempting to grow are truly strawberries, since they were taking so long to germinate that I thought they wouldn't germinate at all and left them forgotten in my patio for weeks, until I decided I needed those pots for other seeds so I went to pick them up and found little seedlings growing. I thought that finally the strawberry seeds germinated, but now I'm not so sure since the seedlings look awfully similar to those growing in my other pots.
So what could they be? And is the little plant growing in the clear pot really a strawberry seedling? I'm new to gardening so honestly have no idea and even though I googled to see what strawberry seedlings are supposed to look like, I'm still not sure.


texts: What are the proper conditions and watering habits for rosemary?

texts:
I have tried twice now to start Rosemary from seed and failed both times. Last year I planted them in a self watering window box with a number of other herbs. It never really came up well and never thrived, then we went on vacation and it died.

This year I tried again in a different pot and it still came up slowly or not at all (most seeds did not germinate it seems). Then I knocked the pot over and that was the end of that attempt.

I am ready to try again. I am going to use a 6" self watering container and potting mix and a new pack of seeds.

What are the pitfalls and hangups starting rosemary from seed? What can I do to improve my chances or even ensure success?

My weather: Hot during the summer (mid 90s during the day mid 70s at night). Some rain.


texts: Can this plant be transplanted or is it too mature?

texts:
I have a plant (not sure what species) that was badly positioned when it was planted. Because of heavy wind, it is constantly injuring the neighboring pepper tree, and vice versa.

It is about 50 cm (about 1'8") tall.

Can I transplant it with a reasonable chance of success?

How would I go about it, how should I dig?

I'm nervous because I've ruined plants this way before.


texts: I just bought a new plant but I forgot to ask what's the name.  Can you recognize it?  Any suggestion about how to take care of it?


texts: Have I carefully nurtured a blade of grass?

texts:
I'm a first-time vegetable grower, and planted a lot of pepper seeds, both hot and normal. After some time, a few began to make shoots, so I transplanted them to a larger pot.
One of them was different, and I thought it was just a chilli plant. After some weeks, it's become almost undeniable, but I just want to make sure. Please could you look at this photo and confirm: is this grass? I'd hate to uproot a growing plant even more than I'd hate to have been carefully tending a blade of grass.


texts:
Is organic matter (OM) in organic fertilizer important?

Is higher OM better than lower OM? For example: NPK 3:2:2 OM 71% better than NPK 3:2:2 OM 60%?


texts: Most durable approach to preventing weeds in garden paths?

texts:
I can get some satisfaction out of a freshly weeded bed of veggies, but weeding paths is just a chore.  So I'm looking around for a good solution.  I don't mind investing some time and effort, as long as the pay off is worth it.

My current thought is digging down a few inches, laying down some cardboard, pinning down some landscaping fabric, and putting a few inches of wood chips on top of that (I think I can find free wood chips from local logging operations).

A few questions:

is that overkill?  should I skip the fabric?
how long can I expect this to last?
would this be as weed free as I'm hoping?

And of course if you have a faster, easier, effective approach, I'd love to hear it.  Thanks.


texts: How do I properly utilize a broadcast spreader when overseeding?

texts:
I have tried overseeding with a tall fescue for the last few years and I'm not sure it's doing any good. I mow low, use a broadcast spreader and water 15 minutes four times a day for about two weeks, but at the end of the two weeks I can still see ungerminated seeds sitting on the ground with very little to absolutely no new growth. I've detatched and core aerated as well, but still nothing.

I've considered mixing the seed in a wheel barrow with a few bags of garden soil and manually raking it into the yard, but that seems like an awful amount of back breaking labor for a 1/2 acre yard and really defeats the purpose of the broadcast spreader -- which seems a lot easier. Is there a proper way to use a broadcast spreader, or is it one of those things that garden stores sell to catch the rubes?


texts: How do seed vendors determine in which months the buyer can start sowing and in which months the buyer can expect to start harvesting?

texts:
When i buy a seed package at the local gardening store it usually has the following information on the back (this is an example):

Can sow from march-may
Flowers from may-june
Harvest starts in june-august
Days until maturity 85-90 days
Sun exposure full sun

I assume that for each different region they make a different sow plan. The above may work for buyers living in the netherlands, but i take it that the sow instructions have completely different months and perhaps even a different maturity day indication when the same seeds are sold in australia for example.

My question is: On what data do the vendors base their instructions on the back of the package? Is it the USDA zone of a specific region?
Or do they base it on the average monthly temperatures of a region?
Also, I don't understand how they come up with the 'days until maturity' estimate. Some months have allot lower temperature averages then others so it cant be the same number or the same range like 85-90 days for every month. For instance, i grew some field lettuce once, and on the package it said it would take 2 months or so to grow, but i decided to grow it from autumn through winter. The lettuce grew fine but it took an extra month i believe for it to reach maturity.

So i'm really curious how the vendors determine when a certain region can start growing a certain crop.

Thank you


texts: Buying dwarf Cavendish banana tree online?

texts:
Where can I buy a small dwarf Cavendish banana tree online?

I know I can Google it, but I prefer suggestions from people who have bought online before.

I could also buy in amazon, but the reviews were disappointing.

Thanks


texts:
I have a Mission Olive tree, and I've read in several places that Sevillano and Ascolano will both increase fruit set as these 3 are good cross pollinators of each other. Unfortunately I cannot find any Sevillano or Ascolano in my area, all that seems to be available locally is Arbequina, Frantoio, Manzanillo, which from what I've read are either poor cross pollinators or not compatible at all.

My question is would buying a 2nd Mission Olive increase pollination rates? Is it just a matter of a greater amount of compatible pollen available in the area or is there something about the genetics of cross compatible varieties pollinating each other that gives better results than just having multiple trees of the same type?

(I know I could order a Sevillano or Ascolano online but I've been very disappointed in my previous mail orders, most arriving near death or disappointingly smaller than advertised, so I'm focusing on local trees I can inspect and approve of prior to purchase)


texts:
One month ago I used weed killer and waited two weeks to overseed and after seeing all weeds dead I overseed and used starter fertilizer and now I have some green weeds on my grass. What are they? what did I do wrong? Right side have no problems. I haven't seen new grass anywhere though, maybe they dried because of sun. Before overseed I did rake my grass and got rid of dead grass.  I kept soil moist all the time. Temp. was around 70-80 range. Kansas City, Missouri.

I don't know the last time it was fertilized.

Before

After

[![][4]][4]


texts:
I've heard many people talk about using rock dust when talking about organic gardening.

From what I understand rock dust is made from crushed rocks. If they are to be used in an organic garden I assume they are made from real rocks; rocks that took many years to form.

It would seem to me that using rock dust is less sustainable than using something like sustainable timber. I would appreciate if someone could explain whether using rock dust is a sustainable practice or are we using up a irreplaceable resource?


texts: Will herbicides (like RoundUp) prevent stickers from germinating?

texts:
I'm fighting a losing battle with these plants (pictured). No idea what they are called, but I always just call them "stickers".

I tried pulling them with the sticker pods intact and disposing of them to prevent them from spreading as much as possible, but that hasn't been effective. I'm thinking about applying a herbicide whenever I see a patch of them, but I'm thinking that by the time they have the seed pods developed it might be too late to do any good because the next generation is on the way.

My question is this: Will spraying herbicides (such as RoundUp) "kill" the sticker seed pods and prevent them from germinating in addition to killing the plant they are attached to?


texts: How should I overwinter my potted clematis in Massachusetts, Zone 6a?

texts:
As fall approaches here in Massachusetts USA, Zone 6a, (temperatures generally no lower than −5°F, −20°C), I am beginning to wonder what to do with two clematis plants I have been attempting to grow.  I do not know anything specific to their species beyond that they are Clematis.

They are both in 6 inch pots and are about 16 inches in length. Should I plant them in the ground and find them next spring? Will they survive or should I attempt to bring them indoors?  I do not have a garden shed or area other then my house to put them in.

I do not want to lose them, as it has taken some time for them to grow as big as they have.


texts: Will sunflower seeds that have been left out all winter germinate?

texts:
I forgot to remove a large sunflower before winter and after the snow hit I was unable to get to it.

The seeds were left in the head all winter but the plant is high enough that it wasn't buried in snow. The head also drooped so the seeds are facing down and therefor protected a bit from rain and could drain.

Any thoughts on if they'll be able to germinate or not? I'm going to give them a try but hoping someone might have some thoughts. I do have other seeds I did harvest but part of me is wondering if this might have been a good way to store the seeds in the first place.


texts: Should I separate and transplant basil seedlings?

texts:
I have begun to grow basil for the first time. Basically all I did was open a packet of seeds and throw them into a flower pot that’s about 20cm wide/round. The seeds have germinated and have started to grow into about 1cm high little stems. So now when I look into the flower pot all I see is green (which is the large amount of stems with little leaves growing off them).

My question is: can I just leave it how it is and continue to grow it in this pot or am I supposed to separate the stems and grow each one separately? I’m afraid that if I separate them they will all die.


texts: Full spectrum LED strips tape for growing succulents and indoor plants

texts:
I'm looking at modifying some built in shelving that I have in my house with some LED strips to help my succulents and indoor plants. Due to the fixed nature of the shelves and the relatively narrow spacing between the shelves (about 12"), I don't want anything too bulky or that generates too much heat or that would otherwise blow the plants away.

To meet these requirement, I've been looking at purchasing some LED strip tapes. On the surface this seems like a good fit - low power, low profile, customizable, etc.

The additional thing that I've been looking at is which spectrum of lighting to go with. At first I thought I would be best to go with Red/Blue tape (like the top in the below), but the more I read into it, the more it seems like having a hyper-focused spectrum light like this isn't necessarily good. I'm actually happy about this as it, the shelves are in my living room and I wasn't looking forward to the prospect of having this color of lighting running.

Fast forward, and I've been trying to find some LED tape that is more of a Full Spectrum Sunlight replacement whilst still targeting the blue and red spectrum (similar to the bottom in the below), BUT I can't seem to find a tape version of this. All the ones that I have found are t5's or built into fixtures.

Hence I'm wondering if anyone knows what might be a viable solution for my case and/or if there is a tape that would get me close to what I'm after.


texts: Why doesn't the UK produce hazelnuts, chestnuts and walnuts, despite having suitable climatic and horticultural conditions?

texts:
In my home country, Italy, and countries with similar climatic conditions, such as Georgia or Turkey, these nuts are grown and exported in great quantities. In southern Italy, in particular, hazelnuts. In the north, chestnuts. And so on.

I have noticed that the UK has potential to produce hazelnuts, filberts and chestnuts, but I don't understand why they don't take them seriously.

I have thought of three possibilities:

Short summers, wet autumns don't make harvesting and drying easy.
Squirrels.
Cultural reasons.

Anyone have any other idea?


texts: What kind of chilli is this that grows upwards?

texts:
This is a chilli I grew from some left over seeds. It's chillies grow upright. It's flowers are white on the inside and have purple lines on the outside.
Any idea what kind of chilli it is?

Update: The chillies have now turned bright red (after briefly turning wine colour)


texts: Should planting depth be adjusted for a rooted cutting?

texts:
I've acquired some rooted holly cuttings that I intend to plant out in the field.
The cuttings were rooted in media and I obtained the cuttings with an intact root-media ball.
When planting a cutting like this, should media be removed until the first roots become visible?
Good planting practices indicate that the root flare of a tree should be visible when planting. Does the same apply to a cutting?
The cuttings had about an inch of the branch buried in media before the first roots began to appear, which I removed before planting in an intermediate container while they acclimate.


texts:
I have a Dwarf Alberta Spruce which is showing signs of worse-than-normal winter burn. Not only have the needles on the south side of the tree browned, but the new buds on that side also appear to have died. I've heard that this was caused by our severe winter - when the trees should have started taking up water, the frost line was still 5 feet deep, and the plants dried out.

Is there anything I can do to help the tree along other than just wait? Pruning will not help, correct? Usually I have some winter burn, but the new buds remain green and by early summer the tree is as beautiful as ever.


texts: What to do with new sideway branches of Hens and Chicks

texts: last year my Hens and Chicks plant got 2 new branches, but I am not sure what to do with them since they are growing sideways. Should I detach them from the main plant and let them grow separately, should I leave them like this, or should I elevate it from the ground somehow. I also see some small roots that they have around them.


texts: How to be safely install light bulb for outdoor vegetable?

texts: My patio does not have direct sunlight, but I want to build a hydroponic system. The vegetable that I want to plant requires a lot of light, so I also want to put lighting system outdoor for the vegetable. Does any product in the market do the task?


texts: What kind of bug is this & does it eat aphids?

texts:
I want to get rid of aphids in my garden in a non-chemical way. I know that certain bugs can help a lot by eating aphids.

One such example are ladybugs, but unfortunately I can't find big populations of them.

However, I have heard that this bug also eats aphids:

Does any one know its name and whether it eats aphids?


texts: What is the maximum amount (lbs/1000 sf.) of nitrogen that should be applied to turf in the spring?

texts:
Assumptions and details:

we would apply slow release, predominantly insoluble, organic sources of nitrogen which could include compost, corn gluten meal or any of a number of organic turf fertilizer products.
the turf would not receive irrigation until memorial day.
the turf is a mix of fescues and bluegrass with some clover for good measure.
the property is on the east end of Long Island, NY.
we would make the first application in mid-April.

What are some general guidelines for application rates, and does the fact that we want to use organic products affect recommended rates?


texts: What is this disease on my Christmas Palm, and how do I treat it?

texts:
I bought this Christmas Palm 10 weeks ago, and it was healthy and full, with no signs of disease. I'm in Ft. Lauderdale, zone 10. I placed the palm on my sometimes windy, south-facing balcony. I watered it when the soil felt dry to the touch -- about 2.5 quarts most days -- until the water ran out the bottom (no saucer). It developed brown spots on the surface of the leaf stems and tan flakes attached to the center veins of the leaves. The leaves began turning brown at the tips and edges, and new leaves were not growing.
Two weeks ago, I replanted the tree in a bigger container, filled in with Miracle-Gro Cactus, Palm, and Citrus Potting Mix, and sprayed the tree with BioAdvanced Fungus Control for Lawns. I increased the water to 5 quarts per day, until it runs out the bottom. New leaves are now growing vigorously, but the new stems are still covered with dark brown spots, and the center veins still full of the tan flakes. Can you tell me what it is, and what to do?


texts:
I recently just bought an areca plant. When it arrived I repotted it in the same soil mixed with some sand and watered it using tap water.
The next day the leaves had turned a sort of silvery yellowy white colour. Some leaves in the middle are still green.
I have since repotted again using fertile soil from my garden. (I fertile my soil by laying the fresh cut grass over it.)
So my question is: Is my plant dead, dying and can it be saved?
Thnks in advance, Mart
Update:
So this is a pic of the plant a few days later. It's been cloudy here in Birmingham, so no direct sunshine, and I have left out to get some natuaral rainfall. There are small stones + holes in the bottom of the pot for drainage. I think it's looking slightly greener inside. Should I never give tap water to it due to the chlorine? Also, should I try and trim off the dead looking bits?


texts: How can I control scale insects on an indoor olive?

texts:
Earlier this year I moved into an apartment with an indoor garden: effectively a balcony that can be opened up in summer and closed off in winter on both the external and internal side. Unfortunately the apartment had been a viewing apartment and uninhabited in the 5 years since it had been built, and an olive tree and nerium had both been infested with scale insect. I ended up removing the nerium, but the olive tree is still infested.

I’ve tried Provanto Care sticks that you can bury around the affected plant with no luck. I’ve also gone through a couple of applications of Calypso from the same manufacturer, but it’s a neonicotinoid so now illegal to sell here in the EU and I feel a bit guilty about using it; it didn’t help anyway.

The tree itself is growing a few new leaves at the top but most of the existing are infested and dead / dying. It is sprouting at the bottom of the trunk but I’ve been trimming those back. So what would people suggest the next thing to do is? I’m thinking that pruning the affected branches heavily back before spring starts would be the best idea, along with manually rubbing any scale insect off the remaining branches so they don’t infect any new shoots. Would love to hear ideas.

The photos following were taken today, but I’ve since brushed off as many dead/dying leaves as were willing to come down, and cleared them away for disposal. The tree is obviously much older than the 5 years the apartments have existed so I’d love to get it back to full health.


texts: Are these spider mites on my Hedera Helix?

texts:
I posted earlier today about yellow spots on my leaves, accompanied by falling leaves. I was pointed in the direction of spider mites by one answer. To my unpleasant surprise there were infact quite a few of them on the underside of some leaves.

Additionally what I thought was fungus, is probably is web on the soil. My current plan is to treat the plant with the soap spray remedy. Once I see improvement, to repot the soil.

Or should repotting the soil be my first priority given the amount of webs.


texts:
I read that you should let ground cherries physalis pruinosa, also known as Stawberry Tomato,  fall to the ground and then pick them.

It is going to freeze and the plant is loaded with fruit. If I pick the the fruit and let them stand, will they turn yellow and ripen as a tomato would?


texts:
I'm growing tomatoes in a raised bed. I planted four different varieties; one of them, Brandywine, has wilted pretty aggressively on one side of the plant (pictures below). I have a number of other tomatoes in the plot which look fine, but I'm concerned that if there's a disease it could spread to the other plants. I don't have much experience growing tomatoes so I would appreciate any help in identifying what the problem might be.
We water the tomatoes and peppers most days that it doesn’t rain. I planted them maybe a month ago, and fertilized once with Tomato-tone. I am located in hardness zone 7A.
Thanks!
Photos:
The entire plant (in the silver cage), surrounded by some pepper plants.

Another view of the wilted leaves.

Some of the leaves starting to turn yellow.

A close up of some wilted leaves.


texts: We have a weird orange spherical fungus growing in our garden, any idea what it is and if we need to do anything special to get rid of it?


texts: How do I replace string or open string head in RYOBI 40V-X Expand-it String Trimmer?

texts:
I bought this cordless trimmer about a month ago and was happy with it. However, I didn't realize the string head dispense the internal string from tapping down when operating. I tried to dispense the string manually by pushing and twisting the red and grey part of the string head. And by accident, I rotated the grey part enough to suck all the string into the string head instead (opposite of what I want to do).

I have consulted the user manual and YouTube videos, none shows me how to replace the string for the current trimmer, or show me how to open up the string head to replace the string manually. Please advise.


texts: Can this tree be an eucalyptus tree growing in Central Europe?

texts:
I have this tree in my garden. The previous owner, who planted it, told me it is a kind of eucalyptus. When rubbing a leave between the fingers it indeed has the smell I know of eucalyptus-sweets.

3 years ago it was 1 meter and more like a shrub, now it has, especially this year, grown very fast and high.

Given a warm winter the foliage will not fall off - however the colder (and wetter?) the more the leaves seem to suffer (see the images). Too cold temperatures are killing the extremities.


texts: This plant did good for a month before i bought it and then it caught powdery mildew. The buds began to rot and fall off. So after trying simple hacks like sprinkling baking soda solution, soap water solution etc it didn't seem to revive and i cut off its branches. Once there was new growth in it, some red spots appeared on it. Very tiny ones. And now the leaves have this white rough texture. I just discovered that the red spots are actually some pests. Do you think this plant is gonna survive? I haven't fertilised it. I just used some organic neem biomix in the soil.


texts:
I just planted plum seeds. All the instructions I found suggested one of two approaches:

Put it in a bag in the fridge for 10-12 weeks, or
Plant it in cold soil outdoors in late fall or early winter

Both approaches suggested a clean (no plum flesh), dry seed. So I scrubbed and washed them, and refridgerated them for 24 hours to get 'em dry. I didn't crack them though.

Now, I've planted it in the backyard under some soil (technically, compost). What do I do now? I didn't find anything other than "water it when it grows, it doesn't like wet roots." Am I supposed to water the seed?

The root rot is a bit troubling since I have clay soil and buried it close to that. I don't want to risk over-watering.

What now? How do I care for it until (and after) it germinates and starts growing?


texts: Are there concrete plant-watering schedules?

texts:
I'm in the progress of making more of my house plants survive, better. (I'm doing OK, but too many of my plants die, or sometimes suddenly nearly die for mysterious (to me) reasons.)

I've started looking up a whole bunch of my plants, and while I found vague instructions (e.g. "keep moist" or "water when the top 1in/2.5cm are dry"), but rarely anything specific (e.g. "water every 5 days"). At the same time, there are very clear/specific instructions out there for fertilizing!

My plan right now is to create a list of the various watering rules, monitor each of my plants daily for a month or two, keep track of when I water them, and then build a "static" schedule (water plant A every 2 days, plant B every 7, plant C every 8) that I can set up as recurring reminders.

Is there a better way? Does everybody do this?