texts: I can only grow things in containers as I have no garden and have an active herb garden mostly consisting of some very happy chives and some potted Bay, rosemary and basil.However the window box I plant my mint in seems to be a dead loss. Sometimes I discover it is too wet and I have been over watering (so it dies) or I find it is too dry (so it dies). I tend to water most plants about the same time and about the same rate but the mint seems to like to fluctuate massively. What can I do to increase the life and survival of my mint?


texts: Can a mix of a sticking agent and a bitter salt be used to deter deer and moose from eating trees in winter?

texts:
A sticking agent is a material added to a spray mix to give it longer residence time on a plant.

Many plant poisons are very bitter.

Would a spray solution with a bitter agent such as potassium alum and a sticking agent be an effective deterrent to wildlife munching on trees and shrubs?

This is a question about deer behaviour and modifying that behaviour in wild populations.  It's not really about gardening.


texts: I am growing strawberries which I read prefer acid soil to alkaline one. I also read that using water that were used for beans soaking is recommended as a fertilizer. Will using it make my soil more acid? Or more alkaline?


texts: Will fruit/vegetables split with heavy constant watering?

texts: I've heard that fruit/vegetables will split with inconsistent watering, but will it split if it can get water to its roots desires (i.e. "I go any deeper and I'll drown", or "if we get a heavy downpour my roots will cut back")? If I get enough success the first season would it be a great idea to save enough seeds for next year as I think the plant starts industry doesn't grow seed for heavier waterings (garden environment conditions of a floodplain)?


texts:
Hi I am new to gardening and have bought myself an Acer Beni Maiko tree. I have repottd it when I got home. I have been reading that they prefer slightly acidic soil. I have potted it in Westlands tree and shrub compost. This was a week ago. Should I repot it again in a more acidic compost or should I leave it in the pot it is in (as I don't want to distress it too much having only recently repotting it the first time)
Any information would be great.
Cheers.


texts: Should I worry about planting nonnative Norway spruce in NY?

texts:
I'm looking for the perfect tree to create a low maintenance living privacy hedge/windbreak in an approximately 100'x100' area. About 20' from one part of the area, water pools sporadically. I'm eyeing Norway spruce, White spruce, and White pine. I'd prefer a native species to NY, but White pine doesn't seem to have the wind resistance I'm looking for or density necessary for a privacy screen. I was thinking White spruce, but Norway seems to possibly have better wind resistance, combined with faster growth and a broader mature spread so I won't have to spend as much on tree seedlings. Wind resistance is important because these trees, though entirely on our property, will be within fifty feet of a neighbor's house and would fall her way due to prevailing wind.
I'm worried if I plant Norway spruce, which is native to Europe, the tree may eventually become invasive in the local environment. Is this a legitimate concern with Norway spruce, or a nonissue? Any other advice for the privacy screen/windbreak welcome.


texts: Why would my goji berry plant in California get sick and full of aphids?

texts:
I live in Los Angeles, California. I bought two goji berry plants on-line two years ago. The aphids already killed one. I thought it killed the other one but it grew back. I know that plants have defenses against bugs. The most logical explanation is it is sick. Maybe it doesn't have enough nutrients. So what would be the best way to make a goji berry plant healthy? I only had berries from it one time.

Now that May is coming I want a garden in my back yard, but with all those aphids attacking it will spill into my garden. I want to save it if I can. I was using Neem oil extract for the aphids. The leaves are all yellow, it is a mess. Should I just cut the leaves all off?


texts: Spider plant leaves becoming discolored, thin and droopy

texts:
I purchased a Chlorophytum Comosum in October 2016. It's 3 or 4 separate plants. I moved it from its 10cm diameter plastic pot into one that's roughly 15 cm and about 20 cm deep, without drainage. When moving it, I just took all of the soil and the plant from the original pot and placed it into a hole that I dug in the new one.

I usually water this plant once every 10 days. The dirt is usually dry on the surface but still damp underneath. At the bottom of the pot I used 3 small plastic pots to act as a platform for the plant and let water fall through to the bottom, so that it wouldn't gather around the roots.

The healthiest of the plants has started putting out spiderettes that are growing fairly large, and it has increased in size since I purchased it.

All of the plants are growing fast, and recently some of the leaves have grown thin and droopy, and I just noticed that they're very discolored, and pale. A few of the leaves have become unable to support themselves and are bending.

The same issue is affecting a small spiderette that I just repotted from a completely different plant, and I have been watering a few times a week to keep the soil damp.

What's wrong with this plant? How can I help the plant recover its original robustness and grow thicker, non-pale leaves?

This is how the plant looks today. It was watered about 5 days ago. It looks very droopy and out of shape:

Detail on the discoloration I mentioned:

This is what the plant looked like about a month ago. The plant had grown noticeably during this time.

Here's another picture showing what the plant looks like when it's in best shape:

Here is a picture of the other spiderette taken from a separate plant, right after it was potted:

This is how it looked today (visibly more pale than before):


texts:
I know it's possible, because that's how people come out with new hybrids, but how does one go about saving the seeds of a lilac? Specifically, I have the straight species of Syringa vulgaris, and each year it produces a few seed capsules in the flowerheads. I assume I'd harvest the seeds when the cases split, but I am unclear on the further needs of the seeds, such as stratification, and if necessary, which type.

How are they stored, what are their requirements for good germination, and do they benefit from bottom heat when germinating?


texts: Using a syringe to dispense liquid fertilizer

texts:
I have about a dozen plants (tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers) I'm wanting to fertilize automatically.

My wife has a couple of orchids, and I noticed she gets liquid fertilizer in a tube which she just upends into the plants once a month.

Does anyone know if I can make something similar for my plants using syringes ans what size syringes are appropriate? (I'm envisaging 50/100 mm syringes)


texts: What is this purple flowering serrated-leaf succulent?

texts:
This is a waxy-leafed succulent with purple tube-shaped flowers.  I bought this plant at a yardsale in Virginia eight years ago.  The sellers have since moved away.

This propagated well by cuttings.  I did manage to keep them alive until last fall.  But they were never happy enough to flower again.

Does anyone out there know the name of this curious plant?  Or where I may find another?


texts: Is it ok to have a raised garden bed next to a house?

texts:
I built this raised planter and placed it next to my house. There is around an inch and a half space between the wall and the siding of the box. Pictures are shown below.

Is there any reason why this would not be ok? I've looked up some information and everything I have found talks about putting the back directly up to the house without any separation.


texts: Can anyone tell me what is happening with this cucumber plant?


texts:
I got some more plants from a friend and before I plant them I want to make sure they are not creeping bellflowers. They are a little different, but I'm not completely sure. I'm hoping they are Harebell or something similar.

Source


texts: Another mystery to solve.....plant identification

texts:
I got this plant at a nursery sale with no tag in it.  Have been watching it for three years now ~ there does not appear to be a flower on it OR I've just missed it's bloom time. This year I noticed, despite the very rigid vertical main "stem", there are a few off-shoots from the bottom of the plant that seem to want to crawl or vine.  It has been quite slow growing (not withstanding, the new vining branches seem to have grown overnight.) standing only about 2 1/2 feet tall. The leaves are quite small ~ maybe an inch long or so. Not shiny. And in the fall there are tight little red berries all along the branches.

Here are some pictures.....
Thank you kindly, Karen


texts: Ants are farming aphids on my cherry blossom

texts:
I have a seedling Cherry Blossom tree, less than a meter high, and 3 years old.

Every year, carpenter ants infest it, and start farming Aphids on the leaves.

The leaves curl up, and the tree is severely damaged.

I tried spraying it with dish soap.

How can I can get rid of both ants and aphids, for once and for all?

UPDATE:
Borax ant killer, spray jet, dish-liquid, nothing seems to work. Both ants and aphids are there in abundance. I am now close to uprooting the tree and throwing it away. It draws too many pests, and some of the ants try to make it into my home. What is the heaviest duty counter measure for this?


texts:
Started some broccoli from seed and it's not something I often plant. Two cells both plants look different. I'm pretty sure the one I planted in the raised bed is the broccoli because there was another similar looking plant growing in another cell. Thinking it might be a weed.  Also the one I planted has purplish stems which matches the description of the plant.

Any idea if I got the broccoli correct and what the other plant might be? The variety of broccoli is purple sprouting.

If it helps, the other similar plant I saw was growing in an adjacent cell where I had started some mesclun mix lettuce seeds. Other nearby cells had mustard tatsoi, italian chicory.


texts: Can I start germinating plant seeds indoors in August, and keep them inside for planting next April?

texts:
I intuitively feel this is wrong, but I'd like to start the seeds of a plant indoors now, in August, and keep the young plants in containers until the next spring. I'd want to transplant them outside some time around the month of April.

It's at 45° latitude. I'd like a native perennial.

Would that work?


texts: My chilli plant is leaning away from the vertical, should I support it somehow?

texts: My plant is quite young, about 20 cm tall. It is leaning slightly, should I support it? If so, how?


texts: Japanese Maple Seedlings Dying For No Apparent Reason

texts: I'm trying to grow Japanese Maples from Seeds. I had over 100 germinate this year and now I think they're all dead. One the seedling reaches an inch plus, it puts out true Japanese maple leaves. After a few days to a week, they all shrivel up. The stem of the seedlings have remained erect after the death of the leaves, could they come back? What am I doing wrong. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Also my Sugar Maple seedlings and oak seedling with 8+ leaves on them also slowly dry out and eventually fall off. What could be going on? I've been moving them to much larger pots once their roots begin to develop, before they get overcrowded.


texts: How close to a PVC stormwater drain can I get with a retaining wall post?

texts:
I'm building a retaining wall along the length of my shed. I was hoping to run it 250mm offset from the shed. However, I've discovered a stormwater pipe running parallel for some of the proposed wall, also running 250mm off from the shed.

How close can I get my posts to this pipe? if I bring the wall closer to the shed, it would have to be 25mm off from the pipe.

If I build it on the far side of the pipe, I would have to excavate more dirt out... and its hot and would rather not :)


texts: How can I propagate a rubber tree plant from a cutting?

texts:
I wanted to propagate a cutting from my rubber tree, so I followed the instructions in the guides below:

Garden Guides
eHow
Gardening Know How
Garden Web Forum

I trimmed a long branch off of my rubber tree, cut it diagonally about 5" from the highest bud, dusted it with rooting hormone, and set it in some potting soil. I then enclosed the pot and I have been keeping it watered and humidified with a water sprayer. Pictures are below.

It has been about 2 weeks since this procedure, and I am wondering if there is anything more that I can do to ensure this cutting thrives. The instructions say that I should pull the plant from the soil and check for new roots, but I'm afraid that doing so might hurt the plant. Also, the leaves have become floppy and are now touching the sides of my enclosure.

Should I pull up the cutting to check for new roots? What else can I do to help my cutting take root?

BTW, this question is a followup to my original question about caring for a rubber tree plant, here:
How to trim a rubber tree plant when all of the leaves are at the top

Click on the pictures for larger size.


texts: Can crushed rapeseed be used instead of rapeseed meal as fertilizer?

texts: Traditionally, the Japanese use rapeseed meal as fertilizer. This is a non-waste production, they extract oil from seeds and use the resulting meal as fertilizer. But I wondered: is it possible to use simply crushed rapeseed seeds that have not been pressed for oil? Does the presence of oil affect the fertilizer quality, does it become dangerous for plants? Or vice versa, a large amount of oil in crushed seeds improves the fertilizer quality?


texts: Help identifying South Florida tree with large pink flowers that appear annually for a short time in the fall

texts:
Any ideas of what it could be?

Edit: Added a picture without its flowers. The new image gives some reference for how tall it is and how much space its canopy covers.


texts:
The leaf of my green chilli plant keep curling and wither away. I have tried treatment with neem oil pesticide /fungicide but it does not show any improvement

The plant does not flower / produce chillis


texts:
I've noticed these guys in the garden for years but never bothered to find out what they are. They are bright red, move with great speed, have a single body, and 8 legs.

Seems it's actually a whirligig mite which is supposed to be a predatory insect that eats mites and aphids, and possibly scale insects.

What role do they have in pest management in a home garden? Should I move them to aphid or pysllid infested plants?

I found them roaming amongst the carrots and what's left of the potatoe leaves.


texts:
I have Parks Whopper Cr Improved Vf1f2nt Hybrid started from seed indoors.  The plants have healthy leaves and seem to be growing well, but their stems are rather purple.

Is this normal, or the sign of missing nutrients, or other issue?


texts: Plumeria Leaf discoloration and falling off

texts:
The leaves are falling off and some are turning brown while still attached. I've included two photos below. I planted the plant 2 years ago into the ground. The soil is pretty sandy. It receives full sunlight around 8 hours a day. My USDA zone is 10b.

How do I know whether I have a pest problem or if this is part of the changing seasons? It is currently November in South Florida.


texts: lag screws vs through-bolts when cabling to prevent a split at the crotch

texts: When cabling a tree with two main leads to prevent it from splitting at the crotch, is there any advantage to the tree to using a lag screw rather than a through-bolt, or vice versa?


texts: How do I evaluate the condition of a used lawn mower?

texts: I'm looking at buying a gas-powered lawn mower from a friend, but I'm concerned because the mower was purchased new almost 13 years ago. How can I evaluate its condition and know if it will last me several years without any major overhauls? Of course certain parts like the blade are designed to wear out and be replaced eventually, and I'm fine with that. I just want to make sure I can keep this thing running for a good long time. I'm also worried about the continued availability of replacement parts.


texts:
I found this plant between my vegetables when it was small and thought it looked interesting, so it placed it somewhere else. I couldn't imagine then that it would grow to be a sphere of almost a meter across within a couple of months.

Anyway, I'm curious what it is. Like I said, it's about 1 meter, roughly spherical. It is an blueish/grayish green, and has a lot of fine leaves of about 8 to 10 cm. I'm not sure what the right English word is to describe the shape of the leaves, but they look like a drawing of a Christmas tree.

Recently it developed small stalks or "tails" each with many flower buds, which look like they may become yellow flowers. Any fragments of red on the picture are from a different flower.

This picture was taken in my garden in The Netherlands, North-Western Europe.


texts:
We have a gravel strip close  which I would love to make more colorful. It is located in a place with morning sun, close to a wall of a house. Also there is not much soil in between the stones, but dandelion and blackberries are thriving.
I know that in the wild, poppies, straw flowers etc. would grow on similar locations. Is there a way of helping flowers to grow there without removing the gravel first?
So far I followed a recipe I heard from various old people:

I tried 2nd last year scattering a mixture of "selected wild flower seeds" from a discounter with sand and compost on top, so that I was able rinse it in the gaps between the stones. Interestingly, not a single plant appeared. Under dry conditions I watered the gravel strip once a week.
Last year, I tried again with expensive seeds, and I let them pre-germinate a bit, before creating the above mentioned mixture and distributing it on top of the gravel, and rinsing it in. Again a complete failure.

Does anybody have a different suggestion?


texts: How can I have lettuce growing year-round?

texts:
I've got this lettuce, similar to the red leaf, ruffly variety. It seems to grow only during summer and autumn. I can't coax it into sprouting from the seeds I harvest at any other time of year, which is pretty disappointing as I really want to have part of my salad greens come from my garden. Halp.
Edit: I live in the center of Mexico, where climate is warm, hot and dry during the day but cools down quite a bit when the sun sets (desertic and semi-desertic environment). Spring is very dry, summers "moisten" towards the end, autumns are the middle ground between hot-cold and dry-wet, and finally, winters are quite cold, with a hail or two per year. Overall, low natural humidity. My lettuce plants are outside, although I also want to know if growing veggies inside is an option.


texts: What can be planted on a shady, damp slope to help remove weeds?

texts:
I am removing ferns and brambles from a steep, damp and shaded hillside. Proper planting will come later but first I want to have some ground cover that will help keep the weeds from re-establishing and help lock the slope.

I am in mid-Wales (United Kingdom) so summer temperatures are 15-20C (59-68F) and winters can easily hit -5C (23F)

I have considered Phacelia, which is quite a good green manure, but wasn't too sure if it would thrive.


texts: How to deal with very packed Spathiphyllum roots when repotting?

texts:
I have a bad case of Spathiphyllum abuse... I knew it was due for repotting, but I didn't think it was that bad.

I need advice as to what to do with the roots. Should I just try to separate them a bit, or do I have to cut? Or maybe just do repot as is?

It's doing good in general. It started to have dried leaf ends, so I'm trying to make it happy again. When I look at the bottom, there is zero soil. Only packed roots.

I'd rather play safe with this guy...


texts: Leaves on my Dracaena reflexa have died because of cold and I trimmed them

texts: I am currently located in Srinagar (India) the winter has been a tad too harsh this year with night temperatures plummeting to -7 degrees C all the leaves on my Dracaena reflexa gehich I had forgotten outside) have dried up because of cold so I trimmed the crowns and let the stems stand bare. I’ve brought it indoors though but I’m not sure about it’s survival.. any idea folks


texts: Quality of soil in plants sold in 6" pots sold at retail stores?

texts:
Should I transplant plants (herbs mainly) in 6" pots that I buy at megastores like the Home Depot? It seems the soil's spongy; it doesn't even feel like soil. The plants aren't dead (or at least not yet) and I water them on a regular basis.

The plants are on an open balcony with a roof, so they don't receive direct sun.

Thanks.


texts: I have a little madeira vine plant in my room. How often do you recommend to water it?


texts: Wife and daughter ate these. Are they safe?

texts:
My wife and daughter ate a bunch of these fruits. Are they safe? Daughter puked and wife has diarrhoea.

sorry

She took me to the tree. It isn’t laurel. It is this:

Should I be more concerned? Ambulance maybe?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.


texts: What to do with Tulip bulbs bought in the summer?

texts:
I normally plant bulbs in the fall however I was just in Amsterdam and the tulip bulbs were so cheap I couldn't resist!

Should I plant them when I get home or store them (if so how) until October?


texts: Plant recommendations for extremely small pots

texts:
I have a bunch of plastic containers from take away food I have ordered over a period of time. I have few container ranging from 200ml to 1 Litre capacity. I was wondering what could I plant in these containers (if possible) indoor or outdoors.

I have searched the web and all I could find was annoying websites making me click 10 times to see 10 pictures and names of plants. I would appreciate if someone can point me to a decent site to look for plants or share few plant names I can look out.

I can't plant cactus or any other thorny plant.


texts: What is the purpose of supporting the tree this way?

texts:
I just came across this picture on Houzz:

Is it to straighten the tree ?


texts:
I am having some weird readings that do not strictly go against what I have researched but seems I may be missing something.

I am growing Tomatoes and cucumbers along with one small chilli plant.

At the beginning of the week I start a new cycle and change my water out add new nutrients and adjust my PH.

The PH drops continuously for 4 days while I keep topping it up every 3 hours or so.

I am using RO water and while the nutrients themselves don't seem to bring down the PH I think it is the plants reacting to them that causes the PH to drop for a while.

On the 4th day it stabilizes, and all is happy.

I add water when its needed to top off my tank to the normal level.
But the EC does not really drop to anything below 2 within a week.

My question is this :

By the end of the week do I need to add more nutrients if my EC reading is still around 2.4 ? ( The nutrients apparently should be added each week, but I think this may be excessive )

I want to know because each time I add nutrients ( and do a new complete water change ) I have to go through 4 days of stressing about PH levels all the time.

In short, how long can I leave the same nutrients in my system for ?
If the reading of my EC stays above a certain level can I just keep using them until it reaches around 1.7 then change the water and add new nutrients ?

Sorry if this seems like a basica question but I'm scratching my head to figure out if its worth doing the new nutrient additions so often if the plants are not taking up them in that time frame.

I understand that you should drain and start with new water every week or 2 but that wouldn't be needed if I was using the same nutrients and not adding anything more ?
I have not been able to find anywhere that says how long you can keep your nutrients working for you in the same batch.

Thanks for the input.


texts: I have a question about a disease on my green beans

texts: I'm not sure if this is a disease or a bit as weather-related on my green beans can someone give me any idea, my beans have a purple almost black all over them it's not a texter nor is it slamming I just wonder if it's a disease or just from too much rain


texts: Hive of bees / wasps nesting inside pine tree

texts:
I have a pine tree growing next to the main door of my house. There is a hive of stinging insects (bees / wasps) nesting inside the pine needles, I am considering whether to leave them alone or to get rid of them using a wasp spray.

A family member has been stung once. Watering the tree with a garden hose ruffles the pine needles enough to set them off.

My location is in Malaysia (equatorial Asia), the insects are about 1.5cm to 2cm long, the hive is about eye level off the ground. The insects has 4 yellow stripes across its abdomen.

Identification on what species of bees / wasps and whether they are pests / helpful pollinators for my garden is appreciated.


texts: Plant identification: dark red leaves & thin stems

texts:
Location: western Massachusetts
We cut it severely (to remove it) because it was kind of unwieldy when we first moved here, but the plant was very resilient and now it has grown back slim stems and leaves.
 (large)
 (large)


texts: What is the traditional approach to planting bulbs?

texts:
I wandered onto this page about how to plant bulbs indoors. It mentioned that we need to place the bulb in the soil and put it in a cool, dark place for the root system to develop, which takes about 6 weeks. This is different from what we do here. I don't know what temperature range they're referring to when they say "cool".

Here in Hong Kong the weather is quite warm even in Winter (15+ degree Celsius , so what we do is place the bulb without soil in the fridge for 6 weeks. After that, we put them in the soil and let them grow. Are both ways correct? How do you define "cool"?


texts:
I only know that this is a popular houseplant in Turkey.
What's its name?


texts: Why are two of my plants drying out and turning yellow?

texts:
I have 2 plants that are drying out.

One is called aglaonema and the other one is a ravenea palm. I water them every week and don't know why they're turning yellow.


texts: How can I recognize and control fungus gnats on my oyster mushrooms?

texts:
I'm growing lots of oyster mushrooms,  and now I have lots of black flies. I don't know what species they are.

How do I tell if they are fungus gnats or fruit flies ? How do I control them ?


texts: Are my beefsteak tomato seedlings doing okay?

texts:
So I planted these beefsteak tomato seeds on May 8th and have started transplanting them into larger containers yesterday and the day before yesterday. They are kind of leaning over and I just wanted to make sure they are okay/ getting what they need. I keep them under LED lights for 16 hours a day. Are they a normal size/ colour for about three weeks in?

enter image description here


texts: I was wondering if there was a "world record" of the fastest fully grown Lettuce and how fast it grew, is there a record for it? or just how fast would it in theory be?


texts: What procedure should I do when I water my sunchokes?

texts: My sunchokes seem to getting bigger by the day, and may develop some rot if I'm not careful, so I was wondering how I should go about watering my sunchokes with "free" water to get the highest yield that I can possibly get.


texts: Plant recommendation for travelling student

texts:
I am a university student who rents an apartment to live in. Because I study abroad, there are times that I return back at my parent's home. The time I spend there varies from a week up to two months in the summer.

So the question I want to ask is this: given the above time I spend away from my apartment, what would be a good plant to buy? I obviously need one that has the ability to remain alive for up to two months without me taking care of it, if possible. The reason is that I have no auto-watering system since I live in an apartment.

If there are any ways I should take care of my plant before going away, please make sure to note them as they would help out a lot. I have a balcony where I will keep the plant most of the time, but for the two summer months, I don't know what to do.


texts: Limit of size difference between parents of hybrid plants: Aloaceae

texts:
Aloe, Haworthia and Gasteria are three genera which are related closely enough to allow crossing among them.
However, I have never encountered a cross between a large genotype (e.g. Aloe Ferox) and a small one (e.g. Haworthia cooperi).

By small or large I mean the size a plant can attain, at or close to its size limit. In the case of members of the Aloe family, it's about the size a single rosette/offset may attain: That's when the rosettes/offsets multiply without increasing their size.

Is pollination possible between two specimes differing greatly in size?


texts:
Please identify my African violet
Five petals color is fushia and white


texts: What is the legality of growing San Pedro cacti in Florida?

texts: Clusters of columnar cacti like the San Pedro (Echinopsis pachanoi) are very appealing to me. I want to grow it all around my house. I am aware however that this is considered to be a hallucinogenic drug when consumed, so I am curious as to the legality of growing it in Florida (with no intentions of consumption). I would hate for a police brigade to surround my house in some years when I have a front lawn full of psychoactive cacti hiding in plain sight.


texts: Recommendation for low-light potted tree

texts:
My fiancé and I are getting married next month, and during the ceremony we would like to plant a small tree. Our problem is finding a variety of tree that will work for where we live.

We live in a condo in the city, so anything we get would have to be potted. It would be nice to have the option to plant it in the ground once we get a house with some land, but it should still be slow-growing enough that it won't outgrow a pot in the next few years.

We would ideally like to keep it on our patio year-round. We have an alley-facing patio on the first floor, so we really only get indirect sunlight. I live in DC, which is zone 6-7 in terms of climate.

I have seen this question, but the answer focuses on plants and bushes rather than trees. We would really like a tree so that it's more different and special from all of the ivies and spider plants we already have. The one plant that seemed interesting from that post was the camellia, because our centerpieces will be of camellia branches. From what I've read though, it looks like potted camellias can be needy, and we'd rather not have an easy-to-kill plant as a symbol of our marriage...

So, to summarize:

Low-light required
Needs to live in pot for at least a few years
Can live outdoors in zone 6-7
Tree preferred over other plants
Not easy to kill

I know this is a lot of requirements that may not be easy to meet, so please let me know where I need to make concessions! My fiancé is the plant person in the house, not me. The first two points are mandatory, the third is strongly desired, and the last two are desired but more flexible.


texts:
I’m in Melbourne, Australia, and interested in a tree for a narrow strip along the fence line. The tree is ultimately to obscure a neighboring property. It doesn’t matter if it takes years to grow as other trees already do the job, but those will ultimately die out. I’ve attached a photo of the fence line area.

(Probably should’ve said shrubs instead of tree, as those also get quite tall)


texts: I have this plant growing in my raised bed that I did not plant. Is this a weed or a useful vegetable plant?  Need help identifying the plant.


texts: Heliopsis helianthoides spreading, bulldozing, and wreaking havoc

texts:
I planted three Heliopsis helianthoideses on 50 cm distance in a straight line row in a very sunny area last year, and they liked it very much, growing well over 2m, and having a decent number of flowers. My only objection was that they fell sideways at the end of season (October), not being able support their own weight, and not having something to lean on.

But this year, unbelivable happened. I now have a small “rainforest” of them. I am not sure whether from selfseeding, or growing from roots(I would say the latter), but now I have an area of several square meters absolutely dominated by heliopsis. There are literally more than hundred (!) of them growing from the ground. The nearest plant, a rosemary (that was around 80 cm away of them last year), was mersilesly just pushed and now is crawling on the ground. The next potential victim is a delicate Echinacea pallida that now has only 20 cm of empty space left towards heliopsises (it used to be 140cm away).

Strong and established grass that used to grow in the area is “a peace of cake” for them - they don't leave behind a single peace of grass while they are progressing.

I like heliopsis, and despite the tag “weed-control” I don't consider it a weed, and would like to keep it. Bees, butterflies and birds would like the same too.

But this is a juggernaut.

What do I do?

@Jurp and the other guy, here are the photos:

From distance, the heliopsis group is in the middle of the photo:

Closer:

Even more close:

Top growth:

The top of one of them:

A leaf:

Another leaf:

Leaves from below:

Stem:

Poor rosemary:

This is Echinacea pallida or angustifolia in danger of beeing swallowed...

... by this monster...

... that even grows between concrete elements of the “sidewalk” around house:


texts:
I am planning to grow a new vegetable/herb garden. I am relatively new to gardening, so could use any feedback on the attached layout I have created. Some of the herbs have started growing indoors, but I'm still waiting for most of the seeds to arrive. I am also trying my luck at growing lemon, fig and olive from seed - although I'd be happy if even one grows, so I'm not planning this with them in mind.
I have about 16x3 meters, perhaps more. The area gets evening sun, perhaps 8 hours this time of the year, and the top edge is against a wall. I am in England, where the winters are long and it rains a lot.
Any feedback?


texts: Why is the bark falling off the base of my Corkscrew Willow's trunk?

texts:
I have a corkscrew willow, and the bark appears to be falling off around the base of its trunk. It seems as if something could be causing it, but I'm not sure as I haven't see anything obvious.

This is our favorite tree, and I want to make sure it isn't dying, and if something IS wrong, I need to know what can be done to help it.

Tree is about four years old. Can't remember exactly
Leaves and everything else looks fine (additional pictures provided)
We have two riders (Craftsman and a Toro Zero turn).
We have ~4 acres of mow-able lawn (family property, multiple lots)
To my knowledge, this is the only "Corkscrew" willow, although we have some other willows
To my knowledge, this is the only tree with this type of damage - I'll be weed eating this weekend and I'll check elsewhere


texts: Is it safe to bury a rat, approx 12" deep in my vegetable garden? I grow tomatoes, cilantro & peppers. Does it pose any health hazard?


texts: How do I explore and make changes in my garden?

texts:
We recently bought and moved into our home. The previous owner set up some great plants (natives, water smart, fragrant and pollinator friendly) and trees with watering automation as well.
The visible surface (and if I scratch or dig) shows at least 1 foot deep mulching. I think I understand that this is to protect the soil and water. Recently, I wanted to add another native plant (Mexican Bush Sage) but when I attempted to dig deeper than the mulch layer, I see a dark fibrous cloth-like material. (NOTE: As I was selecting the tags for this question landscape-fabric showed up and so I am back here adding this note.)
I tried other spots and it is almost like that layer was deliberately placed before mulching. I would imagine it may be to keep the soil compact under the mulch.
So:

In such a setup is it expected to never redo any gardening?
Or is it okay to cut through that fibrous sheet?
How do I go about planting new plants?

Note:
Because of the seller's agent we haven't had much luck in contacting the prev owner to understand the answers to these questions or even get a landscape recommendation. Before I spend money on consultation or on a contractor I wanted to see if I could get good hints here.


texts: Mail Order Indoor Bonsai - Is my soil and new bonsai plants okay, am I doing the right things?

texts:
I ordered two indoor bonsai plants (Brussel's Fukien Tea Bonsai) online. They arrived together in a box and were protected by packaging peanuts. They have been acclimating to my home for a little under a week.

The plants looked okay upon arrival, a few yellow leaves, which I removed. My main concern is the soil - it is very hard and when I watered the plants it seemed to just be bouncing off the top and running down the sides into the humidity tray below. I have had more yellowing leaves and felt that water was not really getting to the most of the soil. Today, I poked some holes with a knife in the soil and watered to hopefully get more water to the interior of the soil.

Is the soil for a bonsai supposed to be hard, should I be concerned about this? It doesn't seem normal for it to be hard and kind of slimy on top. What should I be looking for to asses  the soil? And what should I do to make the soil the best it can be for these plants?

I also saw one spot that looks like some white fuzz. I thought maybe this was some fungus, and I am not sure if I need to do anything about this?


texts:
I have started out my journey of growing things with strawberries and cacti. But I feel I miss some of the basics of how the growth cycle works. So I have a few questions.

First of all, the plants needs energy and nutrients to grow. The energy comes from sunlight through photosynthesis. The nutrients (presumably the most important of which is Nitrogen) comes from the soil either naturally or through the use of fertilisers.

Some questions:

1.) Since Nitrogen is present in animal and plant proteins, any compost made from organic materials would presumably have plenty of Nitrogen already? In this case why would a fertiliser be necessary?

2.) In regular soil that's been lying around doing nothing for years, would you expect it to be low in Nitrogen levels, and therefore require fertilisation?

3.) I have been reading about cactus potting mixes and I understand they need to be well draining, so they have grit/perlite/stones etc added, and the natural habitat of many cacti would simply be sand. But in these cases where does the cactus get its nutrients from? If I planted a cactus in a pot of sand, or stones, where's the Nitrogen? Would it grow? If not how can it in the desert?

4.) For the human body I can easily calculate my protein (and therefore Nitrogen) needs based on rates of muscle protein breakdown and the need to replenish this, are there such considerations for plants too? How might I go about such a calculation?

5.) When it is recommended to have "full sun" and be "under glass", are these two things mutually exclusive. In other words if I was growing in a greenhouse would I still have to take the plant out into the full sun everyday or would it be fine getting full sun through the glass (obviously the glass is going to reduce the intensity a little and filter out the UV)?

Thanks


texts: Lawn care: bagging vs mulching the grass clippings?

texts:
I'm sure this is an age-old question, but should I bag or mulch my acre of hilly odd shaped lawn?

I hate the look of clippings on my lawn (and then brown clippings when they dry out).  I hate the extra work of carefully navigating my property so as not to blow clippings all over my neighbors driveway and my mulch beds.

But I hate multiple trips to the back woods to dump the grass collection system.
 I now have a 4' mountain of clippings behind my shed I need a truck to haul away.

What should I do?

EDITS:


texts:
I've been attempting to have house plants for the last year or two, and have difficulty with getting watering right.

Particularly, I've found that I consistently end up with my plants getting too dry. i.e. My herbs are visibly wilting (and recover v. quickly we watered), and the soil is dry enough that it has pulled away from the side of the pot, and/or pooring water onto the soil leads to it visibly not being absorbed, but just running off large portions of the soil.

Given that this happens a lot, I then find it hard to re-hydrate the soil.

As a result, for the last 3-4 months I've been trying a diferent approach of "poor 'some' water in every now and then.

...

I water each of my plants ~ every 7-10 days. In general, by that time the soil is entirely dry to the touch at the surface, and the herbs may have just started to wilt if it's been relativley hot.

I water the plant by taking it to a sink and completely drenching it: Running water gently into the pot for a minute or two, letting it sit in the sink to drain out for 5 minutes, then repeating a couple of times (so that the water is really permeating fully through out the soil, since I observe that dry soil is relatively hydrophobic). Then I sit it in its saucer by the sink for half an hour or so, emptying the saucer every 5-10 minutes, until there's absolutely no water leaving the pot. Then I put it back by the window.

It seems to be working pretty well so far, the various plants that I've been treating like this have been growing very happily on my North-West facing windowsill.

Question:

Is this watering pattern OK?
What issues might it have, and what problems might those issues cause?
Are there better ways to handle watering plants given that I'm moderately forgetful and thus will definitely allow the plants to dry out at some point.


texts: Is it possible to grow grapevines from root cuttings?

texts:
I know that grapevines can be propagated using hardwood cuttings, softwood cuttings, and even single buds with the right equipment.

I was wondering if I could do the same using root cuttings in order to propagate the rootstock.

That is, cut a few strong roots and bury them exposing the part that was closest to the leaves.

I've found some anecdotal reports of grapevines growing back from roots but they were mostly interested in killing the plant rather than helping it.

Is it possible to propagate grapevines this way?


texts: Are goldenrod cultivars manageable or troublesome?

texts:
We have a tough dry spot in the garden (USDA zone 4) about 2' x 5' where a goldenrod cultivar would go nicely. The native species, although attractive, has a tendency to seed freely and be almost impossible to remove.

Are the cultivars more manageable, or do they seed freely and propagate by rhizomatous roots like the native species?


texts: Clay filled lawn with bad drainage, needs solution

texts:
We just bought 28 acres of land with a 30 year old existing house in the center on about 1 acre cleared, the rest is completely tree filled.

There is a natural slope only a few degrees heading from the back of the house towards the back yard, downward. About 100 feet back is a large drop downwards that goes out for at least 1000 feet and down about 150 feet. It is at least a mile or so of very slight downgrade to the nearest neighbor behind that.

As with most houses in my area, the ground stays slightly wet until late March because the "water table" is only 1.5-2 feet below the surface, because my yard is almost 100% clay with hardly any topsoil and very little grass, mostly moss. This confuses me that the water doesn't follow the slope downwards and away from the house. My guess is that it can't travel horizontally through the clay even with the downgrade.

I want to make a level yard with nice grass and no water issues. This requires me to put a lot of fill towards the back of the yard to level it (because of the natural slope).

The yard will be about 150' wide by 80' long from the back of house.

My project thought was this:

remove 1.5 feet of the entire top layer of yard (all clay) and move it to the back part of the yard that needs to be raised. This would give a nice sturdy base to the back end of the yard
when removing the clay, keep a slope going away from the house at 'one inch drop per ten feet horizontal run'
put 4" (suggest a different amount if not correct) of #57 stone (suggest different if something better) to create a natural water way, away from the house to the back part of my yard that drops down
fill the rest of the yard back up to desired level with 1 foot of topsoil on top the stone
plant grass and enjoy :)

I would like the yard to be level, but the stones underneath to be sloped for water runoff, so less topsoil close to the house and deeper topsoil as approaching the back of the yard.

Any suggestions/advice would be greatly appreciated.

I am no expert, but was a heavy equipment operator in the Seabees a few years back and feel comfortable on a backhoe/front end loader that I can rent locally.

I do realize that the cost of the stone/topsoil will be a lot, guessing around $10K (more/less?).

I will also be putting an automatic watering system in at the same time.  I will also be running PVC pipes from the downspouts of the house past the end of the yard.


texts: Are these stunted fronds on my date palm?

texts: When my date palm was installed it had a few of these things around the edge of the trunk. Are they stunted fronds? Should I remove them? The palm itself is healthy and appears to be growing well.


texts: What is the proper way to prune a multi-variety stone fruit tree being trained in fan shape espalier?

texts: I bought a multi variety stone fruit tree (cherry, prune, apricot, peach) and tied each branch/variety onto wires in a fan shape to minimize the tree footprint. But as I read more on espaliered fruit trees, there seems to be differences between apple type trees that bear fruit along the main branch on spurs, and stone fruit trees which fruit at the tips. So I'm unsure now how to care/prune for the tree I'm trying to train such that it will successfully bear fruit. Should I cut each of the leader graft branches down a third (?) and then train one new shoot along the wire? Or another method? What's the best way to care for this tree? THanks]1


texts:
I have this succulent in my indoor since last few months. I just moved it outside few days back and now they look like this.

This is how I ruined this plant :(

I moved it to sunlight which was all of a sudden.
Then the leaves looked burnt. So, I watered too.
I uprooted the plant today, the soil looks wet.

Currently, the leaves are dropping as you can see that in the pic. Color is also turning to reddish instead of green.

I am not sure if this is sunburn or over-watering.
How can I save this plant? Also, should I trim the empty branch at the top ?


texts: When pruning trees, most notably conifers, you must be aware of a phenomenon known as 'apical dominance', when choosing your pruning technique, and selecting shoots for the permanent structure. What is apical dominance, and what does it look like in plants?


texts: Composting: what is the ideal proportion of 'green' to 'brown' material?

texts:
Everyone seems to have an opinion on this, but is there any definitive answer, ideally backed up by link/s to reputable sources or research?

Ratio by weight or by volume.


texts: Best chance of survival one bulb or three in a pot?

texts: I purchased three dutch iris bulbs but only have one pot to plant them in. To get this highest chance of something coming through should i just plant one of the bulbs and discard the other two or should I put all three in the pot and update the pot later?


texts: We have a pest guy who comes once a month to spray the property but it seems we cant get rid of these pests. I have caught a few of them in the attached pictures this evening. Some of the trees are ok, others are worse off then before. We purchased them as 3ft trees and the bulk of the 165 that we have are now 6-8ft. A few of them though seem.to have not grown at all so any help there too would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.


texts: Can I use Castor Tree (Ricinus Communis) wood as firewood?

texts:
The castor tree grows quickly here, and within 4 or 5 generations of growth, the branches have lost their pith cavity and become solid.  The trunks within a year can be 8 -10 inches in diameter at the base, of solid, oily 'wood'.

Is that oily wood good for firewood if I let it dry?  I'm considering splitting it.

Other options include burying it or using it as posts.

I have read a lot of online articles now about the plant, but not one has mentioned the wood.  When I prune I 'chop and drop' the branches, which are hollow.


texts: Why don't people plug inoculate ends of logs, just the sides?

texts: I've seen a lot of videos with people inoculating the length of the logs. Why don't people do the width?


texts: What kinds of fruits and vegetables could I plant here?

texts: I am thinking of growing a garden in the area between the two fences in the photo. What kinds of fruits and vegetables would do well? It is not full sun, but by 10am most of the area has sun. If you are facing the fence, you are facing southeast. I live in northeastern Mississippi in zone 7b/8a.


texts: Should I remove the tree roots coming from the neighbouring garden?

texts:
When I was digging out* a patch to grow veggies earlier in the spring I found big roots in the soil unconnected to anything in our garden. It looks like they're coming from some kind of palm trees planted right at the edge of our neighbour's yard. They were so thick I couldn't break them with the spade so they're just lying there underneath the patch for now.

Now this spot where the neighbouring roots are is the spot that's best suited (with regard to sunlight and airflow) to growing veggies and herbs. Can I just claim the soil for our plants and chop away the neighbouring roots or would that be bad form? What would you do and why?

Now, if the neighbour's tree was something nice like a lemon tree I wouldn't even think of doing this, which suggests that the answer is not straightforward at all.

Note: We have not met this particular neighbour because their yard backs on to ours rather than being beside ours. Obviously part of the answer might be to talk to that neighbour, but I am looking for a gardening-informed answer rather than the political one!

(*) Our soil is very poor in every way, so this is a process I go through, square metre by square metre, adding compost, mulch and a little organic fertiliser - in order to grow anything at all.

UPDATE: Adding pictures (click to enlarge) so you can see how precariously close not just the vege patch but a nectarine tree I planted at the end of winter and a few years old citrus are to the neighbouring palms (which by the way are towering at approx 5m+ high).

Palm is close to nectarine tree and vege patch:

Close-up of unearthed roots:

Palm is also close to citrus tree in foreground:


texts: This has grown in a greenhouse built this year in North Vancouver, BC.  Any ideas what it is?


texts: automatic watering system for indoor plants

texts:
I am thinking about building an automated watering system for some potted flowers.

They need water every day so staying away for some days has become impossible without sacrificing them (which is something I don't want to do).

So I thought about getting an aquarium pump, a timer clock and some tubes to have this happen without me.

My first thought was to simply pump out the water of a bottle or so, that way I would have the needed amount of water in the bottle, and when the timer clocks activates the pump it would get the water to my plants, so I could take 1 day off. Unfortunately pumps tend to break when they run dry and they might even catch fire. So that doesn't work.

My next idea was to put the plants above a reservoir, so any excess water could run back into the reservoir where the pump gets its water from. That way they would be watered for 1 hour every day (that is the smallest amount of time I can set the timer clock to) and I might even be gone for a bit longer. Problem is, those plants stand in soil. So some soil might get in the reservoir and damage the pump.

So does anyone have an idea how to solve that problem? Or maybe someone already has a working automated system and is willing to share the plans?


texts:
We've lived in our house a little over a year, and over time it seems like the hedge out front has gone from a healthy green to a grey / brown. I have to admit that I'm a bit of a novice when it comes to hedge care.

I'm not sure the exact kind of plants these are, however looking at images online leads me to think they are Hinoki dwarf cypresses. From the pictures (linked below) does that seem correct?

There seems to be some new / green growth here and there but the vast majority of the plants are brown. Perhaps I have not cared for them properly.

Any tips on diagnosing and/or reviving these?

Here are some pictures of the hedges


texts: How can I remove the orange stains left by grass weed and feed?

texts:
Last weekend I covered our garden in grass weed and feed, specifically EverGreen 360sqm Complete 4-in-1 Lawn Care, Lawn Food, Weed and Moss Killer Bag available here.

It has rained every day since but today is a very hot day. I woke up this morning and noticed that the paving slabs (stepping stones) that run across our garden have now been stained orange and even our tarmac driveway has patches of orange stains - both look horrible.

I've tried washing both down with a pressure washer but that didn't do much. What are these orange stains and how can I remove them?

I'll upload a picture of it helps.


texts: Help identifying a plant with pink flowers

texts:
It's a rose I bought 3 days ago, I think it really grows fast, it produce a new flower every 1-2 days!

BTW, is there something wrong with the flowers?


texts: How do I encourage lawn seeds to germinate successfully?

texts:
I'm trying to repair some patches in my lawn with grass seeds, but I can't seem to get the seeds to germinate. Is there anything that can be done to encourage germination?

In addition, the weather has been really changeable of late, so it's wet and cold for a few days and then hot and dry for others. Is there anything I can do to give the grass some consistent warmth and moisture?


texts: Can I save a lawn that wasn't watered for a week?

texts: We turned our sprinkler system off last weekend so that we could mow the lawn in the morning without the grass being wet. Unfortunately, I forgot to turn the sprinkler system back on and the grass has gotten no water for a week. The grass has large, dry spots where the grass is green/brown. It looks dead but I'm wondering if there's any way to bring it back to life. Any ideas? It's tall fescue (I think) and the weather has been in the high 90s all week.


texts: What should I do with my 3 feet 17yr old chestnut tree in a pot

texts:
What's the best/healthiest thing to do for my 17+yr old 3 feet chestnut tree in a pot so it will survive?
I wanted to grow my own bonsai plant from a chestnut then didn't have the nerve to prune it. Is it suitable for a bonsai? It loses its leaves early in the summer most years. Is direct sun best?
Is it too late to prune/make into a bonsai? How can I feed it? Should I set it 'free', if so where's best? I just have a south facing balcony or a semi shaded eastern area for plants.


texts: Can I use peat as a substrate for oyster mushroom growing?

texts:
I want to grow mushrooms at home. For small scale. I have done some research found that oysters are the easiest to start so I bought some grain spawn. For the substrate I am out of US and I dont knoe how to find wood chips and stuff and I didnt want to buy hay as it is messy indoors. I want to use peat moss as my substrate. Is it possible o do I need to buy woodchips and etc.

Q: Can I use peat moss as a substrate for growing oysters?


texts: What is this native North American ground cover?

texts: Oops, planted it and lost the tag. It's growing quite happily in zone 5A (USDA zone 4) in light shade and clay soil.


texts:
Do I need to rake out the cedar hedge to get rid of dry or dropped needles?
Someone is suggested high pressure hose treatment


texts: Newly Transplanted Palm with Fungus Issue

texts:
Hello all.  I had 2 palms put in June 9th  2020.  Both of them were hurricane cut.  The healthy one, not picutred here, still had a couple of fronds and looks great. The other - these photos - has zero fronds and also is having fungal issues.  The first picture is the original fungus I saw -  just dark bark and some white spotty fungus; the installer had me go up to the nursery and get ferti-lome 2-n-1 systemic; no instructions given so we followed the packaging based on foot height of palm.  I applied the ferti-lome yesterday 6.22.2020;   this AM there is a different fungus on the OTHER side of the tree - picture 2- a yellow powdery looking fungus that is clearly rapid growing.  This palm also has  some holes with black dead bark.  I will contact the installer again but wanted some insight as I am not sure what to even ask.  Can applying the ferti-lome make fungus come OUT?  I am clueless here and hoping the photos show up.

Adding a picture updated from 4 hours later noon on 6.22.2020


texts: Does mixing ash with your potting soil make a difference?

texts: I always have some ash left in the barbecue. Would mixing it in the potting soil be a good or a bad thing for my pot plants? The ash is only from charcoal so nothing nasty in it.


texts: Can annuals work like perennials if you keep using cuttings?

texts:
I'm brand, brand new to gardening, and I have a feeling this may be a silly question... but I've found myself wondering it nevertheless.

I've bought a basil growing kit (a pot, some soil and some seed) and have grown a small plant that I'm using the leaves from every few weeks. I started to look into how to promote further growth in the plant (i.e. whether I should repot it into a larger pot; plant it in the garden; etc etc).... when I realised that basil is an annual plant, and my dreams of always having basil to pick may not become a reality.

I've found a quick guide on how to use basil cuttings to grow additional plants (basically, put them in water, wait till roots grow, then replant).

And thus my question: assuming this works, can this technique be used in general, to kinda make an annual that will last forever?


texts: Is it possible to apply grafting on date palm?

texts: We have some date palm but with low quality dates.The idea may seem impossible due to the morphology of these "trees" but ,by analogy with other species, could date palm be grafted by other types of palms to enhance their quality ?


texts: What is wrong with this Shaina Japanese Maple

texts:
This tree used to be red when I bought it. Like my other Japanese maple (Coral bark) it lost its original color. I understood that this might be either because of the stress induced by replanting the trees and changing the environment (nursery vs open space) or due to soil conditions (water, nutrients oxygen-lack of it)

I decided to wait to see if the come back to the original colors. Can't say that they are but I am not seeing an aggravation of the situation so I decided to wait till next spring when I will help the trees with some stimulants.

In the mean time I noticed that the Shaina maple has some problems as you can see below. This is mostly on the part of the tree that is more exposed to sun. This morning when after about two months of being busy with other projects I looked at the tree and I noticed the above. Another thing that I should mention was two very colorful bugs which I removed before thinking I should  take a picture

The shape of the bugs was like this (the vivid colors, there was no brown on those bugs))

But the colors were more like this


texts: How should I care for this avocado plant?

texts:
I've inherited this avocado-in-progress from a friend moving house and I'm wondering if it's still healthy and worth keeping, and if so how best to care for it?

So far it has lived in a cup of water in quite a dark apartment. It's currently about 70cm tall (although can't "stand up" on its own).

It now lives in Barcelona with a balcony facing north-west so there are some hours of sunlight, although winter is coming.


texts:
I just brought home my first bonsai.  Looking at some of the guides online I think it needs some pruning after the flowering period.  It still has wire on most of the growth.  Any suggestions about where to begin are appreciated!

Thanks,
Joe


texts: How do I get rid of tar spots appearing on my maple's leaves?

texts:
Preliminary reading suggests that the only way is to rake up the fallen leaves and get rid of them.  Will this do the trick?

Is there a way I could keep the leaves for compost without propagating the tar spot fungus to next year?


texts: Does chicken manure interfere with fruit trees?

texts:
I have a lemon and orange tree which chickens roost in and poo around and causing the trees not to bear much fruit.

What can I do to eliminate the nitrogen in the soil? I cannot move the chickens because I don't have enough room.


texts:
I have several cacti growing in my yard and one (t. pachanoi, if it matters) has developed a white layer across the top of the plant.  It is very fine and looks almost sandy, like perhaps a mould or fungus.  It does brush off fairly easily though.

What is this white stuff?  Is it dangerous to the plant or its neighbours?  How can I treat it?

EDIT: Now with picture.  I've brushed most of it off but you can see the white dots across the top.  Before my attempt to clear it it was covering the entire surface


texts: What tools will I need for cultivating an acre of lawn?

texts:
I recently bought a place with an acre of lawn in front of my home. It has a natural gravity flow watering system. I want to cultivate nearly all of this for a lawn. Currently growing is what looks to be 3 different types of grass - not very well because the ground is badly dried out and hasn't been worked in 3-4 years. There are bald patches everywhere as well.

I have an ATV and I'm looking to pull a plow, tiller or cultivator. Not sure what to do or what I need.

Spring is coming, snow will be melting and I need some help. The closest help is almost 2 hours away, because I am in a remote location. Hope these pics help. Can you all give me some direction?


texts:
I bought 3 plants of Passiflora Snow Queen in May this year. They have been thriving well and fast. My wall is almost covered and they are still growing as you can see:

The plants are outside in a Balcony and in the last month a drying out is happening. It started with one plant and now the other 2 are following.


texts: What is this plant that closes its leaves when you touch it?

texts:
I would like to know what the name of this plant is. I came across it on 9Gag and found it really interesting:

It closes all the leaves as soon as you touch it.


texts:
I'm putting a wine cap bed about 10 feet from a peat bog. How well will the peat feed wine caps, and any other mushrooms i'm able to grow in the bed?

As part of the mushroom bed is 1' thick I can feel the heat, see all the predators, and anticipate attracting all kinds of frogs/toads to deal with all the grasshoppers, slugs, and other pests visiting the garden when it breaks down enough by the spring after letting 1-2' "cook" all winter and removing the excess organic material in the spring.


texts: Marigold Seeds in Light Frost - Are They Lost?

texts:
I'm a novice gardener and have put some trays of marigold seeds in the garden. Last night, we had unforecast frost. It wasn't a heavy frost, and only appeared in small patches on the grass in the garden. If it's relevant, this is in the UK. The species are: French Dwarf, Bonita and Honeycomb.

Are my marigolds likely to have survived this, or do I need to clear out my trays and start again?


texts: Making an outdoors wick-watering system for tropical plants

texts:
I'm considering a wick-watering system for few plants which need more water than the plants I have in the same area. The location is shaded, and the plants are on shelves.

Types of pants - Begonias; Don't own any yet, I'm considering adding them to my collection.

Climate - Mediterranean, zone 11. Summer is dry (no rain) but the air is humid.

Potting mix - Mostly peat. Other ingredients (perlite, vermiculite, pumice, etc) may be added if you recommend it.

Watering system - A water tray sits under the planter. The planter is above the water line, so that the drainage holes never touch the water. An overflow outlet will not allow the drainage holes to submerge even after a heavy rain. The only way the water reaches the planter is via a wick that comes out through the drainage holes down to the bottom of the tray.

Water quality - I have access to ample source of A/C water runoff, so that water does not contain any salts which may accumulate. Liquid fertilizers are added to the water that fills the trays.

Quality - All components are standard, i.e. I will use planters, not old buckets. Wicks will be made out of ropes, not old rags, A tray will be flat at the top, so that the planter will fit right on top of it, leaving no gaps. An overflow outlet will be the only outlet for water drainage, mostly for rain water

How well, or how bad, will my watering system perform given the following:

Rope material: I'm intending to use a non-degradable material. Which material, and which filament size I should use for a good capilary action? Is rock-wool a good choice, and if so, are there rock-wool ropes on the market?
How wet will the potting mix become, assuming the water in the tray has not yet been used-up? Will I have soggy conditions, moist and aerated soil, or water barely reaching the bottom of the planter?
Is a standard potting mix suitable for such use? Should I amend the mix with other ingredients, like Perlite, pumice or Vermiculite?


texts: I recently planted corn in my garden and I'm noticing that their leaves are a yellow-green.  I did add a nitrogen fertilizer and it seemed to help a bit.  However, when driving by farms I notice that the corn leaves in a farmer's field are a deep green.  Are my leaves too yellow? (Picture below)


texts:
I left the country for two and a half months and left my cactus in the care of a friend. When I came back, apparently he had been leaving it under a desk lamp and not by the window to get enough sunlight (his room is very dark). He watered it with a splash of water and cactus food once a week, so that’s fine.
Now my cactus I’ve raised for three years went from having a healthy thick green stem to yellowing almost entirely. It feels thin and weak, and the top bends when I press it. Only two green arms are left on the sides. Is my cactus redeemable if I put it back under my pink lights at home, or should I cut and replant the remaining green arms before they rot too?


texts: What are these beetles/spiders on my Sambuca plant?

texts:
Can anyone recognize these beetles/spiders on the below picture, which are all over my Sambuca plant?

Hires picture here.

I have just sprayed them with ECOstyle LuseFri insect soap mixed with Neem oil, in an act of panic, when I saw it.

Is that the correct thing to do about these bugs?


texts: When should I plant my tree saplings into a bonsai pot?

texts:
About one year ago I started to grow different kind of trees from seeds. I always had the plan to create bonsai's out of them one day. But how old should they be before I plant them into a bonsai pot and start with the bonsai procedure(cutting unwanted branches, forming, etc.)?

Not that related because my questions is kinda general, but here are some photos of my tree saplings:


texts: It just started growing in my garden and I don't know what it is.


texts: Help identifying cause of withering discoloration on raspberries

texts:
I am seeing the following discoloration and withering on a very small number of leaves of my raspberry primocanes

I only see this on the tips of the canes, and only on the primocanes. Is this something I should be concerned about? If so, are there any steps I should take?

If it helps, these are the Prelude cultivar. I have some Anne close by that look fine. Additionally, there are wild blackberries close by (30-40 feet), but there may have been blackberry roots where my raspberries currently are in the past.


texts: Plant growing out of the pot into the ground

texts: I have a rose bush that is in a wine barrel planter. The planter is breaking apart and I think the roots of the rose bush are now growing into the ground. How can I successfully re-pot it or transplant it into the ground?


texts: Is this "ground cover", from a lawn in New York, Medic or Hop Trefoil?

texts: This grows almost ubiquitously in un-managed grass areas. I'd love to know what it is.


texts: How do I transplant this California walnut sapling?

texts:
This sapling seems to be a California walnut. Unfortunately it is growing in this narrow patch and it'll end up breaking the fence for sure (if it grows fully). This is a rental house and so I don't want that happening.

Questions:

Is this plant correctly identified by me?
How do I uproot it safely?
Where should I transplant it?
Any other care instructions? Eventually if it grows big and I don't own a house I'll give it away to a friend/neighbor who has yard space.


texts: This plant has very thin and fragile stems. It has very good smelling leaves. No flowers. Is there any way i can propagate it?


texts: If I want to plant companion annual plants (example Okra and sunflowers, tomatoes and basil and pepper...) How far will every plant be from the other in order to obtain a good symbiosis?


texts: Is it best to wait for poison ivy to fully sprout leaves before spraying it?

texts:
I have a fair amount of poison ivy growing on one part of my fence.  Now that spring is here, it's just barely started to grow again, and buds that will turn into the dreaded leaves have began to appear (note the slightly lighter colored growth along parts of the darker core of the plant):

Can I go ahead and start spraying it with poison ivy killer now, or is it only really effective once the leaves have fully appeared first?

Or perhaps is it better to simply use poison ivy spray directly where the vine originates from the ground, meaning I can start now and do it repeatedly?


texts:
A couple of years ago a guy claimed to have brought a Brazilian plant from the jungle. He wanted to bring a banana but as soon as the plant grew it was obvious that this was no banana plant.

If you water it properly (meaning really a lot!) it grows superfast and if you take a dead part of the "root" and put it in soil it starts growing again.

The plant grows like a banana, the "branch" creates a leaf, it unfolds and then the branch keeps growing until there is a new leaf which unfolds...

Because it was supposed to be a banana and is growing amazingly fast, we called it "bananorris".

The thing is: I have this plant for about eight years now but I couldn't figure out what kind of plant it is.

Does anybody recognize it?


texts: Will using landscaping stones and dirt around an English walnut tree kill it?

texts:
We have a 50 year old English walnut tree and wanted to landscape around it with stone and fill in with dirt and plant flowers on top, then I read that it will kill some trees.

Is this true?


texts: What are good pollinator flowers that you need to only seed once

texts: What are some great pollinator flowers that I can seed once to regrow between having a herd on a couple times per year in zone 4?


texts: I’ve discovered these dark, sunken spots on my green tomatoes. The plant looks healthy so I don’t think it’s blight. It’s only on the fruit. Not blossom end rot either. It’s not on all of them, just a few. Thanks!


texts: Magnolia grandiflora planted and looking stressed

texts: I planted a  Magnolia grandiflora 'Kay Paris' in a corten steel container. It was bought as a 100L container. It’s now looking a bit ill or stressed, after about a month. I have clay soil, so tree was planted with potting mix that has gypsum. Looking for advice on how to revive.


texts: Do I have to use an insecticide spray or will a detergent like Dawn be just as effective?


texts: After spending a day digging topsoil, what should I do to clean the bottoms of my shoes?

texts: I spent part of the day digging topsoil for planting, and was wondering what the best way to clean dirt out of the groves in my shoes would be.


texts: What is a good watering schedule for an Argyroderma?

texts:
I have a small Argyroderma I picked up from the local plant store, but I'm not sure when and how much to water it.

It is potted in a tiny (roughly 2" cube) pot that appears to be filled with a sandy, stony material.

I watered it once, a new leaf grew in, and the outer leaf shriveled up into a tiny brown mess. It was pretty cool, but it's been a week or so and the new leaf is starting to shrivel a bit.

Some of the internet says to "water when shriveling", but other places I've read "every couple weeks", and some other places (sorry, no links) said a few times per year!

How often should I water it, and how much water should I use? If based on shriveling, how long should I wait between waterings to see if the shriveling is reduced?


texts:
quick question, does anyone know what plant this is? Each branch has 5 leaves. My wife and I are not sure if it’s a weed.

Many thanks!
Ray


texts: This sprouted in my yard in South West Florida. Not sure what it is. The yellow flower is similar in shape to bleefing heart. The stalk is very green and it seems to grow quite fast.


texts: Can I still plant Gladiolus in Zone 6a in late July?

texts: I came across some nice Gladiolus bulbs in the store. I see they already started to grow their roots and I wanted to know if I can still plant them, since they bloom till October, I think. I live New York, Zone 6a or 6b.


texts: I have some bunching onion (green onion) seeds. I have been trying to grow them indoors in small 1x1 inch pods. I also tried to plant them directly outdoors in my raised bed. I had no success so far in getting them to germinate. Any pointers on how to germinate bunching onions would be appreciated. I am in the San Francisco / Bay Area.


texts: Suggestions for a ground cover or plant for direct and reflected sunlight

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Are there any plants or ground covers that are known to withstand both direct and reflected light?

I live in Central US, Iowa.

Every year I replant a 3 foot wide strip of grass along the south side of my house and by mid summer it has burned up.  My house is on a slight hill so once the grass dies the sometimes severe thunderstorms can cause erosion.

The ideal solution would:

Withstand the amount of sunlight and heat caused by direct and reflected sun exposure.
Need water no more often then my Kentucky Bluegrass lawn.  I only hand-water once a week during dry periods.
Grow thick enough to control erosion.
Be a perennial or shrub so that I don't have to replant it every year.

I really want to avoid using river rock. :)

Thanks in advance.


texts: What can I apply on Dypsis lutescens to deter a cat without killing the plant?

texts: A friend of mine has this Dypsis lutescens plant that was almost destroyed by a cat and she wants to know what can be applied on the stems, leaves or on the soil to deter the cat from fighting it anymore. Coffee ground and cigarette ashes might discourage the little monster, but can it also hurt the plant?


texts: Why does achocha have two types of leaves?

texts: I was looking at my achocha plant, and noticed it has two types of leaves. Why is this?


texts: How do you save an asparagus bed from comfrey?

texts: I accidentally buried a lot of fresh picked comfrey stems under wood chips when building an asparagus bed. How do I save the asparagus bed from the comfrey?


texts:
I have 12 lilly pilly (acmena smithii) hedges (2 out of picture) facing south in the Victoria, Australia which get some sun all year round. It seems though that the ones on the left are growing much better and they degrade off in size going right. Would the tree on the other side of the fence be playing a part in that? They were planted late march 2017 and have bushed out quite a bit, I've been trimming regularly up until about 2 months ago.

I've put some seaweed fertiliser on them last month to give them a feed before we hit winter in june.

So my questions are:

Is the size difference just a thing that happens or should I be doing something to the smaller ones to encourage growth?
How often should I trim the tops of these, 1-2 year? Or way more often? My end goal is for them to be just under 2m in height.


texts: Got it as a gift, and was told to water it every two days. Seems a little frequent to me, what plant is this?


texts: Can an aloe plant that's completely rotten at the base be cured?

texts:
I had a potted aloe plant that looked like a set of leaves coming out of a single spot at ground level. One day it just fell apart - the leaves and the roots got completely rotten at ground level and wouldn't hold leaves together and to the ground. Leaves otherwise look alive - they are just damaged at the end where they were connected to the root.

According to this answer aloe plant leaves can be planted on their own and can perhaps start growing as separate plants. Will that technique likely work in my rotten case? Do I have any other options?


texts: What are these very small red bugs on my black walnut tree?

texts:
This is a black walnut tree. My brother noticed them while we were in the backyard. I have other trees that are not black walnut and do not see these bugs on them.

They are red with a black head. Their bodies have ridges on them. It's hard to tell because they are so small. Closer to a large grain of salt, or small piece of rice.

Update: This is from Northeastern Oklahoma area. They have since disappeared. I'm not sure if the heat got to them or they turned into something else or what.


texts: How many seeds are you supposed to plant to grow a bonsai tree?

texts: This sounds like a really dumb question, but I don't know anything about growing plants. I was watching some tutorials on how to grow a bonsai from a seed and they mentioned plant four seeds in one pot? What if I only wanted one bonsai tree? Won't the seeds make four samplings therefore four bonsai trees? I don't understand why plant more than one if I only want to grow one tree?


texts:
I'm planning on building a cedar planter box in front of my house. It will be about 3 feet X 20 feet long (1 foot deep). I plan on using 4x4 posts then screw on some cedar fence boards.
My question is, do I need to oil or line the inside of the flower bed to protect the cedar? I've never built a flower bed before, nor have I ever used cedar.


texts: Is it safe to use fresh pittosporum mulch?

texts: We have a pittosporum hedge and I would like to mulch the prunings and use them on our garden. I have been told that using fresh pittosporum mulch is not safe but I can’t find out why not.


texts: Tomato planting withering for no reason, please help

texts:
Most of my balcony tomatoes have been doing well, but this plant started to seriously wither 2-3 days ago. It is about 3 months old. It is well watered. Container has drainage holes. Fed with liquid nutrients about 2 weeks ago. Weather has been 26-28 C, with mild winds. South side balcony, so getting quite decent sun.
enter image description here


texts: What is this brown, shell-like thing growing on the stalk of my avocado plant?

texts:
Could you please help identifying this brown shell-like thing growing on the stalk of my avocado plant?

There are several of these. It looks like a little shell (with the appearance of a woodlouse's back, but it's not that obviously) and it can be scratched off easily.

Is it a parasite or disease? What's its effect? What should be done about it?


texts: How do you tell if a tree is male or female?

texts:
I was reading through some of the questions on fruit trees, because I've been thinking about getting some blueberry bushes and cherry trees, and I see a lot of people mentioning that the trees don't self-pollinate, and that you need a male and a female tree to get fruit.

I thought that flowers had both male and female parts, and that the pollination was just from bees transferring pollen to other parts of the flowers. But to me, that sounds like there are trees that have flowers with only female parts, and trees with flowers that have only male parts. And then trees that self-pollinate that have both flowers.

If there are trees that are only male or female, then how do you tell what sex of tree you have? Do you have to look at the flowers to know?


texts: Bought this plant a fortnight ago and it was in perfect health. Suddenly it’s whittling away. Any reason this could happen so quickly. It’s not too hot, too cold, nor is it heavily watered. It looks like it may be drying, but I can’t tell if this is simply a pant that needs heavy/daily watering.


texts: How can I manage a weeping willow with a broken branch?

texts:
I have a very mature weeping willow in the front garden which was well balanced and with the recent storm one of the main branches broke off. I noted that branch had a weakness, due to rotting from inside.
I was advised to pollard the two remaining branches quite far back as the split from the main tree was starting to show signs of weakness.

Where the branch broke off, this was going to be cut back to the stem of the tree and left for the tree to heal.
Is there sealing that can be applied once the broken branch is cut back to prevent ingress of the water into the tree?

Any advice on this is much appreciated, it will be a real shame to lose a much loved willow!


texts: Basil plant leaves have small black spot with a light grey star shape around it. Tiny worm?

texts: My basil plant has developed small black spots with star shaped light grey areas around the spot on the leaves.  Also there are tiny black specks on some leaves that look like droppings.  Some of the leaves look as if they have been chewed also.  I think these are two different pests. I am in southern Baja where it is hot right now. I follow watering, feeding and sunshine instructions.  I read somewhere that the black spot with star shape around is actually a very tiny worm and can't be irradicated. Please someone help, I love my plant!


texts:
My Kentia Palm bought 6 weeks ago has started developing some yellow stems with leaves darkening and somewhat drying and contracting (see images below). It started on a small bunch of stems a few weeks ago and I thought that I had solve the issue by cutting that part but larger stems/leaves are now impacted and it seems to be worsening.
I water once a week usually until it drips a little bit through (maybe between one cup and one pint of water max). The plant is below a velux SE facing and 4m from a south facing window. The house temperature is usually set at 22C (we like it cosy). Humidity in the house is around 35%.

I want to understand whether I need to water less or more. I can't get a clear answer from my quick Google search.

Thanks in advance,
Matt


texts: Irrigation of a hedge in a raised planter

texts:
So I've just finished planting this yew hedge in a box and am thinking about laying some drip hose to water it. It occurred to me that I ought to have buried the hose before planting.
I'm in bergen, Norway so too much rain is normally the problem! I'd like to train the hedge outward so all the soil is covered, but I guess this'll drastically reduce the amount of rain getting into the plant.
Does it make any difference to bury the hose for a hedge like this, or is surface irrigation sufficient enough?

>


texts: How to stimulate recently-planted grass sod to send up new shoots

texts:
Well, it's September here in Texas and still in the high 90s and low 100s.  About 2 months ago a landscaper friend gave me about 2 palettes of Bermuda Celebration sod and 2 palettes of St. Augustine sod.  The St. Augustine was green but the Bermuda was leftover from a job and pretty much yellow.

So I've watered both faithfully (no fertilizer so far), and the St. Augustine has gotten bright green and green shoots have popped out of the Bermuda thatch (it's starting to look lawn-like finally), but I'm wanting both to fill in the areas that have no shoots, i.e. "thicken up".  I just cut the St. Augustine to 3" and the Bermuda to about 2 1/4".

So two questions: 1) Can someone help me to understand what is happening at this point?  My understanding is that now after mowing the roots are more than the top greenery (shoots), and my thought is that that would push the rhizomes to shoot up in new places.  Is this correct or is there another thing that will cause new shoots 2) what else can I do at this time of year, including fertilizer or topsoil, to increase the shoot locations (in other word thicken it)?  Thanks!


texts: Guide for the nutrient requirements of hydroponic plants,

texts:
I require the hydroponic nutrient requirements for:

artichoke (vegetative)
artichoke (flowering)
cannabis (vegetative)
cannabis (flowering)

I use Kratky buckets for my plants.

I see @dogmatic69 posted exactly what I needed for basil in post 7258.


texts: Milk powder (for automatic coffee machines) as fertilizer?

texts:
I have plenty of out-of-date milk powder for automatic coffee machines (powdered skimmed milk obtained through hot air drying followed by agglomeration process; sole ingredient: powdered skimmed milk).
After having read the thread: What ingredients in milk make it a good fertilizer? , I wonder if it could be used as fertilizer as well as normal milk, for flowers or eatable fruits.


texts: I received this plant after a family members funeral service. I placed the plant in my vehicle and it was rather hot out, around 85 degrees. The plant was left in my car for a few hours before I was able to get it home. On the side that was closest to the window a bunch of the leaves had turned to brownish black and were droopy. I do not want to loose my lily, unfortunately I do not have a green thumb so Any advise would be quite helpfu!


texts:
My Chilli ( type, unknown) plant has 30+ flowers but no fruits. It has couple more symptoms which might be related. Would appreciate any help solving this.

It is outdoor. I do see insects hopping flowers quite regularly. It is in hot sun (35 degree centigrade), I water it daily and it is growing in potting mix and add plant meal or vermi-compost once a month.

Lot of lower level leaves have some insect eggs on it on the lower side
There are lot of leaves but many small leaves are curled up and facing upwards
Flowers dry off and fall without pollinating


texts: Can I plant peas, green beans and lettuce this early?

texts: The weather this year has been exceptionally mild here in northern Illinois, and I am thinking of planting my peas, green beans and lettuce in the next couple weeks. This is probably a full four weeks earlier than normal, but honestly, I don't think the ground is even frozen anymore. I am willing to accept that a serious event could kill back the plants, but would it be worthwhile to get so much extra growing season? What else might I be able to get in early this year? (I don't do tomatoes or peppers from seed usually...I buy flats of seedlings)


texts:
I have a healthy Jasmine that is trained against a brick wall.  It covers a width of some 3m and reaches to 2.5m tall.
It has suddenly been afflicted by a large aphid infestation, so I was planning to use a winter wash to kill the eggs over the coming winter.
However, I have heard that a winter wash can stain brickwork.  Is that true? and if so, is there any mitigation available?


texts: Starting Coccinia grandis from ripe fruit

texts:
I have, at last, laid my hands on a few Coccinia grandis fruits that have ripen on the vine itself.

See the attached image:

I would love to grow the plant from these seeds.

Is it possible, at all? What is my best shot to be successful --- the most recommended method to start the plant?

I stay in Mumbai, India (tropics) in an apartment on a higher floor. I can place the pot in a window grill that gets adequate sunlight in the morning.

And presently, we have monsoon season (cloudy or clear skies, scattered thunderstorms, temperatures between 25 to 27 deg C --- around 77 deg F)

Please let me know if you need some other information.


texts: Best way to transplant a Dracaena dragon

texts:
I would like to know the best way to transplant a Dracaena dragon.
I have 5 and they were planted( 30years ago) very close.  So they are out of space.
My climate is Mediterranean, I'm entering winter now, and the soil is sandy.
Sorry for my English


texts: What are good organic phosphorus sources for fruiting plants, other than rock phosphate or animal products?

texts:
I know the norm is to use rock phosphate or bone meal but I can't find rock phosphate in my area and it's expensive to ship because of the weight.   I'm not able to use an animal product like bone or fish emulsion.

It's there anything else that is readily available?


texts: What kind of plant is this, and how do I care for it?

texts: I was given this plant but can't remember the name. Can anyone identify this type of plant? Or maybe even know where to get information about it?


texts: What are the diseases that affect Angelica?

texts:
I've never grown angelica, or seen anyone else growing it.

What diseases should I look for when growing it?
How do I cure the disease to make the plant healthy again?


texts:
I have had issues with either bacterial spot/speck or early blight (I was not able to determine which it was) or both on tomatoes. They have been grown in containers. I have about 100-150 galons of soil that could have been used to plant tomatoes and thus it could contain the bacteria/fungi. What would be the most efficient way to sterilize it?
I tried solar sterilisation but I think it likely causes more problems than it resolves. I am in central florida and soil sterilisation during summer is not really possible (unlike what some claim) due to the frequent rains unless one has some huge area to be used and glass on top (plastic simply gets ponds of water and/or water condensation on the bottom part of the plastic, both of which prevent the sun to efficiently warm the soil). At the same time, algea and who knows what develops in the still water on the plastic. Not speaking of ferral cats making this their excrement ground.
I also tried to put the soil in a container (20 gal tote such as from sterilite) and then pour in boiling water. This was not so bad but for thoe 20 gals i needed about 4 galons of water (to the dry soil), so it takes enormous amounts of time to boil all the water. Also, you basically create hot peat and need to find a way to remove the excess water from the soil.
Finally, I tried to put some soil in a bucket, wet it with water in and put it above fire. This I liked most because the soil was wet, it made sure that most of the soil did not experience temperatures above the boiling point. So i am thinking of buying some 20 gal steel bucket put some wood sticks on the bottom, pour in some 4 gals of water and then some burlap and on that the soil. This would be then sterilised by vapour. But this is huge amount of work (and plenty things to buy).
Does anyone have any better idea, or is this an overkill and I can use the possibly infected soil and only, say the top 5 inches use some uninfected soil? Chemical way also seems out of the question since chemicals for this purpose are only commercially available (and also i try to keep omri organic).
Thanks for suggestions.


texts: New homeowner with weeds instead of grass

texts:
I bought a home recently (southeast US) and the previous owners were neglectful of their back yard. It is pretty much a variety pack of weeds: buffalo weeds, dandelions, wild strawberries, etc. There are a couple of types of ivy taken over several spots as well. I guess a couple batches of failed grass growing attempts also appear in small parts. Now that summer has rolled in, I can see that much of the back yard stays very shady throughout the day, while some spots are medium-level sunny.

I would like a grass lawn (which the neighbors have seemed to achieve), but I am very inexperienced. Should I buy an herbicide and kill off everything, and then throw down some grass seed? Is that the right move? Will herbicide harm my peach tree?

Looking for general recommendations and maybe some specific product suggestions.

Thanks!


texts: I am new to hydroponic growing and I followed a few tutorials on the basics and in doing so I guess I missed a step when I sowed the seed because, like I do in soil growing, I sowed multiple seeds in to the rockwool. I have a bit of an issue with some seeds that sprouted that look like they're suffering a bit. I was thinking of just clipping the weakest ones and hope that everything except the strongest one will die. My spinach and onion look like they are suffering the most here.


texts: Is the pruner bad or my technique? Cuts are not clean and nice

texts:
I got this pruner and the build quality is certainly good, but my cut experience is not going good. The cuts are not clean. Check the pics attached:

This is how I do it:
I place the pruner in position at an angle with the blade side up and snap! Or do I need to do it slowly? As you can see the cuts towards the end are not good. Or this is fine?

The pruner is a 15" mini pruner and I selected it cause it can cut upto 25mm stems.


texts: Pilosocereus cacti, growed from seeds and a lot of mistakes

texts:
I made a terrible (i hope not that terrible) mistake when growing Pilosocereus pachycladus cacti from seed, i sowed them back in November. I know it's probably not the best idea to sow them right before winter. However i put them in foil and gave them a lot of light. They germinated beautifully in few weeks as i expected and then i did put the foil away. Then they stopped to grow at all. its like 6 months since they germinated but they still look almost the same, now its summer but they are too small to put them on direct sunlight and i don't know if they wont start to rot if i put them back to foil, Only hot enough place with enough light is outside on direct sunlight, but that's exactly what I'm afraid would kill them.

I never grew cacti from seed so i really don't know what to do now, any suggestions ?

Thank you for any answers!


texts:
I posted a similar question, but now the owner won't let me cut a branch to regrow. So I'm posting this question with another type of tree/plant.

I was driving through an abandoned lot and saw these plants. I would like to cut a branch (or something), take it home and somehow regrow it in a big pot on my rooftop.
Is this possible with these plants? I don't what type of plants these are, so here are some pictures.


texts: My song of india plant have these light brown spots. What are they?

texts: These brown spots are worring me please tell me are they natural or a symptom of a disease. They are just printed on the leaves.!


texts: Are Echeverias better off in a garden than a pot?

texts:
I followed all the possible advices:

1 - Good drainage holes

2 - Fast-draining potting mix, be it 50/50 coco-perlite, added coarse tuffa or river sand, or just using pure Perlite

3 - Let it dry for a few days before the next irrigation

4 - Keeping the center dry

5 - Looking for heat-tolerant and direct-sun tolerant species

The problem: Echeverias may rot suddenly without warning. It does not necessarily start at the root.

Exceptions: Echeverias in the garden have endured winter rains, hail and scorching summer. One species was more sensitive to rot, yet still performed better than the potted ones. They needed less water and endured wetting the center of the crown by rain or irrigation.

So what I may be doing wrong with my potted one? I live in zone 11. My climate is Mediterranean. The summers are hot and humid but have no rain from June to October.


texts: All my Lantanas have this blight on their leaves. What is causing it and how can I cure it?


texts:
I've seen several guides recommend the Florence fennel bulbs should be earthed up (similar to celery and leeks), but I'm unsure as to the extent that this should be done.  Should the bulbs be covered completely (so that only the stems are visible), or should they only be partially covered?

Thanks.


texts: Can someone please ID the succulent seen in the image below:


texts:
I don't like mowing my lawn. Is there a grass replacement plant which:

looks like grass,
one can step on it,
does not need mowing?


texts: What small pines and deciduous trees are suitable for terrarium culture?

texts:
I am building a terrarium for some ex-Oregon family members. I really want to capture Oregon with its moss, ferns, trees and of course pine trees.

I don't know of really any small pine trees that would work in a terrarium. Does any one know of any varieties out there and/or maybe have some alternatives to use?

I'm interested in some small deciduous trees as well. Any thoughts out there?

I"m taking inspiration from a few photos I've found.


texts: When is the best time to apply GrubX and Weed&Feed?

texts:
I live in New England, USA.

I had grubs two years ago that damaged about 10% of the lawn.

It has been rainy here the past 30 days.

When should I apply GrubX?

I have lots of moss in some areas and dandelions have been growing.

When should I apply a weeed&feed product?


texts: How can I grow my own sweet potato starts?

texts: I have always used pre-grown sweet potato slips, but since the source of sweet potatoes I have been using is unreliable, I am looking for how to grow my own in fairly large quantities.  How should I do this if I am using a cold frame?


texts: Can the bacteria in compost bin be dangerous for kids?

texts:
During the process of composting, is it dangerous for kids to play with? I mean to say is it okay if a child plays close to a compost heap or touches the material with their bare hands? I heard about bacteria living in the compost.

From the article Compost Pile Hazards by Nick Gromicko on nachi.org:

  Compost can be a breeding ground for dangerous pathogens, some of which have killed or seriously harmed unsuspecting gardeners. Inspectors should familiarize themselves with these illnesses.