texts: Landscaping to Reduce Visual Size of Home

texts:
We are building 2-story home (~2300 sqft) in a neighborhood of mostly 1-story homes, and typically less square feet, and no large attached garage.  Needless to say, with the extra square feet, and attached 2-car garage, the home appears a bit out of place for the neighborhood.

Our home is at the end of a culdesac and is at the highest point in the neighborhood, which does help somewhat with making it seem a bit separated from the rest of the homes, as it's not visible until you get to the top of the culdesac.  However, I would still like to visually make the home appear smaller using various landscaping techniques.

As you drive up the road to the end of the culdesac, the first thing you see is the side of a deep garage.  Before the garage was framed, the home did not seem too large.  I would like to get some input on some landscaping techniques on how to make a home appear smaller.

I'm thinking some evergreens of some sorts, but I really have zero experience with choosing the right plants, and where to place them.  We are located in CT.

Any thoughts?


texts: White/tan papery patches on cilantro leaves

texts: Leaves on my cilantro plants started looking like this. Any idea what this could be? I have two plants that I bought grown and replanted in a bed outside. I’m in SC.


texts:
My water spinach plants are covered with these spikes. They are hard when I poke at them with a knife. They are mostly on the underside of leaves but sometimes also break to the topside. The leaves are still green.

Does anyone know what kind of fungus/pest that my poor plants have? I tried removing infected leaves and spraying pure castile soap but the spikes continued to grow afterwards.


texts: I want to put gravel area to park my 10x6 ft trailer on the side of my home on top of a grassy area not much monies to spend what kind of gravel a little how much


texts: What are these insects laying eggs on the underside of this butterfly flower leaf?

texts: +1 for manual pest control.  I just snipped these infected leaves off a butterfly flower plant growing in a bucket in the yard.  What are these? (besides now ashes)


texts: Do I need to cover newly planted seedlings when it rains

texts: There are thunderstorms forecast for tonight.  3 days ago I planted carrot seedlings that were about 3 weeks old.  Wondering if I should put a tarp over them so they don't get pounded.  Total rain expected is 0.17 inches.


texts: I've noticed these mushrooms growing in my backyard today. They are likely thriving on dead grass that my lawnmower has been leaving behind. Can anyone identify them? I am located in the Houston, Texas area.


texts: Why is the base of the stem of my persimmon tree turning brown?

texts:
My potted persimmon tree is almost 2 months old and it's growing fast, but the place where the stem comes up from the soil is turning brown. Is it serious or just a normal part of growth?

Please look at marked area.


texts: My ginger plant is about 33 inches (85cm) tall now, and still plans to get taller. Is this normal? I'm afraid it will fall off and break its stem, and I really don't want to hurt the root down there by installing a support rod. Is it okay to chop off the top of the plant, so that it would stop growing taller?


texts: Planted end of may, already looking a bit sad. Does it just need more water?


texts: The first time ever my avocado seed grew a root so when it got really long I planted it and then nothing and I thought I had killed it so while in the dirt I broke off part of the seed just to find out it is fine and green so just wondering is it ok with half a seed?Thanks Karen.


texts: What are these small raised black marks on my plants?

texts: Recently bought some potted plants for my apartment and at least two of them have a few small raised black marks on, they're almost volcano shaped, but do come off with some scratching. I'm mainly just curious as to what they are. I've not been able to find anything quite like it on Google, although perhaps I'm searching for the wrong thing. The closest appears to be black sooty mold, but these are far more sparse and regular. Picture attached in which you can see two of these marks on a leaf. Any ideas what they could be?


texts:
I have the plant in the picture. I have been watering it about every third day or so. Everything was going well, and new baby leaves started growing. But at some point in the last couple of weeks, it just started drying out. The new leaves are dead, and it seems to be spreading to the bigger leaves.

What can I do?


texts: Anybody know what kind of chili plant this is? Is it dead or can I revive it?

texts: I got this plant last year and it started dying. I recently brought it inside and it looks like it’s getting new leafs. Any recommendations?


texts: What kind of a plant is this (flowers in spiral)?

texts:
It grows wild (Croatia), it's around 15 cm tall, tiny flowers grow in a spiral around the stem.

It seems to have a bulb root.


texts:
A friend of mine received this plant 4-5 years ago from someone who didn't know the name of the species. This friend wants to collect gel from Aloe vera, but so far only a few teaspoons were provided by the plant (about one teaspoon from every two leaves). She has searched online for details about species of Aloe and "the best one for treatment" (whatever that means) is an Aloe vera that produces yellow flowers.

However, her plant hasn't bloomed until now, so she doesn't know for sure if she should wait for this one or buy a new plant that is labeled Aloe vera. As a side note, I have seen many plants with wrong labels, so buying a new one is not a sure hit in my opinion, hence the question in the title.


texts: We have wild muscadine all over our woods. Problem is they are huge and are high in the tree tops so we can't reach the grapes. Can these be cut of at the base of the vine and trained to grow back on a lower trellis or would they just die off? Most of the vines are about 2 to 3" in diameter at the base.


texts: Why is my cactus getting long spindly arms

texts:
We've had this cactus along with 4 others for nearly 2 years and it's been transplanted to cactus soil and watered and kept in a warm sunny spot and now it's drooping badly.
Has anybody got any advice or should I just stake if better than my makeshift job.
Thanks


texts: I would be grateful if someone could help me with identifying this cacti I bought. I did some research and concluded it could be Pilosocereus chrysostele. But I am not really sure as there are some similar cacti out there.


texts: Can I grow peonies, camellias or magnolias in the tropics/Philippines? or at least a good substitute for those I have mentioned.


texts:
I have a snow blower I'm trying to get started for the season.

I've done a little work on it but I'm at a point where I would need advice on how to continue.
I was going to change the oil in the engine and I found a source that recommended that I run the blower for 5 minutes before changing the oil.
Now I started starting it but no luck. I checked and cleaned the sparkplug and determined that it was not the issue. I could get combustion when I manually primed the chamber where the sparkplug screws in.
Assuming that the carburator might have an issue, I took off the side panel and found something that I'm pretty sure is the problem. There is a rubber tubing that has broken off due to weathering. Could someone help me identify what part of the carburator this is for, and could I just clean both ends and reconnect it, or should I change the whole line?

Now I'm not 100% that this is the only issue. The primer button is very stiff to press and I don't see any gas leaking out of any of the tubes. I think that there might be a blockage somewhere up the line. How would I go about to find the blockage if there is one?
Lastly, on the opposite side of the blower I found a loose wire that seems to have been disconnected but I can't find what it should be connected to? What should this wire be connected to?

Any other maintenance you would recommend checking/doing before I can stamp this blower ready for the season?
I've been away for two years and people last year (without maintenance) weren't able to get it to start. I'm trying to get it working again because my wrists won't take another winter of snow shoveling.
If you need me to get more info or more pictures please let me know.
Update
The hose to the primer was clogged and I was able to flush it out and reconnect it. Now the stiffness is gone but now I hear air coming out of the carburator when I press it and no gas. I assumed that there was a clog in the carburator and I decided to try to take it off.
Sadly I was unable to take the whole carburator off the engine (Both screws with a lug were fused on) so I at least took off the bowl and I found a green slushi in the bowl.

The picture you see above is after I was able to clear a large part of the slush off. You can still see some of the slush on the right side next to the wire or on the floater ring.
Before putting the bowl back on I took another picture

and sadly the air sound is still coming from the carburator with no gas filling it.
Engine is a Tecumseh HMSK80-155692V Engine


texts: Am I doing the right thing with my chilli plants?

texts:
I have four chilli plants (Cayenne F1's) that I bought from a garden centre as seedlings back in April (I am in Scotland). When I say seedlings these plants were in tiny seedling growers and started life in my house as 4-6cm seedlings with a stalk and a leaf or two.

I transplanted all four into a large pot (in a mix of garden earth and garden centre compost) and to my amazement they started to grow to the point where I think they were competing for nutrients. The said "large pot" is in photograph #1 below.

Tonight I decided to separate all four plants and plant them in their own pots (approx 15cm x 15cm).

In each pot I used a mix of their original earth/compost mix and then topped up with a general purpose "multi-purpose" compost. I then watered each pot with 0.5L of water mixed with a teaspoon of "phostrogen" plant food.

The following photographs are the outcome of my transplant exercise:

Plant#1 - this seems to be the strongest of the plants - lots of flowers, started producing fruit (I've harvested a few which is why it looks barren):

Plant#2 - this was the second strongest looking plant - a fair number of flowers and has begun producing fruit:

Plant #3 - not a lot of flowers but has produced a couple of fruits

Plant #4 - this fella was the runt of the litter in the shared pot and despite me rotating the pot daily to make sure it got a fair share of sunlight, it looks a bit bent out of shape.

This is my first major horticultural adventure. The last thing I grew was cress back in  primary school when I was five years old.

The plants are growing on my kitchen window-sill (inside, not outside) in Scotland. My kitchen window is south facing so I get good sun from around 11am right through until 9pm in the evening. The windows are closed all the time and there are no draughts. We're having a very nice summer so far in central Scotland with outside temperatures in the mid 20's (ambient) and the kitchen is quite warm.

I have some questions:

Do these plants look "normal" and are they stuck at their pre-transplant growing size/flowering potential?
I read somewhere that chilli plants need some kind of manual pollination. I've been transferring pollen from the flowers with my little finger from on flower to another. Is this necessary for every bunch of flowers that appear?
I am new to growing plants that fruit, am I doing the right thing?
Was I too late in separating the plants into their own pots?


texts: I intend to plant cyclamen coum bulbs this fall. My plan is to lay hardware cloth over the bulbs to protect them from squirrels, and cover that with mulch. Cyclamen coum are very sensitive to planting depth, and prefer to be planted close to the surface (1/2 to 1 inch). Will the mulch suppress the cyclamen?


texts: Is epsom salt dissolved in water enough to keep most plants alive?

texts: I'm trying to grow mint, and lettuce in the window sill, and was wondering if just epsom salt with water is enough to keep the "clippings" alive for giving a crop.


texts:
I photographed this unusual-looking bush/tree growing wild in central Texas in December of last year:

It had beige-colored, spiky flowers/seed heads arranged in panicles (at least I think that's the right terminology). It had grown to about seven or eight feet tall. Does anyone know what kind of tree this is?


texts:
I sow some Adenium seeds few weeks ago.. some were germinated and looking really very good. But one plant have pink and white leaves.. initially I thought this is some kind of disease and new leaves will grow with green color. But I was wrong new leaves are also pink white..

Is it something like albino? because I have never heard of anything liek plants are also albino.

Someone with more points (150+) please create "adenium" "albino" "color" tags and please add these tags in this post. Not able to create new tag .. just have 113 reps :(


texts: Ideal way to fill in a large hole (from a goldfish pond)

texts:
The house we just bought had a goldfish pond in the back yard, which has been removed, leaving a hole roughly 1.5 meters squared, by 1 meter deep.  I wish to fill in the hole, and plant a flower/vegetable garden over the current spot.

What is the ideal way to fill in this hole, to avoid sinkage, allow proper drainage, etc?  I see this question, which is related, but somewhat narrower (focusing simply on whether filling with bricks is appropriate).

What's the proper way to fill in a large hole?  What types of materials should I use at which depths, and how, if at all, should these layers be treated (should I tamp each layer as I add it? Add dirt and water to fill in the gaps, etc)?

I have already at my disposal some medium-sized rocks/bricks, as well as a large quantity of dirty landscaping gravel, which I can use as filling.  I expect I'll need to buy some topsoil for the top layer.  Should I also buy sand, or any other materials, for part of this project?


texts: Ivy or something else? Want to know the accurate name

texts:
Please see the pictures. It grows every year in my back yard. I dragged it out but it just comes back. It pricks skin. I don't know the English Name so I don't know how to get rid of it by DIY.
No fruit by the way!
I don't want to use Round up since I heard that it causes cancer.


texts:
We are building an extension to our home and the extension has a flat concrete roof.
We would like to plant a lawn on this roof. Structurally the roof can handle the weight but now I have a few growing lawn related queries:

What soil depth should we allow for?
Are there any specific drainage systems to use?

I've read about specific soils to use and use a shallow rooting grass, however, I'm still not certain on the depth of soil required.
Thanks
Rob


texts: I have started a couple different types of seeds, which include, tomatoes, celery, pepper, onion (walla walla), and some other things. I have no idea when to transplant these plants from my plug tray, which have 128 cells (each cell being only about a 1" by a 1", ~2" deep) to a larger tray with 36 cells. I am sure that each plant has its own time but what is a good rule of thumb, if you will, to know when to transplant these young plants? I am asking because I want to avoid breaking them because I tried moving them to soon, but not that they are getting to large and crowded.


texts: How should I store wildflower seeds embedded in a piece of cotton, for several months before planting?

texts:
I live in Massachusetts, in the Northeast section of the United States. My growing zone is USDA 6a, which means that our winter temperatures can get as low as -10°F/-23.3°C.

I was recently given a heart-shaped piece of 100% recycled cotton embedded with some very small pieces of fresh flowers and some wildflower seeds. They were a memorial gift from the animal hospital where our cat passed away. I'd like to learn how to store them for the winter.

I've never seen seeds presented in this way. The cotton piece, which is called an "adornment," is not in a container, just attached to a piece of lightweight cardboard. I don't know what material is being used to attach it, but I don't want to touch it and risk it breaking or falling off the card.

The instructions say to remove the adornment from the card, plant in 1/4" - 1/2" soil, keep it moist and watch it bloom.

I'm familiar with planting wildflower seeds, but always from a packet which has been sealed until time for planting. Since it will likely be up to 5 months until I can put this in the ground, how should I store it for the best chance of successful germination and flower production? These seeds are very important to our family, and I'd really like to do it properly.

Click on pictures for close-up views.


texts: Why does season for seeing nemophilas in Japan end in early May?

texts:
Reddit recommends  Hitachi Seaside Park to see nemophilias.

Season: mid-April to early May

I don't know anything on gardening, but I know flowers don't bloom before spring – too cold.  But why's season over in early May?
Do nemophilias just die after three weeks? Do they change color? I didn't think season ends until September at least when normal plants die.


texts: How big of a container will I want to grow mushrooms in to keep the environment sterile?

texts: I'm experimenting with growing black oyster mushrooms, and shiitake mushrooms this summer in plastic boxes to keep the house fungus free. how big of containers would you recommend keeping to grow enough mushrooms for a family of 3?


texts: I have a Japanese maple for a couple of years however it seems to be dying?

texts: I bought an acer palmatum a few years ago and it recently looks like its dying. We moved it from its pot to a bed on advice but now it’s very brittle it seemed to grow but now the leaves have curled up. It it a problem with soil sun or shade?


texts: Why is the soil shrinking in my backyard?

texts: In the last 6 months the level of the soil in my back yard has dropped 4-6 inches exposing all the sprinkler heads and tree roots. Whats going on?


texts: Please shed light on argument about weeding

texts:
Our landscape is mostly natural: cedar, prickly pear, hedgehog cactus, shrubs, foxglove flowers, random weeds, and grass-like weeds.  My dad wanted me to pull all of the grass out and place it in a dumpster.

My stance:
1) Weeds, green or dry make good compost, and if you're worrying about reseeding, it is possible to kill the seeds with a proper compost.  And pulling all the weeds out will not stop the seeding any way unless you did this for several years while the weeds were still green.  Then the weeds will eventually come back on their own.

By the way, the plants that the weeds are growing around are not being overtaken by the weeds.

2)  Weeds make good mulch.  Just knock them down when they're dry.

3)  We're in an ecosystem where a patch of dirt full of weeds is healthier than a barren patch of dirt, and at the moment if I pulled up all the weeds there would be rock and dirt and a few plants here and there.  The landscaping I'm doing will happen very slowly as I don't have a lot of money and a team.

Who is right?

Thanks.


texts: My yard is being taken over by crabgrass. How do I get rid of it?

texts: As my question states half my yard is taken over by crab grass, how do I kill it off, and rejuvenate my yard while preventing more take overs?


texts:
The garden where we're moving to is mostly mud where there once was lawn. We are going to relay the lawn but I would very much like to have those tiny daisies and buttercups growing in the lawn as well as perhaps violets and some crocuses. Is it sensible, or even possible, to plant any of these under the lawn, right before we lay the turf... or should we scatter seeds after laying the lawn and hope the birds don't scoff them all?
Thanks.


texts: Building a raised garden on uneven concrete?

texts:
I'm new to gardening but would like to get a raised bed started in my NYC backyard. My plans are to build a 2x8 raised bed. I have a spot picked out but I am worried about drainage problems as the concrete is somewhat lopsided and uneven. I have attached pictures to show where I intend to place the bed (green and red concrete). I have also attached photos of a second location of where the bed could go but I would rather it be in the first location (regular concrete). The first location gets more sun. Would it be possible to level bed using wood chocks as needed once I set it up? Also, is 2 feet wide suitable for a raised bed? I see most people go 3-4 ft but 2 ft would suit my location better. I appreciate any help in advance thank you all so much.

enter image description here


texts: When should I transfer from pod to pot or ground?

texts:
Since the pre-sprouted plant season is in full bloom, what is a good indicator of the time to transfer a pre-sprouted plant? For instance I have a mexi-bell pepper in a plastic pod and two basil sprouts. The pepper is about 8" and seems primed to be transplanted now to a pot. The basil is 5" and seems constricted.

Is height the best indicator; should I also balance that against leaf and stalk health?
Will certain considerations wither once transplanted? If so, what are the sure signs a plant is constricted and getting worse because it's not in the ground or a pot?


texts: Can you identify this plant just by its seed pods?

texts: What is the plant with these seed pods? I remember it was a nice plant. I want to keep the seeds, but I would like to know what kind of plant it is.


texts:
I am just now finding out that I should probably dethatch and seed my lawn. I moved into the house in the middle of summer and not much lawn care was done by the previous owner, so there is some thatch in the lawn.

Now it is early October and, I live in Kansas City. I just read this SE post that says around Labor Day is the ideal time to dethatch cool season lawns. My neighbors have all dethatched their lawns in the last month or so.

Is it too late for me to do it now if I can get it done by mid October?


texts:
Zone 7, 6ft high, multistem, loved by bees, grows every year anew by itself, fairly good ground competitor, didn't notice any fragrance.

Some of the leaves are lobed, majority not.


texts: Why do leaves turn yellowish and then dry?

texts: I have planted beans in approximately 10 inch (25 cm) pot with potting soil. I also water the pot regularly. The beans have grown well and started to flower but the leaves are turning yellowish. Is this some kind of disease or is the plant dying for some reason?


texts:
I have an indoor Azalea which was perfectly fine before I went for holiday.
I arranged for watering system, but, because of some mechanical problem, the watering was not good. when I came back, my azalea was dropping leaves vigorously.
Which was once a dense bush like plant, is now have only a few leaves. Only the top of every branch has some leaves.
I pruned the dead branches and watering them properly too.
But, still, the remaining leaves are falling off too.
Any suggestions please?


texts: Does Dawn dishwashing detergent kill plants (shrubs & flowers)?

texts: Yesterday I was talking to my neighbor, and he was telling me he was cleaning the trim on his house with Dawn (dishwashing detergent used in the US) mixed in water. I thought I read somewhere that Dawn can damage or kill plants. Is this true? I was thinking about trying this myself, but have shrubs and flowers under the trim I want to clean.


texts:
So i have thise peace lily that has been recently been getting brown spots all over the leaves and today i decided to take a closer look at the whole plant and see if i can find anything immediately wrong with it.

After a closer look i saw this:

Are they eggs? Fungus spores? Any help would be super appreciated!

Thanks all!


texts: Why the stores sell trees that look like bushes

texts: I just bought a Eureka lemon tree. It is in a one gallon container but it looks more like a bush than a tree. It is about three feet from the bottom of the pot to the top of the branches. Does this mean it will be a small tree like a bush and is it better to be a bush or a tree? Is the bush going to produce smaller lemons than a tree? If it is a tree at what length does it need to be cut at the trunk in order to produce more branches?


texts: What is this shrub in Colorado with white flowers and closely spaced small ovate leaves?

texts: I've got this bush and I'd like to get a few more but I'm not sure what it's called. It has white flowers in early June. I'm in Colorado and it gets full sun.


texts:
The most convenient spot for my new compost pile happens to be under a young apple tree. I would put it there, but I have a few questions first.

Will I be able to make successful compost in heavy shade?
Will the tree's roots be bothered by (or bother) the compost pile?
Will the decomposing plant matter promote disease in the tree or it's fruit?


texts:
I have a large Wisteria vine that grows on an arbor. Last fall I cut it back significantly.
This spring the blossoms were small and pale, not the brilliant violet they usually are.
What would cause the blossoms to be pale?


texts: My roses have been experiencing some crazy irregular growth, this appeared at the beginning of spring has anyone seen this before?


texts: Identify this connector for my irrigation system

texts:
Two years ago I had an irrigation system installed in my garden; now I'd like to expand it with a drip line.

The man who installed the system left a tube specifically for this purpose, and today I unearthed it; the problem is that I don't know the name of the connector I need, and also I was unable to remove the cap that is closing the tube.

I don't want to apply excessive force to avoid breaking the tube. I tried unscrewing the black part from the blue one, turning the cap counterclockwise.

Is this the right way to do it? Is the cap simply stuck since it was buried for two years? Do I need special tools or would a couple of wrenches do the trick?

(Note: the tube isn't under pressure, there's a valve on the other end.)

Also, shops are closed due to Covid-19 (I'm in Italy); what kind of conector should I search for on Amazon?


texts: Broad Beans — Flowers dying and not fruiting

texts:
I have a some broad beans plants that have just started flowering in early spring. The plants and flowers look healthy, at least to me, but some of the flowers at the bottom of the plant appear to by dying. I also haven't managed to get any beans yet.

Questions

Should I be doing something to stop the flowers wilting at the bottom or is this part of the process, if so, what?
Should I be getting beans yet? the plants have had flowers for about 4-5 weeks now. Is there a pollination issue?
There have also been some ants on the plants, is this something to worry about?
Should I be pinching the tips off the plants yet, as some sources recommend?

Photos

Note the dying flowers at the bottom.


texts:
I have a rubber plant, it’s a good 4/5ft tall & up until August it was thriving!
It was my grandmas, & she passed away. From August-January the house was empty, we would visit maybe once a month and water it whilst we were there.
We moved into the house in January, at which point the plant looked very sad. Leaves are drooping & floppy.
We water once a week, and new leaves have started to shoot in the past month or so - we have a section of 4  new leaves right up at the top, and 3 leaves right down at the bottom - but all the old leaves in between are still droopy.
What can we do to try to revive the entire plant to it’s usual perky self?


texts: Is this reddish weed a variety of clover?

texts:
In my gardens (in the Pacific Northwest) I get this reddish clover-like weed that really starts to assert itself in the May-June timeframe (but does pop up in April, and sticks around through the summer). It has yellow flowers, and the leaves seem to get more red as they are exposed to more sunlight. The roots are surprisingly deep and strong, and it’s typically a single root with lots of spreading on the surface.

The leaves look very clover-like, and the roots remind me of the white clover in my lawn.

Is this actually a clover (and what kind if so)? If so, are there any benefits to keeping it amongst my flowers or veggies (like nitrogen fixation or suppressing other more harmful weeds)?


texts: What is the green mush on the outside of the tree bark

texts: What is the green sap on the bark of a fruitless magnolia tree.  The tree has a lot of green on top of the bark.  We know it already as water seeping into the tree Trunk and causing sap seeping out white fungus.


texts: Is this a sign of deficiency? Lemon seedling

texts: My month old lemon seedling put out its true leafs, however, the leaf has deep veins in the middle and its quite light in color on the leaf itself. I was wondering if this could be a sign of some sort of deficiency, or is it just how new leafs look in lemon seedlings, you can see his older leafs are quite deep green in color and don't have the same veinous look - the soil I have the seedling in is a cacti/palm soil mix with 0.12-0.8-0.8 fertilizer added that's supposed to be good & feed for 6 months. He's been in there for a month, and you can see he's putting out new growth quite vigorously so I was wondering if he's getting nutrient deficiency from growing too fast, should I start fertilizing him now with some weak fertilizer to see how he responds?


texts: I’ve just been gifted a staghorn fern and it’s outgrowing its nursery pot already. I read that you’re supposed to hang staghorn ferns either by mounting them or in wire baskets. Unfortunately my apartment is rented and doesn’t have any good hanging spots inside or outside. I’m wondering if it’s ok for me to plant the horn in a wire basket, but leave it standing on the table instead. For example, could I line a wire storage basket like the one in the picture in moss and just plant the fern inside?


texts: Does anyone know what type of chilli plant is this? My uncle gave this plant to me back in July this year and he said he thought it was a Thai fire chilli. I have a chilli plant that I identified as a Thai fire chilli and the leaves are not that big. It has not started to flower yet. Below are some photos I took today.


texts: I'm not sure what kind of cactus I have, but there seems to be some sort of black material on the side of it. What is it and what can I do to remedy it?


texts: When should I transplant tomato seedlings to a home-made upside down planter?

texts: I have cherry tomatoes seedlings that have started to pop up. when should I put them in my upside down home-made planter?  Does the stalk have to be a certain thickness?  Is there any info on when we should transplant seedlings to upside down planters?


texts:
I've seen a lot of information saying that chlorine can be bad for some plants and the suggestion to let the water sit out for several hours before using it on plants. I rarely see anything about chloramine, a common alternative to chlorine in municipal water.

Chloramine doesn't evaporate from the water (which is why it is used) but it has the same anti-bacterial effect.

Will chloramine harm plants the same way chlorine allegedly does?


texts: Can I put a one minute delay on my hose so I don't get wet when the sprinkler turns on?

texts: All I want is a water timer with about a 1-minute delay for those times that I have to run away after starting it and still get wet.  Like when I'm ready to go to work and don't want those clothes to get wet.


texts:
I planted both of these pineapples from ones I bought in the store. Are they fine in their current pots or should they be repotted? Any other care tips for them? They have been inside for a while, but it has just now gotten hot enough for them to be outside (in Georgia).

For this one, see also Is this pineapple plant dead?


texts: How much of this fertilizer should I use on my Jade Plants?

texts: I have this fertilizer that is meant for house flowers as well as vegetables, I was planning one using it for my Jade Plants. How much should I give them? I have never fertilized my Jade Plants before.


texts:
Today has been the first sunny day in a long while, and some of my aloes sat in the sun of a south-facing windowsill for the first time. Two of them were in an office before, never getting direct sunlight.

When I came home, I noticed a new brown tinge had appeared, most pronounced at the base of their new leaves, and less elsewhere.

I learned recently that aloes need to acclimatise in order to stand full sun, but I wasn't expecting such a reaction on the first day.

My questions are:

Is the damage permanent?
If not, where should I place them to make them recover, and for how long?
What schedule should I follow to make them acclimatise to the windowsill?

Pictues below. The brown tinge looks much more pronounced to the naked eye than in the pictures.

The two plants on the right come from an office setting where they received dim indirect light, until I brought them home last week. Today was their first exposure to full sun. The pup is Aloe Variegata.

Detail of the browning:


texts: Couple questions, feedback before a patio install project

texts:
I'm going to be installing a patio behind my house soon and have a couple questions.

Here are sketches of the area, plans, and photos of the area. I'm just outside Boston, so obviously the base is important, given water. https://imgur.com/a/5lMe6

My open questions that I haven't resolved (there are a couple additional ones on the plan that I have my own answers to):

1) Do I need subterranean drainage like a french drain along  the south edge of the patio?

2) What about behind the small retaining wall (less than a foot above grade at its highest)?

3) From a aesthetic perspective, should the stone at the landing below the step to the southeast of the photo match the driveway (some kind of concrete paver or cobblestone) or the patio (some kind of bluestone).

4) Finally, am I missing or overlooking anything? There will be a whole other project for the front yard....

Thanks for any help, suggestions, or feedback!


texts: What happened to my marigold plant how it can be made healthy again?

texts: I transplanted it yesterday but now it's leaves are curled and is bending downwards. What should I do? Whenever I transplant a plant it usually gets in same condition and slowly dies. Please help me, I do not want to lose this plant.


texts: How should I level my yard when half of it is dirt\pinestraw mix?

texts:
I recently bought a house where the previous owners let the backyard go and the 11 pine trees they had in the backyard wrecked havoc. I got the pine trees removed and am now tending to the yard itself which has a layer of pine straw, a layer of dirt, then another layer of pine straw. I put my trusty pitchfork to work and have cleared out a portion of it. The ground is about 3-4" lower where I cleared which brings it about even to the rest of the yard, so the results are what I'm looking for. I have about 20'x100' left to go.

You'll notice on the left and bottom of the above photo that the ground is pretty smooth and level. The left is where I've already started clearing the pine straw\dirt combo and the top (plus a lot more) is what is left to go. Hopefully, you can see how uneven it is.

From the comments, it sounds like I have three options:

Continue clearing out the pine straw\dirt combo
Cover everything with a layer of soil
Give up & hire a professional...

Any thoughts or other options?


texts: In this image (source: Spade (Wikipedia), creative commons), the spades have a T handle. On most modern spades there is a D handle. There is of course a third alternative of no cross piece at all, just as with long-handled spades. Forks and other tools also use the two designs. So the questions arise: why would the different styles have arisen? Is one style better for a particular purpose and would we benefit from one of each in the garden shed? What about the ergonomics of the two designs? Which is most appropriate for a historic garden in say the 1800s? The other end of the tool (the blade?) is clearly a different issue; my question here is about the handle and its connection to the shaft.


texts: Podocarpus leaves cannot tear seed shell

texts:
I ordered podocarpus seeds, they gave roots but the issue is that they begin to grow and the seeds soon were raised above the ground but the leaves don't come out of the seed shell. They don't seem to have the strength to do it. So from 10 germinated seeds only one was success.

I thought that maybe I should plant germinated seeds deeper, but again the seeds are raising but the leaves are still in the shell.


texts: What is a good frugal method for providing shade to fruit-bearing vines?

texts:
What is a good and, hopefully, frugal solution for providing shade to long vines?

In my case, I'm dealing with pumpkin vines on the ground.

I imagine a combination of sheets and chicken wire might do it, but I imagine chicken wire doesn't qualify as frugal.

Any ideas?

Here's my layout


texts: Pros/Cons of Using Cedar or Pressure-Treated Board as Garden Bed Edging

texts: For a few reasons I don't need to discuss, I am strongly considering using [1/2" to 3/4"] W x 6' H cedar or pressure-treated boards for some garden bed edging.  2"-3" of board will be in/under dirt, the other 3"-4" will be above and visible or retaining mulch.  It's not clear that if I use pressure-treated boards how concerned I should be with potential leaching of chemicals into the bed.  It's also not clear how long I should expect either of these solutions to last before significant rot sets in below ground.  Any thoughts or comments?


texts:
I have a bed of flowers which I would like to raise by 2-2½ feet (61cm - 76cm) with the soil added to the top, but I am concerned about the idea when I have well established Peonies.

Is it possible to raise the bed after cutting them down as close to the ground as possible and just add soil on top, or is it best to remove them from the ground first and replant once I have built the raised bed and filled it with soil?

Although the Royal Horticultural Society's webpage on Peonies says that they are hardy plants, where they are well established and flower very well every year, I am just concerned that things could go badly for them if I don't treat them correctly.


texts: What are these spots/streaks on my tomato leaves?

texts: I recently transplanted these outside to my garden and the spots/streaks started up. This was about 2 days ago. I did acclimate them to the sun and the outdoors so I'm not sure what's causing this. Is it dangerous or natural, and also what is causing it?


texts: What is this plant with large bright green hairy seed pods and small flowers?

texts: This popped up in the garden. I'm not sure what it is or whether or not I want to keep it. Can anyone tell me what it is?


texts:
The soil of my Monstera has been moist for 5-6 weeks at least. Is this normal?
The very top layer feels dry but if I stick my finger as far as my knuckle it’s still moist, and if I really dig deeper into the soil there are wet little soil pellets here and there. (Def does not feel saturated.) I thought it was ok since it was winter but now that we’re headed into spring, I’m not sure if I should be concerned. I’ve had it since May 2019 and haven’t noticed this before.
It’s placed in a bright room about 12-15 feet away from a large east-facing window.
Linking to pictures taken this morning. The one with me holding it was taken in May when I brought it home.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/c3EHGaXs744KgTh86


texts:
This is my 4th areca palm and if it doesn't survive then I guess we don't have good relationship however I would still give my level best to keep it alive like I do for so many other plants.

This plant was bought almost 3 months ago and it was doing fairly well, plant was kept in not so bright area. Recently I noticed distressed signal on this plant and moved to brighter area however no direct sun-light. Watering this plant once in a while using water sprayer.

I live in middle east(Bahrain), summer is beginning now and hence air conditioner runs in the night.

Any help would be highly appreciated.

Below are photos:


texts:
I purchased a Sunchoke from my local organic grocer, and was wondering if a sunchoke, like a potato will grow from its "fingers", and the main ball.

Edit:
What I'm meaning specifically is cut the sunchoke fingers off, and plant them individually from a big tuber I purchased.


texts: How to minimize harm for leafed-out bare root trees being transplanted late in spring at a remote site?

texts:
I have a lot of bare root trees leftover from Fall 2019 seed propagation. These are seedlings which first emerged in Spring 2020 and now are entering their second year of growth. They are mostly small (<12 inch) red oaks and hazels. Most I grew are already in permanent homes, but I still have many leftovers. These will be planted now in Spring 2021.
These seedlings have been uplifted from their air prune beds in Fall 2020 and have been stored in pots of sawdust kept wet and in shade, as they are now. At this point, most of these seedlings have started to leaf out, some even started a week or two ago and now have small leaves!
The place I have to plant these trees is in zone 5 and is a long drive from me, and I won't be able to plant them there until another 2 weeks from now. Once they are planted, I will only be around for a few days before leaving the area. I have friends who can help keep them watered to some extent but it is not their project and I don't know how much I can lean on them for that.
What can I do to minimize harm to these leafed-out trees being transplanted? Thankfully they all have good root systems from the air prune bed and being stored bare root, so they are not being planted with major root loss. Still, I realize they will be extra vulnerable to wilting because they have leaves already and their roots will just be getting settled into new soil and regrowing fine feeder roots.
Where they are being planted will be in small hand-dug mounds that are a few inches higher than the surrounding ground, in silty clay soil in a meadow. It is a challenging site for new trees as-is. There is surface water nearby they can be watered with via buckets, but again I won't be there and am not sure how much help I can get with others doing bucket-based watering. I have lots of mulch so I will give them each a very thick donut of mulch to insulate them.


texts: Should dead-looking sections be removed from bulbs before planting?

texts:
For Christmas, my daughter gave me some tulip, hyacinth and daffodil bulbs. Since they've been sitting around for quite some time in the local department store, they're in varying states and conditions. All show root growth and most have started to sprout, on the top or sides. Most still look fresh, and they're all firm to the touch, with no visible mold. Some, however, look what I would consider to be old and far beyond their prime!

It's been unseasonably warm in Massachusetts, zone 6a, and it's very exciting to have ground that's still soft enough to plant bulbs at the necessary depth on Christmas! I'd like to know how to prepare those that look really bad, to give me the best chance for success. My question is about bulbs in general, but in this case they're daffodils.

The outer layers are thick, dry and dark brown. Should I peel them away, or is
there reason to believe they may be protecting the healthy part of the bulb?
The tops are shriveled, but I can see some green down inside. Should I pinch off the dead parts, or would that risk damaging the healthy section?
The roots are brown, cracked and dry, with no evidence of green. Should I cut those off, or hope that the water I give them during planting will either re-hydrate them or encourage new ones?

In the interest of full disclosure, I must say that I planted the bulbs before having time to finish this post! I tried a variety of methods with those daffodils, and will just have to wait and see. An answer to the question will still help me though, and hopefully others.


texts: If you can hydroponically grow White Sage starting from rock wool

texts:
It sounds like White Sage is hard to grow, with a 10-20% germination rate. I saw How to grow White Sage hydroponically, but it doesn't do the first step like you would hydroponically. Instead it sounds like they planted the seeds in dirt and once they germinated and grew some leaves they transplanted them to a hydroponic system.

I am new to gardening and hydroponics in general, but I am interested to know if it's possible to use a rock wool sort of system to germinate the White Sage seed, without any soil. Then perhaps it will grow some leaves just in the rock wool, and I can then transplant it to some perlite, etc.

Wondering if this is possible, and if so, how much better or worse it will likely work out as opposed to starting to germinate in the soil.


texts: We have orange trees that have always produced "orange flesh" oranges.  This year a few of the oranges have red streaks in them.  Is is possible that this year the flowers were crossed with a blood orange tree?


texts:
I've tried to look everywhere, but couldn’t find any good answer on why my plant is growing very nicely, but never developed a new pitcher.

I've got the plant about 5 months ago and it had many beautiful, grown pitchers. They eventually dried out naturally and I was just waiting for new ones to come out... But it never happened.

Basically as you can see from the pictures, the leaves are producing them, but they never grow large and eventually dry out directly when still small.
I'm keeping the plant up close to a south facing window, at a temperature around 20 degrees and humidity around 50%, keeping the soil neither wet nor dry (basically watering every couple days).
I am watering with decalcified water and once a week with rain water.

Do you have any suggestions?


texts: Why are some leaves on my tomato seedlings turning dark and falling off?

texts:
I am trying my hand at balcony tomatoes and sowed some in mid March. I already transplanted them once from the seed nursery to small drinking cups of about 200ml. Since they were bending too much towards the light, I decided to accustom them to the weather outside gradually and have been doing that the last 3 weeks. Now yesterday I found some plants were having dark leaves' edges which then seemed like they have been cooked and the edges just fall off. I didn't put them in direct sunlight and have been watering them regularly. Here is a pic:

What's the cause of this behavior? I certainly hope not some parasite or fungus.

Thanks


texts: What woods shouldn't be used for hugelkultur?

texts:
I have a yard this year for the first time and I'm attempting various methods of building beds.  For my first bed, I used double digging.  But that was an insane amount of work and I'm not all that happy with the bed that resulted.  I've been reading a lot of permaculture literature and they all suggest gradual bed construction through sheet mulching.

But I don't have that much organic matter readily available to me.  About the only organic matter I have is a giant brush pile from a serious shrub trimming.  The pile includes an entire box shrub, as well as trimmings of box shrub and yew.  It also includes a large quantity of soft needle pine and tulip popular branches that came down in a storm.

I know pretty much all parts of a yew tree are toxic.  Will that prevent it from working well in a hugelkultur?  Will the toxin degrade or will it keep the yew from rotting and/or poison my soil microbes?  Are there any woods that shouldn't be used for hugelkultur?


texts: What is this shrub with large heads composed of single flowers?

texts:
I can't identify this flower that has been previously here in the garden since I have moved. Here's a photo.

.


texts:
I bought a pair of Vanda orchids online. One of them looks fine and healthy but the other one had black bruising on the leaves more than halfway up the plant.
The articles I read.on the net suggest that black spots that increase in size indicate fungal infection. However, these do Not look like spots - but long stretches of bruising like on a banana skin.
I am not sure as to what corrective action to take till I can figure out what exactly is wrong with it.

Orchid pros: any thoughts?
As per recommendations on the net, I need to chop off all the infected parts. Will I be able to keep this plant alive if I have to take out more than 3/4rh of it from the bottom, including roots?
Thank you.


texts:
My lemon tree used to bear lemons, but since my brother pruned the branches, there are no lemons growing.

What did he do wrong? Did he cut too many branches, or is it something else?


texts: No leaves have emerged yet and I think they should have by now. Also I can see no leaf buds. It is about twenty years old and never had any problems before.  There is a lot of sway when I push the trunk which I have not noticed before. Advice, suggestions?


texts: What is this English tree with oval leaves and pale pink blossoms?

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

Located in Leicestershire, UK.


texts:
What is the cause or cure to the branches curling on my tomato plants?

Aside from the curling they are growing, flowering and starting to fruit.

It is the beginning of our tomato season as it is spring here in Sydney, Australia.

I have 3 tomato plants which have been planted at the same time. Indeterminates called (1) Truss Plum, (2) Mini-Roma and (3) Tomato Trussty. They are about 1 meter - 1.2 meter in height in the photos. Their age is about 6 weeks

The pots are laundry baskets and are new.
The potting mix is new and specific for tomatoes of a respected brand. I mixed some chicken pellets in the soil.
The "pots" are lined with new garden fabric as I am trying out air pruning.
Drainage is good with a large hole at the bottom.

I do this as I do not have the room to perform rotate plantings. Hence the A-frame and using fresh potting mix everytime.

Herbicides have not been used in the area.

The irrigation as shown is on the lowest dripping setting and in my opinion adequate watering.

The 3rd plant Trussty shows the most branch curl. There is also some leaf curl in a couple of photos.

(1) Truss Plum

(2) Mini Roma

(3)Trussty

Additional

The weather in Sydney has been unseasonably hot and dry, no rain for 2-3 months. Unusual for spring but not a condition I would think would be anything but great for tomatoes since I keep the moisture up. Not humid and not frosty coming out of winter. The irrigation system is turned on manually by myself and the tap timer turns off after 10 minutes. I water every 2- 3 days depending on how hot it has been.

The landscape fabric the pots are "dressed" in is not weed mat. It is not a plastic. Pillar Products 0.915 x 10m WaterLOCK Premium Mulch Mat.


texts: Ants and aphids - which should I fight first

texts:
My garden is full of ants, but I thought they are harmless and so I have been putting up with them till now.
However, yesterday I noticed that a pot plant has some aphids in it, and a lot of ants were running up and down the plant and there was a distinct ant-full path to the plant.

I found some similar questions here, but I want to ask the following:
Should I fight the aphids or the ants first, and how?

I would like to use bio/organic/safe ways of getting rid of the pests.


texts: is this a Begonia Albopicta var. Rosea??? aka Begonia "Tamaya"?

texts:
Is this plant a hybrid begonia? Yes
How can a wax begonia make a cane begonia that then makes a wax begonia?

I have managed to get viable seeds from this angle wing,
Which have germinated and made a semperflorin looking seedlings and a twin pair of a very different type of begonia....as in the photos.
This is my first post any info would be greatly appreciated.


texts: Can someone help me diagnose what is wrong with my cactus and how do I treat it?

texts:
Does anyone know what is happening to my cactus.  It was a beautiful specimen when I got it and was fine for a year or so, but then it gradually started with the browning and weird skin disease.  It has been getting progressively worse and quicker to attack. It aslo seems to disfigure new grownth and existing growth.  Did start near bottom I think, but seems to attack quite quickly on new growth as well.  It's been in this spot for several years.  I tried neem oil last year, but didn't seem to work at all.  It continues to attack when I move a limb to a pot so I think it is systemic (?).

It is not as green as it was when I first planted or as green as the limb from it that I planted in a pot (see picture)  It is winter here in California.  Perhaps it doesn't like as much sun as it's getting.


texts: Identify this climbing/rambling pink rose

texts:
I have a lovely pink rose on one side of an arch and a white Bobbie James on the other.

I have forgotten the name of the pink rose and would be grateful if anyone could hazard a guess. I don’t know if to treat it as a climber or as a rambler.

1


texts: What is this black spotted disease on my orange tree?

texts: Is this mushroom or animal? I can remove the black dots by slightly scratching the leaves.


texts: Kumquat fruit drop: Always the same result, no matter what

texts:
I got different responses, often conflicting ones: It could have been from excess water as well as lack of water. While June drop may be associated with heat, even fruits which formed later in the fall dropped down in large numbers. Here are all the suggestions I was given, none has worked:

1- Lack of water

2- Excess water: I have tried a wide range of water supply.

3- Excess fruits - natural culling, so-to-speak. It should never end with five or six fruits remaining on the tree till maturity.

4- Hot weather: Even late fruits have fallen in large numbers.

5- Lack of nutrients - I have added humus & compost and supplemented with fruit trees fertilizer. I used slow-release pellets to avoid over-fertilizing.

6- Fruit fly: No maggots were observed inside the fruit.

The drop process is quite fast. The fruits are still green and may suddenly turn soft and partly yellow and drop overnight. I followed-up the process by keeping only the green fruits and watched how the ground is covered with fruit the next morning.

My climate is Mediterranen. It is zone 11, so I have no frost. Summers are hot. Main heat waves occur between July and August.


texts: How much dry soil before the waterline does Angelica need?

texts:
I'm trying to grow angelica, but every few days it seems to getting rid of "old leaves". What am I doing wrong to kill off new growth?

Right now I have it in a 5 gallon bucket with no holes to let the water out.


texts: What type of poison bait can I leave for the common UK wasp?

texts:
I've heard that you can leave poison bait for wasps, which can kill a nest when wasps return with the bait for young to feed on. However I am struggling to find such products in the UK. I've also found reports that such bait only works on yellow-jackets, which eat meat, not on "European paper wasps".

Is the common UK wasp what Americans call yellow jackets, can they be targeted by poison bait, and if so what chemicals are suitable?


texts: What is the minimum hydroponic pot size?

texts:
I've got a doubt about what would be the minimum medium space a plant needs to grow.

I'm making a hydroponic system, and I would need to know what is the dimensions of a plant's root required for it to growth without issues.

For example, let say lettuce, a lot of you know the typical rockwool cube, it is 2" x 2" normally, but, my doubt is, would a plant still grow if that cube is divided, and instead of being 2" x 2" becomes something like 3/4" x 3/4" or 1" x 1"?.

In theory, the roots go down and they have space to expand, but you know, if someone else tried this it would be great if you can share your experiences!.


texts:
While freshening some soil for fall planting (garlic), I found several of these weird yellow globules:

Each one is maybe 3mm in diameter and resembles a fish egg, both in appearance and in consistency (i.e., they burst under pressure and are filled with some sort of liquid). My guess is that they're eggs of some kind, but only because of the resemblance to fish eggs. What are they?


texts: Hibiscus buds turning brown before opening

texts: My Hibiscus is loaded with buds, however they turn dark brown and never open. The leaves did have some signs of disease but we have sprayed the plant and it is looking better, however the buds are ready to open and then they turn brown. This only started about three weeks ago. I have had the plant three years and never had this issue. It is planted outdoors in full sun. Please let me know what I need to do to see the beautiful pink flowers again this summer.


texts: What is this house plant (looks a bit like rocket salad, but succulent)?

texts:
I got this plant from a colleague couple of years ago and she said she didn't know how it was called, supposedly "stag horns" or something, but it's definitely not stag horn fern.

It can grow really large, and quickly: a bit I gave away for the office grew the height of the window on the sill of which it is placed: all within a year.

This is a really great and low maintenance plant and i give away cuttings to friends, so it would to know what it is... Searched for succulents and descriptions in google but nothing came out.

[]1ps://imgur.com/6aAgyjl]2


texts: I have had this plant for 2-3 years now and recently (about 2 months ago) I started noticing some problems on the leaves such as dry spots, bumps and brown near the edges and base. What can I do about this? I water the plant about once every 5-8 days, it gets plenty of light (as you can see from the pics). I have never fertilized the plant and I also dust it off about every 2 weeks.


texts: How Do I Determine The Best Watering Schedule For My Lawn?

texts:
I just bought a new house and I want to program the irrigation system. I don't know anything about the lawn or the system because I just moved in.

I want to know how often I should water the lawn, both on which days of the week and how long to water per zone.

I assume that I am not giving enough information to answer these questions, so I guess what I'm really asking is what do I need to find out and how do I find it out? If I need to know what type of grass I have, how do I do that? Where do I find the resources that will help me figure out the best watering plan?


texts: Is there anything wrong with my raspberry (heritage everbearing, zone 7)

texts: I'm trying to find out if there is something wrong with my raspberry plant. I was gifted with this plant about two weeks ago. It did have some damaged canes which had to be cut away, but I do not remember making this cut as I would not have cut it at an angle like that. I'm honestly leaning towards cane blight or spur blight, but I want to rule out normal dieback (it IS almost September). We HAVE had a lot of rain and the plant is currently in a pot (we do plan on moving it). Please advise on control/removal of the diseased cane, if that is the case. Thank you in advance.


texts: What to do with a williow tree with a cracked split trunk due to strong winds

texts:
The willow tree is located on a hill in a valley (Central EU) known to have strong winds and wind gusts of over +70 km/hr blowing from North West. Four years ago i removed the front trees & bushes so the williow tree became more vulnerable to direct winds and as a result, most of the front colas facing NW broke by time.

First major crack in tree trunk occurred on the last week storm, while today's storm & winds increased the thickness of the crack.

Shall i reinforce it with metals and chains or Cut it down and hope for it to grow again?


texts: I have some kale that I planted in a raised bed.  It is growing well and I take out leaves as and when I need it.  Of course, it keeps growing new leaves.  My question is at what point will the kale stop producing (or die)?  The motivation for my question is to start planning for the next set of plants to put in place of the kale when they eventually stop producing.


texts: Why are the leaves of my french marigold wilting and causing the flower to droop?

texts:
The leaves of my french marigold are wilting, and the flower droops over due to its weight and skinny stem. (I have positioned the flower to lean against the glass this time).

This is the 2nd time already!

Why do the leaves keep wilting, a few at each time? Is it too little watering, air too dry or insufficient sunlight? I have tried to spot for pests and signs of infection... nothing!

I live in Singapore, the pot is 6 inch deep. I used to water it once every 7 days until the water runs out from the bottom. Right now I poke my finger in every 3 days and water it when it feels dry.

The pot is placed at a south west facing window (in my office around 25 degree celsius) which will get around 5 hours of sunlight behind a glass pane.


texts: What is this Vine-type plant growing on my Jacaranda tree?

texts:
I have a vine-type plant that is growing on areas of my Jacaranda tree (me + the tree live in Australia). It has little leaves. The roots of the vine grow on the outer-layer of bark on the tree.

Does anyone know what it is and if it will cause any probs over time or hurt the tree in any way?


texts: Removing Bushes and ground cover weeds. Do I completely change the soil?

texts: I am removing bushes and ground cover weeds from the front of my house.  The soil is full of roots and weeds.  There is a Hydrangeas plant that I will moving to another part of the front yard, after I take out those bushes and weeds as well.  Should I completely remove all of the soil before starting to add new plants? Or should I just get a landscaper?


texts:
I've inherited this mature holly tree. It's clearly been looked after in the past but has gone awry the last few years... It's losing its shape and the variegation is growing out.

Can I reverse this process? I have a lot of holly trees but this is the only variegated one.


texts:
We’ve had this plant for over 20 years but still don’t know the species! Does anyone recognize it?
Also, any advice on how to make it take less space without hurting it much?
Thanks!


texts: Why are my persimmons black beneath the hull?

texts:
My mother's persimmon tree is producing fruit that tastes good, but the area at the top beneath the leaves (the hull/calyx) is black. The local nursery suggested the fruit may be getting too much sunlight, but even fruits that have grown under the shade of other leaves have the same condition.

The leaves don't sit right on the fruit, like the persimmons we see in the store. Instead, there is a little bit of a gap between the fruit and those leaves.

Any ideas what may be causing this condition, and how we can prevent it next year?


texts: I've been searching but all I can find is the Jade plant, which is similar yet no the same.


texts:
This is my second arrowhead vine plant. The plant is still in the same pot it came from nursery. I will be soon re-potting it in a ceramic pot.

But the plant is very droopy and looks like it is sad. The bottom three leaves have turned yellow. I water it only when the topsoil goes dry to the touch. And it is getting good indirect light. When I other arrowhead vines, they are very bushy and green. Mine looks kinda less green and droopy with all the leaves diverging and not forming a bush like other vines.


texts: Magnolia grandiflora 'Little Gem' not flowering

texts: I have a magnolia 'Little Jem' that is about 4 years since I planted it in my backyard. It gets very good sunlight. However it is not flowering very well (see attached picture). I am in the San Francisco Bay Area. We had good rains so water is not the issue. Any suggestions as to what I should be doing?


texts:
Two years ago we thought we had bought a clematis 'Nelly Moser' - but when I look at the flower, it doesn't look at all how it should look. The petals are neither pink nor white but purple, and they're not dark in the centre and light at the edges but vice-versa. The flower's centre is yellow, while Nelly Moser has a purple centre, and the flower doesn't even have the same number of petals - ours has six, while Nelly Moser seems to have eight. Does anyone know which kind of clematis we might have instead?

Edited to add:

Wow, you guys are quick! I live in the Netherlands, which should be hardiness zone 10. The clematis started flowering in April, and is still flowering (I took the photo above this morning). I guess that would make it an early vine? And it flowers off new wood, not old wood. And I measured the diameter of the flower - it's about 6-7 cm (roughly 2,5-3 inches) which seems small to me, I think earlier flowers were larger. There are more flowers than this one, but they are too high up for me to reach! And I (very slightly) photoshopped the colour of the clematis to be a more accurate representation of it's real-life colours - and wouldn't be surprised though if you wouldn't really see a difference...

2nd edit:

It might be useful to add that I suspect it might be pruning group 3, not 2. We hardly pruned it this spring, and during these past few months it really grew a lot! It's now about 2-2.5 m high, and looks as if it's dying/drying out at the bottom, while all flowers but one are high above my head - we'll definitely prune it back hard next year!


texts:
My lawn has been overrun by the shameplant (Mimosa Pudica). It is a rather large area. Is there an herbicide that will kill the shameplant and not the grass?

Some pics of the lawn here.


texts:
Not putting in much thought I moved my plants closer to a light source over the weekend and as you can see in the pictures some tips turned black.
Did it get burned? Is it dying? What am I supposed to do? Can I cut the tips off?

UPDATE:
I have cut the dead parts and in doing so I realized that there are two plants in this pot and only one has this issue. Can it be that this might have happened when I inserted the prong to test the water level one day??
Will this get cured or should I cut of the affected one?
I have added a Picture that I took last night.


texts: What is this thick-stemmed houseplant with variegated leaves?

texts:
I have a plant that I don't know the name of.

Could you please help me identify this plant?


texts: Not sure of the problem with our new Dwarf Orange Tree

texts:
As the title states, not sure if there is a problem OR if one is going to start.
We've had this new dwarf orange tree for 2 weeks.  Today I noticed on a few of the leaves underneath that there are white spots.  It does not scrape off.  Is this mildew and if so, what do I do about it?  I want to catch it early, as stated before this is a new tree with only a few leaves showing this problem.  Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.   Thank You !


texts: Identify this UK flower that looks like a snowdrop

texts: Spotted these in a garden in the UK in the middle of August. Thought they were snowdrops but it's the wrong time of year. Any ideas?


texts: What is a good watering routine for a bonsai?

texts: If I have just purchased a bonsai, what is a good watering routine that I should start with and how should I adjust this routine regularly?


texts: I'm writing to ask what these are. Help appreciated. (It turns out to be very difficult to search for this particular affliction online!)


texts: What are these red/orange spots with protruding "spikes" on my pear tree?

texts: Admittedly I haven't paid a close attention to this tree for a few months but the other day I spotted several of these spots on my pear tree. So what gives?


texts: What are these small sugar crystal like thing under my ladyfingers leaves?


texts: Unknown plant whose leaves look like big versions of tomato sapling leaves

texts:
I asked a question earlier about why some of my tomatoes are really big compared to the rest, and at this point the big ones have grown a bit more and it looks like they're different plants after all.

For a little background, these unidentified plants are around tiny variety of "balcony"-sized tomatoes. Here's the biggest ones:

And here's a close up of the top part (with presumably future seeds):

Another pot has a similar plant growing:

This pot has a more mature tomato plant, which has its first leaves turned yellow, and you can see how the shapes of the first tomato leaves is very similar at the beginning stages to this unknown plant:

It grows on a thin red stalk, while the tomato stalk gets a lot wider and isn't red at any point (I think):

Here are a few new saplings probably from that same plant which suddenly started growing all over my pots:

And another one where you can kinda see the seed shell hanging off its leaf (and also a bigger plant with the red stalk in the background, and my usual tomatoes in the middle):

An interesting bonus − I have a dry pot where an almond wasn't growing very well, so I just stopped watering it completely a couple weeks ago, and the pot is on the balcony where rain can't get to it. But somehow, in the foreground this same red-stalked sapling is trying to grow, and in the backgrounds there's probably a mint sapling somehow clinging on (I'm gonna start watering the mint just to reward its resilience):

So, my experiments with tight tomato clusters aside, what is this red-stalked plant that has suddenly started growing in half of my tomato pots?

There are some tiny balls of fluff which the camera couldn't catch very well no matter how I adjusted the pots. I've read it might be poplar fluff carrying its seeds, but if you google "poplar saplings", the leaves look very different. It could be this fluff, or it could be something else, but because its leaves never start looking like on a mature tomato plant, and the fact that it also grew in a dry pot where I didn't plant any tomatoes, I very much doubt it's a mutated tomato.

Actually, now that I've had a closer look at some of the tomato saplings, they do have a reddish stalk, and one of them grows directly from the bunch of tomatoes. So I don't really know for sure if these aren't mutated tomatoes, or if it just got lucky and started growing in such a suspicious place.


texts: Why aren't my fruit/nut trees flowering?

texts:
I live in zone 8/9 in northern FL and I have the following fruit/nut trees:

2 Pecans
2 Meyor Lemons
2 Peach trees (uncertain of variety)
1 Black Mission fig

Most of the trees have been planted for between 2 to 4 years, and they are all about that young.  None of these trees have ever significantly flowered.  The peach trees kind of flower, but the flowers fall after about 2 days.

The trees themselves have all grown and flourished, and what's more is that all of them (except the pecans) were blooming when I bought them.

What time of year should these trees flower? I thought the pecans (which are about 4 years old) should start flowering right now so you get a winter harvest.  Are all these trees too young?

EDIT

Talking to my dad last night, he thought it notworthy that the pecan trees grew their stamens every March/April... He said that those grape cluster looking clumps should have turned into pecans throughout the summer... On my trees though, they both just fall off after a few weeks.


texts:
I have a hoya cutting that started rooting a couple of weeks ago. I read online, that I should plant a cutting when the roots are about 5 cm long. But those roots in the photo in the article were very fine. My hoya has a couple long roots.
So I'm wondering, is my hoya ready for potting or should I wait?


texts: What are these brown, cap-shaped mushrooms on my birch tree?

texts: I live in Massachusetts and have several birch trees in my yard.  One of them has brown, cap-shaped mushrooms growing in groups up and down the trunk. As you can see, the tree has a big crack in the bark. What are these mushrooms, and are they killing my tree?


texts: Can I legally plant all seeds of store bought apples labeled Red Delicious?

texts:
Are store bought apple fruits that are labeled Red Delicious really the public domain Red Delicious apples, or do they sometimes do something to them and patent a slightly different apple that they still call Red Delicious to consumers? I ask because I want to plant the seeds, if they're public domain in the USA; but otherwise it may be illegal.

I know for seed-selling, PVP seeds and such are supposed to be labeled with the correct name. The same does not appear to be true for produce, unfortunately.

Let me know if this isn't gardening-related enough, but it does impact a gardening decision. Feel free to refer me to a better place to post this.


texts: So we moved to a new home last week. There are two different trees, one in the backyard, one in the front. However, both trees have some oil or sap like things on the leaves, and what's worse, wind spreads the oil all over my car or anything under the trees. See attached picture please. What is causing the oil? The trees themselves or bugs? Are the white dots on the leaves bug eggs? I do see many bugs on the trees. Thx


texts:
I turned up a rock just outside my house in the garden and found these ant-like creatures.  Are these termites or ghost ants or what?

And see the video


texts: What are the Coldest Spring Temperatures to Overseed a Lawn?

texts:
I know (now) that the best time to overseed a lawn is in the Fall.  I obviously missed that window so I have to make do.  I've read that the 2nd best time to overseed is early Spring.  But how early is too early?  I live in the middle of Pennsylvania and temps are currently running about 30-50& deg;F.

What temperatures should I be looking for to overseed?  Will a heavy frost damage new grass seedlings?  I'm anxious to get going (it will be 60 °F on Saturday) but I don't want to rush it if I'm going to do more harm than good.


texts:
In Zone 5. The variety is Mountain Fresh tomatoes which are mulched and watered via a drip system for what it's worth.

The plants have been getting progressively worse looking. I recently pruned/disposed of the affected areas as well as pruning back any branches heading towards other plants in the hopes to let the current large fruit ripen.


texts: How to get rid of ants without harming the tree

texts:
Several days ago I found in my garden hunderds of big black ants.

What's worst: I traced them and found that their hole is at the base of my young Macademia tree.

Can I get rid of the ants without harming the tree?


texts:
I'm looking into building a cabinet sized greenhouse for my balcony. I have a very limited income so its a low budget project. I have looked at ready-mades but none fit my budget or space.

I'm a bit unsure if the materials I have selected are ideal:

I was considering building the frame out of 45 x 45mm (1.7") pine.
For the back I was planing on a sheet of plywood painted black.
For the bottom i'm considering a galvanized steel plate.
For the glazing I considering using channeled polycarbonate (about 8mm).

Access will be by sliding the front panels.

Are there better choices for this project?

Aluminium could be an option but I don't have any experience with metalworking really.

What is the best way to fasten the polycarbonate sheets to the frame?

I only have basic hand tools to I'm looking to avoid tongue and groove.

Site

I live in an apartment building so I cannot fasten it to the wall. I can fasten it to railing on one side to prevent tipping. The balcony is south facing and on the second floor of 4. There is a balcony above it so does get wet in a storm but not soaked.

I live in northern Sweden. The Köppen climate zone is Dfc (Cool Continental / Subarctic). We often have snow from november to the beginning of may. Winter temperatures often drop down to -25°c (-14F)

The reason I want a greenhouse is that June, July and August are the only guaranteed frost free months and nighttime temperatures plummet down to 4°c (39F) during may and september.

I intend to bring it inside when winter comes.

What do I want to grow?

I want to be able to grow tomatoes, peppers and maybe physalis and kiwi berries and maybe cool down my indoor citrus plants in the fall.

My tomatoes, peppers grow ok at there now, but I have to haul them inside every night.

Size

The overall size is 320 * 1100 * 2000mm (12"*43"*78").


texts: Willow tree placement in regards to house

texts:
Background

I have recently moved into a house.
There is a willow tree on the
property (not sure which type).
The willow tree is is approximatly 5
meters from the house foundation.
The house foundation is a "suspended foundation".
The tree is about as old as the house, around 8 years.

The question: Does this tree pose a threat to the house? I have been told by several people that the tree can go under the house and lift the foundation resulting in expensive repairs. If this is the case, is there an immediate danger, or how big does the tree need to be before we need to concern ourselves with this.

The tree in question:


texts: How should I transfer swamp oak seedlings from pot to ground?

texts: I have an interesting project going on.  I was visiting the 911 Memorial site in NYC last fall.  There are many swamp oaks planted on the grounds, and in the footprint of where the twin towers stood.  The acorns were plentiful while I was there so I picked up a handful with the idea to grow my very own liberty tree from the 911 site.  I went online, learned how to get the acorn to sprout. SUCCESS!  I have 3 swamp oaks in 6 inch pots.  They are about a foot tall with anywhere from 3 to 6 leaves.  Very healthy looking leaves, but very skinny twig-like stems.  I have a grow light on them for about 8 hours a day.  My question is: What's next?  I want to plant them outside in the spring.  I've read a lot already about how to go about it, but lots of different opinions, and none for a swamp oak going in the gound in Connecticut.  Any suggestions?  What month? Soil prep? Watering schedule?


texts: Why is my Miranda not coming to full pitchers and it has brown spots?

texts:
I have a Miranda Nepenthes and I've had it for about 8 months or so. It is growing like crazy but I haven't had a pitcher to get to full maturity since it came in the mail. It starts to grow pitchers but they die before they get big. It has a beautiful bloom, however. Now, the older newer leaves and the older leaves are getting some brown spots and holes on and in the leaves. I have moved it to get morning sun and but that didn't work then I moved to get evening sun and that didn't work either. My house is pretty well lit so I think its getting enough light along with sitting in the window. It's about 3 foot tall and some of the new leaves are curling. I keep it wet but I have never fertilized it. I'm not sure about the humidity but I do have one of those heating pad things for plants and I was thinking about using it to help with humidity. Would that help? Please help me I don't want to lose my plant.
[1]: https://i.stack.imgur.com/4EXqZ.jpg


texts: rodents eating fig cuttings in my greenhouse

texts: I am having a problem with something getting into my greenhouse at night and eating my fig cuttings down to the nubs! It is also eating my plastic containers? what is it?  I checked the perimeter of the greenhouse and found a tiny opening.  It's too small for raccoons to get in, are rats the probable culprits?


texts: Are tar based products really useful in treating tree wounds?

texts:
There are a lot of articles on the web ranked highly in searches that advocate the use of tar/tar based products to seal tree wounds such as pruning cuts. For example — "Homemade tree wounds". However, this is really an outdated practice and the use of such products only seals in the bacteria and fungus, further worsening the situation and accelerating the decay.

Are there concrete sources of information (published literature/university program articles, etc.) that go into further detail on the benefits/hazards of using tar based products for such purposes? I'd appreciate detailed answers with links so that this post can quell any disinformation floating around on the internet.


texts: Are these weeds or bougainvillea seedlings?

texts: About six weeks ago, I threw a bunch of petals from my mom's bougainvillea plant, into this bucket of dirt and these started growing.


texts: Can I grow a dwarf avocado tree in my climate?

texts: I'm looking into getting some potted plants since I have a patio at my apartment; one plant I'm interested in is the avocado. However, I live in northeastern Ohio. It looks like bacon avocado trees can withstand frost well, but can it be dwarfed and still produce fruit? Would another variety work better? Should I give up and find another tree?


texts: Night-blooming Jasmine (cestrum nocturnum) leaves are being eatin by something!

texts: My Night-blooming Jasmine (cestrum nocturnum) leaves are being eatin by something. Anyone know what it could be and how to avoid this?


texts: Will rusty nails in garden harm plants or people who eat the plants?

texts:
Other than the risk of injury and tetanus, will the hundreds of rusty nails inexplicably found in sections of my garden harm the plants that grow there or the people who eat said plants? They are so rusty that they are barely even nail shaped, most are more like long, irregular rust blobs.

(Any theories on why sections of the garden have dozens of nails per square foot in the topsoil are welcome in the comments :D)


texts: What's wrong with my pilea peperomioides?

texts: I recently moved this little Pilea to a windowsill of a south-east facing window. This means it gets some direct morning sun, whereas before it was in a room with a skylight and only got indirect light. A few days after the move I suddenly noticed that my Pilea wasn't feeling very happy. The leaves droop; the newer leaves are curling inwards, the older curl outwards. Does this mean that its new location is too sunny? I'm confused, as I thought these plants like to have lots of light and morning sun was fine. The sun really isn't that strong here in Belgium.


texts: Are "minerals" and "nutrients" the same thing?

texts:
Some good answers on this question: Is it worth spreading ash on the vegetable plot?.

But one answer says:

  I can't think of any minerals that would be present

and the other upvoted answer says:

  It has (varying depending on the woods that were burned) quite a few nutrients

I'm trying to work out which answer is correct, or whether they can both be right.

From a gardener's perspective, when we talk about nutrients, do we mean minerals?


texts: I don't have a garden, but I have taken to having window boxes with some wild flowers from seed and keeping herbs, which is working out great so far. However, recently I bought heathers, a range inc. the erica and the alberta white. I am in Germany and the weather  has been very hot and I have been keeping them on the window in about 6 hours of sun in individual pots without holes and still in the plastic containers from the nursery - I just have a feeling I am doing something wrong, but they look good so far, but I think they will not last this way.. also watering seems to be needed daily, but it is very hot here at the moment. Please any tips will be greatly appreciated! thank you in advance.


texts: Is this a normal amount of sap from an apricot tree after pruning?

texts: My apricot tree is secreting what seems to me as copious amounts of sap. Is this a normal amount of sap after pruning about a year ago, or is my tree sick?


texts:
I believe this plant to be a Dieffenbachia (dumb cane). My mother got it about 40 years ago. The lower leaves have suddenly turned yellow (see pictures).  Is this plant sick? Does the soil lack proper nutrients? The plant is in a 10 inch pot - might be the original. It's in a house that is very hot and though it's near a large sunny window, it mostly gets light filtered through blinds. It gets water about 3 times a week. It's in the same location it's been for the past 40 years. I very much want to keep the plant alive and healthy. Thank you.
[]


texts:
I have a slow dieing lantana plant which even with re-potting dropped all leaves and I basically put it under sun with no water to die...few days back as I was doing regular checkup on my balcony garden to my surprise I saw new baby leaf coming out of one of branches of about to die lantana plant.
I notice leaves growing on one part (single branch) the other branch seems dead weight , would it be okay I can break or prune down to length of other branch which is growing leaves? thanks.


texts:
Recently my banana tree is acting strange. Can somebody please help me to tell me what i do wrong?

Thanks]1


texts: How can I control erosion and weeds on a rock retaining wall?

texts: I live on a sloped lot in Utah (just north of Salt Lake City, USDA zone 7b) with several rock retaining walls (small boulders 3-5' in diameter). After hard rains I've noticed considerable dirt plumes from drainage between the boulders and I worry about erosion. The previous owner had some sort of ground cover plants in between but those pretty much died off when the house sat vacant for one year. I also get weeds growing in the dirt between the rocks. I'm looking for a good, low-maintenance solution to minimize erosion and weeds, even if it's non-organic.


texts: How much damage will tree house, swings, etc., do to my linden tree? How to reduce damage?

texts:
I have a large linden tree in my backyard (see photos below). Going by the age of the house, it could be up to 100 years old. I estimate the height at 45-50 ft, and diameter of trunk roughly 3 ft. There aren't any large dead sections. This tree was a selling point of the house.
Previous owners had tied a couple swings in the branches, and my children would love a tree house. Rather than building a large structure around the trunk, our preference is to have some places to sit among the branches. I think the linden shape, with its large fork of upward-angled branches will lend itself well to this.
I understand that there's no way to permanently attach things without creating a wound. I'd like to know just how much harm these things will do to the tree, and how to best minimize it. If it comes down to it, I'd rather give up these plans than lead the tree to an untimely death.
Considering the size and age of the tree, how harmful would any of the following be to the tree?

Re-attach swings with wide straps or eye screws, to avoid strangling the branches.
Re-position straps wrapped around the branches annually.
Install eye screws in the large branches around the fork, and use them to hold a rope net and/or suspend boards.
Install a couple of Treehouse Attachment Bolts--in case I suddenly become wealthy :).

Any suggestions?
Thanks!


texts: What's It - Found in a Yard in South-Central Pennsylvania

texts: I found these flowers in my neighbor's yard. Not planted by them, they can't it together enough to have a garden. What are they ? I haven't seen them in my area Pennsylvania in the past.


texts: What are these red bumps on my cherry tree stems?

texts:
Tiny red bumps started appearing on my multi-variety cherry tree. They only appear on new terminal stems. They do not move.

At first, I thought it was scale pest, so I sprayed neem oil on them twice. That had no effect on them.

Just today, I tried to peel one off with my fingernail. It appears to be fused with the stem, unlike scale. The red peel was thin. Underneath, it was the same green color as the inner stem.

What are these red bumps? Are they pests or part of the tree? This is my first cherry tree, so I know nothing about their peculiarities.


texts: How can I care for my dwarf meyer lemon tree with leaf drop?

texts:
I have a 3 year old potted dwarf meyer lemon tree that's not doing particularly well at the moment. It's never had a huge abundance of leaves, but a few weeks ago there was a particularly windy storm and it lost a lot of leaves. Yesterday it had about half a dozen leaves. Today it's down to two!

I'm in the southern hemisphere, so it's mid-spring. Some of the branches look unhealthy (maybe already dead) but most are still green, and it's still budding like crazy. I feed it sporadically with Osmocote citrus pellets, and water it approximately weekly.

I assume that flowering is taking up a lot of the plant's resources, so I guess I should pull off all the buds ASAP. Is there anything else I should be doing? I've read citrus can be quite hardy plants, but this is the worst state mine has been in. Two leaves does not make a tree.


texts:
I would like to ask if I need to prune off the blackened pseudobulb on this cattleya orchid or could I just leave it as is.

Thanks!


texts: What's the difference between a redwood and a sequoia?

texts: I was under the impression they were the same thing, but I have a friend who insists they're two different trees.  What's the difference, and what's the relationship between the two?


texts: What is this in the soil of my potato plants?

texts: My potatoes are near harvest and dying back, although one of them seems to have a rotting stem. I looked in the soil and found this?


texts: What kind of grass is this? It is found in one of zen garden my friend took the picture from

texts:
I love this kind of grass to build my own zen garden. Can anyone help me to identify what kind of grass is this?
Thanks


texts: Do these watermelon plants show signs of mosaic virus?

texts:
I salvaged and planted three watermelon seedlings a few weeks ago after my, somewhat flimsy, greenhouse blew over in a wind storm. The seedlings seemed to be thriving in their new homes, but this past week they have taken a turn for the worse. As can be seen in the following two photos.

tl;dr;
Do the two photos of the watermelon plants show signs of either tobacco mosaic virus or cucumber mosaic virus?

Note that the second photo has a red circle around what appears to be a white soil fungus. This fungus was not present before this morning but is now at the base of two of the three watermelon plants. I'm not sure what this fungus is, but I did notice it on some of my other transplant's peat pots.
But back to the mosaic virus, I've noticed and removed winged aphids and ants carrying aphids on the watermelon plants. I've read that aphids and thrips are big spreaders of mosaic virus. Which is why I have been spraying a watery mixture of Dyna-Gro neem oil and Dr. Bronner's unscented pure-castille liquid soap every seven days, since before the seedlings were transplanted. I've also occasionally used food grade diatomaceous earth to try and curb the ants, I don't want to kill the good insects though.
Also, one of the watermelon plants has a fissure in the stem running from just above the soil to the first set of leaves. As seen in the following photo, which also shows a closer view of the white soil fungus mentioned earlier.

I think this was caused by a pest, either below ground or above it, but I was wondering if this kind of fissure could be caused by a period of under or over watering?
My main question is, do the first two photos of the watermelon plants show signs of either tobacco mosaic virus or cucumber mosaic virus?
Note: I'm not familiar with the proper tags to use, or if you think I rambled too much, please feel free to edit my question.


texts: How long should I wait before planting water propagated english-ivy?

texts: So I'm finally succeeding rooting ivy on water, I don't want to ruin it when placing them on the soil. Anyone knows how long should I wait? I know that for pothos I should wait until the roots are around 2 inches long.


texts: Is it possible to do my own extensive soil/organic matter testing?

texts:
I've read the posts on soil testing, and I realize it's cheap and widely available through local universities, etc.

Question: Is it possible to do my own soil testing?  Are there some compounds that it's very difficult to test for without a big fancy lab like at the university?  Can the same chemistry be used to test for compounds in things like compost, manure, etc?

In other words, if I invest in a little chemistry lab and follow instructions, can I test any mulch, compost, whatever that comes my way for chemical quantities, and make use of those numbers in deciding how to mix them and how long to let it age?


texts: What is the name of this variegated plant?

texts: I've had it for a month, but lost the tag with info on it. if anyone has the name and/or helpful info, I'd really appreciate it. I don't want to kill it! all I know is it's two toned, it's been indoors since I bought too. I water it like one or twice a week and I don't know how much sun it needs.


texts:
I found these in a country park as well.  I'd like to identify them if I can.  While they seem quite distinctive in appearance to me I cannot find them online.

EDIT:
I had used a link to flickr before SE used imgur.com for hosting images. I think I'd moved the images around in flickr which broke the url.  I couldn't find a way to figure out which images I'd originally got posted in this question.  I picked two.  You can find these and other flower images on my flickr account.


texts: I have this tree in my backyard and I am not sure if it's any "special" to keep. I need to area for kid. Can you tell what tree is it?


texts: How do I preserve a rose bush over the winter?

texts:
Having moved into a new house over the Summer (UK), I am keen to preserve the very good state in which the previous residents left the garden.
In particular, there is a lovely rose bush growing along a little fence in the garden. I happened to get chatting to a nearby neighbour shortly after moving in, who was out gardening at the time - when I asked about how to prune the rose bush, he said to cut the dead flowers away at the base of the stem from which they were growing.
I have been doing this consistently since moving in, and it appears to have been good advice - I have seen more and more buds appear and flower as I have been doing this.
What I am wondering is whether I should continue doing this over the winter months, with the expectation that the flowers will stop appearing at some point, and then re-appear in Spring?
It probably sounds a bit late in the season to be asking this question - so I guess that shows that I live in a relatively warm part of the UK, and there are a couple of buds which have appeared on the bush recently- I guess as it's been a relatively mild start to the winter months.
How can I best preserve the rose bush so that it survives the winter, and starts to flower again in the spring? Should I keep pruning as I have been doing, until no more flowers appear, or is there a point at which I should stop pruning?


texts: Can I use "distilled" water to water plants?

texts: My apartment is very humid, and I regularly use a dehumidifier. Is it OK to use the resulting water to water my indoor plants? Since it's basically distilled water it does lack minerals. I usually use tap water that I leave for a day or so to remove chlorine.


texts: Should this Magnolia grandiflora be pruned?

texts: This is a 16 year old Magnolia grandiflora in zone 8a. Should it be pruned, or left alone?


texts: What to do with strawberry plants planted in a soil with lot of nitrogen in it?

texts: When I planted my strawberry plants which I bought from Walmart into a 2.5' (Length) x 2.5' (Width) x 10" (Depth) cedar planter, I filled ~5" with top soil and then layered about an inch of steer manure and then topped it off with ~3" of top soil. Its been more than a month and we are not seeing any fruit. The plants are really healthy with big leaves. But no fruits so far :(. Researching on the internet many say it could be because of high nitrogen in the soil. So my question is, what can I do now? Can I relocate the plants to the ground so that it will reduce the nitrogen content in the soil? And then transfer it back to the planter in mid-late fall (which is ~4-5 months away) with just top soil in the planter?


texts:
Mynah birds have taken over my garden, displacing the natural avian fauna. I would like to get rid of them, but my being in Australia means that I can't buy a gun.

Any alternative suggestions on how to control them?


texts:
How do I treat "scale" on an office plant?

I can take it into the bathroom or outside to spray it if necessary, but I cannot use anything that smells strongly or would off-gas. I'd like to avoid anything that "looks" obvious as I don't really want people to know my plants have bugs.

The plant is some sort of fern. It was labeled as "Fern" or maybe "tropical plant" when I bought it. I believe it may be a Kangaroo Fern but I'm not 100% sure.

I have been wiping the leaves to manually remove the bugs but it seems this is not enough and each Monday I come back to see more "babies" on the plant. The little guys are really hard to wipe off without damaging the leaves.


texts: Does working leftover grass into your soil do anything?

texts: I have a couple bags of grass shavings leftover from mowing the lawn and was wondering if I work the grass into the soil would that accomplish anything meaningful?


texts: What is this lawn patch called and where can I buy it?

texts: I bought a home and want to fix the lawn in my yard. There are big empty spots in yard without lawn. I was wondering what is the quickest way to get the lawn that will last long? I saw few people in my community have yellow lawn patches like the one in attached picture. What is it called and where can I buy it?


texts:
I planted a capsicum/pepper plant about 5 months back and it's been growing well and producing a few fruits.
I live in Melbourne, Australia and it's now Winter, and the plant now has lots of fruit, but looks like it's on its last legs.

I was hoping to keep it going through winter till next year.  Is there anything I can do to save it or am I too late?


texts: What's the name of this pear cultivar? (green skin with brown coating)

texts:
What's the name of this pear cultivar? It has a green skin but it can have a coating in brown color.  On Wikimedia commons, the ones looking closer to this are "Bojniczanka.jpg" and "Pyrus a1.jpg". Is this a variety of Anjou?

Does that brown coating have a name?

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texts:
I have some questions about some trees present in my study areas. I think there must be acacias trees and baobabs, but it's hard for me to distinguish them.

Maybe there are also some additional trees someone can help me with.

The ones in the front, at the right side in picture 2 must be eucalyptus trees.

The pictures are taken in the north of Ethiopia!

Click on photo for full size