texts: How should I deal with my willow tree that has been butchered by the council?

texts:
This willow tree was pruned, and cut back to stump. I believe that whoever was cutting the tree didn't know what he was doing.

Today we returned home and were hugely shocked. The willow tree was somewhere above 3.5 meters (not sure exactly, maybe 4-6 meters) tall. It's on council land. The neighbours said it will take 5 years to regrow. The same thing happened 5 years ago. The thick branches were cut, not only the fine ones or the ones which could cause danger. The tree was starting already to sprout.

I think there is a lot of damage to the tree. In addition the birds have been living in a small hollow of the tree. Tree looks like a stump right now.

The council didn't even inform us that they are looking to do such a thing. Two years ago when we bought the house, the little branches had been going over the electric wires. They came and cut the unnecessary branches but that was it. Everybody has been happy.

Is this bad for the tree? How can I keep this from happening again?

click any photo for full size

Here is the tree I am talking about. In the first picture, you can see the hole where the birds used to live. Very upsetting. Yes, I do agree tree is not ours. At least informing people what is meant to happen would be nice. Because is very close to the house, the aesthetic look is terrible now, and they disturbed the habitat.

Also do you think the very top and the front branch was cut well?


texts: I've had this nerve plant for several years. Since moving apartments in June 2018 it's been looking worse and worse. It got very tall and leggy at first, which I assumed was because it wasn't getting enough light, so I moved it to a spot with brighter (still indirect) light. Now the leaves are curled under with dryish edges. I pulled it out of the pot to make sure water was getting to the roots and they weren't rotting—they looked ok to me and the soil was damp all the way through. I'm at a loss here. It lives on a little tray which I fill up with water to try giving it a more humid atmosphere, but maybe I'm not doing that enough? Any ideas would be appreciated.


texts: Are black spots on Areca Palm contagious to other flowers?

texts: I read here that those black spots caused by either bacteria of fungus aren't bad for my Majesty/Areca palm, but are they bad for other flowers which will be next to the palm? Will they become contaminated and have issues? I have basil, mint, aloe vera, bamboo, rose and some other plants on the bottom racks underneath the Majesty/Areca palm. Would it be better to keep the palm on the bottom rack instead or completely separated from other flowers? Thanks a lot!


texts: Can't bacteria enter the tree even after a proper prune cut?

texts:
I am now aware of the 3 cut method of pruning the tree to avoid damaging the bark. I am at the brink of loosing a tree because of bad pruning and not noticing that.
Now this may sound a silly question but I can't understand this that when we cut the tree even using the 3 cut method, a proper cut. The circular area that is left wide open revealing the inside of the tree after a proper cut, can't the bacteria or other disease enter through that anyway ? Or people cover or use some chemical on that to avoid bacteria from entering from that area.
I mean like this circular open area after a proper cut

How can bacteria enter from a damaged bark but not from this ?


texts: Questionable small white spots on panda plant

texts:
I’m not too sure when these spots came up. Did a quick google search and the first results says that it could be mealybugs, but I don’t see any actual bugs on the plant or in the soil. A few other answers I found says it could be cold spots, dried up water on the plant or some other plant disease.

In terms of watering, it’s watered when the soil is dry and we water directly into the pot. It’s on the windowsill so it gets plenty of sun and it’s also placed near an AC that is on occasionally (every other day for about 30 minutes to an hour)


texts: Should I remove the suckers from the base of my new tree?

texts:
I bought a new tree this summer. Lately I've been seeing this little sprouts coming out of the very base of the tree. Should I chop them off or leave them? What will happen to them over time?

Also, the guys who installed the tree used this stick with ties on it. When should I remove the supporting stick?


texts: Can you identify this mystery plant? possibly mint?

texts: I got this creeping plant the other day on clearance at a local walmart under the pretense that it was part of the mint family. It smells minty but it has no identification on it. I was hoping that someone could help me identify this. I am just confused and figured I should ask people who are seasoned in the hobby :) link is to multiple photos of said plant


texts:
I have a Meyer Lemon tree that I brought inside for the winter and am now ready to bring outside. The problem is that there's no good place inside where it would get 100% sunlight, instead only part of the tree did. As a result one branch grew towards the light and is now longer than the tree is tall and is very straggly.

I want to trim it so the tree is uniform but was wondering if there's anything special I need to do when doing this? I've never trimmed it back before and want to make sure I don't do anything wrong that will kill it. Do I just take the clippers and snip it at the right place or is there more to it than that?


texts: Is there a good way to know if you should transplant sunchokes to spread them out a little bit?

texts: It seems like a lot of my sunchokes are right next to each other, and I have about 3 feet of room. should I pull some up to move them a few feet so they all have room to grow?


texts: Is it better (healthier) for the lawn if rake and dispose of lawn clippings or if you leave them on the lawn to decompose and return to the soil?


texts: Why are holes and divots typically filled with a sand mix?

texts:
I was taking a lunch time walk at work and noticed some council workers filling in a sizable patch (about 1m square) with soil. I've noticed this done on golf courses and also on sports grounds and I am curious to find out. Why are divots, and small ditches filled in with sand or with a very sandy soil with very minimal organic matter?

My brother used to work on a golf course and the typical thing for someone to do to fill in a sizable divot is to fill the spot with sand.

Why is this the case?

You can see an example of this here: http://golf.about.com/od/beginners/ss/repair_divots_4.htm


texts:
Can anyone identify this plant?  I bought a house and this is growing great as ground cover.  I would like to plant more if I can identify it.

If it helps, I live in Pennsylvania.  The flowers just opened now (late May/early June).  The plant is probably 3 feet tall.

Thanks!


texts: Removing the sod and seeding new for an area 24'x48' (8mx16m) - advice needed

texts:
I have an area of 24'x48' (8mx16m) at the back at my garden which is uneven, has spots with no grass and also spots with bad looking grass.

I would like to remove it using a sod cutter and seed new grass and wait for the spring shower to soak the soil (if it does not happen I will water the area as well).

I need to understand a couple of things:

Is this a good idea - is this a good time to do it?
What steps should I go through for this (removing the old sod, dig the area to aerate and refresh the soil, even it, seed it, water it)
For tools: other than a sod cutter which I intend to rent for the day from HomeDepot and gardening rake, shovel and hoe (which I have), what else should I cosider?
Is there any way to reuse the sod (composting ?) or reduce the volume before disposing it?


texts: Can I save any of this orange harvest? (probably under-watered tree)

texts:
The house I'm renting has a number of fruit trees. I'm in San Jose, CA and with the drought, it has been a challenge to give them the right amount of water while still conserving. It seems the mature orange tree is suffering with the same level of water that the larger mature lemon tree next to it is apparently thriving on.

The fruit on the orange has mostly stayed small and the leaves are starting to curl. The fruit is just starting to yellow, so I guess it isn't going to get any bigger. I've already seen a few split oranges, and the rains are (hopefully!) about to start.

Here's what it looks like, although I guess you can't really tell that the fruit is small.

I'm wondering, is there any way to nurture this puny fruit through to harvest or am I too late? (I'm expecting much of it to split as soon as the rain really starts.) Or is the tree so stressed right now (as evidenced I think by the curled leaves) that I should just remove all or most of the fruit anyway?

Some other potentially useful info - the soil in the yard is not great (a lot of clay), although again, the lemon tree is doing fine. There has also been a lot of squirrel activity, and some specifically around the orange tree, so it is possible that their tunnels have damaged the roots. (I have previously stepped through the soil by the orange into a squirrel tunnel.)


texts: Identify this plant please (western Europe)

texts:
This plant has started to grow in my garden (in Northern France) last fall. I decided to let it live its life, and although I have neither protected nor watered nor taken care of it in any way, it has passed the winter and thrived.

Right now it is about one meter high.

More photos : photo2;photo1;photo3;photo4

What species is it?


texts: Name of this Plant - Yellow center and edges Green

texts: Bought this plant 4 months but dont know the name of this plant but still i repotted it and i water it after 2 weeks


texts:
I bought this Calathea earlier in the year (UK based) and it’s recently started to show yellow leaves, see pictures.
It’s had about 3-4 yellow leaves now, all of them at the bottom of the plant nearest the soil. I’ve removed the yellow leaves as per advice I read online. The leaves aren’t crispy at all.
My question is why is this happening and is there anything I can do to stop it?
I have upped the watering of the plant as I thought Calatheas needed moist soil, maybe I went too far? I’m struggling to get the balance right when watering this plant.
I use tap water, maybe this is the issue? I don’t fertilise this plant (it’s winter in the UK).
I’m aware the leaves need a clean which I will do shortly.
Any thoughts about the cause of the yellow leaves would be much appreciated. Thank you!!


texts: When can water hyacinth be started in zone 8b

texts: I'm starting a half barrel pond and am wondering when I can add water hyacinth.  I'm in zone 8b (seattle, WA USA).


texts: I’m new to house plants, so I decided to go with a snake plant. When I got it the leaves were droopy like someone did it dirty as hell. Since I got it Ive repotted it but little cuts are appearing and white spots. Could it be an insect infestation?


texts: Flowers that grow in wine glass bottles filled with soil and/or water?

texts:
What flowers would be able to grow inside of a  glass bottle filled with water?

The glass bottle can also be filled with some soil, but they would need to grow in the bottle.

We live in the Caribbean, so it's extremely hot.


texts: I have a Ryobi string trimmer that is used for attachments. But the Ryobi needs rebuilt. Which, i could do. But wanted to know if I could remove the clutch from the Ryobi, and install it on a weed wacker that I already have rebuilt? The weed wacker i have already rebuilt is a Bolens. (BL100) im wondering if it would support the Ryobi clutch?


texts:
I'll confess to being fairly clueless about plants, and have been trying to find what type this is (present from son to wife for mother's day, with no label or anything to say what it is). Is it better suited to indoors in the pot, or outdoors in the garden (UK location)?

Thanks in advance.


texts: Is this an insect (wasp/bee) bore in my soil?

texts:
everyday there’s a new bore in the soil of my potted aloe plant. Could you help identify what this is?
There’s little mounds of soil that are balled up around the hole and I keep destroying them but they keep coming back like clockwork.


texts: Does anyone know what type of plant this is with heart shaped leaves?

texts: this plant is taking over my rock garden and I would like to get rid of it]1


texts: Best way to remove grass without killing flowers

texts: I'm wanting to turn a patch of thick grass into a flower bed. There are already a few flowers there. Is there a way to eliminate the grass without killing the flowers or digging up the grass? Will covering it in mulch kill it? TIA


texts: It is the time of year when I start to cut back my rampant grape vines. I usually tie them together and leave them for the birds to nest, but this year I am creating a hugelkultur bed and I was wondering if these long vines would be good for composting. Or anything else. If there or any ideas for using these vines, other than for decoration, I would appreciate suggestions and advice.


texts: Succulent spreading outward, Exposed roots

texts:
Please see pics below. I'm assuming (possibly shouldn't assume) that this succulent was in poor light before I brought it home because of all the spreading. What's the proper thing to do with it? I'm wanting to re-pot it because the pot can't stand on it's own, without putting something under each of the two main spreads. All clippings and pups are rooted in, and when I went to remove, to re-pot everything came out in one chunk. Is it safe to  clip the roots, or will the plant suffer? When I re-pot it, should they all be separated, or should I put it in a pot wide enough that the spreads are also touching soil, so they can root down?

UPDATE:
Voila! What do you think? (PIC BELOW) I don't like answering my own questions, and received much help from @Bamboo comments. I've included a pic of what I did with it from the advice. I layered the bottom of this pot with large aquarium gravel then topped off with my own mixed: mixed bird grit, playground sand, cactus soil and regular potting soil together. I potted the "clump" from old pot and filled loosely with the mix. The spreads are gently resting on top of the soil mix, and I lightly sprinkled some of the mix on top of the exposed roots. I only lost 2 roots, and one leaf (clipping shown in right bottom corner), that I placed on top of the soil. This pot has two large drainage holes, and is about 2" deep. Cross your fingers this works okay!

I also have cactus liquid fertilizer, but am unsure if I should use it yet.


texts: What’s this orange stuff growing on my snake plant?

texts: I just noticed these things growing alongside my snake plant. Should I take them out?


texts:
Need some help/advice for my Yen Ben lemon tree, location is New Zealand.

I have been watering about once a week, usually with lemon tree food added.
I am in a pretty sheltered apartment area, the tree gets direct sunlight for about 4 hours in the morning, 8am-12pm ish.

The branches are quite dry.

Any tips to revive / care for this tree in its current condition?
Thank you in advance.


texts: Can I use dried broad bean pods as mulch?

texts:
I had planted broad beans last year, and kept some pods on the vine until they dried out and turned black. I shelled them so now I have dried beans for planting later on, but this left me with quite a number of dried broad bean pods.

I've noticed they have an interesting texture, and I'm wondering whether they can be used as mulch, or perhaps there's some other use for them instead of just throwing everything in the garbage.


texts: I have a big rose outside that does not make flowers almost at all!

texts:
We bought the house 3 years ago.
The rose at the end of the picture below flowered just once in three years (this year). It grows like crazy, it is huge right now, almost bigger than the fence and I don't understand why it does not make flowers. What you see below is the only flowers we ever saw in three years.

Update:

Update 2:
Yes the grafting theory makes sense but the solution you are suggesting is going to be difficult to implement as it is not clear what is the flowering part
Below I marked the flowering part but it is difficult to say of which part of those old roots it is coming out.
This rose used to be where the walkway you see in the initial picture was. It was relocated and I remember that my brother in law worked quite a lot to move it. It sat in the original position for about 1 year and a a half and we saw no flowers.
[4
Update3
2020 after selective pruning
[5


texts: What is this plant with dark green or red leaves?

texts: What is the name of the following plant?


texts: How can I grow a pineapple plant from a store-bought pineapple?

texts:
I've read in several places that a pineapple plant can be grown from the top of a store-bought pineapple, provided it has a crown/leaves intact.

The only problem is that I'm finding many contradictions in the exact method to do so.

This method instructs to remove all fruit from the plant and
waiting for the crown to root sideways in soil, before planting it upright.
This method recommends removing all fruit and rooting in a glass
of water.
This method says to remove all fruit, but don't put the
crown in water. Just plant it vertically in the soil.
This method recommends keeping the top inch or so of fruit
attached to the crown.

Does anyone have any first-hand experience using any of these methods? I'd prefer one of the last two, since they seem easiest, but I don't want to take any shortcuts if they will end up not working at all.


texts:
I have an orange tree that has some issue but I can´t pin down what it could be, I don´t have that much experience with pinning down deficiencies or exceses on trees than in plants.

I will post some photos, the decoloration could be manganese or zinc (thats what I´ve found while researching on the internet) but what about the curled/clawed leaves? In plants clawed leaves normally is soil toxicity but for citrus trees people on the internet point at pests to be the issue, like thrips/miners, I don´t seem to see any pests on the leaves or under them.


texts: I saw this growing out of a yard and onto the sidewalk. Is it Poison Sumac or non-poisonous Sumac? 11 leaflets, It has a smooth stem and leaflets so it is not Staghorn Sumac. I did not see any berries or fruit. Is there any of the poisonous kind around hear that I can see? Does It only grows in wetlands.


texts:
I've had this plant for the last five months and since then I had problems with insects in the begining and right after I got over that the plant is having another problem I can't identify. Can anyone please tell what is wrong with my plant and how do I fix it?
It receives a lot of light during the day and I water it once a week


texts:
On my balcony I have just planted my hardy kiwi. I found that some leaves, particularly smaller ones, have holes:

I'm using universal soil (ph 5.5-6.5). I'm watering it everyday as the flowerpot is quite big (40x40x40cm). Can it be that the soil is missing some minerals? Should I use some compost? Or this is a pest?

EDIT: I've just found that the buds of new branches have black tips. Is that relevant?


texts: Could a spider be causing my orchids and cactus to die?

texts:
I had several small plants in the office (two orchids and a small cactus) that died. In a short time they began to dry.

Now a third orchid is beginning with similar symptoms and I wanted to ask what the reason could be:

The grey/black spot at bottom grows, the leaves becomes soft/burned and the the leaves fall off.

Looking at the picture I also noticed something that could be a small dead spider in the top left corner. Detail:

Could this be the reason? Do spiders harm my plants? What should I do?


texts: Do golden pothos, rubber plant & spider plant release oxygen at night?

texts:
Just like snake plant & money plant, is it safe to keep golden pothos, rubber plant & spider plant in bedroom during night?
Do they release oxygen during night as well?


texts: What is this resilient plant that prefers shade and little water?

texts: I've inherited this plant that requires minimal care: just some watering every two weeks, and not much light. However, I forgot to water it for ~3 weeks, and it wilted. Took it on the balcony, where it sprung back to life, but then forgot it there for a whole day and now it looks like this :(


texts: Why is my pepper plant losing its flowers?

texts: January a year ago I planted my peppers, I put one in a big pot & it produced big peppers all summer. When it got cold we brought it inside & have had it under the grow lights since. Until about two weeks ago it was doing great, I was getting peppers off of it every week, but now the flowers turn brown & fall off & the leaves are turning too. I've sprayed it with Neem oil which seemed to help some.  Interested in some advice.


texts:
I have a lemon tree and it recently lost most of its leaves. I am not sure why.
Some information about the tree:
I am not sure what the variety of the lemon tree is (here is the store website for the tree I don't think it is mentioned there).
Tree is always inside (temp 18-22C).
It is placed under window, but I live in the Netherlands, so usually it has overcast sunlight.
The soil that was used for potting is this Citrus Focus Repotting Mix.
At the bottom of the pot there are hydro-balls because I read it improves drainage.
How the tree was taken care for
I read online that the tree should not be watered too often, I originally watered it once a week but the leaves started to fall.
I read online this might be either due to not enough fertilizer or due to too much or too little watering.
So I decided to start water it only once per 1.5 week and I also added bit of this fertilizer to the water.
At first the plant started to be doing great (at least it looked much better) and just 5 days ago it had nice new leaves, but yesterday they started to fall off. This is how the plant looks today:

I know that there are similar questions with answers on this stack here or here or here, but they don't solve my question because the first question is about dried out lemon tree and mine does not look dried out (even though some of the fallen leaves shrivel many fall of without that), in the second the leaves also brown out but that does not happen to my tree and conditions are different, and the third is about much younger tree.
I am not sure anymore what is happening to the plant or how to save it, any help would be appreciated.


texts: What is this plant with red flower and green leaves?


texts: Can I leave front yard without lawn exposed in winter?

texts:
I had enough with spending weekends plucking weeds. I decided to replace my front lawn grass with river stone. I used sod cutter to take out the grass (and weeds) completely. I am going to replace with river stone in next spring. I live in Ottawa, Canada (Brutal winter). Is it ok to leave the yard without lawn or stone throughout the winter?

Thanks in advance!


texts: What plant is this upright shrub with gorgeous fall color?

texts: This morning I stumbled upon a shrub with incredible autumn shades of leaf colors, including orange, red and yellow. It appears there are several plants of the same kind at the same place. Do you know what plant it is?


texts: Problem pulling the cord on my Honda GCV160e

texts:
I have a GCV160E Honda lawn mower engine.

changed the oil and checked the spark plug and filter and sprayed penetrating oil round the linkages and the blade and left if for 48 hrs. I started it on fourth pull and I cut my back lawn.
I moved it round to the front and found it had used quite a lot of petrol.
placed a small amount into the tank and tried to start it.  The cord was working freely but it wouldn't start.
left it a while and went back out after about fifteen minutes to find that there was petrol dripping through the air filter and exhaust.  I could move the pull quite freely.
took the carb off and looked at the float in the float bowl.  The carb was cleaned professionally last year and serviced professionally so I was surprised if it was going to be the float.  I looked and couldn't see anything wrong with it.
cleaned it up and put the carb back on.
tried to start it and found the pull cord extremely stiff.
took the spark plug out there was petrol round the mounting.
checked that the brake was deploying properly and also I thought that it should pull now the spark plug is off but it won't.
I have taken the pull cord mounting off and it works perfectly fine.
tipped the whole engine upside down after draining the oil out of it and no petrol has come through the spark plug hole.
sprayed penetrating oil into the spark plug hole and left it and still I cannot pull the cord freely.
put some new oil in and have left it.

I cannot believe that a stuck float can cause catastrophic damage to the pistons if that is the problem.  I am a little disappointed if this is the case.  Can you think of anything else that could be impeding the cord from deploying?  I didn't hit anything prior to the fuel leak through the filter and exhaust. I have also removed any debris around the blade and I could move it initially but not now.


texts:
I have just started gardening. My first tree purchase was a Yoshino Cherry (Prunus y yedoensis Ivensii). After potting it into a larger pot, it has started to have lots of holes appear in the leaves. I have found 1 leaf with a collection of bugs on it but no idea what they are or how to treat it.

I am in East Lothian, Scotland if that helps.

click for a larger version

Update
Image from tips of branches, believed to be new growth but could be a symptom.


texts: What is the difference between pure horse manure and bedding manure?

texts:
I can easily get my hands on horse manure from bedding locally. I might be able to collect the pure one with a little bit of patience (I don't need large quantities).

I'm wondering whether I should prefer the one or the other?

Is there a difference regarding composting time having in mind that the pure one is right the result of horses eating fresh stuff on the meadow and the bedding one is mixed up with straw? - Straw which, according to local people, will take ages to compost because it has been treated with fungicides (and other evil stuff) during its growth and this will inhibit the composting process.


texts:
I planted a lemon seed and I got a "tiny" lemon tree. I have it in very little soil so it doesn't grow too big but (surprisingly) it is in the same minuscule  state for like a year now. I wasn't really worried about it since it looked healthy enough. Last week I noticed that the leafs turned yellow.

More info:

The soil is like 5cm deep
The location is the Netherlands
There is also some grass in the same pot


texts: Is it possible to turn a tumbler compost too frequently?

texts:
Related: How often do you need to turn the compost heap?

I have a tumbler composter.  When I put my food scraps in it - roughly once a day - I also put in a handful of leaves that I have saved from the fall raking and I turn it.

Am I turning too frequently?

Nothing seems to be happening and I can't tell if it's because:
a) it's cold in Massachusetts right now
b) I'm getting the green/brown ratio wrong
c) I'm turning too frequently
d) none of the above
e) some combination of a, b, and c


texts: Should I keep my dogs off my lawn after overseeding?

texts: I have a patchy lawn that I’m overseeding with a mix of tall fescue and micro clover. Should I keep my dogs off the lawn? If so, for how long? Should I worry about letting the grass reach a certain length rather than waiting for a specific period?


texts: Are fenugreek, mushroom herb the same thing?

texts:
I just bought a pack of fenugreek seeds. The seller site labels them as "mushroom herb" and "fenugreek", but they came in a packet with Cyrillic letters and a sticker with English instruction to grow "mushroom herb." "Fenugreek" is not printed anywhere on the packet. The seeds do look similar to a picture I found on Wikipedia of fenugreek seeds.

Having checked online, it seems mushroom herb (rungia klossii?) and fenugreek (kasoori methi in Hindi?) are said to have different origins and the two names rarely appear in one article. It seems strange that there isn't any discussion that they are the same plant if they really are. Also curious is the fact that I can't find much information on the former.


texts: Hugely different results storing apples from different trees?

texts:
So, I took a look at my apple store over this weekend. It being February, the apples have been in there a number of months.

In previous years I haven't had a massive amount of success storing apples but I've learnt some lessons (secure the store against rodents, don't store windfalls) and I'm getting better results.

This autumn, for the first time, I decided to store apples from different trees in separate trays, instead of mixing them up.

Huge difference in success rates! We have four trees. The trays from three of them (two eaters and a cooker) are pretty clean and the apples have lasted well. The trays from the fourth tree (a cooker) are 100% brown and unusable.

Maybe this was my problem all along in previous years! Mixing them up, I just didn't realise that one variety was rotting out the whole store.

Is it normal for one variety to completely fail to store? Is store-ability widely variable depending on variety?


texts: Everytime we put our basil plants outside, something starts to eat the leaves. This is what one of the leaves looks like, do you guys know what it could be? IT seems to happen within only hours of them being outside, and they are potted plants.


texts: Bark is falling off on our trees. Could it be Dutch elm disease?

texts: We live in New York. Bark is falling off several of our trees. Could it be Dutch elm disease?  It’s falling off in slivers.


texts: Are aquarium-water nematodes harmful to plants?

texts:
I water my houseplants and potted patio plants with the water drained from my aquarium filter as part of its routine maintenance. The canister filter is full of fish waste and nitrates that would provide a fantastic organic fertilizer supplement for plants. But that filter water is also full of nematodes (the scavenger, gravel-dwelling variety seen here).

I know most nematodes are harmless, but some nematodes feed on the outside surfaces of a plant, while others burrow into plant tissue. Does anyone now if this variety of nematodes can survive in the soil and harm my houseplants or produce?


texts: Composting in Madison, WI : Sun or Shade

texts:
I have been researching(googling) weather to keep my Earthmachines composting bin in the sun or shade. I've read that keeping in the sun hastens the process, but tends to dry out the mix.

I live in Madison Wisconsin, so we get a few months hot weather in the summers, and the winters are cold. Any advice as to where the composter would be more effective/easier to work with. I can keep the bin on the north side of the house(shade) or the south side of the house(sunny).


texts: What sort of foundation does a Serpentine wall need

texts:
I am considering having a total 210 foot run of 6 foot high serpentine wall built out of concrete block, brick, or a combination. Made up of 100' of wall + 4' gateway + 30' of wall + 10' gateway + 40' of wall + 3'gate + 10' of wall.  The longest run is east-west and 60 feet runs north-south. (I just realized that the maximum run of wall between gate pillar/posts is only 100.') Prevailing winds from north or south-east; generally light, but gusts up to 70 mph in storms.  Huntsville, AL; flat, heavy, clay soil.  Drainage will be addressed.  I want to avoid disturbing the soil as much as possible.  I am considering using a foundation of one solid 4" concrete block on top of 6" of sharp paving foundation so that the concrete block comes just an inch below the ground surface.
I am considering that the opposite apexes of the wall will be 3' deep and the radius of the curve is 6'.  This equates to using 8' wall sections to make a zig-zag inside a 3' width.
Is the proposed foundation adequate?  I will have to get the city engineer's approval.


texts: I planted a seed I got from a grocery store lemon about 4 years ago and this is my tree today. It's not very big, and the branching is kind of weird. I don't mind if it produces fruit or not, I just hope it will grow and do well. Recently, all of the leaves fell off but new growth appeared. I don't have much experience gardening, so I hope someone can let me know if it's healthy and needs other care (like pruning maybe?). Please help!! Many thanks in advance!!


texts:
I just started composting (again). I added a bunch of greens to a big bin, and then I added some soil.

In the meanwhile, I was uprooting a bunch of grass for a vegetable bed, and without thinking, I threw a bunch of clay/grass into the compost bin. Actually, it's now half full of heavy clay.

Is this a mistake -- will this prohibit or inhibit the decomposition? Should I remove it? It's terribly difficult to mix it as is.

Also, I saw a couple of worms in the compost bin. In the future, should I add them if I see them, or leave them in the real soil? (My bin is covered.)


texts:
After searching a little, I think it is a hybrid aloe x gasteria, aka gasteraloe, maybe gasteraloe superba.

Here are the pictures:

One of its babies, if this helps:

And its flowers:

What species or hybrid is it?


texts: Is this mycelium or does this shefflera has some kind disease on the roots?

texts:
I have an indoor shefflera.

I noticed that it sometimes get sick so I checked the roots.

The roots were practically escaping the pot and I noticed a kind of white film everywhere.

What is growing on the roots?

Should I clean this up, maybe even cut the huge root that is outside of the soil?

Note, you see a lot of water because I just used a temporary plate to check the plant, the plant itself wasn't overwatered.

EDIT:
Added picture of the real pots after comment.


texts:
I recently moved to Bombay (Mumbai, India) and the weather is forgiving her so I thought why not! I bought all the organic stuff I could find and made a potting mix- manure + red soil, vermicompost, garden (red) soil, coco peat and all.

I looked at doing kitchen scraps first- garlic cloves, tomato slices, ripe chili seeds, ginger, onions tops, cilantro with roots.

This was started on Tuesday, they have been watered to the point that they are just wet. Thursday I woke up to white mold on them, after a google search, I ended up scrapping if off and sprinkling some cinnamon powder on them. Today, Sunday I woke up again to mold, this is sad. I tried to look at the starters itself; tomato slices are all moldy too and so are the garlic cloves.

This is my first time trying to take care of anything besides me, and I'm too worried to mess it up.

Can someone please tell me if this is normal?

Thank you.

[

[


texts:
I need help identifying some plants.

Unknown Basil 1

Unknown Basil 2

Potential Holy Basil 1

Potential Holy Basil 2

I purchased these two types of basil online. They both claim to be holy basil but they are clearly two different types.

I noticed that the basil in the blue container is not hairy, which means it cannot be holy basil as that is one of the characteristics.

The basil in the red container does have the hairy characteristic, but I am not sure if the leaves are the correct colour or if it is even a basil.

I had a look at two youtube videos, but it seems basil quickly cross-pollinates and thus Ocimum tenuiflorum may change quickly and become another species, but for most of the seeds to change, I am not so sure if that is possible. I would have thought cross-pollination only result in a few seeds changing rather than most or all of them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pJLLVVTty8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ATGpbNMFfY

So, what plants am I actually growing?

EDIT: I thought the blue container might be Thai Basil, but some of the stems aren't purple...


texts:
Question prompted by @Stormy who wanted to impart a few ideas.

I have had a few attempts at growing potatoes in bags but they never seem to work out. They grow ok then the green tops just start to wither. Last year I had a watering system and thought they had been over watered, this year I did not water and roughly the same thing happened.

The bags were filled with Levingtons farmyard manure. Last time I used a multi-purpose compost that was part peat moss. The time it was just farmyard manure.

I am south-East Scotland (USDA Hardiness Zone 8). About 1 mile from the coast.

Last time I used a Miricale grow gro-sac, but turned it inside out so the black part of the bag was showing. The bag got too hot to touch on sunny days. Which I thought might have been an issue.

The grow bags I have used this time are shown in the picture. They had fairly substantial holes in the side. Therefore hopefully limiting the water logging issue.

I would be grateful for any tips of how to grow potatoes successfully in bags. I have been trying to follow the Square meter gardening but did not want to use raised bed for potatoes. Not sure why  thought they might spread to far in the raised bed.

Let me know if there is any relevant information I have missed.


texts:
I have a low spot in my yard that I want to fill in.  It is an 8' diameter spot that is about 4"- 6" lower than the surrounding grass.  The grass in this spot it mostly dead from this being a small pond for an extended period of time.

The two options I've seen are
1 - Add an inch at a time and let the grass come through.
2 - Use a sod cutter to remove the grass, add soil, and re lay the sod.

Since there is not much grass option one really won't work.  My question is around option 2.  If I don't care about the grass is it ok to just cover it or do I have to remove it first?  I'd rather not rent a sod cutter if I don't have to.


texts: I bought vegetable seeds a few years back.  I tried planting them this year but am having mixed results (very few are sprouting).  Do seeds have a shelf life/expiration after which they will not germinate?  I am trying to figure out if the problem is with the seeds or something else.


texts: I have a few grape vines that are growing out of control. I would like to prune them back but don't want to sacrifice fruit for this season. Any ideas of what I should do?


texts: Lemons? Limes? Oranges? These trees are wierd!

texts:
I inherited 3 trees when I bought my house and all three have thorns on the branches with two trees having what appear to be lemons with orange highlights.  When opened they have a very thick skin, are easy to peel and have a light orange and lemon smell.  They are not sweet and not as tart as a lemon but edible nonetheless.  The third tree has what I think are lemons and limes but they are all small and mostly I think to be limes.  I cant seem to find any grafting on the trees, however they are over 5 years old.

What the heck is going on here? Does anyone have any idea what they might be?


texts: Are these tiny tomato seedlings going to be too crowded?

texts:
My first effort at growing tomatoes was last year when I was given plants ~20cm tall and it went well. This year I'm having another go, but starting from seed. On the grounds that I have no seed trays, etc and don't really know what I'm doing, I bought a lazy kit type of thing, which provided me a small degradable tray, soil and seeds.

The instructions provided had be filling the pots to ~2cm down adding the seeds and then topping off with ~1cm more soil. I assumed you added lots of seeds because there was an expected failure rate, so used them all (this may have been wrong).

This was only a week ago and I already have over five seedlings growing in the two 4cm pots that took tomato seeds. I suspect if I leave them there they will get entangled and so on?

Should I endeavour to separate the plants? Or maybe remove the weakest? I don't want over 10 tomato plants, two will be plenty, so I'm not adverse to just plucking out those I don't need!

Here's a quick photo:


texts:
A friend of mine is growing several plants in containers.

A couple of months ago he noticed some worms in some of his containers. He can't recall any obvious reason why that happened. But he really dislikes the worms. He says the worst situation is for his container lemon tree, but others are affected as well.

(I personally wouldn't be bothered by worms, but he really does not like them.)

Is there any way for him to get rid of worms, and not harm his plants?


texts: Yellow/Brownish bottom leaves in Cycas revoluta

texts: I have a Cycas revoluta with bottom leaves with yellow/brown spots. I guess it's probably related with overwatering. However, the pattern that I saw in internet pictures was a bit different. So, it may be a disease. Any thoughts?


texts: How much additional fertilizer should I add to a vegetable garden?

texts:
I'm beginning to prepare the soil for my vegetable garden.  Overall, it's clay-type soil, and I've added some of the leaves from last fall and the grass clippings from last year into the soil and tilled it in.

Should I add any kind of fertilizer or manure?  How can I tell what the soil needs for prime growing conditions?


texts: My name is Nawaz Khan from Pakistan, Abbottabad. Kindly, tell me that what is the best time for propagation of Oranges trees citrus trees, orange sucker, and roses???


texts: Why are the leaves on my young avocado tree drooping?

texts:
This young avocado tree was grown from an avocado seed and is about 6 months old.  I live in Tucson, Arizona and keep it inside my house by a south facing window.  There's no direct sunlight in this spot.

Why are the leaves drooping like this?

[![Right side up][1]][1]

Updated pictures

Updated pictures of leaves 9/17

[1]: https://i.stack.imgur.com/3c4PT.jpg


texts: What's this tree with slightly hairy green leaves with white veins and borders?

texts:
I got a hold of this tree recently (it was in my backyard when I moved in), and want to find out what specific tree it is so I can make sure my care is appropriate. Click to expand pics:

As the first pic shows, the tree is ~1.7m tall, and in a decent sized pot. It seems to fare well in partial direct sunlight — currently takes ~4h direct sunlight, and seems to like it. I've been watering it about once a week until water drips from the bottom of the pot, which, again, it seems to like.
As the third and fourth pics show, the leaves are slightly hairy/fuzzy, with entire edges, and acuminate apexes (thanks, Wikipedia). They have white (or really light green?) borders and veins. I remember that before the shoots developed into leaves, the buds were way hairier and a really light green too. It has no flowers at all, but I have no idea if it's a flowering tree.


texts: Re-seeding lawn over a newly planted winter grass in warm climate

texts:
We recently had our septic system replaced about a month ago (in December).  I live in Florida, and according to the local code, I had to get grass growing over the drain field by March ("mound stabilization"), when the final inspection will occur.  I chose to seed rye grass in the dirt over the mound, which grows well in Florida winters, and is coming in nicely--so hopefully should pass inspection.

However, here in Florida, by late February or early March, the weather will start turning warmer again, so I'd like to go ahead and get some permanent summer grass started within another 4-6 weeks.  I'd like to seed something like Bermudagrass at that point.  Are there any special considerations I need when seeding new grass over a temporary/winter lawn like this, to ensure it comes in well?  The rye grass is fairly thin, so for example, it might be easy to lightly rake in the Bermuda seed once I've spread it.  Or should I just wait until the rye starts to die out from the summer heat?


texts: Tree fern burned fronds, browning leaves? (Pictures)

texts:
I have bought a tree fern and have put it in a pot about a month ago. Since then it has been having black edges around the leaves and browning. It is spring and there are new shoots growing. I'm keeping it in a sheltered place and giving it plenty of water, used traditional potting mix. What's going wrong? Is this a natural part of its cycle or am I killing the poor fella :(

Gets about 4 hours filtered sunlight in the morning then shade the rest of the day. I water about once week or less since it's been raining on and off.


texts: I got this little aloe plant from a succulent subscription service and when it arrived a few of its leaves looked a little yellow... I thought maybe it had a rough transport and/or was overwatered, so since I got it And reported it Around a month ago I’ve watered it twice. I use Bonsai Jacks gritty mix so it’s super well drained! I keep it right under a grow light With my other succulents since we don’t have great window space! Any ideas what’s up with it? The second time I watered it was earlier today because I noticed the tips seemed pretty dried out and figured it could maybe use a little since the 3ish weeks ago when I last watered...


texts: What are these little balls (green, yellow, orange) in my potting mix?

texts:
I've seen these little balls in more than one brand of potting mix / universal compost. I just sifted a large amount of compost and found many.
I've seen them in the following colors: white, green, orange and yellow.
At first, I thought this would be slow release fertilizer, but I'm pretty sure they are not.
They literally explode when you press them with your fingers. There some liquid inside. There were no bugs/insects in the soil. I don't think these are insect eggs, also.
I'll try to photograph them under the microscope and will add it here later.
What are those?

UPDATE: Images with microscope


texts: What is this tree seedling (White Oak, something else?) from Piedmont Region, MD?

texts: I'm gradually trying to get invasives removed from our property, replacing with natives to this area. I believe this is a tree seedling, and I think it's white oak (which would be good for this area). Can anyone confirm or advise what it really is? Can I safely move it (because I can't really leave it where it decided to grow). Larger, close-up image click here.


texts: Can you identify what this green plant is that looks like mint?

texts: I found this growing behind my house, but I'm not sure what it is. It looks a lot like mint; however, it isn't minty smelling but more sweet smelling. Is it dangerous?


texts: What are these red-stemmed plants (probable weeds)

texts:
Garden Context:
Sunny South-facing Garden in North London, UK. Appers not hugely cared-for in the last decade.

Border Context:
This photo is taken facing about North-North-East:

My experience:
Almost None! This is my First garden and I'm just learning the ropes.

I've started weeding through the over grown borders of the garden and left behind some plants I didn't recognise.

I think there are 2 of the same plant, with red stems.
What are they?
(Previous search attempts "UK Red stemmed weed")


texts:
We're buying a house in the desert southwest (US) and want to plant a shade tree to cast shade over the western aspect of the home.  I like oak trees but want to get the house shaded sooner rather than later!

The tree will sit in the middle of a watered yard so it will have a consistent source of water.  The elevation is ~1500' / 450m above sea level and temps can range from the high 20°F - 120°F (-7°C - 49°C) at the extremes.  We have sun, or minimal clouds, 330 days a year.

We want a tree that does not drop seed pods, fruit, or excessive pollen.  Leaves are fine.  We also want to avoid eucalyptus and pine.

I'm left with Arizona Ash or Sissoo trees...that I know of.  Both of these are common in our area.  What else might work?


texts:
I recently recieved this plant (see image below) from my family, but they ripped out the identification ticket and they couldn't tell what kind of it is.

To give it the best care I can, I figured asking you, as this platform has helped me a couple of times in the past.

Right now, I got it hanging from the ceiling, with indirect sun light. It's in a pot (the one it's bought in) inside the hanging pot.

If possible, I'd love to know what plant I'm dealing with and how much water / what care it needs.

Thanks!


texts:
I have this young Fragrant Sumac shrub. Do I let it go or do I prune it now to encourage branching?
 https://i.ibb.co/d5KDwqr/IMG-20190608-195336317.jpg


texts: Why are my Aglaonema's leaves turning yellow rapidly?

texts:
I have an Aglaonema (also commonly known as a Chinese Evergreen) at my desk at work. Over the past month or so, its leaves have been yellowing and dying rapidly. This is how it looked today, a Monday; last Thursday, I removed the dead and dying leaves, so the yellowing you see in the photograph happened over four days.

My desk has a southwest facing window high up on the wall; the plant is on a level with the window and is a few feet from it. There are tall trees near the building, but they're not in leaf yet, so it gets some indirect sunlight every day. I've been sitting at this desk for 1½ years, and my plant wasn't like this last year.
What is causing this, and how can I help my plant recover?


texts:
I purchased this avocado Reed sapling about 6 months ago from a shop 200 miles north of me. It's a type A avocado and I also bought a type B. The Reed started to flower over Xmas and I noticed what looks like fruit appearing!

I kept the trees inside over winter because this region is too cold to support their growth, and that's why they're not sold locally. They have been outside for about 4 months now in full sun. The other tree hasn't flowered.

I've not heard of anyone with a tree locally though I guess it's possible someone somewhere has one in a greenhouse.

So, if this is fruit, how likely is it that it will grow to an edible size?


texts: do indoor plants produce carbon dioxide in night?

texts: I have some in door plants such as Areca, peace lily and Yucca, some of them are in my bedroom as well. I know these plants produce Oxygen and remove toxins... but what about in night? do they release carbon dioxide or similar? is it safe to put them in bed room?


texts: Why has 20% of my pumpkin plant suddenly died and how can I save it?

texts:
So I had a thriving Pumpkin plant.  For about a couple of weeks the big leaves in the middle of the plant (so the oldest leaves) started to yellow and get crisply on the edges.  We've had 90 to 100 degree heat and it gets direct sunlight most of the day so I figured it was just stressed.  We turn the hose on it every day during the heat of the day and soak the ground.

I've got grass clippings covering most of the ground.  which is great for keeping most weeds out and keeping the ground from drying out to quickly but I have had to spread a bunch of seven dust to keep controls the bugs  that also love the grass clippings.  But I haven't spread any seven dust for at least three weeks.

Here are  pictures when it first started to yellow:

This is about 4 days ago.

And these are from today.

One of the long vines shriveled up completely by day 4.  The rest of the vines keep growing longer and even have some pumpkins larger than a fist growing on them.   But their leaves closest to the center are starting to yellow too.

What's going on and how can I save my pumpkins!!!!!!!!!


texts:
I am an architect working on a project in Malibu, California. This is new construction of a single-family residence. The house features a green roof and the client is convinced that it must be planted with Bougainvillea. Aesthetically it will be important that the plants are densely distributed and that they reach a decent height.

My question is, what would be an appropriate soil depth? I have asked a number of consultants and received different answers, ranging from 8-12 inches. We would like to keep the number low, as the weight of the roof increases dramatically with each inch of soil. Just wondering if anyone has any experience with a similar situation. If we have to do 12 inches (which is our limit) we will, but we'd prefer to go lighter.

It is also worth mentioning that the "soil" is not really like normal soil, it is a growing media without a lot of organic matter, and retains less moisture than normal soil (I believe this helps keep the weight down).


texts: Remedy poorly positioned black plastic edging

texts:
I had 5", contractor grade, black, plastic edging installed but there are parts where it's exposed above the lip and some gaps behind it.

I pulled old plastic and removed brick to create the trench and it wasn't always even and the guy I hired I suspect cut corners a bit toward the end of the job because he was tired (human nature and nothing I can't fix).

What can I put behind the edging where there are gaps, more dirt, more gravel, or just leave it?
For the places where the edging is too high, it's staked.  Do I need to do anything?

I suppose my options are to leave it, mound up to it with dirt, move it downward by digging everything out and restaking it, or soak it with water and see if I can push it down.  My only concern with it being up too high is that I don't know how it will behave in the winter when things start freezing.

So, more concisely:

How do I fill gaps in edging on the yard side?
What should I do if my plastic edging is too high?


texts: Need help identificating this bee-attracting shrub

texts:
A friend of mine came back from a nearby mountain with this flower from a wild shrub that was very common in the area where he walked.
The area where these are found is the west-Alps, around -1300- 1500 meters above sea-level.

*After a while, I went back to take pictures myself and found flowers had turned into berries (some where already getting red) - see edit #2.

It is a very bee-attractive shrub, so he was considering planting some at his place where he raises bees.

Do you have any idea what this is? I'm sorry about the picture, which is of poor quality. I will try to add a better one if we go back to the area and see some more.

edit

I used this site and it lead me to my first guess that it was some kind of cherry tree: http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/infd-5mhe49

trail:

Simple - not lobed - linear - alternate - < 10 cm long - twigs shiny dark brown, and the leaf edged with small teeth / shiny dark brown twigssmall sharp teeth

... since its an UK site, mountain shrub are not there described ...  still looking ...

edit 2:

So I went back to where my friend had spotted the thing, and found the bushes, scattered every now and then. Here is how it looks in the real (flowers are now gone unfortunately) - that's the thing in front of the pine tree:

And here is the biggest we found - about 2-3 meters long.

Very similar cousin

It has a very similar cousin that grows in the very same location, but much bigger (maybe 4-5 meters), with white flowers, and that has some kind of white feather beneath the leaves:

The bigger cousin is here compared with my mysterious shrub; it's the one on the right - very similar indeed:


texts: Why is our grape vine setting new fruit all season long?

texts:
We have a couple grape vines, which we've had for years. Normally, they'll set fruit once, early in the season, and it would be ripe later in the season. This year, one of them—and to a lesser extent, another one of them—has been setting fruit far beyond the normal period. I looked at it today, and it's still setting new fruit (we're near the end of the average growing season for my area). Is this normal? Why doesn't it do this every year?

The main one I'm talking about is said to be a black variety, or maybe it's dark purple (it doesn't have that extra fruity flavor like Concord). I don't know what it is. The other one is Thompson Seedless.

I'm in southwestern Idaho, my part of which has a BSk climate (with very hot summers and late springs). We had a hot and an extra-dry summer, this year, with a much cooler-than-average late spring.

The grapes are infested with leaf hoppers, as they have been every year for a few years. However, they seemed to be free of them for much of the season.

The main difference this year is that they have more sun, since there aren't any trees in the garden, now. We've had probably as much sun before, without this result—but it's been a long time.


texts: Is this one of the incurable Canna Indica viruses?

texts: More higher resolution images are here: http://imgur.com/gallery/sD2T1qN


texts: Do mulberry hardwood cuttings (breaking buds) enjoy light?

texts:
I took a hardwood mulberry cutting this winter. It's inside under a skylight and has grown some buds which (as well as already present buds) are now breaking into leaves. It might be just saved up energy in the stem though. I fear the leaves might suck the cutting dry. I keep the ground moist and mist the cutting whenever I'm home and see the hardwood has become a bit dry.

Now that leaves are forming, should I provide a  more powerful light source? Indirect, more direct or LED grow light to (hopefully) promote root growth?

I read a lot about how to start the cuttings but nothing about this stage.


texts: Name the plant, please. It may be an orchid.


texts: I just planted my tomatoes, and on the advice of my neighbor, I snipped the first blossoms. After reading other's advice, I think I made a mistake. Will my plants still bear fruit?


texts:
My wife remembers a shrub(?) that grew in the Azores that was called a bee melon or Melão de abelha.

She describes it as growing from a bush that produced small white flowers, and then a pale whitish fruit that tasted sweet and floral.

Does anyone know anything about this plant?


texts: What are these insects in my potted Schlumbergera?

texts:
I have little insects in pot with Schlumbergera. They are crawling in soil, and occasionally on the pot (it's yellow plastic). I don't see them on plant itself.

They are not really in big numbers or disturbing in any way and plant is OK.
I'm just curious, but maybe I should get rid of them. They are not jumping when I poke them, just crawling.

I'm not sure if they are insects or bugs or mites or whatever mites.

Update:
I think it's Hypoaspis miles. I am having fungus gnats for some time and also Springtails. And this bugs appeared. At first I was like "Another pest..." and blamed bad soil from shop, but... this is actually solution for my other insect problems! I'll observe general situation about all this and decide what to do.

But hey, they are still crawling... bugs... kind of scary, I just want flowers, not bugs :)


texts: The company I ordered special trees from put tape directly on the tree, should I remove the tape?

texts: I ordered plants from a catalog, and the "trees" had their names taped on them. Should I let them grow for a while this way (so I know what tree is what), or remove the tape right away?


texts: How to preserve dried herbs from fungus/bacteria or even insect attack?

texts:
My garden produces a lot of herbs, like mint, sage, rosemary, lavender, etc. I use to wash them, after gathering, and dry them in the shadow to preserve (as much as possible) their scent, color and beneficial qualities.

Once dried, sometimes it happens that tiny spiders appear in my (sealed) jar. I suspect they were present among the dried leaves, maybe in form of eggs when I filled the jars. I don't want it to happen again, either with spiders, or insect, fungus, bacteria, etc.

So, is there a way to ensure that any kind of unwanted life is destroyed, before storing dried herbs? The only idea that came to my mind is to put dried herbs in the microwave oven for a while. Could it be a good idea?

thanks!


texts: Identification needed on this plant with reddish stems

texts:
I am needing an identification on this gem growing in Utah. I usually pull them up when they are little so I've never seen it grow this big.

I appreciate your help!


texts:
everybody!
I just planted an Elberta Peach tree that’s about a year old.
When I got it from the nursery, it had holes in the leaves but no bugs.  So I went and got some neem oil to spray it with.
Well.  It’s been in the 90s here.  I’m scared of over watering it, because everything I’ve seen says about once a week.  Even the lady from the nursery told me that.
But the leaves are turning yellow / falling off and the branches Are slightly brown, but still sturdy.
Help?  This tree was planted on the 4th, the day I was supposed to be giving birth to my son.  I don’t want it to die...


texts: What Should I Look For In An Electric Lawnmower?

texts:
I searched through all the posts on lawnmowers and didn't find anything on electric mowers.
We have a very small front yard and only a slightly bigger backyard. Our elderly neighbor had mowed our lawn for years with his gas-powered mower, but is unable to anymore. We're now in the market for a lawnmower.
My husband and I are thinking of trying a small electric mower. The following isn't the greatest picture, as it doesn't show the full yard, but it does give an idea of how small it is. Note: the yard isn't much longer than it is wide. As you can see, our lawn is flat and there are no bumps or little hills. There is a maple tree off camera on the left side of the picture, but that's all.

Would you experts recommend an electric mower in general? We have two extension cords that are more than adequate in length to mow both the front and the back. I've been perusing mowers on Amazon, just to get an idea of price and options and basic electric mowers seem to start at around $99 and run up to around $400.
Any thoughts or advice on purchasing an electric mower? What's the importance of volts and amps? Would a simple, inexpensive electric mower be appropriate for a yard like ours?


texts: I have a large pot that sits on top of a pillar, so I wanted to buy some flowers that would hang over the edges of it. We ended up buying a hanging arrangement of calibrachoa. Now I'm wondering if I'm better off trying to transplant the flowers from the hanger into the pot, or if I should simply remove the hanging apparatus and place the bowl on top of the pot. If you do recommend that I transplant them, do you have suggestions on how to do that effectively? The hanging bowl is about twelve inches in diameter, and the pot is about eighteen inches in diameter.


texts: What are these black bugs on my zucchini plant?

texts: I've noticed these black "fruit fly" looking bugs on my plant lately. They appear to fly and they are everywhere. I've taken a few pics. I can't tell if they're doing damage but I want them gone. Can anyone tell me what they are, and a natural remedy to get rid of them?


texts: There's Bermuda grass gradually spreading from my neighbor's yard. I'd like it gone and replaced with some other type of grass. What are my options? I've tried a poison specifically designed for Bermuda, but it's not that effective. I've used a sheet of plastic, and that works, but not great. A childhood neighbor would burn off his zoysia, but I'm not sure that's allowed where I'm at, or if it would work. Is there a grass I could overplant that would dominate it? Is there a non-poison option that would work? Time is not a huge issue. That is, it doesn't have to be finished this year.


texts:
I have made quite a comprehensive research about the topic but I still cannot determine the variety of the tomato that I grew and which is dead by now. But I have started a new one from its seeds so in order to determine its necessities, first of all one needs to determine the plant's variety. It is definitely a cherry tomato variety and since there are lots of cherry tomato varieties it is impossible for me to know. I have a list of cherry tomatoes if it will help:
Cherry Tomato Varieties

I forgot to say that I bought this from IKEA as a plant, not as a seed and there was no variety name on the label. I am not even sure that this is a hybrid or heirloom. I hope it is the latter...


texts: What is the best mowing direction on a hill?

texts:
I use a riding mower to cut my grass. My yard has a short but somewhat steep slope on one side.

The instructions for my lawn tractor say to only cut up or down a hill, not across it, but doesn't explain why. The mower can make it up the hill but it's clearly struggling and I'm worried about needlessly stressing the powertrain. Is there some technical reason I can't mow across the hill, or are they just worried about the mower tipping over?

It seems like it would be a lot easier on the mower to go across it, and I'm confidant it wouldn't tip over, but I don't want the engine to seize up or something else dramatic. Does it make a difference if the engine is splash-lubricated or has a pressurized oil system (and if so, how can I tell?).


texts: Does a pine needle mulch make your soil acidic?

texts:
This article from Colorado State University states that

  alkaline soils resist change but several years of heavy pine needle
  applications would create a somewhat more acid soil.

This article states

  Freshly fallen needles, the type that are normally used as mulch, are
  slightly acidic when fresh, but within approximately three weeks of
  falling from the trees, leach a solution that is about the equivalent
  of rainwater

Does the answer depend on the local soil chemistry or the species of pine needles or something else?


texts: What are these succulents in a decorative pot?

texts: I got these awesome plants but I don't know what they are or how to care for them. Can you help me?


texts: what are these brown buds on rose plant stem

texts:
I often see these brown buds on my rose plant stems, What are these Brow buds, are these harmful? if so how to prevent/cure these.

They can be removed easily, but rose Thorns make it difficult.
(front)

(back)


texts: What sort of feeding schedule should I use for pepper plants?

texts:
I've been trying to find out about feeding my peppers plants. So far the information I've found is very inconsistent, so I'd like something as definitive as possible.

When should I start feeding my pepper plants?

And from then, how frequently should I feed them?


texts: Why do I have standing water in the saucer after repotting my rubber plant?

texts:
I have a large rubber plant that I re-potted in a larger pot with drainage holes and placed one of the water saucers/catchers underneath.  I water the plant once a week and I've noticed the water is standing in the catcher, not evaporating. All the other house plants are set up the same way, no problems.  Also, I didn't have this problem before I repotted the plant and it was set up the same way.

What could be causing it not to evaporate?


texts: Please..Whats wrong with my umbrella tree?

texts: Umbrella tree plant!  The leaves grow out large and healthy looking then droop and curl...but new leaves continue to grow.! What could be the problem??enter image description here


texts:
I'm in the process of digging my potatoes. My sandy loam soil is very good for spuds and yields are always rewarding so there is no incentive to discontinue and get store bought. However my digging practice could probably do with some improvement since inevitably I leave a few in the ground, which despite a harsh freezing cold winter sprout merrily next year and get in the way of rotation.

Here's what I do now:

Loosen soil around the dying haulm with a round tip spade and pull on the haulm trying to get as many spuds to come with it as possible. Remove those and store. Work along the entire row repeating on one side, then repeat on the other side of the row. This second operation is easier because the first side is already loose.
All the haulms are now on the compost out of the way. Soil is looser. Repeat on both sides of the row again with the spade. Dig deeper this time and more spuds come to light. Grab and store.
Repeat a third time with a digging fork. A few more come to light. By now the row should be pretty clear but it is not as next year will show. I have not used the fork until now because it is easier to clean up a tuber speared with a spade than it is with a fork.
I do all this fairly early in the lifting season so that the soil will be able to dry out thoroughly when I turn it and leave it rough.
I tried growing in containers but found that this method does not have the water buffering capacity of open ground.

I think the tubers still in the ground are medium to small size, and unfortunately are not easily visible; some of them get coated so thoroughly with dark soil that they resemble a clump of dirt. I think the russets are worse for this than the smooth skin varieties.

It's possible I have to build a riddling table and lift the spadefuls onto the seive and work the soil through; while I don't mind the lifting I would prefer to avoid this. Anybody recognize the issue and have a nice solution?


texts: My Watering System Tap Timer is leaking - how to fix? What part is missing?

texts:
Got home a few days ago and my Tap Timer was flooding the garden :( I'm stuck trying to figure out what is actually wrong, though.

The product is a Holman's Bluetooth Tap Timer.

Here is a video of me trying to connect the Tap Timer to my water plug.

I'm just not sure why it's suddenly not 'locking'. I can definately take more photo's of the Tap Timer, but I need some help in trying to debug this problem.

Does anyone have some ideas about what I might be missing? Or what I have done wrong?


texts: Why is my Japanese painted fern struggling?

texts:
I bought a Japanese painted fern several weeks ago. It was on the store's "reduced price" shelf, so it wasn't in perfect shape, but I figured I could try to nurse it back to health.

So far, though, it seems to be struggling. All but one of the original fronts have died off. It does have five new fronds emerging, two of which are nearly 6" long at this point, but now one of those seems to be starting to fade as well, only about a week after emerging.

The environment the plant's been living in thus far is as follows:

I live in an apartment with only north-facing windows. It's been positioned about 6-8 feet from a north-facing window.
When I got the plant, I moved it into a very generic orange clay pot, with a 50/50 perlite / peat moss mix.
I've been watering the plant until water just barely starts to drain from the bottom every five days. I do dump any excess water out of the saucer, so it hasn't just been sitting in there.
It's being grown indoors, so the temperature has been between 73 and 78 degrees (F) the entire time it's been with me. I have made sure not to position it near any central air vents.
The area I live in is (relatively speaking) quite dry. According to some weather statistics online, the average relative afternoon humidity in August is only 23%.

Here's a picture of my plant:

Over the past several weeks, I've tried moving the plant closer or farther away from the window, as well as watering it a bit more or less frequently, but nothing seems to change the fact that it's slowly fading away.

I have read that this type of fern is deciduous, so I wasn't too worried about the old fronds dying, but now that the new ones are having trouble as well I'm wondering what I need to change in order to make my plant thrive.


texts: What is this plant with no leaves and a thick red stalk?

texts: We live in a lodgepole pine forest and this plant is popping up everywhere. Is this a fungus of some kind?


texts: I found a stray turtle. Will it cause damage to my garden if i bring it in?

texts: I know and have read of the type of animals that you wouldn't want to have in or on your lawn, but none of them include reptiles. I want to keep the turtle until I can find a suitable home for it, but I don't want to put it inside a glass box. Would it be ok on my lawn?


texts: I'm new to all gardening related topics so I can appreciate some help. I started to inspect more carefully my plants and I found what the picture show. All the leaves have black dots that look randomly distributed. I suspect it can be some form of fungi or plague but I have no experience.


texts: I'm having this Jade plant that I want to turn into a bonsai. It grew a lot in height so I had to prune it to keep it short and thicker the trunk. Now, I was wondering if I make a small cut with a knife somewhere on the trunk (even lower from the arrow below, on the photo) would a new branch grow from it or would it just heal back up and basically seal the cut? I'd really like to grow couple new branches very low in the trunk but I'm not sure how to achieve that.


texts: Should I rotate border vegetables, or plant a perimeter of onions/scallions each year?

texts:
Last year my wife and I planted our first ever organic vegetable garden (raised bed made of cedar) and pretty much just "winged it"; and surprisingly had very good yields. By "winged it" I mean, we didn't really do any homework on gardening, just spent a weekend watching videos and reading blogs/articles.

This year, we're getting more serious, and so I'm actually reading up on vegetable gardening. And in preparing our second year's garden, there are two pieces of seemingly contradicting advice I keep coming across over and over again:

Plant onions and scallions around the perimeter of your garden to ward off pests; but...
Never plant the same kind of vegetable in the same location (in other words, rotate your crops), so as to help prevent fungi/disease

This is contradictory because on one hand it leads me to believe that we should be planting certain vegetables around the perimeter of our garden every year, but on the other hand, this might make those vegetables susceptible to disease since we're not rotating their position every year.

So I ask: which is it?


texts: This was planted a few years ago by a landscaper that I am no longer in contact with. Two of the four that were planted have died and I'd like to know what they are so I can go get some more.


texts: What kind of grassy perennial plant is this?

texts: This plant was put in by a builder. It has a central group of grass-like blades. In year 2, it has sent out offsets and spread into the surrounding area. The smaller groups are connected to the central root system. What kind of plant is this?


texts: Tactics to reduce raccoon poop in garden

texts:
Raccoons and cats traverse my urban back yard every night. That's fine. I'd like to reduce their interest in defecating on the soil. It attracts flies, we don't know what they've been eating, noone wants to step on it. Presently I follow the flies to the deposits and take them out with a trowel -- regularly, so it's getting old.

They seem to prefer to use drier ground, and indeed, it's dry here most of the year. What can I do to make the garden less appealing as a crapper?


texts: Small pond with frogs is covered with duckweed. Is this OK?

texts:
My fiancée and I bought our first house last December and the previous owners did a fantastic job with the garden. Beautiful plants, shrubs etc, and a small pond (estimate about 2m x 1m and 2m deep). Up until a few weeks ago the water was fairly clear with a few lilies. I noticed we had frogs (I counted 8) and they produced frog spawn which has since given birth to lots of tadpoles, although I haven't seen them.

The problem now is that we've suddenly hit summer and duckweed has blanketed the pond. I would like to manage the duckweed as I know it's hard to get rid of completely, but I'm not sure if I'll be harming the tadpoles and frogs if I remove it as they might like it?

I have absolutely no idea, its the first time I've had a garden with grass let alone an ecosystem! So any advice would be really appreciated.


texts:
I've noticed below weeds at a corner of my front yard.  It appears the weeds are germinating while killing my lawn.  I can see more brown in that area.. I live in Fairfield, CT.

I really appreciate your comments!


texts: I live in high desert New Mexico, zone 7B (temperature range 10f - 105f, hot summers, average 7" of rain annually, mostly in late summer), and just discovered this Vetch growing wild. It's very exciting to find a useful plant growing wild, and I would like to learn what variety it is so I can buy like a trillion seeds and plant it among my grain crops. Does anyone know what variety this might be?


texts:
If I want to grow a bougainvillea in a pot or hanging basket, how big dies it need to be? Relatedly is there a metric for the size if the pot to the bougainvillea?

Lastly, I've always perceived bougainvilleas as shrubs, but I saw a video with one shaped like a tree. How would I make it this shape?


texts: Apple tree with brown leaves and black bark

texts:
I have an apple tree which is at least fifteen years old and produces fruit most years. This year it has developed brown leaves on the lower branches and brown/black places on the bark near the ground. The fruit appears to be developing normally.

I'm in Ontario Canada, which does not allow chemical pesticides, but I spray it with sulphur and insecticidal soap at least a few times in Spring.

What is likely to be the problem and what can I do about it?


texts: I planted some fava beans a few months back as cover crop in my vegetable raised bed. They grew very well and as suggested my members of this group, I cut the top part and left the roots inside to provide nitrogen. I am wondering what to do with the top part. I think the recommendation is to bury that I the soil and it provides additional nutrients. Do I have to bury those ASAP or after it dries up?  Also, how deep do I bury it and can I bury it next to the roots itself(between the rows I planted)?


texts:
Here is the photo of my hydrangea

It looks very uneven. Last year I remember it was all white. Now each flower, there seems to be a dead center, not blooming.
I live in Pacific Northwest and there are some vines below it for many months. Is this an over water / lack of nutrition issue?
It has full sun.


texts: Will these Chili plants have enough time to flower and produce chilis?

texts: I'm worried I might have planted my chilis too late. This is what they look like now, and there are 5-6 weeks left of summer here. Will they have enough time to produce chilies?


texts: What is this horizontally growing weed with blue flowers?

texts: What is this weed? It is what I mostly encountered when cleaning a bed of flowers after the winter here in Central Europe. The weed has blue flowers (approx. 0.5 cm in diameter) and grows mainly horizontally and close to the ground. It is also simple to tear out, a bit like chickweed in this way.


texts: Should I fertilize a cactus showing etiolation?

texts:
I purchased a cactus from IKEA. It appears to be Euphorbia Pentagona or Euphorbia Enopla. The date on its pot makes me think it was repotted on December 14 2016, 4 days before I purchased it. On the day of purchase, the soil was moist.

Since purchase, the cactus has been sitting close to a south-facing window, however the weather conditions in the Netherlands rarely lead to full-sun exposure in the winter months. Indoor temperatures have fluctuated between 14°C (57°F) and 18°C (64°F), while outdoor temperatures have ranged between -1°C (30°F) and 7°C (45°F).

One month after purchase, the top of the plant's stems show signs of bright green growth. My untrained eye is unable to distinguish whether this is etiolation.

The guides I read say that most cacti need a period of dormancy between November and March where they need water only once every one or two months, and no fertiliser.

Somewhat contradictory, guides also say that cacti prefer to be fed during spurs of active growth, such as the one I think my cactus is experiencing.

My questions:

Is this cactus etiolating (maybe due to the change in conditions), or growing?
Depending on the answer to the previous question, and keeping in mind that it's still winter, should I fertilise my cactus?
If I need to fertilise, is this 4-4-6 NPK cactus fertiliser solution that I purchased appropriate?

Pictures:

I've added before and after pictures for comparison below. You can notice the growth I'm referring to especially at the top of the bigger stem on the left:

December 18 2016:

January 14 2017:


texts: Do these sunflower seedlings need to be thinned?

texts:
I have two questions regarding the sunflower seedlings in the picture below.

I think my sunflowers are too close together. How much should I thin them and based on their height, does now seem like a good time or should I wait?
Some of them have sort of a burgundy stem (circled in blue) instead of a green one. What does this mean, if anything (They were all planted from the same seeds packet)?


texts: Orchid - Second plant growing from stem of main plant?

texts:
I have an orchid that's been thriving for a few years.  A while back I trimmed the main stem (where the first flowers blossomed) over the second knot, and later a whole new orchid started growing there with its own roots, leaves, stems, and flowers.  It's kind of neat, but I'm wondering how to best care for this.  The second plant is growing and getting heavier, and I'm wondering if at any time it will fall off or if I can somehow remove it from the stem and transplant it to its own pot.  Does anyone know?

Here's a photo of the plant:


texts: Is there anything I can do to save my cactus? Thanks in advance!

texts:
Does anyone have any suggestions about what I can do to save my cactus?

I've summarized a timeline below

3-4 weeks ago: Small sunburn-ish looking thing appears.  It's near the top of the cactus, not near the base at all.  No watering.
2 weeks ago: Begins to expand downwards and cause some shrinkage.  No watering.
1 week ago: Continues expanding downwards and now a bit to the sides as well.  No watering.
3 days ago: I repot the cactus as the old container is really quite terrible and also take the chance to investigate whether there's any root rot.

Findings / Actions:

Soil is really dry
No foul smell from the roots / soil
Doesn't seem to be much in the way of roots at all, really
Clear off whatever old soil comes off easily, leave the rest, repot.  Place in area that gets afternoon sun.
No watering.

4 days ago: Image 1  No watering.
Today: Image 2 and Image 3.  The shrinkage has not actually reached the base yet, but the yellowing has been steadily expanding.  No watering.

If anyone has any suggestions that'd be great.  If anyone knows what I did wrong I'd be very open to hearing that too; I'm taking care of two more plants and really don't want to make the same mistake again.

Thank you very much in advance, and thanks also for making it to this point of this wall of text as well heh.

Image 1

Image 2

Image 3


texts: How do we revive Spruce trees that lost 50% of their needles after a flood?

texts:
We live in southern Alberta, south of Lethbridge.  We have a 5 acre farmyard that had multiple gorgeous Blue Spruce trees that were well maintained for 20 years.  The trees were thick, lush, and magnificent.

About 5 years ago we suffered a flood in our farmyard and the water did not recede fully for a week or two and even then the soil was saturated for a good period of time.  By the next spring our trees had lost half of their needles and were in sad shape.  It is five years later and they survived and have recovered somewhat but are not the thick beautiful trees they once were.

Is there any pruning method or other remedy we could attempt to help the trees restore to their former thickness?


texts: Can I grow a bay tree (Laurus nobilis) indoors?

texts: I want to grow a bay tree for cooking purposes. Since it is not frost resistant I have to at least partially put the plant inside. Are lighting conditions without additional artificial light sufficient? Is there anything else to consider?


texts: Advanced Residential Turf Hydration: Potassium Polyacrylate vs Polyacrylamide

texts:
I am having a hard time finding concrete information on the pros/cons between Potassium Polyacrylate and Polyacrylamide.  Both are super long polymer chains which are hydrophilic.  Each swell up several times their original size when exposed to H2O (water).  FYI: Sodium Polyacrylate and Potassium Polyacrylate are very similar except the salt is replaced to prevent salination as the compound breaks down either naturally or through bio-mechanisms.  Potassium is a resource the grass can breakdown further over time as a natural food source.
There are discussions that the byproducts of Polyacrylamide are carcinogenic or may act as neurotoxin with prolonged exposure.  Yet I cannot find a single white paper that confirms these assumptions in human biology.
My question is of simple nature.  Which one is better for residential lawn use and why?  Apart from the health concern, I would anticipate that the polymer that swells larger and retains more water over an extended period of time (holds onto water tighter), and breaks down over a longer period of time is the ideal candidate.
To add this is for a new lawn being started off with 50/50 screened loam and certified KBG midnight seed in the Northeast (USA).  It will later be overseeded with the cultivar "After Midnight".  The polymer only needs to last long enough for the root system of the first and secondary seeding is well established.


texts:
About 25 years ago three catalpa (Indian bean tree) seeds were planted in the Northern Hemisphere in a temperate climate. They came from the Southern Hemisphere and seem may have been from a Catalpa speciosa ("northern") rather than a Catalpa bignonioides ("southern").

Not really expected to grow, the three seeds were planted in close proximity. All thrived, so naturally one fared a lot better than the others, which were held back to different extents. About a decade ago the middle-sized one was transplanted as a 'stake' - about five feet of trunk, of diameter about 3½". About five years ago the smallest was transplanted as a whole tree about 7' tall. Both have thrived since.

Image courtesy Jean-Pol GRANDMONT

The middle-sized one is now about 15' tall and is no longer suited to its location. When I was contemplating cutting it down a neighbour happened to mention he was intending to buy an established tree. He is amenable to a catalpa but without a mechanical aid (out of the question) the 15' tree can't be moved intact. Investigating other possibilities I have seen mention of root pruning. However this has been described as passé in the context of catalpas and the data from a controlled experiment (by the RHS, on beech trees planted 2005-2008) is "yet to be analysed".

The trunk of the 15' tree is around 4-4½" so a root ball extending out to five times the trunk diameter is not practical here, though something like three times might be (for a root ball around 2' across).

Given success with the "stake" I am also contemplating top pruning back to about 10' and anything spreading more than about 3' – which would mean cutting off almost all the branches.

Worse, a time constraint means I cannot wait until Autumn and may have to attempt any surgery and transplanting just at the start of the growing season.
I think the chances of success as slim (perhaps so slight even the attempt is not worth the bother) but should I "give it a go" anyway—and what can I do to improve the odds of success, if only by a small measure?

There is a vaguely similar question here: How to transplant this oak tree? but the tree is a different genus and about twice the height.

Transplantation, if it happens, has been put on hold since the prospective new location was not suitable.


texts: Will my avocado plant grow after the top has broken off?

texts: I tried to root an avocado pit in water with toothpicks as suggested, but gave up after leaving it for quite a long time. Finally I just stuck the pit in dirt and watered it. Six months later a tall skinny sprout came out of the dirt, and just when it was sprouting tiny little leaves my cat tipped it over and the top broke off. Will it continue to grow or is it doomed to die off and never grow again?


texts: Strawberry plant or not? It has jagged toothed leaves. I didn't plant it

texts:
Is there a strawberry plant look like with jagged teeth?

Not sure where this plant came from, but here it is and the best I can make of it, it's a strawberry plant, but it looks strange. Does anyone know what this is? I live in Minnesota, zone 4. (maybe my little girl took a bite of a store-bought strawberry last year and threw it on the soil?)


texts:
I'm in the UK (Gloucestershire) and have a mature sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus) at the edge of my garden, which was planted by my neighbours between 40 and 60 years ago (the survivor doesn't remember when her husband planted it on the boundary of the field outside their garden 'on a whim').

16 years ago, when I moved into a house newly built on the field next door, I had the sycamore pollarded (it was far too big to contemplate otherwise). Since then, it has been pruned by professional arboriculturists every 2-3 years in winter to keep the height under control i.e. to less than the height of a two storey house. This allows my neighbours to use the greenhouses they sited under the tree they planted, but allows me to have useful shade at the side of my back garden -- and I've planted the borders to allow for this.

Recently however (last 4-5 years), I've observed a section (always the same section every year) of the leaves browning at the edges and eventually falling prematurely. The rest of the tree seems healthy, but the effect is unsightly and gives me concerns about the overall health of the tree.

What could be causing this, and is it capable of remedy, or do I need to sacrifice the important shade and replant my borders?


texts: What is an appropriate amount of light for a half barrel water garden?

texts:
I'm planning on building a water garden on my south facing deck. I plan on having water cover plants and fish. I also plan on having the barrel elevated a few centimeters to allow air flow.

I'm located in the North West and I figure the spot I'm putting it gets about 7-8 hours of direct sunlight. Is this too much?

edit

My plan is to get about 70% surface coverage with plants and have a couple of fish handle bugs. I've read that a 5 gallon a week water change will help keep the water fresh. If it doesn't work out, I'll probably add a small pump to keep the water surface moving.

Thanks!


texts: How can I add moss edging around my raised beds?

texts: It’s hard to mow around them so I want to add moss about a foot around each so I don’t have to mow close to them. I’ve been trying to research the best mosses for this but have been having a hard time finding info. I live in SW Virginia and my yard has a lot of rocks and clay. If it isn’t cost prohibitive, I’d like to moss in the whole garden area so that I don’t have to mow near the plants and risk flinging grass and weeds on them.


texts:
I want to apologise if this has been asked a lot already. I have browsed through the forum and read most of the other post about this same problem. I wanted to ask again for my self since I have read lots of different opinions about what's going on and what to do.
So I bought a meyers lemon tree in August ( 4 months ago). It can from a reputable garden center that had a lot of these tress. They said they came from Florida. I live in alaska btw. I was informed they had been sprayed and potted correctly. It came with a care taking guide sheet. And I was to bring it back in 18 months or so and they would re-pot the tree for free in a larger container.
I put it buy a south facing window that gets lots of light, full sun in afternoon during the summer months. It went into full bloom and was looking healthy. Watered it every 7 to 10 days, making sure to let it drip dry so there was no excess pool of water underneath. A month went by and it dropped all the flowers
I gave it some citrus fertilizer once a month sprinkling it on to and mixing it into the soil a little bit. By the second month I noticed white flys, presumably brought in from the mint plant growing next to it. I started to see mottled leaves ( spoted yellow). I sprayed with neem oil and would run a fan for a few hours a day. That seemed to fix the issue
By October we started to lose our daylight here. I hung a 40w led light above and ran it for 10 hours a day. The tree began to bloom again and I thought all was good. I went on vacation and my light timer quit for 3 days leaving it to natural daylight which was only about 7 hours at that time. When I got home the blooms looked great but the older leaves yellowed considerably. One by one they dropped. I noticed the pot was not drying out so I stopped watering it. Almost 3 weeks!
Finally all the leaves fell off. The blooms died. I watered the tree in panic although I can feel how heavy it was. The water ran right out the bottom so I thought it was fine.
Now the branches are turning brown. I have it on 12 hrs of light it gets about 6hrs of natural sun. I have not waterd in 2.5 weeks I pulled the tree from the pot and check the roots. Soil is moist enough to ball up but still light and fluffy.
I am wondering what action I should take? Is it going dormant? Do I need to keep up with lighting? Any advice will help
Thank you again
Please see attached photos for current condition
-Ben


texts: Should I fertilize my tulips in the spring?

texts:
I planted some tulip bulbs outside last fall for the first time.  We had a week of warm weather last week and they're coming up nicely.  Is there anything I should do to ensure a nice bloom?

More information: I planted in a mixture of potting soil, coir, compost and topsoil in a well-drained location.  I live in Ottawa, Canada.


texts: What hardies should I plant early this year?

texts:
I'm in zone 7 on the Chessapeake Bay, and depending on the year, it can feel more like zone 8.

This year, I want to push the limit more than ever before.  What hardy plants should I start early?  I'm thinking both indoor transplants and direct planting.

As for when, if we do not get any prolonged freezing, I would like to do potatoes 3 weeks early. I am thinking transplanting cabbage & spinach into the ground late Feb.  Is this possible? Foolish?

What else? Greens? Romanesco? Brussels?  I know that some are hardier than others but have never tried much more than a week or two early.  Any thoughts would be deeply appreciated.  Thanks!


texts: I have a 2 metre high apple tree grown from seed in an aquaponic system that is about 2 years old.  It has a large root mass which is removing nutrients/nitrates etc to keep the water clean for my gold fish.  But I'd like to know if it's possible to transplant it into dirt as it's getting too tall for my aquaponic setup, and if so, the method.


texts: We got a ZZ plant for my daughter last summer and it has been going well, but recently it has been struggling. We noticed a little leaf yellowing and we thought it might be cramped in the pot (the whole plant was in the small plastic pot shown in the picture). We got a larger pot, repotted it, removed the stalk that was struggling, and moved one stalk to a separate pot because we wanted to have 2 pots anyway. That was three weeks ago and we watered it thoroughly when we spotted it, then again 2 weeks later (the dirt felt dry on top and bottom) as you can see, there is more yellowing. I'm concerned it is the soil - I checked it a week after watering and it felt damp still. I'm concerned maybe I was given bad advise at the plant store to use moisture control indoor potting soil. Not sure what to do now. I could switch soils, but I don't know if that is the cause or if repotting just 3 weeks later would cause to much stress. Any suggestions?


texts: Why are my corn plant's leaves turning yellow?

texts:
Backstory:

I picked up my Corn Plant about a month ago (January 21st) from a local nursery. The plant had just been watered and the lady told me that I will likely have to water it once a week. After a week passed the surface of the soil was still damp to the touch so I let it go a few more days before I gave it a thorough watering.

Please note that this is my first house plant so I am learning as I go. When checking for moisture content in the soil I was mostly looking at the surface or slightly below (half and inch or so). I have since read that waiting until the soil is drier a little deeper would be better. The other thing I did (that I have since read wasn't a great idea) was to use tap water instead of purified water. The water in my area comes mostly from the ground and has a high mineral content. Worried this might have had an affect on the plant.

A few days ago I noticed some of the leaves turning yellow on the small stalk. They have since started to turn brown at the base. The centre of the sprout is also brown where new leaves should be coming out. The other sprout on the same stalk seems to be doing just fine.

I have yet to water the plant again as the soil is still damp below the surface. All of the rest of the sprouts are looking really healthy and green.

Questions

Any ideas why the leaves are turning yellow and brown at the base?

Is this a result of overwatering, mineral content in the water or something else?

Should I be trimming this sprout before it affects the rest of the plant?

Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!


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Is it normal? Or my tree is infected with some disease?