texts:
Here is a picture of my tomato plants on my south facing window in the UK. I started them far too late from seed, I guess I planted them in about July. By the time winter came they weren't anywhere close to fruiting but I couldn't bear to let them die so I brought them indoors.

My question is, if I re-pot these into bigger pots, keep them indoors until spring and then plant them outside, will they be able to flower and fruit? Or have I ruined their chances by starting late and bringing them indoors? I have fertiliser but I haven't used it since I brought them in.

I've searched the forums and lots of people are asking about bringing plants in over the winter when they have already fruited, but these never even got to the point of fruiting. I know they are leggy and straggly but I love them now so I don't want to give up on them!

Thank you in advance for any help or advice.


texts: What is proper way of disposing weed treated with herbicides?

texts: I would like to know what is proper way of disposing weed treated with herbicides? Is it safe to use tree killed by herbicide as firewood?


texts: Are there any plants that shouldn't be planted near garlic?

texts:
I recall reading something on companion planting and crop rotation that mentioned some crops shouldn't be planted near or where garlic or other alliums were planted. The reason was that those plants would have stunted growth.

Is this true and if so what plants are affected by this? Are there any plants that benefit from being grown in a location where garlic was?


texts: What is this flowering plant and how can I encourage it to replace my lawn?

texts:
Without getting on a soapbox about America's number one cultivated crop, I will just say that as a new homeowner I would like to get rid of as much lawn as possible from my front and back yards. I found this really pretty flower growing in the side lawn area and it appears to be some kind of ground cover, though I don't know if the previous owner planted it or it is native. What is it and how can I encourage it to replace my current grass?

Bigger image: https://www.dropbox.com/s/a9l4g8vk8a9fkcr/2020-05-02%2009.30.48.jpg?dl=0


texts: I consider this plant weed. But what is it? Zone 7.


texts: Can I harvest beetroot early as "micro beetroots"?

texts:
I bought a pack of beetroot seeds today, but there are a lot more than I thought (250). Seems like farm sort of quantities far more than my window sill can hold.

Anyway, I had the idea to grow them all as micro beetroots. Can I pull them out at any time?  What sort of size am I looking for?


texts:
I have recently been gifted a bonsai; it's actually from Marks & Spencers in the UK, but frustratingly it doesn't have any kind of information what the species is.

The leaves seem a bit darker and thicker than a ficus, and the bark almost reminds me of an apple tree? It also has produced these small, white blooms.

I'm really keen to find out what it is, especially so I can properly handle things like soil pH and find an appropriate fertilizer!

I've attached some photos here as well.


texts: Can you help identify the kind of squash?

texts: My neighbor shared some of his produce and we both think it is some kind of squash but don't know the exact kind. The reason he doesn't know is, the seed packet said its pumpkin and he was thinking he's growing pumpkin until he got his produce :)


texts:
I just moved to South Carolina and I see these scattered around my yard. Would be great to cultivate if it is indeed a strawberry. Any advice would be appreciated.
Photos:

originals at:
https://ibb.co/KNRvWd8
https://ibb.co/MGj81Xy


texts: What is this tall perennial with fragrant white flowers?

texts:
My grandmother brought me a bunch of shade-loving plants from her garden to help me fill in a few gaps in my own. She had most of them identified but this one had her stumped. Here's what I know from her:

This is a perennial that thrives in shady conditions. It grows about 5 foot tall and produces small, but very fragrant, white blossoms in July or August. It spreads easily without human intervention. It was found in New York and may be a native species, but that is not guaranteed.

This is a picture of the plant a few weeks after it emerges in Spring:

Early Summer Update: Flower buds have formed.


texts: What makes some chives twice as wide as other chives of the same type?

texts: I've noticed that some of my chives are twice as wide as other chives of the same type, and was wondering why some are wider than others.


texts: The age of an Opuntia (prickly pear cactus)

texts:
Opuntia, prickly pear cactus, is a hardy plant with a wide range of distribution. Its growth habit is by branching paddles, or nopales.

Is there any way to measure or estimate the age of such a cactus? By age, I think I mean the time elapsed since the specimen was cloned, or the age of the roots.


texts: What's going on with my Green Buttonwood?

texts:
All the new growth is stunted. I was told it could be a thrip of some kind.
Any help would be appreciated as I planted this to replace my Ficus.


texts: Blueberry spacing in a raised bed - how dense can I go?

texts:
I'm about to construct a 4ft wide x 16ft long raised bed, 6" height, for planting blueberries. The space where this bed is going has a chain link fence on the back and one end, although I can walk around to the other side to pick fruits.

How close together can I place the bushes so that density is maximized, but they aren't overcrowded?

I could make the bed 5ft wide if necessary. I was thinking of using some type of zigzag pattern but I also don't know how close to the edge of the raised bed the blueberry can go?


texts: I sowed cauliflower but got something different. Which plant is it?

texts:
As you can see on the picture, I am currently sowing cauliflower, but one fellow plant does not look like cauliflower.

I wonder if it is a cultivated plant at all or am I just taking care of weed here?


texts:
I purchased some roses in clay pots. They were very fresh and beautiful but after a while they were starting to go bald and their leaves turned yellow. What should I do?

They are in open air and have 6 hours per day direct sunlight. They are watered once a day. The temperature is about 28 to 38 degree of Centigrade.


texts: What is this wetland plant with small white flowers in a spiral around the stalk?

texts:
This is a plant we found for the first time today. We live near an area that contains a vernal pool and frequently floods but never drains out. In 10 years, I've never seen this plant before.

Can anyone help identify it?


texts: Passer-by view of my garden - improvements?

texts:
What you see here is the view of a passer-by to a corner of my garden. It turned to be nice this year, with the addition of echinacea (light purple flower) and cosmos (dark purple flowers). In the background, there is a group of thuja sunkists.

Do you have any ideas for further improvement of the view, for the next year?


texts:
I bought two cacti from IKEA. I water them weekly. They seem happy. Not growing much but maybe a little. I don't know what they are or if I'm looking after them right. Please have a look at the pictures and help! Thanks!

enter image description here


texts: Can I compost cat litter in a high temp tumbler?

texts:
We're buying an isolated composting tumbler that can maintain a composting batch above 150 for several weeks. Can I use this to compost spent cat litter (including poo) and then use the compost on plants made for human consumption (berries, tomatoes, garlic,...)

I would use a litter made out of sawdust or something similar.


texts: What is the scientific term that describes soil that resists water?

texts: I know this is an odd one, but I know there is a special word that horticulturists use to describe soil that is so arid that it resists water.  So, when it rains, the water initially rushes off of the soil rather than soaking in; counter intuitive to what you would expect.  Please help me remember this word.


texts: Why would the trunk of a tree start to flop over?

texts:
Several trees in my neighborhood seem to have an issue of not growing the lead branch straight up. It's as if the tree grew too fast and can't hold itself upright, so the top just flopped over.  I took a picture of one such tree. One of my neighbors actually put in a stake and ran a line up 8 ft in an attempt to "straighten" out the flop. It doesn't look like it's working.

Was wondering what could cause this problem?

Update. Adding more photos. In response to all questions:

Different species of trees are doing it and only about 20% of the neighborhood trees.
There is no high wind in my area.
In southern Texas. High heat, low rain.
Each tree flops over at different angles.
These trees were probably transplanted 5-7 years ago.
The trees doing this are generally 8-12 ft tall. However there are plenty of other trees as big or bigger that aren't doing this.

Including more photos below. I could not see any consistency or pattern in regards to the trees doing this. I did get to thinking though. I do know our soil is pretty bad and I also know about half of the neighborhood has trees that are/were staked for 2 or more years. By default, the builder staked every tree and I gather most people don't realize they need to remove those stakes. Good 20% of the trees have died or on their way out from the stake rope/wire choking the trunk.

Could this flopping be a result of keeping a tree staked for too long?


texts: Is this a tomato plant? Not too sure what this plant is

texts: The flower petals aren’t yellow. It looks like a black nightshade. Can anyone confirm this?


texts:
The stuff literally looks like white paint drops that fell on the plant. it’s all over the plant and it’s not paint.

What is it and what can I do to get rid of it?

Is it contagious?

Thanks.


texts: What to do with climbing rose suckers in Spring?

texts:
I planted several climbing roses last year and put a bit too much compost on top. Now I think there are a bunch of suckers coming out and I can barely tell which one is the main "body" of the plant.

I read online in the past that the first 2 years I shouldn't trim or cut anything.
I am in Pacific Northwest and it is April. So should I do something now? This is their 2nd year.


texts: Japanese Maple Care after years of neglect

texts:
Location is Portland, OR area.
My new (to me; built 1972) house came with a 10 ft tall Japanese Maple in the front yard.  I don't know when the tree was planted but it has suffered through the years from neglect and rather heavy-handed butchery (ahem) "pruning". The lack of skill is evident even to my inexperienced eye.
The tree is on the North side of the house. During the summer it gets several hours of sun but in the winter only the very top ever sees the sun, and only for an hour or two on sunny days.
I just spent a couple of meditative hours getting familiar with the tree's shape and structure, removing dead wood, and manually picking off a large amount of moss of varying species.  I have two concerns (photos after the text).

Probably over a decade ago, someone hacked off a large main branch close to the trunk, leaving a stump of about 6 inches.  It was hidden by the moss, but now that it's visible it's clearly rotting.
Also hidden under moss in several different areas I found patches of white "stuff".  It doesn't come off when rubbed with a gloved hand.

Questions

Should I cut off the stump closer to the trunk to remove as much of the rotting wood as possible? If so, is there anything I need to apply to the new wound that will help the tree recover?
What is the white on the bark and do I need to treat it?

A couple of overall shots

Two perspectives of the rotting branch stump
You can see some of the white film that was under the moss in these images

Another image of the white film
The white patch on the branch at right was completely covered in the green moss visible on the branch in the middle.  Not all of the green moss had white underneath.


texts: It's about 2-3 inches tall and is slowly taking over the world. Bugleweed? It's mowed when the grass gets long, so maybe it doesn't get tall enough to flower.


texts: What flowers did Ponce De Leon find in La Florida?

texts:
When Ponce De Leon arrived somewhere near St. Augustine, looking for gold and the fabled Fountain of Youth, he famously named it La Florida, and an early theory to why he did so was because in 1513 (or 1512 according to some early sources) he "discovered" it on Easter Sunday, which the Spaniards called "La Pascua de las Flores" (this is certainly the earliest theory, as I have found it is written down in numerous early 16th-century texts)
But another famous, and perhaps likely reason why he called it "La Florida" was because of the abundance of flowers found on that great peninsula, untouched by any "White man" (as they would have said).
According to JSTOR Daily, the theory is written as thus:

Florida “received its name from the abundance of wild flowers that
flourished upon its soil.” De León arrived in the middle of spring,
when Florida, now famous for its botanical beauty, was in full bloom.
Smitten by the abundance of plants, flowers, and colors, the explorer
might have called the land not La Pascua de las Flores, but rather La
Florida—“the place of flowers.”

From a mid-16th-century text on the New World:

This lande was named Florida,* in the yere 1512. by those that first dyd discouer it: for bicause that by the sea side it was flourishing with gréene trées, and with an infinite number of ••cures of diuers & sundry colour

My question is: hypothetically speaking, what flower-species might Juan Ponce De Leon and his fellow conquistadors have found when they arrived in the lower parts of Florida (so of course St. Augustine, and then also other parts of Florida around there.) In other words, what flowers were natively growing in Florida before the Spaniards arrived in those specific areas which the early Spaniards might have seen?
Any insight would be greatly appreciated.
For Bounty: It would be appreciated profoundly to be given distinct details on which flowers (exact names--and if possible, the names that these flowers would have been known as during the 16th century) which would, hypothetically, have natively grown during the Springtime in the area "on the coast of Florida at a site between Saint Augustine and Melbourne Beach" (near where Ponce De Leon landed) prior to the Spaniards arriving in 1513.
Map of De Leon's 1513 journey:

According to this article the areas which Ponce De Leon would have first landed on were:

in April of that year landed on the coast of Florida at a site between modern Saint Augustine and Melbourne Beach.


texts:
I have a small sized Fuchsia in a medium sized plant.
Even few days back, it was flowering.

Suddenly, for last few days (4 or 5 days) the leaves started drying out.
I thought I was over watering and I thought that may be the root has rotten.
So I changed the soil.

While changing I saw that the root is not rotten and the soil is in perfectly good condition (no pest or anything).
After repotting all the leaves are dropped and now there not a single leave in the plant.
I kept the plant hydrated (small water everyday).

Could anyone please help? I don't know why this plant is dying.

Here is the picture


texts: Can someone identify this honeysuckle plant by the flowers?

texts:
Click for original picture context

Can someone please tell me what type of honeysuckles these are?


texts: Rumex? Burdock? Perennial fast-grower has us stumped in Illinois

texts:
I figured this would be an easy ID given the size of the leaves, segmented stem, and such but haven't been able to nail it down.

The fence pictured is 5 feet tall.


texts: How should I treat a weigela bush with a large section of dead branches?

texts:
I have two weigela bushes which have been healthy for at least five years. (That's how long we've lived here, so I can't say their exact age.) I don't know the specific variety, but it has variegated leaves and pink flowers.

I'm in Northeast United States, Zone 6 (−10 °F, −23.3 °C ), and they're quite hardy. They bloom for a month or so beginning in May, and again when the weather cools off in September or October.  The leaves remain beautiful for many months, often beyond the first frost. Twice a year, after the flowers drop, we prune them to maintain a shape and size we like. We leave the bottom leggy because it's a resting place for small birds we wouldn't otherwise see.

It's currently mid-May, and one is becoming more lush and full of leaves each day, and budding on schedule. The other has many brown, brittle branches which appear to have died. Some look totally lifeless, while others are bare at the base and tip, but have some off-shoots in random mid-sections which have new foliage and the beginnings of buds.

A close examination doesn't reveal any unusual growths or mold on the wood, although the picture on the bottom right does show some stripping on a section of an older branch. The new leaves are free of bite marks, curling, discoloration, or anything I generally associate with insects. There are no holes around the base, so I don't think chipmunks, squirrels or rabbits or our other usual visitors have been digging at the roots. There are some shriveled looking leaves in sections of the dead wood, but I'm pretty sure they're left over from last year, as that's common and happens to both plants.

The bushes are a few feet apart in the same soil, which we don't treat with anything, especially pesticides. They experience the same weather conditions. The shape of the affected one hasn't been altered, and none of those branches have snapped beyond what we pruned. In fact, up until the other plant behaved as expected, we assumed they were both fine, just preparing for the spring. I waited before becoming concerned as I thought it might just be running behind the other in terms of timing. Sadly, though, I see no signs of life at all on the affected branches.

The brown sections are brittle and easy to break off, although I haven't done so, because I'm awaiting advice.  I've considered cutting off the totally unproductive branches and pruning back the others to the point of the new growth.  However, a friend told me the plant is using all its energy to produce growth in general, and those scattered sections may be doing more harm than good. Obviously I'm going to lose symmetry either way, although I suppose I could prune the other to match! My bigger concern is the future of the bush.

What should be my next course of action?

Click on pictures for larger size.

Update as of August 2016, three months after the original post: We partially tough-loved it, meaning we cut down all the dead sections to the root level, and left the rest alone. It was lopsided and looked silly (still does because we haven't trimmed it), but it grew back already, and even has a flower!


texts: My hibiscus plant used to give really big and yellow (dark pinkish almost magenta shade in centre) flowers but after a month the leaves began to curl inwards and the buds started to fall off before blooming.. i removed all the leaves and thought id let new healthy leaves grow back. I can see new growth but the flower size has reduced immensely. They're much lighter in color too. The first picture is when bought it and in the second picture.. that's how it is now. I gave it some DAP and compost two weeks ago. Please let me know whats going wrong with it.


texts:
I am an absolute beginner gardener, and I have been growing some Sugar Snap peas in a large pot. They started out seeming very healthy, but have recently slowed their growth to a near complete stop, with leaves turning yellow and wilting. At first I thought that they may be not getting enough water, but I have since been very vigilant about keeping them moist, and nothing has changed.
A friend who knows a bit more about gardening thinks that it may be Fusarium wilt, and that there is nothing that can be done to help them. I am hesitant only because in my research on Fusarium wilt I found repeated often that the leaves closest to the ground will be the first affected, and in my peas, although the lower leaves are now yellowing, the wilting started first and only seems to be affecting the upper leaves.

Other notes: I have noticed some evidence of fungal growth on the surface of the soil, which you can see in the second and third images. I have some more plants ready to repot that I raised in the same seed raising mix, one of which sprouted and immediately became stunted (see below). There were some signs of fungal growth in this tray earlier, but it looked different, like lots of little hairs.

Is it Fusarium wilt that has affected these plants, and is there nothing to be done but throw out the plants and soil and start over?
Answering MH's questions, I don't have exact numbers but I'll give my best guesses:

Watering frequency: ~200-300 mls per day, enough that the soil never fully dried out below the surface and was never sodden.
Nutrient/Soil type: Basic potting mix from a hardware store mixed with some compost and a small amount of sand.
Temprature: Daytime 15-24°c Nighttime 10-15°c
Sun: Around 2-3 hours full sun arround midday
The pot does have a hole at the bottom. In addition the bottom 5-10cm of hte pott is just straight sand, not soil.


texts:
Is a mange tout merely an immature pea and there's nothing more to it than that? And while we're at it, is a courgette (zucchino for Americans & Italians) just an immature marrow and that's all?

Does variety come into it?


texts: I know this is a very common one, but for the life of me I can't remember that name. What is it called?


texts: Mango tree not bearing any fruits after cyclone

texts:
We have a relatively young (<15 years) mango tree in my hometown and it has beared fruits for more than 5 years. However two years back there was a cyclone(also known as hurricane/typhoon depending on the region). Although the tree didn't suffer any visible damage, it didn't bear any fruit last year or this year. It didn't flower either.
What should we do?


texts:
it's been through some times,i've also sprayed it with pesticides
but there haven't been any flowers blooming yet.

thanks in advance!


texts: Shrub identification (Hoogendorn holly?) and disease?

texts:
Location: western Massachusetts.
It appeared pretty healthy last year and based on image search, it looks like Hoogendorn holly.
 (large)
This May it flowers.
 (large)
But unfortunately, this year the leaves are much more scarce and some of them are brown colored. Is this some kind of disease or snow damage? We have plenty of rain this Spring.
 (large)


texts: What tree do these little white flowers grow on?

texts: My first guess was apricot, but google showed that that's wrong. Sorry for the somewhat tangential question. Thanks in advance.


texts: What should I do after daffodils and tulips have bloomed?

texts:
I am new to having a garden as I have only just moved into my new house. I have some basic questions regarding flowers after they have finished blooming. My mother-in-law planted some daffodils and tulips which grew well and bloomed. The flowers have now died and I do not know what the best step is.

Do they grow again next year if I leave them planted? Should I trim them back?


texts: What are the purple streaks and splotches in my peach tree leaves?

texts:
I live in Southern New England and have a peach tree growing in the ground in my yard. I have had it for about two years. The weather this summer has been fairly warm, averaging mid to upper 80s.

I am seeing purple streaks / blotches in some of my cherry leaves along with holes that appear to be insect damage. Damaged leaves fall out easily. The discoloration is not uniform but appears most often in the center of each leaf. The majority of the plant other than some of its leaves look very healthy. See picture below. This is the same plant I talked about in my other question here.

What is causing the damage to the leaves of my peach tree?


texts:
My tomato plants (don't know which species exactly) when they grow about half a meter tall begin curling inwards their bigger leaves. They're about 5 months old, isn't that too short for them to be dying already? plus I haven't even gotten any tomatoes yet. I live in Qatar which is a sunny and hot desert, perhaps that might have had an effect on the tomato plant? here is a photo of a late stage tomato who's biggest leaves seem to have nearly died, and a younger one who's just begun to have its leaves curling inward:

they both still have some green leaves which might mean it's not too late yet no?


texts:
I have a rather young citrus tree (about 3 years, and been planted here for maybe half a year). I've noticed some weird light patches on the tree trunk, as shown in the image below. They seem to be located only towards the bottom part of the tree. I only noticed it yesterday. It feels wooden like the rest of the tree. It's not wet or anything.

The tree itself looks otherwise very healthy and seems to be passing through a growth spurt of some sort. The weather was very hot recently (36C/97F) and I've been watering it every day.

The only wildlife in the area are cats (I'm wondering whether it's a cat sharpening it's claws on it?)

What could it be?


texts: My dwarf orange tree has stayed the same since it was put into the backyard about 5 years ago . She has grown 5 oranges that were normal. After that she has stayed the same and grows flowers in the spring and that’s it. Last year she grew oranges but they never matured. The leaves are yellow and seem to be eaten by something. Any ideas on what to do?


texts: I bought my fully grown Areca palm 1 year ago. It was thriving until suddenly I’ve noticed the leaves are starting to dry out and also noticed brown spots on the stem. Not sure if they have always been there. Changes started after I repotted the Palm using the soil from the garden 3weeks ago. I have since changed the soil entirely to multipurpose compost ( thinking the garden soil was unsuitable as has high clay content ) but the leaves continue to dry. Help save my Palm please!


texts: Rabbits ate the blueberry shrubs I planted right down to the ground. Will the shrubs grow back?

texts:
I made the mistake of not setting up chicken wire and the rabbits ate these 24" bushes I just planted. All that remains are 1-2 little twigs, stripped of all the branches and leaves.

Will these plants grow back in spring?


texts: Is it possible to get a plant that is just a genetic dud?

texts: Is it possible that an instance of a plant could just be a dud. As in even with great care it is never healthy?


texts: Amend soil with wood chips - is there anything to be aware of?

texts:
I plan to amend the soil with wood chips by tilling them up to 40cm into the soil(should I go depper?) , going heavy on nitrogen fertilizer and planting alfalfa while decomposition takes place. I did the math, and in order to increase the organic matter by 5%, I need to add about 25kg per square meter.

That is a lot wood chips. Is there anyting to be aware of regarding use of wood chips for soil amending purposes? Are there any bad side effects? Once decomposed, will the soil have too much fertilizer?


texts: Why would one plant two olive trees right next to each other?

texts:
I just bought "an" olive tree and, to my surprise, it had two trunks that obviously belonged to two different plants planted right next to each other.

Looking around the shop, this appears to be their default MO with olive trees.

Why would they do that?

Do I have to worry about it harming the tree(s)?

EDIT picture


texts:
I saw water droplets on the leaves of my dumb cane. Where did it come from? Is it harmful?

For the time being I wiped the water with a cloth. What's should I have done?


texts: I know oysters will eat engine oil, but cooking oil is a different type of chemical so is there any use in adding it to the substrate for growing mycelium?


texts:
Can anyone help me how to look after these roses. Their color is fading and their petals have some spots on. Should I cut off the dying roses and if yes how should I do that.

This is how it was earlier this summer
And this is how it is now
Also it has this plant ( I cant identify it ), which I didnt plant,
growing near it.

Thank you in advance

P.S It receives full sun throughout the day and I water it almost every day

Update: I cut off most of the roses and some leaves as I was adviced and this is how it looks now. Thank you


texts: Digging a hole in ground for fitting stakes for fencing and play structure

texts:
I need to dig around 20 holes in my garden. Each hole needs to be 2.5 inch wide and 3-5 feet deep. Ground I am going to work on it not very soft and have some stones. I dont mind renting or buying equipment if it is in my budget.

I can spend around $30 on this and need ideas on what alternatives I have.

Thanks in advance for your time.

Edit 1: (Adding more details)

I have some bamboo tree stakes. I want to dig  enough depth to give them stability.  My plan is to make a small play structure which will involve two bamboos and rope(s) tied between them. When in use  I do not want the bamboos to lean towards the side of pull. Toddlers will use it.  It will be near a tree and small patch of grass. Squirrels are there. I am planning to use concrete to make it stable in the hole.
I will add some photos soon.


texts: How can I transplant sprouts growing from a Mimosa stump?

texts: I cut down a mimosa tree and now there are tiny sprouts coming out of the stump. Is there any way I can transfer and plant the tiny trees somewhere else?


texts:
Newbie plant parent here.  Probably not doing the best job!

I purchased some Coleus plants from Home Depot for indoor houseplants.  I've raised them successfully indoors from seed before but have never tried buying seedlings from the store.

I transplanted them to pots, and about three weeks in, the plants became limp and 1 or 2 started to die.  I chocked this up to overwatering from reading online and repotted the soil and went much easier on the water for the next week.  Now even the previous survivors are showing signs of the same and I'm a little panicked.

I've taken them outside for some extra sun, but at this point I'm trying everything and I'm not sure if this too is a good idea.  Perhaps someone could identify what's wrong with them and provide some advice?


texts: I am in zone 9b and growing tomatoes since summer in a vegetable garden.  I have a few tomatoe plants that have small tomatoes.  Now that the weather has started to get cold, the tomatoes are not turning red as you would normally expect.  How do I ripen them or get them to turn red?  Should I bring them into the house where it is much warmer and let is sit till they turn red?


texts: When should I remove the spent stalks on my daylilies?

texts:
This is related to my previous question about deadheading daylilies. I did a good job of pruning some, although I neglected others.

All of the flowers have gone by and I'd like to know when to remove the stalks. They die from the top down, so the tops can be gray and brittle even when there are green, pliable areas closer to the base of the plant. Are those green areas still providing nutrition, even when the rest is so far gone that further flowering isn't possible?

Do the dead stalks affect the health of the neighboring live ones? If so, should I remove each one as it dies? I think each is connected to an individual tuber or root system, so it wouldn't matter, but I don't know if that's correct.

Obviously the plants are prettier without dead stalks, but other than the aesthetics of it, is there a general rule of thumb?

The stalks in this picture are mostly dead, although if you look closely, you can see a bit of green at the base of one or two. Unfortunately I don't have a picture that shows the process at an earlier stage, where the stalks are alive farther up.


texts:
It's the one in the center of this picture:

The leaves are this way:


texts: Do raspberries commonly reseed themselves?

texts:
Last year, I let the raspberries that had “gone by” just fall off and decompose in the raspberry bed. Now, this year, I see this:

Among the new primocanes growing from suckers, I see tiny raspberry seedlings that are not connected to any sucker root system.

I am very surprised to see this - I have only ever heard of propagating raspberries by suckers, cane tips rooting, or by planting cuttings from an existing plant. I had therefore assumed that raspberries would not propagate by seed.

My question: is this common to see raspberries reseeding themselves? If I chose to grow a new plant, would it be the same cultivar or is it like apples where it could be anything? If it is relevant, this is the Anne cultivar.


texts: Should I water my indoor plant with warmer water during winter?

texts:
At the moment where I live the ambient temperature ranges from -5 to 5°C (23 to 41°F) and will get colder.

I have an indoor plant and I noticed that after I water it, the pot and the soil remain quite cold, well below what the ambient temperature of the room the plant is in.

The plant in question is an Avocado plant / tree, only about 50cm high and with many big leaves.  As the plant prefers a warmer climate I keep it in a warmer room during winter and it is on the window sill above the radiator.

However after watering, the plant pot and soil get, and remain very cold which cannot be good for the roots.  I had the idea to water it with slightly warmer than lukewarm water to help keep the pot and soil stay at ambient room temperature.  Will this be good or bad for the plant or will it not make any difference?


texts: How to open the motor cover of craftsman electric lawn mower?

texts:
Problem
The lawn mower suddenly stopped working during grass cutting
Lawn mower details
I have an old model of craftsman lawn mower (2013 model?). It says 20" corded 12 Amp electric on the top. I am trying to open its motor cover to find the problem. But I can't find any way to open the cover. There are 2 grooves on either side, and 2 holes at the front (see the images below). I have tried to use different screwdrivers in them to unscrew if there are any screws in there (can't see any). But nothing has worked so far. Please help me opening the motor cover. I can't even find the manual online.

How can I open the motor cover?  Thank you for your time and help.


texts: What is the right watering schedule for the different areas of my front lawn?

texts:
I recently bought a house, and would like to keep my lawn looking as nice as everyone else's in my neighborhood. Right now I water every zone 5-8 minutes, every other day. This is just something I made up, and is not based on anything. However, as the picture shows, my lawn is starting to die.

I assume I should water more in the zones that get full sun, but I'd like to make sure before I start a new schedule.

So, for how long should I water each zone?

The white is sun, and the gray is shaded by my tree. I live in Fort Worth, TX and have bermuda grass.


texts: What kind of fruit do black seeds from "seedless" watermelon produce?

texts:
I bought a Pure Heart mini seedless watermelon from the supermarket. Although it was labeled as seedless, I did see a few black seeds. I will try to grow a new watermelon from them.

Are these black seeds viable?

I've read that seedless watermelon are only supposed to have white soft seeds that can't sprout. Is it also true for these rare black seeds?

Will this black seed bear watermelon that are also seedless?

I've read that farmers produce seedless watermelon by cross pollinating a normal 22 chromosome watermelon with a genetically modified 44 chromosome watermelon to produce the final 33 chromosome seedless watermelon. That sounds complicated. It is in stark contrast with me thinking I can take this 33 chromosome seed and get grow all seedless watermelons. As with many things in life, if it sounds too good to be true then it may not work.


texts: Unknown plant growing in indoor kale garden

texts:
A plant has consistently grown in an indoor kale garden next to the kale as shown in the image below.
What is this plant?
Even if the plant is unknown, is there a way to determine if such a plant is beneficial in any way to the growth of the kale plants?


texts: What are these white spots on my Purslane leaves?

texts:
I am growing Purslane as vegetables, however I noticed some white spots on the leaves.  I used agriculture pesticides for aphids, whitefly and so on but nothing changed.

Do you think these white dots are a fungal infection? If so what pesticide is recommended for it?

I am attaching photos for the infected purslane, hoping you can figure out what that is.


texts: Please help me identify this houseplant and what's wrong with it

texts:
Please help me identify and help this houseplant. I've spent about two hours going through encyclopaedias and various online sources but without any useful progress.

I'd had it growing without any issues in water for months until about two weeks ago when it suddenly started to wither over night without any major change to the environment (next to the window, with enough reflected sunlight). Some of the leaves turned yellow and even relatively healthy-looking ones fell off when I lightly touched them. I tried using universal fertiliser and planting it into soil, but to no avail.

The same has happened to a plant just like this one, only smaller, which was right next to it.

Thank you.


texts: Mottled yellow leaves on Zucchini [pictures] - Disease ID?

texts: I have some black beauty zucchini growing. I've noticed some leaves with a mottled orange/yellow color. It's not the whole plant but just some leaves. Other zucchinis in my garden of a different variety do not have this. Any thoughts as to what the issue is? Doesn't look like powderly mildew. If I had to guess, I'd say either a virus or nutrient deficiency.


texts: When is it too late to start growing kang kong?

texts: I was just introduced to Kang Kong/Kangkung/Chinese water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica), and was wondering when it's too late to start growing Kang Kong.


texts: Will a basil seedling regrow after its leaves were eaten?

texts:
I planted purple basil a couple of months ago; its true leaves were beginning to develop but a slug (I'm guessing) devoured all the leaves from the seedlings.

The stems are present so will it still be able to live and just regrow new leaves?


texts:
I spotted these on 2 new leaves of my camellia sinensis, the other leaves don't have these at all, its inside against a western facing window, watered every 4 days fertilized every 2nd month, I want it to grow out a bit before I start harvesting
I can't find anything online that looks like that,
maybe I'm overreacting but if its something bad I want to nip it in the bud as fast as possible
Update: underside of the leaf doesn't look black I can't see anything in there just looks like the leaf itself has bumps


texts: Is it OK to grow plants in clear (transparent) pots?

texts: I was using old clear (transparent) plastic meat packaging to grow plants in. Is that a good idea? Are there any side effects of roots possibly being exposed to the sun?


texts: What herbs are known as bad for deer deterrents?

texts: my garden is going to be directly in a deer path this year, and was wondering what types of herbs are good, and bad for telling deer they don't want to be in the area? I could go to the local butcher shop and ask for a bucket of animal blood if needed to tell animals it is a "kill zone"


texts: How can sunflowers be grown in a squirrel and chipmunk rich environment?

texts:
I'm trying to grow sunflowers from seed and have been unsuccessful due to chipmunks and/or squirrels eating all of the seeds.  So far I've tried the following:

Spread a lot of seeds and maintain an active bird feeder with lots of sunflower seeds to distract from the seeds I want to grow.

Nope, The chipmunk found all but about 4 of the seeds I spread

Plant the seeds about 1 to 2 inches below the surface

Nope, The chipmunk dug up: Every. Single. Seed. I. Planted.  Seriously, I used a butter knife and plated two staggered rows one knife length apart (about 6 inches).  After about a week and a half I went to check the progress and I found perfect little holes dug in staggered rows one knife length apart.

For my next attempt, I'm going to try to grow seedlings inside and then plan the seedlings and hope for the best.

I'll keep you posted.


texts: What are the criteria for picking out vegetables to grow together in "Three Sisters" garden?

texts:
A "Three Sisters" garden is a garden grown consisting of three different crops which help each other grow in some fashion. Such as Corn, Squash and Beans.  I read about it in Roots Shoots Buckets and Boots, an awesome book for making gardens with kids.

What is the criteria for picking out the three sisters and how does one help the other?


texts:
I would like to have a small "cork-screw' willow in my front yard. I don't want it as a bush, but with a strong middle trunk.

It currently is about 1.5 feet tall. It has three fairly equally tall trunks. One is very bent. The other two are fairly straight. They are beginning to grow multiple branches.

When should I trim these?
How do I choose which to trim and which not to?
How else can I direct its growth?

Click images to enlarge...


texts: Can we plant grass over canvas weed deterrent?

texts:
The previous owner put down canvas weed deterrent underneath a few flower beds. We are now trying to turn these beds into grass to increase the size of the lawn.

Do I need to try to pull up all of the canvas? It is deeply embedded in the root systems of weeds and plants and starting to fall apart. I've taken up a few chunks, but it is difficult to get it to come up in one piece without tearing. If I leave the canvas in the ground, will the grass be able to come in? Will the canvas affect the quality of the grass when it does come in?

The canvas is buried between 4" and 8" under the soil (the depth varies).


texts: Should I replace the soil every year in a raised bed that's on top of concrete?

texts: I have a raised bed that is on concrete. My local greenhouse told me I needed to replace ALL the dirt in there every year due to pollutants. Do you know if that is true as there is a lot of dirt and I don't think I could do that every year. The bed is probably 7'x3' and about 12-15" deep.


texts: Laying a CHEAP gravel car park over soil/grass

texts:
I am opening a small sports field and need to make a parking area (for aprox 30 cars)

It has been suggested that the cheapest material I could use is "Road Planings" and I think I may have secured 3 truck-loads for free.

I am starting with what is basically a soft grassy field.

How should I prepare the land and lay the planings?


texts:
This came up in my lily patch. Originally it looked like a bud but never bloomed and now it has a pink center and these grass-like (petals?). I don't know what it is or if it's just part of the lily plant. Can anyone identify this?
Thank you.


texts: What is this low-growing shrub with small bright red berries?

texts:
A friend of mine has this growing in her garden in South London. She is worried the berries are poisonous as she has a young child who picks things up and puts them in her mouth.

Please can someone identify this shrub?


texts: What is this small green bug with long legs and antennae, in New Zealand?

texts:
I have found an insect sitting on one of my plants, in Auckland, New Zealand.

It is sitting on a broad bean leaf about 6 cm wide

Is this a friend or foe?


texts:
So I just bought a tiny farm (2+ acres, mostly of pasture land). I rented a flail mower yesterday, but it took a good 7 hours of mowing to get 3/4 of the land done - and the thing bogged down probably 50 times.

So I'd like some advice. I need to keep this land somewhat maintained (probably mowing bi-weekly or a little less), as well as the area directly around the house well-maintained (weekly mowing). The 2 acres of pasture land is flat, but not smooth. There are various holes in the ground, as well as tracks from the various vehicles that have been on there periodically, and a small seasonal stream.

The land also has a couple of trees, but no small trees. The majority of the growing stuff is thistle and grass. There are little to no rocks on the land.

The land around the house which needs to be mowed weekly is perfectly flat and smooth, with no branches/rocks/other obstructions.

My question is: What type of mower should I buy to be cost efficient? Should I pick up a cheaper riding mower and just mow the entire property more regularly? A combination of heavy duty brush cutter and riding mower? Something else?


texts: Minimal conditions necessary for growing potatoes

texts:
I am pondering the minimal conditions for growing potatoes.

What type of soil, nutrients and space would it necessitate?


texts: Aerating with a garden fork: is it making the problem worse?

texts: I would like to aerate my lawn but do not poses a lawn aerator. Would spiking the lawn with a garden fork be sufficient in aerating the soil or is it simply going to further compact the soil around the holes it creates?


texts: What's the difference between normal potting soil and specialty "Mediterranean" potting soil?

texts:
I have been looking at the labels on specialty potting soil label as "Mediterranean" potting soil for plants such as olive and citrus.

The only real difference besides the huge price difference I have been able to discern is that the specialty potting soil contains (pine) bark which is said to lower the PH. Is this just a scam or are there any other differences?


texts: Is my red oak tree dead? Only suckers growing:(

texts:
I need help! I got this tree approximately two years ago May 2017 to be exact and it was fluffy lots of leaves!! However, this year it did not grow any new leaves only suckers, can anyone please give me advice on how to keep it alive? Any advice is greatly appreciated! Thanks everyone #savetrees

[

[1]: https://i.stack.imgur.com/c5yIH.jpg


texts: What is growing on the edge of my flower pots? (indoor)

texts:
On the edge of three of my flower pots is growing this white hairy layer after I returned from a two weeks vacation. The other pots are not affected while standing in the same room. I gave plenty of water to all plants before I left but took care that there was no water in the coaster.
Search results suggest it might be calcium carbonate or niter. But I guess it's mold because it's hairy. So my questions are:

Can someone distinguish if it's mold?
Should I just remove it or change the pot?
What could be the reason – should I dump my bag of soil and get a new one?


texts: How can I enhance the flavour of peppermint plants?

texts:
I love using pieces of my peppermint plants in juices and creams and so forth, to give that cooling sensation and typical mint flavour. I started growing my own peppermints in a medium pot with mulch (just as it came, without adding anything to it). Now they are thriving and already seem to be pretty useful for what I've mentioned.

I want to know if there are any known and tested ways, methods, tricks or something to enhance/make stronger the flavour and cooling effect of peppermint plants. I'm thinking it would mean improving its menthol production.

I came here with this question because I know there are ways to improve the production of specific chemicals on other plants, and wonder about something that would work for mint. I'm not a chemist nor a botanist and I know not how this usually works.


texts: Can anyone ID this indoor plant growing in the UK?


texts: Why are my orange trees dropping new leaves and getting dry?

texts:
Up until a few days ago, these orange trees were doing fine and well. They had nice new growth. Since three days ago I've been finding them dropping some of the newer leaves, along with some of the twigs going dark and dry.

Is this normal? I just bought them last year so I'm not yet familiar with how they behave during spring time.


texts: How to raise a plant that's in a too deep flower bed?

texts: We just added a retaining wall to our front flower bed.  We have azaleas in the rear of the flower bed just in front of a porch.  About 1 foot in front of the azaleas, the ground is lower and the retaining wall is about 16" high. If I place my hosta in the existing dirt, it is way too low and you can't even see it over the retaining wall from the road. It would take a dump truck full of dirt to fill in the entire flower bed.  Is there any way to put the hosta in a container possibly raised up on brick to make the plant higher?


texts: What type of mycelium do I want to integrate into my soil to take up mercury from the lake front aquaponic garden?

texts:
There's a mercury in the water near me. What type of mycelium can I use to treat the problem to get it out of the water?

I plan to use the grass that grows in a bioreactor, then put the liquid byproduct in the trash that I send to the landfill as a liquid soaked up by my trash.


texts: Should a compost bin have air gaps or solid walls?

texts:
When watching videos about composting there seams to be two kinds. Those that are made from pallets, and therefore have air gaps and those with solid walls.
According to this video, the correct way to make smell free compost is by having the correct ratio between Nitrogen, Carbon, air, and water. The video shows a bin with solid walls, and here a video where he have a pallet based compost bin.
Question
To produce smell free compost, should the bin have air gaps or not?


texts: Dwarf water lettuce turning white and yellow

texts:
My water lettuce are dying as seen in this picture:

.

It is in my pond and I have had around 2 sq meters of lettuce. It was growing rapidly but recently it has developed these symptoms and is dying.

I have added salt to the pond few weeks ago, could that be the cause? Or my filter is making the water move fast?

Ps: Lighting conditions are good.


texts: What is this plant with long thin leaves with red marks?

texts: I need help identifying what type of plant this is. I bought some seed for basil, oregano, parsley, etc. and this grew among them. I was wondering what it could be? I live near Toronto if that may help, if its a wild plant?


texts: What is this pest on my hydroponic basil and how can I remove it?

texts:
Here are some snapshots of hydroponic basil growing in Thailand. Within a week I've had some pest, it looks like some tiny dark-red arachnids, spinning web on young leaves and crawling mostly on the underside of leaves. Their size is perhaps 1/4 mm.

Can you help me identify these? And how can I remove them in a health and environment friendly manner?


texts: How should I prune a damaged Rhododendron?

texts:
I had a 6ft tall healthy Rhododendron that a tree decided to fall on. Now it has a big chunk taken out of the middle. Either side of the chunk is still 4ft or so but the middle goes right to the base of the plant.

I'm not sure how far back to prune the sides or how much inward growth to expect either.

How should I proceed?


texts: Can someone diagnose the problem with my Wine and Rose Weigelas please?

texts: I have 6 and they all show the same stunted growth on some branches. The first photo shows the weigela that shows the most deformity. Thanks for any help!


texts:
After some weeks away we came back and found our pine trees getting yellow. It starts from the outside and at the moment there are not many brown branches/needles.

I read it could be manganese deficiency, or the cold weather (we have been told it was freezing in the south in our absence). I will appreciate any comments as we are quite new and my dad (the gardener) passed away last year.


texts: How do plants survive in the wild without someone watering them?

texts:
I have a small garden in Seattle and as soon as summer rolls in I have to be vigilant about watering my plants or else they die. Meanwhile just a couple dozen feet from my home there's a pretty big patch of unkempt trees/grass/flowers that seems to grow just fine all summer despite anyone watering it. Same goes for the millions of plants around my state that don't need humans to grow.
But... why is this the case? Why can't my potted plants survive without water just as well as the wild ones outside? Its probably an obvious answer but I can't quite put my finger on the difference.


texts: What are some good herbs to grow (pair) with tomatoes?

texts:
I have 3 tomato plants in pots right now. One of them is in a large pot and I recently planted some basil in the pot, partly for some extra basil, and partly because I have heard that basil and tomatoes go together nicely (I think I heard it enhanced the flavor of the tomato, but I don't remember exactly).

The other two tomato plants are currently in smaller pots and I am going to transplant them fairly soon to larger pots the same size as the other tomato plant. I want to put some herbs in that pot too, but I'm not sure if I can handle a ton more basil.

What other herbs will go well with tomatoes?


texts: Avocados from seed - inside house or polytunnel during germination?

texts:
I've got a windowsill with a number of avocados growing from seed (I'm in Rural Auckland - so US Hardiness zone 9b, heading towards winter) - A couple of my plants have just started to poke out the top of the Avo (ie stems, not roots).

For now, am I better off leaving them inside my house, which would have a more constant temperature of around 18-24 degrees c, or putting it into my unheated polytunnel which will get warmer during the day, but much cooler at night.  I'd imagine 8c - 35c [ eventually going down much colder - I expect temperatures are a bit marginal in winter here ] and with greater humidity and probably more overall light ?

Also, if i'm moving them to the polytunnel can I transplant them now, or am I better to wait until they are 15cm's or so tall ?


texts: Should I make a mini-greenhouse for my temperature-sensitive bonsai?

texts:
I have a 5 years old Fukien Tea, which just arrived in home. I live in the south of Spain, and my city has strong temperature changes. The temperature goes aprox. like this:

Spring: 20 - 25 º Celsius / Fahrenheit 68 - 77 º
Summer: 35 - 40 º C /       F 95 - 104 º
Autumn: 15 - 25 º C /       F 59 - 77 º
Winter: 1 - 12 º C /        F 32 - 54 º

I keep the bonsai in my desktop, which is in front of a big window with sunlight, but I read Fukien Tea should also go out. Apparently the perfect temperature for it is 20 º C/ F 68 º. I'm worried about summer and winter for this little guy, I thought to get a mini-greenhouse for keep it humid and temperature-shock free in winter.

Do you think is it a good idea or the bonsai could be harm? What could I do in summer?

RPI/Arduino homemade devices are possible options, do you guys tried anything?

Thank you in advance.


texts: What tree is this and how would I get it removed?

texts: It's huge, the one at the back in the middle. I'm based on the UK.


texts:
(Disclaimer: I'm a novice tomato-gardener, this is my first season)

I love in eastern NC, and my tomato plants just seem... small.  And now I'm starting to get tomatoes on my plants, but they're already turning red and they're... small as well!

The plants are mostly Roma tomatoes with a few beef steak mixed in.

I water every single day!!  I think they are hydrated.  We have sandy soil, but this is a raised garden bed with what I believed to be rich soil.  And the soil is as-is (no fertilizer or any other "additives").

By looking at these plants/tomatoes, is anything clear why they aren't bigger?  Growing up in Jersey, I'm use to my parents having tomato plants that are a dark, deep green and grow fast and huge.  And of course on those plants in Jersey the tomatoes were quite large as well.  I don't know why I'm not getting the same results here.

Any thoughts are much appreciated!


texts: Bonsai Leaves on new shoots rather than existing branches

texts:
My second Bonsai (first one met its doom with a similar problem)

Just recently received this plant (a couple of weeks ago) it was shipped.  Its a Chinese Elm.

All the existing leaves seem to be falling off of the existing branches.

I am getting a lot of growth on new shoots (circled in yellow in the reference photo)

What do I do?

Wait for the existing branches to grow back and then trim the new ones?
Change light / watering to foster growth i want?
Ignore and let these new shoots take hold and embrace it


texts: What is best, seed in October and add topsoil or rototill, let it sit over winter and seed and add topsoil in April?

texts:
I am in 5a
I just completely removed the sod and now my backyard is like bald, only the soil that was left after cutting the sod (see my previous question for some pictures)
I think I have two options:
-rototill, level and grade and let it settle over the winter. This plan has the advantage that whatever weed and wild violets seeds were left in the soil will probably freeze and won't come up in the spring
The seed early in spring, when the temps go above zero and the freezing is gone  (add top soil)
-do a minimal grading and seed. Add topsoil. Level without compressing the soil(just use a gardener rake
Which is the best?
There is a third option to rototill and try to get the seeds in (not adding any more soil)


texts:
My poor Scarlet Oak (Quercus coccinea) tree started getting brown/yellow leaves with holes in them. Any ideas as to what the problem is?

It's been really dry and the tree is less than one year old in this location.


texts:
For the first time ever I have grown onions from onion sets, they seemed to be doing really well, lush thick green “leaves” but suddenly I am getting what I can only describe as pointed caps to the top of some of the leaves.

What are these, should I pull them off and what does it mean for my onion crop? I have dug down around a couple of them and they are pretty much the size of giant spring onions currently so quite a bit of growing to do before they resemble proper onions? Any suggestions. It has been a very warm April, May and now June here in the UK I have been watering (about once a week) and putting feed down.


texts: Identify a smooth round chilli pepper about 1/2" to 3/4" in diameter

texts:
Please look at the round peppers, they are smooth, about 1/2" to 3/4" (1.25cm to 2cm) in diameter - it could be a habanero but it's smooth & does not have wrinkles; and so I don't think it is a hot one.
What variety of pepper could they be?


texts: Why does my lemon tree have multi-colored leaves and strange-looking fruit?

texts: The leaves on my lemon tree are yellow and white, and the fruit doesn't look normal.


texts: I have this vine growing in my yard in Northern Indiana but since there are three leaves I chose to just stay away from it. I would appreciate help in identifying these tempting berries


texts: What is the name of this greenish plant?

texts:
Hello i have this plant with green leafs it has some yellow flowers but i don't know its name can you tell me what is the name of this plant?

Flower image


texts:
I understand that compost heaps have an ideal temperature for the bacteria to decompose the material into compost. Living in the changeable Great Britain, the weather can be windy, rainy, sunny and dry within a single day.

Given this changeability, should I be trying to insulate the heap against changes in temperature and humidity? It's currently a wood construction with gaps for ventilation. What materials could I use to insulate it without suffocating the heap?


texts: Can I notch a fig tree to promote branching?

texts:
I have a small garden. One area that gets a lot of sun is along a fence, so I decided to try an espaliered fig tree. My problem is that the tree doesn’t have many branches low down. Is there anything I can do to promote branching around 18-24" above the ground?
I know with fiddle-leaf figs (same genus, different species), you can cut little notches above nodes to prompt branching. Does that work on Mission Figs?
(I should note that I do want the main trunk to continue growing up for a while, so I don’t want to cut that yet. The answer may be to wait for it to reach the height I want, then cut the tip before trying to promote branches.)


texts:
My sapling tree was a gift from a family member who grows them for sale.  He prepared it for me, told me how to plant, water and care for it in my yard.  I did exactly as he said.  My tree was doing great. Growing well and healthy for the last year.  However, we dug a spot and inserted a 2x4 wood post next to it to use for a 18' sail shade for the yard.  A day later my little sapling began to shrivel into a yellow dry (almost dead) sad tree. I can only assume the wood post bothered the root but I did not see any roots near the post I put in.  I do not know what to do to help it.

Any advice?


texts: Should I thin my pine trees branches due to winds?

texts:
I leave in Greece, and I have these large Pine Trees of Mediterranean type, which have grown pretty good. They were planted by my father from seeds 40 years ago,  now I have a little baby girl, I am very worried about these trees, as the only entrance for my family is below these pine trees.

I don't know if my best option is to cut them down totally or I could save them by pruning on top of them and making their branches bit smaller.

Off course I am very anxious of them as they are that large.
Here are a few pictures of those from side and below:

Update note:
A wind gust reached on 2017 at 184 km/h but the wind-speed at 57 km/h.
kind gratitude to this site:
http://marathonas.meteoclub.gr/record.htm

 ,  ,


texts: When is the right time to put milkweed seeds in soil?

texts:
IN the image below, I have some milkweed seeds germinating on a damp paper towel in a covered container. I've noticed about four white string looking roots? appearing. Next, I believe I wait for green shoots. How soon after that do I pot them? What are my next steps to keep these going?

My hope is to have a monarch window box.


texts: How important is it to till before sod installation?

texts:
I got a few quotes for installing zoysia sod.  All of them are in the range of about $5000 bucks.  The difference is in the amount of pallets offered by each group:

Spotfill
About 75% of the yard.
100% of the yard.

I am of course leaning towards the 3rd estimate.  The concern I have is the estimator told me they scalp the lawn.  He said they do not till because of the risk of damaging the sprinkler system.

Is that a big deal?  I feel like tilling is a lot of work and both of the other contractors do it.  So why do it if it isn't important right?  I'm no landscaping expert, so help me out.

Anything else I should look for before I choose?  They all have pretty good online reviews on https://www.homeadvisor.com/


texts: Parsley in a jar - looks miserable and sick

texts:
Yesterday (Apr 9) I bought a fresh tuft of parsley at the supermarket, packed in a paper cone with its roots still wet. Never seen before, they claim it would stay fresh if properly treated.

So, having not a pot with drain holes, my last resort is a glass jar. I put some pebbles on the bottom, a layer of paper, and some soil, where I planted the parsley. I gave it a single spoon of water right on the center of the cluster of stems at morning and evening, to make sure that no nasty pile up of water on the bottom would cause root rotting. Unfortunately, my studio flat is not that lighty, and gets direct sunlight for some three hours a day.

After a single day, even if I am definitely not an expert, and never grew parsley before, having compared with some pictures I found on google (I am sorry for my bizarre approach to gardening), I reckon my parsley is begging for mercy and for a quick but painless death. I attach a picture to both scare you and let you understand what is wrong with it.

Would you please tell me what you think it is going on and what it needs to be fixed? What would it be the best way to let the tuft thrive?


texts: This is my first time growing tomatoes and some of them are growing with brown, rough patches that look like this. Any idea what could have caused them and what the remedy is? They are planted in the ground, fertilized with a 6-2-2 tomato fertilizer, watered regularly with a watering can (though there has been heavy rain recently), and sprayed with an End-Rot solution and insecticidal soap. Thanks in advance.


texts:
I've searched a few times trying to identify the week in the picture below. I always find plenty of pictures, but it's photography pictures. rather than weed identification. I just bought my house a few months ago and my lawn is riddled with different types of weed grass that I'd like to get rid of. I can identify the easy ones like crabgrass, clover, etc. But this one is throwing me for a loop.

So I ask those who know the answer. What type of weed is this, and what do I need to put down in order to get rid of it? For the record, I took the picture from my neighbors lawn. Mine is not nearly as consistent, and I just cut the grass today.


texts: Need to plant these plants is it a good moment?

texts:
Below is a picture of our 'nursery', plants we recently bought and plants that we had in raised beds.
I have all these plants and I need to move them to their place and I am wondering if it is too late for that. I am worried about the grasses and the the Japanese barberry in the raised beds in particular

Also to complete my backyard design I need to buy to Japanese maples (a dwarf species and a Bloodgood one)

It is Mid June and colder than average here in Toronto. So far is has been also rainy (it rained every other day).


texts: How long do coffee seeds require to germinate?

texts:
I bought some seeds of coffee to grow a plant in my living-room.
I put them between a couple of paper towels and I wet them.
Then I covered them with a dish, so that light cannot affect them, and I keep them in my living-room, at about 20 °C.
After some days, I cannot see any improvement, yet (the seeds absorbed some water, but they haven't germinated, yet).
So, I wander how long should I wait, before giving up and throw them away...
(I checked How do germinate the seed of a coffee plant?, but it doesn't say anything about time)


texts: How do I flatten out the four inch high bumps in my lawn?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  How is a lumpy lawn flattened out?

My lawn is full of bumps, there's no stretch of flat ground anywhere. They're little mounds about 4 inches high or so, and this is not on any kind of a hill. What are some methods to fix it and level it all off?


texts:
From my research I've found that I'm supposed to cut the dead flowers at the bottom of the stem, but as the stem of the flower goes down it becomes wrapped in a leaf stem. I'm looking at a couple options here:

Cut the flower stem where it becomes wrapped in a leaf stem
Cut the leaf stem it comes from
Try to remove the flower stem from the leaf stem in order to cut it farther down

I'm not sure which one of these would be best for the plant.


texts: What is the best way to propagate an apple tree? I'm thinking the best way might be to cut off a small twig and splice into another tree, but what kind of tree would be good for this?


texts: Does anyone know what type of cactus this is?

texts:
Hi all,

I recently bought this cactus but haven't had much luck identifying it. Any help or ideas would be very much appreciated.

Thanks :)


texts: Is it better to rake leaves into woods? Or bag them and haul them away?

texts:
Our home has 1-2 acres of community-owned forest adjacent to our property's backyard. We have wondered whether we should rake our leaves into the woods? Or is it best to bag and haul them away?

In what context should you remove leaves and what context should you keep them/move them to a nearby forest? Which is the greenest option? Which is the best for the health of our yard and the adjacent forest?

More specifics for us, we would be talking about 4 cubic yards of (uncompressed) leaves we would be raking into the woods. We live in the midatlantic US and get healthy amount of rain with a traditional continental climate. Our neighborhood gets a lot of moisture given we're downstream from some nearby higher ridges.


texts: Help identifying his really weird plant bought as a husk cherry

texts: I purchased a 4-pack of husk cherry seedlings from a local farm. Three of the 4 grew normally and are starting to produce the husks. But the 4th plant is very strange. It has prickly looking berries. It must be some other type of plant. Any ideas what this is?


texts: Why does my chrysanthemum plant cannot tolerate mild direct sunlight?

texts: I purchased chrysanthemum plant from a nursery store 3 days ago. However, when I keep my plant under direct sunlight the leaves starts drooping as you can see in the picture. Since its winter time, the sunlight isn't harsh and the weather is moderate around 60-80 degrees fahrenheit. When I move the plant indoors the leaves starts recovering. Does chrysanthemum hates direct sunlight or is there something else which is causing the plant to stress out?


texts: Odd Growths on Umbrella Plant - what are they?

texts: These odd growths have recently appeared on my umbrella plant. Does anyone know what they are?


texts: I can't seem to attach a picture because it's too large but I have a multi trunk pepper tree that has been beautiful for years. All of a sudden I'm noticing the tops of the branches on the right side is dying. The rest of the tree looks beautiful. It's only dying at the top. It's beautiful on the trunk and the bottom because I have a lot to New Growth shoots coming from the bottom of the trunk. It looks like it's dying from the top down on these branches which is all off of one of the trunks. What could be causing this? I live in Gilbert Arizona and it's been really warm here in the 80s to 90s so it's not because of cold.


texts: Benefits of preparing ground a week before planting out?

texts:
I am getting ready to start planting seedlings out in my allotment. Reading online the advice seems to be that I should prepare the ground about a week in advance by digging through compost etc, and for some veg such as squash’s I should dig a hole a spade width and depth and fill it with a mix of compost and soil.

Can someone please explain the benefit of doing this a week before as opposed to day of please as I can’t find that online anywhere.

Just for added info. I have dug over and created my beds already in my allotment, when I took it over it was covered in weeds and grass so used black plastic to help control and kill back as much as possible and then double dug over for the beds (dug out 2 spades down and then put the remaining grass etc at the bottom and covered over.

So the beds are dug raked and any weeds appearing over the past 3 weeks have been pulled. So do I still need to dig in my compost/manure a week before planting in?


texts: Is there a way to compost these spruce needles?

texts: I have a pile of about 4 bushels of spruce needles, and want to use them. Is there a way to compost them to use on garden plants? Do I have to add lime or ashes or other alkaline material? I know I will have to add a lot of nitrogen.


texts:
All the branches on the east facing side of the tree are bare of leaves. I haven't noticed any pests going for it. I've been fertalising with Osmocote, citrus liquid fertaliser and have recently been giving it iron chelate to counter the pale leaves.

No flowers on this one either, my other citrus do.


texts: Purchased two of these about three months ago. One is doing great. The other seems to be dying quickly. About a month ago I notice it starting having dead needles. Each week it's progressively worse. I have noticed a lot of sooty mold on the leaves of both trees. Once the needles completely brown, the smaller branches are so brittle they just snap away. Not sure what to do to save this tree.enter image description here


texts: Hundreds of unknown bugs on certain plants

texts:
I am currently watering my neighbor's plants on their balcony.
I found certain plants to be infested by larger, unknown bugs. I've attached a picture of one on a window pane.

There are hundreds of them on those plants, small and large. When grown, they are about 1.3cm long and can fly. They are easily attracted by light which makes them a pain at dark. They are slowly moving over to me, so I would like to ask if they pose any danger to plants, mine or theirs. So far theirs look good, but I am not an expert at all.

We are located in central/south west Germany.


texts: I had an idea about snail trap. I was wondering if placing a plastic ring in a form of a brush around a pot with needles pointing down would serve the purpose. Using very tiny spaced needles (i.e. low density per cm2) would force the hungry snail to fall down due to a small contact area, right? (See picture).


texts: What are good sources for large quantities of "greens" for my compost?

texts:
I have a compost pile that has a lot of "browns" in it, dead leaves and wood shavings mostly.  Can anyone recommend sources for large quantities of "greens"? I've been putting in my kitchen scraps but it doesn't seem like much compared to what I already have...

I've also started stealing the used coffee grounds from my work but I've heard this can make my compost too acidic.  Any suggestions?


texts: Trying to save orange tree -- pruning and general questions

texts:
I've been undertaking a campaign to save my orange tree and have made some progress. I live in Arizona and wasn't adequately watering it before, but have since mulched around the tree and deep water it more thoroughly.

I've also fertilized it and I think I see some improvement (at least haven't seen it worsen), but I have some more questions on things I might be able to do to help.

Pruning the dead branches/twigs that are still on there. In this
album you can see there's a few larger branches (first picture:
the one starting on right, curves over left, is entirely dead) and
some smaller ones (second picture) I planned to remove.
Should I be concerned about the appearance of the bark in the first
picture?

Is this a good approach to take? If the tree is in recovery mode, I don't want to do anything to cause it more strain if it's not going to help it.


texts: Are there any visual signs to identify if something can be rooted?  My mother gave me this "branch" off a tree and says that it can be rooted.  Do I wait for roots to appear then put it in soil? Do I put it in soil right away? Or like my initial question states, is there a way to tell if this can even be rooted!?


texts:
I’m living in Melbourne
, Australia and have recently noticed over the last month or so a large area of dieback shrivelled brown leaves on a clients Azaleas plants.
A pH test has a returned a neutral(7) pH. Other azaleas in the hedge appear to be healthy. I’ve applied some soil acidifier to make the pH slightly acidic. It’s had an application of azalea acidic fertiliser within the last month. I was wondering if anyone has seen this sort of dieback before, I can’t see many signs of pests there is a small degree of azalea lace bug on some nearby plants but nothing too serious.
Any help appreciated,
Cheers.
Photos below:


texts: What is the environmentally safe way to guard the vegetable and fruit plants from squirrels?

texts: The squirrels are eating our strawberries :( We lost couple of our corn plants which were growing really well to the squirrels. Is there any safe way to keep them at bay?


texts: What is causing curled leaves on different varieties of citrus?

texts:
Is anyone able to identify this disease / pest? We have this on several citrus of different types including an orange, grapefruit, lime, and a mandarin orange.

My first thought was that it could be snails as some of the blighted area almost looks like it has snail tracks around it. I don't see snails around the trees, but they might be attacking at night.

This is in San Jose, California.

UPDATE Aug 15, 2015: Still same problem. Doesn't seem to be killing the tree though.


texts: I woud like to graft a different variety of cherry onto an existing over-tall pin cherry tree

texts:
Tree is nearly 40' tall with approximately 12" trunk. Prolific producer of small tart cherries, but all are out of reach. The nearest branch is 16' off the ground.
• Can I graft other varieties of cherry into the trunk? What time of year is best to graft? Neighbors have very successful Queen Ann variety.
• Should I cut branches from this tree and graft lower down?
• We are on the Pacific Coast, zone 9a 20°F to 25°F


texts: Cheapest and easiest ways to level my lawn

texts:
I bought this house 2 years ago, and one annoying aspect of it is that the garden 'slopes' towards the rear - see below

This is becoming a problem now as I want to build a climbing frame for my son in that area, which will require a flat surface. What would be the simplest way of leveling this? Open to 'outside of the box' ideas too!


texts: do wood chips insulate better for cold than heat?

texts: I noticed that my wood chip compost pile that I never turned has ice still about 1" below the surface, so that got me to wonder if wood chips are better cold insulators than heat insulators.


texts:
I don't believe any of the previous sick bay tree questions have shown the same symptoms: large brown patches on some leaves.

It's one of two  standard bays I've got by the front door, both in pots of about 20-30 l.  We're having a heatwave here (by British standards, i.e. getting up to about 30°C, <2 mm of rain in the last 6 weeks) but I've been watering the compost fairly generously every couple of days and I'd expect drought to cause a more general drying without the new growth.  The other is healthy and has similar amounts of new growth. Both get the afternoon/evening sun, but are in shade for the hottest part of the day.

I potted them up last year into home-made compost, which I've found successful for other long-term pot plants including the kitchen-garden bay several years older. Besides I try to avoid using too much bought-in compost for  environmental reasons (most of what I can buy without a special trip is based on peat). I don't usually pick the leaves off this one as I have another closer to the kitchen, so any treatment doesn't have to be suitable for crops.

So I'd like to know what's wrong, what to do about it, and especially whether it's like to spread to the other tree a metre or so away.


texts: Grass will not grow in the back of the yard

texts:
I've got a 50' x 5' wide section in the back of the yard that will not grow grass.  At first I thought it was because the two trees in the back of the yard.  I pruned the trees and still no grass.  I dug up the dirt and see a sandy layer about 5" down.  I tested this soil:

pH:   7.5, Alkaline
Nitrate:    low
Phosphorus: high
Potassium:  high

The backyard is Bermuda grass.  By circumstance, some men dug up that area of the yard with a tractor and pulled up a bunch of limestone.
I seeded Bermuda, poured about 1" of new dirt on it but it did not grow.

What can I do to make the grass grow?

Back of yard

Dirt:


texts: Triage and identification for an orphanned plant

texts: I found this plant outdoors by a trash can, and decided to take it home. I didn't notice any infestation on it, and cleared off the yellow/brownish leaves (somewhat soggy) that I found on it. My questions - one - what is it? and two - can it be saved?


texts: How to protect my nectarine tree from hyraxes?

texts:
I have a young nectarine tree. Some months ago, it started to give fruit, but while the fruit were still small, they were eaten by hyraxes (I saw them coming at night). Some time ago, the hyraxes ate even the leaves. Now the tree is almost naked.
The garden is surrounded by a fence, but apparently it does not help - they easily climb over it. What else can I do to protect my tree?

I thought of several solutions, not sure which if any is good:

Wrap the entire tree with a mesh. Is a simple mesh strong enough to stand the hyraxes' teeth?
Install an electronic device that makes a strong tone that only hyraxes can hear, hoping it will scare them away. Is there such a tone?
Put a scarecrow - since hyraxes are apparently afraid of humans. Will a simple scarecrow scare them away?
Plant a thorny bush around the tree, so that the hyraxes won't be able to access it. Will this help?


texts: Please can someone identify this tree (UK)?

texts: This UK garden tree has some kind of berries or seed pods but we can't find anything that matches it.


texts: Are these mushrooms dangerous to my scallions?

texts:
I am growing scallions (and eating them). This morning I noticed two mushrooms (which I think grew last night) among them. The following questions arise:

Is this bad for my scallions?
Is it dangerous for me to continue eating the scallions?
What kind of mushrooms are they?


texts: When is the best time to harvest my persimmons?

texts:
After 8 years, I finally got my persimmon to grow 13 big fruits this year. They started to turn yellow and are pretty hard to touch.  My leaves are mostly green.  When is the best time to harvest the fruits? I am in the Seattle area in Washington.

Click on pictures for larger size.


texts: Will a maple tree grow back after being cut down to a stump?

texts:
We've got a small maple tree in our yard that was broken in half by the wind. Someone told us to cut it down to a small stump and it would grow back in 5-6 years. However, I'm skeptical... I've heard of some trees growing back, but never heard of maples doing that.

If it helps, we're in Utah, USA.


texts: How to grow vegetables from kitchen scraps?

texts:
I have heard a lot about growing vegetables from scraps e.g. using potato eyes, or sprouted garlic/onions to grow new vegetables.

I was just wondering if anyone had any experience with this?
And which vegetables were the best to do this with?


texts: Is this discoloration on a pumpkin plant stem caused by squash vine borer?

texts:
I have a big, healthy looking pumpkin plant with a dozen small pumpkins starting to bud.

Today I went in and got a good look at the base of the vine and found this discoloration. Is this squash vine borer? If so, how can I save the plant?

So I did the surgery and found no worm and no frass in there. It looks like a healthy vine, right? And the leaves are still growing like crazy and not wilted. The flowers are big and healthy. So, false alarm? I buried it with dirt where I sliced it and hopefully we will have pumpkins in the fall.


texts: Will the worm population in my raised beds be OK during cold or hot weather?

texts:
I'm in zone 4 and just finishing up building some 3' tall garden boxes.

In the winter, the whole thing will definitely freeze. I'm worried that my earthworms are going to have to burrow 3' + 16" frost line to escape the cold.

In the summer, the soil inside the box will probably get up to 75 degrees, which is warmer than I think native earthworms are used to. They can probably just burrow a few inches to escape the heat normally, where 3' of 75 degrees might be tough.

Is that a problem for worms? Is there something I can do with layers of dirt or material to help them overcome this?


texts: Which plant is this? May a kind of grass?

texts: I bought this plant few months ago and lost the tag. Please help if you know what kind of plant it is. Also note that I have trimmed the leaves, it's not their natural shapes. They are spiky naturally.


texts: After digging a dry well and taking soil samples for testing, I have a bunch of excess soil from my garden, just sitting in a bucket in my garage. It occurred to me to use it to make some hikaru dorodango. However, because I took soil samples for testing, I know that there's a bunch of lead and other contaminants in there. Obviously it's no good for growing food; is it safe to use for this purpose instead? (In other words, can I safely handle it?)


texts: Peace lily wilting even after watering, no root bound

texts:
I was looking for advice on what to do with my peace lily. For the last month or so it's always been a bit wilted. Even after watering it, it looks a bit happier but drops again shortly after with the soil still wet. Although it keeps flowering, but the flowers are small and weak. I thought it needed repotted but as you can see in the picture the roots are quite small, I was surprised when I took it out of the pot because it's a big plant.
Any ideas on how to bring it back to life?

Thank you!


texts:
I used weed killer almost 2 weeks ago and I think I am ready to seed and fertilize. My yard is around 9.000 sq ft and backyard gets lots of sun light but my trees block the half part so half part is shade and have almost no grass.(2000sq. ft.) My plan is seed then use milorganite. For shade part I think dense shade would be good the rest I can use shade & sun mix. Before seeding I will add some top soil. Any suggestions would be great. I haven't done any lawn care in my life.

Besides milorganite do I have to use anything else? Like turf starter etc?

Is it too late to seed now? I live in Kansas, it is end of may and weather the 70s.

Edit: I added some photos.

https://ibb.co/iVWZbT

https://ibb.co/npDrO8

https://ibb.co/mEGd38

https://ibb.co/bNuUbT

https://ibb.co/e2P6O8

https://ibb.co/fZgxVo

https://ibb.co/hwhFGT

https://ibb.co/mGpjAo


texts: Can I graft a citrus using two different techniques simultaneously?

texts:
I am thinking of grafting a mandarin on a citrus tree that is most probably a grapefruit, but not sure. As I understand, they're compatible as both a citrus trees.
My question is - can I graft a bud and with a cleft onto the same tree at the same time? I'm pretty new to this and I want to increase my chances. I probably won't have another source of scion later, and I wonder how much stress is this going to put the grapefruit in if I graft two times essentially?


texts: Draceana marginata extreme leaf-shedding

texts:
I’ve had this Dracaena marginata for over 8 years now (so I’ve got quite attached to it). It has always been fine no matter how I’ve treated it. I’ve forgotten to water it and overwatered it over the years.
Then in November, it started shedding leaves. At first, I thought it’s normal because it has done that before when it was growing but the shedding didn’t stop and increased. I thought I’ve overwatered it so stopped watering it and moved it to a sunnier spot in the house.
Then I’ve discovered one of the other plants in the house has fungus gnats and the gnats have infected this plant too. I sprayed with neem oil and eventually also repotted it, cleaning all the old soil around the roots and cutting off some roots that were soft and/or hollow. None of this helped.  The new leaves on the top have some discolouration too.
I am now thinking of propagating it to try and save the plant. (It did stop shedding leaves in the last week - there is not much left anyway). Has anyone had similar experiences with Dracaenas? Should I go ahead and propagate the old plant into new plants?


texts: What are the bright green patches in my Fescue grass?

texts:
I've started to notice more bright green patches in my lawn as we move towards spring.

How do I eliminate the patches?

Also, the border of my lawn continues to die. Could this be caused by an irrigation issue or from the edge trimmer?


texts: How do I know if an ash tree can be treated for emerald ash borer or needs to be removed?

texts:
I have 16 Emerald ash trees that have been hit with the emerald ash borer. While I have seen the ash borer's bore holes and the epicormic sprouting of branches in random places, I question whether or not these trees can be treated or if they indeed have to come down. I've had four experts come out and give me estimates, all of whom have said that all 16 trees need to come down, that simply treating them will just cost even more money because the treatment will be an ongoing thing. Removing all trees will cost anywhere from $6,000 to $9,000 depending on the company while treatment will only be a few thousand.

How do I know these experts are genuine in their assessments that the trees need to be removed and not just treated, especially when all they've done is walk up and down the lot and do little more than look at them?


texts: Zone 4b: When should I start planting vegetable garden seedlings?

texts:
When should I start planting seedlings for the vegetable garden that we're going to start this year?

As the question says, I live in zone 4b and we're planning on zone specific vegetables & gourds, but want to know the best time to start growing them.


texts: What is happening to my strawberry plants?

texts:
I bought a strawberry plant in a pot yestereday and I waa instructed to spray it with water twice a day on the leaves, stems and fruit or as necessary till the soil was damp. I have provided it with sun as it is outside my apartment sunning as well.

However, late yestereday evening, I noticed that the stems have became noticeably droopier (see photos) and that some stems are browning with a woodier, dry texture. There were also some holes in the plant when I first got it.

Any advice on how to save my plant? I'm afraid it will not live longer if I can't stop the drooping. I live in an apartment as well, and I am unable to transplant it into gardens and my options are rather limited. Thank you for your advice.


texts: Was wondering what type of tree this was

texts: Small/Medium tree had small nice smelling flowers and now had some type of fruit. Possibly pear but looks like small apples


texts: What is the name of symmetrical, orange/red flower?

texts:
I saw this beautiful flower on flickr:

Could someone please let me know the name of this flower?


texts: Growing fava beans when too hot for flowering; since perennial, will they eventually fruit later in the year?

texts:
I read that fava beans' flowers become sterile if temperatures are sustained >80dF. I have fava beans given to me from a sub-tropical climate and wonder if I can grow them in temperature climate (hardiness zone 4/5). Reading about the plant it seems that I can and most people start growing them in the fall so they fruit in spring when temperatures aren't too hot. I wonder can the beans be planted now (late Spring / early Summer), and because they are perennial they will eventually fruit when temperatures are right?

I'm not sure how "perennial" they really are, despite numerous sources saying that, so it could be that if they grow to flowering maturity and the temperatures are too hot for fruiting the beans will simply die off and need to be started from scratch. That's what I'm wondering about.


texts:
I have these succulents and I don't know their name. The big one on the left is Haworthia attenuata, but the small ones are a mystery to me. Usually their leaves are curved upwards, but now are downwards because of the lack of light. I think they might be a species of Sempervivum, although I don't know which one.

Below are the upper leaves of Haworthia


texts: Can anybody tell me if this is a weed or a nice plant?


texts: Should I mix chicken manure in with my bonsai soil mix?

texts:
I've heard it mentioned before that Japanese people use chicken manure in their bonsai soil mix.

Is this a good idea? If so, what quantities should I be mixing in to the soil?


texts: What are the growing conditions for Camelia azalea, especially its water needs?

texts:
I have bought this rare breed of Camellia, the Camellia azalea. It's originally from China I think. I have mixed in some coco husk to allow for good water flow and prevent clogging the soil with too much water.

The leaves recently started falling for no reason, still green and firm, with no wilting. There's also some browning at the tips of the fallen leaves.

Here's a page about the plant.

Does anyone know about this rare breed of Camellia and its growing requirements? Should I be watering it a lot or changing back the soil to something less leaky? Or does it not like the water too much? I am based in Hong Kong.

I really don't want this beautiful plant to die! I would be forever grateful to anyone who could give me some guidance.


texts:
Its growing nicely in a pot, but we have no idea what it is.

We’re in the Caribbean, if that helps.

Thanks.


texts: What is wrong with my rosemary plants and how do I help them?

texts:
I have two rosemary plants, one is over six months old and the other was bought from a shop about 4 weeks ago.

This is the older one I grew from seed. It was the only survivor of 5 seeds I planted roughly 6-7 months ago. It was also one of four pots partly damaged by Cane Toads and I have neglected it for roughly eight weeks now. Its leaves are very powdery, cracking and frail looking. One stem had lost all of its leaves which I pruned today. Since I started watering it the lower leaves seemed to have that nice dark green color return but now they too are starting to look bad.

This is my newer plant and it too is getting the powdery coating on its leaves. It has grown quite a bit in the last four weeks but has had the powder for about 2 weeks now.

EDIT

I have the new plant in an upright planter that does get lots of water so I'll be moving it to its own pot. The planter gets sun for most of the morning but by midday it is in shade from the house eves. During the coming summer they will get a lot more sun. The pots on the ground get the same amount in the morning but they also get the afternoon sun until about 4:30. The reason for the extreme moisture you can see in the pot was I had something eat a lot of my herbs so I moved to a small green house. This kept everything very moist and a fungus/mould started in quite a few pots for the week they were in there. I had already asked about the fungus earlier, and didn't think that a greenhouse would cause it too. So they are now back outside to dry and air out. (less than a day outside and my kale had 5 leaves eaten)

This is a close up of the leaves of the newer plant in the upright planter.

This is a close up of the older plant in the pot looking very sad.

An this is the entire herb garden early morning minus the trickle feed system that I normally have hooked up to the pots. The older rosemary plant is in the pot near the reddish pot, and the newer one is in the left hand side upright planter second bay from the top and on the right side of that pot. (there is a curry plant next to it in the middle)

UPDATE

The milk spray has worked really well. This is the newer plant looking super healthy.

And this is the older plant after a prune and milk spray. It hasn't grown much at all compared to the newer plant but its looking really healthy now. It does have some new leaves though.


texts: How can I know when my almonds are ready to eat?

texts:
The tree itself is about 3 years old and this is the first time it's bearing produce.

I can see the pods which contain the almonds. Is there any way to tell when they will be ready/fit for consumption?


texts: What should I do with a watermelon plant that has flowered much too early?

texts:
I have several (trellised) watermelon plants that are about a foot tall by now. One of them, oddly enough, has flowers already.

This is my first time trying to grow watermelons, but it seems like it's way too early for any of them to be flowering yet. I thought the time it took from seed to fruit 72 days (at least on the packet), and that flowers wouldn't appear until closer to when it was time to grow fruit. It's been something like 3 weeks I think.

Should I pinch off the flowers to encourage the plant to grow some more? Or should I let it be and be happy that I have an exceptionally eager watermelon plant?


texts: What herbs or useful plants thrive in full sunlight?

texts:
What herbs or other useful plants thrive in full sunlight?

I want to create a garden of small plants in the rooftop, but I would like to include only plants that are useful (ie. Cooking, medicinal, etc). I can water them daily, but except for a few hours of shade, they will be under full sunlight all year long. I live in the Caribbean, so that's 365 days of sun.

These plants should be able to live in 6" pots.

Thanks.


texts: Hydrangea flowers not blooming as expected

texts: On one of the hydrangea plants the flower is blooming as expected whereas with the other plant only some of the buds are blooming or not blooming at the same time to give it a nice pretty look. I have attached both pictures. What is wrong with the one that is not blooming simultaneously?


texts: Is using Miracle Grow potting mix good for starting seeds?

texts:
So, over a week ago, I started to grow tomatoes from seeds using topsoil, specifically Scott's premium topsoil. After realizing it's full of crap, bark, sticks, etc., I restarted today using Miracle Grow potting mix. Is this mix efficient at starting seeds, or should I invest in the starting seed mix? It's only been a day, but I hate looking at the plants, thinking that nothing is going to emerge.

And, additionally, do newly planted seeds require light to germinate?

Thanks.


texts: How do I deal with millipedes eating my vegetable seedlings?

texts:
After cursing all the slugs in my yard and removing the few that I could catch, I was quite shocked yesterday to discover 100+ young plants all chewed to the ground.

I was going out at 9 - 10pm to find the slugs but was only seeing one or two per night.

Last night I went out at 12:30am and noticed just under 10 millipedes having a feast in what was left.

So how can I do battle with millipedes? I know they stay just under the surface during the day. My patch is heavily utilized so I don't want to remove everything to deal with them.