texts:
Is there a record as to general growth rate for tall trees in north east US grow? Oak, maple, etc.
I'd like to plot out how fast in general a tree will grow each year and have a guide for it. I'm very particular about data here :)
Any help is appreciated.


texts:
Our house is in need of mulch around bushes, trees etc.
We are finally getting around to address this, and have calculated we need two yards to get around 2 inches of mulch onto everything. We live in the northeast and get a lot of snow.

Is it best to wait until next spring? If we choose black mulch, will it degrade too much where we just need more next spring?  Or does it last a couple of seasons and only requires "sprucing" up.

We accept the previous owners did not do much and the landscape requires a lot of work and maintenance, but we also do not want to put in all the work of covering everything in mulch only to have to do it again in 6 months.

Can anyone enlighten me to how long mulch roughly lasts?
Also is 2 inches a good amount, too much? too little?


texts: UK Bug Identification: Silver/Black Aphid?

texts:
I spotted these bugs circling on of my pots today, pics below. I didn't recognise them so was hoping someone could help identify these critters? I wasn't sure if they were some kind of tick, want to be cautious with kids in the garden.

Thanks,
Pete


texts: I bought this plant over two weeks ago. What is its name? How should I take care of it?


texts: Bottom watering for a baby avocado plant?

texts: Can I use bottom watering for my avocado plant, instead of watering from the top. I thought that it would be easier to maintain. I would just have to monitor the level of water in the bottom of the pot.


texts: What is this plant, is it a weed, and is it poisonous?


texts: How should I remove long grasses/roots to prepare a fresh bed?

texts:
I am currently attempting to remove a bunch of dead grass in a roughly 5'x5' plot. When the grass fully grows sometime in early-to-mid summer, they are like very small, long-grassed shrubs, sort of like this but smaller and closer to the ground. It basically covers the area in numerous bunches.

The area also has a lot of of weeds - some sort of thistle, I think - which I also would like to remove.

I tried doing it by hand but it took a lot of effort to remove the sod, particularly because the roots are thicker than the average lawn grass root and because they extend around 4"-6" into the soil.

I was wondering what the best method would be to go about doing this. I was thinking about renting a soil tiller to rip up the roots, since I have another clear plot on which I plan on using. If I do it this way, should I remove all the weeds first before tilling or can I rake them out after the roots are pulled up? (The weeds have just emerged and will not go to seed soon.)

Additionally, if I should remove the roots by continuing to use a grub hoe, how can I loosen the sod of its soil so that only the roots remain? I'd like to leave as much matter in the area as possible. I also noticed the roots had nodules, which I assume are for nitrogen fixation. Is there any way to take advantage of that, perhaps leaving them in the dirt to decompose?

Or should I just smother the area with tarp/cardboard/newspaper/mulch and make a "lasagna garden"?

Pictures for clarity: Section that I've already removed, with the suggested tool; removed sod; roots; close up of roots with nodules.


texts: Browning on indoor potted cherry tree leaves

texts:
I have a cherry tree that I've grown from seed indoors in a pot, and it's showing some significant browning on its leaves. It has lost a few leaves this way already, and I thought it was perhaps just a phase but it seems to be worsening.
Some additional context:
I posted a similar question about this same cherry tree when it was younger -- I've had the same problem with it since then. You can find that thread here - Browning / Curling leaf on a Brook cherry sapling
I live in Southern California. I'm unfortunately renting and not in a position to plant this anywhere outdoors, yet. I've been told that it should ideally be outdoors, but it's not a real option yet, so I'm trying to do the best things I can do under these circumstances.
I water it with liquid seaweed about twice a week (As per the suggestion of https://gardening.stackexchange.com/users/28102/januts in the other thread!).
I have a plant light shining on it on a timer for 12 hours a day during the daytime.
I usually have a fan blowing in its direction to deter gnats and flies from getting into the soil, which has been a real problem with my houseplants in the past. Though, I'm considering giving the fan a break for now, because I'm concerned that it evaporates the water from the soil too quickly.
I repotted this about two months ago, as it had seemingly outgrown its small plastic pot - I could feel the roots pushing on the inside of the plastic pot. Note, the browning problem was already there before the repotting, so I don't think the repotting is a cause of the issue.
Any suggestions? Some things I'm considering are:

Doing a soil test just so I can determine if the soil needs fertilization and what kind of fertilization
Mulching the topsoil to prevent evaporation and some protection against gants/flies (though I haven't noticed a big gnat / fly issue so far, the fan seems to help with that)

Thanks!


texts:
I have a protea growing in my garden. It has many young flowers on it at the moment (September 2018, early spring in Melbourne). One of the flowers is deformed, growing in an interesting almost fractal shape. Is this sort of deformity common? What causes it?

I have included a picture of a normal flower from the same plant below.


texts:
In getting our spring landscaping underway, we've run into a bush that a family member is sure that this plant (pictured) is Giant Hogweed.

Click photo for full size

British Columbia considers this plant to be toxic (if it is indeed that species) and requires a professional to be called in to remediate.

I've tried to find samples online, and there are similarities, but I also don't have enough background knowledge in plants to be sure.  Any help is greatly appreciated!


texts: My second year garlic has flowers. Is it safe to eat?

texts: Apparently I didn't find all my garlic bulbs last fall and they grew to 4 feet tall this spring.  They have a large, white flower head.  I want to try cooking with it, but don't want to risk my family's health.Does anyone know if the different parts of the plant are edible?  Also, would the bulbs be good for food?


texts: What is the best way to clean up and remove stones from yard so I can grow grass

texts: I just purchased a new house in Pennsylvania and it seems like the old owners did not take care of the lawn very much at all. There are tons of bald spots that I want to grow grass in and weeds everywhere that I need to kill , but I think the first thing I want to do is find a way to take up and remove all of these stones that are is various parts of the lawn so I can grow grass there. Also, I’m assuming that I need to remove these stones before I try to grow grass, maybe I can just plant seed on top? Sorry, first time homeowner and I don’t know anything about landscaping. Please note that this is just one picture, I have patches of this all over my lawn.


texts:
Have Good Healthy leaves falling off - not sure what to do to stop it

Have not watered in a while and top soil seems still damp.

Thank you


texts: What to look for in a robotic lawnmower?

texts:
The idea of a robotic lawn mower is appealing, but it seems that most of the robotic lawn mowers currently on sale are overpromising their delivery somewhat. Amazon reviews are in many cases a mixed bag, and it seems the effectiveness and use of such a device can only be correctly gauged when actually letting it loose on the lawn you intend to buy it for.

Nevertheless; what would be the main parameters to look for in a robotic lawn mower, and what are the major painpoints that still exist?


texts: How to have constant supply of dill throughout summer?

texts:
I really like dill, so I would like to have a constant supply of it in my garden.

However, every time I sow dill, it grows and has some leaves, eventually flowers and I am left without any of it.

Having recently read the question on Best conditions for basil
 I have seen how beneficial flower pinching is.

My question is, can dill's life be prolonged by removing the flowers and pinching the stem? Or is it just a plant with short lifespan and the only way of having constant supply of it is by reseeding every 2-4 weeks?


texts: Raised bed in citrus cultivation in heavy and low permeable soils

texts:
Good morning, here a citrus grower from Sicily.
Now there is a strong tendency in the world to grow citrus (pomegranates and other plants) in raised beds/berms, like this:

The reason seems to be that this system greatly increases permeability and aeration in the soil.
The result is that now there are citrus fruits also grown in very clayey areas (> 40%), as it seems that the drainage increases considerably. 10 or 20 years ago, these areas were not considered suitable.
I'm not an agronomist and I don't have a lot of technical expertise, I wanted to understand if anyone has ever measured or if there are studies that have measured the real impact of this system. Are there any improvements on hydraulic conductivity or other significant parameters? 1%? 10%? 50%?


texts: What is this plant with deeply-lobed leaves and a taproot?

texts:
While doing some work in the garden we stumbled upon a plant we can't identify.
We already tried using a plant identification app but are unsure of the results.
We had some Papaver in the vicinity that looks kind of similar, but we are unsure if that's really it. We fear it might be some kind of Ragweed.

Can any of you help with identifying it?
We are in south-east Germany, the pictures were taken today.


texts: Can I prune an avocado plant that is almost 50 inches tall?

texts:
I should state from the start that I have no experience in gardening.

A little more than a year ago I've decided to plant an avocado seed and it grew really tall (almost 50 inches). Now I want to transfer it to a new much bigger pot because this one is obviously way too small and while reading how to do it I've learned that a plant should be pruned to become bushy. But all articles that I've read were referring to short plants that are about to be cut, no one was writing about bad cases such as mine. So my question is - isn't it too late to prune my plant? And how should I do it? Should I cut the most part of the plant so it becomes 12 inches tall? Or should I cut a little bit and repeat this process several times with some interval?

I also feel sorry to cut the new fresh leaves at the top because they look very beautiful compared to the lower ones.


texts: Raised bed soil: local dirt and compost 50/50 mix?

texts:
I'm doing raised bed gardening (wooden boxes 6'x2'x28"deep). Excellent drainage through underlying gravel into natural earth.

Question:
I'm using a mix of 50% local dirt and 50% compost (home made). Moisture retention seems fine but not soppy. Is this mix correct? The reason I ask is because last year I used only commercial raised bed mix and it retained hardly any moisture.

Thank you.


texts: What is the prognosis for Camellia japonica with 90% of leaves removed?

texts: The damndeer ate 90 % of the leaves and 75 % of the leaf buds ( 1/4 to 1/2 inch long at this time) from a 4 ft tall Camellia japonica. It has been in that location about 4 years. Normally there is a fence around it but I forgot to replace it recently and the damndeer got the plant. I expect it will live but wonder how badly it has been hurt.


texts: Cacao tree: leaves falling off, some discolored

texts:
Note that I'm a complete novice when it comes to gardening and I am asking this question on behalf on my girlfriend. This is a cacao tree.

Problem 1. Notice the following discoloration of the leaves:

The right leaf is a normal leaf, the left one is not-so-normal.

Problem 2. Combined with this, many of the leaves have been falling out lately. [That is a light bulb on the right of it, by the way.]

She has done the following to try to remedy the situation:

Spraying the leaves with water (she suspects it's dehydration, since the A/C is on frequently over here)
Keeping the tree away from direct sunlight (she suspects the leaves have been sunburned)

What is happening to the tree and what should be done to help it?

Edit: As requested by stormy:


texts: How soon can I start training or pruning a seedling?

texts:
Is there a minimum age, height, or trunk girth before I can start training  or pruning a seedling / young tree? I am concerned that starting too early would be detrimental to its early growth.

Specifically, I have a wax apple tree that is just 8'' tall. Its leaves are growing much faster than its branches. Some leaves seem to be pushing into the frail branches. Can I cut off these overly strong leaves?

Another specific problem I have is a Wonderful Pomegranate seedling about 1 foot tall. Unexpectedly, All its branches are growing away from my South facing window. I want to make some heading cuts to promote a more balanced structure.


texts: What is the best way to sharpen a lawn mower blade?

texts:
One of those "I really must get around to..." questions, but what is the best way to sharpen a lawn mower?

My own lawn mower is a fan blade (i.e. flat blade on a vertical axis), but for maximum usefulness an answer should also include the cylindrical blade types (i.e. traditional transverse axis cutter with helix segment blades wrapped in a cylinder) and any other common types as well.


texts: Could someone help me identify this elusive vine?

texts: When I bought this plant it was mislabeled as a philodendron I've tried unsuccessfully to find out what it is for a good while now. The foliage is quite lush and it climbs really well. Plant ID apps say it's a Helix hedera but that doesn't make sense, I have several Ivy's and none look like this. Any help would be greatly appreciated!


texts: Would holes in the sides of plastic pots impove drainage and aeration?

texts:
Since the pots are plastic, they are not breathable. I made enough holes at the bottom to let the excess water seep out.

Some time ago, I made some, 1/4 of an inch, holes.

But when I watered it with nothing in it, some of the water was retained along the sides(since the bottom is slightly curved inwards). So I made some more, even smaller than 1/4 of an inch, holes. Now much of the water is removed, but not complete. I will show some pics:

More holes I made(looking inside the pot):

Water retained(I hope it is clearly visible):

Now comes the aeration/breathability. Should I make any holes on the side of the pots? If yes,

How many?
How much bigger/smaller
In what manner(refer to final pic with four pots with yellow dots that represents holes of diameter smaller than 1/4 of an inch)?

Should I even bother? Will that be good or bad for my plant and soil?


texts:
In https://gardening.stackexchange.com/a/421/138, the answer mentions "Remember to harden off any indoor plants for a few days before transferring them outdoors."  I assume this is something you would need to do to help them survive in the colder, more variable climate outside.  We're trying to grow tomatoes and peppers, both of which are supposed to be started indoors if I understand correctly.

How do I do that?

For what it's worth, we live in central Minnesota, so that's the climate they'll be moving out into.


texts: Are these spider mites on my potato vine?

texts:
Are these spider mites?  Will they migrate to my tomato plants?

Click on the picture to get a closer view.


texts: I have ficus seedlings given to me in Chinese containers that are moist with wet paper towels. They have been in these containers for three days now and I can't get to pot them till Monday. Should I put them in the fridge?


texts: I have a small garden , and i have planted a hydrangea in a large pot.But it gave me flowers for a very small time of the year. When i checked in net some one was saying "forever and ever hydrangea" are best in giving long time blooming.But i didn't find a place to buy near I live.I live in Dublin,Ireland.**Can some one help me to find a hydrangea variety that have long blooming time and suite for zone 9 ** Thanks in advance


texts: How to manage fruit-trees blooming for the second time in autumn?

texts:
A friend of mine has an apple tree and a walnut tree that have bloomed for the second time this year. The trees grow in a 6b hardiness zone in the Northern hemisphere where it is already autumn. Night temperatures are 7-9°C (44-48°F). A sour cherry tree that bloomed last year in autumn has died during the following winter and the owner fears that this year the apple and the walnut tree will follow the same path.

An old man that runs a seed and pesticide shop that knows other people having had the same problem in the past few years told me that the only thing to do is to apply copper sulphate after the first hoar-frost, not sooner. Will copper sulphate not only protect from fungal infections during dormancy, but also help the tree to go dormant?

In the next 10 days the weather forecast estimates the same night temperatures, except for tomorrow night when there will be 15°C (59°F). Should my friend wait for the first hoar-frost and apply copper sulphate or is there something else to be done?

Update:
The apple tree is full of flowers like it was spring, except for a branch that is in the shade.

The walnut tree doesn't have flowers yet, but the buds are on their way to open in a few weeks. Its leaves have more than 15 cm (6 inches) in length.


texts: Established Boxwood Shrubs Browned Leaves

texts:
Some leaves on my well-established boxwood bushes (~15 years without a problem) have suddenly turned almost black:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/x83l32wn2ko4932/2020-08-02%2010.51.12.jpg
https://www.dropbox.com/s/u0eu7s2e5sn682t/2020-08-02%2010.51.21.jpg
This may be covered here:
Brown leaves on shrub
(except my leaves are essentially black and it happened almost overnight...maybe within 2 days at most or I would have noticed.)
It has been really hot here in North Texas, and it's possible I have watered too much in reaction.  Might anything else (e.g. pests, heat) account for this?


texts: When trimming a tree, what does the term "branch angle to the trunk" mean and, what is the ideal angle?

texts:
In a document provided by the city of Montreal for home onwners, it states

  "Choose branches that form a wide angle (50° to 100°) to the trunk
  which encourage them to bear fruit."

In the French version of the same document, it states 50° to 130°.

My understanding is that branches should stoop downward from the trunk:

|  <- max 130 degree
|\
| \

or upward:

|
| /
|/
|  <- max 130 degree

or anything in between, including perpendicular:

|
|----
|

Is my understanding correct and is this generally what is recommended?


texts: Is it common to only sod a portion of a lawn?

texts:
In relation to this question, I have leveled a big portion of my lawn and am looking into laying sod now as opposed to seed, mostly b/c I don't want to wait for the seed to fully grow.

However, it will only be portion of the lawn, in which case part of the lawn will probably look brand new, and the other portions will look worn (until next year when I do the rest!) My question is, is this common practice? Or is sod only used for small patches or an entire lawn?


texts: What are these dark green, leafy, vegetable plants?


texts: Purchased this plant yesterday but dont know the name of this plant.


texts:
I got these seedlings that i re-potted. The bigger leaves get white/yellow spots and the baby leaves go dark as they sprout and wilt very fast. I have a few varieties in small containers that seem to be all affected

What is it? Can anything be done? Are these beyond repair?

EDIT:
I have coriander nearby with similar symptoms, mini leaves wilting and spots on the older ones


texts: Why would cuttings from the same hibiscus exhibit different growing behaviors?

texts:
Last fall, we planted six cuttings from a friend's hibiscus syriacus. They were leafy, and sized from about 7" to 12". They're pictured in this question. Though they lost all foliage, the stems held up nicely through the winter. I'm in Massachusetts, USA, and we usually get down to -5°F or -10°F in the winter. This year was unusually warm, and stayed mostly above 0°F, if that matters.

Over these last few months (June, July, August) we've been experienced severe drought conditions, but we've been babying our little saplings, and they're growing nicely.

Five are leafing out, especially at the base, and not budding. They're each about 16" high and 12" at the widest point. However, one is much taller, about 40", but is pretty much a single stalk, and has 8 buds. (I couldn't get a good picture, but in some I can see the purple flowers beginning to unfold.) The taller plant is gently tied to a stake in a number of areas. It has a protective screen like the others, but I removed it to get a better picture.

The plants are spread out around the yard, and each gets about 8 hours of sun a day, from about 9 am to 5 pm. (The taller has begun getting an hour or so less sun as we're heading into the fall.) We water them equally. We don't amend our soil or treat it with anything. We put fallen leaves around all the stems last fall, but haven't used any real mulch.

The bushier are in dirt that has only ever grown grasses, clover, dandelions. The tall one is in a section that up until last year was completely covered in a juniper ground cover, including everything you see, all the way to the big rock. We had to dig at least 8" down to get all the roots, and then we aerated that soil. So even though we didn't add anything when we planted the hibiscus, the consistency was definitely looser. It makes sense that the soil in that spot might be more conducive to growth. In fact, I would think that a looser dirt and wider area might create a bigger, rounder, plant, but that isn't what's happening.

Is it that five are busy growing leaves, while the other is using its energy to produce flowers? If that is the case, though, is there are a reason it would be that specific one?

I've posted a picture of the skinny one and an example of the others. Click on them to get a closer look.


texts:
We currently have stone next to our house however we have been getting quite a bit of weeds. Its probably been some time since any rocks were added. Basically I am looking for the pros and cons for stones vs mulch next to a house. (how often to add/replace, costs, etc)

Update:
Climate - Wisconsin so colds and hots. Rocks do currently have landscape fabric down but it could easily be 20+ years.

I am looking for a very basic list of pros cons. A few things to get it started

Adding stone/mulch monthly/yearly/??etc?
Resistance to weeds
Cost (probably initial cost + if have to add to it yearly)
Impact of water - get washed away? store moisture? redirect flow?
Aesthetic - home value?
Environmental Impact?
Benefits/Cons of having it close to foundation?


texts: How long should I wait after overseeding, before I apply pre-emergent weed preventer?

texts:
I aerated, overseeded and applied starter fertilizer last Sept 15th.  Would I be safe to apply a pre-emergent such as Scotts fertilizer with Halts pre-emergent this spring, or would some of the grass seeds from last fall still be germinating and/or too weak to survive the chemicals?
I'm in Minnesota, so I expect ground temps to be around 50° around mid-late April.


texts: I'm new to gardening and well recently I decided to try to grow scallions from leftover Scallion ends. first I placed them in water to grow them out a bit then I planted them in a random pot that had dirt in it. Anyways the reason why I'm posting here today is because I'm concerned about these black dots/bumps on the scallions. plus there's like some yellowy balls too you can see them most prominently in the water droplet on the left in the first picture I sent. I'm severely worried about my scallions and don't know what to do or what it is. based on what I've read online it could be onion aphids or onion smut, but I'm genuinely not sure what it is, so I'm really worried. If anyone can tell me anything or help me diagnose the issue I'd really appreciate it. Thanks for taking the time to read this and hopefully replying.


texts: Is this an effective technique to propagate climbers with aerial roots

texts:
I bought a Monstera "Monkey mask" in a small pot. Right now, it is erect because the stem is still short. The stem is already showing button-sized aerial roots popping-out of the main stem.

I have found ways to propagate by stem cuttings on Youtube, but this method means that you must wait until a segment gives-out its own roots after it was cut. Success rate is not 100% given the risk of damping-off, and for small plants the risk may be too high.

My question is whether this method is better and faster:

I plant the vine at the edge of a long pot,
I let the vine grow without support, allowing it to trail on the surface of the potting soil
The vine will develop aerial roots along the stem. The roots will grow into the potting soil,
I cut the stem into segments. Each segment contains at-least one leaf and one set of fully-developed roots at its base.
As a response to cutting, each segment will set a new branch,
When big enough, the individual plants can be planted into their own pot.

Is that method faster and better than the conventional methods?


texts: What is this choko-like vine, and how can I get rid of it and ensure it doesn't return?

texts:
What is this choko-like vine, growing near Toowoomba, Australia? What is the best method to permanently get rid of the plant?

The first picture shows the 'fruit' hanging on the vine, which is growing amongs some camellias. Te second photo shows the leaf shape (sorry it's blury). The vine does sometimes have white flowers.


texts: Are these sunchoke insects friend or foe?

texts:
I've never seen many insects on my Jerusalem artichokes before but this year they seem to be plentiful. Are they pests? They do seem to be having a good time and there doesn't seem to be any leaf damage though those black spots look like insect feces.

My guess is that they're probably some type of leafhopper.


texts:
I'm not sure what community to post this under so please let me know if this should be in a different place.

I am about to cut down a lot of trees (15-20) on my property and will be using the wood for burning in a wood stove. However, I don't have the time to immediately cut everything and split the wood. I was thinking about just cutting the trees into 6 foot logs and stacking those until I can get to them at a later time. Some of them may sit for a couple of years before they eventually get cut and split. Is there anything bad about letting the 6 ft logs sit outside that long before splitting them for firewood? I feel this method is the most practical for my situation where I'm limited by time and I have a lot of trees to process.

The logs would be stored outside and stacked to allow airflow (off the ground too). Most of the trees are hardwoods.


texts:
My hydrangeas have sprouted roots above ground.  The shrubs are three years in.

  Can these roots be cut off without loosing the plant?


texts: What size or type of filter system do I need for a 20kL koi pond?

texts:
I hope I can get some help on my question but at the very least maybe someone can direct me to a site that can.

This question relates to size of koi pool and fitering system used. We are looking to build a koi pool of about 20,000 litres (about 4400 UK gallons) and I'm trying to wade (no pun intended) through all the different filter systems that are available. I'm not going to ask what the best filter system is (although I'm open to suggestion) I'm just asking how I calculate the filter system size and waste water throughput for a given number of mature koi (say) 40.

I'm also considering running two smaller filters in parallel i.e. operating independently. What are the pros and cons of this?

I hope this is the place to ask these questions and if not please do redirect me elsewhere


texts: My cat palm is dropping and I don’t know why, I did have mites but I cleaned it off and  have continued to care for it. I have followed all the advice given on it. How long can it take to recover from mites?


texts: Can root sprouts from a very old Baldwin apple be from a different rootstock?

texts:
We had a very old Baldwin apple tree (more than 100 years old) that finally fell down last year. It now seems to be developing sprouts from the roots. My question is: since this is a very old tree, how likely is it to have been grafted on to a non-Baldwin rootstock?

If that is the case then the sprouts will not bear Baldwin apples. All the Baldwin apple trees now for sale are grafted on to other rootstocks but I don't know when this became the standard practice.


texts: Growing potatoes in a bag yielded very small potatoes

texts:
I planted potatoes in a bag and in a week I started seeing beautiful green leaves, I started adding more soil every time the plant grew and after a while I filled the whole bag.
after 10 weeks the leaves were still growing, I decided to dig up to see what I have, to my surprise I found a long stem but only a couple of small potatoes in the bottom of the bag.
what have I done wrong?


texts:
I need to identify this fruit.
Country - India. Found it growing in the wild. Tastes sweet


texts: What kind of tree is this and what's wrong with it?

texts: The developer in my neighboorhood was so kind as to plant trees in everyone's yard.  But after 3 or 4 years all but one or two (so probably 180 or so) look scrawny and pathetic.  I know nothing of horticulture, so I was wondering if  anyone knows what kind of tree this is.  Also, it looks like it's diseased as do all of the others.  Is there a way to fix this, or are they all doomed to be terrible?


texts: Can some tell me what’s going on with my plant? I have not done anything different and this started when we moved it inside.


texts: I have a large area covered in mile-a-minute plants. They have been spreading fast and killing out the other plants. How can I kill them permanently without hurting other plants?


texts:
I got this cactus as a gift. Can somebody please identify what it is?
Thank you.


texts: What sustainable and affordable way is there to control rose chafer beetles?

texts: We are trying to establish a permaculture farm in northwestern New York. We have very sandy soil, and everything we grow is ideal food for the rose chafer beetle. We first noticed them last year and tried to fight them. We thought we had controlled them, but instead they had just finished their life cycle. We were infested last year, so each year it is going to get worse. I really don't want to use pesticides. These beetles are known to be poisonous to poultry and other birds. The only suggestions I have found are to use row covers and monitor plants from May through mid July, hand pick if not infested, place bait traps every 100 feet, or release parasitic nematodes. I do not know the cost or what type of traps Ohio State is suggesting, but the nematodes seem to be running $99.99 for 50 million, and we would need 6 of those just for the garden.


texts: Cucumber leaves yellowing and curling, and fruit is malformed

texts:
Some of my cucumber plants have leaves that are yellowing and curling, as shown in the pictures below.

It may be hard to tell from the pictures, but the leaves have small yellow spots on them, and have turned from a rich, deep green to a somewhat sickly yellow-green. They use to be flat. Now they curl.

The fruit is deformed too. It looks like the cucumber may have hit the side of the container and bounced, leading to the deformation.

These are Japanese cucumbers and are supposed to be slender and straight, not bent and bulging as seen here. (see UPDATE below)

I had to go out of town for a week and left the plants on a watering timer with drip watering. I'm not sure what the weather was like, but there was at least one hot day and some windy days. These cucumbers are in a 25-gallon fabric container filled with what was billed as raised-bed gardening soil.

EDITED TO ADD:

I should add that the blossoms no longer open fully and sometimes even turn gray and papery and fall off without even blooming.

UPDATE:

I harvested the two cucumbers on the plants that were bulging. The issue appears to have been uneven pollination rather than disease. The slim part of the cucumber had no seeds. The bulging part had oodles of seeds. The taste of the cucumbers was quite good.


texts: What is growing in my garden that is pale yellow and pill shaped?

texts:
Near my immature corn plant (only one of them) is an odd, pale yellow, pill-shaped looking plant(?). Any idea what it is?

EDIT:

Took a picture a day later and it looks drastically different and dead, not to mention some sort of mushroom:

EDIT #2:

I took some pics early this morning to see if there were anymore that sprung up and sure enough, these are actually standing:


texts: Japanese Acer tree, roots have grown through bottom of pot

texts:
I have a Japanese Acer tree in a pot. The roots have grown through the bottom of the pot and into the ground. I don't think they can have gone deep as under the pot is gravel and then weed control fabric  I think I need to repot the tree but don't want to risk  killing it as I really like it.
Can you tell me the best way to go about separating it from the ground and then reporting it?  If I have to break the pot it's not a problem. Thank you.


texts: First time grower of Spinach - first harvest went well, now the plant is unweildly

texts:
This is my first year at a garden and I have some bloomsdale spinach I planted mid-May and had a nice harvest about 3 weeks ago: lots of leaves big and small, very bushy, tasted delicious. The plants were about 2.5 ft. tall and I left any leaves shorter than 3 inches.

Then, what seemed like over night, the plants took off. They are now 4.5 ft. tall will lots of branches which are quickly becoming too long to support themselves. These branches are breaking at the stem and the plant is not producing like it did just weeks ago. The first growth spurt resulted in a nice vertical stem with lots of leaves close to the main stem. Now the plant has grown both taller and wider with these long stems which cannot support themselves and very small leaves. How should I correct this?


texts: Injecting zinc fertiliser directly into plant roots

texts:
I am facing an unusual problem. The soil concentration of heavy metal cadmium (Cd) in my garden is high. Getting cadmium out of the soil is a tricky and long term process, and the quick solution is to make it unavailable to plants by using zinc fertilizer. Plant roots do not know the difference between zinc and cadmium due to similar size of hydrated ions, and they uptake any of the two.
I was hoping I could save the garlic plants I am growing by applying a zinc fertilizer (ZnSO4).  Unfortunately, zinc is immobile in soils and I don't think broadcasting it between the garlic rows would make it available to plant roots.

The alternative is to inject a solution of ZnSO4 directly into root system of the garlic plants using a syringe. The question is, what volume and concentration of Zn is large enough to make cadmium unavailable and at the same time is not toxic to the garlics?
Garlic cloves typical have 1-3mg of Zn per 100g, total soil concentration of Zn is 60mg/kg dry weight and total soil cadmium concentration is 4mg/kg dry weight. Any tips are welcomed. Even if you don't know the answer, please share your thoughts.


texts: How to know how much weight I need in a lawn roller?

texts:
I purchased a new home this year and the yard maintenance of the previous owner was almost non-existent. As such the lawn has many small bumps and is "lumpy". I have looked into using a lawn roller but found there are many different types and sizes (hand or tractor pulled and all assorted weight capacities).

I do not own a tractor so I would be using a hand model. Obviously I can only use up to weight I can pull physically by myself. My question is how do I know if this will be enough weight to smooth out the lawn?


texts:
I planted these herbs and salads a week ago in soil. The leaves of some (mint, sage, rocket) are turning purple. Bit of a newbie question but any advice welcome!

Have been watering daily.

Thanks


texts: What is this sticky thing (eggs?) on my mango seedling?

texts:
My mango seedling (see also my previous question) has some sticky residue on the underside of one of its leaves. What could this be?
The underside of the affected leaf:

The front of the affected leaf:

The whole plant:


texts: What do the numbers in the names of indoor liquid fertilizers mean?

texts:
I went to pick up some liquid fertilizer for the plant I keep at work and I saw several varieties :

Liquid Growth Indoor Plant 4-12-9 Food;
All Purpose Liquid Concentrate Plant Food 12-4-8 with micronutrients;
All Purpose Liquid Houseplant Food 8-7-6.

Do the numbers have any significance? If so, what do they mean?


texts: Should we use glyphosate (or other non-ecological chemicals) in our gardens?

texts:
European Union wanders if its going to allow glyphosate to be used inside its frontiers...

  from the Guardian: If no new arrangement is found then the licence for glyphosate, a core ingredient in Monsanto’s $5bn-a-year Roundup brand, will expire at the end of June.

Here I read that the European Parliament adopted a resolution strongly opposing the Commission's proposal to reapprove the weedkiller glyphosate for use in Europe for 15 years.

This question is hugely controversial and there is so much money at stake! But if this product is discussed, it's must be based on some real ground that it's dangerous to use it.

You may guess where I want to go with this. But is there really a positive impact on the life and gardens of the many to use dangerous chemicals? Of course the very few benefit from it, and it could be very useful in some cases to uses powerful chemicals to feed us if we don't have any other choice.

My question relates only to small Sunday Gardeners. Do we benefit in the end with the use of chemicals in our gardens? Or shall we only grow what grows easily? If mushrooms or Aegopodium podagraria grow easier than rose in my garden, then what?


texts: Install roll edging in lawn with variable slopes

texts: I want to put roll edging in my yard to create clean breaks between the grassy areas and the planting beds.  My yard does not have a uniform slope however.  It has multiple grade breaks in all directions.  Is there a roll edging product that can be flexed in the skinny direction (up-down?), as well as being flexible in the wide dimension (back and forth).


texts: What type of fig to plant in the Netherlands

texts:
I have a garden that I would like to grow a fig tree in, currently it already has a fig, however the fig in question doesn't make a lot of fruit and we would like to get a 2nd one that does make a lot of fruit.

The soil is mostly made out of marine clay, though obviously soil improvement is an option(and there is a drainage circle in place), temperature in winter can get a little bit low (-10C at the lowest) with summer temperatures being as high as 35C(though most of the year it's between 10-25C). The general climate is also quite wet. I would like the fig tree to be an actual tree (not a bush, but with something of a stem) going up around 3-4 meters and bearing considerable amounts of fruit.

Do you guys think that's feasable and what type of fig tree would be best suited for this? Or would a grafting setup be best?


texts:
I've seen that EPDM rubber is a great material to cover the interior of composite planters but I have no idea about how to fix them to the planters. What's the right product and how to do it?

Their size is  about 6 meter x 0.50 cm x 0.60 cm


texts: What are these barely visible white spots and brown edges on my citrus plant?

texts:
I have a citrus plant and something else growing in a pot. The something else had some barely visible white mold-like spots for a few months, and now its and the nearby citrus plant's leaves are starting to get dead spots. I have another citrus plant in another pot but it doesn't have any white or dead spots like that. What are they? How can I treat them?

Two citrus stems(?) and one unidentified plant stem are growing in the same pot, and the other pot has only one, bushier citrus plant with no problems like that. The white spots are only now starting to appear bigger and more numerous on the unidentified plant. The brown dead spots on the citrus plant have only started appearing from about a month ago. I replanted and moved the pots since then. The white mold-like spots used to be only on the unidentified plant's one leaf, and now it's on its every leaf, and the citrus leaves near it are starting to look bad for some (possibly same) reason. Both in a pot, grown from seeds, inside on the window sill.

I recently repotted them both to get more soil under the roots which were accumulating on the lowest parts of the pots, and before both pots were regularly watered to the point where thick layer of moss (~1cm from root to top of the mossy mass) grew on about half the surface of both pots. I've removed moss when repotting. If it was that, I guess both plants would be affected the same, but they're not.

Last week I moved both plants on the window sill where lack of light (as opposed to being on the balcony in the warm months) and central heating radiator is causing a big temperature change, some leaves to drop quicker than they normally would. Again, only one of two pots is affected very noticeably.

Photos of the unidentified plant, its white spots and dead spots:

Photos of the citrus plant:

And the overview of pots (affected and unaffected respectively):

You can see the outline of the old soil in the affected pot surrounded by new soil. The other pot is in the same position, but has soil on top to cover it up, so it's not visible.


texts: Flourishing Venus Flytrap: Special needs?

texts:
I've been having a venus flytrap plant (actually, 3 plants in the same pot) for about 8 months.

It was greeh and healthy, but about 4/5 months ago (summer here in Spain) it started to become black and dying. So I moved from the balcony to our living room, where it has no direct sunlight but more "regular" temperatures.

I was pretty sure it was almost dead, but to my surprise, a couple of months ago the plant started developing new leaves again (although the traps seem not to fully develop). I don't directly water it, I put water in a plastic recipient from where it can absorb the water  (distilled water)

And I've recently discovered that the tall stem you can see in the picture is actually a flower bud.

So, I wonder if now that it is going (hopefully!) to blossom, it has different needs on water/light/whatever.

Any advice? Thanks!


texts: How do I setup my drip irrigation head assembly if my hose bibb is too low to the ground?

texts: I ordered a drip irrigation kit and the head assembly includes a backflow preventer, inline filter, pressure regulator, and hose adapter. I also purchased a timer. The problem is my hose adapter is only about 12 inches off the ground and I don't think everything will fit. Can someone tell me if this is a problem or if I'll be able to get some kind of short extension hose to make this work and just lay out the head assembly on the ground?


texts:
I currently have a very system drip feed system, consisting of a single pipe with small outlets like the one in this image.

It's working quite well, but I'd like to make a "branch" on it which would go up about 50 cms (20 inches) to drip into a pot.

What should I buy ? I'm kinda looking for keywords to input in a web search engine ^^ (bonus points if you can hint me the french names !)


texts: Why are some leaves on my Schefflera turning yellow and falling off?

texts:
I have this young schefflera:

It is growing well but I noticed that some leaves are turning yellow and some of them are falling. For example:

What do you think is causing this? Maybe overwatering, or excess of fertilizer?

Further information that could be useful:

Unfortunately I had to leave it without water for the first three weeks of August (holidays...). When I came back I was happy to see that it survived. I usually water it once a week but the week after my come back I watered it twice, as it was thirsty. I also gave it some fertilizer. Maybe this was a mistake. Also, it was pretty hot last week (almost 30°C in my apartment). My apartment faces south, so it receives enough light (but not too much direct sunlight).

I have a second question regarding this plant. As you can see there is only one stem. Will it keep on growing only vertically or will it eventually split? If not, how can I make it grow new stems and when should I do it?

As a beginner, I'd appreciate any advice.


texts: What dug this hole under my compost heap?

texts:
This morning we noticed something has dug a large hole (20-30cm wide) under our compost heap. I'm not sure if they were digging out of our garden or into it. Based on my research I think it is either a badger sett or fox den based on its size. We live next to a small wooded area (about 100m away from the edge), so I think both badgers and foxes likely live near us. Is there anything I can do to distinguish between these?

Extra information: We are in Cheshire in the UK, and there is a large pile of dirt surrounding the entrance to the hole. It is directly underneath our compost bin.


texts: Oak Leaf Blister (Taphrina caerulescens)

texts: I'm pretty certain my oak has Taphrina caerulescens symptoms. There is yellow bulbs on it since the beginning of the summer. Can it endanger the tree health? How can it be cured?


texts: starting first-time garden in yard with a lot of english ivy - raised bed vs. double-digging

texts:
I've never gardened before and would like to start a small (4' x 8') vegetable garden this year in our yard.  I'm hoping to plant sugar snap peas, tomatoes, cucumber, zucchini, and possibly watermelon.  We're renting our house, and the yard has quite a bit of ivy (6'-8' border) around the edges of the backyard.  Someone has apparently had a garden in the corner of the yard before, as there is still wire around the garden and wire trellises in the plot.  By now, though, that area is completely overgrown with English ivy.

I'd like to plant our garden in the previous garden plot, as that's most convenient for us in terms of location.  I was planning to uproot the ivy using the white vinegar method as cited here: (How to Get Rid of English Ivy in the Landscape) for several weeks in a row.  As I'm pregnant and have two toddlers running around, I'd rather not use toxic herbicides. I'm concerned about the surrounding ivy growing into the bed, though.  I've read about two general methods for growing - double-digging vs. raised garden bed.  Both are equally difficult for us to implement, with the raised garden bed being somewhat more expensive.  Will either be better in terms of preventing the surrounding ivy from infiltrating the garden?  Or is there something else that I should do in terms of getting rid of the ivy?


texts: How can I make this succulent less splayed-out and lanky?

texts:
1) I think this is a Sansevieria suffruticosa, but I'm just guessing based on internet pictures.  Does that seem right?

It made these flowers once,

and looks like this at the base.

2) It's grown extremely long and lanky-looking.  The leaves are >30 inches long, and sprawled and twisted all over the place.  Are they supposed to do this?  Should I have been pruning this in some way to prevent this from happening?  I've seen similar plants where the spines go straight up, but it doesn't look like mine would do that based on the way they fan out at the base.


texts: I recently purchased this houseplant, but do not know what it is. Can anyone help with ID? US dime for scale.


texts: Flowering plant with star like leaf around bud

texts:
I bought this plant from nursery and forgot the name. It is a flowering plant, but the buds haven't bloomed yet.

Location is north India. Specifically Delhi.


texts: When should I see growth on my Morning Glory?

texts: I cut down my Blue Dawn Morning Glory and brought the pot inside before the freeze this winter. I put it back outside about one month ago. The one inch piece that's poking out where I cut it looks alive, but I see no signs of growth. Is this normal this time of year? Thanks!


texts: Are old raspberry canes required to be chopped off?

texts: I just bought a Fall Gold Raspberry plant. It came with instructions to prune away canes that have already fruited because only new canes can fruit. What If I were to leave the old canes there? Do the canes serve any other purpose to the plant holistically other than fruiting? Will leaving the old canes there harm the plant, or even benefit the plant, or not affect the plant at all?


texts: Why is this tree refusing to shed its dead leaves?

texts: There's this tree I've been noticing (not sure what it's called) and throughout the whole winter it has held onto its leaves that went dry in fall even under windy/rainy conditions. Since leaves dont rejuvenate themselves, how will it produce new leaves for the next season? Will they eventually fall somewhere around spring or is one supposed to remove them by hand to make room for the newer set of leaves to follow?


texts: What can I use the removed moss from my lawn for?

texts:
I have an awful lot of moss in my lawn and I've been raking it out and collecting a lot of it.

I've read that it might not be a great idea to put moss in the compost bin and I'm averse to throw away anything green.

Is there anything I can use this moss for in the garden?


texts: Rusty brown spots on the leaves of chili plants — what could be the reason?

texts: I've already had this problem last year but still have no idea what causes these ugly rusty spots on my chilies' leaves :/ Do you have any suggestions?


texts: What are these little white bugs on my eggplant?

texts:
I have these little white bugs on my eggplant, not many of them yet.  What are they?  How do i get rid of them?  I'm a first year indoor organic gardener.  It is important to note they are in pots.

I am in the prairies of Canada.  Winnipeg, Manitoba.


texts:
Is this a female date palm?
I think it is but not certain.


texts: how to protect young tree from leafcutter bee

texts: every season a leaf-cutter bee chews hundreds of holes in my redbud tree's leaves. The tree is only three years old and I worry that it won't thrive. How can I protect it?


texts: What flowering plants could I keep outdoors in pots in winter in Holland?

texts:
I want to put flowers or plants in a flower pot in front of the house. I live in Holland and it is raining a lot there and there are not a lot of sunny days, and winters are not very cold (0 °C is minimal). I want some plant/flowers which can survive winter outside.

The place where I want to put flowers/plant has sun only in the morning.

Any suggestions would be good.


texts:
During summer, the leaves on my peach tree turn an orange-green shade. Is this normal? Is this a response to heat stress, drought, or something else (e.g. mineral deficiency during high heat conditions).
The color change is almost as if it was Autumn/Fall, but the leaves change color far too early and they do not drop. I was looking last night (whilst watering it) and noticed new leaves that are just emerging are a nice fresh,healthy green color.

This is NOT orange leaf curl, which is a fungi that deforms leaves and eventually kills the tree.

Tree age: approx 4 years old. About 7-8 ft high. No fruit yet, although it had its first two blossoms this spring.
Variety: Unknown (gift that was little more than a "stick in a bucket of clay"). So it might even be a nectarine.

Location: North Texas. 100+F daily highs have been normal this summer, and not unusual most summers.


texts:
I recently grew some lettuce and carrots from seed, but within three nights they were completely eaten.

I then used a seed growing tray and then transplanted about 40 out into the garden bed. But these have been gradually dissappearing.

When transplanting the seedlings I covered the bed with transparent plastic and had chicken wire at each end to let air get in. I think it would be impossible for a snail to get in.

This only happens at night time.


texts: Do sweet potato tops make good fertiliser tea?

texts: I am growing sweet potato in my back yard and I come to realize the abundant amount of potato tops after harvesting, do they make a good fertiliser tea or I would just add them to the compost?


texts: This decided to grow in with my Christmas cactus! What is it? I have had the cactus for years. Needed to add potting soil to it, and I think that's where this came from.


texts:
Just noticed this on a fig tree and these are everywhere. It's not just on the leaves but on the stems as well.

Is this an ant colony on this fig tree, Or something else?

This is my not-too-techy friend's tree.
The tree is about 2.5m tall.

I'm curious for few reasons

I want to help my friend
I was given an offshoot of this tree - to
plant in my garden - and I wanted to be well prepared if something
like this will happen.


texts: Amending a barren yard with compost: dedicated weed barrier or no?

texts:
I've got a pretty typically barren New Mexico (zone 7a) yard, and I'm thinking of trying some intensive amendment to control weeds, improve the soil, and add some visual interest.  What I've read here as well as some other places has led me down the path of putting a zillion cubic yards of compost from the city water treatment plant over the existing totally barren desert ground. It's very cheap and made up of a great-looking mix of biosolids, yard trimmings, and animal stable bedding.

My next thought was that the weeds will love this stuff, and so I ought to cover all this compost with a cardboard weed barrier. But I'd need to anchor the cardboard down somehow, and it will look ugly. So I'd better put a top layer of maybe some nice-looking bark mulch over it.

But this all now sounds very complicated, and the engineer in me doesn't like the inefficiency of using two additional layers simply to facilitate weed control. And acquiring enough cardboard will be tough. Is there any way I can stop the weeds using just the compost?

After a few years of this, I'd like to plant a southwestern-friendly groundcover, but I'm not sure what yet (Current thoughts are Blue Grama grass or hardy Ice Plant). Should I maybe plant whatever groundcover plants I want right into the compost and use them to out-compete the weeds and block the sun?


texts: Why are my potted outdoor Plumeria leaves turning yellow and brown?

texts: All the leaves are yellow, with red around the edges and then eventually start turning brown?


texts: What is causing only 1/6 of my chilli plants in deep water culture to wilt?

texts:
I have set up a hydroponic system indoors and planted 6 chilli plants in one bucket. It's a DWC system where I fill the bucket with water and mix the nutrient solution and submerge the plant roots in it. I have also set up an air pump with dual outlets to aerate the solution. On top, I have grow light strips.

The problem is, out of the 6 plants, one started to wilt. I planted them two days ago. Here are some photos of the setup:

]

Any idea why this is happening?


texts: Unidentified Plant that started blooming

texts: This plant was originally growing in the soil. I thought it was a weed then it started blooming, and now I am curious what plant this is. The flowers are highly fragrant. Thank you in advance :)


texts: What is the medium-leaved, thick-stemmed plant?

texts:
This plant was at the end of driveway, getting tossed by a previous owner. I'd like to care of it but I have zero idea what it is.

Does any one know a likely candidate?


texts: From multiple sources I've understood that vegetable peels, such as potato peels, can be used as fertilizer for various plants. What about fertalizing a plant with its own fruit, or another part, such as its root? Think of fertalizing a lemon tree with lemon peels, an avocado tree with avocado peel, etc. Is such practice advisable, more so than using a mix or a specific (foreign) type of peel (like potato peel)?


texts: Tall Citrus tree is more like a leggy bush

texts: I have 5 citrus trees that I inherited from the previous homeowners. Two are mandarin orange trees. (One tastes like delicious candy. The other needs some help, as it's dry.) There's also an orange (?) tree that has a TON of fruit on it, but tastes bitter and dry. It looked like a mandarin orange tree at first, but now the fruit definitely looks like an orange. I'll keep researching those non-tasty trees, but the question I have for now are about these other TWO citrus trees on the property that look more like bushes. I'm showing you an example of the taller, bigger one. The smaller one has the same characteristics of the tall one. The limbs are super long, and droop a bit, they have thorns. It doesn't stand tall like a tree. When it rains (rarely here in Los Angeles) they fall over almost to the ground. There's no real trunk, just a bunch of skinny limbs coming out from the ground. Not sure what it is, what to do with it, or if it can be groomed into a real citrus tree. (Is that a thing?) I haven't seen any fruit on it, but I do see a few blossoms on it. I'm also a newbie in the citrus tree arena. So this all a learning experience for me. Pics attached. Any advice would be so helpful! Thanks!


texts: Why does my sinningia have yellow spots?

texts:
Click below images to enlarge...

This is probably Sinningia Ozark Coral Freckles. I put it in a aquarium with artificial light on from 8:00am to 0:00am. The distance to light is about 20cm.

The young leaves were fine until they grew bigger and I found yellow spots within their leaves. I also spotted 2 tiny red dot things ( tiny, like dust ) on the leaves. I touched one of the red dots with a tool and it didn't move; I picked it out. I don't think they are red mites.

Any clues as to what is causing the yellowing?


texts:
I just got these basil plants a week ago and now they seem to have these black spots on them. All three of the plants are in the same general area, and all of them have the same symptoms.

I recently had some rain, but temperatures didn't seem that bad. I also have some cuttings from the same plants that don't have these signs and are sitting indoors.

Many of the affected leaves were removed to help stop it from spreading, but at this point every leaf is affected.

Here's some pictures:


texts: Why is my new lawn bumpy and how can I address it?

texts:
I laid a new small lawn which will be 2 years old this summer. I put a lot of work and new soil into getting it flat and level and I'm pretty happy with it aesthetically.

It's mostly for show but I've noticed when you sit on it, it's pretty uncomfortable - lots of small bumps maybe about golf-ball sort of size.
It wasn't like this when I prepared the ground or after laying the turf so what has happened, and what/when is the best option to get it smoother here in Northern England?


texts: Why are my Acer seedlings drying up and dying?

texts: I’ve grown lots of little Acer seedlings from seed I picked last autumn and germinated early this year after 100 days in the fridge. I was very excited about the success of the seeds but now at a good enough size they are dropping like flies. They were on a sunny window sill and fine through April’s heatwave but then suddenly in July started getting shrivelled browning leaves and slowly dying. It’s barely been hot June & July but in case it was the sunshine I moved them to a north facing window and they are still dying. They’re in general purpose compost with a bit of perlite in well draining pots. Is it purely that they need to be outside and not in a house environment? We don’t have the heating on. Some are thriving but the most successful one I’ve potted on and now it’s looking very unhappy!


texts: Where can I get info on rescapeing my small backyard?

texts:
I have a small but steep backyard (20 ft deep, a gradual 4 or 5ft incline)where the base of the hill turns to gravel and leads under our deck and up against the back of our house. I assume this is for drainage but was not able to ask the original builder. We'd like to look into doing two things
1) making a small planting terrace in the backyard, and by doing so leveling out this tiny hill
2) changing out or reducing some of this terrible looking stone in the backyard

Where would be a good place to start collecting information? We don't have the money to spend on a landscape architect but don't want to cause flooding behind our house either.


texts: How much topsoil on top of clay to level sloping garden

texts:
Hi I have a separated garden first is lawn and the second was a play area with a (10m x 6m)membrane over clay with bark. We have now removed bark and want a level lawn but my problem is how do I level and what and how much do I use. We want to put a pool on but need it to be level.
So what combination would I use? Everyone has a different way..

Hardcore/topsoil
Shingle/ topsoil
Hardcore/type1

I’m confused.... I’m gonna remove pool end of each summer n treat area but need your advice


texts: Will this flower identify the plant? The plant had a single flower in July. The leaves are like a banana plant I think.


texts: What is this extremely fast growing plant?

texts:
I noticed this plant last week. It started off with as a little stub, and grew straight up without branching and then at about 3 feet, created this branched structure. In about 2 weeks time, it grew from nothing to 6 feet now.

Can someone tell me what plant this is please? Should I kill it or let it be?

Edit: Country/Region - UK/London


texts: When planting is it good to use one pot for each plant or one large common pot?

texts: I'm trying to plant some vegetables in my second floor balcony. I have one container for each plant. Is this the best method or should I go for one long common container to plant all of them? What are the advantages and disadvantages?


texts: Why are the lower leaves of my Variegated Japanese Aralia / Fatsia Japonica dying?

texts:
Several months ago, we planted a Variegated Japanese Aralia / Fatsia Japonica in the ground. It gets a little morning sun, but is mostly shaded all afternoon. It's grown quite a bit and the upper leaves look quite healthy.
However, it seems like several of the lower leaves are dying off.  Specifically, they turn dark brown, become dry and brittle as if they were baked in an oven.  They eventually break off where the leaves join the main "trunk."  I don't think it's getting too much sun since the lower leaves are shaded a bit by the upper leaves and the upper leaves show no signs of being burned.
Shown in the photo circled in red are what's left of three leaves, parts of which have turned brown, dry, and brittle, and just crumbled off. For other leaves no longer on the plant, if they manage not to crumble off, eventually, the entire leaf and stem will drop off.

Is it normal for the lower leaves of this plant to die off like this?  If not, any ideas what's causing it and how to fix it?


texts: Can I put orange or other citrus peel on the compost pile?

texts:
I have heard from a friend that orange and in general citrus peel should not be put to the compost pile. This is due to the artificial ripening agents added to them.
If this really the case what is the reason behind it? What problem these artificial ripening agents could introduce to the compost?


texts: Why does my lime tree drop its fruit early?

texts:
I have a kumquat and a Mexican (or Key) lime tree in pots right next to each other.  The kumquat has been flowing and fruiting like a champ nearly as long as I've owned it.  The lime hasn't yet produced a mature fruit.  It has flowered many times and produced little fruit the size of a lime seed.  But every time each fruit falls off the branches a few days later.  Both trees are on the same watering and feeding schedule, get nearly the same sun, and are subject to the same weather.

Some (possibly crackpot) theories:

Recent weather changes in Southern California are spooking the lime.  (We've had hot days followed shortly by cold days.  I never know if I should take a light jacket to work or not.)
The lime just isn't happy with the climate.  I gather they like lots of heat.
The flowers aren't getting pollinated or are pollinated from a "bad" tree.  I've seen bees working over the flowers, but I don't know if my neighbors have limes.  To be safe, I self-pollinated the tree once, but no joy.
I ought to increase the watering schedule when the fruit starts to grow.  Both trees are one a strict once-a-week schedule.
I'm over fertilizing the lime, which is quite a bit smaller (as it's younger) than the kumquat at this point.
Critters and birds are vandalizing my lime.
I just got a bum lime tree.

Are any of these theories likely to be the source of my problem?

(This question is about these trees for what it's worth.)

I haven't had a chance to take photos, so here are the other requested details:

The kumquat is 2+ years old and I bought the lime 1/2 a year ago.  I haven't pruned either tree.  Both are roughly 2 feet tall, but the kumquat is sprawling out several feet on two sides while the lime looks like Charlie Brown's Christmas tree.  The dimensions of the pot are:

  Outside diameter: 15"
  Max. diameter inner pot: 12 ½"
  Height: 12 ½"
  Inside diameter: 13 ¾"

(I don't at all know what "Max. diameter inner pot" means.)


texts: Can someone help to identify this plant?

texts: This is a "tree" that we have had in our house for a long time. It started withering around a year ago and I couldn't figure out what it was. When it flowers(which it doesn't anymore) the blooms look like little white grape vines. The only guess I had was the money tree, but unlike the Moneytree, the base is skinny and tall, and not spiraled. IT seemed to react well to being sprayed daily with water.


texts:
We have a drainage / flooding problem where lots of water passes through our garden, from the higher house on our right to the lower house on our left.

I want to put in a raised garden, which has a "base", "under-bed" that allows the water to pass through it, or even to stay in it, but with a good soil layer on top of it, in which the plants grow.

What material should I use? Clay Pebbles? Straw? Mulch? What can be cheap and workable? Is this even a good idea?


texts: Why shouldn't you use these woods when building a hugelkultur?

texts:
Someone asked a question on what woods not to use, so I'm wondering why you shouldn't use these wood types when building a hugelkultur (raised bed used to either conserve water, or increase surface area on top of rotting wood):

cedar
camphor wood
black locust
black cherry
black walnut
pine
fir


texts:
Is this Monstera Deliciosa? How to care for this plant? Location: Delhi.

The leaves are turning yellow on the edges.


texts:
Five years ago I asked here about ways to train this ash (Fraxinus excelsior) seedling into a bonsai.
The little ash bonsai has now grown and it's in his 4th year. See the photo below. Any suggestion on how I could limit leaf size at this stage? Or should I leave it to grow to its final trunk/branch shape first?


texts: Found on the island of Kauai in December


texts:
Somebody ate all my kale and now eating my rudbeckia leafs. It is a flower, not a veggie plant, but still seems to be tasty.
Any ideas what/who it can be and how to deal with it, please.
I am in Canada, north of Toronto area. No, I didn't check at night. There are no deer here in residential area. We closed all holes under the fence, at least I don't see any.


texts: I have a small pin oak in a small pot thriving since spring in Brooklyn. I would like to keep it and I am thinking about bonsai. I think I need to keep it outside for two years? Should I give it a bigger pot now? It's in a lame pot from a medium size tomato plant from Home Depot. I have no experience with bonsai other than a noted attraction to the art.


texts: Why are my avocado plant leaves brown and brittle?

texts:
I have a small avocado plant that sprouted from seed this summer (June). It was thriving for a while and then it stopped growing and started getting brown leaves. The leaves start getting brown on the tip first, than close to the stems. The brown near the stem then spreads out and the leaf dies.

I know that brown leaves can be caused by overwatering so I am careful not to over water. A while ago I got an artificial light source for the winter, but this did not help. I do not see any insects or pests on the leaves and the plant.
Has anyone had similar problems?


texts: Is it okay to pile compost on to the base of a tomato plant?

texts:
In previous years, I've noticed my tomatoes have root-like buds towards the base of the stem, but haven't wanted to experiment in case I wreck them.

Anybody had any experience of this? Is it worth it?


texts: Reduce Waste | Starting Herb Garden from left over Herb Sprigs

texts:
Inspired by User 23550's answer on this question in Seasoned Advice, where they suggested:

  Instead of drying the cilantro, why not just plant the other half in good potting mix? You won't have to run to the store for fresh then. It grows quickly too!

Now, I have tried to grow a small herb garden in my house a few times over the years from seeds. Apparently I have the black thumb of death because all I end up with is a nice pot of dirt. The house I live in has a great south facing window which is also shaded in the afternoon (just enough to not fry plants - or maybe by store bought plants are just hardier) it is in this spot that I tried to grow my herbs (rosemary, thyme, sage, cilantro, and chives) but I couldn't get it to take.

This brings me to User 23550 - would her suggestion to "plant the other half" in potting mix work for other herbs? Is there a need to try and stimulate root growth using a damp paper towel before doing so?


texts: Should I water less in Autumn and Winter in Hong Kong?

texts: It is said that we should water less in Autumn and Winter. However in Winter, our hands and face become very dry. Doesn't this indicate a low relative humidity and that water will dry out faster?


texts: Using own hair and nail clippings as fertilizer?

texts:
There is a lot to hear about using horn shavings as ecological alternative to conventional fertilizer.

I was wondering - since my hair and nails are basically the same substance, could I use them in the garden?

Are there any possible problems?


texts: I’ve been trying to figure out what this flowers called it kind of reminds me of a fly trap if anyone knows please let me know


texts: What is this plant with clusters of pink flowers with red centers, and waxy leaves?

texts: I would be grateful if you could identify this plant please. It has clusters of star-shaped pink flowers with dark red centers. The leaves feel waxy. I live in Northumberland, England.


texts: Why should we cover rose plants in the winter?

texts:
We live in Minnesota, where it gets quite cold in the winter and the ground freezes well below the depth of the roses.

We have a row of rose bushes which we inherited from the previous owners of our home. For the first two winters we have followed the instructions given us by the previous owner:  prune back to about 18", mound up dirt on each plant, encircle with chicken wire, fill chicken wire with straw (or with leaves and top with straw). We have not lost a bush yet.

My questions are:  Why does this work, and what parts are necessary?

It's not preventing them from freezing, since the ground freezes down pretty deep. And it's not protecting them from wind chill, since they are roses and not warm-blooded animals who would perceive wind chill.  (If the air temperature is -5, and the wind chill is -20, anything exposed to the air will tend toward -5 and not get any colder.)

The portion of the plant that is beneath the ground or the mounded up dirt will certainly be below freezing, and well below freezing as the winter goes on. It will, however, be marginally warmer than the air temperature. If the ground is frozen down to about 3 ft, and the average air temperature is, say, 15 degrees, then the ground between the surface (15 degrees) and 36" down (32 degrees) will be on a continuum between those two temperatures.

So does mounding up the dirt help to keep the plants slightly warmer than they would be without it (e.g. 20 degrees instead of 15)? If that is the case, I don't think the straw on top would contribute anything to this, or at least would be no better than snow piled on top.

It is to reduce the temperature swings?  If so, are any temperature swings hard on the plants or only crossing the freeze/thaw line?

Why does covering the roses work, and what parts are necessary?


texts: What is the best way to sprout Lychee seeds?

texts: I am attempting to sprout some lychee pits using the moist paper towel in a ziplock method. So far it has resulted in mold on the towel and tops of the seeds. Is there a better method?


texts: Which spiders should I allow in my garden?

texts: I know most spiders are harmless and beneficial, but which spiders do I want to look out for and get rid of in my garden? (Midwest United States).


texts: Why is my 10 year old Meyer lemon tree suddenly producing orange fruit after producing yellow fruit for several years?

texts: My 10 year old Meyer lemon tree potted in 10 inch pot and doing well, started producing orange fruit instead of yellow fruit. I have pictures to demonstrate but I can't figure out how to attach them.


texts: How much should I be watering my peach, pear and plum trees?

texts:
I have one tree of each of the following: peach, plum and pear.

They have been in the ground for less than a year.

How many (gallons per week) should I be watering each tree?

I'm in coastal southern California, so I don't get a whole lot of rain.


texts: Orange-red flower with extravagant shape

texts: What is this orange-red flower with extravagant shape (width of structure approx. 5-10 cm), encountered on a hot mid-summer day in Central Europe, but perhaps not native to this part of the world?


texts: Managing Bronze Orange Bugs on citrus trees

texts:
How can I eliminate Bronze Orange (stink) Bugs from my citrus trees?
I know that spraying the trees with Confidor will get rid of these bugs, however I've been told that it's not suitable to use on citrus, especially when bearing fruit. Is there another spray I can use?

EDIT: My location is SE Queensland, in Australia. See map below


texts: Indoor Cat Palm looks very sad/dying. Please help!

texts: Got this Cat Palm about 3 weeks ago and in the last week it has started to look very unhappy with yellowing of the fronds to now looking a bit brown-black just dying off. It is in our workspace so there is AC blowing all day and it has been getting direct light for about 6-8 hours but we moved it away from direct sunlight. At first we thought it needed to be watered more but now I'm thinking that it could be the sodium/fluoride in the water or a lack of proper draining. Help and advice would be greatly appreciated!!


texts: Something is eating my young (indoor) vegetable seedings down to the stem

texts:
The leaves on my young kale, broccoli and chilli seedlings keep getting eaten overnight. I started noticing it gradually but now I will wake up to a whole tray of seedlings eaten back to the stem.
These are all indoor seedlings yet to be planted out, in different trays in different rooms. The only constant variable is the soil but the problem continued even when i replaced that.
At first I thought it could be cutworm, but having sifted through the soil in a number of trays I have found no sign of them.
Does anyone have any suggestions?


texts: What are these white spots on my Basil Leaves?

texts:
My basil plant has some odd white spots on the lower leaves. The upper leaves look like healthy leaves, with only the lower ones being affected. Some pictures of a sample leaf:   Any ideas as to what they could be and how to treat them?

Extra info: I live in South Florida and recently had to add sand to the top of the soil to keep snails from munching on the leaves.


texts: How do I keep Grackle's from pooping on my lawn?

texts: Below is what I think is grackle poop on my lawn. (It might not be but I haven't seen any other animals there except desert cottontail rabbits and I know what their poop looks like.) How can I prevent these animals from defecating on my lawn? Will their poop benefit or harm the lawn if I spray it into the lawn?


texts: Should i trim my avocado plant through the winter?

texts:
I have several baby avocado plants that grew this summer. 2 of them i managed to get a first trim while it was still hot out, but at least 2 did not get a trimming. They are currently about 8-12 inches tall. Should i go ahead and cut them, even though its almost autumn? Or should i leave them till its nearer to spring?
I will be bringing them inside, as it does get very cold here in the winter (northeast states in the US).


texts: Can anybody identify this evergreen Clematis please ?

texts:
We realise there is a vast number of Clematis varieties and hybrids and this one might not be an easy one to identify as it was planted around 1996. We have spent ages looking on the net to no avail.

We live in New Zealand and the plant is having a second life so to speak. In its first life it was robust right from the start, so much so we often had to cut it back from clogging the roof gutters. So it grew to  3 metres easily and would be able to go higher  and wider. It's second life started last year when we had no option but to transplant it, chopping it back severely to do so. Following advice gleaned from the net we got it right and it's flourishing. We were thrilled we didn't kill it. Maybe you can't kill Clematis.

The main reason for asking is we would like to know which pruning group it belongs to. It is only now after all these years we have found out about pruning groups. Obviously it has done well despite our ignorance ; but as it has done us the kindness to live, we should do our best for it.

The photo was taken in  Feb 2008.

Any information that could steer us in the right direction would be appreciated.

Thank you.


texts: Aubergine/eggplant rotting instead of ripening

texts:
We had a lovely aubergine plant. It produced two fruits, which coloured into nice dark purple (except for right at the top).
As they were quite hard (absolutely no give when squeezed) we left them to ripe a bit before picking. They both started rotting.

Should we have picked them while they were still very hard? Or is it something else we did wrong?


texts: What caused this red spot on my Haworthia plant?

texts: My Haworthia plant has this strange red spot. I'm not sure what it is - is my plant okay?


texts: What is eating the leaves of my rubber plant?

texts:
They were fine few days ago, now these almost transparent patches exist on the leaves. I inspected the leaves, and there is no bug I can see. But they look like they got chewed by some small insect. What is this and how should I avoid this?

https://imgur.com/a/O19qx

The CULPRIT?

EDIT: For some reason, I am unable to upload more than 1 picture a day.


texts: Should I start digging out a hill in the backyard in preparation for a retaining wall/patio?

texts:
I've got a pretty steep backyard hill that slopes down to a fence that I'd like to dig out and make into a sort of fire pit area with a patio.

I can't afford to do the entire project right away, but I wondered if I could start digging out the hill or if I'd need to get some sort of retaining structure up right away so I don't cause anything stupid to happen.


texts:
I started to see that the leaves of Monstera started to have a brown spots. Here is all the details and photos. Can you please help me identify the reason of the issue and how to fix this and prevent it in the future.

Plant: Monstera
Purchased: 13.Jan.2021
Watering:

18.Jan.2021: 0,5L water with fertiliser. Bio fertilising (5ml in 1L water)
26.Jan.2021: 0,5L water

Lighting: No direct sunlight
Location: Germany.
Temperature: around 20C
Humidity: around 40%
Insects: No
Pot size: 21 cm


texts: Cucumber with bacterial wilt, what to do to save other plants?

texts:
On Saturday, my cucumbers looked perfectly healthy.  On Sunday, half of one of my cucumbers had very wilty leaves.  On Monday, the other half of the cucumber's leaves were all wilty.

I have seen cucumber beetles on my cucumber plants before, and still do.  I was previously unaware of the bacterial danger they posed to my plants so I didn't do too much to fight them, as the leaves weren't being eaten too much.  There was also another kind of beetle that I don't recognize and don't have pictures of, maybe twice the size of the cucumber beetles and having orange highlights.

This cucumber is growing very close to/on top of some other cucumbers.  I also have a zucchini plant and some butternut squash plants pretty close to the wilted cucumber, as well as some more cucumber plants further away in the same garden.  My garden also has pinto beans, garden beans, carrots, roma tomatoes, and russet potatoes.

Picture:

Does the bacterial wilt pose a threat to any of the other plants in my garden?
Is there a possibility of bacterial wilt spreading plant to plant? Should I remove the wilted cucumber, and if so how?
What should I do now to kill as many cucumber beetles as possible?  The space I garden in is assigned as an organic garden space.


texts: Do deer eat Creeping phlox (Phlox subulata)?

texts: I'm finding mixed answers to this question across the web, so I'm hoping someone can respond with personal experience.


texts:
I have many 5 gallon containers with tomatoes, courgettes, peppers, herbs, etc. in my garden. I am leaving for 10 days in the middle of August, and nobody will be able to water the plants (also the neighbours will be away). What is the best way to avoid a catastrophe?

The only idea I could come up with is upside-down bottles with dripping holes, but I am very skeptical they would work in the first place, and then make it for such a long period.

Please help me folks, it could save the most of my summer harvest! Thanks :)


texts: I want to start a bonsai. I'm not sure where to begin

texts:
Background

I have all the tools to do a bonsai from my family in Japan and my mother.  I want to start my first real bonsai.  Part of growing up was helping my mother with her Japanese Rock and Moss garden in Berkeley, CA which had a perfect climate for such things.  The weather seemed exactly the same in southern Tokyo where we would visit.

I'm now in the desert southwest of the US in Arizona with a very harsh environment.

My Question

Is there a recommended tree or plant to start with?

Taking into consideration the environment and a desire to have the plant outside during most of the year, pulling it in during the summer, is it possible to select an indigenous plant for this purpose?

I'm pretty much a neophyte at these things but managed well with knowledge I have and seem to have a good track record of keeping children, dogs and plants alive for an extended period of time.

That being said, does that effect any recommendations?  I'm not a cherry but I'm far from a journeyman.

TIA

Did my best to look for dupes.


texts: What's a good successor crop to snow peas in a narrow bed against a West-facing wall?

texts:
For the past couple of years, one of my neighbors has allowed me to use a 20' by 15" / 6m x 35cm strip of land against his garage wall.  He had installed hooks on the wall so I've tied string around them as a trellis for peas and beans to climb.

Last year, I grew snow peas against the wall, with basil and parsley in a row to the front of the bed (the parsley is still going strong and I plan to leave it until it bolts).  The previous year, I had green beans against the wall so I think I want to stay away from legumes this year.

Other information:

The wall faces due West, so it only gets sun for half the day.
The soil is quite gravelly, so root crops don't do well (I've tried carrots and radishes with no luck).  Otherwise, the soil seems OK; I added some compost to it last year, for what it's worth.
I'm in USDA zone 8a.
I prefer to plant vegetables so my neighbor can take some to repay him for the use of his wall.

What would be a good crop to grow in that little strip of land?


texts: What are these tiny animals on my oyster mushrooms?

texts:
Pleurotus ostreatus infested with tiny gnats. I can see them with my loupe but too hard to photograph even though I said cheese!  They have prominent attenae, and segmented bodies - but I guess that describes most insects :(

Using uv light as the led light made them scamper away

Maybe 1-2 mm in length. And they leave bite marks!

Here's a better picture taking using a macro lens on my mobile phone

What can I do to eradicate them with out harming the mushrooms?  In the first instance I've removed the substrate from the bag, and sprayed with a mist of water to try and wash them off.  This must be the 4 or 5 flush from the culture!

Edit: looks like the infestation, or treatment, was enough to cause all of these mushrooms to abort.


texts: Stressed plant - how long before pruning?

texts:
I purchased (literally) distressed inventory from a local garden centre - Asian Eggplants which need A LOT of TLC, including water, larger pots, removal of way to much (mainly over ripe) fruit and heavy pruning.

I took them home, transplanted and watered them yesterday evening, but I also want to remove the fruit. How long do I need to give the plants to acclimatise to their new home before I can start fixing them?


texts: What is this pink flowering alpine shrub?

texts:
What's the name of this plant and where can one find it? The picture is taken in the Austrian Alps in maybe 2500m.

Click image for full size


texts: What about covering lettuces during hot periods?

texts:
This question reminds us that lettuces don't like too much hot weather.

To look after my lettuce crop and guard against bolting, might it be worth covering the lettuce with, say, layers of damp newspaper for short spells during very hot weather?


texts: How should I flatten my uneven back yard in Toronto?

texts:
I need to regrade my backyard. Currently I have a good green layer of grass and other small unwanted :-) plants  covering my backyard. The previous owner dug a patio and I suspect that they spread the soil around the house. The soil under the grass is not level and the grading of the lot was ruined.
I intend to fix the above by removing the sod, leveling the soil, grading the backyard and putting the sod back.
My question is: do I need to do anything special when I use a sod cutter on this unevenly leveled soil? All the above are going to be during the same day (a weekend probably).
Also a related question: is the beginning of June a good time for this? Here in Toronto we had a quite cold and dry May, and it rained quite a lot 6 days ago.

Edit: I think that I have two options: a) remove the sod, grade the soil and put the sod back AND b) use a rototiller (rent it from HomeDepot) and turn the old sod over

I would like to go with b) because: -the existing sod is poor quality -there is less work involved to remove and put back -I understand that using a rototiller will also help me to aerate the soil, make it easier to be graded

To get my lawn back I can either buy sod or seed and wait for the grass to grow back. This should be easy with the wet summer that we are in for here in To.

Any pros and cons ?

Edit2: here is a picture, the two sheds are not there anymore, that spot has no sod now


texts:
What type of plants are good ground cover for bonsai?

When I first started growing bonsai, I only used a fine gravel for ground cover, but this looked very boring and artificial. Then I tried moss, since it has no roots to compete with the bonsai, but it typically required much more water than the bonsai preferred.

I'm now using various species of Sedum, a small low-growing creeping succulent. It thrives in nearly all types of climates, sun exposure, and watering routines, so I'd have trouble killing it even if I wanted to. My only concern is with how much its root system will compete with the bonsai.

Has anyone had success with other plants?


texts: How do I get rid of nettles in an organic way?

texts: I have bunches of nettles in my yard.  I would like to get rid of them without without regrowth.  Any suggestions which do no require chemicals or tilling the soil ?


texts:
Last year I transplanted six box trees from my brother in law's garden. One of them, the biggest (see last image), turned completely yellow without losing a single leaf, so I cut it down.

Now another one of the trees is doing the same thing. I can't keep cutting them down because I would like to know how I can fix them.

I already tried with pesticides for branch death (or whats that called in English?) and the typical boxtree moths.

I don't water them that often because they are in the ground.

I have three others that are in my chicken coop and those are doing great. The fourth one, though, is doing bad (first two pictures). I cut some of the yellow branches because they are dead anyway.

I attached some pictures so you guys can see what's going on:

The image below is of the now-cut-down buxus tree. It turned completely yellow without losing a leaf. I guess that my other buxus plants are going in the same direction. You can also see the left buxus being in pretty good shape. This is the one that is now turning yellow/brown as well.

To answer the questions in the comments:

I transplanted them near the end of the dormant  season. The trees were going to be thrown away so there was nothing to lose, i guess. I believe it was September or October last year. There were six of them.

The pesticides were used based on a recommendation of the local store, so I did not use them willy nilly. I am a beginner gardener so I might be gullable, sure. The box moth, however, was clearly visible. The branch death was a guess by the store owner.

And I  water all my plants properly according to the weather. I was told that buxus trees and other trees in full ground don't really need that much watering unless there is a drought.


texts: How to maintain indoor Polyscias fruticosa

texts:
I have a little plant of Polyscias fruticosa in my living-room. It is about 1 m tall and more then 10 years old. It is not exposed to direct light.

Last year it started to look a bit painful and, indeed, its root were starting to rot. I changed its soil, adding some sand to it, to drain water.

After one year, it is still alive, but still very painful: very few leaves, not of that usual, beautiful, dark green color. Also, since some years, it is not flowering. It also used to have a strong scence of liquorice, that now is almost unnoticeable (I must admit that this last consideration could be just an impression).

Any suggestions to make it feel better?

Note: I already checked a similar questions (e.g.: What kind of tree is this? ) about Polyscias fruticosa, but replies to it do not actually address my problem.

Thanks!


texts: Best course of action for this prayer plant?

texts:
With the COVID-19, we had to leave our office plants unattended for several weeks. We used to have healthy Maranta, but someone took it outside at some point and it rained a lot. The outer pot did not have draining holes so the it was pretty harshly over watered.

It has unfortunately only two leaves left, and they do not unfurl during the day. What are my options?


texts: How can I treat nutrient burnt basil seedlings?

texts: I grow basil plants from seed. They're approximately 1 month old. I gave them a little pigeon manure, and I think I burnt them. How can I normalize the soil and plant? Thanks.


texts: What is wrong with my Cherry blossom tree?

texts: My cherry blossom tree's trunk is not looking very healthy and the leaves at the top are being eaten :(


texts: What’s going on with my staghorn fern and how do I save it?

texts:
We bought this staghorn at Lowe’s awhile ago from the equivalent of a reject bin. It’s always looked kinda sad.

Recently though it’s gotten mold or bugs on it. I don’t know what happened. It lost about 2 fronds so far. I removed it from the house because I didn’t want it to contaminate any of my other plants. But I don’t want it to die!

Any tips on how to save this or why it might be happening?

Thanks


texts: How to change oil in a lawnmower without turning the mower on its side, tipping, or tilting?

texts: Is there some way to drain and change the oil in a lawnmower without tilting it up, tipping it, or putting it on its side? (obviously, the mower doesn't have a drain plug-- that would be too easy!!) I was changing the oil yet again (I use the mower, my sister uses it, friends borrow it, so the oil gets changed a lot) and getting another headache from all the oil and gas fumes. It seems there has to be a way to get the oil out of there without having to tip the mower sideways or up at all. A siphon, a hose, or something. Does anyone know? All ideas welcome!


texts:
The plant has small white flowers and dark fruits - almost black.  Seems like a Passiflora subpeltata - but the fruit is very dark - not sure if they started out green as some sites described.

I'm seeing a lot of articles which say that they contain cyanide, but others that say they are edible.  Also sites which say that some fruits are edible when mature.

It tastes very sweet and stains fingers readily. I thought of using it as a cocktail mixer, but I guess that might not be a good idea.

Are these fruits edible or should I stay away from them?


texts: What is this disease with sticky transparent liquid and brown spots on leaves?

texts:
here is a picture of the plant, a shefflera.

It has some very sticky transparent liquid on many leaves, and also brown spots. The spots themselves are kind of "dry" and mostly located at the leaves knots.

It seems that the entire plant is becoming infested by this problem.

Searching for answers, I've found this question about "sticky citrus leaves", that looks very similar. But it's not a citrus, so I made my own question.

citrus question link:
How to cure sticky citrus leaves?


texts: How to get rid of bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis) once and for all?

texts:
I have an allotment in England where I grow vegetables and fruit. One of the biggest problems I am having with it (other than the soil desperately needing fertilising) is the bindweed infestation.

I have tried all sorts to get rid of it. I have tried digging the roots out by hand, but I have 150 sqr meters of ground to dig through & I have read that the roots can penetrate to a depth of 5m.

I have tried training it up bamboo away from my crops and spraying it with Glyphosate based weed killers.

All to no avail, it seems to come back within only a matter of a week or two.

I've looked around the internet for more answers, but can't seem to come up with anything.


texts: Can I keep this tree without it destroying my fence?

texts:
I have an unplanned (privet?) tree growing right at the base of a fence. It's currently around 15' tall at the peak, but not particularly wide.

I don't dislike this tree, except for the danger to the fence. Is there anything I can do to keep it without it eventually damaging the fence?


texts: What is this white thing growing at the base of this tree?

texts: This white mass has started growing at the base of this tree, we are curious what it might be? any thoughts appreciated. Were thinking it is some kind of fungus, but would love to know more. I am also not sure what type of tree this is.


texts: Why are my tree ferns' leaves drying out and dying?

texts: I have several large tree ferns that are dying. The leaves are turning brown, not one at a time, all together, and then dying. It seems to be spreading to other ferns in my yard. They have been here forever. I only water, and do not fertilize. Any ideas?


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I have several herbs in a hydrocultural system. I have recently noticed several budding flowers on some of my basil plants. Since my goal is to maximize leaf yield, should I trim them off to conserve energy?
I have learned from some instructions that I should aggressively prune the top to allow side leaves to come out and to curb its height. I wonder if I should trim off most of the upward shoots.


texts: Would Diatomaceous Earth work for spraying unreachable Tent Caterpillar nests?

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In trying to help answer another person's question, I realized that I have one of my own.

I try to manually remove the tent moths from my trees every year, using both a step ladder and extension ladder. But, I still can't reach them all. I live in Virginia, USA.

How effective/harmful would spraying Diatomateous Earth in liquid form be (using a hose sprayer) be on those tents that I can't reach, so that they don't spread? We would only be specifically spraying the tents. (And no, I don't use it in my gardens or yard, myself.)

I have a very sweet neighbor who has different views on things. (He loves grass. Not gardens, bugs, and birds.) We have always been able to compromise, and he no longer sprays pesticides and weed killers onto my property with his hose, but we do have some trees that border our properties, and I am hoping to come up with a solution that will make us both happy this year.

I welcome any and all advice (including alternative solutions) as an answer to this question! Thanks.

(Added info) The hose jet-streaming method (although being the ideal solution) has not worked to break open these tents unless you are pretty close to them. It doesn't work on the higher tents, even when I am trying to shoot them from a ladder, with the strongest water pressure that we have.


texts: Desert plant looking like a stone / chunk of dried wood

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I have seen both in a market and in a botanic garden a desert (?) plant which looks like a ball (20 cm diameter) of dried wood, with a lot of cracks/grooves, from the middle of which a small trunk (10cm) grows.
Do you know the name?