texts: Should I give up on these Dill and Rosemary seeds?

texts:
I'm a total amateur to potted plants, as I'm living in my own apartment (in NYC) for the first time and I used to live in a rural area. I bought some flower pots, miracle gro starting/seedling mix, and this 10 variety seed pack of various herbs.

So my timeline of events goes like this

Day 1: I put some dirt from the bag of miracle-gro in a small pot, sprinkle dill seeds in, then cover lightly, as seed packet recommends. I then water a bit. I notice the water sits on top without going in to the soil, and then after a minute, it goes right through the drainage hole immediately; very little retention. I don't pay much heed at this point. I do the same for rosemary. I sprinkle a little water into these plants every morning by putting a paper tower in a glass of water and gently squeezing out a bit onto the top of the soil. The pots aren't very big, so a squeeze basically causes the whole top of the soil to be covered in a small puddle, which sits there for a minute or two and then immediately goes to the bottom, mostly out of the drain hole.

Day 8ish: The soil still seems kind of bad at holding water. I sprinkle water on top, enough to darken the soil, and three minutes later I stick my finger in and it's totally dry. I look up online that sometimes bagged soil gets so dry that it becomes water resistant, and that sometimes soaking it works. I don't want to drown the seeds, so I try some new ones. I take a bunch of soil from the bag, soak it really well for about 8 hours, then let drain overnight. In the morning the soil is clumpy like it's still a bit wet inside, but not damp. I have two more pots; I put basil seeds in one and oregano seeds in the other. I cover a bit with bagged soil (not the stuff I soaked) and put on the window. I continue watering the first two plants (dill and rosemary) but I don't water the basil and dill since the soil seems damp from the soaking.

Day 14ish (now): I wake up to see a few basil shoot and one or two oregano ones as well. Still nothing from the other two pots. I'm wondering if it's time to give up on the Dill and Rosemary? Maybe I'm being impatient, I'm sure different varieties take different times to germinate but I planted the second batch a week after and they are germinating first, probably due to my soaking of the soil.

Do you think it is possible to soak more soil, salvage the dill and rosemary seeds, and start over with them? Or are they probably irreparably  damaged?

Additionally, I'm a bit unsure of when to start watering (and how much) the basil and oregano shoots. The soil still seems slightly clumpy, but not as much as before. I don't want to stick my finger in in case I disturb the new seedlings.


texts: How can I promote new growth on a section of my Jade cutting?

texts:
I inherited this jade from my mother who got it 10 years ago. It had some considerable root rot and some wild and curvy/lanky branches, so I hacked it way back. The root rot went up about 2" of the trunk, so that was a bummer to have to cut.

Anyways, fast forward to now - the main section has rooted and we've got some solid growth. The majority of the cut branches are now thriving as well.

I would like to promote a thick trunk and direct growth to the one section that does not currently have buds (circled).

Anyways - I would love general and specific suggestions.

The plant lives in my office and receives about 12 hours with grow light, 8 hours with florescent office lighting, and 4 hours of darkness. The soil is a mixture of course orchid and organic potting soil.


texts: Butternut squash lost growing tip, is it worth keeping it?

texts:
One of my butternut squash plants lost its growing tip. Probably cut while mowing the grass, since they are planted on the borders of the garden and not in the raised beds because of the space they need. The stem is probably around 35-40cm (15in) long.

From what I can see the plant has only one steam (the one that lost the tip), and is not growing any new ones.

On the last days it has started growing flowers on all the nodes, but all of them seem to be male.

Is it worth keeping to see if it will show at least one female flower? Or will the plant grow a new stem with new nodes? Or should I just cut it off?


texts: What is this plant with red, green and yellow colored leaves and little white flowers?

texts:
I'd like to get a hint to identify the beautiful plant with red, green and yellow leafs in the picture below. The color of the leaves has been like that since the plant has been there (at least since June this year), so no autumn specialty. In some it had small white flowers with a yellow heart. The plant is not higher than 25 to 30 cm. There are several of them in a radius of 2 m and it seems that their root-system is connected. At first I thought this is a kind of ivy, but I couldn't find anything which is similar.

The variety of plants in my garden and my (non-existent) experience makes it impossible for me to identify them. I would be surprised if it is a weed. Thanks in advance for your help.

Click for a larger version


texts: I noticed a few days ago but the leaves on my spinach plant started to turn brown. I honestly thought maybe they were just getting too much sun or maybe the leaves had burned from being watered in the afternoon. I was in the Garden today we eating and decided I was going to just pull the plants out and replace them with something else that's when I noticed there is tiny insects that look like maggots in between the leaves. Aside from growing the yard tomato plant this is the first time I've had a real Garden and I'm not quite sure what to do to prevent it from spreading to the rest of my plants what is this exactly???


texts: What is this large leaved young tree (US midwest region)?

texts: What is this plant, and maybe more importantly, how big could it get? I like the large leaves (they're approx 18" wide) but will have to cut it down if it plans to get too large.


texts: What are these white specks on this osteospermum (african daisy)?

texts: This african daisy plant has lots of tiny white "crystals" of varying sizes all over the soil and stem, with some on top of the leaves as well (not as much underneath). It looks a lot like salt. Some of the leaves were chewed on by something, the end of one stem is brown/dying, and there's a really thin spiderweb at the top (upper right photo). This plant was a gift, so I don't know how it was taken care of before. I thought it might be spider mites, although I don't see anything moving, but I'd like to make sure before I bring it back indoors. What could this be?


texts: Is it okay to locate a garden on top of a septic drain field?

texts: Is it okay to plant my vegetable garden on top of my septic drain field, or will that pose a health issue?


texts:
I have a stone patio outside my back door, built with (approx.) 12"x12" pavers. Each spring, moss grows up through the cracks between the bricks. I have scraped it off and dug it out as best I could each time, but it grows back every year, sometimes even before the summer is over.

Is there a way to prevent this from growing back?


texts: Should my Gaillardia be emerging by now, in Zone 6?

texts:
I live in Massachusetts, Zone 6. Last July I bought a beautiful Gaillardia Arizona Sun. It bloomed all summer and into the fall. According to what I was told, as well as my online research, it's a perennial, however, there's no evidence of it so far this year.

Most of my perennials, including hostas, lilies, iris, dianthus, peonies, and others, are showing foliage. Some are even budding or blooming. Is it too soon to expect to see at least something emerging, or should I assume the Gaillardia died over the winter?


texts: Plastic Pots OR Ceramic pots, which is better in terms of plant health?

texts:
Are their any advantage of having plastic pots over ceramic pots except below points:

1. Lower cost.
2. Fungus will not grow on Plastic
3. un-breakable, good life.

all of above point are not considering plant health and its growth, So I am asking which of the two is in favor of plant health and why?


texts: I found White/translucent-worms and I want to know what they are, how to take care of them and do they produce on their own?


texts: I'm looking for this tree type. Can anyone recognise it please?


texts: How can I prevent nettles creeping through my fence?

texts:
My neighbor has a garden with plenty of nettles, and they're growing through my fence right where the kids' sandbox is. It must sadly be noted that the neighbor is only renting the place and doesn't give a damn, she won't lift a finger in the garden for any reason, so there's no point in discussing it with her. The whole place is very dilapidated, but at least the fence is mine.

How can I effectively prevent this sort of creeping attack and get rid of any nettles permanently?

The solution doesn't need to be particularly organic, and it would be great if there's something I can throw over the fence too*.

*I mean throw something against the nettles. Something at the neighbor is probably off-topic here :-)


texts: Do I need to throw away my compost if it has had a mouse living in it?

texts:
I found a mouse in my compost a little while ago. Whilst the mouse doesn't seem to be there any more, I have been told that I should throw away this compost as the mouse could have brought some diseases via it's urine which could then get transferred to my vegetables.

Is this true?


texts: After germination, how warm do chilli plants need to be?

texts:
How does temperature affect the growth of the chill plant after germination?
I am currently working on the understanding that to germinate, chilli seeds need to be kept at 25°C during the day for 12 hours, and at least 10°C at night.
For instance, will the chilli plant grow better after germination if the same rule is applied (25°C at day, 10°C at night) throughout the plant’s entire life?


texts:
I've read many times guides on how to properly start seed growth by wrapping them in wet towels or placing in a bit of water and storing in a cool place (like basement or refrigerator) for a few days, but I never found out why do that in the first place.

I know it's not required because I've had success growing plants from seeds that I took directly from live plants and put right into soil. So why do it then?


texts: Why is one fernbush thriving and one not?

texts:
I bought two Chamaebatiaria millefolium
(Fernbush) online. Live in zone 9. plants are in south facing backyard 6-10 hrs sun. I followed the instructions and water both semi-daily, planted in sandy well-draining soil and amended with a small amount of compost. I followed customer service advice to gently remove brown dried leaves too.

One is in the ground while I haven't prepared garden bed for other yet.

Why does the potted one look like its drying up?


texts: I am hearing more and more lately that people should use some Epsom salt (magnesium sulphate) on their garden to help add nutrients to the garden. I am against this thought because in my mind that would dehydrate the plants, not help them. I would like to know if it really is any good, and why it would be good.


texts: Plant Identification: plant from mint seeds

texts: Does anyone know what plant this it? I planted a pack of spearmint seeds i bought online and this plant grew along with my mint plants. No idea what plant it could be, would like to know how to properly care for it.


texts: I'm new to growing grapes and am having some problems. One of my vines is doing great, the other is not doing so well. I was hoping someone could give me some ideas of what my problem is and how to fix it. See pictures below.


texts:
I have a long stretch of yard where I want to allow some of it to grow into a forested backstop / wind-block / nature promotion (birds, squirrels...whatever)
It has been just grass for a long time, but I just started letting this section go a few weeks ago, in hopes it will eventually grow some trees, bushes...etc. Would eventually love tall trees, big oaks, maples, pines...etc, but that's probably a LONG way away.
I did start by planting some small trees, but I'm wondering if this is the best path toward the end goal. As opposed to burning off the grass and weeds, or... I don't know. Anything else.
Will the small 3ft saplings get overtaken by the weeds before they get a chance to grow? Is my only hope for big trees to plant them all myself, or might I get lucky had have some "dropped" in by birds?


texts:
I wanted to ask you some reference or direct suggestion on how to make a bonsai out of this very young ash (Fraxinus excelsior) shoot that I rooted in a pot. See picture on the left, below. Any books, video tutorials, ideas?

PS: I am in the UK.

Update:

The ash bonsai has now grown and it's in his 4th year. See the photo on the right.


texts: How can I prevent yellow and dead grass?

texts:
Every year I spread grass seed in the yard. However a part of the lawn still became yellow and even died.

A few weeks ago I put on Scott Turf Builder Southern Gold Grass Seed. It still died.

I am despaired. I guess that I lack knowledge in this area. What I should do now?


texts: What are the effects of keeping a clumping bamboo in a pot permanently?

texts:
I'm looking at buying a couple of 15 gallon Bambusa multiplex "Green Hedge" for privacy but want to keep them both contained and with the option of moving them around as other plants mature.

If I place them in a half whiskey barrel from Home Depot (approximately 27 gallons):

Will it restrict how much they will grow vertically?
How long should they be able to survive in a contained space?
Is it possible for "parts" to fall of and spawn new plants outside of the container? I wouldn't think so but I want to verify.
Is there anything specific I should do to ensure successful growth?

Thanks for any advice.


texts:
I'm travelling around various family members all over the UK for the next week.

The family members I'm with at the moment have a really gorgeous cherry tree that I would really like a cutting from, but won't get it home to do the actual rooting (hormone and potting) for another 5 days.

How long after taking the cutting off of the tree will it remain possible to successfully root it?

Is there anything I can do to maximise my chances of getting it home healthy? I would obviously take a few cuttings to increase my chances, but wondered if it is even worth it.


texts: How can I tell which citrus plant it is from their leaves?

texts:
A few years ago I planted a variety of seeds from citrus fruits of orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit and mandarine. Only a few of them grew into big plants, and now I have 2-4 large plants, but I don't know which of them are which. Can I tell from the shapes of the leaves which citrus plant it is?

Here's a group photo with some unidentified bonus plant in the middle:

The two on the left are growing from the same spot, so they could be from the same seed. And the unknown guest plant in front is growing from the same pot. The more bushy guy on the right has its pot all to himself. After some image searching and seeing similar leaves on posts about citrus plants, I figured that the mystery plant could also be a citrus, but I'm not sure.


texts: Do you need to inoculate a mushroom growing medium before breaking it up to spread on the ground?

texts: I saw most people grow mushrooms in a medium before breaking it up to put on the bigger growing medium, but I'm wondering if I can just mix molasses with water (came from a YouTube video), and the different spores from syringes in order to get a medium that I want to grow in order to propagate what I want to grow.


texts: What are these new trunks thats emerging from this Red Cherry Currant?

texts:
I noticed that there was some new trunk-looking stuff that's coming around from these sides at the bottom to the middle on the thick stems but not on the top thin branches. What are these, are they new shoots, leaves or branches or something else?

They could be big or medium small on the bottom around the large thick stem or around at the middle
I am sure they are not buds that's on the thinner stems or branches


texts:
I have this healthy chili plant with 7-8 fruits in it. since last 2 or 3 days I can see a couple of branches of the plant are drying up.
Fruits are okay but the branches, leaves and flowers of some branches are drying up.

Could any one please identify what the problem is ?

here is an attached image of the plant.

Information:

This plant is a houseplant. so, it is never outdoor.
I searched for white flies, yet not found.
I usually water the plant once a week.
once a week fertilization as per instruction.
I keep the plant in window , it gets morning sun. Did not change the position in a long time.
The plant looks healthy except the top of some branches.

Adding some more images:


texts: Benefits of wiping the dust/dirt off the leaves?

texts:
I was cleaning the leaves of my plant by wiping them with a damp cloth. But my sister came and said that don't waste your time and let the plants be in natural state. So here is my question:

Why we clean the leaves of the plant? Is it just to make them look more green and fresh? Or is there a bigger picture I am not seeing?

Of course potted plants.


texts:
I've planted some kikuyu grass by seed in my Arizona back yard. It's growing well in clumps and I want to encourage its horizontal growth of stolons. Would trimming the parts that are growing up speed the horizontal propagation of the stolons or not?

Edit: I'm still trying to find an answer to this question. My grass is now about a foot tall but still in clumps/patches around the yard. The logical side of my brain says that cutting it will not improve its horizontal propagation but I have no evidence or references either way.


texts: Can someone identify this tree here in central Utah?  I have tried hard to figure it out but have just failed so far.  The lighting wasn't the best for this picture and I'm happy to take some better pictures if it would help.


texts: What causes grape leaves to brown and how do I correct it?

texts:
I have planted two types of grapes along with a passion fruit vine that I want to cover an arbour for shade in the summer and fruit of course. I planted them in December and they grew fairly well until we got a couple hot and humid weeks followed by a lot of rain. We are just into autumn now (Gold Coast Australia) and I have just worked the garden soil by breaking the existing soil slightly with a garden fork and adding a mix of 1 part chicken manure, 1 part cow manure, 1 part soil on top and finally then covered with 5cm  of mulch. One end is done this way and intend to finish the other side soon (for autumn/winter crops) Since I have redone the soil a week ago for the Black Muscat Grape and Passion Fruit vines, the Black Muscat has started to grow again and has fresh green leaves. I didn't expect it to do that as we are in Autumn heading into winter and the passion fruit has now started blooming (no problem with leaves) and we have 10 or so fruits on it now. The White Muscat however has had very little change (some small amount of new growth) but I have not redone the soil around it, just gave it a light covering of the new soil. I want to understand why the leaves browned so I can make sure I give them the best health for spring and summer to grow well. For watering we used the hose initially until I added the misting system to the arbour (black pipes running underneath the main cross members). It waters the grass and the garden beds with a continuous light mist. We haven't used the misters for two months or so now as the ground is still very wet and the occasional rains keep it all moist. I think maybe the browning leaves was caused by the nearly two weeks of heavy rain we had in January which followed the high heat and humidity. The ground with the grass is still very damp without any watering which has allowed the burnt areas to regrow but soil in the lower garden bed is now crumbly/moist not damp/wet with plenty of worms before I added the new soil and watered in.

The arbour has three sections. Closest section has the Black Muscat, centre section the passion fruit, and the furthest section the White Muscat

Black Muscat: 4 months of growth

Black Muscat: New Growth

Black Muscat: Damaged leaves

Passion Fruit: No issues, the dead vines are from a rock melon plant eaten by caterpillars :(

White Muscat: 4 months growth, this end struggled early on until we realised we didn't water it properly and the soil was quite dry underneath.

White Muscat: Damaged leaves

White Muscat: Very few leaves remain undamaged/may even be new growth

White Muscat: New growth


texts: What is this plant with white bracts around the inflorescence?

texts: Does anyone know the name of this plant? I live in North Georgia.


texts:
I heard about hugel kultur beds, study a bit about it and I think it might help me fix my backyard. It is about 13x11 m that I want to be fertile (so far only weed grows in it). It is heavily packed and a pain to dig around.

If I make a long hugel bed (across the whole yard) let it do its thing and spread the resulting soil afterwards to the rest of the yard will it work?

Also, how long does it take to break down pine wood (I have lots of left over pine boards from the construction)?


texts: Sterilising seed starting trays with rubbing alcohol

texts: Is wiping with rubbing alcohol enough to sterilise seed starting trays or is bleach or hydrogen peroxide necessary?


texts:
I'm a first time grower in need of some advice: About three weeks ago (2018-01-20), a repotted my chili seedlings into the pots seen in the pictures. Is it already time to repot them again? The reason I ask is because they are starting to look a bit tired: the leaves are becoming more pale green (some a bit yellowish), and some are curling upwards. I can also see roots poking out from underneath the pots. Also the growth seems to be slowing down.

It seems reasonable that the above symptoms are due to lack of nutrition (the pots are quite small, so theres not too much soil in there.) It should be noted that I have yet to water with any nutrition.

If anyone knowledgeable could give some input/confirmation, I would very much appreciate it!

(Here are the links for larger images:

https://i.stack.imgur.com/08Us3.jpg

https://i.stack.imgur.com/K7fiF.jpg)


texts:
Leaves are yellowing then wilting up.

BELOW:  If you zoom in on the leaf you can see white organisms along the midrib and veins.

Indoor grown under LED lighting with air conditioning.

These plants are in Miracle Grow Potting Mix with 6 mo fertilizer. I use FoxFarm "Big Grow" 8-4-4. It is possible the problem is photoinhibition as I doubled the light intensity a couple of days ago. I keep the lights on 24/7. I moved them outside in the shade to see if they will recover.

I am experimenting with 2700K 90 CRI and 3000K 80 CRI strips of LEDs.  I am trying to find the most efficient height and intensity.  I made some very flexible fixtures where I can easily adjust height and light intensity.

UPDATE

The "white organisms" were nothing.  They were reflections off the trichrome.

Below is a close up. It's clearer if you click on the photo.

DIAGNOSIS

The plants that I moved outside recovered.  They look healthy now.  Not very big but they were kept in the shade and 3" peat pots.  I'm in Tampa so growing season does not start again until September.

I had the lights on 214/7.  Tomato plants do not like a 24 hour photoperiod.
Added a timer that shuts the lights off from midnight to 6 am.

This is a subsequent planting.  The seeds for these sprouted on or about June 14th.
These pictures were taken July 5th (top) and July 17th (bottom).  The partitions are 24" high.  So the 16 watt plants are over 12".  No yellowing.

They would probably bigger then 12".  I left them in the 1" peat pellets too long, they were root bound and about 3" high before I transplanted.  Also I have been having problems with the peat pellets.  The roots were having a hard time break through the netting that hold the peat.  From now on I will transplant the seedlings within 1 week and I will remove the netting.


texts:
I have two Farfugiums near each other in my garden:
#1 looks good to me (the stuff accumulated in leaves is just throw-off from a nearby crepe myrtle):
https://www.dropbox.com/s/h59trbmll5z7yk8/2020-09-18%2009.28.03.jpg
#2 is fine as well, except is has a >>single<< discolored stem/leaf:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/46u3bjm5kcebo96/2020-09-18%2009.28.20.jpg
Any thoughts as to: 1) what is the problem (if any)?; and 2) what would cause this on only one leaf of only one plant?


texts: Apply iron(II) sulfate and dolomitic lime at the same time?

texts:
I have had good experiences with iron(II) sulfate and dolomitic lime for my lawn. They increase the green colour and prevent moss.

However, I am uncertain whether I should avoid applying these two mineral salts at the same time. I assume that the alkaline conditions provided by the lime promote the oxidation of Fe²⁺ to Fe³⁺ by atmospheric oxygen on the soil surface. I think that Fe³⁺ is less available for plant uptake than Fe²⁺. Furthermore, Fe³⁺ is immobilized in alkaline conditions.

Therefore, I image that I should apply the iron(II) sulfate first and wait until after the next rainfall before applying the lime.

Is my rationale correct, or am I making too much of it?


texts: Is this blue flowered, round leafed stinging nettle of the edible variety

texts:
I'm aware that flowered/ing nettles should not be consumed but can anybody tell me if the nettles below are of the edible variety when younger?

I have searched extensively and only found references to nettles of the toothed leaf variety.

This specimen was found in the UK.

Thanks


texts: What should I do after a tree removal and stump grinding to prepare for grass?

texts: I recently had a large tree removed and the company also did the stump grinding.  They covered the hole with the mulch from the stump.  My question is what should I do next considering I am wanting to eventually seed grass in this area?  Should I remove the chips or let them sit?


texts: When and where should I keep these saplings?

texts: These roselle seeds were germinated in a 15 inch (please don't bang your keyboards in anger) soil from the ground with cocopeat, compost, vermiculite and perlite mixed with it. Didn't knew the dangers of soil back then. The third and fourth leaves came out yellowish which I suspect was due to soil compaction. So I have repotted these in 3 inch plastic pots with fresh potting soil. Where should I keep this (in shade, in some sun or in full sun?) and for how much time? I live in Delhi, India and the weather's quite sunny with temperatures touching 40 degrees. Three of the second seedlings' leaves have been plucked off by a neighbour's toddler.


texts: Will a scion with removed leaves dry earlier than the one with leaves on?

texts: I want to know which one of the two branches will dry earlier. The one with leaves or the other that has removed leaves? I want to transfer a bud for grafting from some distance and i want to keep the bud fresh. So is it better to remove the leaves from the scion or keep them? Will the leaves dry the scion earlier?


texts: How do I prepare my hyacinths for planting out?

texts:
I received a couple of hyacinth bulbs in small pots that have flowered nicely, and I'm wondering what the best way to prepare them for planting out in the spring is.

They have 8 inch stalks with flowers, which are now starting to look a little weary. Should I just pop the bulbs outside now? Or perhaps plant them, or possibly even remove the stalks and just plant the bulbs?


texts: Lemon lisbon issue and Brown branches on orange tree

texts:
I have a problem with lemon leaves. I have a 3,5 yrs old lemon tree in a container which has been dormant from october till now and i have moved it outside (15 degrees celsius). Almost all leaves fell down, with only 5 leaves left (winter leaf drop). Those leaves have bronze/brown color on the end of the leaf and new leaves are not growing, although now we have at least 8 hrs of sun.

Also, some leaves are becoming pale green and the whole tree is green, root is ok. I have been fertilizing it with citrus and magnesium fertilizers and I am not overwatering., but still no progresa.

Orange tree has dropped all of its leaves and shows no progress on new leaves. Also, end of branches have that bronze/brown color as lemon leaves.

Could you help me out? I have searched but i could not find a solution. The citruses have regular fertilization and watering plus the sun (although the soil around the root is not very warm).


texts: Spring Cleanup: How to preserve beneficial insects

texts:
I want to give beneficial insects the best possible opportunity to survive the winter in my yard. For the past several years, I've been leaving most of my perennials stand over winter and clean them up in the spring. I'd like to clean the dead plant material up as the new growth is starting in my yard, so the beds look nice in the spring, however it is usually cold enough yet in my climate when that happens that we aren't seeing many insects yet. My solution for the past few years has been to cut back the old growth and leave what I cut in loose piles in a corner of the yard, hoping that will give the insects a chance to emerge.  I've seen advice to look for signs of overwintering insects to judge whether you're cleaning up too early, but I've never actually found any. I'm still worried, though, that I'm giving the insects a place to overwinter only to kill them in the spring by cleaning up too early.

What is the best way to balance out yard cleanup with insect preservation?


texts:
I plan on growing a few different brassicas such as cabbages and bok choy, and I'd like to collect seeds from these open pollinated varieties so that I don't have to keep buying seeds.

How do I prevent cross pollination occurring between different varieties so that they breed true?


texts: Is my newly planted weeping willow in shock?

texts: This spring, I planted a weeping willow tree (salix x) in my yard, in an attempt to help dry things out. I'd heard they love wet conditions, and can grow up to 8' a year. Well, it has been almost two months, and my tree has not grown. It has turned yellow and developed dead areas on the leaves and stem-tips. My first thought is, maybe it was too much of a shock to move straight from the 16" nursery pot into the saturated soil in my yard. The tree was a little over 6' tall. Is this the problem? How can I relieve the shock?


texts: Is there an optimum time to mow the lawn?

texts:
I am looking to buy a robot lawn mower for my newly laid lawn.  These mowers are designed to make small cuts but to be used often.  This I understand to be beneficial.  They are capable of being operated on a schedule, mowing every day in the growing season or however you may specify.

I know Bowling Greens and Cricket Pitches are usually mown in the early morning, often while the dew is still on the grass, but I don't know if that is more to get it done before play starts rather than to benefit the grass.

Robot mowers can be set to run in the middle of the night or at noon under full sun.  As I'm not doing the work I'm happy for it to run at 3am.

Is there an optimum time of day to mow grass, or is the weather more important?


texts: What are these very small angular holes in clusters on my ground?

texts:
This spring I've noticed a bunch of holes almost everywhere on my property which is located in Doboj, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Europe. N44.73, E18.08.

The holes are forming some kind of clusters, from 2 up to 10 holes. The diameter of the holes is about 2 - 3 cm (.75 - 1 in), and most of them are angled, not vertical. Unfortunately I forgot to check how deep they are.

What could make these holes and how should I treat them if they are made by some animal (pest)?


texts: Does most fungus grow better in hot damp conditions, or normal temperature conditions?

texts: I'm trying to figure out whether or not I should add some life compost to top dress an area I'm trying to promote fungal action in that area or not. Does most fungus grow better in compost like conditions, or normal temperature conditions?


texts: I am growing kale and this is the first year. It is the blue vates variety. My question is when and how to harvest. Days to maturity is 65 days (and it has been 65 days since I started the seeds indoors) but I don't think the plant has matured. I started with indoor seeds and slowly migrated them to 4 inch pots and last week to my raised bed. Any guidance on how and when to harvest?  Should I wait for the plant to fully develop and then remove it in it's entirety?  Should I be taking older leaves off and use them and if so how do I ensure that the new growth is not impacted.


texts:
Bought a house this winter and I am not sure what this fern is, or how to stop it from taking over. It is growing in two areas, and in one month it went from a dozen or so small stalks to  completely taking over both areas. It is so thick, the smaller flowers that came in earlier are total engulfed in these.
I do like the way these look, but they are way too thick for me and seem to spread very fast. They keep springing up in the lawn, but I pull those as soon as I see them.
I would love to identify this type of fern, and know if I can contain it and trim it back. It would be nice to have some of them, but not at the cost of everything else getting absorbed into them.


texts: Why does my plum tree never come into fruit?

texts:
My mini tree is around 4 years old now. It had a mass of blossoms in the spring but they have all dried up into dead clumps. In fact this happens most years.

What am I doing wrong?


texts: I remember from ancient history they used huge water tanks under buildings whenever it rained, and was wondering if that's the same principle for plants growing tubers.


texts: Will leveling uneven lawns with extra sand kill future lawns?

texts:
I just removed my old front stoop: it was a wall of field stone, filled with a layer of pea stone and 2x8x8 cubic feet of sand, and finally covered by slate. I want to level my very uneven lawn with this sand. My lawn is terrible and I plan to sod or bring in top soil and reseed next spring (I should have done it in the fall but I couldn't get it done in time).

The lawn is less than a quarter acre.

Will putting thick layers (up to 5 inches in some places) of sand throughout the yard hurt future lawns?
If I plan on putting a layer of top soil on top of everything, is it ok if I don't mix the sand with top soil (some answers to other similar questions suggest 50/50 mixes)?
If I plan on growing a lawn on top of this sand, do I need to weed before I pour the sand on top?

I live in the Boston area and the lawn is in partial-to-full sun.

Based on these questions:

How do I encourage lawn seeds to germinate successfully?
Making a yard that's settled more level?
How to fill low spots over existing grass in my yard?

I would guess that the answers to my questions are (1) yes I can fill in my lawn, (2) mixing 50/50 is probably better, but not necessary if I plan on putting a layer of soil on top (I don't know how much is needed for it to be ok?), and (3) I should probably weed before I cover things with sand, because the weeds are likely to push through.

Any clarification/correction to my own answers are greatly appreciated.


texts:
I just purchased a house in climate zone 6a (Ohio), and I'm trying to figure out what type of grass I have - so that I can accordingly fix my lawn.

Here are some pictures:

I want to be 100% sure I have the right type because looking at examples... a few look similar to one another.


texts: Does it look like a vine borer caused this damage to my zucchini?

texts:
After reading the accepted answer on the question "Is something wrong with my zucchini plant?", I've come to the conclusion that it is in fact a vine borer which has invaded my zucchini. Based on the following pictures, does this seem like the correct conclusion?

Is it too late to save this plant?

Click photo for full size


texts: My mom loves having hostas around the yard, and garden, so I was wondering if all of them are edible, or just some of them.


texts:
I'm having trouble with my lawn.

I know the picture is hard to see, but in the circles are yellow-ish grass.  This was green two weeks ago.  Close up it looks like yellow dead grass.

A month ago I applied a product that was supposed to get rid of clover.  It is all over my yard.  But this seems like dead grass.

Fungus?

Grubs?

Something else?

(The section in the square is a patch that, no matter what I do, will not grow grass.)

EDIT:
Thanks to "stormy"'s reply I went out for a closer look


texts: While I was transplanting daffodils I came across this plant that grew upside down, with the base of the bulb sticking out of the ground. Now that I dug it up, How should it be replanted?


texts:
A pawpaw tree sounds amazing, so I'm considering growing some.

Is that a bad idea for a small yard? How fast do paw paw trees sucker up?


texts:
At this time of year Thompson Morgan has a sale of 100 alliums for just under £6. I took the offer last year and have ordered 2 packs this year, so I have 200 allium bulbs to plant in the border.

The allium flowers look great, but, as I am very new to gardening, I am not sure how to cover the gaps between them in the border. What type of plants should I be looking for? Is ground cover (phlox) the correct type or will this impede the ability of the bulb to flower?

Caeruleum        0.5-1.0 m  10 bulbs
Neopolitanum     0.25 m     25 bulbs
Roseum           0.5m       20 bulbs
Sphaerocephalon  0.5-1.0 m  39 bulbs
Purple Sensation 0.5-1.0 m  3 bulbs
Mount Everest    0.9m       3 bulbs

It is this product 100 alliums.

I have also just found last years collection it was:

Caeruleum                      10 bulbs
Neopolitanum                   20 bulbs
Sphaerocephalon     30cm       44 bulbs
ostrowskanium                  20 bulbs
Purple sensation    90cm        3 bulbs
Christophii                     3 bulbs

Warning

Based on Bamboos input to this topic *neapolitanum * is actually a wild garlic and invasive likely should be avoided in a garden.

Just to be clear that this was NOT included in the pack by Thompson and Morgan, it was a typo on my part and they actually included neopolitanum. With a neo and not nea.

Some pictures From last years planting:
Unfotunately not found any picture from when they were all at there best, but the current set of late bloomers still have colour.

I believe the grey fronds are from an allium but now big show bulb has appeared. Or it is a weed. The big daisy type plant is a perennial that I did plant.

And an overall view of the garden (for Stormy) Alliums planted on the right along the side of the fence, roughly the middle third of the fence :


texts: Anti-fungal after pruning a honey locust?

texts:
I recently had two companies give me quotes on pruning the deadwood from my large honey locust tree.

Company A was marketing itself as stronger in tree health, and they boasted spraying anti-fungal on the freshly-cut limbs, claiming honey locusts are susceptible to fungal infections.

Company B said that they have found this spraying to be ineffective and don't recommend it.  They are more of a run-of-the-mill trimming company but they're passionate and climber-only.

I have not found any discussion either way in my Interwebs search.  Does anyone have any insight or references?

EDIT: I am in the northern Midwest of the United States.


texts:
I was thinking of redoing this flowerbed, since it looks kinda terrible :D

The white-ish stuff is a pretty resilient ground-cover, although not very pretty.
In spring there are a few tulips. What would your suggestions be to pretty this flowerbed up? I Would like to keep the upkeep-work low.


texts: I bought this guy shortly before Hurricane Sandy, and then was stranded away from my apartment for a couple weeks while it died. It's managing to come back to life, but I'd love to know what kind of grass this is so I can best take care of it. Any guesses?


texts: Should I use blue light exclusively in the seedling stage, or red/blue/yellow light combined?

texts:
I bought this LED lamp for plants that switches either from entirely blue light, entirely red light, entirely yellow light, red and blue light together, or all three together.
I've read that blue light is important at the seedling stage, and red light is better towards the reproductive stage. I'm not sure what yellow light is for.
Is it better to exclusively use the blue light mode on the seedlings or should I use the mode where all 3 lights are combined?


texts: Hard Water vs Soft Water for Houseplants

texts:
I have read that certain house plants should be watered with soft water. I would like to know if this applies to all house plants and what consequences would be visible when watering with hard water vs soft water.

I always use hard water just because it would be difficult to obtain soft water, even buying it since I live on a limited income and do not feel justified with an extra expense.

Most of my plants seem to be healthy and growing even with the hard water. Is the 'soft water' watering a recent suggestion? (recent as in the last 20 years of so?)

An example of a similar situation would be drinking bottled water vs tap water. It is a recent trend, there are articles that properly prepared tap water is better than bottle water, since bottle water filters out some trace minerals that the body needs, plus the plastic bottles are an environment issue and legal issue concerning water rights to lakes and streams. So the recent trend of bottled water vs tap water may be a contrived issue.

Is hard water vs soft water a similar situation? If not, what makes it not and why is it considered important?

Thank you for all the responses, all very informative and extremely helpful.


texts:
My friend almost killed this aloe, it was just a dead stalk, and gave it to me to try to fix.  I've got it to grow again:

2015-08:

but now it's drooping over the edge of the pot:

2016-03:

Is it:

Overwatered
Underwatered
Just grown too big for its pot/roots to hold it up?

I water it once every week or two, when I remember.  The soil always feels dry to the touch when I do.  It's in "Cactus palm and citrus soil" from Home Depot.

The leaves feel the same firmness as my other aloe that seems to be doing well:


texts: Do fruit trees attract wasps? What can I do other than cutting/removing the tree?

texts:
I have a fruit tree in my garden. I don't exactly know what tree it is but it is likely a cheery apple tree or similar to that. The size of the fruits is similar to a small plum. They are mostly green but could be yellow when ripe or with a little hint of red. In the summer, the ripe fruits fall from the tree into the garden and starting to rot. My questions are:
1) is this likely to attract wasps?
2) is this likely to attract wasps to nest in the tree?
3) What measures can i take to mitigate the risks of wasps other than cutting back the tree which I have done last year, but i can't afford to cut it every year.
Just to be clear, i am not even sure if there are wasps there yet. Am I worrying over nothing?


texts: How should I prune an overgrown peach tree?

texts:
I have just moved into a home with a peach tree that appears healthy, but overgrown; it has clearly not been pruned in many years (although I have cut out some of the branches that made it impossible to walk under the tree).

How can I help this tree reach its peach-producing potential?

The tree is on the south side of the house; photo looks northwest.


texts: What is this plant with white flowers found in the German Alps?

texts:
The picture was taken in the German Alps in about 1500m. What is it?

Click for full-size


texts: Why does my pumpkin patch have only male blossoms?

texts: I have a pumpkin patch in Illinois with 30 plants. They're all in bloom now but are only sprouting male blossoms. How do I get them to give me female blossoms? I'm worried I won't have a single pumpkin from this patch.


texts: Ficus lyrata - the leaves getting dry, brown underneath

texts:
What is causing the leaves to dry in such away.
Could that be because it has too much light etc.?
Also, the leaves are getting brownish underneath.


texts:
I have two specimens and I am trying to positively identify them. So far, I am thinking both are varieties of Echinopsis(Lobivia) aurea. I am far from sure though. So, am I any close with my guess?

Specimen 1:

Spines & early buds:

Mature buds:

 Flowers:

Specimen 2:

Spines & early buds:

Mature buds:

 Flowers:


texts: What indoor plant will be able to absorb 0.5-1L of human urine daily?

texts: I´ve recently moved into a place with a shared bathroom.  I enjoy my birthday suit when I´m at home, but suspect that others might not.  Hence my question.  I have no balcony, my window gets 2-3 hours of weak sunlight a day, my indoor temperature is ca. 20C, and I´m willing to get a growth light.  Is there a simple botanical solution to my predicament?


texts: Why are my Japanese Yews (podocarpus) suddenly dying?

texts: I installed five Japanese Yews (Podocarpus) in the fall, November,  of last year here in Austin TX. I checked up on them about a month ago and everything was fine. Now the leaves are turning pale/white/dry, one is almost completely gone, and all are suffering the same condition. The other plants in the rest of the yard and nearby are fine. I ammended with organic compost when installed. They were put in correctly, watered in, given enough water (or so the new owners claim, I see no reason to doubt) they are not in full sun, nor full shade. The guys at the nursery say they have had no issues with any of the rest of the Podos that came in that shipment. The only thing I can think is maybe they do not like the rather alkaline soil from all the limestone bedrock in Austin, but they seem to do fine elsewhere in town. Maybe they are prone to root drowning due to over-watering? Will someone who is familiar with installing and caring for Japanese Yews please advise.


texts:
I grow bonsai as a hobby, for almost ten years now, and to get new material I often just collect some seedlings or saplings in the neighborhood. They are from the side of the road or other "wild" and "rough" spots here in the city of Amsterdam (Netherlands).

Last year in summer I collected some small oaks, hawthorns, field maples and this hornbeam (Carpinus betulus), most of them yearlings I guess. All these saplings are doing great, they survived winter (was not that cold), and have gotten their leaves back since spring. However, the hornbeam is the only one that is not doing well, the leaves are turning brown quickly and shrivel (see image). What is wrong with it?

I have all these saplings in pots with drainage holes, with fresh potting soil, and they are placed next to a south facing fence, so enough sunlight for most of the day. The rest of my saplings are doing great, so it is only this Carpinus that is having problems, but I don't know what. I water them when I see that the top of the soil is dry (that is almost every day, except for rainy days). Can it be too much light? Does hornbeam needs shade as a sapling? Too much water? Or are there other factors that Carpinus needs or can't stand compared to the rest of the trees?

The temperature the last weeks were between 15-20 C at day time and not lower than 5 C at night.


texts: What is a good solution for shredding small stems and leaves?

texts:
I am looking for a small shredder (not really a chipper).  I have no need to chip branches larger than 1/2 inch.  I just use a pruner or saw and make kindling out of the larger branches.  The cheapo shredders on the market are all kinetic chippers and small branches just get tangled up in those and clog them.  What I'm looking for is more of a paper-shredder-style shearing action that would be good for mulching leaves and small stems.

I'm aware that rocks might be a problem with something like this, but I'm prepared to take precautions against this.

Thanks!


texts: What is eating my cabbage, and how can I protect it?

texts:
I transplanted some cabbage about a month ago (after starting it from seed in a flat).  Now I see that something is eating the cabbage leaves:

I also see that one pair of seedlings is doing very poorly:

What is eating these leaves?  the lettuce growing next to the cabbage appears unmolested. I have seen a rabbit or two in the neighborhood, but I don't think a rabbit would cause this kind of damage, would it?

And what (organic) options do I have to protect my cabbage?

EDIT: Found this critter on one of the leaves:


texts: What should I do when a courgette-plant's stem has split open?

texts:
I have one courgette plant in my bed and it seems to work well.

We just had 2 super hot days (35 C) and I just saw the the stem (which has become really dark recently) has split open very close to where the stem is coming out of the ground. It must have happened either last night (slug damage?) or during the day (heat?).

The plant does not show any negative signs as I would expect from such a hungry species even only after a short time.

Is there anything I can/need to do avoid problems?

What could have caused this?

EDIT: Added some pictures. Click to zoom in.


texts: Mandarin tree with yellow leaves and black spots (potted)

texts:
This grafted 'imperial' mandarin tree was planted in this pot over a year ago and is not healthy.
Other plants at the store actually had fruit on them when I purchased this but it has never fruited.
It's in a full sun position in Queensland, Australia so I do wonder if it's too much sun.
I water it once a week or so, there's a hole about 10mm in diameter at the bottom of the pot for drainage.
The soil is a mix of potting mix and compost but it's just from a hardware store so honestly could be very low quality.
As you can see, the leaves are yellow, brittle, and have little dark dots on them.
Any ideas? I'm pretty clueless as to what this plant needs to thrive.


texts: Need help! What's wrong with my peppers? Brown on underside of leaves

texts: I'm a beginner and this is my first year growing hot peppers. A few of my peppers have started to become brown under the leaves and the plants slowly begin to look sickly. I've looked for similar issues online but I cannot find any answers to this particular problem. It started on one or two pepper plants but it seems to now be affecting more of my pepper plants... It's only appearing underneath the leaves. Two of my plants that are affected by this the most, have now started looking sickly and the new growth has started to die off. I cannot see any bugs on the plants. At first I thought my spray to keep away aphids and mealybugs was the cause (a spray of dish soap and water) but it seems to have now spread to plants that I haven't sprayed yet. It seems to just be affecting my cayenne plants at the moment. Maybe that makes a difference? I bought them all from a nursery. Does anyone have any ideas what this is? I have 20+ pepper plants and 4 are showing signs of this. I'm worried that it will spread to my other plants... I can take more pictures if that will help. Any help will be greatly appreciated.


texts:
Whats wrong with my tomato plant? The up close one is a Celebrity Hybrid Cherry tomato, and the one in the back is a Cherokee Tomato from “Bonnie plants.”
I sprayed them with miracle grow All Purpose plant food. Here in New England nights do get down to mid 40s Fahrenheit.


texts: Can anyone help in identifying this plant that I bought some days ago?

texts: We bought this plant some days ago, but are unable to identify it correctly. Earlier I thought it to be Eucalyptus but it doesn't look like one.


texts: Sorry, didn't get any pictures with more of the plant (but potentially could). Approximately 2m tall cultivated shrub in Southern California.


texts: How to speed up composting of large amounts of leaves inside plastic bags?

texts:
I've just finished raking, shredding and bagging all the leaves (including some moss, pine needles and cones) from last fall (and few years before). All this material inside bags is wet/moist, bags are closed and I've made few holes on the bottom and sides of bags.

But there is small 'problem' - I now have 23 × 240 liter plastic black bags laying around and my compost pile is already full...

Is there a way to speed up composting inside bags so I can have compost ready before next autumn?


texts: Distance and spacing of LED growlights for propagation

texts:
I am planning to make an indoor propagation setup which consists of
h:30cm x w:40 x L:50cm recycled polystyrene boxes and full spectrum LED panels. Clearly, the biggest limitation is height in this case. I might join two boxes to double the height, if necessary.  The LED panels I have seen keep a temperature of 25C while in operation, but I will clearly drill some holes for ventilation.

The setup is intended to start seeds and grow them vegetatively until they can be hardened off and planted out (this will include vegetable plants).

Edit: I am planning on leaving the polystyrene lid on and attaching the LED panel to it, with the wiring at the top or side; but I am open to other solutions if strictly necessary. The boxes would be placed in a cold part of the house, where the temperature range is 13-18C.

My questions are:

1) What should be the distance for, say, 25W, 45W, 75W panels like these?

2) Would spacing be a problem in the case of a panel? Should I buy strips instead and evenly space them out?

3) How many hours of light per day are suggested in the case of seedlings?


texts: Succulent Disease Identification (kalanchoe beharensis)

texts:
Album of pictures

Another album of updated pictures

One leaf before being "washed" with a mild soap/water mixture

Another leaf after being "washed" with a mild soap/water mixture

I purchased this plant a little over a month ago, and all of a sudden, these spots have begun to show up. The spots themselves are dry and can be popped out of the plant leaves where they've appeared (as a result, there is now a circular hole in one of my plant's leaves).

As the pictures indicate, the spots are roughly circular with black centers.
Up until yesterday, the plant was kept in a mostly-shady, west-facing room and was watered ~1 time per week (when the soil was completely dry. Thinking the spots might be due to a lack of sun, I moved the plant over to a south-facing window (6+ hours of sun per day) yesterday.

Perhaps this is Cactus Anthracnose? If so, how do I treat it?

EDIT (More Information): As far as I can tell, the leaf edges are normal for this kind of plant (part of it's appeal imo). This plant lives indoors near a window, but not one that has been sprayed with anything recently. Additionally, none of the other plants in the vicinity have any issues. Two days ago, I wiped the leaves down with a mild soap/water mixture. I also treated one leaf with an alcohol/water mix, and another with a copper fungicide.


texts: What are some edible plants (vegetable or fruit) that can produce roots in water?

texts: I would like to know which edible plants can actually root from twigs and/or leaves put in water or a similar setup? Is it as simple as leaving them in water or do you need chemicals to induce rooting?


texts: amendments to soil to make it hold LESS water?

texts:
I have some potting soil that I'm using for a self watering planter.  It's peat moss based, and I see some perlite in it.

I notice that it's wicking too much water (too wet).  I tried the 2 knuckle test and can tell that it's just a little too must down there. I also tried a moister meter, and it shows that moisture is on the high side.

Is there any soil amendments that I can add in to reduce the amount of water this stuff will hold?  My goal is to slowly add something to reduce the moisture retention, until I get it just right.  But what can I add?


texts: I would like to store seeds in my fridge because that is what the school is doing. It seems to be very effective. They had lettuce in there that germinated with a 95% rate. That is 6 yr old seed! I am very impressed which is why I get the idea. But I wanted to ask this group if there is anything wrong with the idea of storing seeds in the fridge. Is there seeds that can't handle it (for any reason). Really just wanting to make sure that there is nothing wrong with storing my seeds in the fridge.


texts: Identify, is it a xGasteraloe, a Haworthia, a Tulistia, or something else?

texts:
I nursed this unknown plant with no roots and black spot to a nicely growing plant with many offsets & flowers coming on.  I will have a better idea once I get to see the flower. But, what do you think it is? I can not find anything that matches it.  I think it is either a xGasteraloe or Tulistia cultivar.

The closest thing I can find is a Tulistia pumilia Royal Albert.  The growth and the shape of the leaves are very similar.  The markings are wrong.

It's markings are the same as Aristaloe aristata.  I know that it is one of the parent plants of many xGasteraloe. None of the xGasteraloe come close to it except for xGasteraloe beguinii. Its definitely not that one. There are thousands of different xGasteraloe out there.
That is had bad case of black spot last year makes me lean toward xGasteraloe because black spot is common with Gasteria.  It is also seen in Aloe, but not to the degree of infection .

The closest Haworthia is Haworthia coarctata, but it's a stacking lax plant. This unknown plant is definitely going to stay an upright rosette surrounded by other rosettes.

UPDATE:It flowered. The flower's inflorescence and some of the flower have characteristics of Gasteria, such as partial bloated stomach look.  The flair on the end of the plant is more like a Haworthopsis.  I believe it to be a Gasteria x Haworthopsis cross.  I believe the cultivar to be xGastworthia 'Royal Princess'  The markings are the same.  They both produce aerial offsets, bulbils

I am in the process of testing if it will it's pistil will accept any pollen from any of the aloes I have blooming.  But, the first four failed to take.  I have always had this problem when trying to cross pollen of aloe with Haworthopsis.   There is also a very good chance it is sterile.

This is the unknown plant

Upclose with small flower buds and stalk

Flower opened.

Plant with inflorescence

Gastworthia Royal Princess

Tulistia pumilia Royal Albert


texts:
Can someone verify if this is root rot on my aloe vera? It was starting to wilt so I had to re-pot. There were more root "hairs" but they were slimy and black and most of them stayed with the old dirt.

Click on pictures for full size.


texts:
I have many plants in my balcony, around 20, and recently my Mom has noticed that rats are eating the plants. They finished Holy Basil in one night! All leaves are gone, even the buds. They are also munching on the new leaves of my Money plant.

How do I keep the rats off my plants?

The problem is we also get frequent visits from squirrels, but they are not of nuisance, at least to us. They don't eat plants. They just forage in the pots looking for something to eat. My mom is sure that the culprits are the rats, as she finds rat's poop scattered all around the Holy Basil and Money Plant.

We don't want to hurt any squirrels or pigeons or birds.


texts: How can I ensure my panda plant has enough light indoors?

texts:
I have a panda plant in my office facing west. I thought it was receiving adequate sunlight. However, my panda plant didn't grow very well and most of its leaves very thin and not fleshy.

Does the glass absorb a great amount of sunshine? What can I do to ensure my panda plant has enough light indoors?


texts: Small brownish spots on succulents | how to cure?

texts:
What disease/fungi/insect is causing this and how can I get rid of it?
thanks in advance!


texts: Are my bananas safe to eat after being flooded by Harvey?

texts:
I have banana plants in my back yard, one of which has produced a nice heart. The bananas should be ripe in a month or so. My house and yard were flooded by Harvey. The category 3 floodwater that inundated my house and yard included stuff from multiple sewage plants upstream that were overtopped and possibly from two EPA superfund sites.

Will my bananas be safe to eat? If not, will next year's bananas be safe to eat, or should I just cut them all down?


texts: There is a tree in my backyard that has gone quite black around the trunk. The bark seems to be splitting and a liquid is collecting on the ground near the black area. Bugs and insects have also taken a liking to the area and a strong odor is present. I do not know what type of tree it is. See picture. Any help is appreciated. Thanks!


texts: We harvested all of the remaining carrots in our garden, and to our surprise a large number of them are white or bright yellow in the center, rather than being orange all the way through. The white carrots taste fine (very sweet and crunchy), but they don't look like any other carrots that I've seen before... more like a carrot that swallowed a parsnip. What causes this? Is it a problem?


texts: What is a good source for free or inexpensive nursery pots?

texts: Are there free (or low cost) sources for nursery pots? Presumably nurseries reuse them. I'd like to get a few dozen in varying sizes for starting vegetables.


texts: How should I set-up and preserve an oak barrel planter?

texts:
We have an oak barrel for use as a planter for some wysteria on a stone patio. I would like to know what should be done to preserve it.

The barrel is an old rum barrel but not guaranteed to be watertight.

Advice seems to be mixed on whether they need to painted with varnish or sealant. I've put what I've learned so far into an answer in the hopes someone can improve on it.

Life expectencies seem to range from 2 to 20 years.


texts: White mold or insects on magic basil plant

texts:
I have these little things all over a magic basil plant and they seem to be spreading to other nearby herbs as welll:

They look kind of like insects but they're not moving so it could be some kind of mold/fungus.

Can anyone help me identify these?


texts: Does seed from F1 hybrid tomato fruits grow?

texts:
Some time ago, I wanted to grow tomatoes by using the seeds from the tomato which I was eating at the moment. I did some research on the internet, but then discovered you could not grow tomatoes from F1 hybrid fruits. When searching information about the meaning of F1 hybrids I got a headache, considering I have no background in genetics. There was also no information at all on the package of the tomatoes, so I just tried.

Now the question:
Tomato plants did grow, does that mean they were not F1 hybrid tomatoes from the shop?
Or might I have been lucky, and do some F1 hybrid seeds germinate? Or is it they don't produce flowers? Or no fruits?
(at some websites I find information about germination, others talk about no fruits...)

Can someone give me a simple answer and some easy explained background information?


texts: How do I get rid of these spots from my curry plant?


texts: Why are my basil seeds instantly covered with a white goo after planting?

texts:
I'm trying to germinate basil for hydroponic purposes. When I put the seeds on wet foam, they get almost instantly covered with a white goo (within approx. 1 min). Sorry, I cannot get a picture.

What's happening?


texts: What kinds of pathogenic plant mildew are there, besides powdery & downy?

texts: Are there any other kinds of mildew that affect garden plants besides powdery mildew and downy mildew? If so, what are they?


texts: Small rockwool cubes are very cheap, but the bigger ones can be a bit expensive. Is it possible to reuse the cubes? How is it possible to remove the old roots? What kind of cleaning is necessary?


texts: What are these white granules at the leaf-ends of my gold fruit palm?

texts:
I have had a gold fruit palm in my apartment for over a year now, and it has always been happy and healthy.  Recently I have begun fertilising it once a week or so with a (German) liquid palm fertiliser, carefully following the instructions.

A week or so after I started (give or take), white granules appeared at the tips of most of the leaves (see photos).  When I brush it off, it feels like salt (i.e., like tiny crystals).

Does anyone know:

What it is?
What is causing it?

Is it possible to over-fertilising a potted house palm?  Attempting to translate, the ingredients of the fertiliser are:

2.6% Nitrate
2.6% Ammonium
1.8% Carbamide/urea (CO(NH2)2)
3.0% Phosphate (P2O5)
5.0% K2O


texts:
I planted my pineapple about 5 years ago from the head of a store bought pineapple and even though it hasn't died and is still growing, it hasn't got nearly big enough to produce fruit or even approached the size I've seen other planted pineapples get.

About a year ago I planted it in a new pot with fresh soil and compost, it seemed to get a little better. I noticed what looked like smallish pineapples growing near the bottom. But beside that it's mostly still the same.

I water it as often as I can remember (usually every second or so day), and keep it in full sun. Is there anything I should be doing that I'm not?


texts: What sort of tomato has two layers of seeds?

texts:
I asked a question about this plant earlier.  It appears to be either indeterminate or semi-determinate as I've already harvested three tomatoes (on August 31) and the plant is flowering again.  I live in Southern California, so frost probably won't be an issue.  I hope I get another two or three fruit this year.

In reference to Peter Turner's answer, the seeds didn't look like the Husky Hybrid seeds in the picture, though I don't know exactly what distinguishing features I ought to be looking for.  Fortunately, my wife took pictures of the fruit:

The scale is hard to gauge from this shot, but the fruit are a touch smaller than a billiard ball.  I'm not really sure what caused the cracks in the skin, but only two of the fruit had them.  More intriguing to me is the cross-section:

As you can see (blurrily), the tomato had two layers of seeds separated by a layer of flesh.  I believe all three tomatoes had double-layers of seeds.

I'm not a tomato fan, but the taste I tried was especially sweet and didn't have as much of the "tomato taste" that I dislike in commercial tomatoes.

I keep forgetting to take a photo of the plant itself and I don't really know what to say about the appearance except that it's a tomato plant.  Is this enough to go by?


texts: What is causing brown spots on my mint plant?

texts:
I have been rooting my mint in water and it rooted, then I found those brown spots appearing. It happened with all the mint plants I had before. I am in Egypt, and it gets morning sun and no afternoon or direct sun

Click on photo for full size

Does anyone know why?


texts: Filling up 2’ deep patch to plant lavender

texts: i dug up a small patch (12’ x 6’) which was full of rubble and a bit of sand. It is now 2’ deep from the surface. I’m planning to fill it up with soil and plant lavender. Should I fill it all up with topsoil or can I lay other type of soil (please recommend) at the bottom and just do 2” of topsoil once levelled up?


texts: How can I keep a bischofia tree from coming back after chopping it down?

texts:
I removed a large bischofia tree from my yard, which included grinding the large stump down. However I keep seeing sprouts from the tree around the area of the stump grinding and throughout the yard. Here are some photos of the sprouts.

The disturbed soil is my attempt at digging up the roots. It took a lot of time and effort, but didn't do too much to slow the growth of the roots. The number and size of the roots are probably a contributing factor. Here is one of the larger roots that I dug up.

What can I do to kill the tree and stop it from continuing to sprout at different locations?

One caveat is that I would like grass to be able to grow around near the area afterwards.

I have used Bonide Stump Out with some success, but I'd like to keep using it to see if it works more.


texts: I have some rockcress (aubrieta) seedlings that I started to try to harden off. I put them outside in the shade and brought them back in at night. On the first day, everything was fine. When I brought them in the second evening, they appeared wilted. On both days, temps were in the fifties. I kept them inside on third day and they still are wilted. Is there any way to save them?


texts: Can you cut and transplant clippings of Autumn Joy Sedum?

texts:
I have a very nice mixed pot with Autumn Joy Stonecrop (Sedum) and some unknown red beachy looking grass (possibly red fountain grass). It's all been doing really well on my "full sun" porch but we've had heavy rains 4 different days of this past week while I was out of town. It appeared to be in perfect condition until my dog brushed up against the Sedum and I realized, that  a large stem of this usually sturdy plant knocked over... Could it have uprooted? No- the bottom of it is soaked and some of the leaves have turned to mush. I inspected the rest, which seems to be fine, but this strand, like most of it has at large clump of buds on top that should bloom over the next few weeks.

Like other sedums, am I able to clip off the bottom that's basically rotting, give it time to callus and transplant the stems elsewhere? I've done this with Sedum refexum and coral carpet, but they weren't upright sedums, so I am unsure... And everything I've read about transplanting the Autumn Joy talks about gently moving the entire root structure. Does this mean I have lost this entire bit, it is there still hope? If I cannot clip it, is there something I can do? Is it possible to submerge the bottom bit that's damaged with sand or something else to soak up the moisture?

If it will help, I will edit this post with pictures in the morning, when I have proper light.


texts:
I have a pretty big yard with a lot of old trees, as a result I own a wood chipper and produce a fairly hefty volume of mulch (several yards a year).  I use the mulch in my gardens but for the decorative ones I would prefer an evenly colored mulch as mine is pretty non-uniform due to the variety of trees and shrubbery it comes from.

In googling most of what I have found online is instructions for spraying already laid mulch that has lost its color.  I have only found a couple things about dying raw mulch, and have found nobody talking about how to choose the dye or even where to buy it at all.

Does anybody have any experience in dying raw homemade wood chips?  Where can I purchase the dye and what should I be looking for.

I envision using a plastic kiddie pool since I have a pretty large quantity of mulch.


texts: These flowering trees are found in Shenandoah Valley, Virginia. Can anyone identify what they are?


texts:
Once a year I'm trimming the hedges around my yard - a European hornbeam - to make sure they grow dense, evenly and are in a good shape. I'm using an electric hedge trimmer to do the majority of the trimming and will do finer details and leftovers with smaller, manual shears.
Whenever I'm done trimming and take a view on the results, I'm bugged about uneven cuts here and there, despite my best efforts. The top ends up "wavy" and the front isn't completely straight across the whole span of the hedge either. I find it hard to keep a good eye on straight lines and shapes when standing right in front of my hedges and waving around with a rather heavy electric trimmer. And there are only so many corrections you can do before you're trimming too much.
Are there any good practices I can follow or supporting tools I can use to make my trims more even?


texts:
Typical garden soil from the garden centre has a perfect black colour, with additions like peat, fertilizers, and so called 'soil improvers'.

Can someone explain to me what the process is of making the 'typical' garden soil. With this I mean the standard soil with no fancy properties whatsoever.

Can I make it myself, through composting?


texts: Large fig tree fruit rotting on tree and falling all over the ground

texts:
The fig tree has been producing an incredible amount of fruit. Unfortunately all the fruit is rotting before it even falls from the tree. It smells like rancid rotting fruit all the time outside, and raking up and cleaning up all the dead fruit off the ground is an endless battle. I dont think trying to spray this entire tree for bugs is possible really, and treating all of the soil is really feasible for us either.

At this point we just want to stop it from fruiting if possible, maybe using some "Growth Regulator/Fruit growth prevention" type sprays.

We dont want to kill or chop down the tree, we wont be living here forever, we just want to get it under control while we are living here.

I just wanted to get some of your advice and feedback  on my fig tree situation.

Thanks!


texts: What is this vine with cordate, alternate leaves?

texts: Someone in US gave this plant to my friend who lives in Vietnam, to cure his cancer. It was grown in the US. What is this plant?


texts: Getting gardening stakes in stony ground

texts:
I need to get some stakes into the ground surrounding my garden, as my neighborhood has large populations of deer.  However, the ground is pretty stony, so just physically forcing the stakes down into the ground is nearly impossible, as I can't get deeper than 2 or 3 inches, which isn't deep enough to support the stakes.

What techniques or tools can I use to get the stakes deep enough without brute physical force?


texts: What might be eating my butter bibb lettuce plants?

texts: I live in southwest MN and have started growing some vegetables in containers. We had a big storm, so I put the pots on the ground beside my porch because they always get blown over. Today, I noticed that my butter bibb lettuce is essentially gone. It's been consumed by something. I looked at what was left and saw tons of little black bead looking things all over. They look like caviar. I can't tell if it's excrement or eggs of some kind. Every bit of the leaves are gone except the spiny part. I have 5 other pots of veggies around it but this is the only one this happened to. Does anyone have an idea what these things might be? Thank you.


texts: What is this dark brown liquid my cat palm is producing?

texts: Today I have noticed that one of my cat palms is producing a dark brown liquid on its stem. It is a female palm, which is producing seeds right now and all the leaves are green and healthy. Since I believe this is a disease, I cut two leaves to inspect the area, but could not figure out what is going on. The smell of the substance is fruity. Could someone please shed a light on this?


texts: Eleven days ago, I had asked why my young plants were not growing. Well, weeks later, one of them is regressing. What can be the issue now? I added organic material( yam peel, banana peels and egg shells in the soil) about 3 weeks ago. What is the matter with it now?


texts: When transplanting asparagus seedlings should part of the stem be buried?

texts:
I know it is a good idea to bury part of the stem of tomatoes when transplanting as they will sprout new roots along the stem.  I am wondering if something similar applies to asparagus.

My asparagus seedling (started from seed) is rather thin in the stem and I am hoping to bury part of it so it will have less plant to support.


texts:
My friend gifted me a bonsai tree on my birthday a few days ago (super excited!). Unfortunately it was bought to me without a tag and therefore, as I don't have any experience with bonsai trees yet, I have no idea what tree it is and it could complicate my care for it as well.
It was left in a cold car (winters are terribly cold out here and it definitely was below zero) for a bit too long (have to point it out - not by me, I already love it too much), therefore it lost quite a bit of its leaves and doesn't look as gorgeous as it could. It stopped loosing them though, so I think it's a good sign.
I would really appreciate if someone helped to identify it, as I really want to be able to take a proper care of it.
Thanks


texts:
I don't know if I'm searching correctly, but I'm amazed I have only found one answer (which is still lacking).

How can a garden be made completely flat and level? How would it be done professionally?

The first step (now obvious to me after research) is to remove existing turf, plants, roots, etc. either by hand and possibly with a rotavator.

The next step is the one that eludes me: distributing the soil so it's flat. It sounds simple. But the one answer I've found was this; use a bit of wood and kick it around. This is just not practical enough, or simply good enough, for several reasons:

It will not ensure the whole garden is level
It will only work for sandy soil, not more stodgy clay type soil.
As the garden is walked on and compacted, unevenness will reappear.

What would the professional process be for achieving this for a small-ish garden with no access for heavy machinery? And let's say the garden had to be level and flat enough to play a proper game of bowls. (I'm not that old yet, but might as well do the manual labour in preparation while I still can).

Thanks


texts: (Artificial) turf vs. (Artificial) grass

texts: What is the difference between turf and grass? Specifically the artificial type. And what is the proper word for the artificial type such as the one used on football fields/tennis courts? Are mixes of artificial materials and natural grass/turf materials used on sports fields and courts?


texts:
I am new to gardening, so I was a little afraid to use this plant. I looked up pictures of Basil, and I don't see any that look like this.  The stems smell sweet. I live in Ohio.
Thank you


texts: What plant is this that looks like a bush?

texts: My friend saw this plant. What plant is this? Can anyone tell me, please?


texts: Who owns taking care of neighbor's lawn creepage?

texts:
I have two issues in my yard but both are centered around the same question.

If a neighbor has a tree, vines, weeds, whatever - that they are not taking care of and these things are constantly creeping in my yard what can I do about it?

Example #1 - Left side neighbor - Has a 50 foot run of just weeds and vines.  These things can look like a jungle in a couple weeks.  Also there is poison ivy/oak growing inside this.  The neighbors don't care and I am constantly keeping the poison ivy and vines out of my yard.  If I let it go for a few weeks they are attacking my walnut tree about 10 feet from property line.

Example #2 - Back of the yard has a chain link fence.  Not totally sure who owns the fence since it it shared.  But the owner has let thick vines and trees grow in the fence from their side and basically ruined the fence - good 100 foot section.  Again we have issues here with poison ivy and have a hard time keeping it clean because so much of the stuff is starting in neighbor's yard.


texts: This bracket fungus is growing on an apple tree in my garden. I noticed one growing in the same position last year and just knocked it off. The tree is otherwise in pretty good condition. Should I try to remove it with a fungicide or just leave it be?


texts: I just planted two pear trees and two apple trees this year. At first, all four started putting on leaves and looked healthy. Now, the apple trees are thriving and the leaves on the pear tress are dying. Does anyone know why this might be?


texts: How to transplant avocados rooted in water to soil?

texts:
I have 7 avocado plants that I started in jars of water with toothpicks. They're now all between 9 inches and 2 feet. As they've outgrown their jars, I'm looking to transfer them to soil now. I know I should have planted them a long time ago, but I transplanted one once before and it died. I really want to do everything possible to prevent these from dying, although I know sometimes it’s inevitable from the shock.
I'm a complete beginner, so I know that I didn't start them off or maintain them properly. My main concern is figuring out how to move forward most effectively. I don’t have much money to spend on this project, so I would appreciate economical suggestions. Thank you!
Current issues:

The edges of the leaves are turning brown, so I know the roots are either: not getting enough water and/or there's high levels of salt in the water.

The water in my area is extremely hard. The best I was able to do was use only Brita filtered water for the plants. I’m not sure what the next best option would be.

I'm not sure if some of them have root rot or are just stressed  from an accumulation of salts. Either way they are going to require some extensive trimming (if they’re even salvageable). Would it be best to trim, let them rest in a new sterile jar of water & develop some more air roots before trying to plant in soil?

For transplanting

I did my best to combat algae/fungus growth by covering the jars & adding hydrogen peroxide, but was unsuccessful. Do I need to sterilize the roots before planting them? I know hydro systems can be sterilized or inoculated, but are those even possible when removing from a hydro system?

Someone recommended I let the roots sit out and dry before planting them. Is that helpful or harmful?

What sort of soil mixture do you recommend? I’ve heard 50/50 perlite/coco mix and 50/50 perlite/soil mix

I heard before planting it’s best to reduce the water levels in the containers for about a week to encourage air roots. Is this true?


texts: What is this shrub with long pointed leaves?

texts: I bought this shrub at Aldi back in the spring. It was just a rootball with a small branch. The label said it was a blueberry, but now that it has leaves, it doesn't look like a blueberry plant. What kind of plant is it?


texts: I want some nice smelling plants to improve the smell in my room. They should be functional year-round and low maintenance.


texts: I have a grass like flower plant. What is that

texts: I have a grass like flower plant .which I bought from a gardener. What is this?  this plant have white flowers and need large amount of water


texts:
I’ve had my cactus for over a year now. I bought it late winter/early spring (February/March?) and from the time I bought it to around a month ago it had very stunted growth and didn’t grow any new spines. I used to water it roughly every 3 weeks, because I I knew that cacti don’t need watering as much as other houseplants. However, in the past 2 months I’ve increased this to every 2 weeks and it has grown new spines and significantly increased in height. I was happy to see this of course, but the new stem looks really thin compared to the lower half. Do I need to increase its water intake even more?

Also if anyone can tell me what species or family my cactus belongs to I’d be really grateful!


texts: I got this little dude at jewel earlier, but there was no info on what kind of plant it is. Help please!!


texts: What could be keeping Crepe Myrtles from flowering?

texts:
3 mature (8-10') Crepe Myrtles (var. Raspberry Sundae) were installed approximately 4 years ago on a property on the south fork of Long Island. They seem to be thriving, and grow well each year.

However only one of the plants has ever produced any flowers, and that one only produced a single flower cluster.

Is there something that we can do to encourage flowering?

Edit:
Location - eastern Long Island, NY. Within 0.5 Kilometers from ocean, but not exposed.
Soils - well drained, silt-loam.
The plants are irrigated.
The plants receive light, insoluble fertilization in spring.


texts: What illness/pest has this rosemary and what to do with it?

texts:
Recently 3 of my rosemary bushes seems to have some (multiple) illness and/or pest.

I am an absolute amateur, so I just hopelessly see their day by day worsening condition. I know it is hard to diagnose by photo, I did my best when I was taking the pictures.

Could anyone identify what the problem(s) is/are, and most importantly what to do to cure?

Detailed plant and environment info:

Location is Budapest, Hungary, it's springtime now. All plants are in pots. There are two different plants on the photos, they are approx 4-5 years old, from the very same source. There is a 3rd plant from that source which has exactly the same symptoms. The plant in the second photo 1.5 years ago was cut back to approx 10 cm (no leaves at all), then grew a beautiful healthy 30 cm greenery until it now produces the symptoms. I have two other rosemaries 2 years old from an other source which seem to be completely healthy, despite of the fact they are literally between the sick plants.

Please note...

I can use only absolutely harmeless chemicals and methods, as I have no appropriate protective gear, besides of this sometimes we use these plants in our recipes... and I am afraid of toxic and "toxic but safe to use if..." chemicals.


texts: Rotating indoor plants outdoors for pollination, fresh air, etc. How often?

texts:
Following up this question, I have a rock filled border surrounding the outside of the screened-in porch.  I'm planning to have container plants both inside the screened-in area, and outside on that border.

Periodically, I am planning to switch the outside plants for the inside plants and vice versa, to give the inside plants access to bees, direct sunlight and fresh air. My goal is to keep the plants (and the local bees) healthy.

After each switch, the formerly outdoor plants will live next to the pool, inside the screened in area; and the formerly indoor plants will stay outside until the next switch.

Assuming mostly flowering plants, how often should I perform this switch?


texts:
In the backyard of our new house is a fruitless mulberry tree that is probably about 40 years old. It has been pollarded for probably the last 20 years about 3 feet out from where 5 major limbs emerge from the trunk -- these major limbs have grown into big nubs that are starting to merge into each other.

I'd really like to grow this tree out into a major shade tree with (hopefully) more normal-looking limbs and branches... Any idea how I should approach this problem?

(Note: this is in USDA hardiness zone 9b, in the USA)


texts:
My Fiddle-leaf fig got neglected and lost all of it's leaves except for the top ones. Now it looks like a tree which I don't like. I would like to propagate the top piece, and cut the remaining stem as pictured below, so it can develop leaves closer to the pot.

You agree with the locations of the cuttings?


texts: Scarifying my lawn seems to be pulling up the turf, is this OK?

texts:
I have a small lawn 5x5m which has some issues with moss and damp on one side where it's in the shade.

I've been scarifying using a hand rake to get up dead thatch and moss which works, but in the worst places the turf itself seems to be either getting shredded, or pulled up. I know scarifying can make the lawn look bad but leaving bare earth can't be good!

Am I doing it too roughly or are these patches of lawn that are just really damaged and need re-seeding after the stuff gets torn up?


texts: What is killing my bell peppers. Holes in leaves and blackened

texts:
I live in Montreal Québec and have planted bell peppers in a new raised bed. All was well for two weeks and then the leaves started to cup, develop holes and now are now starting to have black marks on them.

I have looked for bugs under the leaves but have found nothing. We have been getting a lot of rain.

Any idea what might be causing this?

Edit :added another photo

Edit: More images, garden shot and eggplants

Edit 3: Week or so later, after applying some controlled release fertilize, posting this as an imgur album as the photos were to large for direct posting. I think they are looking a lot better, which makes me hope that the issue is not a virus, rather just an amateur gardener not giving the plants what they need. Also got a pepper growing, and a few flowers.
http://imgur.com/a/fAa5u


texts: Cucumber leaves started getting yellow patches

texts:
Is it some virus attack which I read on the internet. Please refer to the image.

Thanks in advance.
Muddassar


texts:
Everything I have read online has told me that parsnips need to be seeded directly as they don’t like being transplanted from pot to ground.
However our allotment plot is renown for the mice getting to even the smallest seeds of planted directly into the ground.
Is it possible to start Parsnips off in cells or pots I was considering growing them in the cardboard ones that allow roots to grow through and can just be planted out as soon as the seedling shows as this should allow the parsnip to break up the cardboard.


texts: Suitable soil mix for plant succulent in glass bowl?

texts: I want to plant some succulent in a glass bowl because it is beautiful and easy to carry but their is no hole. What is the suitable mix for succulent living in glass bowl?


texts: Can anyone tell me what is this plant with white trumpet flowers?

texts: Not sure what this beautiful flower located in Arizona is. Can anyone help?


texts: My chilli plant is growing however the tips of the leaves are drying, any suggestions ? Is this normal ?


texts: Does anyone know what this soil insect is?

texts:
I bought a palm plant from Aldi a few weeks ago but only just notice some critters hanging around in the soil. Only spotted a couple so not riddled with them (yet).
Just wondered if they're harmful and if they are what is best to get rid of them?
They look like small spiders and they can jump if that helps.


texts: What should a new lawn look like after one week?

texts:
My yard was covered with a number of overgrown raised beds. Exactly one week ago, I:

Pulled out the more noxious weeds (grapevine, milkweed, creeping charlie)
Chopped down the remaining weeds and raked them away (mostly overgrown grass)
Roto-tilled the soil, in two steps: once, a few hours after it had rained, then again the next morning once the top layer dried out. The beds had been filled with topsoil and mulch so I didn't add either of these.
Raked away the sticks and clumps of old sod
Raked out a gentle grade
Put down seed (Scotts sun and shade mix) with a fertilizer coating
Watered lightly
Used a roller half-filled with water once the soil drained.

Since then, I've been consistent about watering morning and evening just until I see puddles starting to form. We've also had about 2" of rain over the same time period, so the ground has been damp or wet the whole time. Highs have been in the low 90s F, and it has been very humid.

Having never planted a lawn before, I don't know what I should be looking for. The grass is coming up (yay!), but do I have too much? not enough?

Does the week-old lawn in my picture look about like it should? And if not, is there anything I can do at this point to fix it?

I am in Madison, WI (USDA plant hardiness zone 5a)
Highs have been in the 80s F this past week
The lawn has morning and evening shade, with direct sun for several hours each day

Most of the new lawn looks like the picture above -- a few dense spots, a few thin spots.


texts: Core aerate, top dress, and overseed in the fall

texts:
I'm trying to figure out the correct way to overseed this fall in MA. I want to do a few things in the process: core aerate, top dress, fertilize, lime, and overseed.

I normally mow my lawn at 3.5" so am I supposed to cut it much lower? How low, 2.85" (that's my next height down) or 2.25" (that's the next one after)? Once I have the lawn mowed, then I was going to core aerate and top dress. Do I top dress with topsoil, loam, compost, or the loam/compost mix I see advertised often? I was planning to top dress me entire yard which is 9,000-10,000 sf. Is it uncommon to do the whole yard? At 0.25" of top dressing that's about 8 yards which is a few hundred dollars.

Once I top dress, I assume I can then fertilize, lime, and overseed together and then get the lawn wet and keep it that way. I would then want to make sure it's always moist, so put my irrigation system on for a few minutes a few times a day to keep it moist, right?

When is the best time in the fall to do this? Early or mid September? Late September?


texts: I have bought a Kalanchoe and it was healthy when I bought it. I have four more plants with the same problem (all purchased from a place like ikea in Ecuador). I wonder if it is a fungus, and how to fight it.


texts: Do I still need to water transplanted plants if they're being transplanted into a flood plain?

texts:
My mom, and I just transplanted 10 rhubarb plants (thinning 6 that were planted near each other), and I was wondering if there would be enough moisture in the soil to not need to water them (suction noise when digging with a shovel).

I put a heap (about 2X the hole size) of myceliated wood chips (Stropharia Rugosoannulata) in the area to replace the soil. so that it would be a super rich replacement when broken down.


texts:
What's wrong with the leaves of lily plants? They seem faded when compared to the other leaves.

Someone told me that they're just older leaves, but I wanted to make sure.


texts: Lucky Bamboo turning yellow starting from the bottom

texts: I have problem with my lucky bamboo. I had notice that it was turning yellow and I had cut where I think I'm supposed to. I think your supposed to cut about 1-2 inches above the notch. I had cut it thinking that I had cut it right. I put wax on the bottom to protect it. My question is do I put the lucky bamboo in water with the wax on the bottom in water or do I turn it upside down where the top is in the water.. not sure what to do?


texts: How can I transfer white comfrey from the front garden to the back garden by seed?

texts:
I have successful white comfrey in the front garden with hundreds of flowers.  Presumably the flowers contain the seeds.   Can I grow new white comfrey in the back garden by planting large numbers of fallen flowers?  I wait for them to fall rather than picking them.  I also find on the ground little "brown envelopes", which appear to contain seeds,   see sixth picture here http://wildflowerfinder.org.uk/Flowers/C/Comfrey(White)/Comfrey(White).htm

Presumably I should plant these as well.


texts: I have a back yard with a slope, about 25-30 degrees, and there is only a small amount of space that I can garden. What is the best way to garden on a slope?


texts: do "real" vegetable gardeners buy plants, or use seeds

texts:
I am a new gardener, and am really excited to grow my own vegetables.  It's end of May, so I may have missed the boat slightly in terms of planting seeds and growing a tomato plant from that.  Next year, I will be prepared, and will maximize the growing season.  But what do I do?  Do I buy a packet of seeds, do seed starters, and then transplant into a pot or the ground? Or just buy a tomato plant and transplant that into my pot?

It seems that buying a plant just saves a little work and is many many times more expensive (a plant could be a few bucks, and a single seed in a packet might be a nickel).  The plant would help me this year because I missed the boat in the spring to plant seeds, so it might help me make up for that.  But outside of being lazy and/or lack of planning, is there really a reason to buy plants, when you could have just planted a seedling a few months prior?  Are there any benefits to buying the tomato plant.

Can anybody share their thoughts/experiences on the matter?  My questions are about growing all vegetables, not just the tomato example I used above.

EDIT: I live in the SF Bay Area.  The climate here is pretty mild/nice.


texts:
I'm planning on 3d printing an aeroponics enclosure out of ABS. Obviously there will be a high amount of water circulation involved.

Is ABS a safe plastic to use? Will chemicals leach into the soil? Have any studies been done here? I'm planning on growing and eating vegetables, so I don't want to be ingesting horrible chemicals.

Thanks!


texts: Can I graft fruit trees without pruning?

texts: I just got some apple, peach and pear trees. They're still kind of young but I'm wondering if i can just graft an extra branch on the side without cutting any of the ones it has (only has 2-3 thin ones).


texts: What are the white bugs on my Aeonium and how do I get rid of them?

texts:
Some of my Aeonium plants have had this bug issue for month now, so here's how the plant and the bug looks like:

I have a 35mm macro lens, and I shot 1 bug (and killed it)

This bug is white and produced some sort of white powder on my plant's leaves.
Usually they hide in the back of the leaves, so until today I thought it was a fungal issue.

My guess is that this is a scale insect, but I'm not that sure.

What are these bugs, and how do I get rid of them?


texts: Can Spinetoram be used to control cherry tree slugs without harming nearby bees and fruit?

texts:
I'm looking to control cherry tree slug in an orchard and have found a Spinetoram based product to be effective. In terms of toxicity, there's limited information out there.

In particular, I'm interested in impact on bees (spraying on trees after flowering) as well as recommended distance from hives and residue in fruit.

For residue in fruit I've only come across this article so far, which says that there is an 'acceptable' level of residue after 10 days for tomatoes.


texts:
So a friend of mine gifted me with a bucket of worms mixed with dirt and food. It was a living colony and I maintained it so, even growing properly. I've followed quite a few proper rules, also taking into account prior post on how-to-make-compost.

I made several levels with 20 liters paint buckets with some holes in it (in the sides and below). From top bottom:

Covered with cloth and some slight weight
3rd level has the major colony where I throw food.
2nd level has a base of grass, dirt and is where they go down to reproduce.
1st level is empty with no holes to receive water from above layers.

I already know how long this takes in average, and that it should have a balance between carbon and nitrogen. Now to the question. Once this is all done:

How do I know, visually, if the vermi-compost is properly ripe?


texts: Is it practical to sharpen hedger blades yourself?

texts:
I have a gas powered hedge cutter that is quite nice, but it usually goes dull quite often under heavy use. I always put on spare blades and get the others sharpened, but I'm interested how long it would take to do it yourself. I could save a bit that way, if it isn't extremely time consuming.

Is this a practical idea?


texts: please see what is this brown patch on my ivy leaf. This has turned from yellowing into dark brown. tips are dying and getting lazy to grow.