texts: Exposed roots in a juniperus bonsai, plus probable fungi problem

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A friend of mine has a juniperus bonsai similar to this, but it is not doing well recently.

I noticed its top roots are now outside of soil, which I find not good, and I am about to suggest my friend adding a thin layer of a good substrate to cover exposed roots. But I am not a bonsai expert, so I am asking you - am I right?

There seems to be some fungi present on roots as well.

Update: Photos:


texts: What is causing the collapsing branches on my Aloe barberae (Aloe bainesii)?

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I have a young Aloe barberae (a type of giant tree aloe), about 3 meters tall, which has been in my front yard for three years. I'm in Los Angeles, which has a climate similar to the weather in the plant's native habitat, and you often see big, healthy specimens of it around here. It's in full sun and gets drip watering.

The branches on my plant keep bending over and folding under their own weight. This has happened several times now, and I keep pruning them off. The pruned stems seem to have shriveled and lost their bulk; they look like the arm of a person who's very old and frail, and when I squeeze them it feels like there's nothing inside.

I understand that these plants are supposed to self-prune, but I'm not clear on whether that should look like what I'm seeing, or if the branches should stay intact while the leafy heads or individual leaves drop off. Currently, the surviving branches each have several leaf-heads on them, and each leaf-head has a bunch of dead, yellow leaves on the bottom and a bunch of healthy-looking green ones on top.

How can I tell whether (a) my plant is healthy and just self-pruning, (b) I'm under-watering it, or (c) I'm over-watering?


texts: What causes the base of tomato seedling stems to shrivel?

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What causes the base of the stems of tomato seedlings to wither (shrivel up)? I've noticed this happen occasionally. The remainder of the plant is fine until it dies from being separated from the ground. It seems like it happens more often when there's less light, but I could be imagining that. This affects at least seedlings that are still on their first or second leaves. I haven't seen it affect anything but seedlings.

This didn't used to happen. So, I'm thinking it might be a pathogen, or something to do with the soil.


texts: Can anyone identify this park tree? Is it an elm?

texts: this is a tree in a park in Hong Kong. All the trees around it have their species labelled, but unfortunately this one does not. Please can anyone identify it?


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We have an older cherry tree in the garden, it feels like the previous owner never cared about trimming it?
which branches should be cut ideally? when? what shape should the tree have?
my gut feeling:

the four thinner branches at the bottom should go? they prevent the main stem from growing?
the two bigger branches at the bottom maybe too? same reason? it just doesn‘t look tree-ish to me.
half of the branches or more in the middle part should go? there is not enough sun/air for the fruits otherwise.
everything above a certain height needs to go, best by cutting a bigger branch above a side branch?

and how can we prevent the suffering from those cuts?
i think there was an expert gardener here two years ago, but he just removed some small branches here and there, nothing bigger, so would not really be gappy to call him again.
location is germany if that matters.
here‘s a photo of the tree, for scale: the pole in the background is around 2 meters high, so the first "real" branches are around 1.8 meters.
the first branches at the bottom, which i think need to be cut, maybe start at 0.5 meters. the whole tree is around 4-5 meters high, you can't really see it on the photo because there's a huge green hedge behind it. :)


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This morning I had to cut this branch for safety purposes. It's from a neighbor's tree.

Can I regrow it?


texts: What safe containers are there for planting edibles?

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Wondering what containers people use for growing various edibles. Instead of planting purely outdoors I may grow on the balcony and indoors.

Primary worry is leeching materials/heavy metals/plastics into the soil.

I figure yogurt cups since they are for food.

Those clay pots seem good, but I don't know what they are made of such as any additives that may contain materials that could leech into the soil.

Thanks,


texts: What is this prickly, burr-covered plant with different colored flowers on the same plant?

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I'm trying to identify a prickly, burr-type plant growing wild in my yard in Massachusetts, USA.  I found about five of them in an area of full sun. Temperatures over the last few months have varied between 70°F and 100°F. The ground is regular garden soil, and these plants are sharing space with pokeweed; lamb's ears; goldenrod; and some other wild things, the names of which I don't know.

Description:

They're about three feet tall, and are covered with round orb-shaped things which I'll call burrs until I know if that's the correct term. The entire plant is covered with thorns, including the leaves and the stalk. The stalk also has white fur.
The burrs are at the junctions of leaves and stalk, similar to perennial plants, as opposed to some wildflowers which are single stalks with flowers at the top.
The burrs grow to a certain size, which is different with each one, from a radius of anywhere from one to three inches, at which time another section pushes through the top, which I'll call the second stage.
The second stage appears to be a flower, but only opens a small amount and doesn't have petals, just spikes. They vary in size, shape and color, even on the same plant. For example, my pictures show a plant that has both dark and bright purple second stages.
At some point, the burr attached to the stalk becomes brown and opens to reveal narrow long things which I assume are seeds. These are soft and furry, and easy to separate and remove.
The plant has a continuing life-cycle, with young burrs still appearing after others have died off.

My questions:

What is the name of this plant?
What is the second stage, and why does it vary so widely even on the same plant?
Since only the original burr goes to seed, while still attached to the stalk, where does the second stage go? It would make sense that it would fall off, but I can't find any on the ground.

The first picture has a good view of three different stages on the same plant. Below that are close-ups of each section from that plant. I've also included a picture of a different plant which shows the original burr with the second stage just pushing through; and a third which shows new growth and a large old brown seed pod.

Click on the pictures for closer view.


texts: I have some patches of bare earth in my back yard where the grass just will not grow. I figured I'd give a go at seeding it for moss, since I've heard that it works better for some poor soil conditions. My immediate problem is that the moss seeds are absolutely tiny, like the size of sesame seeds. The packet claims that the 1000 seeds are good for about 500 square feet, but short of carefully picking up and placing the seeds, I feel like they're just going to fall in clumps that barely cover a dozen square feet. Is there a trick to it? A good tool to use? I have a spreader, but even that seems to put down seed at a much higher density.


texts: Green (Undried) Cedar for raised bed framing?

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I'm rebuilding a couple of sections of a raised bed that has rotted out.
The sides and ends are essentially simple 2x4 frames, which I will build out of Western red cedar.  I have a choice of using seasoned (air/kiln dried) or "green" (not dried) lumber.
I know for most types of projects not to use green wood due to dimensional stability issues.  However, for this application, which will be in ground contact and well watered, it seems like there would be no disadvantage to green wood.
Question: Is there a reason to prefer dried lumber for this?


texts: Plant ID - is this Dame's Rocket? pink-purple cluster, long leaves

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This plant is growing in the backyard on its own, 1.5 foot tall now, blooming (May-June) now, has pink flowers growing in a bunch or cluster. Leaves thin and long. Faint fragrance is there. It seems to be seeding itself as I see another plant nearby.

Each flower in the cluster has four petals. It looks like there will be about 30-40 flowers in a bunch.

The best research I have done tells me that this is Dame's Rocket and that this is considered a noxious weed, not-native to California, USA (SF bay area). Can someone confirm? If so, I will get rid of this right away.

[


texts: What is wrong with my desert roses and how can I cure them?

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I got 7 desert rose plants about 2.5 months ago. They all now have something. I don't know. Leaf curls. some white stuff? (Might be rain residue/powdery mildew but I don't know which). Some spotty leaves. Some kind of... rot? on the flowers and buds. I've sprayed insecticide every few weeks or days. I don't know if that might not even be it. I'm in Indonesia. The temperature during the day is always around 30+ and I keep them in full sunlight. The soil is compost/black soil. I haven't gotten around to adding something more porous though I mean to soon. I water them every 1-2 days with half a cup of water direct to the soil around them mostly at night, sometimes early morning. Should I buy neem oil?

Plant 1: Candik Ayu
Plant 2: Madeira
Plant 3: AC Milan/Sang rad sane? Purplish/red flowers. I think it's the latter but the labeling has faded I should be able to tell when it blooms.
Plant 4: White Rose.


texts: I have a few oleanders and was wondering what I should be doing to keep the plant in its best condition?  All I do is feed it compost once or twice a year.  Anything else?


texts: How can I prevent my Nepenthes pitchers from drying out?

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I received what I guess is a Nepenthes last month, but the pitchers have all dried out by now. It starts with the lid drying up and once that happens it takes 10 days until the entire pitcher is all dried up. I cut it off before this happens.

I read that its soil may never dry out and that it needs much light but not direct sunlight.

What am I doing wrong?

I wait until the soil is almost dry and then give it lots of water. This is around each fifth day.
I placed it in a hanging pot in a window over the kitchen sink, where there is never any direct sunlight but occasionally are lots of non direct sunlight. (Sweden, so sun is not strong.)
I replanted it and gave it a bio-fertilizer that actually had a way expired date.
?


texts: What is this succulent with textured grey-green foliage?

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Please help me identify this succulent. It was given to me by my neighbor, and has a velvety texture. The plastic pot is about 3-3.5".

The small pinkish-orange circle in top view pic, resting on soil, is a Jade plant clipping that dropped in from plant stand above it. It has nothing to do with identification. It is not a snail, or bug or part if this plant.


texts:
My corn is now about a foot high, and heavily mulched with dried bindweed. They say you can use corn to support pole beans, though others say it pulls down the corn.

So, at what height of corn should I plant beans to use the corn for support, and is there a point when it's too late? And can I just plant the seed into soil under the mulch, or do I need to pull the mulch apart?

Edit: the corn is being grown in an area just recently cleared of native bush, and under a large pine tree.  The soil has 6 - 12 inches of topsoil full of organic matter, is not compacted, and the plants have not been fertilised.


texts:
I have a Vanderwolf pine tree, Pinus flexilus 'Vanderwolfs'. About a couple of weeks ago some of the needles started turning brown. Didn't pay too much attention, but then I noticed it was getting worse. Most of the needles are brown but still attached. They don't fall off when slightly pulled on.

I looked up the symptoms and the best issue I could come up with was root rot.

I'd like to know, based on my above description, is this a root rot? If so, how can I treat it?


texts:
I've had two different automatic water timers (this and this). Each one has worked pretty well for 2-3 years but eventually leaked internally and ruined the electronics. I take pretty good care of them- drain and store them during freezing weather, install them properly, etc.

First question- am I doing something wrong or do these products not last very long?

Second question- is there some sort of mechanical version that I don't have to worry about burning out the electronics? I know there are the kind that you twist to start that automatically turn off, but I would like it to automatically turn on on a schedule also.


texts: Should i do anything. This tree is growing real fast . Just noticed peeling in spring.  i thought it might just be shedding but no new bark as of this fall.


texts:
I planted a Bay laurel (Laurus nobilis) in my garden in Sweden (60°8'33.86"N, 16°9'46.62"E). I am aware the climate here is not ideal for this tree, but I have hope it can adapt.

I planted in the summer of 2015 and this has happened since:

Summer 2015: Planted it from a small (baby tree). In the winter it dried out.

Summer 2016: It came up a new branch (I thought it had died!). The branch became around 60cm high, looking great. In the autumn a raindear ate its top leaves and in the winter it dried again.

Summer 2017: 3 branches came up, I put a fence (like this one) around it quite high so no animals reach it.

Question:

How can I make the branches survive over winter? (In Sweden there is quite litle light during winter and temperatures can drop to -25oC)

I thought about covering the small tree during the winter, should I cover just from snow, or close it more hermetic?


texts: Pine Bark vs Sphagnum Peat/Sand for Blueberries and Azaleas

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I had a quick question, because I'm trying to figure up my mulch and fertilizer needs for this Spring. I had bought my father a couple of blueberry plants, among others, because that's what he wanted for his birthday. They've been in the ground about 2 weeks and I've been watering everything, but I need to get it mulched before the hot dry weather kicks in.

In South Carolina, we have the Clemson Ag Extension which puts out great info on local plants and their care. They suggest making a mound around the plant of peat moss and sand to help with water amounts and acidifying the soil. The say that if you mound it you have to water it more often.

Being honest, I wouldn't water the 2-3 times per week they say you need to, with dry spells, using this method. I use a mulch that goes on sale every year made of 100% ponderosa pine bark. It seems to work well.

My question is, should I use the peat/sand mix on the blueberries and my azaleas and rhododendron, and if I do, will it help cool the soil and retain moisture the same way as the pine mulch? If it's going to be helpful to these plants and work about as well as the pine mulch, but I don't want to have to replace it but once a year and I don't want to water it very much more often than I do with the pine bark. I'd much rather use an acidify fertilizer to achieve the same effect with the bark. Thanks for the help.


texts: What is attacking my morning glories and how do I get rid of it?

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enter image description here
What is this affecting my morning glories? And what can I do to help get rid of it?
I have took a wet napkin and wiped them off today. I also have seen small bugs crawling around the top soil.

These are the bugs that are in my morning glories I don’t know what they are. Could these be what’s leaving the white stuff on back of leaves? The white stuff also has black specs in the middle of it. Please help.
When I shake plant you can see the white stuff falling off. But the majority of the white stuff stays on.


texts:
I have worms growing on some of my plants, mostly those that are indoors. They eat the leaves voraciously. I've noticed them on spider plants and on the plant whose picture I've attached. Once they get big enough I can grab them with something and throw them out, but sometimes I see that leaves are being eaten and can't find them because they're too small. By the time I find them, they're quite big - about an inch long. Normally I only find one or two at this stage, and they don't move often - only if I shake the branch/leaf they're on or touch them with something.

What are they called? Is there a better way of dealing with them? I've marked them with red ellipses below.


texts: Timeline for first organic garden in New England (Massachusetts)?

texts: I am looking to start my first garden, and I'd like it to be organic. I have read a lot of articles which have all instructed me to start small the first year by planting easy plants like tomatoes, herbs, cucumbers, and lettuce. However, no matter how hard I search online, I cannot find an exact list of tasks that I need to do to get my garden together, and when I need to do them, as applied to the climate in the northeast. Could someone give me a rough list of things I need to do, and when I should get them done by?


texts: What's the best way to eliminate/deter rats from a garden without harming squirrels?

texts: I have a friend who wants to plant a garden were she has moved, but she has a huge rat problem and is afraid that if she plants a garden they will be a nuisance. She is afraid of using poison or conventional traps because she also has a few families of squirrels that live in her yard and around her. She wants to get rid of the rats (or at least deter them) without hurting or harming the squirrels. We are trying to come up with a solution before spring so we can get a garden well established by May. If anyone has any experience or suggestions we'd greatly appreciate it!


texts:
I'm new at gardening. I think I have over watered my Sansevieria. I don't  know what to do. I've removed it from the pot, but I'm not sure if I should immediately repot it in a new soil.
The longer leaves on the side are turning half yellow from near the rot upwards. should I cut them off?
Can I still save it?


texts: Is automatic drip irrigation possible without a timer?

texts:
I'd like to put in my first drip irrigation system because I'm too inconsistent when it comes to watering. My garden patch is only 100 sq ft of ground. It's continuous and adjacent to a tap.  Some kits include a timer, and others do not. At ~$40, it seems like the timer is the most expensive part, so it'd be nice if I didn't need it.

Can I simply attach a drip or soaker hose, open the tap very little, and keep the system on constantly? Or is that going to be unhealthy for my plants?

*Note: Answers to this question cannot include manually, habitually turning the irrigation on and off. That defeats the purpose of the system for me and fails when, e.g., I go on vacation.


texts: What is best rhubarb to grow in hot weather

texts:
I live in Concord  CA. 50 miles east of SF. Summers in the east bay can be hot . 80°-100+°June%sept ,oct. Spring 70-80°s. Grew up in Midwest miss rhubarb
5$/lb here in grocery stores.
I read crimson rhurbarb tolerated the heat
 To late to plant this year?
Thanks,
Kathleen


texts:
I am looking for a UV tolerant labeling pen.
I am using Kinglake (from Amazon) plastic wrap around labels with Sharpie ink. However after just one season, the labels have faded.
Is there a better pen available with ink that will hold up to UV exposure? It doesn't have to last forever, I can manage 5 years...
Thanks,
John


texts: Can bridge grafts be successful on oaks?

texts:
A magnificent oak was damaged 6 years ago during construction of a residence. Much of the bark on one side has begun shedding and showing dead wood underneath. There IS some wound-wood growing into the area, but the dead space is more than 12-16" across.

Would a master grafter have success performing a bridge graft across this area?


texts: What's a good ground cover to cover a rock wall in heavy shade in Massachusetts?

texts:
At the back of our property we have a 2 foot rock wall, made primary of just big rocks and boulders.  Its really cool, however behind it is a thick forest and so due to the trees in our yard as well as the thick woods, it gets very little sun.

I love phlox and rock cress, and think they look awesome as they over flow over rocks and brick.  However I doubt either will successfully grow or flower due to the heavy shade.

I live in Massachusetts and while I accept little sun means little chance of bright colors for flowers, I want a creeping plant that can flower occasionally  to add some color.

Any thoughts on low shade ground cover/ creeping varieties?


texts: How close together should I plant laurels and how fast will they grow?

texts:
We have an aging 6 foot wooden fence section about 12m long running East-West. Rather than replace it I'm thinking about planting laurel which is attractive and will grow higher with time and care... We have no immediate neighbour but it would block a sightline to a road.

Our local place sells bushes already taker than me but quite narrow. I'm trying to work out how many if need that they would provide coverage in a timely fashion, and how fast they'd grow outwards.

In an ideal world I'd plant them 1-2m the far (north) side of the existing fence to avoid losing space but then the fence would be providing them a lot of shade and I wonder if this is a deal-breaker?

I'm in North East England.


texts: Young saplings in winter temperatures periodically

texts:
I noticed a few days ago that the young saplings started unfolding their leaves already(except for the one in my pot outside, maybe frozen soil is preventing the growth of leaf buds for that sapling for now). Night temperatures have been below freezing while day temperatures have been above freezing. The trees are sugar maple, white oak(i think so at least), and elm(not sure at all what kind). I am in Columbus Ohio.

Is this normal for the leaves to start unfolding on saplings before the last frost? Is this freeze thaw cycle corresponding to day night cycle in March not a problem for saplings unfolding their leaves or is it a big problem with the potential of having the leaves frozen off? No new branch growth yet.


texts: I recently bought a new house in northern PA. This year when spring hit my backyard was a disaster. Most of it looked dead. None of my neighbors lawns looked like mine. As the weeks/months went on it started to look a bit better, but still a mess. Tons of weeds everywhere. Dead patches. So, I decided to take a soil sample and have it tested.


texts:
This rose is at least 30 years old and struggling with resistance to diseases and pests attacks.

I treat it religiously to protect it from black spot, mildew....

However, this summer has been very hot and dry which hasn’t helped!
It also gets a lot of manure in the winter for strength and health.

However,

I feel it is struggling more and more and think it needs drastic action. Probably cutting it right down and hope for brand new shoots to come back.
What would you advise and why?


texts: I bought this plant yesterday. The shopkeeper said it's a smaller variety of peace lily and will flower more usual than a bigger variety. Is this true? And according to him the reason why the leaves are not so green is because he put the plant in full sun all day long. How can i restore the dark green color that these leaves originally have? Will the flower/spathe be smaller in this variety? The leaves are much smaller and thinner than the images i see on google. Is there any way i can make the plant grow bigger leaves?


texts: This is one of the leaves of my neon pothos. It's been turning brown since past 2-3 days. This is the only leaf showing this particular issue. Will the  brown wilting continue in the entire branch or will it stop where the leaf ends? What is the cause? Thank you.


texts: Can anyone tell me what type of tree this is please? ](https://i.stack.imgur.com/vjl6m.jpg)


texts: Is this white cottony stuff on my cactus normal?

texts: This cactus was taken from my dad’s cactus garden before it was destroyed. It is very important that I keep it alive. I’m wondering if all this white cottony stuff on the top and the spikes is normal. Doesn’t look like mealy bugs. Is my plant healthy?


texts: Is this underground compost system likely to work?

texts:
I live in an arid area with strong winds and very hot summers. I've tried a regular compost pile but have had problems with pests (migratory rats that seem to be attracted by the smell) and the heat: it dries the pile up faster than we can add new organic material to it.

I came across the idea of having an underground compost. For this purpose, I bought this small receptacle:

My idea was to dig a hole and put it in the ground and fill it daily with organic material. I'd put drill holes in it so the excess liquid can drain. Because our soil is very loamy, I'd surround it with a layer of sand to support drainage.

What I'm hoping for is a composting system that doesn't attract any pests, and doesn't get dried out as fast as a regular overground compost. When it's done, I'd just shovel out the soil and fill it anew.

Does this make sense?

Are there any weaknesses I'm overlooking?

What size should I drill the drainage holes, and how many?


texts: Will Porcini mushrooms grow under a maple tree?

texts: I am considering growing some Porcini mushrooms (Boletus edulis) under a maple tree in my backyard.  The tree is ~10 years old and is very lush; so I imagine that at its base there might be enough shade for the Porcini to grow.  There is also a good layer of mulch at the base of the maple.  Will the Porcini form a symbiotic relationship with the maple?  What things can I do to enhance my chances of producing mushrooms and of helping out the maple?


texts: Ground cover for 2000 sq.ft (half full sun / half partial shade) with 60º slope

texts: I am at Southern California. I need ground cover for 2000 sq.ft. with 60º slope and help for choosing the right flowering low ground cover. There are 30 rose plants at present, so prefer ground cover which does not compete with roses.


texts: This spring I purchased an indoor tree and I think it is a ficus. It has recently, over the last month, lost many leaves, and does not look as good as before. It looks rather bald. Is there something wrong with it? Do I have to cut it back?


texts:
I planted these cuttings two months ago and I have a lot of questions.

Is it time for repotting?
I have 26 liters pots. Is it enough?
Can I plant more than one in the same pot?
What kind of soil should I use?


texts: Aloe plant is browning and the leaves are thinning

texts:
I have recently received a small Aloe plant that I wasn't able to identify past the genus. It does not look healthy, some leaves have become brownish, and their ends thin, as if squeezed out.

The plant is an offspring that has been separated and repotted in an IKEA substrate made of coir/coconut husk. This question describes the thinning and the answers identify a possible culprit in the soil, which I plan to substitute with the mix suggested in the accepted answer in this question.

What I wasn't able to find an answer to is the browning. It is likely that after repotting, the plant has received little to no sunlight for a month. Currently it receives a half day of sunlight (as much as Denmark can offer, anyway). Could the browning be related to sunlight deficiency(or excess)?

Another possibility I have considered is watering. I try to water according to the accepted answer here, but the soil type might be offsetting that. Should I adjust the watering to fit better with the temporary soil mix?

And finally—in case my assumptions are missing the mark—what other reasons there might be behind the browning and thinning of the leaves? Can I expect a recovery?


texts: Is algae good as a fertilizer for plants

texts: I recently went to a beach and saw large masses of green and red algae, wondering if I could use this marine algae as a source of nutrition for my plants. If this is effective and not risky, should I distribute the algae on the surface of the soil or bury the algae before planting?


texts: How do I get rid of white flies on my basil?

texts:
I've recently noticed that my basil and other herb plants are infested by tiny white flies. They spread out like snow-flakes when I spray the plants with water, and there are scary looking number of what appear to be the eggs of those flies on the underside of the leaves.

What would be the best way to grid rid of (and prevent) those flies? I want to stay away with any chemicals or insecticide if I can. I wonder how professional organic growers deal with those nasty flies.


texts: Flower and smell of this invasive plant is like mint but the leaves are different- can anyone suggest the plant name?


texts: What are these rocks/gravel lookalikes in my front yard soil?

texts: We got this place recently and are planning to put sod in the front yard. We know that the previous owner had grass in the front yard and a big tree. They removed the tree about 5-6 months back as its roots were damaging the water pipe. Since then the front yard was all mulched up. After removing the mulch, you can see the dead grass root patches and on digging more into the soil, you will see lots of small tree roots and grey rock/gravel made of mud chunks. Are these gravels (not as hard as the stone, can be easily crushed with shovel) intentionally left for any certain reason, like curbing the tree root/weed? Do we need to remove them all before putting in sod?


texts: Are phytosanitary certificates needed to ship a plant within a state?

texts: Apparently my state, California, has stricter restrictions of shipping plants. Many online nurseries say that I must pay extra money for a phytosanitary certificate to ship to California or else the plant may be rejected by the post office. Are phytosanitary certificates only necessary when crossing state lines or are they also necessary interstate? I live in Northern California and want to buy plants from a nursery in Southern California. I'm wondering if they can legally ship the plants to me without paying for the certificate.


texts:
I have a large prickly pear cactus growing closely between a pomegranate tree and a raspberry/loquat tree. Both pomegranate and raspberries need a lot of watering and a cactus of course does not. Also because of the two trees growing closely next to it it isn’t getting much sun and it’s extremely unhealthy. The area it’s growing in just seems like really bad and cluttered placement and the cactus isn’t very healthy so I’m thinking if just digging it up and removing it, thoughts?

i’ve attached a picture of it


texts: What is this white discoloration on my lemon tree dirt (picture)?

texts:
Below is a picture of one of my indoor lemon trees. They are all in self watering pots, and they drink ~3 litre of tap water per week.

What concerns me is the white/orange stuff on the dirt. To the right of the picture have I dug a little bit down, and it seams to only be at the serfuce.

Question

Does anyone know what this is? And how to prevent it?


texts: Today I discovered these guys on my rhubarb hanging around the flowery parts. They look way bigger than aphids (2-4mm). Any idea what they are?


texts: Did I pick the black mondo grass seeds too early?

texts: The seeds I picked are large and mostly black. Most of the green is not visible anymore. When I squeeze them to remove the pulp, the entire berry squashes. Can I dry them out to harden the seed or are they simply not ripe enough to be fertile?


texts: How can I stop water dripping from my balcony hangers to the downstairs neighbors railing?

texts: I have 3 balcony planters 30 in. long that hang on my railing. When I water the plants, it drips to downstairs apartments patio railing. How can I stop this? Should I be concerned?


texts: What could be the cause of the yellow spots on my calathea?

texts: The yellow spots are on most of the leaves now, I’m not sure what is happening?


texts: Camomile and oregano stopped growing after sprouting

texts:
I planted oregano and camomile from seeds, and shortly after sprouting they stopped growing. I tried moving them to a more sunny or shaded areas, but they still don't grow. They keep being the same height for about a month now.

I keep them inside my house and water them regularly. What could prevent them from growing? Other plants in my house seem to be doing fine, just not these two. What could be the cause of that lack of growth?


texts: Apple tree sapling blossoming in September?

texts: I planted a Bramley Apple sapling 2 years ago and it has just (early September in the UK) started to blossom. Is this normal for the UK?


texts: Identify this plant with curled, white leaves

texts:
I stumbled across this wild plant while hiking in central Texas in the Summer. The plant itself was only about a foot tall and had no flowers. I'm sure these leaves are no longer effective at collecting sunlight, so I don't know if the plant was diseased, desiccated, or if this was a natural part of its life cycle.

Googling didn't yield any useful results; can anyone tell me what kind of plant this is or at least give me some pointers? Also, please let me know what's causing the leaves to curl this way.

Click to expand


texts: About a month ago I bought this cute little unlabeled plant at the grocery store. I’ve looked up what it could be multiple times but I’ve had no luck in identifying it. I’d love to learn more about it and its needs. Can anyone tell me what it is?


texts:
Let's pretend that I, hypothetically, planted a couple of seedlings in a fairly small pot and waited too long with transplanting them to a larger one so that their roots were now completely entwined.

If I wanted to give each plant more room, would there be there a way to do so without killing them off? How careful would one have to be with the roots?

If the species matter for the discussion, let's say they were tomato plants.


texts: Different fertilizer ratios suggested for golf courses and home lawns?

texts:
I was reading this article about care for seashore paspalum turf - http://www.environmentalturf.com/images/maintenance/finalmanual.pdf.  At about page 22 (of the document, not the PDF), they start talking about fertilizing.   Most of the discussions were in regards to golf courses and have suggestions of low nitrogen and high potash.   But when it comes to consumer lawns (page 24), the suggestion is a 4:1:2 ratio.

Why is there such a difference (almost completely flipped) between consumer lawns and golf courses for the same lawn type? Is it due to frequency of application?


texts: When should I plant an apple tree in the UK?

texts: Can anyone tell me what the best time is to plant apple trees in the UK? These trees will be on a trellis and will be spread wide not high.


texts: How do I select garlic which will continue to produce large heads in future replantings?

texts: I've been replanting my garlic every year from some seed cloves I purchased 10 years ago. Every year, I replant cloves from the largest, nicest heads and use the smaller ones in the kitchen. Despite this, I've noticed that I get fewer and fewer nice, large heads every year. Is there a better way to select the best heads for replanting so the size of my garlic doesn't decrease over time?


texts:
I think I got the wrong kind of pepper. On the tag it says they are ready at 10cm and yellow. Now they are still green and nearly 30 cm!

What kind of pepper is this and how do I know when it's ready?

This is the tag:


texts: How can mushrooms be used to enhance a vegetable garden?

texts:
I have read in various places that mushrooms in lawns are an indication of woody compostable material that is being eaten by the mushrooms and that the by-product of this process will be additional nutrients for the lawn.

Can this same process be used in a vegetable garden?  @bstpierre mentioned that mushrooms would compete well against the vegetable plants for the nitrogen in the soil in this question.  But if there is a lot of uncomposted material from the previous season (stems, roots, leaves, etc) lying on top of the garden (left there as mulch/soil amendment) can a balance be struck with mushrooms mostly feeding on the mulch and the plants eating the nitrogen in the soil?  What species of mushrooms would be good for this?  It would be nice if the mushrooms were edible.


texts: How are Frangipani (Plumeria) cuttings taken successfully?

texts:
I have a Frangipani which has been hacked to bits (thanks previous owner) and now the flowers are around 2 metres (7 feet) above the ground. Below that it is just a single leafless, flowerless stalk.

I would like to take cuttings and turn it into several smaller plants.

Here's where the questions start:

What is the best size for a cutting? ie. What will be most likely to
survive.
Should the cuts be straight or at an angle?
Should I treat the cuttings in some way or can I just stick them in a pot?
How long should I wait before planting the potted cuttings?

Are there any other tips or advice that will help them thrive?


texts:
My mower would not start. On inspection of the spark plug there was wet oil present on both the spark plug and on the thread on the mower.

What maintenance and parts should i inspect/replace in order to fix this problem?

This will be my first attempt at servicing, or for that matter, taking apart a lawn mower. I have not been able to find videos specifically on this problem.

This mower is two years old, and has a 4-cycle engine. The oil level is correct and looks clean. I suspect the problem has come from running too rich; most probably by slowing the mower while i empty it. So in future I will just keep the mower running at full speed.


texts: Identify this upright branching weed with long leaves and reddish stems

texts:
I'm looking to identify the weed pictured below. It's been showing up and spreading around my area for the past several years. It grows in large patches around the pasture. They start out and seed at about 2' tall and if it's the same growth I'm think I see later in the year, which grows in the same areas, it gets about 6' tall and woody, though I wouldn't swear it's the same plant. It could be another that takes over from it. The leaves are across from each other. The stem is brownish-purple. It put out clusters of small white flowers that don't appear to fully open. They look like little cups. I also noticed when taking this pictures that it had what appeared to be a couple of very small string bean looking pods on it. You can see them in Pic1 and at the end of the branch, going to the left, in Pic2.

Please help me identify this plant. It's growing wild in the pasture in SC. Thanks.


texts: What's the name of this small square tree fence at the base of the tree?

texts:
Sorry, this question might seem not so bright but I don't know how to search for such thing in order to find more using Google.

The purpose is obvious - to protect the plants at the base of the tree but I have no idea how to call it.

Maybe the people working in the urbanization also have some sort of technical name for this, instead of calling it "small cute square tree fence at the base of the tree".


texts:
I have a gardenpond (roughly 16000 litres) which is crystal clear. The pond contains no fish, only amphibians and insect life and a lot of plants. some plants, like the pondweed are real hardhitters on oxygen production and using nutritions to grow. I learned that a healthy amount of plants can prevent the growth of algae, and so far it is paying off; there are almost no algae in the water.

however, there are some examples of plants growing, of which the leafs start to decompose (in spring! They should wait for fall...) and I am wondering if this is due to the lack of nutrients. I never really thought about the "rule against algae" the other way around, but it sounds logical: there is not enough food!

I did not test the water yet, and in case of another cause, maybe it is because of acids or other stuff. The overall appearance of the pond is excellent though.


texts: How do I deal with grass seed blown into a garden bed?

texts: With the recent high winds a lot of the grass seed that we put down five days ago for a new lawn has been blown onto fresh new flower beds. Do you have any tips on how best to remove them? The soil is super soft from rain so we don't want to walk on the lawn yet, but are worried the seed will grow in the flower bed where we don't want it!


texts: My spider plant fell over! What do I need to do to keep it alive?

texts:
I have a spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum) that I've had for about three or four years. I got it as a tiny plant in a 2 inch pot; I moved it to a 4 inch pot shortly afterwards, and it's been there ever since. It's been neglected and abused a couple of times over the years (left without water for a week or two, eaten by cats...), but it's always come back strong. Right now it's got about 6 big healthy leaves and several smaller leaves.

Or so it did, anyway. Today I had an unwelcome surprise: my plant has fallen over! It must have snapped under its own weight, or maybe a cat did it. In any case, when I looked at the plant today, I saw this:

The plant hasn't wilted; the leaves seem to be well-hydrated. But the leaves which once stood upright (well, mostly upright) are now laying there limply. From the way they move when I push and pull on them, it's obvious that something has physically broken near the base of the leaves.

What should I do to keep this plant alive and healthy? I can't just leave it like that, can I? Should I tie the leaves to a stake to keep them upright? Or maybe I should just cut off the entire visible part of the plant; will it grow back if I do that? (The plant has a lot of old, dead, dried-out leaves that have accumulated over time.)

Is this a good time to divide the plant? The plant only has the one shoot; if I break the root system into pieces and plant the pieces, will they sprout?


texts: Please help me identify this bulbous plant with long, broad leaves and white flowers

texts:
I rescued this plant from a landfill in Johannesburg, South Africa. It has taken well in my garden and is blooming in just the second season that it's been here.

When I rescued it, I thought it was Agapanthus. But the flower is not right. My mom suggested it may be Amaryllis, but the flower and the flower stalk are not right. The stamens are attached to the edges of the petals, they do not come up the centre of the flower as do Amaryllis, and the flower stalk is flattened, it is not as round as Amaryllis.

p.s. It's Spring here, that may help with identification.


texts:
I need some help figuring out what this came from. Looks like a root of some kind, but not sure what it could be. Emptied new soil in a pot and found this at the bottom while digging around.
At first, I assumed it was ginger, but has no smell at all. I have yet to plant anything in this pot or throw this out until I figure out what this root is and whether or not I should keep it.


texts: What might be eating my seedlings (no sign of slugs or millipedes)?

texts:
I've got a little greenhouse to get seedlings started and to protect potted vegetables until a bigger, albeit temporary hoop greenhouse can be built (happening now...).

Last night I lost a dozen seedlings...the green, seed leaves were eaten.  I spent hours looking at the bottom of the flats, pots...nothing. Only the seedlings on top of my potting bench were accosted so far...weird.

I am in a hostile place for gardens...have been here for only 6 months but see that a greenhouse is the ONLY way to grow anything. I am in the same zone as most of Alaska!

My first thought was slugs...baby ones, yet no sign.  No slime trails...cleaned up debris under and around my seedling flats and put in bucket with water to see if anything crawls out.  So looked up the millipedes, no sign, and now I think maybe tiny 'army worms'?

I live in Central Oregon.  Freezing every night getting up to 70 degrees or more in the daytime. Also, finding lots of tiny chunks of recently eaten seedling leaves in the debris.  Confusing. I am very high in the gardening professional arena...but this is new, this place is new and I want to find the culprit before I decide how to deal with this.  Bought expensive, non-gmo seed and get attached to my 'babies'. Any ideas?


texts:
Can newspaper and paper towels be composted? I ask because I am hoping to set up a composting system at my work place and we use a lot of paper towels.
I have heard the bleach/chemicals in the ink or the process of making the paper towels can be harmful to some soils etc.


texts: The pink flower spikes below began blooming here in zone 8 about a week ago.  It grows to about a foot.   It's a pretty thing.


texts:
I recently transplanted a shrub that was growing too close to another shrub under a tree. Now, over a week in the Australian summer sun, the leaves slowly became leathery, then started to curl and are now brittle. This is despite regular watering; the ground around the remaining roots is always moist.

There was a lot of root damage getting it out. I didn't prune the top because I wanted to let it focus on new roots rather than new growth on top.

Should I prune back the branches so that the water doesn't have to spread so far?
How can I save it otherwise?


texts: Do tomatoes produce seeds that are true to the parent plant's characteristics?

texts:
I had an unusual tomato plant this year with off leaf formations.  It seemed to fruit reasonably well despite this.  If I collect and grow on seeds from this plant can I expect to see similar characteristics in its offspring?

I know that some plants produce wildly different characteristics in the seeded offspring, such as apples.  I do not know if tomato plants are generally "true to seed", "true to type", included to "growing true" or however else you phrase it.

The plant in question was the subject of an earlier question I had Why does my tomato plant have tightly shrivelled green leaves?
The conclusion being either virus, stress or genetic mutation.  If it is a mutation, it might appear in seeded descendants.  I would expect that a virus or stress would not show in descendants.


texts:
Is the size of a conifer tree's root system proportional to the size of the tree?

By the same token will limiting tree size also have an effect on root system size?


texts: What is the name of this beetle, and is he eating my squash plant?

texts:
What is the name of this little beetle?

As you can see in the bottom right, the leaves of my two week old squash plant have big gaping holes with bite marks in them. Could he and his friends be the ones that have been devouring my plant basically overnight? Or could there be another culprit that's eating my squash plants' leaves, and seeming to leave most other plants alone?

To help narrow things down, this guy was found in middle of Illinois (a tiny town in the middle of a bunch of corn and soy fields) and that photograph was taken this morning (the beginning of June).


texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Cracks on Bottom Side of Tomato

This may be related to my prior question about cracks on the bottom side of tomatoes.  A few plants I'm growing have appeared with holes on the bottom side as they've started to ripen.  Is this potentially related to catfacing the plant experienced earlier in the season or could it possibly be related to a bug or pest?


texts: I have collected this flower for a task but am not able to find its name. Which flower is this?


texts: Twelve Weeks on and One Female Cucumber Flower

texts: I have straight eights planted in a raised with tomatoes planted late April.  So far only one female flower it went unfertilized although I have lots pollinators of different kinds all over the perennials planted near by.  The vine looks great and I tossed in some slow release balanced fertilizer.  Any ideas or is this just a bad cucumber year in Northern Virginia?


texts: What are these tiny spherical green eggs on my sweet peas?

texts:
My daughter spotted a cluster of tiny (1 mm) bright green spherical eggs on the underside of a leaf on the sweet peas the other day.  I took the leaf off and kept it in a jar in case we can find out what they hatch into, but so far nothing has happened.  There are 28, arranged very tidily in a hexagonal-close-packed arrangement.
I just had a quick look and can't find any evidence of more eggs.  The only minor sign of anything eating the plants is accompanied by slug trails, and the only insect I managed to find was a single greenfly.
We're in the UK, south west England.
This is more about curiosity and home learning than about pest control.  I'm assuming insect of some sort but can't find anything quite right.

Update a couple of days later: They've just hatched (within the last few hours).  I don't have a microscope at home, but combining my extension tubes and semi-macro lens for the first time I've managed to get some detail.
The first instar of the green shieldbug turns out to be rather variable, and mine do indeed resemble the green kind. The empty egg looks to be an almost perfect match too.


texts: I'd like to ask what plants these are from the left to the right (scientific name would be better)? I bought the left one 2 years ago, and the seller said that it was Welsh onion. However, when I searched in the internet, it does not look like that very much, and it is more closely related to rakkyo. I'd like to ask for confirmation? Also, what is the scientific name for the one in the middle? I"m not sure if it is A. fistolosum? It's commonly bought in our markets here in the Philippines. Thank you!


texts: What is this shrub growing in my back yard?

texts: I live in Hutto, Texas. This shrub started very small and even though I cut it back, it continues to grow and grow. It also self propagates. It has feathery growths on the ends of the stems which fly off when you shake the stems of brush against the bush. The growths appear in the fall mainly. I've also seen this plant all over central Texas.


texts:
I live in Thailand and have my pet plant Nepenthes growing. I'm still immature so the pitcher mostly dried out but still it grows a bunch of flowers. I don't know what will happen after that.

Will its flowers dry out and drop? Will it grow any new leaves? Will it produce new pitchers? Will it grow taller next year?


texts: I've seen this one several times and I like it, but have no idea what it is called. It grows in northern California. Please advise!


texts: How can I make my seedling jacaranda recover

texts:
I've grown a jacaranda tree from seed a few months ago. It was developing ok until a few days ago when I found it in a really bad condition. I guess it was the cold weather (I'm in South America and its getting cold around here).

Now it has the branches down and some fell off. It has only three branches still green. It's in a small pot, it doesn't get any direct sunlight and I am keeping it inside during the night to avoid the low temperatures.

What can I do to rescue it from this condition?

(you can see some pictures of it at http://jacarandakisu.tumblr.com/)


texts: How can I help my permaculture garden that's being overpowered by weeds?

texts:
My permaculture design garden is being taken over by horsetails and other common 'weeds'. I'm spending hours every day or two on weed control.

I believe they are choking my fruit trees and bushes, and would like a solution to lower my time commitment while addressing the 'weeds' for good.

Sheet mulching is the best solution I have found. Do you have any suggestions or advice as to the sheet mulching? Is this a bad time of year to apply it?


texts:
Being a new (and slightly curious) gardener, I had a thought about possibly using dead tadpoles as fertiliser for my upcoming vegetable garden. I tried to do some online research and couldn't find anything. Is there any way I can use them to help fertilise the soil?

Thanks! - Nate


texts: Can a newspaper layer underneath mulch be harmful to trees

texts:
To help control weeds in garden beds between my plants I have put newspapers down on the ground and added a layer of mulch over this.

I have also done this where there are trees in the garden beds (an Autumn Blaze maple and a Japanese Lilac).

I am wondering if it was a good idea after all when it comes to the trees.

As well as making fertilizing more difficult, I'm afraid that the additional layer of newspaper will prevent some water and nutrients from going into the ground and may restrict oxygen going down to the roots.

Should I remove the newspaper layer? Could it be detrimental to the trees?


texts: Will lilacs make a decent winter privacy hedge?

texts:
I'm looking for the ideal plant for a privacy hedge to block our land from the road. I'm hoping I can make lilacs work, because we have a free source from a friend and I really like the plant. Plus, they're deer-resistant, a huge plus. The planting area is open, fairly well-drained, and full sun, but close to the potentially salt-ridden road. USDA zone 5a.
I'm worried that the lilacs won't grow thick enough in the winter to provide a good visual barrier. Does anyone have experience with winter lilacs and/or lilac hedges and know how thickly I'd have to plant the bushes to get a decent winter privacy hedge? Two thick, three thick, more, or not feasible?
Thanks!


texts: What is this tree with round yellow fragrant smelling buds?

texts: I saw this flowering tree on the Greek Island of Aegina which was very fragrant, with round yellow buds. Picture was taken in February.


texts: Is it time to transplant these indeterminate San Marzano tomato plants?

texts:
As you can see, I have two seedlings in each "container." I don't want their growth to be stunted because they are so close to each other. I know that normally, you would thin them out at this point. Instead of thinning, I would like to have 4 separate plants in their own individual container. I live in an apartment building with lots of direct sunlight, so I will keep these plants indoors. I have a few questions.

Is it time to transplant these seedlings into their own containers yet?
Is the pot in the picture the appropriate size?
How deep should I bury the main stems in the new pot? I don't think the pot is deep enough to bury the main stem all the way up to the cotyledons without it having to sit on the bottom of the pot.
Should I add fertilizer (Miracle-Gro 24-8-16) after transplanting? (I am using Miracle-Gro potting mix, which claims to already have fertilizer in it.)


texts: Best way to turn a riding mower with chute into a mulcher?

texts:
When it comes to using mowers as a mulcher, the only solution I've commonly seen is a mulching plug.  It's just a spring-loaded cover that sits flush with your deck, pretty standard I do believe.  Recently, I used a push mower that had another kind of setup.  It has a box that went in where the bag usually is.  Somehow, this produced a very clean cut with no visible clippings left over.

Now that I know there are other methods... what is the best way to turn my riding lawn mower into a mulcher?  I mainly just want all of my grass clippings to not be visible.  As of now, my lawn looks like it needs bailed.

Surely there is more to it than just adding a mulch plug.  I don't honestly see how that alone can achieve the results I'm after.


texts: Why is my drip line spraying, not dripping?

texts: We recently noticed a small geyser in our landscape and found that the connector had been broken from the 1/2" line to the 1/4" drip line. I replaced it with a similar 1/4" barbed connector. Now instead of water dripping it is coming out in a full force stream. What am I doing wrong?


texts: We've had this small shrub in our garden for at least 7 years, so it's definitely a perennial. It has a lovely fragrance that I can only describe as 'bubblegum' and it has lovely purple flowers in the Spring. Any ideas?


texts: My large pine tree is indenting at the bottom of the trunk

texts: My large pine tree is starting to indent near the ground. The bark in some spots can be pulled off easily. The pine tree is the type that branches out. What could the issue be ?


texts: Should I thin out apples or let the 'June Drop' take care of this?

texts:
June Drop is where apple trees (maybe others?) tend to fruit prolifically from every flower, then naturally thin out a lot as the fruit start to grow - typically around June.

I'm unsure if this means apples should be left to their own devices, or I should intervene for best crop results? If so, how should I do this and should it be before or after the June drop occurs?


texts: Which of these is this plant? Is caring for them similar or different?


texts:
I am growing radicchio from seed for the first time and am worried about its germination.

Should I start the seeds in soil or soak them first? Also, would it be recommended to place the pot under grow lamps indoors during the germination period or only after they have sprouted?

Finally, if I would like 18 plants to grow successfully, how many seeds should I plant? (ie what is the ratio of seed to successful plant)

*Everything will be grown indoors with access to grow lamps at a temperature around 18-22 degrees Celsius

*Any watering/general tips welcomed


texts: Recommendations for how to equip a small home greenhouse?

texts:
As I prepare for fall around here (USDA zone 8a, max low ~10f, average low ~45f) I long for a greenhouse to bet overwinter some of our showy pots, and perhaps get a jump on some annuals and veggies as next spring rolls around.  It's no small task to add a greenhouse to our property (plus I have to check local building codes to see if it's possible to locate it where I want it.  I'm happy though because it gives me lots of time to plan and budget.  I foresee something with a rigid frame, about 8 ft x 12 ft.  I have power and water close by.

I'm wondering what systems people would suggest I install?  Are there some basic ones I should have (say a heater, and auto ventilation)?  Maybe some add ons I should consider?  Stuff I probably should avoid?


texts: What's the name of this blue tomato cultivar?

texts:
This variety is called "Tomate Azul" (Spanish) and "Tomàquet Blau" (Catalan) at the Alcampo hypermarket. There are many varieties of blue tomatoes so I wonder what's the English name for this particular cultivar

I've found an article in Spanish about the blue tomatoes, the photos in the article match my photos.

These are the photos taken by me, this particular tomato had 345 grams and it wasn't the biggest in the batch.


texts:
I've got several patches of this fungus growing in my mulch. It grows in roughly a circular patch, and produces these growths above the surface.

The effected area binds together into a disk, and when broken and flipped it reveals a white mossy underside to the patch.

What is this stuff? Is it dangerous?
How do I remove it without spreading it?

I've noticed a much larger growth in the neighbor's mulch. :(

Edit: A better picture was requested - Here is a zoom and crop of some of the mature fruiting bodies:


texts:
I want to buy more of these but don't know what it is.  It's one of only two plants that grow year round with flowers here in our flower bed in northern CA.  It's pretty hardy and doesn't need much water.  Hope someone can id it.
Thanks, Jim


texts: Most effective method for growing moss outdoors?

texts:
I have a bare patch of shady ground in my background, about 10 feet by 15 feet in area, where I'd like to start growing a healthy layer of moss this year. I have a limited budget, less than $100 US. I've come across several approaches to growing moss:

1) Transplant live moss to the target area (a possibility - there is plenty of moss growing elsewhere on my property),

2) Run live moss through a blender and spread the slurry (presumably containing live spores) onto the planting area,

3) Purchase moss spores or live plants from a garden store or online.

Does anyone have experience successfully growing moss? Which is the most effective technique?


texts: What determines the year-to-year growth in girth of any particular tree?

texts:
I'm growing some apple trees from seed and started this year. I'm worried that the width of their stems (or trunks, but they're too small to really call them "trunks") is too small in proportion to their size. This leads me to wonder how big a tree can grow in one year, with an emphasis on its first year, and what is necessary to make them grow the most.

To recap, my questions:

How much bigger around does a tree normally grow over the course of a year? Specifically its first year?
What leads trees to grow bigger around? Nutrients, hormones?
How should a tree be treated to promote the most outward trunk growth?


texts: What birdseed can I use to attract native birds in Houston, TX, that won't attract squirrels?

texts:
I'd like to know what kind of bird seed would be good for the birds in the Houston area without attracting pests or creating a harmful environment for my garden.

I've tried going to the local pet store, but they usually have very specialized bird seed for pets, rather then for wild birds. Other research has indicated that many packaged bird seed will include fillers which are harmful to the environment and the birds by becoming bacteria factories.

I don't really have a preference about which birds I attract. I don't know which birds are good or bad, but I'd just like to have more of them around. Omnivorous birds that also eat the skeeters would be nice.

It seems sunflower seeds will work for a wide variety of birds, but will also attract squirrels, which will take all the seeds and leave none for the birds. What solutions do I have?


texts: This hole was a soft spot.  Peeled off the outer bark and the stuff under it was rotten. Feeling up the trunk from this spot,  the trunk is soft about a foot further. The tree is a yellow plum and is 2 years old. Can you tell me what's wrong with the tree and what I can do to help it.


texts: What is this plant growing out of a building?

texts: What is this flowering plant growing out of a wall? How is this possible at all?


texts: Organic method of helping a Manganese deficient lemon tree

texts:
My young lemon tree has yellow blotches on some of its leaves, even though the leaves are quite newly grown. This advice suggests that it's likely to be deficient in Manganese, rather than Magnesium, as the older leaves look ok.

Whenever possible, I use organic methods in the garden, so I would really appreciate advice consistent with organic gardening principles. How likely is it that some regular (home made) garden compost could help resolve this? Is there a mulch of some particular plant high in Manganese that I could apply?

Any other suggestions would be appreciated too


texts: Is it ok to water plants at noon (peak sunlight)?

texts:
So far I heard two opposite opinions:

Harmful: watering at noon would shock the plants.
Helpful: watering at noon would help the plant at the most difficult hours.

And would the answer differ between planted and potted plants?


texts:
I have a pretty large pond in my garden which is being overgrown with common reed.

Does anyone have a method to get rid of it? In an ecological way of course!


texts: How do I get a mango seed to go from the first shoot to a healthy plant?

texts:
I followed a video I found on youtube (can't find it again now), which said to wrap the seed in damp paper and leave in a plastic bag for a few weeks until the root and shoot started sprouting. I did that, then planted in a mixture of potting mixture, sphagnum and perlite.

The shoot started growing, but after it got about an inch or so high, it withered away and died. I have two more wrapped up, and would like some advice on how to get them from that first stage to a healthy plant. Specifically, any advice on watering and feeding would be welcome.

I live in the UK, and they would be placed on a very bright west-facing windowsill that gets a lot of sunshine (when we have it!).

Thanks


texts: The leaves unfurl in a deformed manner, it will unfurl in a unusual shape, or be crinkled or translucent in some parts. I can't see any bugs, however it typically only happens on new leaves. I apply a fertilizer however it doesn't seem to do much.


texts: Can I add commercial roses to my compost pile?

texts:
I'd like to add commercial roses to my compost pile, but don't know if I can. I'm not sure what kind of chemicals store bought roses are usually treated with.

Bonus question: Can I dump the water in the vase on the pile as well (with the little feeding packets they give you)?


texts: Did my Dogwood die because it was planted with wire around the roots?

texts:
I hired a less than spectacular gardener to do a brand new landscaping job for my house after it was built about 3 years ago.  Since then almost half of the 30 some plants and trees he had put have died or are very unhealthy.  He has long been out of the picture.  Likewise, of the 10 plants that I had personally placed, only one had died.

I recently dug up two of his dead Dogwood trees and noticed that the root system seemed to be surrounded by rusted steel wire.  Is this normal to plant a dogwood with this surrounding the roots?  I can understand it being there to hold the roots and dirt in place over transport but shouldn't he have removed the wire before planting it?

Is this normal for a landscaper to do?


texts: Can hydroponic/aeroponic produce be organic?

texts: Crop rotation, green manure and compost are quite irrelevant in hydroponics and aeroponics, and the "fertilizer" is synthesized too, no?


texts: Leaf scorch on perennials from fertiliser

texts: Fertiliser was applied correctly but some of the leaves were wet and it was only watered off after signs of scorch and wilt.  The leaves are scorched on some of the plants.   Will the plants put on new good growth or is will this kill the plant? Thanks


texts: What is this pink-flowering shrub in Massachusetts, and how can I transplant it?

texts: This pink-flowering shrub is in the sun in central Massachusetts. It bloomed profusely throughout May and June, and produced a few buds again in the fall. It grew to about 4 feet before we pruned it. We moved here last winter, so I don't know its age. We're putting an addition on the house, and it's in the way. It's not only beautiful, but is also a haven for sparrows, so we'd like to save it. Can someone please identify it, and tell me the best way to successfully transplant it? I'm concerned that the roots may extend under the abutting patio, which might make it difficult to dig up. Thank you!


texts: Identify houseplant with waxy dark green oval leaves with pronounced ribs

texts: I inherited this from a friend after she passed away. It has since lost all leaves. They just dropped one by one. I kept watering weekly anyway. I cut back the stems that just crumbled to dust inside. I think it’s dead but wondering if there is any hope and how to care for it properly. Thank you!


texts: My fiddle fig leaves have started to become yellowish and fall. In last one week two leaves have fallen. Not sure why is that. We water it every 15-20 days so as not to over water it. Any how to fix this ? Also how to know the health of fiddle fig by looking at it?


texts:
OK, so, I just harvested my first batch of sweet potatoes:

(Holy crap, there are few things as satisfying as going on a treasure hunt in the dirt and pulling out a big ole hunk-o'-dinner!)

But...now what? I'm just a novice gardener and confess that I still don't really know what I'm doing.

Do I brush off the dirt, or will that bruise them further? Can I rinse them off and set them out to dry or will they mold?

I've read that sweet potatoes need to "cure" for a few weeks to let the enzymes activate and get all those good natural sugars cookin' up -- well, I don't have anywhere in the house kept at 80 degrees with 90% humidity. I can still cook em and eat em, right?

There are also a few bug holes (no pesticides, nothing); the holes aren't too deep, I can cut around them to get the good stuff. But how bad is that?

How will these keep?

Do I need to spend all weekend baking pies and chips? Lol


texts: What is wrong with my mango tree, it’s loosing colour

texts:
Hello,
My Mango tree which is five years old was transplanted last year into the  ground after growing in a large pot. After transplanting, it grew really quickly and bore fruit for the first time.It is now about 5.9 feet high.
But, since late April, I have noticed some leaves are changing color. As shown in my picture some of the dark mature leaves have light green patches that are appearing randomly on them. Some other leaves have these patches and browned dry edges. Some of the newer leaves aren’t greening fast enough and have dying edges already.
After researching these symptoms I decided to apply a Potassium Sulfate foliar spray onto the leaves and watered the plant with the same solution adequately.
I think it is important to mention that there was a clay bed on the garden. This clay bed was mostly removed before the Mango tree was planted there. Also, despite the worsening state of the older leaves, the tree is growing new leaves and branches as if it were completely healthy.
I just want to know exactly what my plant's complication is.
Thank you.


texts: Is triple digging worth the backache in temperate biomes?

texts:
I read in Tips for the Lazy Gardener that gardens in drier parts of Africa can be triple dug (as opposed to double dug, or as I prefer, barely dug) which will somehow absorb more water during the rainy season and store it for the remainder of the growing season.

What conditions would prompt a person, not living in a desert or savannah, to triple dig their garden?


texts: What is this plant found in the UK with green and white leaves with purple flowers?

texts: Any ideas what this plant is and how to control it?


texts:
My peach trees have peach leaf curl. (Spring came too fast this year, I wasn't prepared, and I didn't get a chance to spray.)

They're still young/small trees (10' tall), but they've got a bit of fruit on them. Will peach leaf curl affect the fruit? Is there anything I can or should do to protect the fruit?


texts: Advice on caring for large potted Ficus Benjamina

texts:
I live in Berlin. When a friend was looking to offload her large Ficus Benjamina, I volunteered to care for it. She has been in my home now for ~10 days and appears to be getting used to the place (some initial shedding of leaves, but stabilized now).

I have the following questions:
1. should I prune her? She seem to have many wispy branches growing all over. Also, the longest branch is bent and growing along the ceiling (which I personally like)
2. what'd be the optimum level of water that she needs now? She is inside a 60cm diameter pot. Any thumbrules to follow here? (Initially I noticed the tips of her top foilage turning brown and increased the water quantity. It helped)

Thank you very much for your answers :) This is the first tree of this size that I am caring for.


texts: Frostbitten cactus, turning yellow and black, can it recover?

texts:
I've had this cactus for a while now, last spring I moved it to the balcony and kept it there till now.

I thought everything was ok but then I noticed that the side not facing the window was turning yellow and black.

The temperature has dropped under 0C and I think that may be the cause. I moved it inside now. Is there anything else I should or can do to save it?


texts:
I stumbled upon a farmers market in North California this weekend and bought this really pretty orchid, but I guess I was too excited about my purchase to ask the seller what kind of orchid it was, and there is no identification on the pot or anywhere.

Can anyone identify what kind of orchid I bought?


texts: All our garden plants appear to be dying

texts:
I have a red Acer tree about two to three feet tall, two Hydrangeas and a Buddleia all of which appear to be dying, leaves shrivelling up.  We have just returned from a week away and are horrified to see what has happened. It looks like Ash dieback but I realise it can't be that.  One Hydrangea is in a large pot, and everything else is planted in the garden.

Any suggestions on how we can solve this?


texts: What causes deformed Spathiphyllum leaves?

texts: Some of the leaves of my Spathiphyllum sprout with deformed edges.  They don't turn yellow or brown at the tips over time - they start out like this.  Oddly most leaves are perfectly normal and this only happens to about a third of the leaves.


texts: Can I plant rhubarb roots in mid July, in Michigan?

texts: I am new to growing rhubarb. I live in Michigan and it is mid July. I found some clearance rhubarb roots and decided to give them a try. Can I plant them now, so they will come up next year? Also can I start them inside until they get bigger and then plant them?


texts: Identify plant and things on it (Possible Scale)

texts:
I've looked at other questions and I'm quite sure the plant outside my house has a scale problem.  But I don't know much about gardening so I'd like some advice please.  I found these other questions with photos that look similar:

White stripy things on trunk are killing my plant
What is this black spotted disease on my orange tree?
Can anyone identify this abnormality that is on my dwarf citrus?

These are my main questions:

What is the plant?
What are the things on it?
Can you guess how long the plant might have been like this?

To be honest I've not really paid much attention to the plant, I rent the house so I only need to keep the garden generally maintained. I found another website that suggested if it's a type of scale they could increase over months.  Most of the branches I cut off were covered in them and I filled 2 average sized bin bags of cuttings.

After the first image the others of the plant are of parts I cut off.  It was only half way through trimming the plant back when I noticed the things on it.

The second image below show more of the white things.  The third image shows a bit more of a mix of black and white things.  The fourth image is one of the higher newer looking branches that doesn't look to have as much of the things on it.  The last image show my cutters, I noticed a yellow/orange looking substance on them.

Basically I'd decided the plant looked to need a bit of trimming, more so on the right where it was growing near the neighbors window.

I have one last question and feel free to tell me if I'm being daft.  Is there any chance whatever they are could cause irritation on human skin or anything else unwanted?  Would it be an issue to animals around the plant?  We have quite a few cats on this street that walk under the plant.


texts: Cheapest and easier way to turn lawn landscape to desert landscape

texts:
I'd like to convert my front yard from lawn landscape to desert landscape to consume less water and less maintenance, and I'd like it to be done in cheapest way possible without using any pesticide. What would be the easiest approach to do that?

Something looks likes

to


texts: How hot can soil get if daily temperatures persist above 100°F?

texts: I am doing some research on ponderosa pines and climate change.  I am currently trying to find (with no luck) how hot soil can get if subjected to direct daily sunlight with temperatures exceeding 100°F.  I am looking into seedling mortality and threshold temperatures.


texts: Is it risky to dust off the leaves of a plant (e.g. in terms of bacteria)?

texts: Should we dust off the leaves of an indoor bonsai with a dry sopalin by gently massaging each leaf towards its ends and then towards the outside?


texts: Diagnosing yellow spots on my cactus growing under artificial light

texts:
I have owned a Mammillaria Nejapensis for the last few months which began showing unhealthy yellow spots a few weeks back and seems to be getting progressively worse. A photo of the cactus is attached.

Unfortunately, my room barely gets any natural light, which is why I chose to illuminate the cactus with an artificial plant-growth LED array from Amazon. I use a timed outlet to expose the cactus to 8 hours of LED light daily.

Would anyone happen to know if it is likely the the yellow spots are a result of insufficient lighting or some other cause I am unaware of? If it is the former, is there a lamp that might do a better job than the LED array I currently have?


texts:
It’s kind of to late but in Texas we got a unusual front that harmed all kinds of native plants and grasses, our lawn and plants were on of them.
I’ve tried some home remedies with natural composites like egg shells and tea bags, banana peels here and there but is there a better way to prune and sped up or some chemicals?


texts: Is there a DIY, easy way of getting rid of tree stumps?

texts:
In one edge of our garden, we had a few trees. They were getting big and pushing the fence, so we cut them down.
I want to plant some shrubs ..etc in their place, but I currently have this:

Here are some more:

Is there an easy way of removing these so that I can plant something else in their place? The roots go deep!


texts: I just planted  sister theresa hydrangea in my front lawn next to the entrance.  My front faces South.  Should I replant them  in my back yard because of the sun?


texts:
I use a string trimmer extensively on my property, but to date I have avoided using it around the foot of trees because I'm worried it will do damage to them.

Recently I used some off-cut of plastic tubes to protect the bases of my small trees, but I'm not sure what to do about more established ones - like palm trees and apple trees with > 10cm diameter trunk, so a couple of questions -

How damaging is a (7000 rpm, petrol driven) weed wacker to trees ?  (It makes short work of even fairly thick stemmed weeds, but I assume trees are made of tougher stuff as they take longer to grow)
How can I protect the base of larger trees


texts: tiny white worms, and black spots/dots on leaves of my basil and chilis

texts:
recently I have found on my chili plants a weird thing that happened a long time ago on a basil plant I bought from the shops.

If I had to describe it, it is tiny white/translucent worms with a black dot, that are often left on the leaves. You can zoom on it to see two individuals.
Most of my plants are respected but basil and chilis.

I also have fungus gnats, coming from my soil, would you think it can be the larvae? I read they are not causing anything to the plant and rarely to the roots.. well ?

1) what is it?
2) an idea to treat them? (Organically if possible). Please note I have soil blocks, which then render complicated some treatments

Best


texts: What is this grass with seed heads like wheat?

texts:
In north New Jersey, this grassy plant that looks like wheat is growing in my backyard. The seed part is light cream color and the leaves are thin. I don't have the exact height but they're more than 1 ft and less than 2 ft.

What is this?


texts: Kentia Palm Leaves drying / yellowing / browning

texts:
I had this palm for a couple years now and about a year ago it lost a few small bottom leaves...but now it's suddenly loosing more and all tips are drying/browning (even on the biggest, newest leaves). I just cut off one leaf and now two / three more are on its way out. I'm not quite sure if I'm over or underwatering (but I have been paying attention to the soil being dry on top when watering and the drainage seems pretty good). Any idea what might be off and how I can save it?

Thank you for any advice in advance!


texts: What is this thin-stemmed plant with narrow leaves in an aquaponics bed in my greenhouse?

texts: This plant grew from seed to about 2' high within 3 months. I'm sure it's not done growing. I have no clue what it could be, since I'm in the bad habit of sticking anything that looks like a seed into the soil. It could come from the grocery store fruit or veggie, it could be a seed that I did not label etc. It's inside a greenhouse, growing in an aquaponics bed. I hope it is edible :-)


texts: Why did the leaves on my purple leaved barberry turn green after planting?

texts:
I recently received a small potted purple leaved barberry bush. I planted it in good topsoil with a ph of about 6.0. The area gets about 5 hours of direct sun per day. There is one large boxelder tree about 25' away.

Two weeks after planting, the foliage has turned almost entirely green. Why has this happened, and is there a way to correct it?


texts: What is the proper way to spread used coffee grounds?

texts:
I have access to about 3 5 gallon buckets per week for my 150 foot personal garden, how should I spread it on the garden?

It's going to be over my sunchoke patch.


texts: Is there signs to watch for when it comes to watering rhubarb?

texts:
I was waling around the yard when it was 100 degrees out, and saw the rhubarb leaves wilting. Is this a sign I should probably water them?

They did perk up after I turned the hose on them slowly.


texts: What is this weed and which herbicide will kill it?

texts: My lawn has been taken over by this viney weed.  Does anyone have any advice as to a weed and feed that will work to kill it?


texts: What do I do about the whitish powdery mold on my peonies?

texts: Very early this year (starting in mid-May) my peonies' foliage was covered in whitish-gray powdery mold.  What is it and what if anything should I do about it?


texts: So I had this plant for around 1 year and lastly I was wondering if this is a Aloe vera plant? Kind of looks like it but I'm still unsure. If it's not that what is it?


texts: How do I revive a shocked goji berry bush?

texts:
How can I revive a Goji berry bush after it has gone into shock.  I moved the bush to a separate larger space and it was OK for the first and second day, but has continued to wilt from then.

Will I have to get rid of it or is there a way to save it?


texts: What is the radius of wind pollination for sea buckthorn?

texts: I've heard that wind pollination is how the sea buckthorn is pollinated, but I plan to put the trees crosswind. would this work for proper pollination of all plants?


texts: I was in Mexico and saw this plant which looks like a coleus due to the mottled scalloped leaves but it is almost four feet tall.  The coleus I am used to are about six inches tall.  What is this plant?


texts:
I'll start by saying I'm by no means a gardener and I usually kill anything that's green and lives in a pot, however I'd like to say this one is doing well, judging by its height. It no doubt needs to be repotted very soon, I can see blotches appearing on the leaves.

My girlfriend and I are debating the identity of this plant. We bought it a while back and subsequently lost the label with the name on it.

We seem to have some lingering memory that it might be some kind of Poppy, but we are unsure - and Googling Poppies turns up plants that look nothing like this one here.

It also seems to be bearing fruit that look a little like small peppers or chillies to me, but again, I'm not a botanist.

So, what kind of plant is this?

Here are some pictures (click on each for a larger image)

Update:

The flowers eventually came through, and they look exactly like the plant Shanna mentioned in her answer. I always thought poppies were red :)


texts: There are many of these Crocosmia growing in my garden in South East England and I would love to know the exact type. They have just started blooming in the last week or so.


texts: Any reason not to add a spigot to the bottom of my rain barrel?

texts:
I got a rain barrel that has a spigot coming out of the side about 5" above the bottom. This seems inefficient, since it means that there's always going to be 5" of standing water in the barrel below the level of the spigot. I imagine the water acts as a weight to stabilize the barrel, but I don't like the waste and mosquito breeding risk in the summer.

Is there any downside to adding a new spigot on the floor of the barrel so virtually all the water drains, and strapping the tank to something solid for stability?


texts: Pot size - small & repot, or start large?

texts:
I have a few different houseplants. I'm also currently starting a few different vegetables, from seedlings and from seeds. I've been trying to research the best way to grow all of these in containers, but there's a lot of conflicting information.

The consensus is that pots being too big is a problem - root rot, only repot a few cm larger at a time, etc. I've also had this problem with a lot of my houseplants, and needed to size them down. At the same time, every time I look up information on starting vegetables in containers, the pot sizes they recommend seem to be gigantic. For example, I have some jalapeno seedlings - the recommended pot sizes I've seen are at least 8"-10". Am I supposed to immediately plant in that size? How would a huge pot for the plant work out in this situation, but be advised against otherwise? Are you supposed to only water them shallowly, or something else that mitigates the whole pot being soaked constantly?

I feel like I'm missing something that bridges the gap between all of this advice.

Edit: To clarify, this is not specifically about vegetables/annuals - just an example.


texts: Can I graft fruiting scions onto my thirty-year-old mulberry trees?

texts:
I have 3 mulberry trees that are over 30 years old and have never fruited.  They were purchased from a nursery in sets of 2 (one died within a year) and we were told at the time of purchase that there was one female and one male for cross pollination. Obviously we were misinformed since we have never gotten fruit from any of the trees.

My question is does any one know where I can get some scions from fruiting trees so I can graft them onto my trees to eventually get some berries?


texts:
How do I get rid of sand spurs?

These suckers pop up all over my lawn around this time of year, and I'm not sure how to get rid of them other than constantly pulling them out. Obviously I can't use a broad-leaf herbicide or anything like that. What can I do?


texts:
My Maple tree is losing all of it’s leaves and it’s only mid July.
It was doing well, then all of a sudden the leaves turned brown pretty quick. I don’t see any bugs. It’s been pretty dry over the last few weeks, and I’ve watered it when I watered my flowers. (Not a lot of water, just for a minute or two) Did I not water it enough? Is it dying?  What can I do to save it? I’ve watered it a good bit over the last few days.


texts:
Several questions here refer to (hardiness) zone 6a, 7, 5-8, and others.

What is a hardiness zone exactly? Is it determined only by the temperature (maximum, minimum) or are there other factors?


texts: Are unmulched leaves any good for my tree?

texts:
I have an old Silver Maple tree in my front yard. Can I just rake the leaves to a bunch under the tree trunk, without mulching?

Will it have a similar fertilizing effect to mulched leaves, or will it just be frozen garbage during winter/thawed garbage during spring/dead lawn patch during summer?


texts: I'm planning to seed a small lawn section.  I've killed all existing vegetation and tilled the soil.  I plan to roll (manually with a water filled roller) and level the soil before seeding.  Then, broadcast the seed and top dress with 1/4" of compost.  My question is should I roll after seeding and top dressing?


texts: What's a fast growing hedge suitable for Western Australia?

texts:
So I've got a large front yard and I want to use a hedge to divide it and provide some privacy. I live in Western Australia so the soil is very sandy and the area receives full sun, sometimes getting to 40 °C (104 °F) in summer. Also I'm looking for something that will grow like a weed.

What are some plant types that will make a good hedge and survive in the harsh Australian sun?


texts: How to keep fescue grass from taking over my rye grass?

texts: I live in Connecticut, hardiness zone 6a. Last Summer, fescue grass took over a large swath of the sunniest part of my rye grass lawn when it was very dry. Most of it died over the Winter and we reseeded very successfully in Spring. However, some of seems to be sneaking back in where the new rye grass didn't take so well. What should I do to keep the fescue from taking over again this year?


texts: Can I grow an October Glory maple tree in a small area?

texts: I planted an October Maple in an area between my house and a bungalow. It is about 4 meters (13 feet) from each of the house, bungalow and fence. I believe these trees have a radius of about 4 meters (13 feet), so possibly I made a mistake. Is there a way to keep this type of tree ‘small’. I would like it to always be a max width of 5 meters (16 feet) across and a max height of 6 meters (19 feet) up.


texts: The growth on my cacti has changed, and it wierd

texts: I asked a question about the growth on my cacti earlier in the summer, however it's just acting weird. I initially thought it was a cacti fruit because it originated from a flower I tried to cross pollinate. But it's looking strange to me, and I'm not really sure what my cacti is doing?!


texts: I was given some cuttings of this plant but I can't seem to identify it so I can care for it properly. Can someone please identify it? Thanks


texts: What are the larvae devouring my Lysimachia punctata?

texts:
I have about a square meter of Lysimachia punctata mostly fending for itself in a corner. This morning I discovered that a large number of caterpillars(?) has gnawed the leaves down to bare skeletons.

The offenders are about 2cm long with a blueish-grey and about 2cm long. The head is a light tan and they have no distinct markings on the body. They were very active in the morning, and now that the heat’s up and the sun hits the plants directly, they curl up under the remaining leaves (not easy, considering how much they have munched already).


texts:
I bought a succulent from a huge display advertised as "succulent, mix". There were few types and I liked this one because it looks like it has a spider web on it. But after showing the picture to my mother she said it is probably infested.

I googled succulent infestations and mealybug symptoms look like this. But I took some of this white things off and there's nothing beneath it, nothing seems to be moving.

I'm new at all this plant owning, so I don't know what to do. Is this a problem with the plant or just that kind of species? How to solve it if it's a problem? How to take care of it if it's normal plant? And if it's a problem how to know if it spread on other plants?


texts: Really virulent mosquitos - dealing with them and their bites

texts:
With a lot of tree cover and a nearby river, the one fly in the ointment(!) at our new place is it has a lot of mosquitos and midges. The latter don't seem to be too much of a bother but the mosquitos, living in long grass and ivy especially, must be of some particularly virulent sub-species or I'm just very sensitive to them: when bitten nothing happens for a day or so, then I get a large swollen lump anything up to a 2" (5cm) across. I may also get raised blisters or it may start continuously weeping for 2-3 days. That's just off one bite!

From a gardening perspective, can I do anything to keep the place clear of them? I know they breed in standing water but with a river nearby I can't eliminate that. I've started clearing ivy which they seem to love, to reduce damp places for them to hang out, but I'm wondering about a more drastic solution - similar to how I go out with my back-pack of weedkiller, can I treat areas with some sort of pesticide - is this even legal, let alone feasible?

In terms of the bites themselves (well, that's a bit off-topic)... but should I find my reaction moderates with repeated exposure? Or could the opposite happen like with people getting more and more allergic to peanuts until it's dangerous?


texts: If a pineapple is actually a berry then can it be grafted onto another berry tree?

texts: Same would be the case for avocados, watermelon, bananas, and pumpkins that are also classified as berries. Can they all be grafted onto one another?


texts: Will green, algae-like blooms in the side of a clear pot cause any damage to the plant and its roots, and if so, how can I get rid of these?

texts:
I have had a False Shamrock (Oxalis triangularis) planted in a clear, fishbowl-like container with a handful of gravel for drainage and potting soil to the level of the pot it came in for about a year now. Recently, I have noticed green, algae-like blooms appearing and they have now covered the inside of the pot on the side that faces the window (I have just rotated it so they no longer do).

Will these cause any damage to the plant and its roots, and if so, how can I get rid of these?


texts:
I bought myself a little Bonsai the other week from a local gardening place. The Bonsai is in a little 'self watering' pot according to the label (which I have since discarded).

Its a normal pot, with another that sits inside it. Much like a lot of other self watering pots. The problem with mine is that the smaller inner pot has no hole for water uptake. The little inner pot is completely solid apart from the upper opening with the plant.

My question is this, considering the inner and outer pots appear to be terracotta, is it possible that water is still able to pass through the inner pot? My gut feeling is that I have simply bought a dud one that hasn't had the hole added for whatever reason. If this is the case i'll just water it normally.

Thanks.

EDIT: Photo (while you can't see the base rest assured that it is totally solid).


texts: How do I grow a usable vegetable garden indoors?

texts:
I'm from a very rural area and love to garden, however, for work I just moved into an apartment in the city. I miss being able to grow vegetables and so I attempted to start some leaf lettuce indoors, however, almost every plant died quickly.

I'm just curious, does anyone have experience growing vegetables indoors? What are the best ones for this? What sort of planter do you use? Do they need to be directly next to a window? How often should they be watered? I'm not used to not having Mother Nature help me out with my plants

Any tips that can be provided would be much appreciated, thanks!


texts:
I need to buy some more of these online but I'm not sure what they're called.

Does someone know what this is?


texts: Can I grow mint from cuttings indefinitely?

texts:
I would like to grow mint hydroponically from cuttings. I wonder if I can grow mint from cuttings indefinitely?

what is the plant lifespan?
can I grow cuttings from plant generation after generation indefinitely?


texts: Is it true that shoots will grow only when the root system is fully established?

texts: If you have two flower pods and one is double the size, will the plant in the double sized pod first fill out the whole pod with roots before its shoot starts growing?


texts: What disease is causing yellow bumpy leaves to travel down my sugar baby watermelon plant?

texts:
I have a sugar baby watermelon plant. The leaves have a problem near the main stem coming out of the ground, and it's clearly traveling down each vine.

It is yellowy brown and bumpy and covers the whole leaf.

What's causing it?


texts: Why would broccoli become all twisted at the root system?

texts:
I was looking at my broccoli plant today because it was at about a 60 degree angle, and noticed that the broccoli stem is twisting back and forth. What would cause this?

I'm doing charged core gardening, and have been moving the watering pipe around some to water more in different areas to promote growth in those areas.

I know this is a carrot, but imagine one of these carrots being a broccoli stalk right above the ground.


texts: Why are my Fiddle Leaf Fig's new leaves are dying?

texts:
I've had four new leaves show up on my Fiddle Leaf Fig (Ficus Lyrata). However, a day after they start to unfold, the leaf dries out and turns black. What could be the reason?

I got this plant from a friend a couple of months ago and it is about 2 feet tall. The plant is kept a few feet from a west facing window, and I block the harsh afternoon light with a curtain.

For a little more context:
I'm a fairly new plant parent and I love plants. I have around 20 different plants at home (yes, I went bonkers). I've been reading books to try and learn. All my other plants are thriving, and I've successfully revived a few almost dying plants - but this one mysterious problem I haven't been able to figure out.


texts: Can you identify the genders of two pistachio trees from the photos?

texts:
I ordered two pistachio trees (one male + one female) over the internet. I have just received them yesterday. Unfortunately, they didn't label them and now I can't find out which one is male/female. Can you please identify them from the photo below?

One of them is shorter and has larger leaves.
The other one is taller and has smaller leaves.

Google doesn't help me very much. I asked the seller and he said that the one in the blue package is female. However, this is my first time shopping from him, so I don't want to be wrongly informed. Can you please confirm the genders of these trees?


texts: Why aren't roots growing from my Orchid that's growing from a stem?

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I had this beautiful dark purple orchid that died when I was on vacation this year. Luckily, it did leave me a stem that has a baby orchid on it which I learned is called a keiki. Since my whole orchid had fallen apart, I cut the stem off and put it in some water hoping it would make it and it did get bigger. But it's been at least three weeks now since I've done so and no roots have showed up yet! The stem is starting to get fuzzy and the leaves not as stiff!

What can I do?


texts: Will the plant below be able to flourish without trimming the one on top?

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After cutting off the root of the plant on top (I had to - long story), I'm wondering whether the one at the bottom will be able to eventually "take its place" without me having to intervene.
Should I trim the dead one and create a couple inches of space around the bottom one?
Thing is the dead plant provides privacy from neighbor which is why I want to touch it as little as possible.


texts: A seedling with three (instead of two) cotyledons

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I started 44-cell tray of Echinacea angustifolia several weeks ago. I noticed the other day that a seedling in one of cells has three cotyledons:

Is that normal?

This is a cell with two "normal" seedlings:

Note: You probably noticed that root and cotyledons of some of seedling lifted its seed in the air. That is, I gather, a normal consequence of shallow seed placement, not directly related to this question.