texts:
https://imgur.com/IN6LCDu
https://imgur.com/8lbVDFe (Follow links for pictures)
I got some trees for Christmas, and most of them are thriving, but my Norway Spruce is not doing too hot. At first, I thought I had over watered her, her leaves were drooping, but weren't brittle, so I moved her from her pot so she could dry. Now, however, her leaves have turned brown towards the base and seem dry, but her soil is still moist. I gave her some more water, but I don't know how to help her. I'm also worried she doesn't seem to have many roots? With plants I've grown in the past, they've all had expansive roots, but when I moved her, she seemed to have no roots at all. I didn't want to dig around in the dirt too much, at the risk of breaking her roots, which I have done with a pepper plant in the past and still feel badly about, but I was checking for mold or rot and she just didn't seem to have many roots. I don't know if this is normal or not, I can't find much information online for growing Norway Spruces from seeds. Does anyone know what might be wrong with her, or how to help her?


texts: Dying/dead peace lily? Any hope of reviving it?

texts: I’m wondering if I should keep trying to revive this peace lily or let it go. Its leaves are darkening and yellowing, and the yellow water in its water dish is grossing me out. I’m assuming it was overwatered and root rot is the cause of the yellowing. Any chance of saving it or should I throw it out? I can’t leave it outside because there are outdoor cats who live in my yard and I’m afraid it’s poisonous to them.


texts: Clear sap like substance on underside of Chinese evergreen leaves

texts: I just recently discovered some clear sticky dots under the leaves of my Chinese Evergreen. The look and feel like some sort of sap. They can be wiped off but are thick and sticky. There isn't any visible insects that I can see. In the image I am providing they appear white but its just the reflection from the flash on my phone, they are clear. Leaves have been turning yellow on this plant for the past few months, however, I only just noticed these so I'm unsure if that is unrelated to this problem.


texts: My sister has this cactus with those brown spots in it. It does not seem to be spreading, or if it is, is very slowly. Does anyone know what it is so we can treat it?


texts: Which fertilizers do best at reducing the uptake of sodium?

texts:
I use tap water for irrigation which comes with a decent amount of Sodium. I would like to reduce the soil salinity with adding Potassium and Calcium. I have an alkaline soil with a pH of 8.4.
When it comes to reducing sodium uptake, is there a difference between Potassium Sulfate and Potassium Nitrate? Would there be a preference on the form of calcium?


texts: How to understand if my tree's roots are girdling

texts:
Some time ago I planted the dwarf (M27) apple tree shown and described in this question.
At the time of planting, I am afraid I didn't dig a very wide hole, just twice the lateral size of the pot in which it came in.
Also, the soil here is very heavy clay, therefore I am seriously worried that the tree's roots might be girdling in the future, just moving in circles in the clay "prison". The tree is grafted on a dwarfing rootstock M27, and when I planted it (1 month ago) it was 2-year old.

What are symptoms that can tell me if the roots are girdling?
Is there anything I can do to actively check? And what would be the best season to do that?


texts: What is this short plant with spiky leaves and yellow flowers that turn orange/red?

texts:
Located near Chicago, IL, USA
This plant started growing around July and a month later produced some yellow flowers. It seems that the flowers turn orange when they are dying. It is about 1 foot tall. It has small thorns on the edge of its leaves.


texts:
I have a potted grape plant that I want to plant into the ground in Southern California (Mediterranean-desert).

What time of year should I do it, and what should I do regarding watering them then?


texts: Mango plant drying out after rubbing off white small insects

texts:
My plant was full of white small insects really small ones and a lot of them in big amount on a small surface of the leaves and branches.. and instead of using soap and olive oil solution i started to remove them with hand by rubbing on the plants surface, and after 3 weeks this happened..see the pic..
i wrapped the lower branches with wet papertowel.. i give the plant yeast containing water , i sprinkle it what else can i do?maybe bigger pot?  I live in zone 8, during winter it is inside from april it is outside, it is Gomera -3 type of mango
Thx for any help. Adam


texts: What to add to water that is safe for plants, but deters mosquitos

texts:
I stay in Singapore, where mosquitos are a real danger due to dengue. I have a number of plants that need watering, so I am putting in an automated irrigation system. Of course I am cautious that the water tank might become a breading ground for mozzies.

So I was wondering what I could add to my water that would deter mozzies but that would be safe or even beneficial for plants.


texts: Should I pick the rhubarb that was attacked by the lawnmower?

texts: Will a rhubarb stalk that got attacked by the lawnmower heal itself, or is it better to pick it, and feed it to the animals?


texts: What could've caused this strange split in this tree branch?

texts:
This is a bit of an odd one but I'm both intrigued and confused by the branch that has split near the trunk of this tree. I don't know what kind of tree it is but it has purple flowers in early spring then goes green until winter.  A very interesting tree that I personally love but something appears to have damaged it. I've never seen tree damage like this before so I know it was a bird or lightning.  I'm hoping someone else has seen this before or perhaps could even identify the type of tree this is.

I should not that this branch shouldn't be rotting or dead as it still has green on it even as I take pictures.  I'm sure its going to die now though.


texts: Why do my potted plants have stems but no branches?

texts:
I have more than 10 plants on my balcony, and almost every one of them has long stems with no branches. We water them every morning, and the sunlight is good. They are like this throughout the year.
I have made a figure to illustrate this. The green colour represents leaves.

The main stem is tall, but there are no branches developing from it, except around the top.  It's the case with every plant. All are different types of plants, but it's the same case with every one of them.
A healthy plant should look like this:

What's wrong with them?
UPDATE:
One of them is Araucaria heterophylla, also called Norfolk Island pine.
UPDATE 2:
Difficult to notice the details, as there are many plants nearby :D


texts: Dracaena hollow between stem and bark, is it dead?

texts:
One of my Dracaena stems has never quite managed to grow any leaves (there was a tiny shoot when I bought it but that soon vanished).  As you can see from the picture, there is a gap between the stem and the bark.  I've sawed the top off (that's what the blue is in the picture) to take a look inside the stem, but I have no idea what the inside is meant to look like.
Is this stem dead, or can I revive it - and how would I revive it?


texts: I am in Florida. I noticed this, and it seems to be getting worse, what is it, and can you please tell me how to fix it, thanks


texts:
Can anyone help me identify this particular tree?

It grows at least in Portugal (north and south).
This branch is obviously dry.

Many thanks


texts: How important is it to install an irrigation system during a new build?

texts:
We're building a new house in Lenexa, Kansas (southwest side of Kansas City). Our yard is larger than average, and the cost for the builder to put in an irrigation system is $4,250. I'm debating on if we should do it now or not.

How much does having it done later add to the cost?
How badly does it mess up your yard when it is put in?
How important do you think it is in this part of the country to have an irrigation system?

Our lot is roughly a half acre (a little under I believe). It's a fairly irregular shape. There's a cul-de-sac on one end and then the back is angled from the middle of the cul-de-sac to the neighbors on the other side. I don't really know how to describe the soil. It's not clay, and it isn't terribly rocky. We don't intend to have any veggie or flower beds away from the front porch of the house. Also, the land is pretty level.


texts: I've heard about plants fixing nitrogen into the soil, what does this mean?

texts: I read that Goji berries fix 60lbs of nitrogen in the soil per acre, does this mean that one plant will put 60 lbs into the soil, or do i need many plants to do this?


texts: Is it normal for palm trees to drip a brown gummy sap?

texts:
Our apartment in Tenerife has palm trees surrounding it and these trees are continuously dripping a brown gummy substance, we presume from their leaves, onto our tiled floor.

We are informed that this is normal for these trees - is this the case?


texts: I have a delightful bush in my garden which is self seeded. It has white blossom in spring, delicate, light green hazel-type leaves (but more delicate) and clusters of black, shiny berries in the autumn which the birds don't seem to like. The nearest look alike is a mock orange, but it isn't


texts: Why does my pepper plant have yellowing, drying and curling leaves?

texts:
One of my pepper plants has so far suffered from pests, blossom end rot and odd skin blemishes and unfortunately the plant is now taking a turn for the worse and looking rather unhealthy.
The leaves are drying out and curling along some edges, and they aren't very green (yellowing?).
The unhealthy plant:
You can see the largest dry patch in the first image - the front of a leaf, while the second is the back of a leaf to demonstrate the loss of colour - compare it to the shots below.

Another healthier plant (for comparison):
This plant sat next to the unhealthy one, about a foot away on the same window sill, so conditions should be very similar. Images are again front then back of two leaves.

A few other points that may be relevant

This is an indoor potted plant, it hasn't been moved in months.
Fruit has been produced and harvested (although the first few with blossom end rot, as mentioned).
It's watered with the same regularity as its peers.
Water isn't being absorbed as much as with its peers - more ends up in the tray underneath, forcing me to give it less water to avoid overflowing.
This is unrelated to the issue raised in another question of mine - that was a different plant.

What could be wrong with the unhealthy plant?
What can I do to help it?


texts:
I live in South Carolina (37 C or 100 F everyday in July), but I love Rhubarb. I planted 4 rhubarb plants in the shade on the north side of my house. 3/4 have died and the last is struggling. They get lots of water. Is there anything else I can do to stimulate growth? Would potting them and bringing them indoors help?

Shortly after asking this question (3 wks ago), I build a Dirt wall around the rhubarb plants (2-3 inches tall, and 14 inches in diameter), which I have filled with around 3-4 gallons per plant everyday. The sandy clay takes some patients to wait for the water to soak in (before adding the rest of the water in small increments) and the soil is still moist the next day. With this extra attention the rhubarb has begun doing noticeably better--one has added 2 new leaves/stalks (it only had 3 before) and the other is still recovering. Thanks Mike Perry for the "ideas link" in your comment.

My sun-room doesn't get enough sunlight for rhubarb. I went to a local nursery that sells rhubarb and the plants were thriving outside in 90F heat. The only difference: they had a very porous soil vs. the clay I had tried growing mine in. I am now successfully growing rhubarb outside in 80-90 degree F heat. The soil MUST be porous. (+ daily watering)


texts: How do I keep red wiggler worms alive overwinter in the Northeastern USA?

texts:
I'm going to be moving into my first house soon in Westchester County, NY. I've done a lot of container and patio/balcony gardening and am looking forward to having a real backyard garden.  I want to start composting with worms but am not sure if they are self-sustainable.

I'm ok with having to buy worms every season (I see that the red wiggler is the worm to get) but am curious about the experience of other vermicomposters in NY and the Northeast.  I've read that an active compost pile can have a temp of 125 degrees Fahrenheit. I assume that worms will move out of my compost material when it gets that hot but what happens in the winter when it gets near zero?


texts:
We have successfully grown a nice crop of green beans this year, but in contrast to store-bought beans the skin is quite tough.

Is there a trick to cultivating more tender beans? Or is it a matter of which breed we use?


texts: Soft Fruit - Canes or Large Potted Plants?

texts:
I'm looking at setting up some soft fruit beds in my allotment, and looking around it seems like I can either buy canes or large potted plants (~3L pots). The only difference I can appreciate so far is the cost.

In particular, I will be growing Rasberries, Blueberries and Blackcurrants. They will be planted in the ground, in a line and supported as required. Soil will be prepared as required (Blueberries, acidic etc).

What are the main differences between the two?
Would you expect a better yield from the large potted plant in year 1?
What a line of smaller cane plants produce a better shaped bush (easier to coax into a line than a round bush) than fewer of the large plants?
When do you plant them (dormant season, winter?)

Thoughts?


texts: Insect identification: black, flightless, ant-like, with exaggerated abdomen

texts: This insect was found just north of Washington, D.C., in mid April.  It resembles a large black ant with an especially large abdomen, and lacks developed wings.  What is it?


texts: Anyone here using wood mulch for their succulents?

texts: I've been wanting to create a succulent garden and I've been doing alot of info gathering on how to provide the best care/environment for such plants. Everything was going fine untill mulching became a topic of research. When it came to opinion gathering, people were divivded with alot favouring wood mulch even for succulents alike. Most argued that rock heats up, doesn't benefit the soil with nutrients, leads to deficiencies and overtime gets imbedded into the soil thus making future planting a pain in the neck. However, all images on the internet show only rock mulch used with succulents so im a bit confused. What is the best approach as far as mulching goes for succulents? If anyone's using wood mulch for their succulents, I'd love to know how well that's been working out for you.


texts: Number of cucumber seedlings to grow together

texts:
I've have some cucumber seedlings planted in biodegradable pots. I planted the seeds two to a pot and have some pots where both seeds germinated.

Will there be an impact on production from plants growing close to each other, should I thin to one per pot?

The varieties are Femspot F1 and Piccoli Di Parigi


texts: Does a compost heap benefit from being on clear soil vs solid ground?

texts:
I have a spot picked out for a compost heap but it is currently bricked.

Is there any benefit to waiting till I can clear it or should I start composting right away?


texts: Do mushrooms keep growing after losing the top part?

texts:
I am trying to grow oyster mushrooms with a growing kit that I bought online, which basically is a brownish block that I immerse in water for a few hours before taking out and keeping moist for days. Mushrooms then shoot out from it. The problem is the shoots that come out are too closely packed and crowd one side of the block. Eventually only a few of them get to grow to their full potential, suffocating the rest.
So I tried picking some when they are halfway grown. That way the harvested part is large enough to use as an ingredient in cooking and the seedlings will be exposed to air, light, and enough space to continue to grow. But when I tried to pluck off the big ones, they came off with the substrate that they grew on, bringing with them lots of seedings.
Then I thought, maybe I could pluck only half of the larger mushrooms, breaking them in the stem. I tried that carefully yesterday, but I haven't seen much growth in either the seedlings that have been given space and air or the stubs after the truncation. I don't know if the substrate was hurt--unlikely--or something else. I wonder if mushrooms continue to grow when the top part is cut off. Also any suggestions?


texts: Is the "Paris Market" carrot a good variety for clay-rich soil?

texts: I have tried growing carrots now and then, but they were always twisting around all of the rocks and squeezing through the clay, and I basically got a bad crop of strong flavored, tough carrots that were good for nothing. Would a round variety like "Paris Market" be better for my type of soil?


texts: What kind of barrier would I need to keep beach grass from running into a lawn?

texts:
We've got a situation where there is beach grass growing up to and into a formal lawn. The problem isn't so much the grass popping up into the lawn, it's that the beach grass is getting nutrients and water from the lawn and growing too thick at the boundary. It needs to be edited regularly. We'd like to limit what it can get from the lawn by limiting it's ability to run to where the good stuff is.

The lawn is organically managed with no or very little soluble nitrogen and infrequent waterings.


texts: How can I improve drainage in a rainy area lawn with little manual labour?

texts:
My back garden is very boggy ground and it is located in the midlands in Ireland, so this is common. I tried planting trees to take the excess water and that seemed to help for nearly a year, but in Ireland we get lots of rain.

Are there any easy solutions to my problem without having to do a lot of work?


texts: What is the proper way to prune a Fig Tree?

texts: I have a fig tree that is 5-10 years old. Currently I just remove the dead branches. What is the proper technique for fig pruning?


texts: Why does my cilantro have thin leaves? Why is my parsley not growing? When will they be ready for harvest?

texts:
My cilantro (planted outside, full sun from about 11am to 6pm) doesn't have the broad leaves that I see when I buy it in the store.  I planted it in May.  When should I expect it ready for harvesting?

My parsley (same planting timeframe and location), hasn't grown more than about 1-2 inches.  When should I expect it to be ready?

Should I be placing these in the sun?  Are they better off in a more shaded location?  Are they getting too much sun?  Not enough/too much water (I water pretty regularly - like once every 2 days)?

I've added some pictures of each below. The parsley is on the left and the cilantro is on the right (click to enlarge).


texts:
I've read some sites that talk about Brix levels in vegetables, and how we should aim to reach high levels in the edibles we grow.

What is brix, and is it something we can inexpensively measure at home?  And if it's good, how do we increase levels?


texts: Is this a tiny Bloodgood maple sapling? How should I care for it?

texts:
While mowing the lawn yesterday, my husband stumbled across this tiny plant. It's barely two inches tall. Some people down the street have a beautiful large tree that looks like a Bloodgood maple, and I've always wanted one! Could this be a little sapling, or perhaps a different variety of red maple?

We gently pulled it up, planted it in a clay pot with regular dirt from the yard, set the pot on a saucer, watered it thouroughly and put it in the sun. This morning it was very dry so I watered it again.

If it's a tree, or even if it's something else, what's the proper care for it at this fragile stage?

click on pictures for full size


texts: Side garden in need of plants, preferably useful

texts:
Place:  UK, East of England
Ground:  Raised bed, 1.5m*2m

I've just cleared the bed of weeds. I should plant something before the weeds return, but... what?  Ideally, that would be:

Low maintenance
Useful (vegetables, cooking herbs, etc)
Won't mind being forgotten for a few months
Will self seed or similar

I fully accept that those four requirements are somewhat mutually exclusive.  That's why I'm bringing it to you guys!


texts:
I have not been overwatering my staghorn fern, I water them at the base about 60cc every week.
I don't most my plants very often and they have been stable for a year until this happened. The only thing is that my place is warmer this summer because the AC is temporarily broken.
I have made sure to let dry before watering but the problem is just getting worse. I suspect it might be a fungus, how can I bring these plants back to health?
https://photos.app.goo.gl/vqJnVtXH3t9b8Exp8


texts: What are these long, mostly translucent worms in my potted trees?

texts:
I buy, re-pot and take care of Norfolk Island Pine trees in my office. They're mostly decorated and displayed around Christmas time, but I take care of them year round and sometimes decorate them for other seasons.

This year I purchased a few and potted them with an organic soil, a fast-draining mix that included sand and pine bark, which is what my trees require. All was normal until this month rolled around.

All of a sudden, after watering my trees and draining the drain trays, these thin, mostly translucent worms would suddenly begin crawling out of the pot and into the drain tray. I'm not really squeamish about this kind of stuff, normally, yet they seem to be multiplying pretty fast. It went from just seeing one in the tray one week, to seeing around eight squirming around the following week. The number is always random. As I said, they're see-through and most of their innards look very black. I also see bits of red/pink and yellow on them.

They're starting to really bug me, now. I don't know why they appeared so suddenly, but they're really gross. I have a secondary tray under all of the drain trays for humidity, so I don't really have to worry about them escaping, but I did find one escaped onto my rug when the humidity tray was shallow.

I don't think they're earthworms because I've never seen any adults in the soil, and I've never seen one evacuate through the top of the soil, it's always in the drain tray. I don't know how to identify them, can anyone help? If I can identify them, I might be able to find out what I can do about them.


texts:
What is this tree?. I though it was a willow of some kind? but cant find a definitive answer.

It has dark cracked bark, long drooping willow like leaves. The stems are red. There is a red vein running through the leaves.

This image taken from google earth on dick burton road, cape town. There are a good number of these lining the road.


texts: Weedy uneven lawn with tree stumps: grind, chip, till, roll and reseed?

texts:
My sister just bought a place and she's asking for help getting her lawn back in order. I'm not sure the way we've come up with is the best way.

Here's my plan of attack. I would appreciate a sanity check and suggestions of other ways about it.

Cut off small tree limbs < 3" in diameter, chip them onto the lawn or discard
Cut the tree down, cut into logs, get 'em out of the way
Grind the stumps down
Till the lawn up - mixing in wood chips
Rent one of them rollers. Flatten the lawn, compact the ground
Seed the lawn
Re-roll
Water frequently

I've seen some people suggest killing everything first with a black tarp. I don't think I agree with that. Weed seeds will survive, it's not hot enough out yet, my tiller isn't going to have a problem ripping it up one way or the other. I can't figure out why I see that suggestion around.

Other option:

Manually weed the lawn or try to use a spray (The grass is pretty thick and decent looking. It just has these little blue flowers popping up everywhere and other small, frequent weeds)
Rent a sod cutter, peel it up
Remove trees, grind it up
Level ground
Unroll sod
Roll it over


texts: Will sago palm fronds come back after turning grey?

texts: This is the second day above freezing in zone 8 after the cold blast of global warming ( our official low was + 3F ). I have a dozen sego palms and the fronds are already a greenish grey. I think the plants will come back as I see them growing well north of Dallas . But will the fronds come back or should I just plan to remove them as convenient ?  Any guesses on if Pride of Barbados will come back from roots ( thick mulch and SNOW ground cover) ?  Fortunately I also have a few also in pots that were inside and seeds


texts: What is this perfumed arbust and can it survive deep frost?

texts:
I saw below arbust in Geneva. It was planted into a hail behind a metallic fence. It has started blossoming lately in the beginning of June.

I wander what it is. Does anyone know?

It has great perfume and I'm considering planting one at my place. But I live 250 meters (820 feet) above Geneva, and temperatures can be -20 deg.C (-4 deg. F) for a night or two. Could it be a possibility for my garden?


texts: Can I hand pollinate a single aloe vera plant?

texts:
I was wondering if i can simply pollinate one aloe Vera plant myself?

I've checked the web but i found one video on YouTube where he has a lot of aloe plants and I wasn't sure if i needed two kinds of plants (male\female)


texts: What is this pale mint green shrub with hay-colored booms from Tenerife, Canary Islands?

texts:
What is this pale mint green shrub that has hay-colored booms? It seems to thrive on lava fields and develops lignified stems.

It can be found around 28.266°,-16.588° in Teide National Park on Tenerife of the Canary Islands.

EDIT: With the plant having been identified below as Erysimum scoparium, I have to add that the following pictures were taken on 2016-11-06 (i.e. November). There was no florescence, so the plants lacked their mauve, pale purple blossoms (see Commons gallery).

(Click to see full-screen image for details.)


texts: What is this large brown seed found in Barcelona?

texts: I found this seed on the ground in a park in Barcelona, Spain. I thought it might be a buckeye but it looks just different enough that it seemed possible that it might be something else. It's roughly 1.5 inches long at its widest point.


texts: Are kaki more stable than apple when planting seeds of market's fruits?

texts:
From what I read here and there, I understand that apple seeds do not easily give of fine edible apples.

How is it now for what I could get from kaki seeds. Does anyone know if it is similar to apple trees when it comes to genetic instability?

I have these seeds from a kaki "Fuyu". Will I be able to grow a tree with tasty fruits?


texts:
This is a bonsai fig tree, which I bought maybe two months ago. As you can see in this photo, it's losing leaves at a good clip:

However, a closer look shows that it's also sending up branch extensions (probably not the correct term) with new leaves:

So what's going on here? For context, I try to stay on top of the watering, but the tree drinks unpredictably, so I'm never sure when I'm going to find the soil dried out. There's a fluorescent grow light overhead, lit eight hours a day.

What, if anything, does the tree need?


texts:
about a two month ago, I planted my first mango plant.
It was growing nicely and it looked gorgeous.
Then week ago purple-red-brownish spots started to appear on the leaves (coincidence or not, only on the leaves that are facing the sun).

The climate where I live is rather cold during the Winter and Autumn, and even though my mango plant is facing the south, during these periods of the year, sunny and warm days are very rare.

I thought I was over watering it, so I planted it in a new (plastic) pot with dry soil, also I bought a fertilizer for plant growing in winter.

What should I do? Should I cut the leaves?
Is there something I can do, or its just impossible to grow these kinds of tropical plants without the appropriate weather?


texts:
Does anyone know of any attachments/accessories that could be attached to the mulching blades, that would remove the under deck mulch build-up as the blades turn???

Thanks in advance
Ken S.


texts: Does Thai muskmelon (AKA Thai best or Tang Thai) do well in a dry climate?

texts:
I read about a kind of melon called Thai best. I think it's popular in Thailand. Anyway, that's where it comes from. According to websites online, fruits mature extremely quickly (60 to 65 days after sowing).

My main concern about these, though, is that they might not do well in a dry climate (it is said to be great in hot, humid climates). I live in a dry climate (not Arizona dry, but dry).

Would these melons grow in a dry climate? Does anyone know the scientific name? I'm guessing it would be something like Cucumis melo 'Thai Long Muskmelon', but that might be another variety. They look like little long watermelons on the outside, with a light-colored flesh and seeds grouped somewhat like a cantaloupe in the inside.

I see it listed on several websites: evergreenseeds.com, seedman.com, lionseeds.com, ebay.


texts: Should I use potting soil with mold to plant a Peace Lily?

texts: I had a large bag of potting soil. When I opened it there was a thin layer of white mold on top.  I used it to re-pot a Peace Lily.  Now I am thinking maybe I should not have used it.  What is the answer?


texts: What has caused stunted growth of my Peace lily?

texts:
The growth of my peace lily has stunted. Should I fertilize my peace lily with humic acid? Can it substitute NPK?

I brought this plant home 4 months back, when it was new to our home. Its  growth was marvelous (3-4 leaves per month),  but with the passage of time its growth slowed down by a great extent, to hardly 1 leaf in a month.

It receives copious amount of light, and the humidity is doing fine at 60%. I allow the soil to dry between watering.

After seeing slow growth I repotted it last month, in a new pot with 2 inches larger diameter then the previous pot. It didn't show any sign of transplant shock.

The root system was healthy, the soil is very well drained, and the pot has several holes at bottom.

I cant figure out the problem. The plant is not doing very well even though everything seems good. To me it looks healthy, but the growth is very slow and the tips are getting brown.


texts: What should I grow on soil which doesn't soak water to the underground?

texts:
I have a piece of land which has, I guess, large calcium content as it show white deposits in large quantities. I tried to grow various plants on it but could not succeed. The land does not absorb water as fast as the normal soil. Soil remains wet in the inside for a good amount of time.

Wheat ,Rice, Mango Trees failed to grow on it.
Please suggest what should I do to make the land fertile ? I am willing to grow anything on it. If there is any chemical solution then I can try that too.
Thanks.

EDIT: I checked the soil test reports it said the soil has Ph of 8.5 and white substance is not calcium but soda or Sodium bicarbonate.Please update your answers accordingly. Thanks.


texts:
I live in Pacific Northwest and this tree is in our backyard

Here is the photo of its leaves

Do you know what tree is it?

It doesn't look that nice. It's not evergreen and quite trashy in the winter.


texts:
Why does this hydrangea have spots?
My blackberry has similar spots. Might they be related?


texts:
I have had this plant for awhile now. Last week it was wrinkly with brown ends after watering and draining the plant it seems to be spring if back to life but there are still parts of the plant with burned ends. I thought maybe it was too close to the window so i moved it back a few inches trying to rotate it regularly. It’s hot in the window so the soil is drying at a much faster rate than usual. Really want to keep this plant alive and healthy!

Please, any tips?


texts: What is the name of this plant and how do I propagate it via stem?

texts: I have the following plant and wanted to know the name and then how to propagate it by stem. Thanks


texts:
I live in portugal, and after  Summer holidays I found the lawn infested with the grass in the photo. the lawn have a lot of sunny, watered during the night, and the terrain is sandy.
I have about 50% of the affected lawn. On another similar lawn, but with more shade, it does not appear.
What can i do to recover the lawn?
sorry my english is not the best


texts:
Greetings, newly planted strawberry plants..some are flowering while others have a brownish colour towards the edge of the leaf. Need to know the reason for the brown leaves. Appreciated.
PS: I live in the Middle East (Beirut Lebanon) it’s autumn now,I’m using a nylon cover to keep the plants warm.


texts: I have been given an avocado tree that is six feet tall. It looks more like a big bushy vine, and was never staked. Need to trim it and need to know how far back I can cut it safely.


texts: Can you plant sod on top of old grass if you lay a layer of top soil down?

texts: I am trying to figure out if I can plant new sod on top of an existing lawn. Can I till the old lawn and lay down top soil then plant the new sod without removing the old grass. I planned on killong the old grass with weed killer.


texts: Do kiwi berry guild well with with elderberry?

texts: I've heard a lot about planting trees together, and was wondering if Kiwiberry will guild well with John/Adams elderberry.


texts: What is this indoor vine with variegated leaves that feel like velvet and are soft to touch?

texts:
Please help me identify the plant in pictures below:

indoor vine plant.
variegated.

the leaves are smooth to touch and the petiole/leaf stalk seem to have fuzzy hairs...


texts: Fertilizing Over Mulch (Specifically Apple Trees)

texts:
I had a question and couldn't find the answer on here.

I have apple trees I've been struggling with for a few years now, between deer, caterpillars, and other things. I've got recommended fertilizer rates and times of the year, depending on their age, from the growers I purchased the trees from.

The question I have is about fertilizing them I have mulch down. I've had some people recommend pulling mulch back, fertilizing evenly, and putting the mulch back in place. I've heard others say you can put it in a ring around the outside of the mulch and it'll seep in to the roots. I've also heard that you can scatter it right on top of the mulch and it'll be fine.

I want to know which of these is correct or if all of them are. My inclination is to say that I just add the fertilizer to the top of the mulch and water it right after. I feel like it'll travel right through the mulch to the roots, just like rain water does. I think pulling the mulch back would potentially disturb roots and I think that putting a ring of fertilizer around the perimeter of the mulch might burn something. Let me know what you guys think. Thanks.

Also, this is just a regular balance granular fertilizer. I don't think it's slow release. The mulch is wood chips, 3-4 inches deep and 6 inches around the tree base. The recommend fertilizing (3) times a year at the end of March, beginning of June, and the end of August here in SC. I think it's something like a half pound for every year old it is, not to exceed a certain number of pounds. I'm pulling that number out of my hat, though. I have it written down somewhere, I just wanted to give you an example of how I'm doing it.


texts: When should I transfer a pothos rooted in water to soil?

texts:
I recently learned how to take clippings from a pothos plant and root it in water. I am quite new to this sort of gardening and have no idea when I should transfer it to soil. I can see tiny roots growing but I'm not sure how big they should be before I transfer it to soil. When should I plant them? How long should the roots be?

I didn't include a picture originally to try to keep the question general, but as requested here is a picture:


texts: peace lilly is rotting from the heat (possible?)?

texts:
I have a long-loved peace Lilly that has recently taken a turn for the worst. Some time ago, SE advised me that the pot it was in did not have appropriate drainage, and saved this very plant. It was very healthy from there on out, until this past couple of weeks.

I came home from a trip, and the plant was a little dry (According to the reader I use). I gave it a good watering, and it half perked, then sort of stopped. Then drooped. Then got brown and rotted. I've had to cut away the vast majority of it - hoping it can survive though!

Our water is hard, I sometimes use bottled water to balance this out. I wonder if not enough - judging by the crust on the pot. I also wonder abotu temperature; it was recently in the mid 40's degrees c (107-115F). Is that too much for this plant?

It is in indirect light, of roughly the brightness you see in the photo. It gets maybe 1 hour of direct light (through window) per day.  I'm concerend that if I pull it up to check the roots, it'll be game over.

Should I water this plant? The soil is still quite moist to the touch. What other diagnostics could I do?


texts:
I found this strange vegetable-looking plant growing randomly outside my apartment and was wondering what it is. It looks like a mustard family vegetable and the purple/green stem is similar to various mustard/broccoli species, but I am not sure what it is or even if it is edible. There are some flowers and it will soon form seeds.

Can someone help identify this plant for me? It grows very rapidly like a weed and the leaves are growing bigger each day.


texts: Is it sensible to do composting in a grow bag or pot which already has plants planted in it?

texts:
I've taken a half liter soft drink bottle, cut off the bottom portion of it and created holes at the bottom and created top-vents like the ventilation that pipe composting needs.

The blue arrows show the air-vents and the yellow arrows, the plant stems. The picture I've shown is that of plants growing in a grow-bag. The contents inside the bottle are empty pea pods and tomato skin which I hope will be disintegrated by microbes, fly larvae and two earthworms that are already in the grow-bag soil. I took care not to hurt the roots of the plants, and this plastic bottle is protected from rain and direct overhead sunshine.

I did this, considering it'd be easier to allow the compost to form within the soil and automatically seep into the soil, rather than have to buy fertilizer and mix it into the soil or have a separate composting system which I hear can create quite a stink.

Questions:
1. Is this sensible to do? Are there any disadvantages of doing it this way? (one of the reasons I've asked here is being worried about hygiene and this setup affecting the plants somehow)
2. If it isn't sensible, can the existing apparatus I've used, be improved in any way?


texts: What thread type do standard sprinkler nozzles have?

texts:
I am assembling a sprinkler system for my gardens and decided to use these standard lawn sprinkler nozzles as they are pretty cheap and seem to do what I want, however I can't find anywhere what the thread type is on them.

I contacted Orbit and their rep told me they are a half inch NPT thread, but after purchasing and receiving them they are definitely not.  The diameter is smaller than a 1/2" NPT and larger than a 1/4" and the thread is finer than both and appears to have no taper like a NPT thread does.

Does anybody know what thread these things use?


texts: What will happen if I repot my Acers in May

texts:
Good afternoon. I wonder if you would answer a question that is if real concern to me.
I can see that the common advice for  reporting acers is to do this in April or September. Due to this lack of deliveries I have only now been able to get 2xlarger pots and the appropriate John Innes 3 delivering this week.
I have attached two photos of the Acer trees and wanted to know what will happen if I was hoping to repot them when the larger pots arrive at the end of next week ?
I would be most grateful if you would let me know


texts: I bought these verbenas thinking they don't need deadheading but there is something wrong with them and I don't understand if they need to be cleaned from the dead flowers or if there is something else they are suffering from. They are watered every day and get full sun


texts: Does amyone know what type of bonsai tree this is

texts: I got this tree about a week ago but i dont know what type it is help someone


texts: Can anyone tell me what type of chillies these are?

texts: I have been given these chillies as a gift so that I can re-plant them next summer. Could anyone please help me with the names?


texts:
I have been growing an avocado tree from the pit indoors for roughly 6 months. It seems to be growing strong as it has beautiful large leaves and many new sprouts (after I pruned it). I also have a 6000K grow light which I am using since the window isn't getting a ton of light (Canadian Winters are dark).
I transplanted it into a large felt-like grow bag similar to this one.
I am noticing some browning on some of the lower leaves. Here is an example of what I am referring to:

Some of the bigger leaves also have a small amount of brown right at the tip of the leaf.
I don't think I have been over watering the plant as I usually stick my finger down into the soil and make sure it is pretty dry before I water it again (as I have read to do - maybe I am wrong here).
Any thoughts on what this could be and how to fix it?


texts: Can a wooden fence support raising/levelling a garden?

texts:
I have a garden that is not completely flat that I am planing to level and could use some advice please.

The image below shows the layout of the garden currently. If I look out from the house at the garden, the first section is flat, but then between the end of the garage and the fence, is a drop of about 12-18 inches. This slope is just a bit too steep to be enjoyed. The brown lines are the fence.

My plan is to sink an additional 2 fence posts (75x75mm) between each pair of exiting fence posts (at least 4ft deep) and then use some fence boards to act as a brace to support the additional topsoil needed to raise the garden to be all level.

The image below shows a top down view of the current fence structure (in brown), where the boards are facing out of my property (so I have the 'ugly' side facing into the garden).
The blue posts/boards are what I intend to do. The horizontal boards would be sunk about 4 inches below the current ground level, and would go to about 4 inches above the desired ground level.

My question is;

Will the additional posts and wooden fence boards be strong enough to support the weight of the additional topsoil required raise the garden 12-18 inches?

Are there any other requirements that I need to consider? I assume that I will need to use some treated wood to ensure that the buried wood doesn't simply rot in the wet soil.

Any other general advice/tips are also welcome.

Thank You

Additional Information

At the end of the slope, on the other side of the fence is a side
path and then our neighbors property.
To the left of the sloped grass is another neighbor, where our garden
slopes down towards our northern neighbor, our left neighbors garden
has a gentle slope down towards my garden.
The red box on the right of the garden image is the legal boundary of
our property. To the right of that is the pavement. For some reason,
the builders did not put the fence on the boundary line, but rather
chose to put some lovely plants on my land (that I have to maintain).
There is a slight slope down to the pavement (under 6 inches). Once I
have permission to move the fence out to the boundary, there will
need to be some further leveling that I would do using the same
principal.

Final Comments

Thanks to the commenters below. I have taken the advice on board and concluded that Wood will not be sufficient.
I will instead build a proper retaining wall with concrete foundations.

Thanks again


texts: When is the earliest that I can safely add worms to my garden?

texts: I live in northern Indiana and it is currently snowing. I want to add worms to my garden.  Should I wait for it to warm up, start raining, or what?


texts: What products should I fill raised garden beds with?

texts:
I've built a raised garden bed and would like to know what types of soil or mix I should use to fill it with?  Should it be a mixture of top soil and compost?  I'm looking for an affordable option.

I'm in Birmingham, Alabama and the bed is 3' x 6' x 16".  I have 3 of these beds.  Mostly growing veggies (spinach, beans, carrots, etc) and herbs.


texts: How can I keep a dog out of my vegetable garden?

texts:
I have a small vegetable garden and a small dog. I'm looking for advice on the best way to keep the little guy out of the veges. Advice on the following would be appreciated:

Is there anything I can plant that will deter him?
Is there a minimal barrier or obstruction that is known to work to deter dogs?
Is a physical barrier the only sure way?


texts: Should I prune lavender on a cold/wet day in Spring?

texts:
I'd like to prune lavender for the spring season.

Today it's a cold and wet day (2 to 7 degrees Celsius and some rainfall, in Europe), the weather forecast says next week will be sunny, but I'll have less time for gardening during the week.

So my question is this: how much attention should one pay to local temperature and weather conditions when pruning plants. I imagine for "them" this is like surgery and they may be in a better position to recover and thrive if it is performed under mild conditions.


texts: What are the big wart-like bumps on my hibiscus leaves?

texts:
The leaves on my Hibiscus bushes have developed big wart-like bumps. They are spreading rapidly and it seems like they are killing my bush.

What are they, and how can I cure them?


texts: I saw this plant in several San Francisco planters. Can someone please tell me what it is? I'd like to try growing it.


texts: What to do about the Collapsed Branch on my Cactus (possibly Austrocylindropuntia subulata)

texts:
I have what an app has identified as Austrocylindropuntia subulata. I've had it for about 25 years, although my mum has always looked after it. It's grown from about an inch high to almost six feet and seems mostly very happy. However, one of the branches has collapsed as shown in the first photo below. I think it first started to droop about a year ago so I used a cane to prop it up hoping that it'd eventually support itself again, but it hasn't helped and since it's grown decently since then it can't support its own weight at all anymore.
Is there anything I can do to help it support itself again?
Is it a sign that the plant has been over-watered, under-watered, over-fed or has the wrong soil? Since the rest of the plant seems fine I assume this is unlikely.
It did suffer badly several years ago when the greenhouse it was in was broken in a heavy storm and the whole plant bent over dramatically, but it's been in a conservatory since and seems to have recovered completely. I believe the scarring on the right branch was due to that.
If there's no way to save the branch, would it be possible to remove it and plant it? Do you have any advice about doing so?
Thank you


texts:
It is winter time in Sydney Australia and the first frost came this morning.

Is it true that the sun rises and the frost crystals act like magnifying glasses and that is how the grass is damaged?

How do I protect my lawn against frost?

A friend suggested watering the lawn before the sun has a chance to "burn" it.

I missed my chance this morning. I have an automatic watering system that can do this for a minute or two daily before sunrise.

The grass is a broad leaf buffalo.


texts: I placed my ginger indoors beside a window, and they started growing. Some grew really fast, and some hardly at all. Why is this the case? Also, are their stems too weak/thin? I used a pair of wooden chopsticks to support one of the stems as I was afraid it would break. Do I need to add compost? I have been using potting soil all along (for the past two months).


texts: What's the right way to cut a tall, narrow tree?

texts:
I have a messy holly tree with lots of trunks. They're perhaps 10m (30') tall and very straight but only about 10cm (4') diameter.

I've been learning about face cuts and leaving a hinge but on such narrow trunks is that needed/correct? The holding wood would surely be super-thin.  On the other hand if it kicked out and hit me in the gut or landed on my head it could be nasty so I'm nervous to just do a single cut.

What is the recommended way to take down this size of tree?


texts: Help me to identify these two trees in my back yard?

texts: I have two trees in my backyard that I need help identifying. My home is in Port Saint Lucie, which is on the eastern coast of the southern half of Florida.  Hardiness zone 10a. My home backs into a drainage canal, and the two trees are on the edge of the canal:


texts: Can you transplant a bolted plant and still get viable seeds?

texts:
I have a few plants in my raised beds (mostly broccoli and beets) that are bolting and producing seeds, but not ready to collect them yet.

I need the space for some new seedlings, and I don't know if I could transplant the bolting plants somewhere else and still be able to collect good seeds from them. I will definitely hurt the root system if I move them, because the few I already took out had huge roots.

Can bolted plants be transplanted or should I not bother and discard them?


texts: there are several of these in my hothouse, in tubs and they are eating my seeds before or after they have started to sprout - mainly carrot seeds and nibbling around the base of celery - what do I do?


texts: I have harvested some basil seeds and i put them in an envelope in a glass jar. I closed the jar and for the first week it was looking fine. I went on holiday for 4 days and when i came back, the envelope was damp and there was this white, furry thing on the basil seeds. Could anyone help me with what this is?


texts: Is it possible to know if a small avocado plant is going to be a fruitful tree?

texts:
I started growing an avocado pit, which grew very nicely until now.

I was wondering if there's any way to know if it can become a fruitful tree - if so I'd like to plant it in my garden, but if it doesn't - I prefer not to.

The avocado was bought in a supermarket and I'm pretty sure it was a reed (if that matters), but not 100% sure.


texts: Tiny thin black bugs with white stripes on tomatoes

texts:
Anyone know what these little black bugs with white stripes on their back are? (There's a larger version — please click the picture) They seem to be all over a few of my tomato plants and multiplying, but it's not obvious what harm they're doing to the plant, if any. I don't see them on any of my pepper plants, but not sure if that's just because they haven't reached them yet.

What's weird is when I go pick them off with tweezers they seem like they're dead already, since there's absolutely zero reaction. Not sure if they just have a super short lifespan or if there's something about tomato's trichomes that serve as a sort of natural defense.

Any help and suggestions on how to deal with them, in case they are harmful, would be very welcome!


texts: Can I add soil to strawberries, creating a raised bed?

texts:
I'm moving into a new house that has a good sized strawberry patch on one of the corners of the lawn. I want to build a large raised bed for it and help it spread out more. If I build the border of the bed, and just gradually fill it in with soil, will strawberries be able to handle that? If so, how quickly can I fill it up and when would be the best time to do this? Is there anything I should avoid?

Also, is there a term for this? "raised bed" seems to only refer to a structure built before plants are planted, which makes sense.


texts: How to convert garden fertilizer dosage to container dosage?

texts: I have a bunch of old-school mineral fertilizers that I would like to use for container plants. The problem is that the dosage on them is grams/m2, lets say for simplicity it is 100 grams/m2. How do i convert that dosage for container plants ? Taking 0.2 meters as depth (and this is pretty low i think) 1 m2 with 0.2 meters depth becomes 200 liters of volume. My biggest container is 20 liters, so i only need to put 10 grams of fertilizer per container ? This seems pretty low, especially since this is supposed to feed the plant for 6-8 weeks.


texts:
My indoor basil plant has been forming these brown beads on the bottom of leaves and on stems. I think it might be sap that's been oozing out that's turned brown / hardens when exposed to air.

In the photo, you can see:

the brown bumps on the stem (center)
the brown bumps / sap on the underside of a leaf (right)
sap (before it turns brown) on a leaf (bottom)

I also notced that a lot of the green leaves have tiny yellow/white specks (you can see it in the leaf at the top of the photo)

I've checked, and I can't see any visible insects / parasites.

Does anybody have any ideas what's going on? What should I do?


texts:
Location: Northern China
Height: I guess it's over 15m, about 20m.
Note: All leaves would fall out in the winter.


texts: Can fake hawks be used to control mice, squirrels, and other rodents in a garden or backyard?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  How can I get rid of gophers in a non-lethal way?
  Keeping mockingbirds off potted plants (ornamental peppers)
  How can I prevent squirrels (or other small mammals) from eating my tomatoes?
  How can I get rid of rabbits in my yard?
  Is there any way to prevent vole lawn-destruction during snow-cover?

Can fake hawks be used to control mice,squirrels, and other rodents in a garden or backyard? Would an electronic hawk that made hawk-like noises fare any better?

If these "fake hawks" do not work, are there any humane alternatives which act as simple deterrents?


texts: Why the leaves of my guava getting dry and dropping?

texts:
I have purchased a guava plant one week ago. from the start of having this tree, some of the leaves getting dry and wavy then start to dropping without getting yellow. is this natural or my tree has a disease?

It's near the window and has sunlight about 5 hours a day. The temperature is between 15 and 25 degrees Centigrade, and the humidity is low but I spray water 3 times a week. I am watering my guava about 3 times a week.

and my second question is, is it a good idea to to prune the tree at this time of year (winter)?


texts: What can I do this spring to help my new lawn?

texts:
I live in Maryland, and I expanded my back yard last fall by clearing some trees and leaves.  I brought in top soil and tried to smooth out the contour also.  After seeding, I had areas of success and failure in the yard.  I didn't put down starter fertilizer, which was my fault.  I'm ready to put some time in this spring to help get a healthy lawn going before the summer temperatures rise.  Some of the advice I've gotten:

Overseed again
Use starter fert. this time
Spread Lime

What is the right thing to do for a lawn's first summer season?


texts:
Usually when my store bought onions starts to sprout, I plant them in a plastic container filled with water and get some green onion.

This time I decided not to wait until onion starts to sprout. I chose quite a large onion bulb and put it into a plastic container filled with water.

I keep water level just below the bulb, so that roots are submerged, but the bulb itself is above the water.

After quite some time (about two or three weeks) it started producing roots. Lot's of them.

After another few weeks I've noticed that the onion bulb itself has elongated a bit towards water. Obviously there's some "growing" happening.

So, lot's of roots, change in size, but no sprouts.

Why?

Could it be something to do with the onion bulb being very large? Or is there not enough humidity and warmth to start sprouting? Or perhaps the season is wrong (planted around October, and it's January now)? Or something else?


texts: Can I cover a tree stump to prevent mushrooms from growing from it?

texts:
My wife and I recently took down a tree in our backyard in an area that is mostly moist all year round and has no direct sunlight.  We have since put lots of gravel over the area.  Although the area is covered, we are getting many mushrooms growing in the area of the stump.  We have been diligent in removing them and we have sprayed the area multiple times but the mushrooms keep growing back.  We are worried as we believe the mushrooms might be poisonous and our kids play in that area at times.

We were wondering how to attack this problem.

Currently we plan to remove the gravel and put down soil and flatten it out, then put down a drain-able tarp and them some flagstones.

Does this sound like a good idea and will it work?


texts: What chemicals react with greenhouse plastic and cause it to turn white?

texts:
I have a small PVC hoop house that I built last winter and plan on using again this winter. I found out first hand, then read about it later on, that the plastic used for greenhouses will react with PVC and turn white. Since I've already invested in the PVC, and it's a much cheaper alternative to metal pipe, I'm trying to come up with a way to isolate the plastic from touching the PVC.

The options I've come up with so far are to use some type of tape (felt, electrical, clear duct tape etc.) and apply it to the outside of the hoops where they come in contact with the plastic. My purlins are attached on the inside of the hoops so I don't need to worry about them. The felt shouldn't react since I've seen this sold on greenhouse supply websites for just this reason, but what about the tape? Are there any other low-cost options I'm missing?

The design is changing a bit the second time around, but this is what it looks like from the inside. As you can see very little PVC actually comes into contact with the plastic covering. The plastic I used was from Green-Tek which I think is really Dura-Film Super 4 from AT Films and it's what I plan on using again this year.


texts: Magnolia leaves partially browning and curling

texts:
I have had this Magnolia soulangeana 'Heaven Scent' for 2 years (I live in South East England). It is in a cubic pot (of side length ~50cm) on the patio and is currently 135cm tall.
It did very well in its first year and it also bloomed well in early spring this year. It seems to have grown significantly since last year.
However, the leaves have now just started to brown and curl (see 5 photos below), which seems surprising in early July. Also (possibly related?), something has eaten some of the lower leaves (see image 4).
What could be causing these problems?

EDIT: Regarding the holes, the insect pictured below may be a possible culprit. It looks like a moth that has just hatched and cannot fly, only jump. I cannot see any distinctive wings, so they may not have developed yet.


texts: Why is our Honey Locust tree shedding leaves and other parts?

texts: Our honey locust is about 30 years old, 30-40 ft high.  This year it is constantly dropping "debris" onto our deck, including leaves, not yet formed leaves, pollen pods (?).  We clean it up and the next day there's a new mess. I write this in mid August but this has been going on since spring. I can't seem to find any cankers, but I'm not totally sure what to look for.  Is this tree at the end of its life?


texts: I recently got this plant and I looked up on internet but couldn't find one. I don't know anything about this plant and so my question. What plant is this? Corn Plant or Janet Craig or none?


texts: What are these tiny white bugs on my houseplants and succulents?

texts:
I got a pot of mixed plants and succulents at a yard sale about a week ago for a buck! The lady was selling the pot because she said the plants were a lost cause. In order to keep the succulents alive the soil was too dry for the plant in the picture (not sure what it is). I decided today I would separate them so the succulents could be in cactus soil and these could have a chance a survival, and so I could water them without over watering the succulents.

When I uprooted them I noticed these white bugs. I'm assuming an aphid of some kind. They are even on my succulents and the decorative marbles on the top layer of the soil. Before, I have treated aphids on outdoor plants by mixing cayenne pepper, dish soap and water in a spray bottle and sprayed the plant leaves until they are dripping, and let dry.  This has worked and I'm going to try this on the unidentified plant in my picture, but am worried about spraying that mix directly onto the leaf of the succulents.

I know succulents absorb and store nutrients differently than "leafy" plants and don't know how safe this is. Even the cactus food I have is a spray foam instead of a water mix or spray. I don't know the biology behind it. Can anyone help?

Are these in fact aphids? Can I treat my succulents in the same manner, or is there a better or safer solution I should try? Are these pests specific to indoor plants, and if so, would putting my succulents outdoors help? All of the succulents I have are "full sun" succulents and can withstand the sun and the heat, they're just so pretty and I happen to have a large window that provides them with plenty of sun.

In addition, my other succulents that did not come from the same pot are thriving and producing "babies" and my two bromeliads are also doing well, neither of which have the white bugs. Should they be treated too in order to prevent spread?


texts: What are the ideal conditions for Lobelia cardinalis

texts:
I have been trying to attract hummingbirds for a few years by planting flowers that they like.  Two of these are Lobelia cardinalis and Lobelia siphilitica. They are both said to:

be perennial
need constant access to water but not to be sitting in water

I've grown the species them from seed, bought the cultivars at nurseries and in all cases their performance is the same.  They grow quickly, flower profusely and fail to return the following spring.

The growing conditions are in a tussock of soil just above water level with morning sun and some afternoon shade.

How can I get these plants to overwinter?

USDA zone 4 with lows to  minus 30 deg celsius


texts: Can someone help me identify this type of fennel / aniseed?

texts:
This plant grows in large amounts near where I live, and I want to learn more about it. It smells very good and I would like to know what its possible uses are.

I believe it is a type of aniseed or fennel, but need to know the latin name or precise name... thanks!

EDIT: More images!


texts:
I don't know exactly what kind of plant I have someone suggested it might be a Chinese evergreen? I got it as a gift last year when I was sick in the hospital. Although I've been watering it about every 3 weeks and giving it partial sunlight every day it's just not thriving or healthy as it should be.
I think it's dying!

It's in a pot that drains, haven't changed anything about it since I've had it. Please help me save my plant?


texts: Caterpillar?-Kindly help in identifying it.

texts: This creature on the photo was hiding in the tree and was moving bit quickly. Seemed like a caterpillar which eats moringa..  Can somebody help in identifying it.


texts: Do I plant miniature hot peppers whole or cut them open and plant just the seeds?

texts:
I was given some miniature hot peppers.

Do I plant the entire pepper or do I cut it open and plant the seeds? These are so small.


texts: I planted seeds in a seed tray in summer 2018 and they sprouted this fall. I transplanted into 6" pots. I'm growing indoors in my south facing window, rotating 1/4 turn daily and placing outdoors in sun for a couple hours a few times a week due to 30-50 degree weather. They have grown to 6"-8" tall. Some have very long horizontal growth (5-6") and seem to be slightly drooping. These seem to be the third set of leaves that have come out. I know this is not the optimum time to grow seedlings but I couldn't bear to discard them. I am in Reno, zones 6B-7. Any advice will be greatly appreciated. Many thanks.


texts: small white pests moving on my soil need identification

texts:
I see these very small white pests moving on the soil which belongs to my peace lily for around two weeks.
-they are just on the soil
-I haven't seen any change in their size or their color within these two weeks but they seem to grow in number slowly
-they are so small and I can't take pictures of em but this video:
help me identify and get rid of them please.


texts: I have 4 of these that i plan on using as a hedge but i don't know how far apart to plant them since im clueless as to how large these things can get.


texts: What is this porcupine needle like grass?

texts:
Any idea what this grass is which has porcupine needle like strands?
Update:

Location: Pacific north west
Height: ~2-3 inches,
Width: ~6-10 inches,
I haven't seen any flowers.


texts:
We have bought this peace lily plant one or 2 months ago, but suddenly all life seems to have gone out of it. Can we still save it?

We watered it once a week, so I don't think that is the issue.


texts:
Fruit is 1 inch diameter. Public area, zone 7. Very showy. Bark as if exfoliating, in a beautiful way. Fruit partially falling.

It looks mature, at least 20 years old. 20-25 ft high.


texts: Is there a correlation between tree height and tree spread and the maximum diameter ( not radius from trunk ) that  their roots will grow ?


texts: What should I do with this thinning cedar hedge?

texts:
Thanks for your thoughts on this;

We have a line of cedars at our fence, probably 12 feet tall. The fence is is not solid so the trees provide some critical privacy. The problem is, they get almost no sun on one side, shaded by our outdoor kitchen. As such, they are thinning substantially on the one side (bare) but thriving on the sunny side (neighbors side).

To complicate things, the neighbors hate them and keep trimming them back.

What do you think I should I do here?

Thanks again,

Greg


texts:
Found these insects all over my cauliflowers hiding under the covers I'm using to blanch the heads.

I suspect it's an earwig.  Solutions for control?

And yes, I have a bad case of pieris rapae ... bought some bt today.


texts: Carolina reaper leaves turning brownish and veiny

texts: I planted 2 seeds about 3 weeks ago and the plant seemed to grow pretty much okay then the leaves started to turn kinda Brown and now it stopped completely it's growth. They almost have full sun all day, maybe it's too much?


texts: What is this low-growing lawn weed with small white flowers in Massachusetts?

texts:
Can anyone help me identify this? It's popped up in my lawn in early spring. I live in Massachusetts and this thing is everywhere. It covers the ground so well, I'm afraid it'll keep grass from coming in. The leaves are small, very low to the ground, and grow in thick bunches. It is really hard to pull up.  I'm not sure, but I think it produces a small white flower on a long stem.

Click photo for full size image


texts: Removing sunken pavers and replacing with grass

texts:
A section of my backyard (13.75 X 15.17) is paver stones that have sunk.  The pavers abut the house so when it rains, too much water is draining towards the house. I'd like to remove the pavers entirely and replace with grass.  I looked under one of the stones and all I see is dirt. My questions are:
1. Should I look to see if it's only dirt? (which would prob explain the sinking)
2. Once the pavers are removed, how do I figure out how much dirt I will need to replace the pavers (including how high I should lay the dirt)?
3. Will I need sand?
4. How do I lay the dirt to prevent draining towards the house?

Thank you so much for your help!


texts: Cleaning homegrown vegetables prior to consumption

texts: I grow vegetables and fruit in my backyard.  Everything is grown organically so I don't have any concerns with pesticide or chemicals on my edible fruits and vegetables.  However, they do get exposed to insects and other animals (squirrels).  I am not sure if insects lay eggs on my leafy vegetables or some of them get eaten by caterpillars.  Whatever the case may be, I would like to know what care I need to take prior to consuming these fruits and vegetables.  I am growing leaf vegetables (lettuce, kale), root vegetables (beet, carrot), tomatoes, zuccinni, cucumbers, peppers, apple, pear, grapes, etc.


texts: Will applying copper sulfate for the sewer drain kill trees?

texts:
We have old terra cotta sewer drain pipes and recently had a plumber remove a large amount of tree roots. He said we should flush root killing crystals a couple times a year. I am assuming it is copper sulfate.
Will the copper sulfate kill or effect the trees? Close to the sewer drain there is a maple (~20 feet away), and a white oak (~35 feet away).


texts:
This moving from a rental to owning a home and having lawn care is certainly a learning experience... We're working to have a lawn of St. Augustine grass here in Southwest Florida. I've successfully helped out an area using plugs, but have much of the yard (probably around 40%) with areas where there grow up a few days after cutting. Are these weeds or a type of grass? I tried uploading an image to Google Image search but didn't get any help. Thanks!

Lawn Weed or Seed http://www.unkfrank.com/images/StackExchange/GrassWeedSeed.jpg


texts: Why are my daffodils putting out flower buds in January?

texts: Why are my dwarf double yellow daffodils putting out flower buds? It's January, and they usually start that in March. They could get damaged by cold and wildlife during winter. Anyone know what is going on? The winter has been about average, except for the roller coaster temperatures (warm one day, freezing the next).


texts: For lawn, does fertilizing average soil make loam or topsoil less necessary?

texts:
In a perfect world, you'd add the best loam, top soil, manure, etc, then sprinkle the best fertilizer upon it, etc.  But I'm asking for the average person, who's on a budget and working 60hrs per week and who's trying to get some OK results with modest expense and effort.

I cut the sod off my lawn because it was hopeless.  Now, if I sprinkle some good fertilizer on the soil that's left, then seed, can I expect semi-decent results? Or am I just wasting my time (and grass seed)?  Or alternatively, what is best way to get an OK lawn without buying a dump truck full of loam?

This potential lawn is in central Massachusetts and I'm trying to plant right now. (Mid-September)


texts: If I just leave dandelions and clover in my lawn, what problems may happen?

texts:
There is a lot of advice on the internet about getting rid of dandelions and clover from a lawn: chemical herbicides, manual digging, organic weed remedies. I live in Denver, Colorado, USDA zone 5. I'm curious about the end-state of my strategy:

The lawn is mature and has a mix of grasses, but mostly it's kentucky blue grass.
I don't use any herbicides on the lawn.
I don't try to manually remove the dandelions or clover by digging them out.
I mow the lawn once a week at about 3 inches, the tallest setting on my mower, and mulch the cut grass back onto the lawn (I don't bag it).
I aerate the soil and top-dress with a well-screened compost once a year.
I water using a Rachio, which I love.

I've been managing this way for about 2 years now and am curious what the end state will be?

Aside from getting the periodic side-glance from neighbors who prefer a world without dandelions, what will happen? Will the lawn remain a mix of grasses, clover and dandelions or will one weed become more dominant? Are there any weeds that are so bad that if they appear I should work hard to remove them?


texts:
I have a thyme cutting that has rooted, probably about two months and the tips of some of the leaves are turning black and curling up.

Any idea what that is? Light, nutrient deficiency or some disease?

Additional info, may be of help, it's in a bottle of water with some nutrient feed inside a window that receives over 10 hours of sun daily in the southern hemisphere, so it's summer with average temperatures upwards of 26 Celsius.

(will update with a pic later in the day)


texts: Is it safe to use silicone spray on sprinkler heads that do not retract?

texts: Is it helpful to use silicone spray on a sprinkler head that does not retract?


texts: Can blueberries and raspberries be planted near each other?

texts: We have some raspberry canes growing in a space in our yard and while doing some work this summer I removed some thorn bushes and stunted trees that were taking up sun, which was great for the raspberries since they flourished in the past two months.  With the space we ended up putting some blueberry bushes since I had the space, and its fairly sunny, but now I am wondering if the raspberry bushes will be ok.  Our soil is slightly acidic so I figure the raspberries can handle it, but if I am watering the blueberries will any acidic fertilizer I give them cause problems for the raspberries?


texts: Planting non organically grown plants in organic garden

texts: I have some raised beds that I use for vegetable gardening. I don't put any fertilizers or pesticides and I grow all vegetables from seeds. Lately I have been thinking of purchasing young vegetable plants from a big box store to do winter vegetable gardening and planting them in the same raised beds. I would only plant the seedling and throw away the soil that comes with it. I realize the produce will not be organic but any other downside I am missing. Note that I am growing for personal use only and not a strict organic consumer.


texts:
I have a couple aloe plants that don't seem to be really growing much. I'm pretty sure it's because I never bothered to look up what soil they really need and have just been keeping them in potting soil so they aren't getting the right balance of nutrients.

I would like to re-pot them into the proper soil to see if that will help them grow, but first I'd like to know, what is the proper soil type for aloes?


texts:
How do you keep pests off from Rosemary? I bought a small Rosmarinus officinalis at a local nursery last summer, and it was healthy and bug-free, but after a few months of sitting on my porch, it acquired aphids, spider mites, and some sort of small winged pest I can't identify. So I sprayed it with an organic insecticidal soap advertised as being able to kill exactly those types of bugs. I've used it on almost all my other outdoor plants, and it's worked very well. However, it seems to only partially work on Rosemary due to its leaves, which curl down and inwards, greatly lessening the effectiveness of spray. Even when I try to spray "up" into the underside of the leaves, I found it very difficult to get the spray into these sheltered areas, allowing the bugs to flourish there while dying everywhere else.

My Rosemary's still alive, but almost all the leaves are now partially dead and pock-marked from the punctures of insects. What can I do to help it?


texts: Raised Garden Bed - Catch all support system

texts:
I have two 4'x6' raised garden beds where I am growing a variety of vegetables.

I specifically want to find out for indeterminate toamtoes, bell pepper plants, beans, and peas, if I can just put long garden stakes into the ground to support all of them.

Something along the lines of: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Vigoro-8-ft-Green-Colored-Sturdy-Stakes-ST8VG/203894426

EDIT: ~Also are 6 foot bamboo stakes good enough for these plants as well.~

If that is sufficient, what would you recommend I tie the tomatoes and peppers to the stake with. My understanding is the beans and peas will wrap their tendrils around them naturally.


texts:
This is probably the sort of thing thats been asked a thousand times but I have no idea what I'm looking for

we moved into a house with a lovely huge pond, however now we have our first child and shes trying to walk, the pond had to go. :(

the lawn was lumpy, weedy and generally pants so we decided to take it all up, rotorvate it all and lay new seed. unfortunately we took the lawn off, rotorvated it all, put some food down then the rain came, so did Autumn, winter etc.
we never got the seed down and now the "lawn" is just a wild meadow of weeds and grass that is hard to remove, especially with an 11 month wanting attention.

Do I have to take all the weeds out and rotorvate it all again, or can I just rotorvate it and stick some turf on top?
I need some top soil to level out the hole where the pond was but may just level it out and see how lower it is.

final question, anybody in Barnsley that actually likes gardening and wants to spend an afternoon away from their family helping us get it sorted?

thanks
Be


texts: What is this white crust forming on my cactus during the growing months?

texts:
I live in the UK and have a Trichocereus bridgesii/Echinopsis lageniformis "monstrose" cactus that I bought from a garden centre 3 years ago. Every year in early summer several new stems grow from sections on the existing stems near to the spines, starting as a bright green colour and growing throughout the summer until they slow down and turn a darker green around September.

Unfortunately I've always found that near the end of this growing period the surface of some sections of the new growth appears to "dissolve" - looking almost as if it has been burnt off by acid - revealing bright green flesh underneath which quickly forms into a white crust. Luckily once the growing season finishes this whole process stops too. Here's a picture:

I'm not sure whether this is a pest or a fungus or otherwise something to do with the plant itself. It spends most of the year inside and sheltered from the damp cold UK weather with minimal watering during the autumn/winter months and every 2 weeks or so in spring with regular feeding. In the summer I put it outside when it's warm and sunny, and I wonder if it could be getting infected when I do this, but I've never seen any small insects on the cactus. Also the repeated occurence of this white crust every year - as well as the fact it stops spreading when the plant stops growing in autumn - makes me suspect that pests might not be the problem. But I'd like to be able to stop it happening this year because it looks very unsightly and I'm quite fond of this cactus!

If anyone recognises this disease or has experience with this species of cactus and can give me any tips on how to prevent it returning this coming year I'd be really grateful. Thank you!


texts: Pine seeds which I planted two months ago grew early. What should I do?

texts:
I don't know much about gardening. But I want to. I always wanted to grow many bonsai trees in my home and exotic trees in my garden. So like two months ago, I picked pine cones from ground and collected their seeds. And I planted them. I planted about 30 seeds and half of them become seedlings (I don't know the term but they are tall and green now) by last month. I am so happy for that but, winter is coming and I am not sure if they survive it.

What can I do about it? I know that bonsai's slowly dies indoor (I tried it last year and my olive bonsai almost died). So are there any product that can help them survive the winter?


texts:
Any ideas on what this purple flower might be? We are located in south-east Wisconsin. I'm fairly certain that I self-seeded these in the large container that they are growing in.

Edit: Added photos with more detail. To me it looks most like a hyssop. I do have some anise hyssop in another spot in the garden bought from a nursery and they do look similar.


texts: Pretty little flower but identity unknown, any ideas?

texts:
I ordered datura seeds and received 10 seeds in a clear ziplock packet, no label or instructions. I planted 7 undamaged seeds and only 1 came up. It is not a datura, but no one seems to know what it is & last week it surprised me with a tiny delicate flower. the flowers open from pouches and last for only a few hours.
I tried to load a picture of that, but only one shot could be attached.


texts: The leaves on my succulent are getting brown and mushy - help!

texts:
I got this succulent from a local florist and have kept in my living room with low light and  regular potting soil. I have have it for about a week - I am just starting to notice the bottom leaves are browning and getting mushy. In touching a bottom leaf, it came off and is mushy on the inside.
What's going on with my succulent? How can I save it!
!


texts: Tall lilac about 10' was doing fine starting to bloom. We put new top soil, sprinkled alyssum seeds on top of lilac root area and put brick border and black rubber soil guard around same area. Now the lilac leaves and baby blooms are shriveling and dying. How can we keep it from totally dying?


texts: Clearing composted matter from weed seeds by using heat

texts:
I successfully created several composts over the last two years using, what I believe is the "cold compost method". I have an open heap which I turn from time to time during the initial year. I used it in the second year for all kind of things mainly for enriching the soil, compost tea and for a seed-starting-mix (I even used it pure). In my eyes it works well in these three kinds of applications.

However there is one thing which I'd like to improve. Especially for the seed-starting-process I noticed that there is plenty unwanted germination most likely coming from unwanted seeds in the compost.

Is there a way to clear, posterior, the compost from weed-seeds?

I read somewhere that putting the soil into the microwave helps. With that I assume that the applied heat will kill at least the seeds and maybe other unwanted "things". Can I use an oven as well? Is cooking the compost-soil over an open fire a possibility? What would be the highest temperature allowed? In other words, is there a risk of reducing the quality of the compost when it gets too hot?


texts: Preparation for a new lawn to prevent weeds and encourage growth

texts:
Two Years Ago

About two years ago, the lawn in our back garden was full of dandelions. We decided to replace it with brand new turf, the kind you roll out into place. I tried my best to remove the dandelions, tap-root and all.

Today

Looking at it now, it's in a sorry state. The dandelions are back. I removed thirty a couple of weeks back, and there are probably twice as many left, if not more. There are large patches of clover, and another weed that produce rather nice and very tiny purple flowers. Where there is grass, most of it is dead (brown and straw-like), or it's twice the height of everything else.

Questions

I accept that I will probably have to start over, but before I do that, I would like to know what I can do to reduce the chance of this happening again.

I read somewhere that weeds tend to grow in places where grasses find it hard to grow. Does that mean my soil needs treatment? If so, with what?

When I dig up the soil, in places there's about 5cm of soil, and then nothing but sand. Is that a problem?

Note: I'm only interested in non-chemicals/organic solutions, though please feel free to explain that option as it might be useful for others :)

Update 1 - photos

Here are some photos I just took. I suppose it looks greener than I led on, but it's very patchy. If I were to mow it, you'd see it better. The dandelion heads I've been picking off whenever I see them.

Update 2 - Location and habits

I'm in The Netherlands and not near the coast, just in case that makes a difference.

I don't mow that often because our lawn mower isn't adjustable, and tends to cut quite short. Moreover, when I laid the turf I ended up with bumps. Only a few, but as you can imagine, the mower takes them right off. Also, there are patches where what looks like grass grows really fast, while the rest stagnates.

When I laid the turf I actually pulled up the old turf as well - it was a lot of work.


texts: What is this small tree with purple leaves and small green fruits?

texts: I'd like to get one of these for my back yard but I'm not sure what kind of tree it is... anybody know?


texts: What is this stinging plant with little hairs on the leaves?

texts: I have no idea what this plant came from, where it came from or any thing about it. What I do know is its leaves are covered in little hairs, there's little thorns growing all over it and just by rubbing its leaf it burns you and leaves a red mark as well as blisters. It stung my mother and I would like to know what it is so I can help with a remedy.


texts:
I recently bought two packs of seeds of plants that I have never planted before: green perilla and catnip. These seeds were sowed in different containers. In what I thought was the catnip container, I have this plant.

Initially thinking it was catnip, I tried feeding it to my cat but he doesn't like it at all. And the smell, although strong, is different from the dried catnip smell. Just touching a single leaf will leave a strong scent on my fingers. So is this plant perilla or catnip? From online photos, catnip seems to have more triangular shaped leaves.


texts: Lawn becomes waterlogged during heavy periods of rain during Winter months

texts: I am in the process of purchasing a house with a fairly decent sized garden (for us anyway) cica 25L/mtrs long by 8 L/mtrs in width. I am told by other people that we know in the road and by our new neighbours that that during the winter months, gardens in the road can become waterlogged. I can only assume without currently living there that there is a particularly high water table, or some thick clay soil which is difficult to drain. Could anybody provide any advice on how to tackle this? I understand there are difference options in terms of drainage solutions but picking the right one seems to be a minefield. I know this is vague but any help would be great! Thanks!


texts: How do I save a tomato plant that had the top broken in half?

texts: Somehow the top of a tomato plant of mine got broken off at the top of the plant and want to try to save it. The part that broke off is still green, but don't think it will do very well on that part. What should I do to try to save the plant?


texts: How should I prune this grafted lemon tree?

texts:
My dad has this terrible tree setup, I think it's 2 different trees, a lemon tree covered by a taller bushy tree. I don't have full control here, I can't cut these down/tear them out, but I am charged with the task of picking the lemons. Every lemon, before it freezes tonight. The lower, deeper lemons were so far into this big overgrown tree with giant thorns, and it's so thick and low to the ground I'd have to crawl on my belly in the mud to get to half the lemons in this horrible setup, so I started cutting some of the lower branches away from the ground. I realize this isn't the season to be doing this but I'm told I have to handle it now some way or the other.

Obviously I want to be able to get to the lemons, cut the branches off of that stairway, and make the result look somewhat good. Could someone identify these trees so I can lookup what they're supposed to look like after pruning, and any other info that can help me create a decent result out of this scenario.

Edit: I'm told they're grafted. I have a vague understanding about grafting. Looks like the bush died down, came back and the plant went up high but the lemon part only grew down low. I don't know if there is a great solution here, in this case. If the answer is "Meh, it's hopeless," then just say that.


texts:
This succulent was presented to me. The person who presented it to me just gave 2/3 strings of the plant and asked me to plant it in a hanging pot.

Its leaves are slightly reddish on the backside.

Currently, there are some flowers on it, tiny white-violetish.

This is all I've got. I do not think it is String of Nickels. Can anyone identify what it is ?


texts: Can you grow raspberries in a pot/growbag?

texts:
Unfortunately we don't have a proper garden, but we do have an area that we can use for pots and/or grow bags. We've been offered some raspberry canes by a friend - but will they grow ok in pots or growbags, or do they need to be in the ground?

I can't seem to find any information online - what would people suggest?


texts:
We just moved into this house and there is a tree right next to the side.

It is way too big and too close to the house for me to like it. I have big problem in the past with any pine trees near the house in Pacific Northwest.

Questions:

Is it what they call "Christmas" tree?
Is it "trashy" and will drop full of pine needles and cones over the year?

We were debating whether to keep it (if it is nice and valuable) or cut it down.

Thanks.


texts:
I'm trying something a bit new. I wanted to try germinating peach pits that I could grow as bonsai trees, and I understand the pits need to go through a period of cold stratification of 90-120 days.

I had a small container(small plastic takeout container) that I cut drainage holes into. I filled it with some peat, and watered thoroughly. I let most of the water drain out until the peat was moist, and sowed the peach pits, which were scrubbed and left alone for a bit, and put the container into the fridge.

It's been about a month now, and I got a bit curious on how they were progressing, so I took a look into the container, and saw that the seeds had some blue/green fuzz on them. My first guess that this is mold and that I should throw the whole thing out, but I wanted to get another opinion, and some advice on how I should proceed or where I went wrong.

Also, I'm trying to germinate some Bing Cherry seeds(getting into the habit of trying to sprout anything I can get my hands on), and if the peaches do in fact have mold, and need to be thrown out, should I throw these out also?


texts: I have 3 navel orange trees in my backyard and the leaves are being eaten by something.  What is it that is eating the leaves, and what can I do to prevent this?


texts: Should I try to treat a Majesty palm tree with brown holes in the leaves?

texts:
I purchased a Majesty palm tree, but didn't realize till after I repotted it, that it had lots of brown holes in some of the leaves.

Should I prune the damaged leaves or should I just return the tree for another one?


texts: What to plant after plowing before winter?

texts:
A common saying is that you should never leave the soil without any vegetative growth. We plowed our farm and planted garlic on half of it. The other half is empty.

What is the appropriate culture to plant on the empty half before the winter? Our goal is to take care of the soil and make it easy to plant potatoes, carrots and other vegetables in the spring. That is, just by using cultivator.

I am thinking about wheat, triticale and spelt, but I am not sure how difficult it would be to work it into ground before vegetable planting.

I am from south central Europe. Our current temperature is about 6-12°C (42-54°F) and freezing is not expected until mid of Decemeber.


texts: Small mail order perennials - OK to plant now?

texts: I've just received a load of mail-ordered perennial plants, things like vinca minor. They're quite small, some don't even have any visible plant part. Here in the UK it's pretty cold at the moment, below zero at night.. Am I OK to just wait 'till next week when it's going to get a little warmer, to plant them out in to the garden, or should I be doing something else with them?


texts: Dry brown patches on cayenne chilli plant leaves, leaves starting to curl, tiny black spots

texts:
Note: I have posted a previous question regarding my chilli plants, its details may help in diagnosing this new issue. You can see it here: White, fur like strands and spots on underside of chilli plant leaves.

Some leaves on one of my cayenne chilli plants have begun to show dry brown patches, some of which have tiny black dots covering the affected area.

Can anyone help diagnose the problem?


texts: Would an electric light help an Aloe vera plant?

texts: I have an Aloe vera plant in a large pot. It was doing well but when I moved homes I can't keep it as much sun light. It's getting a bit droopy and has brown parts. I'm wondering if a lamp would help it? Is there a specific type of light, or wavelength, that Aloe vera plants like?


texts: What is this small perfume-like flower and how can I grow cuttings?

texts:
What is this plant with little yellow flowers? The smell is immaculate, so strong, smelt from far away, yet soft and perfume like at the same time.

Plant grows maybe 2m tall.

How can I grow cuttings? Or will it grow seeds I can harvest more easily after the flowering season?


texts: What is this plant? Looks like a brassica, if so, what type?

texts:
My mother just bought some flowers, and would like them identifying. She thinks they are brassicas, but would like to know what variety...

Anyone any ideas? Thanks


texts: What are these white spots on my cactus? Note: they are not cochineal bugs (as I know them)

texts:
I've had this cactus for about two years now, and this winter in began showing these white, flat dots that look like splattered paint.  They can be scrapped off, but there's no sign of an insect or anything moving.  They also don't have the typical red dye of cochineal bugs, nor the fuzzy texture. The cactus receives plenty of light, though not direct sun, and has for sure not been over-watered. The dots seem to be spreading fast through-out the leaves, but thankfully other cacti that I have, have not been affected.
I have tried scraping them off with a toothbrush, but I don't think that will get rid of them for good.
Any ideas on what this is and how to get rid of it would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you!


texts: My ivy leaves are turning hard with yellow to dark brown shade

texts:
My ivy leaves are turning a yellow shade then turning to a brown shade. The leaves also get a little more hard than usual.
Place is Kashmir, India


texts: How do I prevent oak trees from sprouting on lawn?

texts: How do I control sprouting throughout the lawn about four feet all around?


texts: Are the white sections on my bean plant's leaves caused by white flies?

texts:
I have been planting a few beans in my backyard, in a pot. The plants sprout well and start growing well. After a week or less the leaves have these white lines and patches on them. I had pepper plants and they had small white flies under the leaves. There were so many that the leaf turned white.

Are these both the same problem? How do I get rid of them?


texts:
A blade of  has turned yellow, and it looks as though another one has begun to transition. I'd like to stop this before the entire plant dies, but I don't understand what's happening.

Is my plant sick? Or is there some sort of mineral imbalance? Maybe I'm over-watering it?


texts: I bought this fern from the super market, but they don't have any identification on it. Can you please help identify it so that I know how to take care of it.


texts: Should I cut off hydrangeas' early blooms?

texts: I have some hydrangeas which I keep in the greenhouse because of the very cold winters we get. They have started to bloom but I don't know if thats bad because what I want is more blooms during summer. In order to achieve that should I cut off their blooms now or should I just leave them


texts: Will a 1/2" tap hole injure a maple tree?

texts:
I'm planning to tap a maple tree in my yard this year and have hand carved a spile from a small piece of cherry I had in the garage.  Most online materials I've found recommend drilling a hole 5/16" - 7/16" depending on the spile size.  In this case the spile diameter is around 1/2" and I'd rather not thin it down any more.

My question is, will the 1/2" diameter hole significantly increase the risk of injury to the tree or is this still within the realm of what would be considered a reasonable size that a healthy tree can sustain?


texts:
I germinated a variety of seeds and I now have the starts inside, under two full small spectrum LED lights. I'm using a couple different mediums. Some are in rock wool. Some are in a store-bought starting medium. Some a combination of both. I'm watering once a week by pouring ~1 inch of water into the tray for an hour (then dumping out). I'm adding an organic kelp fertilizer to the water at the recommended dilution.
I notice almost all my plants have crispy yellowing tips and it doesn't seem isolated to specific types of plants or mediums I'm using. Any ideas what's going on?
More requested details
I'm using two of these full-spectrum LED lights: https://www.lowes.com/pd/GE-1-in-1-Light-White-30-Watt-Single-LED-Grow-Light/1001001640
They're hanging approximately 3 inches above the plants. I turn them off for about 8 hours every night, but occasionally I forget and they get 24-hours of light.
Details about the water: I'm using tap water + a splash of organic kelp fertilizer. Where I live, there's no chlorine in the water.


texts: Why are my laurel plant leaves turning yellow and brown?

texts:
I planted some laurel in a container last year. Now it's in its first Spring season in the container and it seems to be doing mostly really well. In an unusually warm Spring it has rapidly generated a lot of new, green growth on the top. As a novice gardener, I was very pleased!

But in the last few weeks, I've noticed that the lower leaves seem to be turning yellow, with brown spotted edges. I've picked off several leaves but the problem is spreading.

I'm worried that it's something serious. What is it, and is there anything that I can do before the whole plant gets affected?


texts: How can I identify the "type" of a rose if I don't already know what it is?

texts:
In the gardening and rose books I have they talk about different types of roses - hybrid, damask, china, tea, etc. They give a brief history of each rose type and a couple of pictures, but generally  little or no description.

Is it in fact possible to determine a roses "type" or "class" just by looking at it, and if so, what are the characteristics of the different types? (Even "climbing" seems like a fairly ambiguous type, and you'd think that'd be a clear definition.)