texts: Coupling a fancy ceramic planter with a cheap plastic planter with drainage hole + wick to have a simple self watering system for houseplants

texts:
I am trying to come up with a simple self watering system which could allow me to extend the time between watering my indoor plants such as Snake, Lily, Yucca, Dracaena.  This cause I am busy with work plus I travel a lot. I have a bunch of modern ceramic planters with no drainage holes. I would like to use:

1) a inner cheap plastic planter with holes

2) a wick

3) Rubber pot risers: (e.g. https://www.amazon.com/Pack-Pot-Feet-Outdoor-Planters/dp/B07TVKSH23 )

4) Plastic saucer

5) Optionally: I can buy a little tube of the right Diameter, in a way that water will rise 1-2 inches above the top of the soil when bottom gap is filled up. I can have a mark so in the tube so I make sure to not overfill. I would use this curve to determine the diameter (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capillary_action#/media/File:2014.06.17_Water_height_capillary.jpg)

I would like just to be able to pour water on the bottom gap, either by removing or not the inner plastic planter. I think a funnel would allow me to just fill the bottom without removing the inner planter if the lateral gap between ceramic and plastic planter is small, since plastic is flexible. What do you think about this solution? Would it work? My doubts are:

a) How large would you select the lateral gap between the inner and outer planters? I think it should be pretty small so water does not evaporate. But should I make it flush it with the ceramic planter so mosquitos do not enter? I am checking out some self-watering system, some seem tight, but it seems to me that they always have some sort of air recirculation, and are not air-tight. But I could be wrong.

b) Do you think the bottom saucer is needed? I am just afraid to ruin the ceramic pot if constantly wet, or water could pass by and ruin my floor/tables.

c) I am using rubber pot risers instead of gravel cause I think I can just put 2 or 3 of those to keep the inner planter elevated. Gravel would just take too much space and no much water would stay in the bottom gap. Does it seem like a good idea?

d) How far inside from the bottom does the wick need to go into the soil?


texts: What is this plant and how to eradicate it if possible?

texts:
This kind of flower is everywhere in my garden.

First of all I would like to know what is it. If I dig it up, it usually has a bulb shape root.

It is literally everywhere in my garden. Is there any easy and eco-friendly way to remove them?


texts:
I have a single aloe vera plant outdoors. It started growing what appears to be flowers. The pods near the bottom become slightly drier and eventually fall to the ground. The pods never open up like normal flowers.

I’ve been saving the ones that have fallen to the ground. They are still slightly moist. I peeled open on of these pods. There’s a seed-like green thing inside them with a long stamen (maybe) still protruding out of it. My question is this a fully developed seed and will I get a new plant after sowing it?


texts:
What is this shrub with simple but attractive red flowers?

The exact cultivar would be greately appreciated.

There is another one of the same kind nearby, this time it is pruned to more regular shape:


texts:
We have one vascular plant (Araucaria heterophylla) in my sister room and have this condition:

And this gif type:

My room plants are this kind:

And :

So my room is better for this vascular plant or the previous places is better?
And what do you think is the problem of this vascular plant?
Thanks for your attention.


texts:
I could use a bit of help working out what plant this is. I bought it a couple of months back from a flower cart lady who had a few boxes of random assorted plants.

A few little details:

Top of leaves is slightly waxy, underside is matte.
The leaves are not fleshy. They're quite papery.
It was dormant until a week or two ago when it started sprouting new leaves.
The leaves come out of sheaths on the end of the stems.
I don't know if it's one plant with branches or multiple individual stems shoved into the same pot. I can't see any evidence of branching.
Can't see any evidence of it having had flowers at any point, maybe it's too young.
Bought in the UK, but no idea where it could be from originally.
It was really cheap (£1) so probably something really easy to grow or propagate.

Thanks! :D


texts: New fig trees seemed dead; now sprouting from the base. Any special treatment?

texts:
We planted two Chicago Hardy fig trees here in DC last fall, but we planted them a bit late, and had an early freeze and a cold winter overall. They were each a single stalk of about 18-24" (45-60 cm) and had several leaves, which fell off when the cold came.

The leaves didn't come back through the spring, and we thought they hadn't survived the winter, but a week or two ago we noticed that each had new sprouts growing from the base of the main stalk, so it seems that the roots survived after all!

I assume the previous stalks will die off, but should I do anything special at this point to ensure the sprouts grow correctly? One of the plants has two or three sprouts growing out of the ground several inches apart; should I snip all but the biggest so the plant focuses its growth on one main trunk? Do I need to do any trimming or clip any leaves to ensure the stalk grows tall/straight enough?


texts: After replacing belt, LA125 blades are always engaged

texts:
The belt that drives the mower blades bit the dust tonight and I replaced it with a spare.  It's actually the belt that came with the LA125 when it was purchased.  The problem is that there's too much tension on the belt and when the engine is on, the belt is engaged, driving the blades.  I've backed off on the belt tensioner as far as I can, and even went as far as removing one of the bolts that hold the tensioner in place so I could move it further.

If the deck is lowered considerably, between 1-2 inches, the belt is relaxed and the blades will not turn...if it's raised above 3, too much tension is on it and the blades engage.

The tensioner pulley is all the way to the right (looking down at the deck) so I don't think it's being pulled by the cable.

What am I missing?

Thanks


texts: What is the best way to fix low areas in yard, ponding at times

texts: On the other side of the fence in my neighbors yard is a culvert but I am not positive that I can utilize his yard to help my case. What are my options here?


texts:
I have a few plants that have cobwebs on them. Should I clear these cobwebs and discourage the spiders that live there, as they may cause damage to the plants, or should I leave them, as they might take care of a few airborne pests?

This answer could depend on the type of plant the cobwebs are on, so as an example, I find them on my lavender plants.


texts:
I have hard clay soil and live in hardiness zone 5. I planted some mint in a garden bed, which did well for a few months. Now, I moved it into the clay soil itself, and the leaves yellowed at the bottom. I removed them.

I probably over-watered it, and the clay soil retained the water. I piled on a bunch of soil on top, and moved to a more moderate watering schedule, but I still see new yellow leaves.

How can I diagnose (and hopefully fix) the problem?


texts:
What are your recommendations for tomato supporting structures? I'd prefer not to spend a fortune on them. I'll have approximately 12-15 beefsteak tomato plants to support.

I'd even be pretty psyched to make them myself, I'm just unsure what the best material/ method is to avoid wasting time and money on a sub-par structure.


texts: How much depth is needed for vegetables to grow in an indoor area?

texts:
I will grow the following vegetables in a big square area. How much depth is required to prevent root damage and non-vertical root growth? Note that I will grow them indoors.

Carrot
Arugula
Brocolli
Chard
Collard greens
Garlic greens
Lettuce
Ginger


texts: Is Tradescantia zebrina (inchplant, wandering jew) an edible “crop” plant?

texts:
The inchplant (Tradescantia zebrina) is popular due to its undemanding nature and appearance. Considering its purple underpart and silvery texture, I never would’ve dared to taste (or eat) it.

From its Wikipedia article however, I discovered that in Central America, a cold drink is prepared from the leaves, called (Agua de) Matalí. I merely found three non-free pictures (two glasses and a bottle). Looks good!

This plant usually grows abundantly lush (even in radically different ecosystems). Sometimes you even have to thin out some shoots. It’d be great if you could cultivate it not only for its beauty, but also for its nutritional properties.

Is there any reliable evidence for its edibility?


texts:
I have some hops growing and their leaves are starting to turn yellow, my research tells me that it is probably a nitrogen deficiency.

What ways can I naturally add nitrogen to the soil of an already growing crop?

I was thinking a compost tea, or just piling more compost around them. Thoughts?

I would prefer not to add chemical fertilizers, but to help others including them in your answers is fine


texts: What is the best way to channel an electricity cable under the lawn?

texts:
I need to channel an electricity (and network) cable under the lawn to an outbuilding.

I understand it would be best to shield the cable to stop anyone from danger when digging in the future, but what is the best way to excavate the small channel required for the cables and shielding?  I'm guessing there's some kind of tool that makes the job easier with the least amount of damage to the grass?


texts: New blueberry bushes in bloom, should I snip flowers?

texts:
Last week I planted 5 blueberry bushes (3 Duke, 2 Chandler) 32 inches apart. I mixed peat moss with the original clay soil and topped with mulch. I've read that (paraphrasing) "If you plant 2-year old blueberry bushes, you'll want to pick off any flowers that form a year or two after planting".

I'm not sure how old my bushes are and the greenhouse worker didn't either.  They are pretty big, so I'm skeptical about them being 2 years old.  They are about 4-5 feet tall and 2 feet wide.

Question :

Should I snip the flowers on the plants or should I just enjoy the small crop of blueberries this summer?


texts: I've read that the wood of an elderberry plant is poisonous, is a green berry just as poisonous?


texts: How can I soften clay soil and enrich it for plants?

texts:
A few years ago, we used a clay type soil for filling holes in
our garden. Later the soil became very hard and most of our plants and trees are not healthy. Only unwanted plants are growing.

Is there any way we can make the soil healthy for garden plants?


texts: How do I keep my balcony flowers hydrated while I'm away?

texts:
Seeing this indoor question made me look for an outdoor version of the same but found nothing, so here goes:

We've got a balcony with a very large planter on the outside in which we have planted some small flowering plants for decoration. The planter faces south so it gets a LOT of sun during the day, and my wife waters it by hand nearly every day.

We're worried that the plants won't survive four days in direct sunlight without watering, but we haven't found a good solution for automatic watering. I don't want to spend big money on ready-made systems.

We have tried the inverted soda bottle with a pinhole in the cap but the bottle was drained within a few hours. This solution won't work over several days.

What alternatives can I try?


texts: Hi!  I’m trying to figure out what this plant is  so I can learn how better to nurture and hopefully replicate it.  Thanks!


texts: planted 100 tulip bulbs and they did not bloom

texts: I planted over 100 tulip bulbs last fall and 20-30 daffodils.. The tulips never came up. Anyone know what could have caused this?  Thanks


texts: Tropical Plants Fruiting in Temperate Climates

texts:
I live in hardiness zone 4, where not much can survive the winter, but I have been able to grow many tropical plants by bringing them inside before the frost, or by keeping them in my office year round.

I have 2 pineapple plants that are about 3 years old, a pomegranate tree that is about 6 years old, and an orange tree that is about 8 years old.

All of them are very healthy, and mature enough to fruit; the first pineapple plant even came with a pineapple growing when I bought it, but none have shown signs of flowering. I have read that fruiting depends on number of hours of daylight and day/night temperature cycles.

Is there a way I can coax the plants to flower and produce fruit?


texts:
I've got a number of Manchurian pears which seem to get brown leaves recently. They're being watered automatically for ~15min every night. I can't see any pests on/around the trees.

It's been a hot couple of week (north east Victoria, Australia), so maybe it's dried. (just increase the watering time?) But I'd like to make sure, because they survived without any watering for a couple of months around the time I moved in.


texts: Can tepary beans cross-pollinate with common beans?

texts:
I've bought seeds for an open-pollinated heirloom variety of tepary beans (phaseolus acutifolius). The seeds I collect from the mature plants should yield the exact same variety.

However, is there any danger of the tepary beans cross-pollinating with our common beans (phaseolus vulgaris)?


texts:
I had some yucca seeds and I put them on a wet paper towel to germinate. In about a week they started to sprout, producing small white stalks as seen in this photo (not mine)

I then planted the sprouts in small pots, with the stalks pointing down - I assumed they will form the roots.
However, I then found this guide https://www.wikihow.com/Grow-Yucca that suggests pointing the stalks up. It has been about a week that my sprouts have been potted now. I dug one up and the stalk has grown considerably (it's about 3 times long as before potting), pointing straight down. So it doesn't look like it was placed in the wrong direction.

What is the correct orientation of the yucca stalks? Should I replant the sprouts or not?

Edit: my potted sprouts look like this:


texts: How should I improve my extremely clayey soil?

texts:
I live in North Carolina and the soil here has an extremely high clay content. I have used soil conditioner that consists of composted pine fines to amend the soil. It does an excellent job of breaking the clay here and things now grow like mad in it.  I also spread compost and dig it in as well.

What other things are people doing to make heavy clay soils productive?


texts: How do I maximize flowers from Sweet Peas?

texts:
My sweet peas are growing quite well up the netting. As shown in the attached photo, they’ve grown up past the netting and are reaching skyward into emptiness.

(I put that black plastic square behind the plant in the upper right hand corner just to show contrast in the photo.)
If I prune that shoot so it stops growing skyward, will I kill the plant?
What should I do here, to maximize flower production?


texts: Is my plan for 'Blue Flowers Seed Mix' good?

texts:
I am an unexperienced gardener, and I have 10 little bags of seeds of blue flowers. Each bag's content looks like this:

The list of included species and their percentage in the mix is as follows:

Since I am not familiar with all those plants, I plan to sow them in 10 different places in the garden, having various conditions, in terms of sunlight, wind exposure, soil, walnut tree proximity, microclimate, etc., allowing nature to do its selection.

That way, at the end of vegetation season, I will know what works and what doesn't work. Next year, I could focus on what works.

I would like to call this 'design by experience'.

Does this plan sound right to you?

Some interesting common names of species in the mix:

Cynoglossum amabile - Chinese forget-me-not
Nigella hispanica - Spanish fennel flower
Salvia farinacea - Mealycup sage


texts: How long can rain water be stored in tanks?

texts:
I plan to collect rainfall (this autumn or next spring) from roof into plastic tanks (1 m3 capacity) and use collected water later for watering vegetables.

My question is for how long can rain water be stored in such tanks? Will it be safe for watering purposes after 3 or more months? What can be done to keep collected water good for extended period of time?


texts:
I’ve just seeded a lawn about four weeks ago, and two days in I saw some green growth. I thought it was one of the clover varietals, but it turns out to be a plantain weed.

Fast forward, it has spread across the lawn and is choking out the new seedlings. Problem is, I underseeded and had to add more so I still can’t step on the lawn without damaging new seedlings.

Should I manually remove by hand and potentially kill new seedlings, or let it continue to run rampant and pull it out when the lawn can take me kneeling on it (3+ weeks)


texts:
A friend using a tree identification app, said it could be a wild tobacco tree. We don't know who planted it, and is not a common tree in our place. My location is Cyprus (island in eastern Mediterranean). I would like to know more about.

ps.chair for scale


texts:
My kumquat tree began producing fruit this year that seems to be part lemon and part orange.  Always just good kumquats before now.  We do have both the lemon tree and orange trees nearby.

How does this happen?


texts: I have cowpeas that I'm about to harvest and was wondering if they will continue to put on more pods after picking the first ones that grow.


texts: White orchids in florida that changed to purple?

texts:
I have a white orchid plant, this season it produced purple blooms.
My neighbor has the same variety as mine, her orchids were still the normal bright white.
What happened to mine, too much sun,different locations?
Help!!!!


texts: What extra benefit does air layering provide over just cutting it

texts:
What does the air layering technique add to the rooting capabilities over just cutting it off and using rooting hormone.

If the air layer stops circulation in cambian layer what does it matter if I cut it off completely?
There must be some transport still working in an air layering that is not, when its cut off completely?


texts: What kind of a plant is this and is it parasitic?

texts:
Can I please get any reference about what plant this is?

Thanks for any help!


texts: My seed sprouted but it started to drying out from the top . Not sure what went wrong.


texts: Is there a difference between a birdhouse gourd and a calabash?

texts:
I was trying to make a Hawaiian ipu drum out of a gourd grown from a seed I planted that was marketed as a "birdhouse gourd" and dried this winter.  I've been looking up what ipu drums are made out of and apparently it's supposed to be a calabash.  I consulted the Book of Knowledge for  calabash and it didn't reference a use as a birdhouse.

Recently I talked to some gourd artists and they didn't seem to know what a birdhouse gourd was, so I'm guessing I'm just calling it by what it was marketed as, not necessarily what it is.  So, I'd like to know, how much variation is there in the calabash variety of gourds and what kinds are good for birdhouses  and what kinds are good for ipu drums?


texts: Why can't I  get reticulation to work in spring?

texts:
Spring has sprung and it's time to turn on my reticulation (bore).

My retic worked back in May but now (October) I turn it on and no water comes out.

I can hear the pump going but no water comes out. Any ideas? I only ran it for a couple of minutes because I heard you can blow up the pump if there's too much pressure. Do I have to let it run for a while to fill up the pipes?


texts: Mango seed growing, but not producing leaves

texts:
I planted a mango seed in a pot, after it germinated in a damp paper towel. It produced a stem, but has not done anything since for at least a month. Is it a faulty seed? Do I need to replant? Or is there something that can be done to rescue this seed? I live in Saskatchewan, so I realize that planting it outside is not an option, and it will likely never produce fruit.

Since this picture was taken in mid-March, the sprout has not grown at all. It still appears to be alive, but has not done anything. I believe it is getting sufficient sunlight. It sits in my window each day, and gets sunlight during the entire morning.

Click on photo for full size


texts:
Is this compost bin rodent-proof?

If not, how to find a similar but rodent-proof or at least relatively safe one in that regard?

I want put put a compost bin in my backyard and put my food waste (mostly vegetable scraps without oily content) in it to create a compost and use it for my garden.

  Why are you focussing on rodent-protection?

I heard compost attracts rodents.

  How big is your backyard?

1500 ft^2.

  Are the neighbors close?

50 ft away.


texts: New medinilla magnifica leaves curl and turn brown

texts:
I've got this medinilla magnifica that is doing really good. It bloomed beautifully an is growing some new leaves. However, every new leave curls and turns brown a few weeks after sprouting. This is only happening to new leaves. Below picture shows such a leave.

Does anyone know what could be causing this?


texts: What type of bonsai tree is this and why is it losing leaves?

texts:
I bought a bonsai last month, and it was doing really well at my partner's house. But I have recently moved into my new place and it’s fairly cold and my bonsai is suffering. All of its leaves have come off and it is left with a little coat of green.
I don’t know what type of bonsai I have could someone tell me? How can I help my bonsai come back to life and grow its leaves back while living in a fairly cold house?


texts:
The leaves of my coleus have been going limp. A few days ago, I noticed that the leaves were limp. I guessed that I probably hadn't given enough sunlight but the leaves were back to normal when I woke up the next morning. I have never had this issue before. I got my coleus about 6 months ago.
At 1 PM today I noticed that the leaves were limping again. I gave it a little water, gave it a lot more sunlight, and by 2 PM it was fine again. So naturally, I assumed that it was because of not enough sunlight but it still doesn't make sense why it would be fine overnight last time this happened.
Some other information that might be useful:

I water my coleus daily, every morning to the point where the soil is moist enough. And throughout the day if I see that the soil is entirely dry, I spray some water.
I don't use fertilizers.
I live in Tehran and pollution is a huge problem. It has gotten a lot worse these days. here is the AQI. I'm not sure if it has to do much with the state of my plant but I thought I'd mention this just in case.

Note:
It is winter now, and some might think that my plant is getting less sunlight because of it but in winter here there's still a lot of sunlight.
I have uploaded some photos here. They are all from today, before and after the issue.
Edit:
The average temperature during the day within the past two weeks in the city has been 8 degrees (c). I'm not sure about my room temperature but it has not changed and I had no problems before. I use a radiator in my room that's below the table on which my plant is.
Limp leaves:

Back to normal:


texts: Replacing trimmer head on Kobalt 80 volt

texts:
Can anyone help with an answer?
I am attempting to remove the stock trimmer head from an 80 volt Kobalt weed trimmer that uses a brushless motor coupled directly to the trimmer head. While I found some videos that explained this procedure very well for versions where the motor is not directly next to the trimmer head, this procedures will not work for the 80 volt version with the motor is next to, & coupled directly onto the trimmer head. On my version with the brushless motor, I see that where the motor shaft, that couples directly to the trimmer head, the motor shaft protrudes and the shaft has a slot that implies that the shaft should be held with a slotted screw driver or other tool and that the trimmer head should then be twisted & threaded off. I am unable to twist off the trimmer head as I apply force that overpowers my ability to hold the screw driver causing it to twist i.e. the shaft eventually turning. Which directing should I be turning (I thought to the right)? Also, is there some trick to this removal or should I be lubricating the threaded shaft first?


texts:
I currently have beefsteak tomatoes, zucchini and peppers that I've started from seeds on May 8th in a seed starting tray indoors.

They seem to be growing well under the light system I have setup.

At what point do I thin the plants? I have 2-3 plants per little hexagonal cell.

When do I move them to bigger containers? Thank you


texts: After my vegetable garden goes dormant, do I need to yank out plants and start over with new plants, seeds, etc.  I have cucumbers cherry tomatoes   zucchini and peppers.


texts: What are these alien egg-like things on the back of rose leaves?

texts: A friend received roses, and on the back are these mysterious things. It's not everywhere, but it's behind the back of many of the leaves. Anyone know what they are?


texts: Favorite small-scale gardening books for beginners?

texts:
I recently started cultivating a 20'x25' vegetable garden, which is to say, I signed up for a community garden plot and have a few containers for tomatoes on my porch.  I don't have any experience gardening, save for what I learned in an agroecology course back in undergrad (mostly scientific concepts rather than agricultural practices).  I'm looking for a resource to guide me through this process, but the sheer number has become overwhelming to the point of being anxiety inducing.  So, if there were one or two books you had to recommend for a neophite such as myself, what would they be?  I'm hoping for something comprehensive rather than several that delve into particular aspects of production, but many of these focus on homesteading and are more involved than I'm looking for at this point.  I generally prefer the "Mother Gaia loving" approaches (e.g., permaculture, agroecology, etc.), but am an engineer at heart when it comes to how I learn (i.e., I love spreadsheets). I checked out some of Carol Deppe's books and wasn't too crazy about them.  I like the Will Bonsall and Ben Falk books from Chelsea Green, but find that a bit bigger scale than what I'm attempting to do.  Thanks for the help!

PS.  Even though I said that I'm not interested primarily in homesteading, I am interested in some books looking at integrated system design because I'd like to add chickens and maybe bees at some point in the indefinite future.


texts: They sprouted out of the ground this way, but I've noticed more white in the past few days. They were planted around 2 weeks ago.


texts: What kind of tree is this with pointed bumps on the trunk with small thorns on the ends?

texts: I found a tree with tons of pointed bumps on the trunk with small thorns on the ends. I was wondering what type of tree it was. It was pretty tall and the bumps were at longest about 2 inches, it was alive too.


texts: I have a house plant no one has been able to identify,

texts: I have a house plant that has grown tall (3'), It has a single stem with large elliptical green leaves.  On the perimeter of these leaves are what looks like round green seed pods about the size of a small pea with probably 20-30 pods on the perimeter edge of each leaf.  The color of the plant is a light green.  The plant seems to be very hardy.  I keep it indoors where it gets lots of odd looks.  I really don't know if this is an outdoor or indoor plant.  The seed pods that have fallen off the leaves into the pot below have sprouted and are growing so this plant seems to reproduce easily.  Any help in identifying this plant would be appreciated.


texts:
My question is simple. If I cut off the non-flowering branches, will it force the plant to put more resources into the already growing fruits?

More specifically, my tomato plant is growing beyond where I can contain it. A cage thing isn't an option. So I was wondering, can I cut off the shoots that are growing out of bounds, and would that force more resources into producing the fruits?


texts:
I have 2 trough planters with various flowers in thank my kids have planted.
As you can see from the images below, they have grown quite tall and the bottom of the trough where the stems are look a little bare.
For the future, is there any way I can reduce the height of the flowers so they aren’t as tall?


texts: How do I repel tree squirrels that are digging holes in my lawn?

texts: My neighborhood is saturated with squirrels, and I see the little critters burying nuts or whatever in my back yard all the time. They leave small holes about 2 inches in diameter in the yard.  There is one place they are particularly fond of, and it is forming a depression and killing a lot of the grass. Any way to get these things to stay away?


texts: I have a young apricot tree that has fruit on it already here in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  We have some nights coming up that temps will be 32°F (or 0°C - frost).  Do I need to protect the tree if it already has fruit?


texts: What's going on with these Snow in Summer plants?

texts: I planted about a dozen Snow in Summer flowers about 2 months ago and most of them are turning brown in the center. I don't think this is a water issue, but perhaps... the ground doesn't drain very well. Any thoughts?


texts:
We have a rental property in zone 9. I planted bungleweed, salvia guarantica (blue black), firebush, lantana, ligustrum japonica,
Pink muhly grass, dwarf lemon tree, camellia and others 2 years ago. Tried to plant maintenance free, local and polllinator friendly plants. Tenant is under contract to keep them alive. No sprinkler system. That area gets 40-60 in rain annually. What are ideal plants for a rental property?


texts: What is causing my Gladiolus blooms to open withered?

texts:
My glads are blooming but the majority of the flowers are opening withered like they are already fading. They are wrinkled with grayish discoloring. The blooms pictured below are newly opened or opening.

Click photo for full size

What disease is causing this?
How can I prevent it in the future?
Since I live in USDA zone 4 I dig up glads. Are these corms worth saving for next year?


texts: I had kept mustard oil cake dissolved in water in order to make fertiliser tea. But a whitish layer appeared over it after three days. Will it be safe to use that tea on my potted plants?


texts: What actually occurs for manure to become considered "well-rotted"?

texts:
I know that you shouldn't use raw manure on plants because it's bad for them, but I don't understand why.

I know you should stack manure before using it (i.e. literally stack it into a big cone), and wait until it no longer smells. How long would this process normally take? Is it different depending on the type of manure, e.g. chicken vs. cow vs. bat etc.

What is the mechanism in play that makes raw (or not well rotted) manure a bad thing for plants?


texts: New construction with sloped subsoil yard, best way to go about growing grass?

texts:
I recently purchased a new construction home. The backyard came unfinished and the yard is sloping away from the house.

From what it looks like, the yard is subsoil, it looks like it's essentially all the stuff building debris/rocks scraped off the land when the developers were building/grading the foundation.

Grass obviously can't grow on this so I assume I will need tons of topsoil prior to grading/seeding (4 inches?) I live in the Pacific Northwest so we get a lot of rain during the winter season so erosion and runoff is generally a concern on a sloped backyard.

I recently finished spraying glysophate 41% (roundup) on the whole yard, I expect it to die out in a week or two. I assume I need to pull all the weeds out prior to adding the top soil, I will also have to remove the large rocks/roots/general debris from the subsoil.

My question is, should I be tilling the subsoil prior to adding the topsoil? If so, how much inches? Or should I be adding the topsoil then tilling it directly into the subsoil?

Any recommendations or techniques on how to make the topsoil stay on the sloped hill?? It's roughly 30-40 degree slope.

Any advice is greatly appreciated. My end goal is to have a grass seeded in September.

edit: Pictures here - http://imgur.com/a/v1HWc
You can see how the fence slopes to get an idea of the hill. I plan on putting a garden bed on a majority of the slope with trees/shrubs/mulch and maybe have stairs to the right of the house. The picture of the dirt was with the rake, I pretty much can't really "dig" at all. Water does pond up on some parts from what I have seen.


texts: Is it okay to have bonfires on my dormant garden bed?

texts: Is it ok to have bonfires on my garden bed when I'm not growing anything? Should I do anything special with the aftermath or just rake it into the soil?


texts: Is there a type of garden shredder that can handle leaves, branches and wet materials?

texts:
Is there any type of all-purpose and durable shredder that can shred leaves and a few small branches, and some wetter materials like vegetable waste? I'm not looking for a brand name, just to find out if one shredder can take care of all my needs.

Would a lawn mower be the best choice?


texts: What type of trees for space behind boulder wall?

texts:
We live in Boise ID and just built a brand new house. We live in a bit of a hilly part of town so we reclaimed some of the land for my kids to play in by digging back a hill and installing a large boulder wall. The wall is 4-5 high with double stacked granite boulders. The boulders weigh between 500 and 900 lbs each. The whole wall is 110 feet in length. Crushed stone drainage in between the boulders and soil.

We have neighbors behind the fence.
We have added irrigation to the space behind the wall.
There is 3-4 feet of plantable soil behind the boulders to the fence.

What type of trees would work well here? I like hornbeams but I’ve also seen some cool columnar trees like ginkgo that I like. I would also consider evergreens to really give the boulders a mountain look.
We are looking to get some privacy but it’s not the main priority. I don’t love arborvitaes.
Any suggestions? We have heavy clay soils.


texts:
I planted some apples and other fruit trees (plum, peaches, apricot, pears, cherries), and they are grafted on dwarf or semi-dwarf rootstock (or else are naturally semidwarf?).

I'm getting close to the time for actually getting fruit. This year I strongly suspect an almond tree, apple tree, and maybe a pear and peach might produce fruit this year.

After reading this answer, I was wondering:

Should I pluck the fruit off to help it get established?
Do I pluck off the blossoms, or wait until the blossoms turn into fruit before plucking?
Should I pluck off ALL the fruit, or just pluck off, e.g, 25% of the fruit?


texts: What are these whitish patches on my fig (I think) tree?

texts:
https://imgur.com/a/HczqGq9
This is a link to a higher definition image. Lower resolution below.

Is it a sunburn? Or a fungus? I’m very new to this, and I’m hoping someone could please help me out.


texts: Some leaves of Iresine herbstii turning white, what do I do?

texts:
I'm in the tropical region. I've got a new Iresine herbstii recently, I placed it outdoor under shade, so there is some sunlight but not direct sunlight.
Yesterday I found that some of the leaves are turning white, is it because of too much light or too little light(or other reasons)? I've now shifted the plant to a spot with lesser sunlight, but I'm not quite sure.
What do I do to prevent the leaves from turning white?


texts: My transplanted seedlings are all dying!

texts:
I transplanted vegetables 2 days ago and they are turning white and wilting off. Pretty much looks like they are dying.

I grew all of these from seeds indoors under 8-10 hours lights and they were doing so fantastic. As soon as I transplanted them outside (they were all at least 6-8 inches tall), they're dying on me.

This is my first vegetable garden, so any and all help is appreciated. I'm not sure whether it is transplant shock or powder mildew.


texts: How to protect my guava tree from insects?

texts: I have a guava tree that is 2-3 years old, but every summer when the fruit starts to ripe, the ripe fruit gets holes near the branch and when cut it I see small larvas crawling all inside. I did use anti insect sprays on the plant when it has flowered each year but no result. Can I get any help about it?


texts:
I just moved to this house and have this plant. In winter, all the leaves were fallen off and last month, all the new leaves and flower blossomed up.. There is no fruit on it right now and it's around 10 feet tall.

If anybody knows, please let me know which plant is that.


texts: Family pool on lawn all summer - what can I do to help the grass underneath recover?

texts:
Like many families with children we have a large (15 foot) inflatable paddling pool taking up part of the lawn for the entire summer period (roughly May to Oct).

When we pack away the pool, there's naturally some serious damage to the lawn underneath.

But after about a month, and if October and November are at all warm, the grass starts to recover a little, starting with the outer part of the circle.

By May the following year there's quite a good recovery (just in time for it to be squashed again). Are there any steps to help the grass survive the pool and/or recover faster? For example:

tougher grass species
applying feed
anything else?


texts: Should I assist or deter birds from a popular yet problematic location?

texts: For three years in a row a nest has fallen from this tree in my backyard the last weekend of April.  The prior 2 years were robins but this year it was something new.  Not knowing birds well but generally being a fan what is the best way to end this cycle?


texts:
I've watched a few YouTube videos on the subject of growing chillies. In one of the videos the author is growing several varieties of chillies in the same greenhouse which is what I'm doing.

To prevent cross-pollination they tie mesh "baggies" around the branch/stalk that hasn't yet flowered but has a bud, i.e. before flowering.

My question is, do I need to mesh bag every bud branch/stalk, on every plant, in my crop to keep my four or five chilli different varieties from cross pollinating (these will all reside in the same greenhouse)?


texts: What are good summer flowers for humid and hot conditions in northern India?

texts: What summer flowers can be planted in northern India in March? The summers are humid and very hot (35 °C average temperature). My garden is covered by a translucent FRP sheet (Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic) so the plants receive medium sunlight.


texts: What are these viny plants? Are they poisonous?

texts:
These plants are located alongside a fence in my backyard. What are they?

My biggest concern is that they might be poison ivy. However, the plant in the first picture closely resembles a vine that is growing in our front yard and has several single-leaf offshoots. That suggests it is not poison ivy, as I've read that poison ivy always has its leaves in groups of 3.

The first picture looks similar to the second, but I can't tell what it is -- perhaps a juvenile plant of the same species as #2, or perhaps poison ivy.

Does anyone have an idea of what it is? I get a severe reaction if I touch poison ivy, so I'd prefer to err on the side of caution. But the previous owner of this house was a botanist, so we have lots of unusual plants.


texts:
My cactus is showing signs which might be detrimental to its health.
This is an image of the cactus

The base of the cactus has a white coloration but is still firm( I don't think its a sign of rot)
The pad has a light green coloration compared to the other healthy cactus.The comparison
The cactus has not shown any growth since it was propagated 2 months ago.

Can someone give suggestions on how to deal with this situation
(the scar on the big cactus pad was present before proagation)
The cactus does have a well established root system and stands firm in the pot)


texts:
I have an apartment with a rooftop patio/garden on a five-story building. It is the tallest building in the area and gets fairly high winds which routinely knock over my patio furniture and damage my plants. I am looking for a solution to block the high winds, be it a plant or some kind of semi-permanent, possibly decorative, structure.

The side of the patio (in the picture below) where the wind comes in is about 15' (4.57m) wide by 7' (2.13m) high with the wall itself about 3'6" (1.06m). For a plant-based solution, it would either need to be able to cope with about 6" (0.15m) of soil or be placed in a planter. I can do a raised bed to give more soil depth, but that I would rather not if I possible. Alternatively, some form of semi-permanent barrier could be attached to the wall so long as it can be removed and won't do any real damage to the wall, as I am renting and there are some HOA restrictions.


texts: Wintering a banana tree? should it be like this?

texts: This is a follow up to my question here, hopefully I can get some insight. About a month ago I cut my basjoo as instructed and brought it inside for the winter. But since that time there is about seven inches of new growth. I am concerned that this plant is growing back now, instead of the spring. Please help. It breaks my heart to saw this beautiful plant, and all of the pups in the pot died when it did that. What should I do?


texts: Trying to identify small insects on peppers (and if they're dangerous)

texts:
I'm completely new to gardening in Colorado, so I hope this isn't a dumb question. Today I noticed some very tiny bugs crawling on the leaves of my pepper plants and and there are a few very small holes on some of the leaves. Past that everything looks really healthy given how brutally hot and sunny it's been here the past few weeks. I have peppers growing on all of the plants. I didn't see any on my tomatoes, but I can't be sure. I was just wondering if anyone knew what these were. I tried a google search and there seemed to be a lot of different small orange-ish insects. If it helps, they move very fast and erratically.

Thanks for any thoughts.


texts: When rooting cuttings in water, should the water be exchanged regularly?

texts:
When my mom roots cuttings in water, she always insist that the water in the glass / jam jar / other container should not be exchanged, only topped up as needed. She even will place newer cuttings in the jars with older (by days or weeks) cuttings that have already started rooting. She claims that this process will actually promote root development. But she doesn’t have any kind of explanation (not that she’d bother with it1), just a “this is how it should be done”.
On the other hand, I am thinking about the growing biofilm (algae, bacteria...) and how this would probably affect the cuttings negatively. I would assume that starting with a clean container and occasionally switching the water when it starts to get murky - just like the recommendation for cut flowers - to prevent rotting is the way to go.
So could someone please help clarify:
Which is the better or correct approach? Should the water be exchanged regularly and the container cleaned or should it best be left alone until the cuttings are ready to be planted? Why?
I am looking for a reasonably scientific or at least logical explanation, please.
————-
1 She’s been successful in rooting just about everything, even unintentionally, although she has a bit of a “survival of the fittest” attitude when it comes to caring for her plants - she’s not the most diligent person with watering, fertilizing or repotting.


texts: Can anyone help me identify this tree?  I'm located in South Florida


texts: What are the cons of using aluminum sulfate and elemental sulfur as soil acidifiers?

texts:
I have a slightly high pH, 7.2. Nothing bad but I would like to bring it down a little. I was looking at two elements/products whatever you want to call them. One was Aluminum Sulfate and the other was Sulfur.

The things I know is it does not take near as much S to bring down pH, were it does take a lot of AlS.

But I do not know if there is anything wrong with AlS or S. I would really like to know the negative effects of either, if any. Thanks!

AlS - Aluminum Sulfate
S - Sulfur


texts:
Spots have developed on the leaves of my monstera deliciosa, and I've found nothing online that's quite like it. It's not on top of the leaf, can't be wiped off, and it's not growing in regular circles like rust. It's irregular tan/brown spots looking translucent and yellow with the light from behind.

I noticed it on one leaf when it was about as bad as the leaf in the picture, one other leaf had some spots at the time too. Over the last two weeks the first leaf hasn't changed while the second has become as bad as the first, and I now see flecks of it on one or two other leaves on the same stem.

(The white dots are dust, I see nothing at all moving on the leaf.)

I live in Sweden, the plant is a year and a half old, I repotted it a month ago and it's close enough to a south facing window that a few leaves get a few hours of direct sunlight, not usually the leaves in question though.

It's mostly affecting the leaves of one of the smaller stems, so if there's no treatment I'm considering cutting that stem and propagating it to it's own pot.

Thanks for any tips or advice.


texts:
I have some sort of scale infestation on a small bush on my lawn. I'm not sure what sort of infestation it is - possibly Boisduval scale, but I'm not certain. Here are some photos:

Any clue as to what it really is?

And any tips on how to handle it? The branches on the bush still appear viable, but is this bush a gonner? And an adjacent shrub is partially affected - how far will it spread?

Any help most appreciated.!


texts: My (future) Hoyas have nowhere to climb, they will hang. Is that OK?

texts:
I have the right climate, lighting and even a good location.

There is a wooden fence between the neighbors and us. If I let the Hoyas climb the fence, I will have to plant them in the ground or put the planter on the ground. However, the area has already been dedicated for succulents as of last year. I have installed shelves in a terraced fashion. The wooden fence is made-up of stacked horizontal beams held by few posts, so there is no vertical support of proper width to bind around.

My plan is to hang the Hoyas high up and give them enough length to hang down. Way back in the past, I had few Hoyas that were allowed to hang. As one of the branches has found something to hold-on to and climb, it grew quite fast leaving the others way behind. Only the one which has found something to hang-on had a satisfactory growth.

But if there is nothing to hang-on to at all, will the vines still get long enough, or will I end-up with what looks like hanging heads with a bad haircut?


texts:
Last year I bought an insect hotel at the local supermarket (see in the photo  below on the right hand side). It was a cheap and simple one, but soon a lot of all different kind of bees came and occupied almost all places, laying eggs and covering the holes with clay.

Because it was so popular among the insects in our garden, I had the idea of making another one myself (see left hand side). I took a piece of wood that had been drying outside for 1-2 years, drilled a lot of holes of different diameters, each a few centimeters deep, and hung it next to the first one.

To my astonishment, not a single bee made use of this new insect hotel.
The same this year: in the first sunny days of early spring a lot of bees are flying in and out the insect hotel from the supermarket, but only sometimes a bee would approach the one that I made, only to fly away after short inspection.

What is wrong with my insect hotel?


texts:
Can you identify this flower?
Can you identify this flower??


texts: What is this tiny strawberry-like fruit found in a Southern Illinois lawn?

texts:
I live in southern Illinois, and earlier today I noticed this small red fruit in my yard. It looks kind of like a strawberry, but it's the size of a small raspberry (about 1/4 inches in diameter).

Does anyone have any idea what it is?


texts: What's the difference between hydroponics and aeroponics?

texts: I do know how hydroponics works. I think aeroponics is just like cloning but in a big scale you just have to use big buckets and keep air and water at all times with chemicals .


texts: What is the difference between two species of salvia?

texts:
What is the difference between Salvia officinalis and Salvia sclarea?

Painting from Koehler's Medicinal Plants (1887). Salvia officinalis:


texts:
I'm in a situation where its a waste of time, effort and money to take care of our many little gardens (Different separate gardens ranging between 20-90 meters square). Briefly, we rarely visit them and its is nearly impossible to be available to take care of them the whole year. We could be available only a few weeks a year !!!

Also we don't have access to good water. But we can use underground water which is very bad for the grass so we mainly use for other purposes. It's a rainy area during winter.

Basically these gardens are in coastal-desert areas so in summer its extremely hot and dry during day and very nice during night and in winter its extremely cold during night and very nice during day.

I'm mentioning these conditions because I'm looking to replace these gardens with something that could be useful or at least not harmful to cope with during very hot and dry conditions or very cold conditions.

Hopefully I was clear enough. Thank you for your time.


texts: Why are the blooms dropping off my zucchini without fruiting?

texts: As you can see from the pictures the blooms look as if they just release themselves and leave the beheaded stalk. There doesn't seem to be any fruit growing at all. Is there something that I am doing that could cause this? Is there something that I could do to keep it from happening?


texts: What is this bulb with vanilla scented flowers?

texts:
I got this bulb some 10 years ago - and sorry for the rather nondescript picture, but it's all I have. It was growing by the pool side in a leisure centre in Swindon, UK, and seemed to thrive. It was growing in what was probably whatever was the standard compost at the time, something with sphagnum peat and perlite, I guess. The bulbs were of a similar size as a medium sized onion, perhaps 5cm across, the flowers were white, large and strongly vanilla scented. I was given 3 of the 'baby' bulbs, but they have slowly deteriorated, and I now have just the one, which is now about 1.5 cm across. It grows for a few weeks, looking healthy, but then the top dries up and it goes dormant until next May.

I'd like to get it back in health. But first, any idea what it is?


texts: Kalanchoe seems to becoming soft and wilted

texts:
I came by this stackexchange almost a year ago and had great success with folks giving me advice on my Kalanchoe, so I thought I'd come back with some more questions.

Over the past few months its been warm in Northern California (75-85deg F), but I haven't been changing my watering schedule which is once a week. It got a little burnt from a neem oil mishap last month as well.

I repotted this recently and I noticed that the bottom leaves were starting to get soft and yellowing a lot. Now the entire plant seems more wilted and soft, and I'm not sure if it's from overwatering or underwatering. The soil seems dry when I checked as well. Any suggestions on how I can rehab my kalanchoe?


texts: This one seems to be from the era of black-white telavision :), but still I a kind of like it.


texts: Will lopping off the top help our ponytail palm tree?

texts:
We live in SW Florida, Zone 9B. Our old neighbor told us this is a ponytail palm. Seems that there are now more brown leaves on the tree and the ground as opposed to the tree itself. He told me to cut off the top of the tree about 18" below where the branches have grown.

If I cut the top off, will more branches, or something, grow back? And any idea how long it will take to start seeing some growth, as opposed to just having the trunk being ever so naked...


texts: Could anyone identify this white-flowered tree please (planted in the UK), I was told the name and I think it begins with an 'S' but I can't remember it


texts: This plant is low to the ground, thriving in the shade, and seems to have a soft stem rather than a woody stalk. It's growing near my front steps rather aggressively and I am concerned it might be invasive. Any ideas?


texts: Can I eat carrots with wormholes in them?

texts:
I started cleaning up and cutting two big carrots to make a soup when I realized worms had dug galleries in them. Is it safe to eat them even if I clean them? So far I have not found any worms but can I be certain that there aren't any that I have missed?

Thank you all in advance for your insight!


texts: Design and effectiveness of seed bombs / seed balls

texts:
I recently heard about seed balls (small balls of clay, soil and seeds mostly used to add plants to abandoned areas) and while I very much like the idea I was a little bit skeptical of their effectiveness.

Could anyone with experience describe how effective they are, and how to maximize their effectiveness?

The only related question I could find on SE was this one, which highlights a few important parameters to keep in mind (humidity and integrity of the ball) but doesn't say anything about the success rate of well designed balls and doesn't give a particular recipe: How to properly seed bomb a particular area with drones

While I would really like learning about general guidelines, if such general recommendations are impossible to give, I am more specifically interested in the effective design of seed bombs for urban areas of western Europe, hardiness zone 6, with seeds that promote future growth (seeds that can survive and maybe help with soil compaction as well as poor soil quality).


texts: Can anyone identify this broad-leafed weed/plant for me?

texts: This weed has been growing in my south-facing garden (London, UK - within 0.5 mile of woodlands and wetlands) for a few weeks now. It started as a low-lying cluster of broad leaves (a bit like a flat cabbage) but has now grown into a monster so I need to dig it out before it takes over my rose bed. It looks quite nice, broad green leaves and delicate blue flowers that seem to attract quite a few bees, and it even smells nice... but it's got to go!


texts: Shaving 2 inches off the top of a 12 inch thick tree root for 3 feet

texts:
Syzygium australis tree root across pathway, is it possible to shave down 2 inches for approx 3 feet (the width of the path) along the root and seal it with something to avoid stressing the tree.
I am in a sub tropical climate and the root is thick oval shaped and goes deep about 12 inches deep and I would be shaving down from about 8 inches from the main trunk.The tree is 30 years old.
I want to lay a paver stone path and dont know if I can successfully shave the top off the root or should I just build up the gravel level higher than the root to lay my path on.


texts: Why are the leaves on my Aloe Vera flattening?

texts: I recently potted my aloe Vera plant near a south west facing window. I watered once last week and I noticed that the aloe Vera leaves started to flatten. What should I do?


texts:
I'm not sure what the name of this vine is, but about a week ago the flowers started to brown around the edges and then fall off completely. A couple of days ago the leaves began wilting.

I did fertilize the lawn about a week ago and I suppose some of it could have gotten on the vine, but I can't imagine it would be enough to do this... but maybe?

Any idea what is going on? I've attached a few pictures.


texts: Can anyone tell me what kind of tree this is?

texts: My family and I ate lunch at the park today (North Carolina) and found this fruit tree. The tree is on the smaller side and has large oval leaves. The fruit is roughly two thumbs thick, is pale orange when ripe, has a pit and grows in bunches. My first instinct is that this is an older breed of Peach tree (I learned within the last year they used to be much smaller than the store variety) but my family disagrees since they lack the typical fuzz. Does anyone have a better idea of what this could be?


texts:
Recently, several of my plants have developed these translucent spots on their leaves:

What is causing this? What should I do?


texts:
This is the first time I am growing cucumbers. I have really little knowledge when it comes to cucumbers.

I have noticed that there is a small spot in my cucumber. Can it be that a beetle or another insect has injected the “bitter” juice into it? Or is it just a cucumber thorn come off? Please help......
Thanks!


texts:
I've recently gotten a san pedro (Echinopsis pachanoi) cutting as a gift. I'm trying to take care of it as good as possible, but I'm not sure if I'm doing it the right way.

The situation is: the cutting has been properly dried after cutting it, to let the wound heal. The wound is dry, and little white roots were even starting to form. It's about 30 cm / 11 inches tall. I've planted it in a pot with relatively dry cactus soil, the cactus is about 5 cm / 2 inches deep (with supports to prevent it from falling over, and it has plenty of room to grow roots). I haven't watered it yet, because over here it's winter now and I heard that these types of cacti don't like to be watered in the winter (or they'll rot).

It is now in a safe place indoors, in its own pot. It doesn't receive a whole lot of sun (because it's winter and my windows face the north), but there's not a whole lot I can do about that unfortunately.

The problems are:

I'm kind of worried that the soil will become too dry (and that the
microorganisms will die), but then again, I don't want the cactus to
rot. So I'm kind of unsure what to do about that.
The cactus is showing some discolorations (lighter green spots in
its otherwise dark green skin. Some of the spots are swollen and
kind of shiny, like bruises. Would this be damage from
transportation, or is it sunburn or something else? Should I be
worried and what can I do about it?
As I said, the cactus is indoors, so it has to deal with my
sleep/wake rhythm and my use of indoor lighting. Would this be
detrimental to its health (i.e., could I be disturbing its day/night
cycle by my use of artificial light)?

So those are my main questions. If you have any other suggestions/recommendations for taking care of my cactus, please let me know, I'm a total novice at taking care of cacti. Also, if you need to see pictures of it to know what I should do, let me know and I'll see if I can upload some.


texts: Minimal install of artificial grass for small enclosed pet area

texts:
I recently built a small enclosed outdoor area for my cats to enjoy the outside (aka a "catio"). There is a pet door for them to come and go as they please. Human included for scale.

We also have a small dog that we want to use it when we're not home to relieve himself. Therefore, we plan to remove the gravel and replace it with artificial grass.

I've watched several DIY artificial grass installing videos online. The basic preparation steps seem to boil down to:

Remove current landscaping material (in our case, gravel).
Grade the exposed dirt.
Build wooden frame around perimeter.
Pour some kind of compacted leveling substrate over the dirt and pack it flat.
Install artificial grass on top of substrate.
Attach outer edge of grass to wooden frame.

This enclosed area is only for small animals. The animals are mainly indoor pets, so the installation does not need to be very durable or need to stand up to heavy use. It seems like a lot of the preparation for an artificial grass installation is predicated around being able to withstand full-size humans running around on it for years.

That said, what is the minimum artificial grass installation we can get away with for our specific use case? Can we get away with laying the grass directly on the dirt below? Do we still need to build a perimeter or can we stake the grass directly into the dirt? Are there other "cheats" we can do that will be good enough for a pet area and allow us to save time and money?

Edit: There is a dog door that gives both species of animals unlimited access into and out of the enclosure. We expect only the dog will use the grass to relieve himself, and then only when we're not home to let him outside into the larger backyard.


texts: best control method for mealy bug on dwarf white pine

texts:
The dwarf white pine has mealy bug which hide in the bark scales as well as living on the needles.  It is only five feet tall so I can reach all the branches.

Will soap and water harm the waxy cuticle on the needles?

Will a dormant oil spray harm the needles? If not should this be done in late winter, early spring?

Any other ideas given that systemic insecticides are not available to homeowners in Ontario?

Update:
The plant kept going downhill even after soap and water.  When there was substantial foliage die back after a winter I pulled it out and found very few roots.


texts: Vegetables are sprouting way ahead of schedule -- what gives?

texts:
I bought some seed-starting contraptions from the home center and planted vegetable & herb seeds in them. That was on Sunday (four days ago). The packaging said that sprouts should emerge within 7 days. Things were starting to happen within two days, and as of this morning (Thursday 4/16), here's what's going on:

Is this normal, or are these seeds precocious for some reason? Or maybe I planted them too shallowly?


texts: How do I plant potatoes that sprouted in my pantry?

texts:
I'm gearing up to plant some red potatoes from the grocery store that sprouted in the pantry. When I plant them do I plant them stem-side-up? And, should I plant them shallow so the stems poke out of the soil?

And last, would this be considered planting or transplanting?


texts: Is a little watering still better than no watering, when plants are thirsty?

texts:
I understand that it's important to water sufficiently and not just dampen the surface.

But does it actually do damage to water very briefly, or is it better than nothing? I'm thinking about a situation where you might be rushing to work in the morning and your time is very limited.


texts: Will I run into trouble if I water houseplants with carbonated water?

texts: I have rather a lot of partially flat liters, and wonder if I could use it as a drink for my house plants. Will purified carbonated water harm plants?


texts: I found this in a garden in the French Alps at 275m high, any ideas what it is? The red bit is about 40cm and the green is about 50cm.


texts: How to start Gulmohar bonsai from seeds?

texts: I have so many Gulmohar around. How can I use Gulmohar fruit/flower to start my own Gulmohar bonsai.


texts: I have a japanese acer that I have had in my garden for over 40 years and every year it has produced good leaf growth, until this year. I have seen some lichens on the branches which I haven't noticed before and wondered if this has any bearing on the problem. I can post photos to show the problem, but cannot see anyway to post them


texts: What is this bright red wrinkled pepper?

texts:
My spouse and I recently purchased a house in Los Angeles. The previous owners made no mention of it, and we didn't notice it during the buying process, but we discovered a pepper plant growing in the back yard. It produces bright red wrinkled peppers that look like this:

Despite my better judgement, I tasted a small (1/8" x 1/8" piece) of it, and it is extremely hot. I would rate it as far hotter than a jalapeño pepper. Looking online, it looks to me like maybe it's a naga or 7-pot (aka 7-pod) pepper, but I'm not sure. Is there a way to be sure?

Some additional pictures:

The whole plant

A Close-up of some not-yet-ripe fruits

And another one showing how they transition from green to red (sometimes)


texts: What are the practical differences between cucurbits grown from seed and cuttings?

texts:
What are the practical differences between cucumbers grown from seed and cucumbers of the same maturity level and equivalent root maturity from cuttings?

Is there a significant difference between yield and fruit size/quality of cucumbers grown from seed, which have taproots, and cucumbers grown from cuttings, which don't?

I'm guessing the depth of the soil wouldn't matter as much for cuttings, since they don't have taproots, so long as there were enough soil. I have heard that cuttings from some plants will grow thicker and stronger regular roots to try to make up for the lack of a taproot. I'm not sure if that applies to cucumbers.

I'm growing cucumbers both from seed and from cuttings of the same plants. So, I was wondering if I should expect different sizes of fruit, different levels of production and such. The variety I'm growing, as far as I know, is one called Bushy (since that's the closest matching cucumber seed packet the person I got the cucumber that I saved the seeds from had). However, the plants get huge for that variety, but otherwise the cucumbers seem to be those. They're great for fresh eating and make the best tasting vertical pickle slices I've ever had.

Anyway, I've got an idea that cuttings might be more suitable for a raised bed with black plastic underneath than the seed-grown plants.

I'm also trying to root some watermelon cuttings (Mississippi Cobb Gem, and I'm planning to take a Ledmon cutting, today) in soil. After a few days, my watermelon cutting is still alive and looking well. So, that's a good sign. Hopefully it'll work. It's a large variety that normally probably wouldn't do well in a raised bed with black plastic underneath, due to it preventing the taproot from growing very far down. I've tried a somewhat large variety there before (Klondike Stripe, I think), and the fruit was pitifully small and soft. It's maybe 18 inches of soil. So, it would be interesting to see if they did better from cuttings in such an environment. (I mean, because they have no taproot, the soil depth shouldn't make as much of a difference, it would seem.)


texts: How to grow leaves from a sweet potato (not in a jar of water)?

texts:
I once accidentally grew sweet potatos in my kitchen - it was just sitting there for a while since I haven't used it, without rotting, and it started growing.

I'm trying to reproduce it, because I liked the result (the old ones died when I wasn't at home for a few weeks) - but no luck.

I guess they were growing and surviving from the vapor and humidity in the kitchen.

What should I do to reproduce it?

I saw this question regards how to grow it in water - but it's not what I'm looking for.


texts: What is causing the open hole and damage to this oak tree?

texts:
There is a water oak tree in my yard, which is a member of the red oak family. There seems to be some sort of insect burrowing holes into the tree at the darkest spot. Tannins are being washed down the bark from the wound--possibly rotting the bark. What sort of insect does this? There was no previous wound as far as I know. I just noticed it for the first time today.

I live in South Carolina. I've seen things that look like this in the region but never anywhere near my property.

I have done some research into red oak boring insects.

http://www.treehelp.com/about-tree-insects/----Reccomends injecting, spraying,  and soil soaking with various insecticides.

http://homeguides.sfgate.com/pests-red-oak-trees-42540.html---Recommend covering the tree in clear plastic sheeting.

Oak Borers---Recommends Imidacloprid insecticide.


texts:
I brought a gardenia from store few weeks back.
It looked very healthy.
However, live in northern Germany and here winter days are really small and 95% of the time, it is extremely cloudy.
The weather this year in winter is approximately -1 to 6 degrees centigrade.
I have only two windowsills but, unfortunately there are heater under them and no other place in my house gets much sunlight.
So, I had to put the plant on the windowsill near the heater.
I know it needs humidity and warm temperature.
So, for humidity, I used water pebble tray under the plant.

My plant has several new gorgeous green leaves, but all the buds are dropping before opening.
I water once a week (if I find it dry after touching the soil) and there is no way I provide proper sunlight that it needs.
I don't think I am overwatering, because, new leaves are there and they look really healthy.
Also, I didn't use any fertilizer after I brought this plant to home.

Could anyone please help me to grow flowers on this plant?


texts:
There is a plant which gives aroma in the night; I do not know its name but I have seen it somewhere.

Are there any plants that give aroma day and night?


texts: Why is my chilli plant so leafy and small?

texts:
I planted some Serranos back in mid may, and at first I thought everything was going great. But after a while they began to slow down and appear to have gone leafy. Friends have planted later than me and their plants have started fruiting already where mine is still quite small.

I was wondering if there is actually any wrong with it or am I over thinking.

For reference I repotted a couple weeks ago using an even mix of perlite and vermiculite. with this soil: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008JCW25W/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

And I am using this light: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07K2TW1G2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I have (up until the last few weeks) been feeding them weekly with Chilli Focus which I think could possibly be part of the problem as the soil comes pre-enriched with a 20:20:20 fertiliser.

Does anyone know if they're alright or should I change my setup?


texts: What weed killer should I use before laying a new lawn?

texts: I have been working on my garden and had to remove trees, bushes, and the old lawn. I am starting to see new shoots coming through the soil.  What weed killer do I need before I lay a new lawn?


texts:
I have a plant of habanero chocolate.
In August it had very beautiful leaves, with an intense green color:

It was in a tiny pot, so I decided to transplant it in a bigger vase, filled with a mix of about 50% topsoil and 50% sand.
Now, at the beginning of October, after having produced about 20 fruits, its leaves start to become of sad yellow color and most of them dropped. The whole plant looks suffering.

What could I do to make it acquire a healthy green color again?


texts: How to tell a nectarine tree from a peach tree?

texts:
Nectarines are actually peaches with an active recessive gene (e.g. similar genetics to red hair in humans). Commercial nectarines are cultivars with this gene.

Although it is relatively rare, in the case of peaches this means a peach stone can produce a nectarine tree, and peach trees can produce nectarine sports (I assume this is from a graft but I don't know the details).

Is it possible to identify a nectarine tree (or branch sport) before it produces fruit?


texts: It started growing in one of the pots, but I have no idea what it is. It doesn’t look like a weed even though it’s growing at full sun and 90+ degree weather.


texts:
I'm fairly new to gardening, planting, and whatnot. But I did get an avocado from my local farmers market. (It was organic.)

But I took the pit out, I followed all the steps on basically all the tutorials I've watched/read. Except for peeling the skin of the avocado pit. Half of the tutorials said to take it off, and half said not to.

And recently the top has been getting a little dry, is that okay? And will the plant germinate, while the top half (out of the water) is dry? Should I keep the top half, not moist but wet?


texts: How old should a cottonwood be for me to start pruning it for bonsai?

texts:
This little bonsai cottonwood has been growing now for about 3 months. He is about 6 inches tall now and has been transplanted from his little cup to a bigger cup!

I am wondering, when would be a good time to start pruning his foliage and roots? Should I give him a year, two years, or should I start soon?

Looking for information from someone who has successfully grown bonsai.


texts: I put some fava beans in my vegetable raised bed during the winter months to add nutrients to the soil.  The seeds have sprouted and I have some healthy plants growing.  Question I have is what next?  As I understand it, the roots will provide nitrogen to the soil so I can remove the leaves and leave the roots in place but not sure what is the best time to do that.  Also, what do I do with the leaves? Is there any use for the leaves?


texts: How to prevent bunnies eating my plants?

texts: Bunnies are eating all my flowering  plants. Is there a repellent that works best with bunnies? or what can I do to prevent them from eating plants?


texts: What is this tiny plant with yellow orchid-like flowers?

texts:
This stem holds 9 tiny orchid-like flowers, some still yet to open. The leaves only measure approx 2cm long, and it looks like little tendrils coming at leaf/stem joint.

It is in my garden in Oxfordshire England. I saw the flowers while pulling up unwanted stuff. It's very tiny, thought I'd got a little orchid at first, it does look as though it could be from the pea family,


texts: What is this succulent with cylindrical leaves?

texts: I saw this plant today in the shop. It wasn’t labeled. What is it?


texts: Moringa Oleifera tree growing a foreign green leafed plant

texts: I have a 7 year old Moringa tree growing a foreign plant from its branches which become a green bundle on the tree. What could this be


texts: Why do fertilizers for the same plant type have significantly different ratios?

texts:
We have a beautiful, large citrus tree that hubby grew from a seed 25 years ago. It lives in a pot due to cold winters here, but spends as much time as possible outside - better for the tree and us. Now that the days are getting warmer, the tree seems "hungry" and the growth phase should kick in.

Obviously potted plants need extra nutrition and so we went to our local garden center to get a new fertilizer. And promptly started wondering:

Brand A
3-1-5 NPK plus 0.8% S (sulfur), 1.5% Na (sodium), 0.3% Fe (iron)
Brand B
3.5-6 NK plus 0.01 Fe
Brand C
7-3-6 NPK plus 3% S (2% soluble S), 1.0% Na, 0.1% Cloride

All are labelled as fertilizers for citrus plants. And while I see some similarity between A and B, C is in a totally different range.

So what should we do? And why do I have that nagging feeling that I'm missing an essential part of the big picture here?


texts:
This kind of tree seem to be very common in Sydney, Australia.

I have captured two photo to show the leaves and...

the trunk

Could you identify the kind of tree?

In addition, I have googled before I posted this question. owever I couldn't find any website that specifically lists popular trees in Sydney or major cities. Do you happen to know such website? (So I don't have to post relatively less value-added question to Stack Exchange)


texts: Gardening can be very physical.  That's part of the fun.  Can I work with stone to make walls and steps safely?  What should I watch out for?


texts: Why my tomato plant branches become dry?

texts:
Hi everyone I ave very strange phenomena going on my tomato plants branches bend and then dry also top of plant also get dry. Not sure what is the cause of it we have 35 Celsius Temprature but I have setup shade on plants to protect them from too much sun light but still branches bend and dry out. I have captured picture of my plants please help how to solve the problem it’s my 3rd year of my garden and every year I get into some problem. First year I had problem with tall tomatoes they would break in pots and had germination issue. 2nd year I had massive mealy bugs attack and this year I have problem if this dry leaves stems.

Update : peppers and some tomato healthy plants


texts: How close should a maple tree sapling be to marked utilities?

texts:
Last summer I planted a maple sapling in my yard. I foolishly did this without calling 811. This month I have other work to do and had my utilities marked.

When the marking was done I discovered that my phone and cable lines were ~6 feet apart and my maple sapling was planted right in the middle of those two lines.

How far should my sapling be from these lines?

If it is too close should I transplant it or just kill it and start over with a new sapling in a better location?


texts: What is this substance that looks like red sap on my cucumbers?

texts:
I have this weird red sap on a few of my cucumbers. I was wondering if anyone has seen this before?

These cucumbers were grown in our conservatory in the back garden (facing south) in pots, grown up bamboo canes (not sure how helpful this information is)


texts: Can I grow chestnuts or hazelnuts indoors? If yes, how?

texts:
Can I grow chestnut or hazelnut trees indoors?

If yes, how? If not, how can I grow them outdoors?


texts:
Hello again to the gardening knowledgeable people; I do not have a choice but  to ask for help to identify one more plant  in my garden. I have moved recently and seeded some plants but many different other plants are growing also in a such a small garden. Please help me to find out if the below plant is a weed or a flower so I do not make a mistake and pull it out.

Thank you in advance!

Cristina


texts:
I let my neighbors dump their vegetable trimmings in my compost pile, and it's worked well for many years.  I don't tend to actively maintain my compost pile and only turn it once a year.  (screen the stuff from the bottom when I'm turning over the garden in the spring, then throw all of the rest of it back in to sit 'til next year).

Unfortunately, last year my neighbors broke the container they had been using in their kitchen for compost, and I got them a new indoor compost container.  I bought it online and didn't realize that it used bags.  They've been using it, and my outdoor compost pile is overflowing with the bags.  I've looked at the store, and the refills all seem to say variants of 'for municipal composting'.

Is there some way of dealing with compostable bags in a personal compost pile?  Do I just have to break them open?  Heat them up sufficiently?  Or do I need to go through and attempt to remove them all?

update : I took at look at the box, and there's text on it that says :

  Bags are certified to meet ASTM D6400 standards. This means they will break down in an industrial composting facility.  Please dispose of bags properly.  Bags may take more time to degrade in a home composting environment.

The bags themselves say they're made from cornstarch.


texts:
My plum tree is rotting where a branch was cut some time ago.  The rotting zone had what looked like soil with worms and wood lice.

I cut out the affected the region but it is affecting almost 1/3 to half the diameter of the trunk.

I have sprayed a neem oil and insecticidal soap solution, and I have bought a wound sealant too, which I plan to use.

There are other places on the tree where the bark/skin is split and a similar problem is occurring.

What would you suggest?


texts: Why don't my Roma tomatoes reach full size?

texts: I know it's only spring time, but I have lots of little blossoms on my container tomato plants. All are ready to bloom into tomatoes.  They often do not reach full size.  In fact, I just pulled off four teeny tomatoes that actually tasted great!  Sometimes they do not look plump either.  Also, should I add coffee grounds to the soil?


texts:
Close up of lesions

Close up stem side

I've had this Apple tree for a couple of decades which I had always assumed it was wild since it had always produced sour small apples.

For some years the skin has had these blemishes which extend a little way into the pulp.  I never worried too much since I rarely ate the fruit, and if i did it was cooked first. But now to my surprise i am getting some decent sized fruit which for the first time actually tastes sweet. But the fruit is a bit inaccessible since the tree is now two storeys high, and tucked into a poorly accessible area shaded by a tall rhododendron.

So, I'm wondering if this is a fungal disease that I can treat easily noting poor access.  It doesn't seem to match the description for bitter pit disease.

Edit: I just realized that I had brought another apple tree onto the property this year, though in a container.  Perhaps the pollen from this one caused the fruit on the older one to improve?


texts: Can this areca palm be saved and if so how would I do it?

texts: Is my areca palm completely dead or can I save it somehow? All the leaves are dry and either brown or faded green, and the stems have black spots. Please refer to the photograph.


texts:
I'm looking into decorative Topiary. In my studies I've come across a similar process called Espalier.

They're both shaped trees.

Here's my question: What is the difference between espalier and topiary? Is it plant species, shape or function? Obviously, I've wikied it and several difference are outlined:

Topiary is rounder
Espalier is flat
Topiary is perenial with thick leaves or nestles
Espalier is usually a fruit tree

What if I had a round (or even animal shaped) fruit tree. Would that be topiary or espalier?


texts: Is there a way I can keep my plant off of my desk?

texts:
I bought a pothos plant for my work desk. Right now it's a standard a 5 inch diameter pot. I'd like to raise the plant up some, above the surface of the desk, maybe 12 to 24 inches.

I don't want to use an obtrusive stand (one with lots of decorations decoration), I'm looking for something that has a small footprint, so that it takes up as little desk space as possible.

Are there any products or homemade solutions that would accomplish this?


texts: White very small worms in the saucer water after watering from bottom

texts:
After I watered one of the plants using a saucer I found white worms swimming in the water. I could not identify them and I am looking for help to figure out if this is potentially harmful to my plants.
There is one much bigger than the other, mature I guess, It has a distinctive white head and a pink tail, the rest of the body is transparent. I can see through.
Below pictures are taken from the saucer water i used, it is filled in water, and i have kept the worm here since then. It appears they did not try to escape.
Also i noted they wave but they don't seem very good at swimming or moving.
thanks for help, this is quite disturbing.

the small black balls inside the worms are not natural color, they are dirt he ate (i guess)

This last picture shows that small worms are gathering around a ball of dirt (soil), i believe there is some sort of transparent slime that keep things altogether. But this is hard to demonstrate in picture.

bottom of the pot after i took off the plants.

i grabbed some soil in my hand to demonstrate my worms.

The root system of the plants.


texts: Is it possible to grow bulb onions in a container garden?

texts: I have a rather large balcony and love onions. Is it possible to grow bulb onions in a container? What would the minimum dimensions of a container have to be to grow them? Could they be co-planted with something else to maximize space?


texts:
This Euphorbia has been in the garden for quite some time. It's labeled as heterochroma, but I'm not so sure about that.

Branch http://selva.cabal.mx/Pic4.jpg

Do you have any ideas?


texts: What is the best way to germinating seeds in compost?

texts:
So far, I had germinated my seeds using the paper bag approach. I must say that it was quite successful. Having said that,  I have an almost-zero success rate when I try to germinating seeds directly in compost. I tried to germinate spinach, radish, nigella flowers,  fly trap, chamomile and parsley. Only some of the parsley and the fly trap had germinate successful. My compost mix generally consists of 2/4 compost, 1/4 vermiculite and 1/4 perlite.

I am very keen about method and I would like to have a higher success rate. Any tips how can I do so?


texts: What is a good method for rapidly cloning White Pumpkin plants?

texts:
I have six particular 40-day-old white pumpkin plants. I need to multiply these particular plants as rapidly as possible -- It's at least another month or two before I can extract viable seeds.

Am I better off utilizing the bury-the-vine method? I am a bit concerned about what stage (how large) a pumpkin plant should be at before burying portions.

There is also the method that involves cutting the plant, dipping in root hormone, and placing in a greenhouse environment to supposedly promote new root development. I believe this method could multiple faster if it worked, but I'm hesitant to waste the effort on this if the bury-the-vine method is more suitable.


texts:
I have noticed a few toads in my garden, and would like to encourage them - they're welcome to my slugs. So I thought it might be nice to create a small pond.

However I don't want it to dominate the garden and I don't have all that much room. What's the smallest practical size for a pond to be attractive to wildlife?

I'm in the British Midlands, so we get a couple of freezing weeks in a typical winter.


texts: Why use landscape fabric in a raised bed?

texts:
We just moved into a home that had three existing garden beds.  We're using them for vegetables.  Next year I was thinking of building a new and smaller bed to use for herbs.  I saw a video from Lowe's that seemed to show a relatively easy way to build a bed.  After removing the sod they roll out landscape fabric that will sit under the soil in the bed.

What is the purpose of using landscape fabric?  And more specifically, would it be useful in a vegetable or herb garden bed?


texts:
I have no idea what this is. I've never seen one before. My first guess is that is that it is a slug, but image searching didn't turn up anything.

These were in shaded hardwood forest in northern New Hampshire.


texts: The English name of yellow seeds fed to pet birds like budgies?

texts:
I asked at a bird seed shop in India, but the person called the seeds "kangni", which is Foxtail millet, and the seeds are different from what is also listed as "kangni" on other websites.

I'm hoping to know the English name for these yellow seeds that are fed to small birds like budgies:

Update: It sprouted into this kind of a plant. I'm assuming it's some ordinary kind of grass or a millet.


texts: What is this weed with beautiful yellow flowers?

texts:
I live in subtropical Hong Kong. Is this some kind of tiny flower dandelion? Is has floating seeds, which grow in very small clusters about the same size as the flowers or smaller.

I can't be sure about the growing times. I threw so many random seeds in the ground and ignored everything and just moved everything around and am starting to get organized and serious about gardening.

I took a whole bunch of seeds and potted them hoping to grow a dozen or more. Would be great if it was not poisonous like my other purple weed I asked about.


texts: Mower sounds like its struggling to cut?

texts: I mowed a lawn that had really thick tall grass my blades were already on the dull side, I hit a patch of grass and nearly stalled out my mower. I sharpened my blades, balanced them, cleaned under the deck, and cleaned the air filter. I mowed one lawn after that and it wasnt overly tall or wet and it sounded like it was clogging as if I were mowing really tall grass. It's time for an oil change and I'm gonna change the oil filter as well, but I doubt that's the problem. Could it be the belts? I only have 57 hours on it, it's an ariens ikonx 52. What all should I check for?


texts: Our redwood is about 30 years old and about 4 stories high. I would like to shape and top it to keep under control. Would it be fine to top off about 10 or 15 feet and also shape it? A tree trimmer told me it would be a good idea but years ago another trimmer told me not to top because the top would split in two and continue growing that way. Sounds awful. Any advice?


texts: What are these pale blotchy spots on the new leaves of my draceana marginata?

texts:
Recently, I decided to look at the new leaves of my dracaena that otherwise looks healthy and I've been surprised by this. I am wondering what are those stains and if they're bad for my plant. The dracaena is in a clay pot placed right in front of a south-facing window in Montreal, Canada. I might have seen a fungus gnat lurking around, but it doesn't seem like it has friends because after shaking all my plants, I can't see any. The dracaena drinks a lot and I sometimes need to water it twice a week because it's dirt becomes completely dry.

Thanks for your help in advance
Here's a picture from further :


texts: I have a lilac bush which this year did not seem to come in as full as the past couple of years. In addition, I see some of the branches have these spiny growths on them. Does anyone know what that is?


texts: If twisted trees will suffocate each other, why do retail stores sell them together?

texts:
My friend recently purchased an apple tree twist from a local retailer, and was wondering why retailers sell them that way if they will try to kill each other?

Please correct me if I'm wrong, and they will help each other grow, and not try to kill each other.


texts: Should I use weed block for a tree mulch ring?

texts: I'm considering adding mulch rings around my trees. I really don't want to spend all summer every year picking Weeds out of the mulch though. Would adding the black weed block cloth be problematic? I would assume this would negate some of the fertilization benefits of having the mulch ring in the first place, but thought I'd ask.


texts: Why is my gardenia covered with flies, ants, and other insects?

texts: Why are insects of all kinds covering my gardenia?


texts:
I have planted a couple herbs 2 - 3 weeks ago and this is the result.

It seems the wild rocket has pretty much all come up, the others had similar number of seeds planted but not making a show.

2x basil, 1x mint, 1x sage, 1x rocket.

Its been on a windows sill, no direct sun but good light (for the UK at this time of year). Also been keeping it under a lamp when its been overly cloudy.

Are the rest a lost cause? Is this usual when growing from seeds?

How can I get the rest to either come up, or the next batch work well. The seeds are new, purchased from a seemingly reputable (20k+ good feedback) organic seller on ebay.


texts: How do I get rid of onion weed in my garden beds?

texts: This weed grows from a bulb and if I try to pull it out apparently some bulbs or part of bulb stays behind because a few months later I have hundreds of them. I have heard it said I have to remove the clump of soil with the bulb but then I would have holes all through my garden. Is there a better way?


texts: This was a friends plant, a Dracaena Marginata and it basically died, I took it to see if I could regrow it but I’m not that savvy in gardening. Luckily some green has sprouted from the bottom but I don’t know if I should keep the old branches or get rid of them to make some space. Any tips on getting this back to beautiful?


texts: What can I do about carrots having weak stems?

texts:
Should I plant then deeper, fill in dirt around them as they are growing or perhaps something else?

It seems like they grow faster than they can keep up with themselves, and if I do nothing, I'd end up with a ton of right angled carrot stems.

Is this why seedling starters are used?


texts: How can I determine if I have sufficient light for kohleria?

texts:
I want to grow some kohleria, not sure which variety, in the office, but I am not sure the light requirement is satisfied.

Most websites said kohleria require partial shade sunlight. We don't have direct sunlight in our office:

In our pantry, we have indirect sunlight from the East through the glass wall and the default fluorescent tubes.
In the main office, there are only the default fluorescent tubes.

I don't have a light meter here so I don't know how to judge their light intensity. But there are some clues. I've seen my colleagues growing Gloxinia, (Florists' Gloxinia, Sinningia speciosa, the big flower one), and African Violets, in the office. In the main office they usually grow African Violets only and they blossom nicely. In the pantry they grow Gloxinia and African Violet. The Gloxinias grow well and blossom nicely (I know they give them fertilizer once a week to boost the flowers), but the African Violets usually don't look good and their leaves are curly.

What do you think?


texts: How to straighten a leaning Ponytail Palm?

texts: My Ponytail Palm spends the warmer months outdoors and grew substantially this year. Unfortunately it is also growing very much to the side now, presumably because it was trying to find sunlight. I’m worried that repotting may damage it. I have it turned away from the sunlight in hopes it will straighten up. Any other tips? I see that it is growing a second head and trunk, and may eventually have a y-shape. Can it’s lopsidedness be related to that?


texts: I need help in identifying this house plant. I was told it was a begonia but?

texts:
I live in Florida but this houseplant is new to me. Someone said it was a begonia but I have not found a begonia like this. Not sure how to care for it.
Pretty little pink flowers.


texts: Which high-desert-friendly tree should I plant beside my driveway?

texts:
My property (New Mexico, climate zone 7a) has a patch of ground between my driveway and a fence that's begging for a tree to be there. It's about 11 feet wide. Apparently a tree was there before, as its stump is still visible (you can see it at https://imgur.com/a/32ob6).

I'd like to plant something whose roots won't eventually heave the concrete driveway slab. It would be planted about 5 or 6 feet from the driveway. Shade doesn't matter to me because it's on the north part of the lot. Trees that grow well in the neighborhood are Hackberry, Juniper, Cypress, various Pines, and some Oaks. Do any of these stand out as being especially safe to plant in this strip?


texts:
What is wrong with these plants? I’m moving in a month so can’t put them in the ground yet. The bottom leaves are turning yellow and starting to get brown spots.

I don’t know if I’m watering too much or not enough, or maybe the soil is compacted, fungus???
Help! What should I do?

Thanks!
Steve


texts: Best method to use netting to protect container-grown kale from pests

texts:
New gardener from the UK here. I am growing kale (Nero di Toscana) in garden containers, and so far this year, so good! Unfortunately when I tried this last year, they were completely demolished by cabbage white caterpillars.
I have purchased some netting  to try and protect them, but can't figure out the best way to actually cover the containers; all the online advice I have come across seems to refer to plants in beds, which can have some sort of row covering. I don't have space for planting outside of containers. Is there a commonly used method for constructing netting to protect containers from pests?


texts: What is this shrub and has it come back from the dead?

texts:
We had this deciduous shrub in our lawn for many years. Its height was about 1.5m - 2m. This photo is from a couple of years ago.

Strange thing is that this spring it seemed to have died. We reckoned to return that area to lawn. I cut the dead plant right back to its stump (thinking to remove that later) and turfed over the remainder.

Not long ago I noticed fresh growth from the stump. Is the full shrub now going to come back from the dead and be good as ever?

And can anyone identify it (either from the old photo, or from the new shoots?).

Here's the fresh growth (if you look closely, you'll see that the shoots are definitely coming from the original stump.


texts:
I've been experimenting with hydroponics chili but no success. Here are some pics.

There is no infection or bugs for sure but seems like deficiency of nutrition. Flowers grow but rot very easily and getting just 2-3 chilies in fruiting stage.
I'm feeding it with custom formula at 1200 tds daily. It is getting proper sunlight and temperature is about 18c to 30c. Growing medium is pure cocopeat.
Could some one point out what this deficiency is.
Also let me know if further information is required.


texts: What type of tree is this? It’s a transplant but my friend isn’t sure what it is. How big will it get?


texts: My bouquet of roses has green leafs. Can I plant them?

texts: So I got these for my birthday and they have lasted about a month. I’ve noticed the green leafs and would like to replant them. How can I do that?


texts: Will Chanterelle mushrooms grow under shrubs in my yard?

texts: I would like to grow some Chanterelle mushrooms (Cantharellus cibarius) under some shrubs in my yard.  Will they grow in the narrow space between the shrubs?


texts: What is this brown plant and how do I care for it? When do I water it?

texts:
I while back I got this interesting plant, but I never knew how to properly care for it, the leaves just seem to turn red and yellow and then fall off.

Here's  a picture of it (it's the brown stick looking plant):

https://i.stack.imgur.com/feEPo.jpg

It is developing  small leaves at the bottom:


texts:
Basically the title. I am new to gardening indoors and wondering why is it best to use potting soil for potted plants? I mean for growing seedlings and also plants that spent whole lifetime in pots.

There are some obvious reasons, such as that the potting soil doesn't get "compressed" over time and that it is probably sterilized.

But one could use cocos fibres mixed with normal soil and well... hoped that the the normal soil isn't infected with some fungi or pests.


texts: How to start in the landscaping design business?

texts:
I am a stay at home wife and mom and I have been focused on learning more about landscaping and garden design mostly because I love it. There are some local companies that do landscaping but I think their designs are super outdated and I can do a better job of creating unique designs. Armed with that confidence and some example gardens of friends I would like to start doing this professionally.

The specific questions I have are below:

1) Has anyone in the group done this transition or is the only way to get some certification/courses before you can become a professional ?

2) Would it be better to partner with an architect for this ? or advertise by myself ?