texts: Ideas for a good green mulch for a shady area?

texts:
I'm trying to start cultivating a shady plot of dirt where nothing currently grows. The soil is quite compacted, and I think the first thing we need is a green mulch or cover crop that will do well in a shady area. I did dig in some half finished compost this spring, mostly because we hadn't yet acquired our second bin and the first was overflowing. So there are some spots where there's a lot of organic material in the soil.

Wondering then: what's a good green mulch for shade?


texts: got this cactus from a roadside seller. Didn't catch the name, and having trouble finding it online. The needles are very flexible and paper-like. Let me know if you have any info!


texts: Not sure what's causing this crippling on the leaves of nectarine leaves. Please help. Zone:9 (northern California)


texts: Are ants/flies a threat to a raspberry bush?

texts:
Ants in my garden seem to especially love this raspberry bush at the moment.

I also notice these two little things that look like tiny flies sitting on the leaves- except they are not moving, like dead flies.  Ants seem to be hanging out around them, but I haven't seen them actually take a fly anywhere.

Just curious, should I take action on the flies?  Or the ants?  I'm keeping my eyes on the leaves for leaf miners, and on the ground for aphids, but otherwise just letting the ecosystem do it's thing.


texts: Pear tree deficiencies - weak looking growth

texts:
I have never seen this before. Tree looks weak, the only thing that had changed this year was few grafts that woke up early on in the season and grew vigorously. Could they have depleted some resources? (Last photo are the grafts)
Thanks!


texts: How to deal with a hedge that has not been maintained

texts:
I have hedges around my property that are now just masses of brush that are twice as wide and twice nearly twice as tall as they should be.

Lots of the plants in this hedge are L shaped. Where they scrape the floor before turning 90 degrees and growing upwards.

If I were to cut back to where the hedge should start in terms of width, I would be cutting into the bottom part of the L and getting rid of all the height of the plant and just leaving a little nub in the ground facing away from the centre of the hedge.

What should I do to try to save these hedges and if possible how to do so to keep privacy while doing so. I'd be willing to do multiple pruning sessions spanning a few years.

L shape of hedge plant

General state

To identify hedge


texts: How can I get rid of ticks in my garden?

texts: Is there anything I can buy or do to have less ticks in my garden?


texts: Albino citrus seedling? and 1 year old grapefruit plant

texts:
A few months ago, I tried to get some citrus seeds from flea market fruit to sprout, but they didn't so I just buried them inside the pot of my grapefruit plant. Last week, I noticed that there was a new plant growing from 1 of the seeds! But it was white? Any Idea if this is normal? I believe the seed might be from a Mandora citrus.

There is also another plant growing very close, when should I seperate them?
Also, here is a photograph of my 1 year old grapefruit plant in Toronto.
Its been kept at the window since I planted it last July, mostly because I'm scared that a squirrel will dig up the plant, or insects will infest it.

Its been growing in spurts, last month over 2 weeks it grew 5 leaves, but then stopped growing. I also noticed that there was a growth on the top of the plant that appeared to be tiny leaves, but it dried up and fell off. Will this affect the plant later on?
Thank you for your time.


texts: Why do the tips of my lettuce leaves look dark/burnt and feel brittle?

texts: I am growing Batavian 'Arianna' lettuce in a container on my balcony. I'm in San Francisco, so it gets some sun, but it's not all day, and it gets a lot of shade too. I noticed that the tips of some of the leaves appear dark and feel brittle. Is this a lack of water thing or too much sun?


texts: What precautions can I take when planting a living fence to avoid it becoming troublesome?

texts:
I'm interested in a living fence for my house and have a great source of straight growing willow normally used for biomass. This is in zone 4/5 of northeast US where we ge ~1m of precip per year and where I believe willow is native. I'm wondering what precautions need to be taken, if any, to avoid living fences getting out of control to a troublesome extent.

Why I ask is that I've heard horror stories of some pioneer plants like bamboo being planted in one area and with only a little bit of neglect (the kind that could easily come with a change in land ownership) they quickly claim huge areas for themselves and their presence keeps humans and other creatures from enjoying that area. Worse yet, once they're there, they are very difficult to get rid of even if someone's willing to invest significant effort in doing so.

I realize bamboo and willow and other living fence candidates are not all equal. So, if needed, please answer specifically for coppicing willows. I am wondering in general though, what precautions need to be taken to avoid a living fence getting out of control as I've heard bamboo has? The two main concerns:

The plants spreads out beyond the area intended for fencing. Of course some maintenance is expected, as any kind of fence occasionally need, but how to avoid a living fence that needs so much maintenance that it could be a turn off for future home buyers? (I realize that's relative, just looking for general things to do / look out for before and while working to establish a living fence.)
The plants become extremely difficult to remove. I'm not sure if this is actually a problem, so answers about this point might bring to my attention that generally this is a non-issue. A high quality conventional fence is not something any potential home buyer is likely to get rid of, and if they did it could be a ton of work (especially if there's concrete anchors for posts), so a living fence might not actually be that much of a turn-off relative to other fences in cases of new owners wanting to change it up. I just can't shake this concern before growing something with fast spreading roots and vegetative reproduction: could it scare of future owners who don't want it but fear they'd never be able to get rid of it? If there's any need to worry about that, what precautions, if any, can be taken to address it?


texts: When should I harvest balsam for balsam bags?

texts: I've found plenty of information about when to harvest balsam for making wreaths, but I really don't care about if the needles stay attached - I'm actually interested in if there are specific times when I should harvest so that they maintain their scent longer.


texts: First time grower in Michigan, partial shade and probably not the best soil.  The red potatoes I got out first were very hard.  Why?  What can I do to prevent this with the rest of them before they are harvested?  Anything I can do for these dears?


texts: Is this part of my bougainvillea or a weed?

texts:
This plant has started growing in my bougainvillea and there's some debate going on in the house whether it is a weed, or part of the bougainvillea, perhaps the male part. I'm unable to find any pictures of bougainvillea's that have this in them.

Plant in question:

Bougainvillea:


texts: What are these insects on my Arabian Jasmine plant & how can I eradicate them?

texts: I have found these white moths (very small, winged, can fly) below the leaves of my Arabian jasmine plant, and the plant has stopped flowering and is in a poor state. There are surprisingly some white scaly patches too on the leaves, though I am not sure if these are related with the white moth. They look more like fungi to me though I might be wrong. I have tried using insecticides but they don't seem to be working, and the moths and the scales keep coming back. Can anyone please help me identify the insect/fungus and suggest a remedy?


texts: Cut back the tops of newly planted Beech Hedging to encourage growth?

texts:
Last year I planted a long row of beech to provide me with beech hedging. At the time they were approximately 30-40cm in height, and they have now grown to an average of 50-70 cm in height.
The final height at which I would like to keep my hedge is 1.5m tall. I have done some research online about cutting back the tops of the beech plants in order to promote growth, however I am getting mixed signals.
On the one hand, there is the argument that cutting off the tops now will provide me with "fuller" hedges as they will expand and form more side branches.
On the other hand, there is advice to wait until the plants are approximately 1.1-1.2m tall before cutting off the tops so that they have a rigid and strong centre.
I'm leaning towards the second option, any horticultural advice would be greatly appreciated.


texts: How to encourage joining of turfed lawn's seams

texts:
A professional laid turf down for me last week and I've been watering it every day since.
Looking at the picture below, you can vaguely see the lines of the turf edges. Over the course of the week, the grass has been growing and these edges are much less prominent now compared to a week ago. Is there more I can do in these early stages of the lawn's life to encourage the soil of the turf to "merge" together at the seams? Naturally I want to it to look more flush. I'd hate to do nothing now, other than watering, and the seams never improve when I could have done something.
I'm confident there's no shrinkage. I have no concerns yet to suggest I'm not watering it enough. There's just some very small gaps between the turf strips.


texts: What should I do to prevent plant diseases from spreading while having them live close together?

texts:
Is there any good guidelines for how to space plants so that you can prevent plant diseases from being spread between plants, while still having them able to work together in order to pollinate each other?

My biggest fear is having one disease damage part of my "family orchard" (food forest) crop.


texts: How should I care for newly planted saplings on a slope?

texts:
Me and couple of my mates are trying to plant few trees on a hill slope before the wet season (monsoon) sets in India (early June).

The hill has been devoid of trees due to excessive felling in last few decades.
Should I take specific care so that most of the saplings survive and grow into large trees?


texts: Community treatment of wild parsnip - your recommendations

texts:
Each summer in those parts of the world where wild parsnip goes to seed there are various small efforts to control the spread of this plant. The media have a field day, of course, "deadly", "toxic", "danger" and so on, and it keeps at least 3 reporters in work spreading the word.

Some municipalities, wishing to bow to community demands, perhaps take a tractor in with a bush hog (very big rotary mower) and do a good job of cutting the plant down but helping the plant to spread even further, and maybe put the tractor operator in hospital for a few days. Others will spray herbicide. Communities sprout small adventitious groups of committed individuals who spend effort in controlling small patches.

Given these community-spirited people as an almost free resource and your expert knowledge of the way plants (and parsnip in particular) grow and spread, how would you advise the problem be handled at least cost and maximum effect?


texts: cucumber plant leaves turing yellow, brown and dying

texts:
I live in New Mexico where its been over 100 each day.

My cucumber plant was growing very healthy for a few weeks now. I do regularly
watering. It grew about 8 full sized cucumbers already.

All of a sudden a few days ago the leaves started turning yellow and dying.

The plant had tons of baby cucumbers flowering which are now shriveling up and dying. There was also a weird white powder at the base of the cucumber.


texts: Banana tree health declining after repotting, yellowing leaves

texts:
I recently received a banana tree as a gift and as it is starting to decline I am worried about it. First off, I live in southern Canada (London) so I don't have a tropical climate but its been quite hot this week so there's been no shortage of heat. It was in a pot that was oddly small so I figured it needed a bigger one. I'll describe what I've done, it might all be wrong but I am completely new to plant care so forgive me.
1. removed the plant from its pot, cut off a water sucker with a pocket knife and repotted them both (regrettably with triple mix instead of potting soil). The mature tree's pot is still largely the soil it was succeeding in before I got it.
2. I've been watering daily and it gets full sun.
3. I used scissors to follow the contour of brown dry parts and cut it off.
4. after repotting I gave it a small dose (order of a tablespoon) of soluble rose fertilizer on the recommendation of the previous owner. I was instructed to fertilize it weekly.
I'm no expert but it's not looking as good as when I got it. I have attached before before repotting/separation []and after photos roughly  I'm curious to know 1) what is the cause of the problems and 2) given what happened is in the past, what's the best way forward? Do I repot this time with potting soil? different or more fertilizer?
S.O.S.
thanks,
Rick


texts:
I’ve got two trees that didn’t get leaves on their tops. Should I be concerned? One is a twisted baby locust and the other is a scarlet oak tree. It did get really warm here and then freeze in the spring. The trees have had plenty of rainfall.

Additional photos


texts: I have just potted a home grown avocado plant from water to soil and day 2 of repotting and the leaves are drooping. Should I move back into water or just wait and hope for the best?


texts: I'm interested in identifying this weed so as to find a method of controlling it. This weed grows in the same location each year.


texts:
This orchid has been with me for one week. I don't know if she's ok, she has little points on her flowers and her stalk isn't brown at all. I watered the plant the same day I bought her and yesterday. She's in a garden with a ceiling but the sun enters in the sides.

Click on the pictures for larger view.


texts: How can I get rid of cats destroying my landscaping in a natural way?

texts: My neighbor's cats love to use my yard, garden, and flower beds as their person toilets. What can I use that is natural, and non-lethal to deter them from using my areas as a litter box. Whatever I use must not damage my flowers, lawn, or garden and must not be harmful to children.


texts: Need help identifying this grapevine and how to care for it

texts:
Hi I live in South New Jersey and there's an old grapevine from the previous home owners I would like to get it to fruit as the past couple years it hasn't been successfully fruitful.
Please see below pix....need help with pix I keep getting error when uploading a pic :(


texts: What are the brown spots on my tomato leaves?

texts:
These spots have been developing since the weather turned from hot and sunny to overcast with showers. The closest images I've found online are of magnesium deficiency, but I'm not convinced enough and would like to be sure.

The spots have started lower and are working their way up the plant, a couple of the lower leaves have died completely.

Thanks for your help!


texts: Why is there so much fear surrounding sea buckthorn?

texts:
Talking to a few people I've heard they're afraid of the plant being planted. Why is that?

One reason I heard was because it's related to the russian olive.


texts: Little light-green / yellow spots on my avocado plant leaf

texts:
So, basically I have this avocado plant that I grew from a seed a year ago.
It is progressing really great. Planted in pot and staying indoors, located near direct afternoon sunlight.

I had this problem before, I guess, but then it happened only to one or two leaves.

Now my baby has more leaves and these dots on leaves are spreading rapidly.

I don't know what it is. Some leaves even got brown "burn" on their tips.

I water it with tap water, but I did that way from the start.
Maybe I've put too much fertilizer(s). Cos the last thing I remember is that I've put two fertilizer sticks in the pot. Had (stupid) idea that it can't do much harm.

This is something that just occured recently, so have in mind that this is early stage of the issue...

What do you recommend doing?


texts:
We all know to leave about 4 fruit trusses on a tomato plant and to prune out suckers and side shoots. But the ends of the fruiting trusses on my plants have turned up and shot up in the air like new side shoots. They still have fruit on but then they curl up and have a huge shoot on the end. Why is this happening? Is it normal, and should I prune these ends off?

Here are a couple of pictures. I've circled the fruiting trusses near the plant.  In both cases the truss and the plant are at the back, and you can see where it then has a new megashoot on the end coming towards the camera which is about 2 feet long an curves up!

Do you think I should cut these off?  I'm doubtful the plant can ripen all that fruit.


texts: Hedge plant (Photinia Robusta) looks like it is dying. Is there anything I can do?

texts:
The plant (in the foreground of the picture) appears to be dying after a storm last tuesday. The leaves has got a darkish colour, and the flowers are turning brownish. They are supposed to be bright red and white respectively, like the other one in the background of the picture. I'm located in Sydney, Australia. How I can revive it?

Edit: Updated the species of the plant


texts: Cold weather protection - fleece, mesh, polythene?

texts:
This MyTinyPlot.co.uk blog post photo showing some enviably healthy looking autumn lettuces under protection got me down the garden centre today looking at protection options for my autumn/winter veg.

You can see they're using some kind of super fine fleece.

But what is the difference between plain old clear polythene (AKA polyethylene) / mesh / fleece? For cold weather protection. When do you opt for one or the other?


texts: Gardening / Growing Vegetables in raised metal containers

texts:
I have access to painted metal garage doors ( panels) and wondered if I can make them safe to use as a raised garden bed. What should I use to paint the inside to make it safe for growing vegetables?
I know in water tanks they use a bitumen based paint, to seal the inside.


texts:
About 10 days ago my plant was healthy and vibrant, but now the pineapple has gone brown and I can't work out why. This is my first attempt at gardening with a few plants in my office it brighten it up a bit.
I tried drying the soil out.
I tried watering the plant well with plant food.
I tried moving it to the front window so it gets lots of sunlight.
Is my plant beyond saving?


texts:
I have a young thimbleberry that I planted this past spring. It has been growing well and seemed to be getting established. Now I am seeing some leaf browning. We are in Denver and it has been hot and dry for the past 4 weeks. I have been watering at night about twice a week.

Browning occurs around the edges of some leaves as shown below:


texts: What vine would be best for my arbor under a tree in dry soil?

texts:
I have an arbor over a walkway, under a large tree. I want to find a vine that will grow on this under these conditions:

dry clay based topsoil
medium shade all day
USDA hardiness zone 6b
lots of bird activity

The arbor is 4' wide and 7' tall, with lattice on the sides for the vine to climb on, and the top is designed for the vines to intertwine in. The vine should preferably have most of these characteristics:

evergreen foliage
free branching habit
perennial woody vines
good disease resistance
moderate growth


texts: Can I cover mature tree roots with fresh wood chips?

texts: We are having trees trimmed and the branches put through a wood chipper. Can we use the resulting mulch to cover exposed roots on mature trees as soon as the come out of the chipper?


texts: What is a small white grub-like larva destroying my huchera?

texts: Trying to identify small white larvae that is killing plants like huchera. It is about 1/4" long with legs on its front half.  Hates light. Very mushy. When squeezed it has no color.


texts: What's a good water system for my cactus plant during holidays?

texts:
I have a very resilient cactus that can be left alone for a month without consequences.

Now, I want to leave it alone during two months and leave it some water system.

I have seen little earthen jars that can be put into the pot and filled with water.

Does this work? How big should they be?

Is there another system that works?


texts: How can I grow an in-ground 'bonsai' oak tree?

texts:
My question is a bit different because I'm leaving the oak tree in the ground where it started growing about 5 or so years ago.  I've been trying to keep it cut back each year to try to make it into an interesting looking bonsai-ish tree.  I'd like to add a picture for you to see so that you can help me.  I don't know how to go about cutting it back.  I think I've been doing it wrong and would like to know if I can salvage it.

The oak tree is to the right of the red flowers on top of the large spiky leaves.  To the right of the oak tree is a taller butterfly bush. The butterfly bush will be cut down if I can get the oak tree to look nice.  If anyone can help with shaping it I would appreciate the help.  If you need more pics please let me know.


texts: Level lawn to Laying plastic shed with membrane

texts:
I have ordered a shed and whole slab pavement/patio seem like a big job I ordered plastic based 8*6 shed base with membrane.  Now I want to lay it, some suggest we can just lay builder’s sand as base, level it and but membrane with shed base on top.
I am based in UK and it’s always rainy as soil is moist? What can be best way to do the job before shed and people arrive to assemble it?


texts: What flowers will bloom in winter in hot climate?

texts:
I'm looking for flowers (annual, perennial, shrubs etc...) that will bloom throughout the winter time in a warm climate.
Larnaka, Cyprus, USDA zone 10/11, temperatures don't drop below 0.
So far I found; cyclamen, pansies and alyssum.
What other flowers can add colour to the garden in winter?


texts: What is this weed called and how to kill it apart from hand pulling

texts: Need help with weed identification. I have tried weed killer like Scott’s weed and doesn’t work


texts: What Items Can i sell at my seed website i am making that isn't patented?

texts: I am making an online shop that sells seeds. I am wanting to know what seeds i am able to sell. Right now all i have is jack-o-lantern pumpkins,swan gourds, and tiger strip pumpkin. What else am i able to sell. Please answer soon! Thanks.


texts: What is this growing on my peach fruit?  It is not on all the peaches thankfully.


texts: Was removal of an old red maple tree warranted?

texts:
In our front yard was an old, huge, and beautiful red maple tree approximately 150 years old.  The crown was in great shape, the tree was in full bud recently and in full leaf this past summer/fall.  However, the trunk near the base had some decay.  One side of the tree in upper branches was not in bud, and had dropped a couple of branches.  Unfortunately this tree was planted when there was no road in the 1860s, and now it was very close to the road, and our house.
Our town deemed it necessary to remove based on the trunk and dropped branches. They took it down a day ago.  I'm still struggling with the loss of our beautiful tree.  The base of the trunk, when cut, had a rotted center probably about up to four feet in height.  From that point the wood was solid.  Any thoughts based on the condition for removal?  I know the integrity of the trunk is important for the weight of the branches. The height and spread of the crown was enormous - likely 90-100 feet tall.  Thank you for any input!


texts: What is this Orchid with Unusually Shaped Petals?

texts:
I took a picture of this orchid at the Atlanta Botanical Garden last year in June. If there was a name plate for it, I didn't see it. It's mostly white, with a bit of purple-pink color, has very unusually shaped petals, and flowers grow in long, hanging clusters.

Does anyone know what kind of orchid this is (at least the genus)?


texts: Why can it be that a green bell pepper plant just grows a single pepper with all the rest falling?

texts:
I am growing a green bell pepper plant:

It grew many flowers and one started to grow a pepper

But when it started to grow that one, all the rest stopped to grow, started to dry becoming yellow and fall down:

Is there an explanation for this? May be the pot is too small or is there too little soil?


texts: I have a plant pineapple that I started with the crown of another pineapple. I've had it for a few years, but for quite a few reasons, all of the leaves got ripped off, or rotted (too much moisture got locked in with the extra supports I had to give it).  So now my plant has no leaves. Is there any chance of it growing more? or living again??


texts:
I am investigating the use of a PC to control my yard irrigation system. The research that I've done has only revealed one system with the (unfortunate) name of Irritrol.

Have you used your PC to control your yard irrigation system? If so, how did you do it?

I am considering hobbling something together with an X10 controller and writing some software to control it but don't want to dive into that if it's already been done...


texts: Can the roots of a large Norway Red spruce tree crack a cement porch floor?

texts: I have a very large Norway spruce on the corner of my screened in porch. The porch has a cement floor that has had a crack across the middle of it. Over the past 15-20 years, the crack has raised the floor. Could this be because of the roots from the tree, and if it is, can I break up the floor and sever the roots without hurting or weakening the tree?


texts: Possibly the worst weed ever? A bad type of thistle?

texts:
Do you know what kind of weed this is, and how to eradicate it? It's not possible to pull it out from the root, and they are sharp and thorny. They grow quickly and spread rapidly.  I've avoided spraying herbicides since I don't want to impact the soil and future plantings; but I also haven't planted anything new because I'm scared it will be a waste if it's just taken over by these weeds.  I live in DC suburbs in Maryland.

Would it be OK to just spray Roundup on the entire bed, let them wither and die, and then start from scratch? I've heard varying information on how Roundup affects the soil.


texts:
I'm wanting to grow (from seed + my own grafting) an Avocado tree in an IBC container.  IBC Containers are about 1m x 1m x 1m.

How practical is this, and is this space enough for an avocado tree to yield a meaningful quantity of fruit (assuming I get the grafting right and it is able to pollinate).

Relatedly, are dwarf avocados special cultivars or can any avocado be made into a dwarf by constraining its root system and pruning it ?


texts: Portulacas (moss rose) bloom for 1 day then wither?

texts: To my understanding, they are suppose to bloom longer than 1 day. Each stem has 2 to 3 buds on top and each opens on different days but each one opens for 1 day, closes in the afternoon then withers and starts seeding. I don't understand? And also they look like the kind that are suppose to have more than 1 row of petals (that's what the seed packet looks like)  and mine only have 1 row of petals.


texts: Can one have cacti and non-cactus plants in the same pot?

texts:
I have these 3 small cacti which are getting too big for their pot. I was thinking of replanting them together with this larger plant.

Would that be possible to have cacti and a non-cactus plant together in the same pot?

Thanks.


texts: Why has my kiwi office plant developed red leaves?

texts:
I have grown a kiwi plant which is growing nicely in my office. Recently, some of it's leaves have developed a red hue.

What is happening here? Do I have to worry?


texts: When is it ok to prune an overgrown apple tree?

texts:
I recently bought a new house and I'm trying to get the garden in order.  It has an apple tree which has lots of low branches and appears generally neglected.  Some of the leaves are silvery and look ill.

It blossomed in late May and, now in late June has started producing some pathetic looking fruit. Is it ok to start pruning now? If so, how much should I prune? Below is how the tree looked in May:

I'd like to at least remove the low branches and ideally the high branch coming in from the left. Should I wait until winter or is it safe to do now/summer without damaging the tree?


texts:
Can anyone help me identify this? I live in Essex, England and it's in a border in my garden. Within 1 metre (three feet) is an ornamental Pear tree, other plants and grasses are close by too. Also near is a bird feedfeeder which I fill with general seed and peanuts.

There is one other instance of this 'plant' within 1 metre of the one photographed - I have not found any others .... yet.

Obviously I'm concerned it may be invasive.

All help much appreciated.


texts:
I live in Pacific Northwest and since last summer, I didn't take care for this guy:

Now it looks very bad shape. I guess lack of sun is part of the problem.

What can I do NOW?

How should I care for this one moving forward?


texts: Does cold kill whiteflies and their eggs?

texts:
I've discovered some nasty whiteflies on my chili peppers. I'm keeping my plants indoors. my question is if I expose them to cold outdoor temperatures (below 5 or 10 degrees Celsius) does it kill those whiteflies or not? I haven't found any eggs yet but if there are any, does cold temperatures have an effect on them as well?
Is this a good solution overall?


texts: How can a green leaved canna's flower color be found when not in bloom?

texts: At a perennial sale once I found an unmarked canna with green leaves, and when I asked what color the flowers were, they said they didn't know. After looking at the leaves for a while, they decided it was probably yellow. Later that summer, I found they were right. How can I find that out for myself?


texts: Why are the leaves of my peach trees turning yellow?

texts:
With the help of the internet I think I've narrowed down a yellow leaf problem on some peach trees to a couple various causes. However, after comparing pictures - they look different. Back to the drawing board, trying to figure out where I went wrong.

Here's some other information that may be helpful.

New trees, planted just this year. (My first time gardening actually)
Trees received from someone who knows the importance of organics. Transplanted when they were about 3" tall.
Up until this point, trees have been doing fairly well (aside from pests). The tallest being about 26" (although it's the closest to a field, so I'm assuming it had something to do with fertilizer run-off.
Average tree height is around 12"
Trees are planted about 5ft from a ditch line. It rains a couple times a month but I wouldn't think enough to be over-watering them. The ditch is hardly ever saturated except on the day it rains.
Had issues with various pests eating my plants so I spray (a couple times a month) Garden Safe Organic insecticidal soap.
Family members own a couple bunnies so instead of "wasting" their droppings (See what I did there? :) I put a large amount [big heavy garbage bag full] into a barrel, add water, let sit for several weeks and take 2 cups off for 1 gallon of water.
Water them every night in the evening with 2 gallons of water total for 8 plants. About 1/4th gallon per plant.
About two month ago, I put some rabbit pellets (plus mulch from cage) at base of plant. It's still there although quite dried out and lost most of the coloring.
First noticed something wrong about two months ago, where one tree in particular had what I thought might of been nutrient burning. The edges of the leaf were a rust looking color. I sparsely resumed using the fertilizer but not as much. [Picture #1]
After a month, the leaves were still yellowing. I immediately stopped using the bunny fertilizer. [Picture #2]
After about a month without, a yellow tint around outside of leaves appeared. The rest of the trees finally caught up. Resumed fertilizer yesterday in hopes of fixing because the plants are still moving toward a yellow-droopey state. [Picture #3] (Beware this picture's lighting is over-exposed)
The largest of the trees is still fairly green but is finally starting to yellow on some leaves. This is the color the other plants should be. [Picture #4]

Potential causes:

Over watering
Nutrient deficiency
Nutrient burning (from manure; even though I stopped for over a month with no change)
Very hot and humid days (this summer got into high nineties (95%F+  at 80%+ humidity)

Picture time:

1 - Potential nutrient burning

2 - First sign of yellowing

3 - Over-exposed picture of yellowing

4 - Largest tree, finally yellowing


texts: I went to a nursery earlier today and got a bonsai tree. I've always wanted a bonsai tree however never had gotten around to it. Looking at photos makes me think it's a Green Mound Juniper however I was hoping I could get some confirmation.


texts: Is there a limit how many branches I can graft onto a mature apple tree?

texts:
I have 5 mature Bramley apple trees - I think at least 10-15 years old, I do not know the rootstock but they are easily 6m high so I assume something large; they are also in great soil and get a decent amount of sun and little wind.

However these are the only fruit trees which came with the garden and seriously, who needs 5 Bramleys and nothing else!? I've started planting other eating varieties and crab apples but was also interested to try grafting as a way to avoid removing one or two nice trees to make space.

Is there any practical limit to how many branches I can replace with grafts either per season or as a fraction of the total tree? I've been offered multiple types and am kind of curious to make a "Franken-tree" where I just replace as many branches as possible with a range of varieties - an orchard on a single tree so to speak!


texts:
this is my pepper plant, it's been curling up like this for a time and the flowers are not producing any peppers (i hand polinate it).
is this a virus? is it cureable? ty for your help


texts: Elimination of Japanese Knotweed by injection

texts:
I have a Japanese Knotweed problem in a limited area (about 15x15 feet).

It is very difficult to dig up the roots because they can be a good 2 feet underground.

Therefore I am considering death by injection: cutting off the stalks about 6 inches above the ground and pouring imazapyr into the well of the stalk. Will this be effective? Is there a better approach?

One pamphlet I read described an experiment where they did something similar but used a mixture of glyphosate, triclopyr, and imazapyr. I am not really expert in different herbicides, so I am looking for some expert advice here.


texts:
I'm planning ahead for over seeding this fall. There's a section of my yard that is virtually all Crabgrass.

Does it make sense to pull it all up by hand or use a herbacide before putting down the new seed? I want to ensure the seed makes good contact with the soil. I plan on renting aerator (and possibly a power rake). Wondering if either of those tools would be able to power through the thick Crabgrass and give me enough soil contact.

Thoughts?


texts:
I’m relatively new to house plants so would appreciate any advice!
My Polka Dot Begonia is currently in its nursery pot inside a ceramic pot. I need to raise the humidity around this plant and I’m aware it can‘t be done through misting as the leaves shouldn’t be getting wet (correct me if I’m wrong!).
I‘ve heard about adding humidity through pebble trays and I’m wondering if it would work in the same way if I was to put the pebble tray inside the ceramic pot? The ceramic pot is slightly bigger than the plastic pot so if I could find a tray the same size as the ceramic pot and put the tray inside (then sit the plastic pot on top) do you think the water would evaporate in the same way? I hope this makes sense I’m not sure how else to describe it!
There might also be something else I’m not considering here so I welcome any comments, thank you!!


texts: 2 of my potted tomatoes are getting some freckles. They are outside in the sun and moved in each night. T is from 20°C to 30°C, relative humidity ranging from 45% to 65%, and very rarely above that. I am in south central Europe. To me, this looked like Septoria leaf spot or early blight, but i am no expert.


texts: How to water a potless Tillandsia Cyanea?

texts:
I have a Tillandsia Cyanea that I have to do something with. It's by Living Trends and they put it in a small drainless pot with a magnet on the back. It's technically in a small pot within that pot, but it's still not healthy. Recently, while perusing youtube.com, specifically the Brad's Greenhouse channel, I saw that he had unpotted a Tillandsia Cyanea completely and made it into a hanging air plant.

He said that many people want to pot them in dirt, but that it really doesn't need it anymore than any other air plant because it's an epiphyte. I'd like to do something similar. It's obviously working for him, because he did an update video showing where he'd gotten a good bit of growth and two flow spikes off of it. He did say that he's roots had died, but that it wasn't a problem.

The only thing lacking in the video is how to water it. His plants are in a greenhouse, so you have high humidity. I'm also sure he probably mists it. However, I wanted more information, because the leaves on this plant are very grassy. It's not like my other Tillandsia that turns silver when dry and green when wet. That plant obviously absorbs moisture through it's leaves. It's not obvious to me that the Tillandsia Cyanea absorbs water this way. I don't want to dehydrate it.

Can anyone tell me how these absorb water? It's not through the roots, or at least no solely, because he said his roots pretty much died off. His is also growing in multiple directions, so I don't think the water is sitting in the base of the leaves like a regular bromeliad. Can anyone tell me how I'd water and fertilize this plant if I completely removed the pot and simply suspended it from wire? Thanks.


texts: Guess this green leaf and red stem plant

texts:
Can someone help in identifying this plant
It has green leaves and reddish type stem
Its only small now how big will it grow.


texts: Does willow grow better from cuttings than bare root saplings?

texts:
Someone I was talking to was advocating planting willow trees as cuttings rather than planting bare-root trees, saying the cuttings would actually grow more reliably and vigorously.

Is this good advice if I had free choice between the two and there weren't other factors?


texts: When is the best time to move daffodil bulbs?

texts:
A while back, I planted a patch of daffodils in my lawn. I've regretted it ever since when I have to mow around the plants after they've bloomed, it looks a mess with only the leaves after the blooms have gone and the grass suffers after the leaves have gone, too.

When is the best time to fork-up the bulbs and transplant them to a border? They're still in-leaf at the moment so it'll be easier to find the little jokers but should I wait until all the 'goodness' has returned to the bulb?


texts: How to get healthier an old kalanchoe plant?

texts:
I have recently brought this kalanchoe plant from work. Previously it was by the window and would flower a couple of times a year. It has been less vital at my place. I learned that it needs a different placement to increase the sunlight (new placement in photos). It has leggy stems and leaves at the ends of the stems. Anything else I can do to improve its health? Is it worth saving or better to trim and replant the trimmings?

Thank you.]2


texts:
I've had a Fittonia (Nerve plant) for more than a year now, and it's been doing really great. I've repotted it once and until a month ago it was doing so well that I was considering dividing it.
Fittonias are quite communicative and tend to droop if you don't water them in a while (but recover in less than an hour once you do).
My Fittonia has been permanently drooping for the last month. I have been watering it sufficiently (to the point of being concerned about overwatering). I have been misting it for the past few days. There are no bugs on it that I can see. But it hasn't recovered.
It has been placed in a window that typically has a curtain drawn on it, so it gets diffuse light. I'm considering moving it to a different part of the apartment to see if the amount of sunlight is a problem (the redder inner leaves would indicate). But in the past this plant has been given non-diffuse sunlight for half the day and has done really well, and never drooped, so I'm skeptical this is actually the problem here.
The plant itself seems to be doing fine aside from the drooping. The leaves are firm and feel normal.
I live in California, which has been experiencing periodic heat waves as well as very bad air quality. The drooping did start around the same time, but air quality has been fine for a while (and this plant is in the same room as an air filter so the indoor air quality is great).
Any ideas as to what's wrong and how to fix it?


texts:
I live in El Dorado Hills, CA (northern CA). A new lawn (~150 sq ft) was laid ~5 month ago. I was told by the builder that they planted 90/10 fescue/bluegrass sod for grass.

I have been trying to take care of the lawn by mowing it once a month and watering it regularly. However, the condition of the lawn seems to have deteriorated. A recent picture:

I am seeing a lot of dead grass spots appear. Don't understand why this is happening. I believe I made a couple of mistakes.

On a couple of occasions, I mowed the lawn too low. I've corrected that by moving the setting on my lawn mower to maximum height.
For fertilizer, I am using Milorganite (organic). In early August, I applied about 2lbs with a spreader (instructions say 35 lbs / 2500 sq ft). This was the first application. Instead of 'greening' the grass, a lot of it seems to have died.
For watering, the sprinklers are set to 20 min at 6:00 AM for every other day. I will reduce that as we get into the fall/rainy season. The soil underneath is mostly clay.
Temperatures have definitely been high (100-105) in the previous month so maybe that has caused stress on the grass.

Given the picture above, what am I potentially doing wrong? Any recommendations for any corrective actions I can take for the lawn to recover back to health?

Update on 4/18/2018:

Here are two pictures shows the update. I overseeded twice (once in Sept/Oct 2017 and once in late Jan 2018). We have gotten quite a bit of rain in the last 2 months and the grass has come back quite strong (I think). Still some bald spots in a few areas but I will add more seed to those areas in the coming fall. Will fertilize in May. Started mowing once per week. Things are looking much better! Thanks.


texts: Should I be concerned about my bell peppers

texts:
Started Bell Peppers from seeds may 7 indoors, transplanted them a few weeks ago, I'm in USDA zone 5.

They don't seem to be growing too well, in terms of bushing out and growing taller.
Here is a pic.

The other 11 I have growing look more or less similar to this one ( some a bit more foliage) and 3 of them have even started fruiting with very tiny marble sized peppers on them as of a few days. Should I be worried at the lack of height and bushiness? How to fix the problem? I think I had them too long in small containers so that might be part of it.I can take more pictures and closer up if that will help people determine too.


texts: Why isn't my Victoria Plum tree fruiting?

texts: I planted a Victoria Plum tree 3 years ago, but haven't had any fruit yet. It had quite a bit of blossoms last year, but no fruit, and very few blossoms this year. Any advice please.


texts: Can cabbage worms (Pieris brassicae) smell cabbages from a distance?

texts:
I've got some cabbages and they had some cabbage worms.
I picked up the worms and put them outside my fence.

Can the worms smell their way back into my cabbages?


texts: Which backpack sprayer (stainless steel vs plastic wand) to spray acidic solution to kill weeds?

texts: I am debating which Chapin backpack sprayer to buy. The major difference between Chaptin 61900 and 61800 (see bottom of the page for comparison) is that 61900's wand is stainless steel. I am planning to use it with homemade solution (with white vinegar plus salt and detergent) to kill weeds. But will this solution be bad with stainless steel (ie: corrosive)?


texts:
Identify this succulent?
Can you help me identify this plant?


texts: Lucifera Crocosmia -I want to collect the seeds -the pods are still green how long do I wait?

texts:
I have two Lucifera Crocosmia plants that lost their flowers. I want to collect the seeds, but the pods are still green. How long do I wait?
They look like in the picture below, a couple of pods and then there are those small bulbs that I do not know what they are. The pods are still green. Should I collect them now? If not what is a good sign they are ready?


texts: Identifying and Propagating Roadside Tree

texts:
Can anyone please tell me what species this is and how to take a cutting and propagate it?

I have a love of strong wild and roadside plants that aren't sensitive and prone to death like so many plants that have died on me over the years.


texts: How much light do I need to grow peppermint indoors?

texts:
I want to grow a peppermint plant at my office desk (specifically peppermint because I enjoy the smell). However, my desk is well away from the windows, so natural light will be minimal at best. I'm considering buying an adjustable LED lamp to provide light, but I'm concerned that any lamp I buy with sufficient power to make up for the lack of natural light, will be bright enough as to be distracting to myself or others.

How viable is my goal? Can I make do with a dimmer light, or will I need a brighter one? Can I leave it on overnight, and turn it off during the day, perhaps?

Thanks in advance!


texts:
I bought these miniature roses about 3 months ago from the supermarket, so I was aware they might not live long. However, they seemed to do well. After I removed the dead flowers and moved them near the window, they started growing new leaves, they almost doubled their size. I was very surprised that they also bloomed again.

In the last days I started to notice that their leaves are slowly turning yellow, starting from the bottom. Here are some pictures of them where you can see the leaves:

Are they dying?  Should I plant them outside? The temperature outside is about 20C during day and around 10C during night, not very sunny unfortunately.


texts: Tomato plant stem and leaves turning dark green/black with yellow circles

texts:
I have a few tomato plants where the tops of the leaves and stems are turning dark green/grey. Additionally, yellow circles are appearing on the leaves.

These were recently transplanted from indoor containers to a larger garden bed outside and didn't show these symptoms prior to living outside. That was about 1 week ago.

From what I've been able find while looking around this could be some form of blight? My plan was to prune the affected areas and spray with a baking soda solution, but I'm not sure if that would actually help since I'm uncertain what the issue is so far.

I have a few other tomato plants I've transplanted at the same time that don't show any of these symptoms that are in the same soil.

Update
I've added a photo of a nearby tomato plant that isn't showing any of these symptoms and was transplanted at the same time. However, I did give this one some bone meal earlier than the others (before transplanting) because I saw the undersides of its leaves and the stem were turning purple. From what I've read that can indicate a phosphorus deficiency.

The bone meal fertilizer I used is 3-15-0.


texts: Is it possible to tell if a date palm is male or female by looking at its roots?

texts:
There are some gardeners in my locality who claim to know gardeners that can tell if a date palm is fruit-bearing (female) or not (male) while it is still a sapling by just looking at its roots.

Is there any credibility to this claim? As it takes several years for a date palm to bear fruit, it would be quite useful to be able to know this in advance.


texts: I've heard a lot about plants doing poorly with irregular watering, but what does that really mean as some people have access to surface water?


texts: Is it okay to leave peat moss out from a soil-less mix recipe?

texts:
Is it OK to leave out peat moss in a soil recipe? I have this gardenbox and I'm looking for recipes for a mix to buy in bulk and ALL of them have peat moss, but from what I've read it's no good. Here's an example:

1/2 bushel of peat moss
1/2 bushel of vermiculite
1/2 cup of ground limestone


texts: Zucchini, eggplant, melon and cucumber pest/disease?

texts:
I'm trying my hand at growing some vegetables on my balcony. I'm in Firenze, Italy, it's currently 30-35 degrees Celsius (about 95 Fahrenheit?) and I have full (10+ hours) sun on my balcony.
The problem is with my zucchini, melon, eggplant and cucumber plant. All four show the same issues: yellowing leaves with brown edges with holes, and its as if the plants starts to die/yellow/wilt from the bottom upwards. Some pictures that might describe this better below. I have the suspicion all suffer from the same thing as there are large similarities between the start and spread of the disease. I have no idea whether it's because of small insects, a disease, or (by now I just start guessing) something that's in the soil and infects the plants? I do not see many insects around my plants - sometimes some tiny flies (white and some black/white ones) but not many or something that is clearly noticable.
Maybe relevant information: my mint plant shows some similar damage, though much less; my tomatoes are completely unaffected as well as my basilicum, my lemon tree, oleander and lavendel. So far I tried a general insecticide spray as well as a spray based on neem oil. Neither seemed to solve the issue. I also fertilized the soil once every month or so with a general potted plant fertilizer that you add to the water.
I really hope someone can help me with this. Any suggestions, ideas or thoughts are much appreciated!!!
The pictures:
First, my zucchini is definitely in the worst shape of them all. I cut off some heavily infected/damaged leaves, hence the shape. But it just looks terrible at the moment:

Additionally, my young eggplant plants start to show some leaf damage:

Whereas the older one is still somewhat decent:

The same goes for my cucumber plant:


texts: Can anybody identify this smelly succulent?

texts:
It looks like it may be a type of Crassula. The leaves have a strong menthol/eucalyptus smell. The smell comes from oily hairs on the leaves similar to scented geraniums.

The underside of the leaves has very prominent veins.


texts: I live in Brazil (Rio de Janeiro) and this plant often appears in the garden even without being planted. Can someone tell me what kind it is?


texts: The site lists it as yellow strip scindapsus  but google images look nothing like this. It is probably from south east Asia / Indonesia...


texts: What do manufactures put into coir (coconut fibre) "soil"

texts:
I've used coir soil for my potted plants to make the soil a little less compressed. I've read the declaration and is says that it contains max 5% of coconut fibres.

What could be the other 95%?


texts:
I have a peculiar problem with an apple tree in my backyard.
As you might be able to tell from the picture below, it's only flowering on one side.
That's not too weird if it weren't for the fact that last year it did the same, but on the exact opposite side. And all the years before that it just bloomed normally.
The flowers aren't also just distributed on specific branches. Both times the flowers seem to choose branches at random as long it's on the side of the tree that blooms. If that branch goes to the other side it simply doesn't bear any flowers over there.

My father, who planted the tree, says it's around 20 years old and that it's of the 'golden' species. We didn't do anything special to the tree nor did we do any building work, soil management or other alteration to the surroundings in the last two years.

Would anyone be able to shed light on this? While I have searched, but I haven't found any information that can clarify this so far.


texts: What type of wood does black oyster mushrooms grow on?

texts: I have a bag of black oyster mushroom sawdust, and was wondering what type of wood I should use to make totems with.


texts: Is this deciduous shrub with leathery green leaves in Northern England, some sort of cotoneaster?

texts:
Our garden in the North of England was full of these when we moved in. It grows a lot vertically, never seems to flower, is deciduous, and has leathery green leaves.

Been trying to work out what it is for a while with no luck.

Photos:


texts: How can I discourage venomous snakes from living in my property?

texts: I noticed that a copperhead has made his home under my front porch.  He has been spotted two days in a row, and, yesterday, I nearly stepped on him.  I prefer not to mess with him as I have read that most incidence of snake bites come from disturbing/attempting to kill these animals.  Additionally, I have a three year old son, who loves the outdoors and, although I can teach him to not touch these things, he is typically unobservant and is liable to be bitten due to the proximity of our homes (the snake's and our's).  Now, I can certainly wait for him to be spotted outside his home and block the access back into his pit.  But, my question is, what about my property, in particular, my garden, can I change to discourage this fellow from being attracted to the premises?


texts: Does dill negatively effect carrot growth?

texts: I've read in a number of places that carrots and dill do not do well together.  There is no specific reason listed, so I am skeptical on this.  Looking for some hard evidence to back this up.


texts:
What's the name of this small purple eggplant cultivar?
The purple color is close to the purple of the Japanese eggplant and Orient Charm eggplant.

The ones in the first photo are 7 to 10 cm long, while in the second picture, they are about 10 to 13 cm long.


texts: How do I perk up a Gray Oak I just planted whose leaves are turning yellow and brown?

texts:
I planted a container-grown Gray Oak tree in my yard last weekend, and it isn't looking very happy so far. Its leaves are turning yellow and then brown around the edges. The Gray Oak is supposed to be evergreen in my climate (Northern New Mexico, zone 7B, heavy clay soil, 7 inches of annual rainfall) so these color changes are not expected and and I'm wondering what I did wrong and/or how I can perk it up.

Here's what I did:

Dug a square hole of equal depth to the rootball and three times as wide.
Poured hydrogen peroxide on the sides and bottom of the hole to loosen the extremely hard heavy clay soil (specifically recommended by the nursery)
Washed away the hydrogen peroxide with the hose.
Manually separated the roots of the tree, since it was extremely root-bound in its container.
Planted the tree with separated roots in the hole and backfilled the hole with native soil.
Sprinkled a humic acid-based soil amendment on the top of the bare soil.
Built a mulch basin wider than the current radius of the branches.
When the top inch of soil is dry, I flood the mulch basin with a very slow trickle of water for 8 hours to ensure that it penetrates deeply into the soil.

Despite this, the leaves are turning yellow and brown and falling off.

What did I do wrong, and what can I do to perk it up?


texts: Japanese box hedge failing to thrive. What to do?

texts:
I have a Japanese box hedge which is not exactly dying, but is definitely failing to thrive.  When I moved in (5 years ago) it was looking much better.  So it's not about the location, but that the previous owner knows something I do not.

It is on the north side of the house and receives plenty of sun.  I have used sugar-cane mulch to keep weeds to a minimum.  Nearby roses are fertilized with chook manure and commercial rose food.  The roses are growing well as is nearby murraya hedge.

Over the last 6 months I have tried a few different things:

fertilizing with blood and bone,
fertilizing with cow manure,
spraying with a fortnightly mixture of Seasol and Powerfeed.

There have been periods of steady rainfall for weeks which have not seemed to help.

Do I need to test the soil?  Treat for pests?

I took a couple of pictures so you can see what I mean.

Some observations:-

on the shady side, there is a green tinge to the bark
leaves appear to be yellowing from the tips first and then going brown
some unhealthy looking leaves have small brown dots along the edge of the leaf, more prominent on the top of the leaf than the bottom
cross-section the root does not appear to have a blue tinge (my mobile phone camera is not too good a close-ups)
the soil looks good (noticed few worms when I dug this up).  Soil is clayey


texts: Why do all my strawberries become moldy?

texts:
We have a strawberry patch in our back yard.  There seems to be a lot of mold growing there, which is getting to the berries before we can.  What can I do to prevent this from happening?

Cool, and especially damp this spring.  I live in the St Paul, MN, so it is fairly cool most of the time (compared to summers elsewhere at least).  They have raised sides around them, and are pretty packed in there.  Looking at the bed, you can't see any of the ground through the leaves.


texts: Why are my houseplant gingers leaves curling?

texts:
I purchased a variegated ginger plant for
indoors,two weeks ago.. the leaves curled up yesterday, and I’m not sure why..It sits in a bright window, no direct sunlight.I did fertilize it yesterday with a product called vine wine..I would appreciate any answers you could give. thank you


texts:
I have used municipal compost 2: river sand 3 pot mix. Chilly planted (2 weeks old) drip irrigation done on a poly tunnel. For the first two weeks growth was really good. But after that, sudden deformation of leaves appears on some plants. First new leaves becomes yellowish, then it grows in length only.  Older leaves remain healthy.  Flowering normally with no deformation. checked ec and ph (Ec .8 DS-m PH 8.4)
enter image description here
Started flushing the pots. Not recovering yet. Checked for mites. Aphids. And trips but no issues
Please help


texts: Dark brown leisons on the underside of the hot pepper leaves

texts: There are dark brown leisons on the underside of the leaves and the leaves eventually turn yellow and fall off. Leisons are not visible on the upper side, also not water soaked or with a yellow halo surrounding it so I am thinking of ruling out bacterial leaf spot, so what would be causing it and the solution?


texts: Can this bamboo with brown leaves recover?

texts:
I have a bamboo, phyllostachus aurea (outside over winter, London, UK, 2nd floor balcony, exposed to some wind) that over the winter developed brown leaves. Is this normal? I don't think it's lack of water as it's been watered regularly (every week).
It has some brown spots on some of the leaves.


texts: WHY Black spot and brown leaves shown on Areca plant?

texts: I water the plant once a week. I fertilize the plant every two weeks. Suddenly, after a day of watering, I noticed the appearance of these spots.


texts: Are seeds inside dried peppers still viable?

texts:
I'm trying to grow the Carolina Reaper chili pepper.

Searching for "carolina reaper seeds" on Amazon shows quite a few scams. Some reviewers say after waiting months for the pepper to grow, they found out that they were sold common varieties of seed, such as cayenne or banana pepper.

I've also come across listings that sell the whole Carolina Reaper pepper, but in dried form. These should be undeniably the Carolina Reaper because you can clearly see the shape of the vegetable. I'm wondering if the seeds inside dried vegetables are still viable. That is, can they still germinate? I hope the drying process didn't kill the seeds.


texts:
So i have been growing potted cucumbers for roughly 5 weeks now but they have been starting to like they are wilting in the last couple of days. I water them about once a week and measure the soil moisture level. The temperature in the room is around 22-24 degrees celcius and the humidity around 40 - 55%. I have also been feeding it fertilizer once a week with its watering.
The left one also has no fruits growing, but the right one currently has 5 of them, although the size of the fruits has not really changed since the fruits formed. I have cut off some leaves from the right one as the leaves were extremely droopy and had yellow spots on them
Anyone has any ideas what could be going on here?


texts:
I travel too much, and, honestly I don't really have a green thumb plants. Still, I like them and would be happy to keep some resilient plants if could get geeky about it :)

I was trying to figure how to automatically irrigate plants with simple mechanism and interesting designs (after all, plants in my case, are for decoration only).

I wanted some that was:

Simple and low maintenance
Interesting design (I probably mean geeky here)
Somewhat configurable. Specifically in terms of how much water it drips for the different plants

I have experimented with IV tubes I bought in a pharmacy but that small flow control is not precise enough to set the drip rate so low.

I have seen a few commercial products around, but they all seem to assume the person buying will be on top of the maintenance or they have some sort of lame camouflage to hide it within the plants. Well, I guess both points are fair enough, but neither is my case :)

Have any of you guys figured something alike?

[EDIT] I guess I should mention this is for small plants kept inside the house - nothing fancy, really.


texts:
It's me again. I'm worried this'll be closed as against the rules, but I didn't find anything against posting multiple plants in one question. Maybe I just didn't look hard enough.

Anyways, here goes. All of these were collected in South-Central Europe, some on fields, some in yards, and some in vineyards or forests. I'll try to give details about each one.

1) A small plant, found in a field. The ball next to it is the root. It has small bag-like accessories on it.

2) A woody shrub. From a yard.

3) Small plant with tiny yellow flowers. Found in a field.

4) Small green plant with a fairly stiff and thick trunk near the ground. The flowers pop when squeezed. Found in a field.

5) Small plant found in a field. The trunk is stiff. Small yellow flowers, found in a field.

6) Small plant with fuzzy leaves. Presumably found in a field. There is one small growth of orange hairs on the left side of the trunk. The main trunk is also quite fuzzy itself.

7) Small fern. Found near a forest. Apparently, grows in groups with other ferns of the same species and is around 30-40cm tall. The root is very flaky.

8) See next photo description.

9) Need help distinguishing two species from the same genus (correct me if I'm wrong but these seem to be from the same genus). The other one is No. 8.

10) Small plant found in a field. Very flimsy trunk. The leaves are shovel-shaped and there's only one yellow flower with a small number of petals.

11) Small plant found in a field, many trunks (I'm saying trunk a lot, forgive me, I do not know the proper word) stemming from one central root. The leaves are needle-like just like with a pine but much slimmer.

12) Small green plant with a very flimsy body. Lilac flowers which stem from the main trunk. The root is very long.

13) Small green plant found in a field. Leaves are parsley-like and it has flowers which are silk-like to the touch. The body is quite firm and juicy.

Thanks for bearing through this long question. Looking forward to answers.

P.S I can split this into multiple questions, just tell me.


texts: What type of fertilizer should be used on garlic?

texts:
This is my third year growing garlic and in the past I've sprayed my plants with a liquid fish and seaweed fertilizer throughout the season. I had also applied a small amount of composted manure in the fall when planting it.

This year when I planted the garlic I did not amend the soil since I didn't have anything to use. Now that it’s coming up I’m wondering when this should be fertilized, and with what.

I have some bone meal and my local nursery has a bulb care product and some bio-tone starter plus available. Would any of these be ok to apply or is there a better solution?


texts: What's a good one device solution for mowing a small lawn?

texts:
I recently moved into a new place which includes a very small, maybe 20 square metres, lawn with a terrace.
I'm now wondering what I should get for mowing it. I would really prefer a solution which only requires me to buy one device.
The lawn is essentially a small rectangular area, bounded by a terrace, a garden fence of the neighbours, and a hedge row.
Right now I'm mostly thinking about getting either a manual push mower, or a weed whacker. I'm not an expert when it comes to gardening, but I did a bit of readup now. I think a push mower is the better option for clearing the fully accessible areas, but I think it might fall flat in the areas where the neighbours fence is located. A string trimmer on the other hand is perfect for the corners, but I am unsure whether it is a good fit for the open space, also because the clean cut is very dependent on whether I can keep a steady hand I think.
What would your recommendation be?


texts: How can I get rid of the moss growth on my lawn, and improve its overall health?

texts:
I have a large-ish garden and I live in West Yorkshire, UK. I moved to this house in December of 2016, and it is only now that things have settled down and I am able to spend some time doing gardening.

My lawn is full of a type of moss (I think), and I'd appreciate some advice on what I can do to get my lawn to be healthy green, similar to my neighbour's lawn.

The house used to belong to a lady in her late 50s. She seemed to love plants, but perhaps the lawn was a bit too much for her. The lawn was like this when we got the house.

Here are some images.

Mine is on the right. As you can see, the colour of the circular lawn isn't bright green, it is more like yellow!

I've started working on the edging, but it is hard work. I'm fat, so I'm taking things slow.

Am I right that the soil is too compacted? It certainly doesn't feel plushy when walking on it.

I'm not sure if this is moss, but I have that too in one corner of the garden (towards the house, not the glass house).

This is the moss that's all over the place.

Here's a closer, clearer shot of the moss.


texts: Getting flower bed ready for planting next year

texts:
I am preparing an area appr. 5m by 1m to become perennial garden bed next year. I am going to plant plants gradually throughout next year. I am currently using top soil from elsewhere in the garden and in-house made compost to amend the soul in that area. Nothing is planted in the area at this moment, and there used to be only grass there before (and weeds occasionaly). Regarding next year, grass and weed will inevitably appear in the area, and there seems to be two school of thoughts regarding dealing with that:

My neighbor says I have to keep anything from growing in that area, except the plants I am going to gradually introduce.
I say I can grow white clover (trifolium repens) in the area, which would be gradually replaced by plants, avoiding that way dealing with grass and weed.

Who is right?


texts: What do I do with Bay Tree saplings to grow a new tree?

texts:
Below is a photo of the saplings growing from my bay tree's roots. I previously posted about this bay tree because I made some bad decisions with it. Probably because of all the stress the tree seems like it is trying to reproduce.

My question is, I want to grow at least one of these saplings into a tree/bush. What is the best thing to do with them? Would like to keep them both if possible.

My initial thought is to make sure they have enough roots and separate them quite soon.


texts: Should I redo my irrigation on the property?

texts:
I am redoing my landscaping and I am a little bit confused about what to do about my existing irrigation system. A couple of things that are going is that I collected multiple quotes from multiple companies and most of them had a quote and most of them had an itemized entry for irrigation.
I do have a functional irrigation system in the front yard and I do not have any trees in the backyard but I do see that there are sprinkler heads. Which I assume maybe working if we do some testing.
Now, the person I am working with right now says that he will test it, and if it working then he doesn't think that we need to redo the irrigation system. Which sounds good because I save money in that case. However, what I am thinking that "Is it worth it to re-do the irrigation system anyways?" This is because, if I consider the overall cost of the project then within that the irrigation cost is less than 5%. And this property is 20 years old. Would it be worth it to just have him re-do the irrigation system anyways?

Also, I am in California, USA and I am not even sure if the irrigation code has changed since and I need an upgrade anyways.

Any suggestions?


texts:
The leaves on my lemon tree have these small yellow and brown dots. I assumed these are some kind of pests or insects and have therefore been spraying them with neem oil every 8 - 10 days. I even removed some highly affected leaves, but they keep reappearing. Any help with identification and resolving this issue will be greatly appreciated.

Also, I bought this grafted plant from a local nursery 4 months back and the seller told me that it would start flowering in a couple of months. I have been fertilising with bonemeal every 2 weeks, but no flowering yet. Any tips on getting the plnt to flower? Many thanks in advance.
PS: The plant is in a container on my balcony. I live in Mumbai, India.


texts: How much water should I give a mung bean each day?

texts: I have a mung bean plant I'm growing in my home that's about 10 centimeters tall now. How much water should I be giving the plant each day in order for it to grow? I would like to know the amount in cubic centimeters if possible.


texts: What type of lawn damage is this, and what do I do about it?

texts:
I would like to give my front lawn a little TLC this year.

I don’t really know a lot about lawn care, (other than mowing it) so I am looking for some general advice. Does this look like a seeding issue, a fertilizer issue or both? I've recently ordered a book on the subject, but I thought I would try the interwebs as well.

I've heard of de-thatching and aerating… what is that all about?

Lawn is located in Boston, MA.

The photos were taken May 1st.

I'm not sure what type of grass it is.

I'm sure it was planted from seed as the property is over 100 years old.

Click any photo for full size


texts: Pepper tree suffering, leaves drying out at the tops, apparently from cold and wind

texts:
We have a pepper tree, about 7 to 8 feet tall, that has never been totally well but this winter it started doing especially badly.

It appears weak in general, and it is drying out from the tops. In the photo below, all the tops used to have leaves, they have all gone over the past 2-3 months.

They are exposed to constant wind, and the winter was relatively cool for the region (with low points about 10°C, 50°F). This coincided with the tree getting so much worse.

It looks like we're now in for a very hot summer, with temperatures already in the thirties C (nineties F).

We've tried watering it generously, but are at a loss what else to do. Should we use fertilizer? Does anyone have any ideas?


texts: Why is my "Alocasia amazonia" leaf yellowing and drooping?

texts: Got the plant a week ago in a pot with 4 other plants. I propagated them all into one individual pot each. Suddenly, one of the leaves on one of the plants broke and the leaf starts yellowing. The other leaves start dropping.


texts: How far down do I need to dig when sifting out rocks from a garden?

texts:
I'm still working on sifting through an area of my backyard in order to make a garden for next year.

I'm pretty sure it used to be a gravel lot, since all the rocks are the ones found in gravel roads, and I've found various building materials like bricks and crowbars.

I would like to plant root vegetables like radishes and carrots, so I'd like to be sure that I have the soil fixed deep enough for those.

How deep do I need to go in order to have a healthy garden?


texts:
I want to grow some herbs for regular use on my kitchen window sill. As herbs influence other plants growing next to them, I want to make sure they'll go well together before planting/sowing them.

Which herbs can be planted closely without having a negative effect on each other?

In particular I want to put rosemary, basil and parsley together in one pot.


texts:
The first time I tried sprouting an avocado, I got a tree that lived in a pot for about 4 years. Ever since then I have not been able to get a pit to sprout.

I have 5 pits that someone saved for me last year and I'm going to give them a try. However they are completely dried out. They now look like little black walnuts once I removed the brown papery covering.

Are these worth even trying to sprout, or once they've dried out is there no hope?


texts:
Sometimes the leaves of the tomato seedlings we grow in pots gain a purplish shade on the bottom; the plants themselves (don't know if this is a coincidence) also seem to turn out stockier, shorter, and thicker in the end, and curl a bit.

Does the purple color mean anything? Is it a problem, and if so, are there cures?


texts: What variety of heather grows to a large 4 foot height?

texts:
I'm in the Pacific Northwest where heaths/heathers really thrive. I'm deciding on the variety to place in a well-drained, partially sunny southwest facing spot.

All of the heather types available at my local garden shop are just ground cover, perhaps growing to 2 feet high and spreading outward. However, I walked past a thicket of heather-looking shrubs that were sizeable with an attractive weathered look. These were standing 4 feet high, with new growth about 4" and brown or rust colored blooms, in the winter time.

A photo is attached, can anyone help me identify this plant?

edit: adding closeup view of the same plant. actually there are several large bushes of the same kind


texts: What is this winged seed that resembles Maple/Acer?

texts: I picked up these seeds on the streets of Marrakech in Morocco (I've found similar seeds in Lisboa, Portugal), thinking they were Maple/Acer seeds. Upon germination (which took an awful lot of time) it turned out they weren't Acer at all. What are they? Scale is in cm.


texts:
A long while ago, I planted what I'm pretty sure was the head of a sweet potato that started growing.

The plant is still small but growing, and it has some small fruit-beginning (all green, but one which is red), but it really doesn't seems like it's going to be a sweet potato or something similar. It looks more like a tiny cherry tomato.

So, is it a sweet potato plant, or something else jumped into my pot? If so, what it is?


texts:
Last year I used a patch fill seed mix from a big box store. This year those patches have taller and lighter colored grass than the surrounding lawn. In the picture below, these would the grass on the left.

1) What type of grass is this and how do I get rid of them?

2) I am planning to reseed my lawn with bluegrass seeds this season, am wondering if I should indeed get rid of these tall grasses before I reseed the lawn. Will the bluegrass smother out the tall variety.

Some close ups

Some more pics


texts:
Growing in Wellington, NZ and now autumn.

Berries

Wildlife

Leaves


texts: Can you tell if a tree stump is dead or alive?

texts:
I have an ash tree that was broke in a microburst. The stump is about 4" above ground and 5" in diameter. It spouted a leaf off the stump just before winter. I would like to know if it is still alive or dead. Is there a definitive way to tell in winter? My HOA wants a new tree planted but I would rather let this one regrow. Is there a way to tell or will I have to wait until spring to look for regrowth? Thanks for any help

Thanks for all the responses. I live in south dakota so hopefully it will show signs of life soon. My goal is to keep the HOA off my back. I plan on planting several more trees this year but I do not have time to do it by may 1st deadline. They require 3 trees that I had until this guy broke. I dont want to be rushed into planting new trees. I obviously made a poor choice on the ash trees. I need time to do more research and find a fast growing tree that will thrive in western south Dakota. The problem is the local green house recommend that I plant the ash tree's. So how do you choose a tree and who do you trust for advice if not the people who sell the trees. Thanks again.


texts: Can I save my lucky bamboo by replanting its leaves?

texts: My lucky bamboo is turning yellow from the middle outwards, most likely because of microbes which entered through a wound. I have already cut off a small green top of the bamboo, disinfected the wound I created by cutting it, waxed the wound and replanted the bamboo, but now this top is also turning yellow from bottom up. Is there any way to save my lucky bamboo? Will its green leaves be able to grow roots if I cut them off and replant them?


texts: Garden & Greenhouse pest! Mice? Vole? Rabbit?

texts: The last 3 years something has eaten everything young in my garden, other than potatoes, onions, and chives. They just mow off the leaves, and sometimes the stems to the ground. They also dig the corn and sunflower seeds out of the ground!they leave everything alone once it gets bigger. No visible tunnels or footprints.  This year I started plants indoors and moved them to the greenhouse. Most things are bigger, but I had some young peppers, maybe 2 inches high that have been eaten! I know a rabbit couldn't climb, but that doesn't make them innocent in the garden. Help!!!!


texts: Good plants, trees and grass to grow in order to lock the ground together

texts:
I have an "island" consisting of recycled plastic bottles and old wooden pallets.

------------- <- Wooden pallets
ooooooooooooo <- Bags of bottles

The "island" is on a fresh water lake located in a sunny humid climate(Most of the year).

When I put the sand, or dirt(I'd rather use sand) on the "island" the pallets will rot and eventually provide no support.

I would like to know what you think would be the best plants, trees(Would need to be small and light), and grass to grow on this "island". The plants would need to have fast, strong and large root systems, that can hold the ground together and maybe reach down into the bags beneath and hold those as well.

I was thinking about mangroves because of their great roots however they seem to take a long time to grow.

Any thoughts would be great. Thank you.


texts: How can I stop an urban fox from using my garden as its toilet?

texts:
I live in the UK, in an urban terraced street where all of the back gardens are next to each other with fairly low walls.

Recently what I believe to be an urban fox has started using our lawn as its own personal toilet (it's not a cat - the faeces are definitely non-feline). I've purchased some of the scented granules that are meant to prevent animals from visiting but they do nothing.

It's getting to the point where my lawn now has many bald patches as removing the very unpleasant piles involves yanking out a handful of grass to get rid of it all - and then the bare earth encourages cats to come and use it as their toilet.

Are there any preventative methods that actually work?


texts: For a Greenhouse, would PE plastic cloth be suitable for a cheap sollution?

texts:
I,ve always gotten along just fine without a greenhouse. Recently I've found the need to wanting a greenhouse, cheap but also large that can at least hold up for a couple years or more.

Ive recently been looking into polyethylene cloth, (plastic with mesh).
I was curious if this would last long enough and whether or not there is a spray that is uv protective for this kind of material. If so without damaging it,  what brand has a good uv sun protectant?


texts: I planted my bush this summer. It was in bloom when I bought it. Now all the blooms have turned brown. It's been extremely hot here in eastern Kentucky. Should I go ahead and cut off the dead blooms?


texts:
Looks like my onion crop is done (end of August). The green part has died right back and I've got just the bulb sat a little way into the soil.

I don't have a good rodent-proof cool dry dark outdoor storage place to put the onions. If I lift them they'll have to live like any old shop-bought onions in storage in my kitchen. I can keep them dark and dryish but not especially cool.

I'm new to full size onions. I've left spring onions in the ground throughout autumn and into the winter before and it hasn't done them any harm. Can I do the same with full size onions? Any reason not to?


texts: Can I harvest and plant vegetable seeds in the same season?

texts:
I have some plants (cilantro, lettuce) that have already gone to seed.  Am I able to plant these seeds immediately or would I need to wait until next season?  My question is not about the length of the growing season, but more about the "seed dormancy" period.  Is there a good general resource that would help me answer this question for other plants as well?

Update: I have five healthy looking lettuce plants and one cilantro growing!  I would still like to find some more info on seed dormancy, but for at least these two plants, the answer seems to be that you can plant immediately.


texts: Can I vacuum small leaves and debris off or out of my rocks--without vacuuming up the rocks?  I don't have a rock garden yet, but I'm considering using Ginger rock, 1.5", instead of standard mulch.


texts: What flowering plant is this in the New Orleans, Louisiana area?

texts:
What is this small daisy like (quarter size) flowering plant? It has little seeds that stick to you like burrs.

It’s in the backyard of a place we are visiting.  The honey bees love it.

In New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.

UPDATE:  Here is another image with only the leaves of the plant.   As you can see the leave are not feathery as those of the Cosmo, they are spear-shaped and sometimes seated at the edges.


texts: Can I leave an Aloe plant unattended for 2 months?

texts:
I leave my apartment for 2 months and I'd like to know if you have any advice to keep my Aloe alive all this time?

I live near the Mediterranean and my balcony is exposed to the sun from 1:30 pm to sunset.

Here you can see the size of my Aloe vera.


texts:
Somebody just asked me a question that I had a hard time answering, so this is more or less their question which I am repeating.

When it comes to gardening, plants need phosphorus (P). And they asked if it was bad since there are products (say toilet bowl cleaner) that are P free. They figured that the cleaner does not have P because it harms the environment. For me that shouldn't be true since plants need P to reproduce and grow. Maybe it something else?

How should I answer this?


texts:
This is related to one of my old questions here:
Centering Opuntia Cactus

Now, my opuntia has grown much bigger as can be seen in the picture below.

The base is still very narrow and the plant tends to completely bend whenever it rains, so I temporarily have a stick supporting it from doing so. Pretty soon the wind will make it bend the other side and I will have to move the stick to the other side.

So the question now is, what do I do about this? Do I still continue to leave the plant as is or would it be better to perhaps cut the pod such that the four pods on the top left are together.

If to cut, then where. Do I cut at the narrowest (joint) of the big pod and the other (single) big one below or do I cut in the half of the big one.

I read somewhere that the bottom most pod should swell and accommodate the entire plant, but after a year, it does not seem to be doing that.


texts:
Should I prune our bleeding heart bush when it turns yellow?
We planted it in a sunny area.  It did amazing during spring but now looking very yellow and scorched.


texts: See attached picture. Is this growth normal?  If not, what do I do?


texts: What is the best time to apply manure to a vegetable garden?

texts:
I know that this question is very much vegetable-dependent, and I am aware that certain vegetables (as brassicacae in general, and root vegetables as well) do not like manure, others can be grown on a land that has been manured the previous year, etc.

My question is about the right time to apply manure. I am having 20 kg of well-rotted horse  manure delivered next sunday. I already started some peas, broadbeans, chickpeas, courgette, squashes, cauliflowers, salads and herbs indoors, and I am planning to start hardening them outside during April. For the moment almost everything is in pots or seeding trays. By the end of April I am also planning to start sowing other varieties of courgette, french runner beans, tomatoes (probably in pots) and other herbs.

In my garden I have two big beds, with clayish soil (therefore not draining excellently), but full of compost and organic matter (worms really thrive in it, and I have almost no weeds at all).

Questions:

1) When should I apply the manure to the soil? Is it best to do it now, then leave the soil covered (so that the sun doesn't get in and weeds do not develop, and to protect from weather) until I transplant my vegetable outside (in 1-2 months)?

1a) If I am planning to lime the soil before planting, when am I supposed to do it?

2) When people say manure is well-rotted, does that mean that it has been composted long enough to ensure it is safe to use it straight away in the garden?

3) Should I use some manure also for the soil I am going to use in the pots for tomatoes and some courgettes?

4) Which vegetables among those I have mentioned really could get in trouble because of the presence of manure?

Thanks a lot!


texts: How can you analyze if a land has good soil?

texts:
I have a feeling that my question is not a good question, but don't know how else to formulate it.

I'm an engineer by profession, but I did spend a full season working in an organic farm.

I'm thinking of buying a small piece of land (less than 2 acres) in vancouver island.  I have no intention of growing food at an industrial scale, however, I'd like to grow greens, carrots, potatoes, onions...for my own use.

I realize that there are a lot of variables involved in choosing a good plot, ranging from slope, south-facing or not, access to water, etc.

But I was wondering are there techniques for measuring the effectiveness of the soil?  For example:

does it have the right PH?
does it have the required minerals?
is it the right type of soil?

Are there aspects of the soil that I should consider as deal breakers...for example are there characteristics that I cannot improve.  For example, if the PH is off, I maybe able to improve it.


texts: Is a potted grapevine better put under or outside a roof?

texts:
My two potted grapevines and I  just moved to a new apartment with a roof terrace.

The terrace has an acrylic glass roof with metal pillars and I want the vine to grow up the pillars and along/under this roof.

My options are:

Put the pots in the edges of the terrace under the roof.
Built something to hang the pots outside the roof next to the terrace.

Which will be better for the plants and lower maintenance in regard to watering?

We live in a vine area (southern  germany), so the amount of rain falling here seems to be suitable for non-potted grapevines.


texts: There is a ring around about three quarters of this tree's trunk's circumference, about a foot tall. It looks like it was put there deliberately. What is the purpose of something like this?


texts: Just *how* hardy are leeks, kale and brussel sprouts?

texts:
I'm wondering if these plants will last another two weeks to Thanksgiving.

I live in northern Vermont and the gardening season is well over.  We turned over and composted the beds, and have had many frosts by now.  Yesterday there were the first snow flurries of the year.

We took out most of the plants other than kale, brussel sprouts and the leeks and have been enjoying them right up to now without any apparent problems. But this is the first time the ambient air temperature has been around freezing during the day (upcoming weather below).  As we transition from fall to winter, will these three vegetables be ok for another two weeks?  And if not, what is the best way to try to make them last to thanksgiving?


texts: What is the name of this tree in our backyard?

texts:
These trees are in my backyard in New Jersey.

Can you tell me the name of the tree that is highlighted?


texts: I have a live oak tree on my front lawn. Roots from the tree are beginning to spread on to my neighbor's lawn which seems to be a problem to them. The roots in question are approx. 8 to 10 ft. from the trunk and at this time are not too large.  Can I safely cut these roots without causing damage to the tree?


texts:
Two months ago, we sowed tomatoes and tomato seeds in a big pot. We watered them daily. Yesterday, instead of tomatoes, white mushrooms suddenly appeared in the pot. What happened? And what should we do to get tomatoes?

EDIT: here are some pictures of the mushrooms. The diameter of each mushroom is about 2 cm. What are these mushrooms? Are they edible?


texts: I have two Acers which are around 13 years old, they are in despair as they need re-potted but we are finding it hard to get a pot bigger than the one they are already in. They are already looking like they are dying and it would really upset me to loose them, is there any way to save them? One has started to drop leaves and I am starting to panic. Any advice greatly appreciated.


texts: I've had a bigger version of this cactus for 4 yrs now and it's about 1 meter high With very small scattered spines and has bloomed 2 times with massive pale pink flowers that open once at night and i still don't know what cactus it is. The cactus in the picture is a bit that has been knocked off that i just stuck in soil.


texts: What are the different styles of bonsai trees?

texts:
I am interested in bonsai, but I'm having difficulty finding the design that I want because when searching the internet most of the bonsai styles don't have pictures.

Could we create a compilation of bonsai styles here? It will be much better if we can add pictures.


texts: What is the correct way to hold, orient and maneuver string trimmers?

texts:
I have a straight gas powered string trimmer that spins counterclockwise. There seems to be conflicting information on the internet regarding how to hold, orient and maneuver string trimmers. Some sources say to hold the handle with your left hand, trigger with your right hand, position the trimmer to your left and walk right to left. Some sources say the exact opposite and everything in between. From what I can gather, curved trimmers (no gearbox) spin clockwise and straight trimmer (gearbox) spin counterclockwise. Does the direction of the string's spin determine whether the direction you work from (left to right or right to left)? It seems like the debris are always flying at me. I just don't know the correct way to orient the trimmer and which way to walk when holding it.

For some reason I just don't get the physics of all this naturally and I am hoping someone can finally clear this up. Pictures would be extremely helpful but I understand that is time-consuming.

Thanks!


texts: How to recover a weeping silver birch that's growing straight

texts:
I just moved into a new house, and in the garden there's wonderful silver birch tree, about 25 feet tall (I'm guessing there).

It appears that it is/was a weeping variety, but it seems to have grown rather straight and perhaps taller than it was intended in recent years - perhaps due to bad maintenance, I'm not sure.

There are some pictures of the tree here: http://imgur.com/a/TDVV1

I would like to know how I should look after it, and if possible, how to recover its weeping shape. It still does have lots of weeping branches, just some (stronger, likely newer) ones growing straight up now as well.

I am no tree expert, but would like to know how to do this myself.

Thanks in advance :-)


texts: Indoor avocado plant - What is wrong with the leaves?

texts:
I have this avocado tree which i have taken care of since i planted a stone, and it started growing. The plant is around two years old now and for a lot of the time i have had issues with the leaves "dying/burning", as the pictures below show. The older the leafes are, the worse they become, it usually takes a few months before they start showing signs of issues. The top leafes are now a few months old and have started getting some "burn marks" in the end, but nothing compared to those in the bottom.

So the question is, why does this happen and what can i do about it?

The tree is planted indoor in Norway, which gives it many months without sunlight to speak of. I have had it under a plant light for the last ~8 months, so it gets around 12 hours daily of plant light, and also indirect sunlight now in the summer months.

The tree is planted in mulch, so i do not think the kind of soil used, is any issue. The pot used is the largest i had available at the time, allthough it is in plastic. It has a container for water in the bottom, so water does run through it when i water, but i cannot let water run through for too long.

I water it with regular tap water, salt in the water is a non issue here at 2,5 ºdH.

I have not been giving it any particular extra nutrients as i have read that one should be careful with that as it might cause leaves to "burn".

So the tree does not exactly appear to be dying, but it would be nice if i could help it to thrive better than it is currently doing.


texts:
About a month ago I purchased a starter medinilla magnifica after running into a mature plant in a store and falling in love with the flowers, but not the price tag (no way I was paying $60 for a plant!).

To keep my explanation short, I initially overwatered the plant, so it lost about half its leaves, and the ones it did keep began to blacken. I trimmed back the blackening parts and got the hang of watering, so its condition is not deteriorating quite so quickly, but its leaves are still slowly blackening and every so often it drops a leaf.

I'm not worried about heat or humidity, I have a maranta that is flourishing and the two plants like a similar temperature/moisture level.

What can I do to keep my plant from completely dying?

The plant dropped its 2 blackened leaves since last night.

Unfortunately the plant died a few days ago. Maybe someday I'll try again someday.

--

As an update since this post has gotten a lot of views, I got a new starter medinilla magnifica about six months ago and it's doing well. I keep it in front of a west-facing window in a bathroom so it gets lots of humidity from showers, and I water it only when its leaves begin to droop. I have not yet repotted it from its original container. It has been growing slowly but steadily, and I'm hoping in a few years' time I'll have a flowering plant.


texts: I’ve noticed lately that there are piles of these insects on my milkweed plant.  Are they harmful to it? Or could they be harmful to other plants in my garden?


texts: What happens if I cut some of the roots of a cottonwood tree?

texts: I have a large 54" (1.37 m) diameter cottonwood tree that is 16 feet (5 m) away from where a storm sewer is to be installed. I am sure roots will be cut, but will this tree survive? If the chances are not good, how long would it take to show signs of dying?


texts: Schefflera leaflet count dropped after pruning

texts: I got a Schefflera plant recently in a 4" pot. I pruned it to encourage branching (cut off the top a little.) Before pruning, new leaflets were always set of 8. The rest of the plant has leaflets of size 8. Now new leaflets are always set of 5. Curious about why this happened and if it will ever grow set of 8 leaflets again..


texts: Venus Flytrap Won't Close on Flies......?

texts: I got my Flytrap from the Natural History Museum, there were lots and lots of kids, so it may very well have been stimulated to shut a bunch before I bought it.  I've had it for about 3 or 4 months, all of a sudden there are three traps wide open with flies in them and they won't close.  One has a fly in it and is closed.  I have it outside on my front porch on one of the stone pillars so it gets plenty of light.  I water it almost every other day with purified bottled water, I keep it in a ceramic bowl and put the water in the bowl so it stays nice and moist.  Any help would be appreciated.  I sure have grown to love the little guy.