texts: Self watering planters. Top watering strategies

texts:
There really isn’t much definitive information on self watering pots.
I’ve planted 3 6ft tall fiddle leaf plants in a Lechuza 43cm pot. The pot instructions say every third watering fill the reservoir by top watering. They say to do this to regulate the mineral build up. This article mentions never top watering as it will drown the plant.
Continuing to top water (every third time) sounds sensible to me. The roots above the reservoirs should receive some moisture and surely letting the substrate above the reservoirs become bone dry can’t be good. Is my reasoning correct ?
Top watering is sure to be iffy as when I watered it in the original nursery pot I could pass through six litres and only have one cup drain out. The reservoirs holds six litres. So if I fill the reservoir from the top I’d probably have to put probably 9-12 litres through.
Main question: is top watering really needed ? if I do top water how should I do it ? I live in a flat and the pot does not have a removable inlay so getting it wrong is gonna be a disaster.


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I have some poincianas in pots that I started from seeds back in early July. In the summer, I kept them outdoors on the balcony and they mostly did quite fine, although later in August, some of the leaves on the lower branches would turn yellow with some areas remaining green, giving the impression of spots. The yellowed leaves also stopped opening up with the sun. I did a little research and discovered that poincianas generally prefer drier soil, so I reduced the amount of water they get.

Once the weather started to cool, I brought them indoors and put them in a bright and sunny spot. I have been trying to keep them very dry (watering lightly every 2 or 3 weeks), and while plants seem to be growing new leaves (although slower than in the summer), I'm still seeing lower leaves turning mostly yellow and then falling off.

How should I be watering these plants? I'm concerned about under-watering, but it seems that almost any amount of water lately  is over-watering and causing leaves to turn yellow and fall. To be honest, they're not obviously wilted from lack of water, but they're still rather small (they are between 5 and 5.5 inches tall) so I was worried that too little water and they'd die and not recover. How can I safely water them without killing them?

The yellowed leaves are mostly on the right here, though you can see that one stem on the left side of the image is developing some yellowed leaves as well, closer to the trunk. The progression of yellowing always starts near the trunk and moves towards the tip.

Close-up of yellowed leaves.

Another angle.


texts: I would like to know if it is possible to plant trees in a difficult spot

texts:
My question is;  what trees can I possibly plant in the area between walls?
I was unable to load a picture of the (walls)so I hope I can describe this.
I have 2 walls in my backyard (the issues), a 4ft block retaining wall and a 6ft block privacy wall.

The retaining wall is 10ft in front of the privacy wall. The privacy wall is on a hill about 12ft from the ground with a (?) grade which the retaining wall is holding. We live in a high desert area, so shade is needed.

The length of both walls is 60ft. They run parallel to each other East/West.


texts: How deep should drip irrigation be installed?

texts: I just moved into a new home, and the flower bed drip irrigation is buried under mulch and about 2 inches of sandy loam.  This isn't a correct install is it?


texts:
Last year I had 3 pine trees cut down in my yard due to safety concerns during inclement weather. These trees were healthy and disease free. After grinding the stumps I had piled the remaining wood chips from stump grinding into a pile. I placed lawn clippings, dead shrubs, on the pile. Coming back to this pile I have noticed it is beginning to compost, nearing a dark brown/blackish color.
Would it be safe to mix this inside a 5 gallon bucket for container gardening? Are there any chemicals present in pine that contribute to allelopathy that would harm vegetable plants?


texts: How much water can you save with self-watering containers?

texts: I live in a place with very limited water resources, making it difficult to grow food. So I thought I should give self-watering containers a go after reading that they can save a lot of water. But exactly how much can they save? Are we talking about something like 80% or 90%? Or just 50%


texts:
Hi my two chillis had an ok summer.. they came in a bit late and had some light and water through winter
Basically they’ve lost leaves and appear to have some growth nodes at the base... shall I save the plants some energy and prune trunk back by 50% making them less leggy?
They west facing in north west uk where we are experiencing unusually good weather..


texts: I'm a new plant mum and my butterfly palm doesn't seem to be too happy! I've got a grey growth on one of the main stems and it appears at the roots too - any advice what to do? I don't over water it (once a week or so, when soil is dry) and it's kept out of direct sunlight.


texts: Will Lilac do well in soil with a high concentration of clay?

texts: I would like to plant some Lilac but may be cursed with Missouri clay. Will Lilac generally do OK if planted in clay-rich soil? What is a good way to start a new planting?


texts:
This vine (I don't know its name, if you can tell me, that'll be great) was blooming with yellow colored flowers when it was merely 9 feet long and was planted in a pot. But later, I planted it in the ground for better growth. It's growing well, and now it's more than 20 feet long but it hasn't had a single flower on it since last year.

Can anybody shed light on what the problem may be with it, and how can I get it to flower again?

A few more details:
I am from India, its quite warm (actually hot) here. This vine (or climber) is planted outside in ground. It get direct sunlight, around 3 - 4 hours every day. Rest of day its in light but not direct sunlight.

As fertiliser, I gave it dosages of Humic and Amino acid blend with farm yard manure. But I am not regular about fertiliser dosage.


texts: Can I kick rats out of the garden with a Euphorbia?

texts:
Today I heard that there is a Euphorbia which removes rats from vegetable gardens. Unfortunately I didn't get the specific name of the Euphorbia.

Do you know what kind of Euphorbia it could be (I would say something similar to E. lathyris)?  Do you have good experiences?


texts: What is the succulent with all the leaves coming from the same centre in this succulent group?

texts:
Could you please ID succulent D in the following picture? D and F are somewhat different than the rest. What is its hardiness zone? Would it survive the coldness of zone 5, if left outdoor in the winter, while keeping it in its current container and arrangement?

This question is based on another (closed) question.


texts: Plant with pink five-petalled flowers and waxy ovate leaves

texts: Please help identify this plant. The cutting rooted and it's now flowering,  but I have no idea what it is.


texts: Does it matter if I cull the flower or fruit for higher fruit quality?

texts:
I have a tropical Century Guava that will soon be putting out dozens of flowers. I would like the resulting fruit to be bigger, so I need to do some culling. Will the final fruit quality differ if I cull the flowers versus culling the small fruit that they become? I am hesitant to jump the gun and cull the flowers because I don't know how many will be pollinated and I don't want to abort potentially good fruit. If waiting to see their potential will sacrifice quality, then I may be forced to do that.

By the way, this is the same guava tree that almost died on me. It dropped 80% of all its leaves in the spring. It regrew new branches and leaves quite vigorously these past months. Now it's creating flower buds like crazy.


texts: How much sunlight do these rooted mint saplings need?

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I have rooted mint in these two types of setups.

10 inch plastic pot filled with potting soil that has a water rooted mint cutting placed for more than 7 days. It has been in indirect sunlight all the while. (Refer to Image below)

Cut plastic bottle bottoms with mint cuttings that have rooted but the upper portions are curvy not straight and taut (Due to grocery store mints being that way.) Last time I took them out in this condition without cutting the upper curvy tops 4 out of 5 of them wilted and someone suggested cutting the tops off next time. These have established new sideways branches in some, others have not. (Refer all images except No.2). There's some algae in the roots of one of the 14 day in water cutting.

My questions are-

Should I keep both the potted cutting in direct sunlight now? If so, should I start hardening off? It has no big leaves but only small ones on top.

Should the bottled cuttings be placed in pot? If so should I cut the tops? Or should I wait for roots to get real dense? How should the direct sunlight schedule be?

Should the bottled cuttings be placed in 3" pots first? To prevent roots drowning?


texts: Is it OK to re-use existing turf/sod when levelling lawn?

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I have a relatively new house and lawn (less than 2 years), but the house builder left the back garden sloping towards the house. It wasn't a problem until the start of this year when after heavy rain, water would pool near the house.
So I'm planning on levelling out the lawn, giving it a slight slope away from the house.

I've hired a turf cutter to take the grass up, skip ordered, wheelbarrow and landscaping rake purchased.

The existing grass is fine, no dead patches, no disease, no moss but a bit 'thatchy'. Is is OK to re-use this turf/sod? I've Googled so many 'how to level out lawn' guides/videos and all seem to use new turf?

As I'm on a tight budget (I'm doing all the work instead of paying £thousands), it seems a bit of a waste to buy new grass in?
I've bought new-turf fertiliser to put that down on the topsoil before re-laying the sod.


texts:
I've had 4 Lavender de Provence die on me. They are drying up and dying. I've always considered myself a green thumb, but these plants and I are just not grooving. I was told they're the best plant for gopher repellant, drought tolerant, and do well in rock gardens.I've planted 8 of them 4 have died in the last 3 months.

I've dug one up to see if maybe there was no soil from all the gopher activities, but they seem to be fine. Roots are there, plenty of soil, not too wet, nor too dry...I'm stumped. Any suggestions?


texts:
I would like to turn my small backyard (currently 200 sq ft occupied by dead grass, nearly to the point of dirt) into something similar to a dog run, where the ground is just covered in mulch and/or bark. I tested a small area with a couple bags of cypress mulch (which is about $2-3 each) and it seems to work well-- dogs don't get muddy, puddles don't form, and dog poop is easy to see and cleanup.

I have a few questions about how to proceed:

Do I need to remove my dead grass first?
What do I need to consider in terms of drainage (mulch drains really well)?
Do I need to layer with different sizes or types of mulch, and how thick should I make it?


texts: What do I need to know to build stone steps?

texts:
Can I do this safely and economically by myself?
What skills do I need to build using natural stone?
What's better about doing it yourself? Why wouldn't I hire a contractor?
What do I need to know before I start?


texts: Yellowish pattern on leafs of tomato seedlings

texts: My tomato seedlings are experiencing discolouration on the leaves. I am unsure of what this could be. Any suggestions?


texts: Why are my raspberry's leaves curling up?

texts:
Last fall I planted 4 raspberry plants, two Heritage and two Killarney.  Recently the two Heritage have had a handful of leaves curl up and fold in half so you only see the bottom of the leaf which looks very white.  Today one of the Killarney plants had a few leaves that looked similar.  I attached a couple pics below.

Some background.  The soil is mostly clay, but I mixed a bunch of compost into it when I planted the raspberries.  We have gotten a lot of rain lately so I wondered if it could be a cause of too much water?  I haven't used any herbicides or fertilizer recently.

Click on photograph for full size


texts: When is the best time to plant Knockout Roses in North Georgia?

texts:
I live in North Georgia (USA) and I want to grow a rose bush. Knockouts are sold around here all the time and are fairly cheap, and I'm wondering when is the best time to put one in the ground?

I started one this past spring and lost it to a combination of over watering, black spot mold, not enough sun, and then drought (hey, it's been a fun year).

I'm going to pick a sunnier spot this time so the mold shouldn't be as much of an issue and will take care and do a better job watering too.

Should I start one now (later October/early November, we should be getting a frost any day now) or wait until Spring?


texts: What to do with tomatillo and chilli plants in winter?

texts:
First time gardener here. This year I decided to grow some tomatillos and mexican chillies in my garden. Although it was some hard work I also had a good harvest (for my first time) and fun overall.
Now winter is coming and my plants are dying. I already knew that this type of plants can't stand cold weather, so I knew this day would come. Last year we were around 2-5 degrees C during winter everyday (but no frost) and under 10 C until about April, I expect this year will be the same. My question now is, what do I do with my plants?

They have lost a lot of leaves, but they actually don't look that bad (to my untrained eye). Should I just cut down whatever is remaining of them and take them to composting somewhere? I feel kinda bad because they still look alive.

Next year I want to plant again, but cut down in numbers. This year I had 10 tomatillos plants, and about 20 chilli plants. I didn't think all of them would surive (first time gardening) so I planted a lot. It turns out they did all survive!. I don't have as much time anymore to take care of them and I am frequently out of town. Next year I think I only want to keep 3+6 plants maybe. Also, I'm not really wanting to get into composting. I'm ok with taking them somewhere, or have them collected, for someone else to compost.

Also, although I do have an actual garden, I used growbags for all of my plants. What do I do with the soil? If I cut down the plants, is it ok to just spread it around the garden? We are talking about 21 growbags that can fit 3 plants each, so that's a lot of soil, I think. I don't suppose it's healthy to reuse that for next year, right?

Sorry about the long post. In summary: what do I do with my plants (and soil) now that winter is coming and they are dying?
Pics attached in summer and today for reference

Many thanks!


texts: Can someone tell which pest droppings looks like this?

texts:
I found these droppings near a flower pot in the front of our house. Has anyone seen anything like this? Btw, I live in the pacific NW area.

Adding some more pictures as per request in comments and answers:

Disclaimer: Image look very big than their original size :)


texts: Please identify cause of dead spots on my Malabar spinach

texts: I noticed there are small spots on the plant, but they keep getting bigger and eventually turned brown, like dead spots on the leaf. How do I get rid of these? I've already cut all the affected leaves but they keep coming back on the new leaves.


texts: What's the name of this raised wooden box structure around a tree on the sidewalk?

texts: What's the name of this wooden box around the tree on the sidewalk? Does it have any utility?


texts: Identification of fungus like fuzz on apple tree

texts:
This is an apple tree in western Germany that recently began to show some white fuzz on a couple of snags on the tree. Can you identify this by the shown picture?

Does it any harm, shall I take any measures?


texts: Banana plant leave stems broken, cut off completely or splint it?

texts:
I bought a 2ft tall banana plant with some pretty large leaves from a nursery. It is in good health but unfortunate a few large stems broke during transport. It is still connected but no longer able to support the weight of the large leaf.

I tried to splinter the stem with a pencil and tape to hold it up. Is this a worthless effort? Should I cut the stems off?

How fast can I expect the stems to grow back? This is planted in a 16 gallon pot on a south facing balcony. What are some tips to make the recovery fast?


texts:
I am a beginner in farming. I would like to learn on self sustainable and self reliant farming.

Any advice on best way to start, sites or books that I can look into. I am hoping to learn basic farming from small garden to small live stock.


texts: What is the difference between watering your plants early in the morning and late at night?

texts:
I've heard that you shouldn't water mid day, but should you water more during the day, or night?

What is the rule of thumb on what part of the plant you want to affect more?


texts:
I am trying to cull crabgrass from my desert yard.  I live in central Arizona.  The crabgrass will grow in intense heat and seems very robust.  It tends to grow more rapidly in shaded areas of the yard during summer but will also grow to some extent in seemingly detrimental environment conditions.

I want to get rid of any remaining crab grass as the landscaping is desert style with only indigenous plants.

I prefer to not use any chemicals.  I've done very good over the last 20 years but this one is beating me down.  I just can't seem to win.

I recently heard of solarization. What is this?  I'm not a gardener so I'm always running into terminology that is new to me.  From what I understand this is a possible solution but have no experience.

Can someone explain the benefits of solarization?
Will solarization have any negative possibilities associated with it?


texts: Thousands of tiny white eggs (?) on fig tree leaves - what are they? What to do?

texts:
I'm in Long Island and have a fig tree in my yard. I added some top-soil to the base a week or so ago. I don't know if it is related, but yesterday I found that the leaves are infested with what look like thousands of tiny white eggs. See photos.

The eggs are only on the top side of the leaves, not much on the stems. They look too distinct to be powdery mildew (I think?)


texts: Is it important to deal with gall wasps on oak trees? If so, what is the best method?

texts: Gall wasps are a common problem here on the east end of Long Island. Oaks are a dominant species around here, and many clients rely on them for shade around their houses and yards. What should be done about trees that are found to be infested with gall wasps?


texts: Peonies stopped growing and froze in time

texts:
In March this year, before the lockdown, we purchased 2 peonies in our local garden center in the south east of London which were about the same size: Sarah Bernhardt and Karl Rosenfield. Picture of our peonies is at the bottom of this question.
We re-planted both of them in early April to the spot where they are now. After re-planting,

Sarah Bernhardt carried on growing and even produced a bud on top. Unfortunately towards the end of April that bud dried out, and the plant stopped growing. All the other new shoots coming from its root were drying out as well.
Karl Rosenfield was growing way slower and also stopped.

Both are looking exactly the same for already 2 months, they are neither dying nor growing.
We fed them once with slow release multi-purpose granules based feed when we replanted them in early April. We din't plant them deep as it was recommended online in many gardening blogs.
Questions:

We read that peonies dislike re-planting, but since Sarah Bernhardt doubled its growth since re-planting, could that be the actual reason?
What did we do wrong to cause them to stop their growth?


texts: Is my pothos too root-bound? -- Tiny leaves in new growth

texts:
I bought this golden Pothos a year ago and it looks great, healthy and growing well until recently. 5 weeks ago I pruned it for the first time (I am propagating the cuttings in water and those seem perfectly healthy). But now the new growth that is coming out from the vines is really tiny. Really tiny leaves! I am trying to figure out what the problem might be and wanted your opinion.

This plant has been living in the same spot for the last year, near a East facing window where it gets a bit of direct morning light but mostly indirect light. I let the soil go pretty dry before watering. I have been fertilising it for the past 2 months or so with a general liquid fertiliser every other watering. It has never been repotted and it is quite root-bound, as you can see in the picture. I left it like this because I read, and also experienced in the past, that these plants like to be root-bound. I wonder if I overshot here?

Thank you!


texts: What is the Most Effective Ground Cover For a Large Area?

texts: What is the cheapest and most effective ground cover and weed blocker for a large area?  I am using black weed blocking sheets but they aren't terribly effective.  I'm not sure how to proceed.  I'm thinking tiles, stone or possibly mulch over the weed blocker, but I know it won't be cheap. Any ideas?


texts:
The cilantro have grown a lot of true leaves but not so much the basil and oregano. I planted them all at the same time. I don’t know if im supposed to thin any of them out now and how exactly to thin them out.
Also i planted them exactly 3 weeks ago on march 12.


texts:
I tried to search about this specific spots, but couldn't find anything relevant.
But I'm also new to plants and gardening, so I probably don't know exactly what I should be looking for.

I got this dracaena lemon lime a few weeks ago, but it started getting a few brown spots on the leaves, as you can see above.
I'm not sure what it is, does anyone know and know how to deal with this?
I usually water once per week since it's been hot, and spray and clean its leaves too.

Thanks!


texts:
I have these really annoying green shoots coming up all over my backyard and they all connect to bigger roots below the ground. Also, whenever I dig to put in a new plant I’m finding these ovular-shaped tuber things. I’d like to know if the two are related, which tree they’re coming from and what, if anything, I can do about them. The tree circled in red is the one I suspect is the problem but I’ve included other possible culprits. Please let me know if you need any other information. Thanks in advance!

https://imgur.com/a/lZjFfNs


texts: I've had a Nepenthes (I believe Alata) for several years now. I have a question, probably because I have not been too observant: After a trap appears on a leaf and then subsequently dies off, will another trap grow where the old trap had been? Or is it "one trap per leaf."? If it is the latter, I would then cut off the dead or dying traps to give the entire plant a nicer appearance.


texts: Is dolgo crabapple a dwarfing rootstock?

texts:
Emerald Spire crabapple is produced by grafting onto Dolgo crabapple stock.  I know that apples are commonly grafted onto crabapple rootstocks to dwarf them. On a Dolgo root stock the tree nominally gets to be 15 feet high x 6 feet wide.

Can you do the opposite: graft crabapple scion wood to a full size apple rootstock to get a larger tree? I would like to get a 30 foot high tree.


texts:
I have just discovered that some of my carrots have this very dense presence of insects.

Are they aphids?

I have learned recently that ants love to grow aphids and I could notice some ants around aphids in other plants before. But this is different: around these carrots, there is a massive highway of ants (not sure if it is related).

What should I do about this?


texts: What causes the stems of sunchokes to turn red and lower leaves to die?

texts:
The bottom leaves of my sunchokes are beginning to die in tall grass, and a reddish color (with a small bubble that looks like a boil from the long stems that come out) is going up the main stem on one of the plants.

Does that mean I should dig them up, cut back on the water, or something else?

finally was able to get some images of it from someone:


texts:
This answer recommends putting down a layer of compost mulch in the fall in order to slowly feed the tree. (In addition to the unmentioned weed control and moisture regulation.)

It makes sense to me -- I was ready to go out and spread compost around my apple, peach, and maple trees a couple of weeks ago until I did some reading that suggested I should wait until April.

The advice in books and elsewhere said that we should feed/mulch trees in spring in order to prevent stimulating new growth just before cold weather (to avoid winter kill). In addition, they caution against mulching heading into winter to avoid providing a home for mice or voles.

Which is correct? Is a late fall feeding really going to stimulate any growth?


texts: Why are my morning glory flowers closing so early?

texts: I love glories, particularly Grandpa Ott glories. They open in the morning, but by noon, they have closed. Is that because it is so hot here in Florida? The leaves showed some yellowing, and I figured it was from too much watering. But now I'm concerned about the blooms closing so early. What's going on?


texts: What are the white specks on my Strelitzia's leaves?

texts: I have a white fungus on my Strelitzia. It started as little specks on the leaves and I would like to know what it is, what caused it and what will get rid of it.


texts: Can I fertilize my plants after putting pesticide?

texts:
I have a problem with my plants; they have mealybugs, aphids and fungi. Tonight I sprayed them with agricultural pesticide, also cutting the infected branches and even exterminated some plants.

I wanted to know how they could be stronger (because I use strong chemicals and I hope this kills the plague). Can I give them fertilizer the next night, and can I put vermicompost?


texts: Is there a way to discourage blackbirds, but not other birds, from visiting my yard?

texts:
I have a couple bird feeders set up in my yard. I enjoy almost all of the birds that visit, cardinals, finches, even the occasional bluebird. But about every other day I'll walk outside to be greeted by an entire flock of blackbirds.

They'll not only chase away all of the other birds, but they'll seriously eat all the birdseed in a day. I'm afraid that once my garden is established next year, they'll continue eating through all my berries.

Is there something I could do to discourage the flocks of blackbirds from visiting my yard. Or  would it be best for me to just take away the bird feeders now?

Here are what my bird feeders look like, in case that's important.

Photos from Lowes.com


texts: Should I till the area around the house where I'm going to relandscape?

texts:
I'm pulling up the mulch and fiber around my house from the previous owners. It was poorly laid and it turned into a big weed issue. Some parts they only put mulch down and no fiber/plastic. I've sprayed RoundUp a couple of times and there are still some small weeds coming up.

Would tilling around the house help or would breaking loose the top inch or 2 of soil be enough? I'm going to be putting down fiber again with washed river rock. I'm not putting any plants in the rock this year. Possibly next year.


texts: What is this tropical houseplant with alternate leaves?

texts:
Found this houseplant in a store, marketed as "assorted tropicals".  It seems to resemble Coffea Arabica, but I'm not sure how to tell for sure.

Any tips in general on how to identify a plant, starting from no knowledge of where it is native?


texts: I've heard there are many fast growing trees. Can  anyone tell me the fastest growing one suitable as a shade tree near a house? I bought a new house and need a super fast growing tree. I love maples.


texts: How should I take care of this kind of flower?

texts:
I had this flower for 4 years. It used to bloom in the first 2 years but now it doesn't. Can anyone help me know what kind of flower it is and how should I take care of it.
Thank you


texts: Why are commercial tomato seedling so thick and strong?

texts:
Why are commercial tomato seedling so thick, strong and have so many branches? Take this image for example:

But on the other hand, most of my plants are super tall and very thin, although they have plenty of space, good light and potted in commerically available potting soil.

Any tips and tricks for how to raise thick and strong tomato seedlings? I make them thicker by cutting the main growth, but not all people do that and still have strong plants.


texts:
I planted this tree a few months back and it's been growing rapidly in the summer sun here in Cyprus. We have average daytime temperatures of around 40 degrees C (104 degrees F) at this time of year, and will for another two months or so before things start to cool down.

Should I be pruning this tree at this point in its life? I don't want it to get too gangly or take over the garden, and I eventually want a tree that has a canopy that I can walk under (to access other parts of the garden), so I'm eyeing the lower shoots as candidates at this time.

Can anybody advise me on this?

UPDATED:
As some have requested them, here are some more pictures to make it more clear how the tree is growing. Apologies for the state of the garden in general (work in progress).

I was also advised to expose the top set of roots. A local cat and her kittens have done a pretty good job of it, but I've made sure they're exposed. Is this good enough?

All I've exposed so far are the thin, spindly roots. I used some water to soften the soil.
Thanks for the input on this. To answer a question, I'd love a tree that gives both shade and fruit, if possible.


texts: Completely sealing drip system hole plugs

texts:
I used several of these hole plugs:

However, they are not sealing very well toward the end of the line (presumeably because the pressure builds up there). Should I use the larger end of the plug? Or is there another method of making a perfect seal?


texts: How do you tell the difference between sunflowers and sunchokes?

texts:
I think I have some sunflowers on my plot from a previous owner in the community garden, and was wondering how I can tell the difference between sunflowers and sunchokes.

Please provide images.


texts: Can I use a moss support for my Hoya Plant?

texts: My Hoya has been hanging for most of its life. Recently, we moved and there are no hanging spots with enough light. Currently, it is sprawled out on my counter, but I would prefer more structure. Can I use a moss support to structure my Hoya??


texts: Citrus fruit stopped growing, what to do

texts: We have a 4 year old dwarf lemon tree. It has never flowered until this year. Many flowers and a lot of fruit, however the fruit seems to have stopped growing and has been stagnant for 3 weeks. We have 100 degree heat and this tree sees the morning sun. It is well watered. What can we do to get this fruit to start growing again?


texts: Short shiny silver threads in potted plant soil?

texts:
I have an indoor potted plant, and I'm seeing this very freaky thing in the soil. It's hard to see in the video, and basically impossible to see without a flashlight or bright light shining on the soil, but the look like very short silver threads that are waving around. What are they? Are they alive? Is my plant doomed because of silvery space invaders?
Here's a picture of the plant:


texts: I have a Zygocactus houseplant and it surprises me by blooming during either Thanksgiving or Christmas, mostly Christmas. I've had trouble re-blooming last year, so I read the directions and it states to leave it in an area where it will get 13-14 hours of pitch dark/day. Now, I'm kind of confused because I dont know whether its saying to give it 13-14 hrs of pitch dark then alternate to day, or pick one; either 13-14 hours of pitch dark or 13-14 hours of day light (which is impossible). This may be a stupid question, but I had to ask because I really want it to bloom this Christmas. So far, I've had it in pitch dark for 13-14 hours a day. Any help on the directions?


texts:
I have an avocado tree I started from a pit. It has lived in upstate New York indoors and has grown tall and skinny. I recently moved to Atlanta, Georgia and so can have it outdoors more. The tree is somewhat crooked.

Should I prune it? (Possibly even cutting off the top half of the tree?)
Should I get a bigger pot?
Should I get some kind of system going to stabilize and/or straighten it out?
Should I keep it outside all of the time?


texts: Why and how are mushrooms growing in my indoor house plant soil?

texts: Every day I check my peace lily to see if it needs watering, and now there are two mushrooms growing in the pot! Please let me know why & how they are growing there and what I should do with them.


texts: It grew out of nowhere. I a kind of don't dislike it. Please help me id it.


texts: I am having one problem, i would be grateful if someone could give me a clue. The problem is as follows: my tomato low leaves are getting yellow and also showing tip burn, what could be the reason? Many thanks


texts: Mango Tree Young & Old Leaves Curling, Turning Crispy, Drooping, and Browning at the Tips

texts:
My tree is grown under a 2000W grow light a little over 3 feet away from the top of the foliage in 70F indoor weather. I figured I had a salt toxicity problem with my old clay pot full of salt all over. I changed the soil at first and I didn't see any improvements with the brown tips stopping so I tried to remedy the problem by flushing the soil with about 1.5 times the volume of soil with distilled water. The new soil blend felt pretty wet for a few days so I was concerned that the roots are going to rot. Around this time the new leaves started to crisp up as seen in the pictures. I decided to go get a brand new clay pot since when I tried to wash the old salt accumulated clay pot there was still too much residue left. I also bought Black Gold Cactus Mix Soil. The mixture can vary from states and I live in Washington.

Concerned that I gave my plant root rot and/or my soil is poorly aerated, I carefully removed the roots from the soil. I know root rot has your roots looking brown/black and soggy normally. My roots were black and felt a little bit on the brittle side but don't roots that are planted in soil become blackened normally anyways because of the color of the soil? Unsure if my roots were healthy or not, I made a 2 part distilled water to 1 part 3% hydrogen peroxide bathing solution to let the roots bathe in the solution for about 5 minutes. Some little tiny pieces of roots did break off in the process of me untangling the roots but nothing substantial. I then loosely put the plant into the cactus mix soil. I gave a few squirts of 2 part distilled water and 1 part H2O2 around the drip line and that was it.

A few days have passed and the soil has felt the same amount of dry and should be much more aerated from the pumice however I've only seen the affected foliage become more crisp and the overall foliage is all starting to droop. I don't know what to do anymore or what the problem is!!!


texts: Sprinkler head pools water while running only

texts: My sprinkler head pools a good amount of water only while it is running. Looking online, I can only find reference to low head drainage, which I don't think this is since it doesn't pool once that zone is turned off. Is this most likely a broken head that just needs to be replaced?


texts:
I live the U.S. but I read UK gardening books.  Can someone please explain what is "Horticultural Grit".  What is it make of, what is the size of the particles?  Is there some standard reference that defines or specifies "Horticultural Grit"?  If I wanted to buy it in the U.S., what would I ask for?

Thanks for the help.


texts:
My portulaca is growing a clump of short stems at the base of the plant like a sedum. The sedums use this to grow the next years growth. Could I dig my portulaca up and overwinter it indoors?

Update:

The plant did overwinter and grew well the entire next season. However, It didn't produce seed.


texts: Identification of shrub with variegated leaves and white flowers

texts: A friend of mine has seen this plant in a cemetery in Romania, zone 6b, and wants to know its name.


texts: Why does it matter so much in which season to prune?

texts: When I read about pruning the proper season to do it is often specified, and differs between plants. Why should the season matter? Are there actual risks to pruning at the wrong time, or is it just a matter of the time a plant takes to to start sending new growth around the cut parts?


texts: Is it good practice to replace water in Lucky Bamboo everyday?

texts:
My sis replaces water in the jar everyday, the plant grew well but it started turning yellow after couple of weeks. The plant was in bright indirect light.

I thought the plant needed less water changing, maybe I am wrong. I can't say why the plant grew well for few weeks and then started turning yellow. What's the reason for that? Is changing the water everyday the culprit?


texts: How can I get rid of the pennywort that is taking over my dwarf mondo grass?

texts:
I have a strip of dwarf mondo grass down the middle of my driveway.  Pennywort has started to grow in amongst it, and is gradually spreading and taking over.

I have tried manually weeding it out (was spending 10 or 15 minutes each day), however it's coming back as fast as I can remove it.  Because of the mondo grass roots, it's very difficult to get all the pennywort roots out.

The mondo grass is growing quite well in areas the pennywort hasn't reached yet.

Is there anything I can do?  Can I change the conditions to suit the mondo grass more than the pennywort and give it a better chance?

I don't mind using a herbicide if required.  I'm not much of a gardener so any help is appreciated.


texts: Where should I trim to convert this ash tree in a bonsai?

texts:
Two years ago I planted a local ash tree in a pot in my balcony. It shares a fairly a pot with a maple and oak that you may see in the pictures.
The ash has been the quickest to grow and at this point I would like to experiment and try to convert it into a bonsai. I let it grow for a while to allow the trunk to widen, and it is now 70 cm tall, and a truck thick enough for my taste.
I have a new bonsai pot and my plan would be to move it there when it is ready.  I thought the first step would be to trim it down to a reasonable height, but I am not sure where to cut.
In this picture you can see the tree, and I marked how much it grew last year, and how much has it grown so far.

In the following picture I marked the places where I considered cutting the trunk.
Cut #1 would be at the spot right where the tree stopped growing last year and would leave the tree without leaves. But it would have a desirable height.
Perhaps it is more intelligent to make the cut at #2, so it still keeps 4 branches, giving it a better chance of recovering.
Cuts #3, #4 and #5 are just marked to facilitate discussion.
A week ago I pinched the tree at #6 in the hopes I could keep it from growing, but all I have achieved is the appearance of 2 extra buds in between the top branches and the trunk.

Regarding the repotting, I was thinking that I should first do the trimming on its current pot, wait a while for the tree to recover and then repot it. Does that make sense?


texts:
I received some sort of green chilli pepper plant from a friend. (I don't know which kind; the flowers are small, white, and five-petalled.)

Usually, when the chillies are around a handspan in length, I harvest them. Since early frost is October 1st, I harvested the remaining few and left the plant to "hibernate."

Two days ago, I noticed a single, bright red chilli pepper growing on the plant.

What makes chillies turn red/yellow/orange? Is it simply a function of ripening time, after some length is achieved?


texts: Dill, cilantro, and fennel cross pollinating

texts:
I've read several conflicting pieces of information on the growing of dill, cilantro, and fennel near one another. I've read that fennel and dill will grow well together and make good companion plants, however I've also read that they will cross pollinate to make a foul-smelling hybrid. I've read that dill and cilantro will cross pollinate to create a rather disgusting culinary useless hybrid, but I've also read that they can be beneficial to one another's growth. I have not, however, read anything on cilantro and fennel growing together. How do these three plants fare when grown with one another, and is there any risk of cross pollination or hybridization?
To cut costs I am planning on using the seeds again. I (personally) don't particularly care about hybrids or GMOs, I just want to be able to use the plants as herbs. However, should the hybrids not be culinarily useful, I would begin to care.


texts: What are the longest pole hedge trimmers available?

texts:
I have several tall hedges... Some over 20 feet. I'd like to keep them pruned but it's expensive to keep hiring a landscaper.
What products are out there for really long reach hedge trimming, and what's the longest reach you can get?
Note: I'm not asking for product recommendations, rather a round up of what's tools exist. Google is not providing great answers as it just gives me regular trimmers and small pole ones.


texts: How to treat a magnolia with white fuzz on its leaves?

texts: I can’t find photos with similar problem in the internet. Therefore, I don’t know how to treat this. Please help me, the tree looks worse each day.


texts: Why are my indoor strawberry's leaves turning brown?

texts:
There is a problem with my strawberry, see the photos

It's been growing in this container for about four months. It grows indoors. I have fed it recently, after that the leaves started to turn brown.

Is the plant sick? What can be done about it?


texts:
What is wrong with my Camellia?

It hasn't been looking too happy recently but I just returned from a 2 week holiday and it looks like this (I live in London, uk and it should get sun most of the day)


texts: I just dead headed all my salvias about a week ago and they aren't looking so good. Also, it's been raining like crazy the past week.. maybe this has something to do with it? The leaves are turning brown and whole stems are dying. Any ideas as to what's going on with them?


texts:
I planted an Aristocrat Pear tree about a month ago. It was droopy when I got it but thought it was due to being in the pot for too long and not getting enough water. I  figured it would get better after I planted it.

Unfortunately it's gotten worse. I gave it plenty of water and am now wondering if that might be the problem.

I had read something about overwatering and the ground getting over compacted but can't seem to find it now. I tried loosening up some soil around it and only waterring to the roots but that hasn't helped.
What can I do to save my tree?


texts: Lime tree with older leaves getting brown and dry

texts:
To continue with my saga of "I am growing citri but am hopeessly clueless about it," I noticed today that some of the leaves of my (Eureka) lime sapling are patched with dry, brown spots (see below).

These leaves are the smallest and oldest, at the base of the tree. Now, I am unclear on whether I should be worried, or if it is normal given the time of year (November, so late Fall where I am)...

If I ought to be worried, what action should I take?

Edit: I have repotted this sapling 5 days ago, as it started to outgrow its previous pot. I am included another picture, showing that some newer leaves (although still among the first it grew) also show these spots:

Following stormy's answer, here is a picture of the full plant:


texts: Japanese Maple: Overwatering or Underwatering?

texts:
Uh oh -- Problem with my Japanese Maple! See leaf pics below.

I planted it spring 2016, so it's been in the ground over a year.

We have heavy clay soil. The soil wasn't super amended when I planted it, but I planted it well and kept it watered. No problems last year and this year it's been great until the last 2-3 weeks. I do not currently have mulch on top of the soil.

Thoughts? Overwatering? Underwatering? Something else? The pattern on the leaf seemed distinctive enough.


texts: Pomegranate splitting: Why is it happenning and how to prevent this

texts:
Why do my pomegranates keep splitting every year?

I have read some articles that they need even watering, with drip irrigation. Also too much nitrogen can cause the fruit to split. Does anyone have experience on this problem?

Edit:

We have to make more tags in this community like Natural-problems, plant-difficiencies, etc


texts:
I noticed that I have grubs in my garden. Is there anything Organic that I can use to get rid of them?
These little things totally destroy my tomato and pepper plants.


texts: Yellowish, brown and burning of leaves of greenhouse cucumber,according to fallen flowers without producing fruit

texts:
My cucumber plants,was growing well,and 4 weeks ago have started to flowering while their leaves beginning to yellow,brown and burning.
Then the flowers are falling and the fruits become small and do not grow, and after a few days fade and dying.
so that I earn 15 kg cucumbers from land with an area of 500 Square meters for every day.
I checked climate change, but this problem did not depend on water or heat...the used Variety is profusion؛ Kareem F1 Hybrid, and the season for our location is autumn, and the they are short,so that the total time of Radiation is 8 hours. I confused the problem was happen by the shortening of days or these marks are Symptoms of Nutrient Deficiencies on Cucumbers? and what kinds of deficiencies?
There are some pictures.
Thanks for your attention...


texts: How can I find sprinkler valves buried in my yard?

texts:
I had a lightning storm hit my house and my sprinkler system stopped working.  I replaced the Irritrol KD9 controller. The controller powers on and I have ~25 AC V on the line according to my multimeter (touching com/vc and zone 1).  None of the zones will come on.  I suspect the solenoids were destroyed too but I do not know where my sprinkler system valves are. How can I locate the sprinkler valves installed in my yard?

Walking around my yard so far I found:

(Same thing, but open)


texts:
I found this caterpillar a few days ago, and at that time it was green with lighter green stripes running along its body, black spots on its head, and a few fine hairs.

It had made a leaf of one of the purple coneflower plants in my backyard its home by curling it around itself using its silk. It had also eaten part of the leaf it was in. Wanting to show my younger brother to raise it into a butterfly or moth as a little project over the summer, I picked the plant and placed it into an unused aquarium. On that night it proceeded to a different leaf and made it its new home.

Over the next few days my brother and I took care of the caterpillar, and during that time it seemed pretty happy eating the leaves from the coneflowers that we put into the aquarium.

When I found it this morning within the now wilted, curled-up coneflower leaf, it was yellow. I don't think it has eaten anything at all for the past day either, and up until now it still hasn't. My thoughts were that it was getting ready to pupate, yet it still seems small and it refuses to climb any of the sticks in the container; also it crawls along the edge of the aquarium and is still doing so at this time.

It would be nice if I could get some help with identifying this caterpillar so I can take the appropriate measures. So far nothing has come up when searching for caterpillars that feed on purple coneflower leaves, though the species of caterpillar that it seems to resemble most closely is the sleepy orange, abaeis nicippe.

Edit: I added a little soil to the container and after a little crawling around the caterpillar pretty willingly dove in. Could it be a species that forms its pupa under the soil?


texts: For a new lawn, are mixed soils worth it?

texts:
I'm redoing my lawn because it was extremely unlevel. I've already flattened the whole thing, scraped out all the old grass, and now I'm ready for top soil.

After calling a few local places, I've learned that some of them offer different mixes, involving soil, potting mix, and sand. Is there any reason to get such a thing for a lawn?

A related question, but perhaps too localized: There's an excavation place that had soil from job sites from around the area. They say they sift it for size, but that's it. Is there a likelihood that this soil is junk, or pretty much the same thing as other places that get their sifted soil from a local prairie?

I'm going to hydroseed, if that makes a difference.


texts: Reducing Leyland cypress to several lateral upward branches

texts:
I do have 12 years old, 9 meters (30 ft) tall, 4.5 meters (15 ft) wide, not-ever-pruned Leyland cypress. As you can guess, it threatens touching utility lines, and I think I have to remove it because of that danger. (Right now it doesn't touch the lines, but if I leave it this way next 10 years, it would be very difficult for an amateur gardener to remove it without interfering power lines.)
My plan is to gradually reduce it to several lateral (but curving upward) branches - over several years, so that I do not kill it by an abrupt reducing of plant mass. That way I will get several little "floating" Leylandiis in next few additional years, that would be much easier to control - or even remove altogether.
Is my plan feasible/wise/good?
EDIT: I just did the phase 1 - I removed about 25% of the tree at the bottom. these branches and leaves anyway receive much less sun than other parts, due to proximity of other plants, so I think it likely the plant will continue to live. After pruning, I noticed some small amount of sap in the area of cuts, don't know if this is a good or bad sign. I plan additional 10% removal in spring. Perhaps in a year and a half I will complete my plan.


texts: Are fiberglass planters good for citrus trees?

texts:
I have ordered two 5-7 year old citrus trees(orange and lime). Now I am looking for sturdy enough planters to plant them in in my backyard. I am going for the look underneath. However if I get that made out of cement it would way around 800lbs for 31 inches in diameter. My floor is marble and it will likely crack under this pressure.
I see that there are fiberglass options that are a lot lighter. Will those be sturdy enough to contain the trees without breaking over the pressure of the roots.
I am also planting in planters because I don't want the trees to get really big.


texts: Is there a practical difference between HDPE and LDPE irrigation tubing?

texts: I see both HDPE and LDPE tubing advertised. Is one better?


texts: What are common places to try for alternatives to commercially available seeds?

texts:
Australia has a problem in that most garden and building centers where you can buy seed usually only sell one or two brands and there is such limited variety e.g. beans, lettuce, tomato etc. Also, the country being isolated, there are several restrictions on what can be imported, etc.

For my own interest I would like to try growing a larger variety of vegetables.  How can I go about finding alternatives to commercially available seeds or maybe heirloom varieties to try? I'm not looking for a specific retailer, but rather for the most logical place to look for alternatives.


texts: What is this short plant with little blue flowers?

texts: It is all over the garden, this short plant with little blue flowers. I a kind of like it, but what is it? The yard will be mowed soon, is it wise to move at least some of them to the corner for wide flowers, and let it grow?


texts: Perfect trees that doesn't require pruning

texts:
Recently I've finished pruning fruit trees and two 'weird' question crossed my mind:
Is it possible to produce a tree (or fruit or vegetable) that doesn't need pruning at all? Is possible to achieve something like this thru crossbreeding, grafting or genetic modification? There are all sorts of hybird plants which have improved characteristics... so why there isn't any 'perfect' tree which wouldn't require pruning (having perfectly shaped canopy)?
On the other hand, second weird question - what makes plants grow as lush as possible (with many branches, leaves, smaller fruits insted of bigger ones - quantity vs quality)?


texts: Why are my tomatoes cracking and what can I do?

texts:
(Memphis, TN. Zone 7)

First garden. I'm growing tomatoes in two parts of the yard. One gets more sun than the other: the partially-shaded area is producing well, but in the the sun-baked area they're cracking before they can fully ripen. Cucumbers, okra and peppers grow fantastically in these same beds, but I suspect the tomatoes are just not getting enough water. I've tried watering the hell out of them, but still, no dice.

Some have tiny spots, as well as cracks.

There are also hundreds of little flying bugs, tiniest things I've ever seen. (Searching this site, they look like whiteflies.) I don't use anything artificial, pesticides, etc. It's possible birds are getting in there, too.

Several tomatoes have actually rotted on the vine and fallen off as mush. :(

The (single) plant is also enormous. Could I simply need to trim/prune it back? I've done zero maintenance and just let it grow wild. Maybe it's just trying to grow too much fruit at once?

The tomatoes in the back yard, partially-shaded, have none of these problems. The plants are also smaller. Those are romas and grape tomatoes, though; I don't remember what kind the problem tomatoes are.

The soil in both areas is a mixture of dirt and compost (chicken & rabbit manure mixed with dried leaves and pine shavings) that had "cooked down" over last fall and winter (with my chickens scratching at it.) It was black gold by the time it went into the beds, so I don't think it's a nutritional deficiency, but maybe?

What can I do? Should I partially shade them? Is it just a bad spot? They're beautiful tomatoes until they crack, I'm so disappointed!


texts:
I have had this plant for over 17 years sitting near my kitchen sink near 2 windows.  Some say it looks like a peace lily however never had a white bloom on it.  This had always been a hearty plant and these spikes would appear sometimes.  I have looked for similar plants but haven't had any luck.  These growing spikes are what are throwing the search off.  If you can identify this plant I would greatly appreciate to know the name and where I can get another one.  I live in Michigan and it died from a problem with the window being slightly open when it was below zero.

This picture clearly shows the spike growth that no one has been able to identify

The wilted leaf 2 days after the freeze


texts: How can I tell if my lawn needs to be dethatched?

texts: I understand that a lawn may need to be dethatched periodically so the roots of the grass can reach into the soil (instead of into the thatch layer).  How do I tell if my thatch layer is getting too thick?  (Preferably before the lawn starts to look bad.)


texts: Plant has probably never blossomed. I suppose it was not very expensive to buy. Thank you for any hints.


texts: Do tomato plants like temperature and humidity changes?

texts:
I am growing some tomatoes in pots in a toy greenhouse. I've put a thermometer/ humidity meter inside.

The relative humidity changes from around 55% to 75%, and correspond to highest temperature of 26 Celsius (79 °F) and lowest around 17 °C (63 °F).

Both temperature and relative humidity are completely normal, but do plants prefer these changes? By which I mean, do the tomato greenhouse pros try to maintain a constant temperature and relative humidity, in order to maximize crop?


texts: On photo there is a plant I've got. Please help me identify what it is.


texts:
I'm on my 2nd lemon tree.  I live in Melbourne, Australia and lemon trees are the norm around here.   I suspect my first one died as it outgrew its pot, which was half the size of this one.  I'm currently renting, so need to keep it in a pot until I buy then I'll plant it in the ground.

Bearing in mind it is Winter here, I spotted that the leaves are beginning to wilt and also have spots of white which then end up being holes.  They look a little like burn marks, but I have not been watering in the sun nor has it been too sunny recently.

Any ideas on how to save this tree before its too late?


texts: I have the flowers, but how can I get seeds from my basil?

texts: My basil has produced very nice white flowers. It's still cold outside so I can't put the plant out and let nature take its course. How do I successfully obtain seeds from the flowering plant? Do I have to cross pollinate, or does basil take self-pollination? After how long will be plant finally die after the process took its course? I'm doing some experiments here, so please bear with me.


texts: Can I trim a blue spruce tree to keep it from getting larger?

texts: We have a blue spruce next to our house. It's probably as tall as I want it (I would guess 12 feet, basically reaching our roof line) and certainly as wide as I want it. Can I trim this tree to keep it from growing? If so, how would i go about this?


texts: How do I know if a fertilizer treatment is burning my trees?

texts:
I started using fertilizer spikes on my dwarfed citrus trees in small pots.  (Details may be found in this question.)  As suggested, I used half a spike for each pot and I put the spike as far from any roots as possible.

My understanding is that the risk I'm taking is that the fertilizer will burn the roots of these trees.  But I don't know what to look for.  Should I check the color of the leaves?  What color would I expect from fertilizer burn?  How long might it take to see symptoms?


texts:
We gave up on grass for much of our front yard after a disastrously hot and dry summer last year. (I couldn't morally live with the idea of soaking the yard with enough water to keep the grass alive, especially as I watched the primary area reservoir sink lower and lower.) So the problem parts of the yard are now covered in a few inches of dark mulch, with some rocks and native drought-tolerant shrubs, succulents, etc.  Looks a little goofy but I'm happy with it for the most part.

Anyway it's been a lot wetter so far this year. Over the past couple of days we've seen a burst of mushroom activity.  There are lots of them, almost uniformly across the shadier part of the area.  Now to me, ignorant though I am, that means that there's some really happy fungus working over the bottom layer of the mulch, which is probably a really great thing for the soil (which still has to keep some 20yo live oak trees alive). I figure it's a good thing to leave them alone, and I already plan to add some more mulch pretty soon and turn it over to some extent.

The things are kind-of freaking my wife out however, and she's worried that they might actually be bad for the trees.

I can't say that I've seen this specific type of mushroom before, but then I've never had any of that particular kind of mulch in my yard and I figure the spores were there when it showed up in the truck last fall.


texts: How to prove an avocado grown from a seed is not a Hass?

texts:
I understand that

In order for a Hass avocado to be so called, it needs to be
grown from a cutting - specifically growing it from a seed will not
result in a Hass avocado.
Avocados grown from seed take many
years longer to fruit then avocados grown from cuttings from mature
trees.
That having multiple Hass trees will not aid in cross pollination, Really  an A and a B type are required for ideal pollination [ unless you have very variable weather like in NZ causing a period of overlap, where the tree can pollinate itself ]

If I'm right is anyone able to point me to authoritative source (preferably online) of this information, or, if not, can you set me straight?  The specific reason I'm asking is that someone I believe to be a charlatan is advertising exhorbitant "non-hass" trees as Hass, and refusing to correct his advertisement and I would like to "force his hand" so that the naive people he is targetting are not bitten after tending a plant for 4 years...


texts: What could be this plant? Is this actually vine? Location is India


texts: In graft hybridisation does a younger stock facilitate more extensive hybrid effects in the scion?

texts:
There are anecdotes and articles where one kind of tree fruit scion has been grafted to the stock of another kind, perhaps with an interstock, and properties like flavour and shape have been affected (I have not linked to any, as I don't have enough rep yet).

In one case, a pear grafted to an apple has resulted in an apple shaped pear with a flavour in between.  And in another case, peach stock grafted to an almond interstock, grafted to a peach scion, resulted consistently in oval shaped peaches - and in the accompanying trees where the almond interstock failed normal round fruit as expected from the scion cultivar.  And one last study documented how reliably leaf colour of the stock combined with the leaf colour of the scion, to appear in the seedlings of the scion.

Then there is what is described as the old French technique of grafting "in and in".  This is where a scion is grafted to an existing tree, and as the scion fruit exhibits desirable properties of the stock tree, a further scion is taken from the growth of that scion, and grafted to the stock tree.  The process is repeated, with all scions of different stages available for comparison on the tree, in theory.

What I would like to know, is whether there is significantly more benefit to grafting a scion to a young new rootstock, as compared to grafting to a grown stock tree, in terms of the likelihood of more evident graft hybridisation effects?


texts: What's the common and scientific name of this plant?

texts:
Some people have told me it's frangipani but in my opinion, the petals are too fragile for it to be frangipani?

I need to know for my school project.


texts: I used my shower water to water my plants. What is the best soap to use, that will not harm the plants ?


texts: What are these small brown curved seeds?

texts: I got a plastic bag of seeds from my friend in church, but I don't know which kind of plant they will grow into when they come out. Would you please identify this seed?


texts: Does Rebutia grow better when grafted onto an Echinopsis?

texts: I have tried growing rebutias before, and failed because the plants lacked vigor and grew slowly. Would they do better if I flat-grafted it onto a columnar Echinopsis, to increase vigor? Are there any better rootstocks? Should I use a columnar type as a rootstock?


texts: Can you "seal" a cut off section of a tree to protect it from rot?

texts:
I have an oak tree that had a "Y" starting about 12 feet off the ground that I had one of them removed since it was reaching way over a neighbors property.  (It was literally half the tree).  Fast-forward several years, and the stub of that removed half has started to show visible decay / rot and I'm worried that the decay will creep down into the main trunk.  Maybe I waited to long, but I was wondering if I should cut the stub away and then seal it somehow?  Is that even a thing?  Do I need to hire a tree company to do this?

Thanks!


texts:
I want to plant Morning Glory to cover a fence.
I was told not to cause the growth  would be  unmanageable.
Is it really a problem?

Is a great deal of watering required ?


texts: I googled, and it looks exactly like a Trinette plant. Am I correct? or is it different?


texts:
I’m new here but hoping for some help. Is he going to die, am I watering too much?

I planted seeds around 1.5 years ago and I’m amazed how big he’s grown but recently he’s been turning yellowish brown

Can I save him? Thanks  Amy

enter image description here


texts:
I recently went home for the winter and left my Tulsi with a generous neighbour. They watered her daily, but when I returned after 5 weeks, I found that she had lost all her leaves.
Here's a picture from just before:

And here's what she looks like now:

What could have gone wrong? My guess is over watering, but how can I be sure? And more importantly, can she still be revived?
If it helps in the diagnosis, I live in Pittsburgh, US and it's been a fairly cold winter. My neighbour's room is well heated (with temps above 70 °F) but poorly ventilated.


texts: Can new branches be grafter to cedar hedge stump

texts:
I have a large cedar hedge that in most parts is very full and dense, but due to excessive outward growth and lack of consistent pruning, there are sections that are very open and "woody", with the stump exposed and not a whole lot of branches for new growth.
I've read that with cedar trees, old wood will not put out new growth, and as such, I'm concerned that this section of the hedge will not fill in well, given the lack of existing growth in the area.
I was wondering, is it possible to graft new small branches to the stump? If so, which grafting technique would be the most effective here?


texts: Yellow spots and yellowing on railroad creeper

texts: I don't know what it could be. I know it's not under watered, and I've been trying not to over water, but the spots looks weird, like if it was some kind of fungi.


texts: Planted my first rhubarb plant last year. It has about 7 stalks this year. All were green but one of the largest leaves near the base has just turned yellow. I definitely think we’ve over watered it the last week or so, but because it’s such a young plant, should I harvest that one stalk or rather leave it?


texts: Help me identify and how to manage, this shrub in my new house yard

texts:
Help me identify this shrub in my new house yard.

I live in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in USDA hardiness zone 6/7.

Should I cut it back?  When should I do that?
Also how can I propagate it?

Picture of plant in bloom:


texts: Can Ranunculus bulbs be re-used in cold climates?

texts: I've planted ranunculus for the first time this year in Minnesota (USDA zone 4). I beleive that these are not winter hardy here but can these be dug up, stored and replanted like dahlias, callas, gladiolus and the like?


texts: Why are the leaves on my capsicum plant curling and turning brown?

texts: Does anyone have any idea what's happening to my capsicum plant and what I should do about it? There are no visible bugs on the leaves.


texts:
Might seem like a stupid question at first, but let's think about this for a minute.

Obviously, the living tissues contain some water, but it seems negligible compared to the quantities that plants can seem to require.

Ask practically any child, or non-expert, "What do plants need?" And you'll probably get some variation of the same answer, "Sunlight and water", every now and then, you might even get "Carbon-dioxide".

Light is understandable, right?
Because, photosynthesis:

Dihydrogen-monoxide (water) and carbon-dioxide (exhalation) are also required for oxygenic photosynthesis:

CO2 + H2O + photons→ [CH2O] + O2

Or more specifically:

6CO2 + 6H2O + photons→ [C6H12O6] + 6O2

But still, I feel like this doesn't really account for the entirety of water spent (even considering evaporation, drainage, etc). Otherwise (it seems), we could flood LED lit, hydroponic greenhouses with pure carbon-dioxide, and watch the plants grow, science-fiction style.

Am I missing something here, or am I just incorrect?


texts:
We have a large mulberry tree that always has tons of berries but they never ripen.

Not sure what is wrong?


texts: Does removing the pistil from an Amaryllis flower extend the life of the bloom?

texts: I have several Amaryllis bulbs starting to bloom. Will removing the pistil extend the life of the bloom?


texts:
I'm growing catnip for, you guessed it, cats and the bunch I have is continuously growing flowers. I've been chopping them off but it's never ending.

Is there a cause or will this just always happen?


texts: How can I replace zoysia grass when it's also in my neighbor's yard?

texts:
The previous owner of my house planted a zoysia lawn, which is awful as I live in a cool climate. It's brown for most of the year. After digging up the entire yard for foundation repairs I tried to reseed with bluegrass but the existing zoysia sprouts have grown in and more has invaded from my neighbor's yard.

Is there a way to get rid of the zoysia and prevent it from coming back in from the yard next to mine? I've read about doing a non-selective herbicide spray a few times in August and then seeding with something new but I'm afraid I'll just end up with it creeping back in.

Is there a way to out-compete it with some other cool weather grass specie? Or another way to crowd it out reliably?


texts: After marcotting Mango, Chico, and Duhat, when will the roots appear?

texts:
We are planning to marcot Mango, Chico and Duhat.
Approximately how many days after marcotting each of these respective plants will the roots begin to appear?
We ask because we live in the equatorial regionPhilippines, and we would like to do it right the first time.
Per Wikipedia:

It can take the layer from a few weeks to one or more growing seasons to produce sufficient roots; this is largely dependent on the plant species and the vigor of the parent plant.

Edit (September 2, 2020) Daytime temperature in our place ranges from 34 degrees to 38 degrees Celsius.  Nighttime temperature ranges from 28 to 33 degrees Celsius.  It is very humid here.  There is the Laguna Lake nearby (so would that qualify for maritime climate?).  About the particular Mango species to be marcotted, I am not particularly sure about the scientific name, but I am attaching herewith a photo of said (ripe) Mango:

We are still uncertain about the following:

diameter & ages of branches intended; and
specific air layering methods intended

Are there prescribed procedures/methods for these, with the background information that I have given so far?


texts: What is considered a "cool climate" for cool climate plants? Can these plants better survive temporary frost?

texts:
Is a "cool climate" one that doesn't freeze? Is it one that doesn't freeze until such-and-such a month? Or is it one where the temperature almost always stays above freezing?

Related to this, would "cool climate" plants have a resistance to occasional night-time frosts?

I ask because I'm wondering what chance cool climate vegetables would have in my backyard garden, where it can be consistently frosty starting anywhere from the end of November until mid-January.


texts:
Today, I found a long crack at the back of my lawn that runs under my wrought iron fence.  I am watering at 12:00AM for 7 minutes at each station three times a week.  I don’t want my fence to fall over so what do you fill the cracks in with?

We live 9 miles South of Denton, Texas and rain has fallen all around us but it seems to evade my yard.  Any help would be appreciated.


texts: Fertilized reservoir for automated watering system

texts:
I would like to move forward and install an automated watering system for my home plants that grow in growing tent.
Today I’m watering x3 times in a week, each watering is for 4liters of fertilized water.

So it’s quite a lot of work for me to prepare the bucket each time, so that is my reason to move to automated system.

Currently it is a winter time in my country, so for preparations for such system, I’ve bought:
1. An aquarium heater to keep the reservoir water in 20-27c degress
2. Air bubbler to keep the water oxygened and make the solution mixed all time.
3. Smart sensors for measuring temp, TDS, PH
4. Pump and water pipes.

Growing setup:

Plant: let’s keep it private - one plant in 90x90x160 tent.
Light: x4 COB CREE CXB3590 - 200W in total.
Growing medium - Coco perlite mixture.

I remained with the big question, if keeping fertilized water is allowed and if yes , on which parameters should I pay attention ?
The reservoir should be enough for one week of watering.

Thanks,


texts:
I've been having real trouble identifying this fern. Anyone with good knowledge of ferns out there know what it is? I would very much like to know.

Photographed in Yamaguchi, Japan.


texts: These started showing up in my backyard this year, I believe they migrated over from my neighbor's yard.  Are they lilacs, or are they something else?  This picture was taken in mid-May in Saginaw, Michigan.


texts:
Unfortunately someone decided to water one of my phalenopsis while I was away. I came back to a smelly mess with all the leaves dead, two stems still present and green from when it flowered 6 months ago, and all the roots that were in the bark rotted. I don't see any viable roots.

I'm wondering if it's even possible to save it.

For the moment I've put what was the roots under continuous running water ( aquarium waterfall ) to see if I can supply it highly oxygenated water.  I'm going away again so I can not rely on anyone just watering out daily.

Anyone think this might work? Our should I try something else?


texts: HELP for diagnosis: Young pepper leaves are curling inward with no pests evident

texts: I’ve been growing this plant hydroponically for about 1 month now and the new growth and some older leaves are curling inward. I suspected that it might be due to insects but there seems to be no trace or evidence of it. Just to make sure I sprayed a self-formulated insecticide consisting of oil, water and dish soap for about 2 times. I’m continuously spraying until now, but i cant help but worry for it.


texts: Can I grow callisia repens turtle vine inside the house?

texts:
Can I grow callisia repens, turtle vine, in the house without any sunlight, only in shade?

Thanks.


texts: What will speed the decomposition of a tree stump?

texts:
I have two large oak tree stumps.  Will drilling them and applying sugar decompose them?  Because of their position, I cannot grind them out.

Is there anything else that will speed the effects of decomposition, for example some type of acid, plain urea or something else?


texts: Translucent worms are growing on my moss, will they move onto other plants?

texts:
I started growing moss indoors and I now see a strange discoloration with a few tiny translucent worms on it.

The moss is in an open jar and I mist it twice a day and keep it moist.

How can I eliminate the worms? Is there a risk of the worms moving to other plants in the house, or moss in other parts of the house?


texts: I have an ornamental cherry tree approximately 30 ft tall, which is now close enough to my house that I could touch it from my window. I would like to keep it , but am concerned it will damage my property. Do I need to cule, or can I have a good cut back to halt root spread? Your advice would be grately appreciated. Thanks. Mick


texts: Fig tree languishing after 2 years - how to reinvigorate?

texts:
I have a fig tree which was planted two years ago next to a wall.  The soil-side of the wall faces north, the sunny pavement side face south, so it provides plenty of heat.  The sun can shine on the tree itself too.  So I don't think light is an issue.

How can I best improve the soil?  Perhaps moisture retention is an issue too?


texts:
I have a bed that is next to a wall, the bed is on the east side of the wall, NW England.    As the bed has been dug out, I can control what soil I put in.
Will heathers cope with not being in sunlight all day?


texts: I have no idea what this plant is. My friend owns it.


texts: Small tree in northern Indiana has small pea-sized metallic blue/purple berries. Were small white flowers before the berries came out.


texts: What is this bush/tree that has dark leaves, and clusters of tiny white flowers with 4 petals?

texts:
There is this bush where I live, in Florida, US. It's taller than 5 feet, maybe 5'5. It has really tiny (less than half an inch) white flowers with 4 petals. The flowers are not fragrant. It's been there for over 10 years and we're trying to identify what it is.

The first picture is a fresh cut, so it is in flower now. Below that are more pictures of a larger area, including flowers.


texts: How are wind flattened plants realigned?

texts:
Holy cats, that was a nice storm last night. 100 MPH gusts have flattened my 12in tall tomatoes, cauliflower, broccoli and cabbage.

This morning I straightened them out by propping them up with a little dirt or straw.

What is the best way to straighten these plants?  Will they straighten themselves? should I just toss the ones that can't fix themselves?  Have I just re-decimated my entire crop?


texts:
I live in an apartment and I want to have some indoor trees in my apartment.

We have a large window that faces to the north-east and has curtains.

What kind of trees can be kept in an apartment?


texts:
I recently purchased a Musa dwarf cavendish. I repotted into a slightly larger pot. The plant within the next few days wilted and never recovered. I am new to houseplants and I believe it may be due to repotting shock. The soil was wet when I repotted and I have not watered again since
The plant is now turned mostly yellow and brown, with a small amount of green left on a new leaf at the top.
Luckily however there is a new shoot and leaves growing which looks perfectly healthy.
Can I / Should I now cut away the dead leaves? Can I remove the larger stem completely?  I don't know it certainly dead, however, it just looks worse each day. Should I remove the dying stem completely or is there still hope?
Will cutting away the dead/dying stem effect the smaller healthy one?
See pics below :


texts: Broadleaf evergreens for an unheated greenhouse?

texts:
I have built a small greenhouse (unheated; Canadian zone 5). I built it so that I could have a place to go in winter where there are green leafy things to look at.

What are some pleasant-looking, broadleaved evergreen plants that would be suitable for an unheated greenhouse?


texts: How to harvest whole walnuts of a tall tree in one day?

texts: This picture show a walnut harvest machine. But I think this machine is useful for walnut trees that are around 10 meters height. I don't know which kind of machine is appropriate for trees around 30 meters height. people do this using some kind of elevators? Please help me to know how to harvest a tall walnut tree, using a machine or in other quick ways .


texts:
There are separate questions about mistakes that I made in the repotting process:

What to do (immediately) with a waterlogged pot plant?
What to do (after two weeks) with a waterlogged pot plant?

TL;DR

What are these red marks on the leaves of my pelargoniums?

I recently repotted a bunch of house plants into larger pots, with new compost.

I mixed into the compost some water-retention crystals - the kind that absorb loads of water and can then release that water gradually. I did this because I struggle with under-watering the plants and was hoping that this would result in the dampness of the soil being more stable over time.

A) If this was a terrible idea from the get-go let me know :)

Perhaps I mis-judged the amount of crystals, or perhaps it was an error to soak the crystal-enhanced pots like I do for the rest of my plants, but the upshot was that the pots became extremely wet for a long period - I would say waterlogged.

There was water seeping out of the pot into the saucer for 2-3 days (which I would regularly empty), and the surface of the soil was definitely wet to the touch.
I then didn't water the pot for a week and a half, and left the plant outside on a South-East facing balcony for a very hot(23-27 degrees) and sunny week. and by the end of that week and a half, the soil is still not particularly dry (although it is at least not actively WET now).

I perceive that the plants definitely suffered from this - several (though not all) of the leaves very suddenly went extremely pale and then died, other leaves have gained a pale halo around their edge, and for the 3-4 days after I did this, the plants appeared to wilt (as though I'd UNDER-watered them) though it has now recovered.

I have multiple questions, so the above set up has been duplicated on multiple posts, but my question here is ...

On one of the plants (a red pelargonium) a few of the leaves died, but almost ALL the leaves now have red leaf-shaped marks on them.

What are they? Are they related to the over-watering or is that just a coincidence?


texts: How important is it to use mycorrhiza if you're planting trees, and bushes?

texts: I was watching a video on bare root tree planting, and was wondering if you really need to use mycorrhiza if planting a tree/bush.


texts: How do I eliminate weeds in established play area?

texts:
I have an established play area for my kids. When I created the area, I cut the grass down, capped and covered the sprinkler outlets in the area, laid down landscape/weed fabric (I forget the ply, it was the generic gray/silverish) one from Home Depot. I then layered over it to a depth of 3" with rubberized play impact surface.

Now I am getting weeds in the area, as shown in the below photo. How can I safely spray/remove the weeds without having to tear up the entire area? (The total area space is approximately 15' wide by 30' long).


texts: I'm wanting to get some peanut seeds to plant. However, I'm thinking about saving some that I buy now for next year (as well as harvesting my own to save). How long do the seeds generally stay viable?


texts:
I am seeing lots of small bugs in my compost as shown in the picture below..

I just want to make sure they are the larvae as said  in this post

If they are the larvae, then I've got a problem when they mature.There will be lot of flies that will threaten my garden. Please reply and tell me what these bugs are.


texts:
I have tried to grow broccoli a couple of times and the plants often topple over. A couple of years ago I grew from seed, this year I bought in some plants and planted them out a few weeks ago. Both times the broccoli has fallen over. Last time I could get some of it to grow mostly upright again but it was a pain.

I think it was the rain and wind today that caused them to fall. What am I doing wrong that makes my plants prone to falling over like this?

Any tips on getting them to return to normal would also be very helpful.


texts: What tree is this which is 12 ft tall and 15ft wide with tiny black fruit

texts:
This grows in my backyard and its leaning on the divider and would like to know few more details about it before trimming it. For that if like to know what tree is this first..

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texts: What is the name of this plant? It has round big flowers

texts: I am sorry if this is too vague. May I know the name of this plant? The flower should look like a big round circle. The color is blue or pink if I recall correctly.


texts: What are the foods that I can put in my vermicompost?

texts:
I just got yesterday my worm compost and I am so happy about that. My question is what are the foods that I should and shouldn't put in my vermicompost?

I've done my research and in general they say that I should put fruits and vegetables and papers, I need to limit citrus, manures should be put if they are not warm, garlics and potatoes can be put but there are chances that it will grow roots.

Bonus point: I am willing to give +50 points to anyone who can give me a printer friendly version of should and shouldn't put in my vermicompost, I will post this in our house. This way all of us can be informed and be reminded of what should we dispose in our garbage and what should be put in my vermicompost.

Edit: I am using ANC (African Nightcrawler)


texts:
I recently bought a small red Acer and moved it into a more permanent pot. It's about 2 1/2  feet tall and since I've moved it, the leaves have started to brown and shrivel like a dead leaf would in autumn. The pot is about 1 foot in diameter and 2 feet tall, and has a drainage hole in the bottom about 1 1/2 inch in diameter.

I live in the UK and it's been very warm the last few weeks but we've also had a few downpours. I've watered it a few times but not every night. It's in direct sun from about 10 am to 2 pm.

When I re-potted it I put some large stones in the bottom of the pot for drainage, some sods of grass from tidying the lawn, then some spare soil from the garden, then some compost.

Why is this happening, what have I done wrong and what can I do to fix it?

The following pictures are of the tree in its pot; some shriveled leaves; and also the trunk and lower branches, which look sort of dead, although that part may have been like that originally.

Click on any picture to see a close-up view.

update 08/16/2014

I moved the tree out of the wind and re-potted in potting compost. All the "burned" leaves have fallen off and new buds seem to be appearing.


texts: I am growing an Avocado tree.  I was told that the tree needs to be cut back.  However, I am afraid of damaging it.  My question is whether cutting back is recommended and how do I do this without damaging the tree


texts: How many years does it take to grow a tree big enough for firewood?

texts:
There is some land we have doing nothing, and the idea of being semi-sustainable long-term in firewood is attractive. I believe in the northern UK, silver birch is a good choice for fast growing firewood, but realistically how many years does it take to have a trunk thick enough to use for firewood? I guess we'd say the trunk needs to be 4-6".

Is it feasible that if I planted a copse of trees now, I could be harvesting in 10 years? How many such trees would likely be needed to burn over a winter e.g. kgs of wood per tree per year.

Is this realistically something I can do or are we talking multiple decades?


texts: Identify this dead cactus - like a cleistocactus strausii, but super-dwarf?

texts:
Can anybody identify this cactus?

It appears to me to be something between mammillaria elongata and cleistocactus strausii - but small, each column at most a long finger, and narrower.

It died some time ago, which obviously doesn't help in identifying it.


texts: Are there sprinkler system timers that measure flow rate?

texts: Are there sprinkler system timers that measure flow rate (e.g., in ft³/min. or gallons/min.) in addition to time? For example, I could tell it to deliver 100 ft³ of water, and it would automatically know how long to run it to deliver that quantity of water.


texts: Will foxtail palm grow in pot in unbearable heat and sun?

texts:
We live in the Caribbean and we're thinking of adding a potted foxtail palm tree to our uncovered rooftop.
The issue is that it's always hot here year-round. Right now, the temperature can be 90-100 Fahrenheit, and the sun is unbearable. Also, the air's very salty. Needless to say, almost every plant that I add to the rooftop eventually dies. So far, the only thing that survives are my cactus plants.
So this is the foxtail palm tree I'm thinking of buying: it's a pot with two foxtail palm trees (the seller says I'm getting 2 for 1). One is 4 feet high and the other 5 feet high. Here's a picture:

Is this really a foxtail palm and does it look healthy? He's asking $35 for the pot (with two palms).
Will this survive constant sun and over 90 degree temperature? I'll water it when needed.
Will it grow in a pot? I will change it to a bigger pot, but it will always live in a pot.


texts: Why isn't my pomegranate tree bearing fruit?

texts:
I have a good size pomegranate tree I planted in the ground about 6 years ago. The plant is healthy and bears flowers and tiny fruit which quickly fall off rather than developing into a good size pomegranate. I get fruit later in the year but only a handful. I hear similar complaints from neighbors.

What am I doing wrong?
What is the fruiting season in zone 9b?


texts: What is the risk of using 4% 2T mixture in a chainsaw that needs 2% 2T?

texts:
I accidentally ran a Stihl MS 261 chainsaw on a 4% mixture for 3 tanks instead of the 2% oil to gas mixture it should have had.

Would this have done any damage to the machine should I do anything special to deal with this situation?


texts: In the southern US, what are the advantages of Saint Augustine grass?

texts: Are there any advantages of growing Saint Augustine grass in the southern United States for residential lawns?


texts: English Ivy - browning leaves, what's happening?

texts:
I recently bought some English Ivy for indoors, at first everything was going well, it was growing fine and technically it still is mostly, but some leaves start getting brown on the edges and the brown spots get bigger and bigger until the whole leaf is dead. What's happening?

I read that it can be either too much water or not enough or a fungus or low humidity etc. and I hope you'll be able to help me identify the issue.

Here are some photos: https://imgur.com/a/k7sZcaU - please note that the holes in some of those leaves were already there as I bought them, new leaves don't get any more holes and the issue with those brown spots also starts to affect some new leaves.


texts: Should I tear holes in woven landscape fabric to cover ground of existing raspberry plants?

texts:
It turns out that raspberry plants multiply like a weed. Initially they were in a 1ft x 6ft plot. Now they spread to the adjacent 8ft x 8ft plot.
I'm not complaining. I wish it were possible to move one plant to keep them a bit tidier and to make room for other plants, but I tried last year and the ones I moved remained miserable and ultimately died.
So I'm keeping them put.
But I'd like to stop weed from overtaking the space in-between.
How do I add a woven landscape fabric (with mulch on top) when there are existing tall raspberry plants? Do I estimate the location, tear a hole, and insert the tarp from the top? Would the holes then need to be too big (it's the first time I use tarp) and I'm better off just cutting from the edges and positioning the fabric right next to the stems? The plot is otherwise organic. Would mulch that's color-painted leach some nasty chemical on the raspberries?


texts: How Do I Rehabilitate my Norfolk Island Pine?

texts:
We have a Norfolk Island Pine that was doing reasonably well...until we moved. Unsurprisingly, being packed up in a wardrobe box and driven across the country in a moving van (this was in December, so also in very cold weather) has not been good for it.

At the moment it is extremely droopy - most of the branches don't feel dry, but rather limp. We had to shift it in the soil, because it was no longer stable, which I expect is similar to being repotted.

At the moment, we're in a dry climate, and the plant is indoors, facing a window, and is watered ~ once a week or when the top inch or so of soil is dry. It hasn't shown much improvement in the past few weeks, and I was wondering if there is anything else we should be doing.


texts: What kind of bug is this and do I need to get rid of it?

texts:
I was looking through my vegetable garden this evening and noticed two of these bugs crawling over my lettuce:

Does anyone know what type of bug this is and if it's something I need to get rid of?

Thanks!


texts: Why has my mint plant gone all woody/sparse/stringy?

texts: I grew my mint plant in a pot to contain the roots, and that has worked well for 3-4 months. However, the plant is not really producing fresh leaves now. Is there anything I can do?


texts: What is the Identification of this robust bulb-plant?

texts:
Original Post (as suggested by jmusser I reverted my edits and put them into an answer)

In my garden there is a bulb plant growing since the beginning of last autumn. The thin leaves have grown out 50 - 70 cm and a bulb has up to 6 leaves before winter came. It has survived some cold days (-15 C) in winter.

Now in spring the shape of some of them is changing (see below).

I would like to know what this plant might be so that I can take measures to beautify the spot and to know when to clean up, and of course, whether I can expect flowers ;-) .

Some photos (click to enlarge):

Last autumn

A sample

New shape this spring


texts: How to position main stem of grape vine once it reaches top of pergola?

texts: Which photos shows the right way to train vines once they reach the top?


texts: How do I cultivate mushrooms in a home environment?

texts:
I'm a housewife, and I intend to cultivate mushrooms. I've heard that they can be cultivated and grown indoors without much time spent on them, as an amateur in a home environment.

Can someone please help me out and provide some steps?


texts: Should I repot this mint plant into a smaller pot?

texts: This is a mint (field mint) plant grown from a cutting. I fell sick and couldn't water for two three days. Two of these dried and the last remaining one has dried edges and a light green appearance. Should I transplant this in a smaller pot for better rooting and oxygen supply? The pot is pretty big, almost 13~14 inches.


texts: I generally use grass cuttings and vegetable waste. When material is added should it be gently compressed or just left as it had been added


texts: My hydroponic lettuce is mega bitter. Can I fix it?

texts:
Preface: I don't really know what I'm doing.

So I decided to grow some kweik lettuce in my ebb & flow hydroponic setup. In addition to that, I'm growing a variety of chili peppers, mostly superhots.

It's been about 40 days, and I've had good growth so far, but I tasted some today and it was possibly the most bitter thing I've ever tasted.

It's growing in coco coir in an ebb/flow system, with a nutrient solution at a pH of ~5.8 and a TDS of ~800PPM, flooding twice a day at 7am and 1pm. Lights are currently on 18 / 6 cycle, running a 600 watt HPS lamp, with some thermal insulation around it that keeps the ambient temperature in the tub about 23 degrees C.

My suspicion is that it's too hot for the lettuce and that's causing the bitterness, but I also suspect that it may be a nutrient thing as well.

Can anyone shed any light on whether my suspicion is correct, and if there's a way I can save it before it's at maturity?


texts: What should I do about ants and aphids in my mint?

texts:
I have a pot of mint on my balcony.
The pot seems to contain an Aphid colony (probably a separate question on how to get rid of them).

But today, I noticed many ants in the pot as well.
The question is, are they here for the mint or for the aphids?
What should I do?


texts: What should I know before planting the American Groundnut?

texts: Is there any advice someone can give me before I look into planting the American groundnut?


texts: Is it possible to revive a lemon tree with no leaves and one lemon?

texts:
first time posting on this website so let me know if I'm doing something wrong.
I received a Meyer lemon tree for my birthday in Nov (2020). It was a cutting that was planted into a pot by a nursery on Amazon, then shipped to my parents and then I potted it in the pot pictured. It came with many leaves (some died at first but from what I've read that's pretty normal).
It flowered in about a month and started producing multiple fruits, of which only one is still growing. Everything was going good; I made sure to let it dry out a couple inches before watering again. I misted the leaves every day to make sure they didn't dry out. The pot has holes in the bottom and any time there was water dripping out I removed that water. The only thing I didn't do was fertilize since I have been waiting for my shipment to arrive that keeps getting held up (and it has been winter).
Every once in a while a leaf would turn yellow and drop off, but nothing worse than that. The tree had started to grow bark and the leaves that were still there were growing larger. Just recently, the final leaves went yellow and fell off and as of today there are no leaves left on the tree, just one growing lemon and some branches. I've read quite a few other answers on this site and I still am nervous about mine since it seems much smaller and younger than others'. I scratched off a little stem near the base of the plant and it is green which I understand is a good sign. I haven't pruned because I was unsure how to do that but also because it wasn't needed (originally, there were leaves on every branch). It's now probably a little over a foot tall.
I live in Michigan and as many know, there is hardly any sun in the winter here and we have just gotten started with warm (borderline hot) temperatures around 75-90 degrees in the day and 50-60 at night. However, the tree has never been outside. I have (and still do) keep it inside at all times and, for the most part, away from any significant wind from windows. Putting it outside is not really an option for me because I don't have a covered porch and there are no trees in my neighborhood and it is very gusty almost every day.
What should I do next? I think it can be revived but I don't want to screw it up. Plus I would hate to tell my parents I killed their gift. Please tell me if anyone needs more details. I'll add some pictures.


texts: Does garlic being green automatically mean it will sprout?

texts: I purchased some elephant garlic from Walmart after it was beginning to break apart on its own, the center was a spongy consistency, but there hasn't been a shoot from any of the bulbs after a week. Should I just dig it up, and use it, or wait for a few more weeks to see if it will sprout?


texts: Rusty metal vase, can I use it for vegetables?

texts:
I am creating a small vegetable garden. I have a metal vase, that I particulary like, and want to use it. It's completely rusty inside.

Can the rust somehow, ruin the vegetables? If not, can that be somehow bad for the health by eating those vegetables?


texts: What varieties of sweet corn are best for freezing?

texts:
Late fall / early winter means it's time to select seeds for next year's garden!

What varieties of sweet corn are good for both eating fresh and freezing? The seed catalogs seem to be silent on the latter point, mostly emphasizing the fresh eating qualities. I plant enough so that we have all we can eat fresh, and then some extra to freeze and eat during the winter.

Willing to plant two varieties, but I can't isolate in space, only in time.
Short season, about 90 days
If you don't want to offer specific varieties, I wouldn't mind some pointers on how to navigate the maze of SU (normal sugary), SE (sugary enhanced), SE-SE, etc. in terms of what will freeze best. (This might even be better -- "teach a man to fish".)