texts: What are the chances to get an edible apple from a tree grown from seed?

texts:
I am growing a few good apple trees in my roof garden, in pots. I love growing the trees, and of course love the fruit. Since I am in a warm climate, I grow appropriate apple cultivars which are professionally grafted and yield beautiful apples.

Apart from that I also have an experimental area where I grow six apple plants grown from seed. One of them finally blossomed this year (about 4 years from seed) and the fruits have set and look promising. The others have not yet blossomed.

Since this is a four year experiment (and counting) I had time to look online and try to answer a question I had all this time - what are my chances of success?

According to some sources, the chance to get an apple tree which yields any fruit is about 1 in 10, and a tree yielding edible apples at about 1 in 25. Other sources also claim statistics as 1:250 to get an apple as good as the origin, and 1:250,000 to get a better apple than the original. All the sources are contradictory, and I don't know if growing apple from seed is a sensible thing to do, or an incredibly slim chance of success.

To be clear: I have no intentions of growing the next commercial cultivar in my roof garden - I just hope to get nice, edible apples. Does anyone know the chances of getting there?


texts: What is this white salt and web like thing on the soil?

texts:
I found these tiny drops of white thing on the soil of my pot growing Dracaena Reflexa Pleomele. They are kinda hard to see, but they resemble salt.

What are these? How can I reduce or control this? Is this a good thing? What caused this white thing?


texts: Does keeping lettuce seeds in an open package affect their viability?

texts: When we open a package of lettuce seeds and use some of the seeds, then keep the remaining seeds in their package at room temperature, does it affect their viability?


texts: What is the best way to pollinate peppers?

texts:
I've got six Carolina Reaper pepper plants that I've planted from seed.  Two of them have peppers (the smallest plants), and the remaining ones have flowers but are dropping them unpollinated. If I touch them with a q-tip they tend to fall off.
I've been doing fish emulsion on the soil about every two weeks and a kelp/humic acid spray (Root Rukus) on the leaves every other week. I skipped the Root Rukus this week and sprayed with epsom salts.  Since beginning fertilizing I've noticed a substantial increase in the size of the plants.  I wonder if the energy going into growing will slow and the flower/fruit output will increase as the season carries on, and they'll pollinate naturally.  Worth mentioning that they are outdoors in partial shade, in planter boxes.  We're pretty much completely covered by trees but they do get full sun at least for a few hours a day through the gaps in the canopy.


texts:
I've transplanted a tomato plant into a bigger pot recently. I noticed that it has brown leafs. One big, in the picture and a few small spots.
What is this? This plants grows indoors and is already producing fruit.

UPDATE ON PLANT:
The plant is doing just fine. Brown stuff turned into veru bright brown, and didn't grow or anything. Same with the bottom spot.


texts:
This is what my sunflower plant looks like. Its in a 4" pot.

Should I repot it to a larger pot? I've been told that a sunflower in a pot (like mine) will eventually die, so I'm not sure if repotting it to a bigger pot is worth it.

Is it true that potted sunflowers eventually die?


texts: I was wondering if anyone would be able to help us identifying this large bush on our backyard, possibly something planted by previous owners. I was thinking of some kind of a hydrangea, but I'm far from certain (read somewhere hydrangea should have more stamens). The bush is about 3 meters high, I would say.


texts: How can I stop Wild Grape and Mile-a-minute vines from taking over my property?

texts: I have river front property in Upstate New York, and I have finally given up the fight with fending off Wild Grape!  I read that some insect can be released that will only eat and kill the Wild Grape but now I can't find it. I went to the Cornell University website but can't locate it. Does anyone out there know where I can find this info? Pulling it out only seems to make it stronger the next year.  It's too far gone at this point.  That and the Mile-a-minute, (Persicaria perfoliata) that's even worse since it's so hard to pull out!


texts: Having seen a video on how to pick up owls I was wondering if it were possible to have real grass live on the rotating cylindrical device (instead of fake grass). Is this possible or will it die or fall apart quickly due to gravitation? What if the device slowly rotates forever?


texts: Best practices to grow haskap bush: Lonicera caerulea edulis

texts:
This honeysuckle with edible fruit is being sold by retailers in my area as the new best thing.  After researching them I planted three varieties to get good cross pollination.

What experience have people had growing them?
Do they perform as advertised:  seedless large berries that ripen ahead of most other fruit shrubs?
any pest or disease problems?
how many varieties do you need for good fruit set?  The literature is confusing on this issue.

Edit: we have only ever seen one deer in seven years and it was confused so I can't tell if these honeysuckle are a tasty treat for them. Right now they are just snack size.


texts: Can a single young bulb of cymbidium mini survive?

texts:
I had a beautiful yellow cymbidium mini. Once I forgot it in heavy rain and in time it rotted badly. I dried it out, cut the rotten parts and left one old, slightly decayed bulb with the flower, but the decay spread through all remaining healthy parts. Now there is just one healthy little young bulb left, but with 3 starting (1cm) roots.

Does it have any chance to survive? I keep it in very small cup with airy fine substrate, fertilized very little, I spray it with water little twice a day. Can I do more? It is my most beloved one.


texts: How much below adjacent paver stones should artificial grass be?

texts:
Reading instructions for artificial grass installation, it talks about digging 4 inches of dirt before applying the base layer and then installing the synthetic grass.
My question is when all is said and done (gravel base, weed fabric, leveled), how much below the adjacent stone pavers should the base of the synthetic grass be for proper aesthetics and containment of infill?  should it be just below grade enough to contain the infill?  Is that 1/4"?  1/2"?  How much grass should be poking above grade compared to the adjacent stone patio?
I'm using a synthetic grass with 1.65" of pile.


texts: What trees would be good along a boundary wall and avenue in India?

texts:
I am from the eastern part of India i.e. Ranchi (Jharkhand ). Can anyone recommend some trees I can plant along the boundary wall of a school campus? They should provide good shade, temperature reduction, noise reduction and be fast growing.

We also have a 25 feet wide and 1000 feet long straight road in the campus which can be developed as a beautiful avenue.

What about malia dubai, spathodea, tecoma and tabebuia rosea? Can they serve my purpose?


texts: What is this sprawling vine with green leaves?

texts:
The attached photos were taken in a friends garden yesterday.
Can anyone help identify it please
The picture was taken in Watford Herts UK at back of garden adjacent to wasteland.


texts: Is there a calendar of maintenance tasks that need to be performed on fruit trees? For example, when do I prune them, when do I fertilize them, etc.  If it helps, I live in the San Francisco Bay Area and am growing apples, pears, oranges, grapes, pomegranates.


texts: Recommendations for removing a plant from a perennial border

texts:
I'd love some recommendation on the best way to remove Lysimachia nummularia 'Aurea' from a perennial border.  A little background:  The border never really goes fully dormant, and is layered with many plants, including several layers of bulbs.  Because of this, and because it's a fairly steep bed, we don't mulch much.  Soil is mostly clay with a thin layer of better soil on top.  The bed is about 1000 sq ft. I can take some photos tomorrow when I'm at work if people think that would help.

What I've thought about:

Sheet mulching
Hand digging
Dig everything out and start over

I'm worried the sheet mulching would prevent the bulbs from coming up, but perhaps if I start in early November, the newspaper would be decomposed enough by mid-January to let the first crocus bulbs poke through.  I suspect the daffodils can get though.  I suspect I'd need almost 2 years to make sure I get everything out of the bed before I did a complete renovation.  To make matters worth, I don't really have a nursery location to store stuff.

Update

Finally getting around to getting photos posted, it's been a busy week.

What started out a cute edging along the steps has really started to
take over.  You can't see it here, but it is now covering about 80%
of the bed.

It's starting to out compete other wanted plants.  Here, this used to be a solid mass of Sedum 'Autumn Joy' maybe five years ago.  It not only gets in the crown, but it scampers up the stalks, shading them out.

It's difficult to see here, but about 4 months ago I pulled all the creeping Jenny off to the ground.  Now it's almost a foot thick, and climbing all over the heathers.


texts:
I have hibiscus plant in my Terrence garden.  It started drying suddenly and about to die.
One of the hibiscus plant already died and looks like another is also started drying.

I tried uploading picture of the same but looks like some error.


texts: Tomato Plants Suddenly Weak, Falling Over and Yellowing

texts:
My tomato plants were doing great till a few days ago.
Suddenly they started getting these white patches on the leaves, especially the leaves at the top and new leaves at the bottom. Some leaves, especially older ones towards the bottom started shrivelling and drying up completely and the plants will not support themselves any more.

They are on a window sill (I was about to start hardening them off) and I have had a few plants out of the pots to check for anything eating the roots and I didnt find anything. They have been potted on a few times already and after checking the roots I see they are not too big for the pots just yet.

From the white patches on the leaves I suspect a magnesium deficiency but some of the plants dont have the same problem. I cant find any evidence of any fungal or pest problems. I have been watering from the bottom a very small amount every day and the potting mix is just moist enough. Its a mix of around 60% coco coir, 30-35% compost and 5-10% perlite.

They are Minibell cherry tomatoes.
They are in a window that gets the sun from 1 or 2pm till 8 or 9pm when we have sun. Its a bit up and down here at the moment in the UK.
Any ideas?
The white spots are more severe than the pictures show, it was hard to capture them in the pictures.

https://i.ibb.co/DDq718K/72-E537-B6-8-DF7-4967-9374-04-BD5-B0-DE932.jpg
https://i.ibb.co/PhscgNz/394205-D2-D6-A6-4-EFB-B97-B-2-BA425-DB87-C4.jpg
https://i.ibb.co/2KJ0DDP/4-AB9-F1-B0-9153-43-BC-925-B-BF7-ADA69-ECF7.jpg
https://i.ibb.co/qpXRMkS/F4246-E8-C-B352-4-DD5-9879-1-A0-B092612-F8.jpg


texts:
Hi I'm having major issues with my blueberry bushes. I had three in a large planter and they fruited last year just fine. The third one randomly dried up and died a couple of months ago, now one of the others looks Ill and possibly the other one.
When the first one died I stripped out all of the soil and replaced it with fresh erecacius soil, I made sure the roots were sprayed off and looking ok before I put them in the new soil. They looked to be fine for a month and then the bush on the right flowers / fruit went all purple and leaves started to fall off. Iv only watered with rain water, not fertilised it, it's had new compost a month or so ago, really can't work out what's wrong with them.

Here is a video of the plant :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNuQ7ZzkoHI


texts:
If pollen is taken from a "sterile" tree or plant and introduced to a fertile plant does it effect that plant in the future

ie...Bradford pear, non-fruit bearing, to a fruit bearing tree

Thanks
Tim


texts: Is this red habanero plant overwatered and how should I save it?

texts:
So I'm quite a newbie in gardening but I decided to plant a couple chilli plants for the summer because I was very interested.

This red habanero was planted about a week ago and been on slow decline. Right after I planted it there was a whole night and day of rain and I was dumb enough to leave it outside. The other two chilli plants next to it are still somewhat healthy and was either not as affected from the over watering or quickly recovered but when I got home today this habanero was suddenly extremely droopy.

It would be great if someone can confirm that the symptoms of the plant are overwatering and how I can help it recover. I've looked online and followed many of the steps but don't seem to be working. I've put holes in the soil, turned the soil to try and dry it out but nothing seems to work. I think the next step is to repot it into something else and leave it in the shade until it recovers but I don't want to minimise the plant getting hurt in the process and what not.

I'm really hoping for the guy to survive and any input should be great. Thanks in advance!


texts: How to know whether an indoor plant has outgrown its pot?

texts:
I have Dieffenbachia, Money plant, Snake plant.

What are the signs I should look for to know whether they have outgrown their pot or not?


texts: Is this mint infected/dying/salvageable/reviveable?

texts:
Looking for advice as for how to revive this mint, as well as how to detect whether or not other sprouts are invasive. I water this plant once a week, and keep it outside. It also catches rain, so I am unsure if it could possibly be growing as well.

If it isn't revivable, would I be able to salvage it with fresh soil and newer leaves/stems?


texts: I have a purple and gold variety fig tree that's been established for about three or four seasons. I had been cutting it all the way back every winter, but this season, I missed my opportunity (for no good reason). Is it too late to cut it back now, in April? There's no new growth as of yet, but I'm seeing one or two tiny leaves starting to appear at the base. The branches from last season's growth are three to four feet high. I'm in Western Pennsylvania.


texts: Disease on walnut - light green convex lumps on leaves

texts:
There are convex light green lumps on the leaves of my family's black Walnut - only in one region of the tree. The reverse side of affected areas has like a fuzzy yellow crust. What is this and is it unhealthy for the tree? Is it a fungus?
 (pictures attached)


texts: I've heard hog panels have lead in them, should I be worried?

texts: A sales associate told me that the wire used in concrete to hold it together better has lead in it (10 gauge), should I worry about using it in my garden?


texts:
I have a little yard. Its a small 40 sq metre triangular yard with 2 fruit trees and 2 flowering trees. A little picture is in the background of the picture I posted in another question Do eaten leaves on a guava tree mean the tree needs help?

I am unable to tend to pulling the weeds out. So this time around, I did it one last time and un-wantingly I have sprayed glyphosate to kill the weeds. I have a weed mat ready and now I am trying to know how I can prevent weeds from growing. To cover the weed mat, I thought I'd get some mulch and spread it around. But I live in a very humid place and mulch will attract cockroaches. Gravel is too expensive. Hay will attract rodents/rats.Any ideas on what can be put on the weed mat ?

How can I prevent weeds and (gamba?)grass from growing in my yard ?


texts: In ground dog composters, are they effective?

texts:
Looking on the internet, I see a lot of plans for an underground dog waste composting systems. They basically all consist of a well drained barrel like container, buried underground, with a small access pipe to the surface. You throw the waste in there, and it breaks down and oozes into the subsoil.

Has anyone ever tried something like this, and did it work well for you?

I live in the city, with a small lot, and have 2 medium-large sized dogs, so they produce quite a lot of waste. I'm not really interested in using any of the compost for gardening at this time, instead I'm just more interested in having an easier method to dispose of it rather than having to bag it up and deal with it that way.


texts: I started a jade plant from a cutting.  It is growing nicely but has three different branches.  How do I trim my plant to make it a tree?  Do I split the three branches and repot each to turn into a tree?


texts: What climbing vines will cover a 40' high cliff in southern Spain?

texts:
We live in southern Spain, and have the problem of trying to disguise a massive cliff wall behind the house. We intend to erect large metal fencing to the cliff, which is 100 feet long by 40 feet high!

Our question is what vines to use to cover as much of it quickly. We have to use containers, because the cliff is made of reinforced concrete, and the pots for the vines need to be placed 12 inches away from the cliff's base. Also we will be away from June till October, so we must plan a watering system. We're thinking of something along the lines of Morning Glory, as this would have green leaves all year, to try to hide as much of the cliff as possible.


texts: How much extra soil do I need to buy to account for settling when prepping a garden bed?

texts:
I can calculate the volumes of the beds easily enough, but I assume that as I install the soil it will settle. In a raised vegetable garden bed I could just top it off next year. In a perennial bed, however, I'd definitely want to get enough so that the soil settles to my desired finished grade.

Is there a generic conversion factor to tell me how much extra soil I'd need to buy?


texts: Managing Annual Bluegrass (Poa Annua) on a Post-Emergent Basis

texts:
I've looked through the posts regarding managing Annual Bluegrass (Poa Annua) but didn't find what I was looking for.  Most of them suggest dealing with it on a pre-emergent basis in the fall, which I do, but: 1) I may not be doing it right or in best way (definitely open to suggestions here); and 2) both of my neighbors have poorly maintained lawns that seed all over mine, i.e. defeating the 'herd immunity' social compact.  Heathens!

What I would really like is a way to also treat in spring on a post-emergent basis, but I am finding it quite the challenge to find something that isn't ridiculously cost prohibitive.

So...any thoughts or suggestions? Also, I live in Dallas area and have a (mostly) Bermuda hybrid lawn in a home that is about 20 years old.


texts: Sketchup objects and Visio Stencils for master plan designing for my garden

texts:
This is the start of a long journey for me and hopefully it will end with a good looking garden. Short term objective: create the layout and select the plants. Long term...implement the above, so you will probably see lots of questions coming from me in the months to come

Here is the first: I have finished reading Residential Landscape Architecture by James E Hiss so now I have some good guidelines for proceeding with the design of our site.
I am going to use Visio (for a master paln) and Sketchup for 3D simulation and rendering.
Can anybody recomend any good Visio stencils and templates for Landscape Design? There is a Plants set of stencils but I am not happy with it all all. I think it should contain more that what it is included

Any help will be much appreciated


texts: Can I use 20+ year old saw dust for dirt in my flower bed?

texts: This is my flower bed right now! The dirt is that old red clay mud and I'm having to bring in dirt or buy potting soil and I don't have the money for that.


texts: I was wondering if anyone knows why my African Violet flowers are dying? I was thinking it is too much sun but not sure if anyone has had this issue and resolved it.


texts: how to increase Phosphorous, Potassium and Calcium in lawn soil

texts:
I recently used my local extension service to do a soil test. I did this before I fertilized for the spring so I got a post-winter reading on the soil. They said my lawn was very low in Phosphorous, Potassium, Calcium, and Magnesium:

Phosphorous: 1.8ppm, optimum range is 4-14ppm
Potassium: 25ppm, optimum range is 100-160ppm
Calcium: 244ppm, optimum range is 1000-1500ppm
Magnesium: 31ppm, optimum range is 50-120ppm

In their recommendations they said to add dolomitic limestone due to low magnesium. They also said to apply varying amounts of N-P-K to amend the other nutrients that were low. They recommended 2-4lb N per 1000sqtft, 2lb P per 1000sqtft, and 4lb K per 1000sqtft. I'm struggling with finding a great fertilizer that can add all of those nutrients in the right ratios (other than N, that's an easy one). Are there other ways to get more Phosphorous, Potassium and Calcium in my soil? Would the dolomitic limestone help any of those in addition to helping the low magnesium?

Images of the test results are below:


texts: What is this yellow flowering mounded plant?

texts: I saw this flower while walking outside and would be really interested in growing it in my garden. Can anyone tell me what it's called?


texts: newly planted emerald cedars dying from the top tip branches

texts: 15 5 feet slim tall cedars were planted in late September in GTA, The top branch tips began withering and dying. 15 local grown cedars with much big and heavier root balls are planted together without issues at exact same conditions. What are the causes for the dying tips and how to rescue them? I applied triple mix on the bottom and compost around the root, with saturated root rescue liquid. and watered them 2 to 3 times a week to keep the root soil damp. No more measures I can do. I appreciate advice on cause of the issue and means to take. Attached are pictures. Thank you.


texts:
I bought some raspberry plants today. These were stocks in a dirt pot. The instructions say to soak and then plant 3 feet apart.

Each container came with 2 separate stocks/roots -- should I plant these together or each individual stock 3 feet a part?

Thanks!


texts: Why does my Black Currant bush have shriveling/drying leaves and fruit?

texts:
I am in Southern Ontario, Canada (Zone 5).

I transplanted a fairly large Black currant bush two years ago from my friend's garden. While I'm happy to see how resilient this plant is and that even in its first year it produced some fruit, I noticed that the issue we had last year (and I wrote it off to the stress of transplanting and very dry spring and summer) came back. This year we can hardly complain about lack of rain. It rains a lot. Yet, we are experiencing the same issue again.

Symptoms: first shriveling/curling of the leaves with some yellowing of the veins, then drying/dying of some tips of the older branches, drying berries that just started to form, then some spider webbing around those spots (not sure if related).

I tried to prune away most of the problem branches last late Fall cutting down bush by ~30%. It looks a little better this year, but starting this drying out again this year.

I searched online, but I didn't find anything specific about currants that resembles what we are seeing. What could it be?

update:

I tested pH of the soil in a few places in my garden this spring (one test was close to the bush) and it showed to be 6.5.

When I first planted it in October 2015, I didn't fertilize at first, but placed sheep manure compost around it before winter (few weeks later) as directed by "gardener friend". It was a very cold winter (with temperatures below -20 for a few weeks in the row) followed by brutally dry summer. I watered through the summer by hand and added more of the same compost around the bush.
I applied 15 kg of sheep manure compost again early this spring.
The bush is close to the lawn on one side and the vegetable garden on the other side.


texts: Morning/Afternoon sun plants (vegetables)

texts:
Is there a list one learning gardener can use to plan the position of plants depending on their preference of sunlight hours? I am interested in growing vegetables in a greenhouse.

I've read that some plants prefer morning sun, other prefer afternoon sun. Some plants grow in shade, others in full sun.

As I'm planning to grow dozens of different plants, I want to prepare the optimal environment for them.

(Additionally, if you happen to know and share where I can find each plant's best nutrient mix, preferred humidity, and light, I would be eternally grateful!)

Thank you very much in advance!


texts: Is there fertilizer management web site available?

texts:
Does anyone know if a fertilizer management web site is available?

I'm looking for a site where I can enter my plant/tree collection and the fertilizer that I use on each and let it know when I last fertilized the plant and then I receive an email when I should next apply fertilizer etc.


texts: What kind of plant is this? It looks like a tomato plant but I'm not sure that's what it is

texts: What kind of plant is this seedling? I've been told it looks like a tomato plant but I'm not sure that's what it is. It's been growing for about a month and a half.


texts: Areca Palm just dry, or something more sinister?

texts:
I have a palm which I've had for 18 months or so and it's the best growing palm I've ever had. Big, frequent fronds, and quickly grew about 2 foot.
Occasional browning at tips, or dry-green leaves(not browning) and more watering solved it.
I had overwatered it early and lost some branches that went yellow. (so this doesn't seem like overwatering)

In the past 2 weeks, it's suddenly going very brown from the tips. Very quickly a large branch went brown (not yellow) and lots of other leaves are going that way.

All winter leaves basically stayed green. Flat temp dropped to sub-10 degrees sometimes.
Watered less in winter, but still at least say, 500ml a week.
It sits by a large south facing window.
Weather here has been cold, then 2 weeks of very sunny warmth (palm getting lots of light behind a window), now back to mostly-cold & cloudy
Get some spidermites, which I try and get rid of, but not an epidemic.
Well draining pot (I water it until it flows out)
Roots had hit the sides, but still room to grow downwards.
A few new fronds are still appearing, but they're not as tall as the biggest ones I've had.
I try and keep humidity up with water on radiator & vapour.
I thought at first, they were burnt from being by the window during the sun, but then whole leaves went down.

I was concerned I had overwatered it in winter, so took it from it's pot to check it wasn't soaked, and the soil is very dry about 10 inches down. (Top 2 inches are still wet, but I only just watered it)
No sign of any bugs in the soil, but some white specs (perhaps mould but very tiny amounts) near some roots...

Have I just under-watered it during our very sunny period?
Is it craving a weekly heavy water?

I think this is similar; My Areca Palm is dying

I also noticed this new frond has gone all wonky... in case that's vaguely related :)


texts:
What could have caused the damage in some of the leafs of this pothos? Fungus? Drought? Pest?

Factors:

It appeared suddenly, at the end of winter time, beginning of spring
It is an indoor plant, and the windows have been closed for several months, since it is winter.
It is not over a heating vent
It is not directly exposed to sunlight
It has not been treated with any chemical
There was a plant in the same room infested with white flies (removed now), but there are no signs of white flies in this plant.
There was a plant in the same room infested with fruit flies (removed now), but there are no signs of fruit flies in this plant.
Not all the leafs are affected, only 5% of them. And not even in the same stem.
A sister plant that lives besides this one has started to show the same damage (three leafs).
Notice the row of little holes in one of them.
I could not see any pest or eggs on the backside of the leafs, using a magnifier.

Thanks in advance!


texts: Drinking Water Safe hose reel - what to look for?

texts:
I've read this well-researched post Garden Hoses: how safe are they?
But it focuses on hoses.

My question is about a hose reel. I've seen enough "drinking water safe" hoses (usually polyurethane and rubber), but I am yet to find a "drinking water safe" hose reel. On the contrary, any hose reel that is sold in US as well (I am in Canada), has the California Prop 65 warning. Those that don't have the warning are Canadian only, therefore they don't require a California warning.

So, with that in mind, what should I be looking for in a hose reel, to make sure it is "drinking water safe"?

Are "solid brass fittings" automatically a no-no? (The "drinking water safe" hoses usually have chrome-plated brass fittings).
What about plastic connector fittings, like Gardena? Are they safe as long as they are PVC-free?


texts: What are some good vegetables or fruits that grow well only in afternoon sun

texts: I live in the midwest United states and am curious as to what vegetables I could grow on my patio. it is west facing and thus the vegetables would only be able to get light from aroun 2 pm to 8pm. a


texts: Should I provide plant food for an oak tree I am trying to raise?

texts:
I am trying to raise an oak tree I planted from an acorn. I planted it behind a wall of trees, hoping it will prevail. But it doesn't really work, because in the summer it doesn't get much sun light.
So, I dug it out and put it in an pot on the window sill. The soil I took from my compost. It's doing fine. I water it regularly.
Now I am wondering if I should also give it "plant food".
I want to get it stronger before I put it outside in the pot, and take it back in in the winter.
No, I don't have another place to plant it. My property is smallish.


texts: How can I stop mold from growing on the surface of the soil around my potted plants?

texts:
I've been growing some apples from seed. I had four growing in one pot, then transplanted them into four separate pots. They have survived the transplant I believe, but one of the pots has a light-blue mold growing on the surface of the soil.

I'm not exactly sure what kind it is or where it came from, but the other three pots haven't shown signs of mold growth yet, and hopefully I'll never see any.

Each of the pots have the same schedule of watering and sun light (in response to a previous answer, likely over watered), they have the same soil found here. (It's a mixture of mostly that and some potting soil, but the potting soil hasn't been the cause in the past.

They're in small pots, and I'm living in a really small space so making a 5-gallon bucket of bleach-water isn't optimal. How can kill the mold in the pot, and prevent it from growing in the other three?


texts:
Sorry to make a double question but I'm totally new.
I live in an apartment, and I really want to have a tea plant, but unfortunately I have no space for huge plants. In here I read I can have certain tea plants indoors, but which is the smallest I can get?

And, apart from this subject, I bought a Vinca pot, and I really want it to be ok indoors. I don't over-irrigate it and I water-spray the leaves, do I have to do anything special to keep it okay? and, is it okay if the flowers fall in few days?


texts: Transplanting vegetables that don't yet have a good root base

texts:
I have some plants that I have started growing indoors, specifically jalapeño peppers and Walla Walla sweet onions.  I am worried that the containers I have them in are too small for them to develop well while still in their containers; however, their root base is nowhere near developed enough to hold the soil together when I transplant them.  To add to the situation, I planted them in very loose potting soil, which won't stick together on its own at all.

I am wondering if there is any way I can safely transplant these plants without having to wait for the roots to grow in more.


texts:
I have a banana tree that recently decided to retire its main central branch. What’s left is a big dried of stem visible in the center of the pot.

Can I just cut it out without harming the plant?


texts:
I often see warnings about this common Christmas plant being poisonous to people and pets but have never seen any definitive evidence.   Of course toxicity is all in the dosage and concentration so my question is better phrased as:

If your child/cat/dog eats some poinsettia leaves or is exposed to the sap from the leaves will they get ill or die?


texts: Disengaging 1/4" tubing from plastic fittings

texts:
The task of repairing an irrigation system that someone else installed has fallen on me. I have zero experience with this. I've studied the system for a couple of days, and I've been able to make some sense of it. Feeling more confident than I had any right to, I began the first phase of the re-jiggering with the "Patio Zone" this week.

The irrigation system is built with Rain Bird components:

There are two 8-port manifolds connected to underground PVC connected to the water supply.
1/4" black plastic tubing carries water from the manifold to small, plastic sprinklers mounted on plastic stakes in the planters.
There are various small plastic tees and junctions in the network of tubing.

The planters have been moved, and the number of planters has been reduced, and so there is an excess of tubing and other components. As I began removal of some of the tubing, the first thing I discovered is that it was virtually impossible to remove the 1/4" tubing from any fitting. I spent 20 minutes trying to remove a single tube from a port on one of the manifolds; my twisting, prying and pulling finally broke off the flimsy plastic port from the manifold body!

The system was installed about 8 years ago, and I figured the tubing had become brittle. However, I soon discovered that the new tubing and fittings were no more easily removed than the old ones! I've spent the past couple of hours searching the Rain Bird website, and the Internet at large for THE TRICK to remove 1/4" hose from the plastic fittings. Oddly (it seems to me), there seems to be no mention of my difficulties at all.

This leads me to wonder if it's never mentioned because:

It's SO obvious, nobody (except me) needs to ask the question, or
These is no solution - you simply buy new parts & throw the old in the rubbish.

So this is my question: Is there a reasonably efficient method for removing 1/4" irrigation tubing from the plastic fittings and appliances used with it?  How do people deal with this?


texts: Can an large acer survive being cut right back

texts: I have just been given an acer, the only problem being it was a very large acer in a pot, it has been cut right down to about 6 inches from the ground, the root are good, will it survive?


texts:
I've moved house and inherited a red leaf corkscrew hazel, its about 2 metres high. I'd like to move it to a new location. How easy/hard would that be, without harming it?

EDIT:  here's a couple of photos.


texts: Is a 25cm by 40cm nursery bag big enough for a tomato plant?

texts: I planted a tomato plant in a nursery bag. The bag's dimensions are approximately 25cm diameter and 40cm height. Is this correct or not?  My plants have started to give tomatoes (10 tomatoes per plant every 2 days).


texts: Is "Days to Harvest" measured from planting date or sprouting date?

texts: I have several Ferry-Morse seed packets, which, on the back, show what the expected "Days to Harvest" is.  I am wondering if this "Days to Harvest" should be measured from the date I planted the seeds or the date I saw the sprouts first coming up?


texts: Identity and give care instructions for mammillaria cactus

texts:
Hi, I think I just bought a mammillaria cactus. What is the subspecies and how do I care for it best? What colour flowers to expect? What should I do with the fruits sticking out (propagation instructions)? Will the plant's spikes change over time (e.g. Will it grow central spikes, change colour, etc.)?

Thank you.


texts: Soil of a potted plant is holding water. Should I loosen it?

texts: Each time I water my potted plant, I notice that the surface of the soil is holding water. Should I loosen it up with a small spade? Once I have loosen up the soil, is there anything else I should do?


texts:
A couple of my succulents have bent as they've grown over the past year or so. I suspect they're "reaching" for sunlight (they're next to a window, bending southward, and I live in the northern hemisphere -- though it's possible this is just a coincidence).

I'm wondering if it's ok to rotate these plants (spin them 90 degrees) to encourage them to grow straight again. I don't suspect doing so would immediately kill these little guys, but I don't think such a readjustment would ever happen in nature, either.

Is moving houseplants unhealthy?


texts: What is a good resource for identification of useful weeds that grow in North Central USA?

texts:
One of my favorite books in the entire world is "Weeds of the North Central States". I have an exceptionally long commute and 65 mph weed identification is something more than a pastime.

However, the most it says about the use of the plants is, "not good for forage". And I'm not particularly interested in forage, nor is it within the scope of this website.  What I'd like is a good complete resource for the identification of beneficial 'weeds'.

I have to restrict this question to the Midwest, but if there was a twenty volume tome which had a little section on the Midwest, that'd be great too.


texts: Can I heal a 4 foot tall cactus after two arms were cut off?

texts: A thief in the night cleanly amputated two arms off my 4 ft (1.2 m) tall cactus. What do I do?


texts: Effectiveness of Using Wood Chips (a la "Back to Eden") as a garden mulch/covering?

texts:
This year I revamped about half of my garden space using the biodynamic method found in John Jeavon's material. I now have the other half and after seeing the Back to Eden film I am really intrigued by using this method.

I have already tracked down some suppliers for recycled newspaper and (free) woodchips, now I just wanted to know if anyone has given this a try and if they have been able to emulate the almost too perfect to be true results that Paul Gautschi is getting as shown in the movie.


texts: Worried about personal health after dealing with houseplant potentially infected by fungus

texts:
I've just pruned the leaves that have died off of my Dracaena Massangeana houseplant. I covered its ailments in two previous questions:

Dracaena leaves yellowing: too much water?
Dracaena Massangeana: Leaf spots on new growth

The dead leaves came off very easily, and I reached the core of the stem where I saw what looked like white "mold" in small patches (roughly 3 mm in diameter) around the dead part of the stem.

At this point I put on gloves and moved my plant somewhere away from the other houseplants in my room in order to avoid contaminating them.

I am worried that being around and breathing the air potentially contaminated with whatever was growing and affected my plant may have adverse health effects on me.

Specifically, from researching the spots on my plant's leaves, one of the likely results was Fusarium Leaf Spot Disease. From another cursory search, it appears that fungus of the Fusarium genus may produce mycotoxin that is harmful or even lethal to humans.

I imagine it's hard to identify exactly what the growth on my houseplant was, but I want to be sure I am not harming my health as a result of having dealt with it in the same confined space where I spend much of my day and sleep.

I'm wondering:

Is there a risk of infection or general health risks for me after having dealt with this plant with bare hands and without any protection for my respiratory tract?
Should I take action to prevent potential further complications, such as leaving my room or airing it thoroughly?


texts: What is this fruit tree found in high mountains in North Carolina?

texts: They were on a large tree in the mountains of North Carolina.


texts:
I bought a house in Hudson, NY in November. The previous owners had screened it from the trailer park next-door with a row of Arborvitae. They're maybe twelve feet tall, and they'd already suffered some deer damage the previous year. This winter, 2014-15, the deer simply turned the whole row into a salad bar.  I tried to fence, but they just laughed at my efforts.

The damage is pretty bad. Should I prune back to the growth line, if I can figure out where that is?  Could I just let the trees keep growing and plant something more deer resistant at the base?  Suggestions?

I'm 61 and haven't lived in the house since I was 18, so I'm really on new territory here. Any help will be greatly appreciated!


texts: What should I do after a pepper plant has partly broken under its own weight?

texts:
So, I'm sitting here on my computer and get the life scared out of me by a horrible cracking, rustling, thudding sound. I turn to find one of my peppers plants has broken - apparently one of the upper sections has just ripped off under it's own weight and dropped on to the toy box.

The plant was quite top-heavy anyway (all the fruit was high up) and the section that's broken off was supporting three peppers. As far as I can tell the plant is healthy, at least there's nothing obviously wrong, so I assume it has just suffered under the weight of its own fruit?

The break isn't very clean, as it has torn down the stem of the plant, as you can see in the images (apologies for the uneven quality):

Ignoring the fact the plant's effectively been pruned of a chunk of foliage, what should I do about this? Is there potentially something wrong with the plant? Anything else to bear in mind?


texts: Does anyone know what type of vine this is

texts: This is growing off of a very long vine in northern Indiana. It's in a shaded area so not too much light


texts: Is wood ash from black locust harmful to plants?

texts:
Black walnut has juglone in it, which can be harmful to other plants. I've read claims that you shouldn't use black walnut for wood ash in your garden because of this, although I'm not sure if that's true. It does seem pretty sure that soil black walnut is grown in is harmful, but it seems like burning the wood might change the chemical. Anyway, I don't know if it does, but that's not my question (it's a preface to my question):

I've heard that black locust (I don't mean black walnut) has allelochemicals of some sort in it that may hamper other plants (probably not juglone). I'd like to use wood ash that contains a small percentage of black locust ash on ground for tomatoes. Maybe one in ten pieces of wood burned was black locust. Is this ash going to be okay for tomatoes and other Solanaceae plants, or will it hurt them significantly?

If you have experience with black locust wood ash on plants like tomatoes, that would be preferable. I guess I could germinate some tomatoes and add some of the ash to the soil to see what happens.

I've heard people use black locust for nitrogen fixing. So, it doesn't seem like it would be that harmful to other plants. But, maybe they just use it for tolerant plants.

Squash are said to be tolerant to juglone. I'm not sure what tolerates whatever allelochemical(s) black locust uses, whether it persists in soil for years like juglone, or what. I'm not sure how potent it is, or if it's even in the black locust wood. I don't know it if affects plants at all (maybe it just affects animals). Black locust does have toxic parts to animals.


texts: Are the drooping leaves on my Snake Plant caused by the amount of watering?

texts:
I have a Snake Plant, Sansevieria trifasciata. As you can see, around the edges of the tip, the color and stiffness of the leaf/stem changed. It is pulpy now. This leaf is also drooping heavy on the other side.

I watered this plant more than a month ago, as this plant is in my home and it's very cold here. The room temp is not too cold, though.

Temp:4°-16°C, 39°-60°F

I am thinking of cutting down this stem/leaf.

What's caused this issue?

Click on pictures for larger, close-up view.


texts: Is it possible to cultivate grape in rainy weather?

texts: I am planning to grow grapes on the roof of my house. I am living in rainy environment and also with cloudy weather. Is it possible to cultivate grape in such kind of environment?


texts:
Location: Maine

Fruit: very small - blue/purple, small, oblong

Blooms: small, white

Leaves: small

Tree:

more bush like - no single trunk, 4-5 main branches split off at base at ground
10' tall/wide
round shape
bark rough
branches brittle
reddish color to wood
tree has appearance of apple tree, contorted, rough, brittle

Due to the small number of fruit produced (only around 10 each season), I'm thinking this can't be a self-pollinating tree, so that rules out most of the Japanese plums (I think, from what I've read).

I'd like to buy another one, so that they can pollinate each other, so any help would be appreciated.

Based on this picture alone (found on the interwebs) it looks like it could be a Beach Plum (although the beach plum appears to have a rounder fruit). Thoughts?


texts: If you can identify if, can it safely live inside ?


texts:
I have sadly had a potted monstera succumb to rot. I tried taking clippings to no avail, but now that it's gone, I am wondering if it's safe to reuse the pot and soil with another plant?

Can the soil be reused? Can I need to give it some kind of treatment? Or is the nuclear method required (blow it all away)?


texts: Is this potted plant with long, narrow, pointed leaves a dracaena?

texts:
My dad gave me this plant years ago. I think he said it was a dracaena. It that true? If not, and I remember incorrectly, what is it?

I live in New Jersey, in the Northeast United States, at the shore. I put the plant outside during the summer and bring it in in the fall.


texts: How much drainage in seedling potting mix?

texts:
I made my own seedling potting mix.  It has 35% drainage and 65% water hold matter.   Now, that I see it, I feel like it has too much drainage.  I used roughly the same percentage of as Sungro's Blackgold Seedling Potting Mix.  I have used Blackgold with great success in the past.

I know there are many potting mix formulas out there. I know everyone has their own preferences.  So, I want to focus on industry standards.  What is the industry standard of Inorganic:Organic Matter in seedling potting mix?


texts: How critical is water during germination? Should I re-sow?

texts:
I just started some veggie seeds 5 days ago.  I soaked the soil after planting them, but have totally forgotten to water them since.  When I watered them (just now) the soil wasn't dry, but I wouldn't call it moist either.  The seeds are in a typical 1'x2' tray with a clear greenhouse lid on it and a

Everyone says this time is really important for watering.  If this initial lapse is going to cause any future delay in growth, I'll just go ahead and replant these.


texts: What is this plant with hairy stems and opposite leaves?

texts: Can someone tell me the name of this plant. It is growing in a pot in Morocco. It has hairy stem and leaves. I haven't seen any flowers yet, but I've been told they are blue or purple. It does not have a scent.


texts: My acer branches are starting to die back and the leaves are falling off . It’s in a sheltered corner and it doesn’t get the full sun . I planted it in ericaceous soil and water it once a week but more if the soil dries out . It’s getting worse as the times goes on anyone have any ideas?


texts: How should Cleome seeds be sown in the Northeast?

texts:
I bought from Amazon some Cleome seeds, which arrived this August in a tiny plastic envelop from China. There are probably around 100 seeds or so.

My question is how to plant them, including how spread out I sow them, what time of the year, how deep, etc. I have read about keeping them in the refrigerator for a week, which is where they are right now.

The earth is parched right now, and the days continue to be sweltering hot, so I'm hesitant to consider sowing them now (early fall).


texts: What's the best N-P-K ratio for Norfolk Island Pine?

texts:
What's the best N-P-K ratio for fertilizing Norfolk Island Pine? According to this article I should go with 10-10-10.
Is it a good combination?
Also, how should I apply it? Should I spray it on, or give it with water?
Update:
I live in Jaipur, India. Current temperature ranging between 15-25 degree centigrade. Soil is mixture of 30% vermiculture and 70% sand. I didn't get it tested because I don't have a soil testing center nearby.
I bought this plant around 6 months ago, but there are no new leaves.


texts: One quarter of the roots of a 50' tall white pine were cut off. Can I save it?

texts: About one quarter of the roots of a 50 foot tall white pine were cut off at the drip line, all on the same side. Can I save this tree?


texts: Are there any issues with using an on ground sprinkler system with impact sprinklers?

texts: I recently bought a home, and now I am tired of watering the lawn every day. I considered under ground sprinkler system but they are very expensive. I thought to do my own diy on the on ground sprinkler system connecting each impact sprinkler with hoses, But I didn't find much luck online. I am wondering if there is any issue with having the system on the ground instead of underground? Also please let me know where can I find online design service to design my lawn. I am thinking to connect impact sprinklers with 25 foot hoses not more than 4 for a water line. I tried connecting 3 impact sprinklers and it worked very well.


texts: What is this liquid that looks like dew drops on my brassica leaf margins?

texts:
I fertilized my plants today and watered them well. Tonight, when I looked at my vegetable patch, I found tiny drops of transparent liquid on some of my half-grown brassicas. They're on the leaf margins at the place where the veins meet the leaf margins.

What is this phenomenon?


texts:
this is the first time I am trying to grow strawberries on a balcony . I built wooden planters for like 60 plants. Since last week all were doing great. They are blooming like crazy and they have a lot of green fruits. I noticed that a lot of plants started having brozne like dry spots on fruits. A didn't know what was going on and after a lot of googling I figured out that my plants are infested with thrips. Just to be sure 100% sure I searched them and found them under leaves and in blooms. I still have a lot of green fruits that are totally fine but I know that if I won't do anything I am probably going to lose all fruits.

My question is how to save my plants. I have mainly everbearings and dozens of june bearings. I know I will have to probably use pesticide to kill the thrips but I know that it shouldn't be used when plants have blooms and fruits?

Is there any option that I would cut all the green fruits and blooms and maybe some leaves, use pesticide and then wait for new blooms and fruits?

thanks for the help


texts: Can any cacti be used as a scion on a non cactus succulent rootstock?

texts: Anything in the cactus family can be grafted onto anything else in the cactus family, even jungle cacti to desert cacti. I've even grafted a Schlumbergera to a prickly pear. I would like to know, just because I'm curious  and would like to experiment, is it possible to graft any cactus as a scion to a non cactus succulent rootstock?


texts: Sweet potatoes: Can I plant a whole tuber instead of starting slips? Are slips a better option?

texts: I'm in zone 4 (Minneapolis MN, USA) and managed to grow some sweet potatoes last year with the 3 month window (I bought slips), but this year I have the saved tubers from last year. Should I grow slips or could I simply plant the tubers? I can't risk much due to our narrow window.


texts: Can tree branches be cut so low that they will not grow back?

texts:
The problem is I had my arbor trimmed too low and I believe it is dead now.

Can the branches be cut so low that they will not grow back?


texts: What is this spiky-leaved plant with short lived yellow flowers?

texts:
I found this growing in one of my pots.

Does anyone know what it is? I think it might be a wild flower. The flowers only come out for one day and are replaced by another from the same stalk.


texts:
This tree is growing in a garden in Johannesburg, South Africa. I'm pretty sure it's evergreen (turns out it's not). I'm not sure whether or not it is indigenous to this area.

Click on pictures for full size.

UPDATE:

I had the opportunity to visit this tree in Winter for the first time last week. It is not evergreen, after all. Unfortunately, this means that it is not a Redwood (right?).

Another update:
The tree has produced cones this summer!


texts: What is the effect of intense sunshine on vegetable plants?

texts:
It's a rudimentary question, but I've had problems finding answers. I live in Cyprus, which 'enjoys' a Mediterranean climate, where summers are humid and tend to hover between 38 and 43 degrees C between July and early October. I'm trying to grow some vegetables, such as cherry tomatoes and peppers, in a place where they will receive all-day sunshine.
Will this intense sunshine destroy my crops?
I am also able to plant some crops in the shade of a tree. Would this function as a good workaround for late planting of vegetables that would probably not enjoy direct sunlight?


texts: How to overwinter potted cuttings from an Abelia?

texts:
In early June and in late August I took cuttings from an Abelia (not exactly sure which species it is, it flowers from Mai/June until November in white).

As the how-to I found described, I potted them (several of them in one pot, see image below) and waited... About 1/3 seem to have rooted and new shoots have appeared, 2 of them even start to flower.

I kept the pot outside all the time with no cover whatsoever, I watered regularly.

Now that there are cold nights and ultimately mister frost will turn up, what should I do to protect them? I assume that being in a pot will freeze and thus kill the roots much easier than when being in the ground.

Would it be a possibility to keep the cuttings inside thus disturbing the cycle of seasons?

I see 3 possibilities:

Repot them in a bigger pot, might reduce the impact of freezing: I don't want to touch the roots, I assume that they are very fragile.
Plant them into the garden: same problem as in 1) plus I haven't got the spot yet.
Keep the pot inside: I don't have an 'inside' which I judge adequate. It would be either to hot or too dark.


texts: Tulasi plant (basil) leaves are turning black, collapsing and then dying

texts:
My Tulasi plant (basil) leaves are turning black, collapsing into themselves (like folding into a small bulb shape very close to steam) and then dying.  In the row, there are 7 plants with gaps, in random positions, 5 of them died/dyeing like this and 2 are only fine and green.

Ground water is used from many years only, no change in water source.

Please advice, below are the pics.


texts:
This is an Amur Maple, Acer Ginnala "Flame", planted in USDA zone 4 about 15 years ago. There are others like it planted in the neighbourhood who also have the cracks in the trunk this one does. I speculate that thin barked trees grown further south and planted in a colder zone cannot handle the whipsaw temperatures and freezing rain that are a regular part of our winters.

It is a tough scrubby tree but it has a two foot crack or longer on every major branch and a crack on the trunk that runs to the ground.

Some have healed up and the largest one down the trunk to the ground has gotten worse this winter after the episodes of freezing rain.

Any recommendations to remove or brace it?


texts: What's this? Vine with heart-shaped foliage and green-to-black fruit (Identified: Creeping Cucumber)

texts:
New member, probably my first of many "what's this" type posts. I've just recently gotten into gardening and there are a lot of wild plants around my house which are just lovely, hoping to incorporate them. But first, identification!

I live in Memphis, TN -- zone 7.

Today, I opened my bedroom window for the first time in months and found a very pretty vine growing over it. Looking closer, it produces berries. I want to seed it along a fence in the back yard but I'm not sure if it will choke out the other plants.

The berries, which look and feel like tiny oval grapes, start green and turn black. Many were covered with a specific bug:

Nearby on the ground was a clump of trumpet flowers, which I've also spotted vining over the trees a few dozen yards away. Maybe the same plant?

I just love the heart-shaped foliage.

So, what is this??

Edit: Sitting inside at the computer, just saw a beautiful baby cardinal fly onto the vine and pick a cucumber. Guess that means my chickens can eat it, too. Definitely going to spread this.


texts: Could I grow a fruiting plant in my office?

texts:
In the office there is an abundance of fluorescent light and that's about it. The temperature stays around 70 ºF (21 ºC) I think.

Could I grow a fruiting plant in these conditions?

Is there any flower plant that we can put in less sunlight and closed room, which also has good smell


texts: Help identifying cause of yellowing fruit tree leaves?

texts:
thank you for any insight any of you might provide.

I have four fruit trees in my yard, a Red Haven peach planted in Fall '17, a Liberty Apple and a Ginger Gold apple planted in Spring '18, and a Mericrest Nectarine just planted in Spring '19.  I live in zone 6a and have moderately sandy soil.

Starting a few weeks ago I noticed that the peach tree had yellowing leaves, especially the smaller inner leaves.  Given that we have had a very wet spring, about 18 inches this spring and 4 in May, (rainfall this spring) I have barely been watering the trees.  None of my other plants (azaleas, hydrangeas, etc) seem lacking for water.

Can anyone tell me why my leaves are yellowing?  Too much water? Too little water? Nutrient deficiency?  Some kind of infection?

Thanks again for any input.

Here are some pictures of what I'm talking about:

Red Haven Peach:

You can see the yellowing leaves as well as somethine eating the leaves I think on the peach tree.

Mericrest Nectarine

The nectarine tree seems to be doing well, but is now starting to yellow as well.

Apple trees

Again, starting to yellow on the inner leaves.


texts: Continuously replacing privacy garden hedge while maintaining privacy

texts:
I want to replace thuja hedge with something else (e.g. amelanchier), but I want to maintain privacy during the process.

What are my options? Can I keep some thujas and growing amelanchier between them and continously swap thujas for amelanchiers?

Or is only possible way to completely dig out thujas, plant new plants and in the meantime use some privacy screen on fence?


texts:
This Norway spruce's roots have always been on top of the ground. The soil it is growing on is very hard white dry soil with a layer of decayed needles on top. It has been growing fine so far, but would it be healthier if I covered all the exposed roots with topsoil? I do not know if this would harm the tree.

Edit: I added five wheelbarrow loads of dirt. Can I grow grass there?


texts: What is this prickly plant (with photo)?

texts:
What is this plant? It's growing sparsely (I've flagged around 30-40 of them over ~5 acres) throughout my back yard in northern Ohio.

It is very sharp and has a pretty deep/vertical root system. It's mostly brown right now, but I did find a few that are starting to turn green now (early April).

Size is anywhere from around 2 inch diameter up to this one, which is more like 6-7 inch diameter and seems to be growing fairly horizontally, though I would have been mowing them down all of last year, since I didn't notice them until this year.

When I cut off a piece, it did smell like what I imagine as "pine", but I don't have a super discerning nose.

Tried looking it up via Google, but no luck so far.

Is it a weed? A bush? A tree?


texts: How to grow a new Opuntia (prickly pear) from a cutting?

texts:
I cut this pad which grew this summer from my Opuntia and I want to make a new one. I know I have to let it dry for some time before planting it, so that the wound can heal. For now I just left it on the soil, in a dry atmosphere indoors. But I have a few questions.

How do I know that it's ready?
Will I see roots appear at the bottom if I leave it in this position for some time?
Do I have to humidify the soil a little so that the roots can grow?
Once it's planted, do I have to wait a few days/weeks before watering it for the first time?


texts: What can I plant to attract butterflies and other pollinators in Minnesota?

texts:
A lot of plants can pollinate themselves.

  Fruits: Tomatoes, Strawberries

  Vegetables: Peppers, Eggplant, Snap Beans, Lima Beans, Lettuce, Endive, Peas,
  Cabbage, Broccoli, Beets, Kohlrabi

  Other: Chicory, Oats, Wheat, Barley, Dill, Lentils

Some other plants cannot.

What can I plant that will attract butterflies and other pollinators? I am in Minnesota.

Also See: What steps can I use to encourage pollination?


texts: Is it a Peace Lily and can I rescue this?

texts: Bought two of these (Peace Lily?) for the bedrooms but this one is in trouble - what can I do to rescue it? Am thinking it has been overwatered by house sitter during my absence and seems also to have contracted a ‘pest’! Any help and advice greatly appreciated]1


texts: What would be a good grass, available in seed, to plant for ground cover in a forest?

texts:
We will be clearing invasive species from a badly overrun lot on Long Island. There are quite a few mature trees that will be left, but the ground will be mostly bare dirt when we are finished pulling out all the vines, mugwort, etc.

We want to get something growing quickly to minimize recolonization by the invasives. My first thought was to sow Carex pensylvanica seeds throughout since it is a native and thrives in lower light forest floors. However I can't find seed in any quantity - only plugs.

Considering our requirements:

Must be available as seed.
Should not be invasive.
Needs to be shade tolerant.

What other grasses might I consider?


texts: Is the emu bush(Eremophila) invasive in california?

texts: I would like to plant an emu bush(Eremophila), but want to know if it is invasive. Is the emu bush invasive in California?


texts: How much air flow for indoor plants (capsicum chinense)?

texts:
My plants sit on south-facing window sill in the gap between the glass and blinds closed (very little air flow).  The window is on street level of a fairly busy street so the blinds are closed, and as such, there is very little air flow to prevent strangers to see all the craziness inside.  However, that is my only south-facing window and my thumb is not yet green.  These Capsicum chinense plants are in a San Francisco window.
What is the recommendation of this ventilation?  Thanks, you!
<img src="https://i.stack.imgur.com/egtPE.jpg" alt="My plants sit on south-facing window sill in the gap between the glass and closed blinds closed (very little air flow)
" />


texts: Are yellow ladybugs a threat to tomato plants?

texts:
I have a tomato plant in a large planter. I spotted several yellow lady bugs on the leaves as I was pruning the plant. The plant seems to be doing very well in the fall so far.

I was a bit curious as to what they were. I've never seen yellow ladybugs. I also don't know much about insects. I did notice some of the leaves had holes in them. I presume that's from insects eating on my plant.

I did a quick google search which indicates that they might possibly be beneficial for tomato plants. I wanted to confirm this. Are yellow ladybugs helpful for tomato plants? Are they any different from regular red ladybugs?


texts: I dug up my dead peace lily and there was no rhizome

texts:
I received a peace lily as a housewarming present in September. Unfortunately I also received five other houseplants at the same time, and it quickly slipped down my list of priorities.
Suffice to say I left it outside on a sunny day in November, forgot about it, and discovered it in December with all leaves wilted right down to the soil, and practically no plant left to speak of.
I thought I could resurrect it last month and so made an effort to dig out the roots, hoping to find a rhizome or something that could be willed back into existence with new compost and a sunny, warm windowsill. But when I went digging, the roots come apart in my hands -- somewhat expected with root rot -- and more mysteriously, I couldn't find any kind of lump to indicate where the lily started.
Is this normal with dead plants, that not only the roots disintegrate, but the rhizome can disappear too? Do peace lilies even grow from rhizomes, or am I going crazy?


texts:
2/15, I did this:

I finally built up the nerve to chop my corn plant and propagate it

Here's the damage: https://imgur.com/a/tt4IvDg

I am praying I did this right. I followed a video that showed how one guy did it successfully, and I'm hoping it will go that well for me. I dabbed root hormone on the bottom of the cut-off stalks and placed two in dirt, and the rest are in water (so the root hormone probably doesn't matter, but still). I am hoping at least one of these methods works!

The first pic is the original plant, which I hate to see all cut, but I am hoping it's ok.

Is it in the right light? I am trying to find the best spots for them, whether that be indoor or outdoors I don't know yet. The temperature, as far as I know, is ok.

2/23 UPDATE

The original stalk + a cutting is starting to yellow...PLEASE HELP!!

It might be sun-scorched...I moved it inside for that reason and humidity. Should I spray it with a mister for humidity?

I am so worried...I think I may be overwatering...I will definitely stop & I also will use bottled water in case it's a fluoride issue.

Here's a leaf I pulled off: https://imgur.com/a/lAjfjCh

The other stalk I moved seems fine, but it's also titled as hell. I am so scared I killed it by propagating/cutting it...Help!

3/3 UPDATE

Oh god now it looks burned and yellow in a different way, what's happening?! I can never seem to make it happy. I am moving it to a shadier spot, and I will try and mist it. I stopped watering for a week because I thought I overwatered, but now it looks worse? HELP. Also yes it's a shady spot the exposure on the pictures are just wack. https://imgur.com/a/RvghybL


texts:
We recently moved to a new house in Western Washington State and I've been finding some rather large spiders in and around the home and garden areas. The home has been vacant for over a year.

I believe they are Wolf spiders but have not been able to positively identify them.

The biggest one I've come across had legs 1.25-1.5 inches long and a total diameter of approximately 3-3.5 inches.

I've tried a few different products from Home Depot and haven't seen much of a reduction in spiders.

Can someone tell me what kind of spider this is and what are some effective ways of controlling them.

This one was found in the garage, the small dot below it is the head of a drywall nail (for size reference).


texts: Can I use ladybugs on herbs while treating trees in the same garden with imidacloprid?

texts:
I have a smallish garden.  With several sections, unconnected by soil. In one section I am growing trees that are being dosed with systemic imidacloprid. Near by, but in pots, I am growing some herbs that currently use no insecticide.

To deal with aphids I would like to buy and release ladybugs.  But I am afraid they may be poisoned by the nearby trees.

Should I be concerned about this or take a different approach to clearing the aphids?


texts: I have had a crispy wave fern for a couple of months now and its overall health seems pretty good with the exception of one leaf that has a skeletal look, see the picture below. It seems to propagate down very slowly. Any idea at what this is and if I should do anything about it? Thank you!


texts: What is the name of this fragrant and edible plant?

texts: It has a fragrance and it's also edible, I suspect it could be Mentha Longifolia, but I'm not sure. I try to propagate it through placing it in a cup filled with water near the window in order to get the sunlight that encourages the growth of roots. In a matter of 4 days the roots started to grow.


texts: Flamingo (Anthurium) leaves turning yellowish

texts:
I have this Flamingo plant (Anthrium) for the last month.
I use P rich fertilizer on it. Sometimes it gets occasional sunlight (Might be 2 days a week). It is kept in a room where it gets diffuse light most of the day.

Yesterday I noticed that one of my leaves is turning yellow and it has some holes in it too.
I could not find any pest under the leaves though.

Please find the attached pictures of the leaf.

Could anyone guess what is happening to this plant ?


texts:
I’m growing these cacti for about 9months i just changed their soil and pot, while i was picking up the little babies is realised that some of them changed color to red (meaning too much sun i guess) but others are now white ish.
 I used to put them under direct sun light which i realised it was too strong for the moment. I water them each two weeks.
Can it be a watering problem or because i didnt changed the soil earlier?
If anyone have an idea on how can they get back their perfect green color it will be really nice.
The cacti are san pedro’s.
Thanks


texts: Identification of tree and damaged leaves

texts: I am buying a new home with established yard. Three of the same tree are in the front and all have something wrong with them. Could someone help identify both and suggest how to fix the trees?


texts: Can I store pumpkin seeds that have gotten damp?

texts:
I'm rather new to gardening, and I bought some pumpkin seeds today, Queensland Blue if it matters. I planted some and was planning to keep the rest, but they all accidentally got a little wet.

Will these seeds now germinate unavoidably? If so I'll make space to plant them all, but if there's any way to keep them for future years I'd prefer that.


texts: Basil: Main stem keeps growing back after first pruning

texts: I did the first pruning of my basil plants some weeks ago, and all of them have branched out healthily.  But in reference to the main stem (the original, straight stem that I pinced earlier), I saw two different results.  Some have grown the main stem back and some others don't.  Which one would I prefer?  And what makes the otherwise happen?  Should I pinch it back or leave it as it is?


texts: Has any climbing plants been used to envelope a house for the purpose of creating shade? What would be the best vine for this and why?


texts: What would strip the bark off a 20+ foot American Elm tree overnight?

texts:
I have a 20+ foot tall American Elm tree.  I believe it was unharmed yesterday.  Today the bark was stripped almost entirely around the several-inch-wide trunk and in various places up to a height of something like 15 feet.  The top-most branches that were stripped were only a bit bigger than a pencil (and high in the air), but the trunk at the ground has large, serious looking claw marks.
I don't see the patterning on the wood I would expect from porcupines, and it's hard to believe a squirrel would have done that much damage (or left such big claw marks).  I live in a suburb outside of Denver.  I've included some pictures.
[edit] Some additional information:  It's a Frontier elm, so it's supposed to be resistant to Dutch elm disease.  My neighbor says there's been a lot of raccoon activity lately, and my wife says she might have seen a raccoon or similarly sized gray animal near the tree that night.  As far as I know, raccoons do not destroy trees like this though.
Any ideas?


texts: Long-necked Zephyranthes bulb: How does that happen?

texts:
That week I received my long-anticipated shipment of Zephyranthes and Habranthus bulbs.
The picture below is that of Zephyranthes drummondii. All bulbs were purchased while dormant and without soil.

One thing which caught my eye, is that some bulbs are larger than others, and possess a longer "neck".
One was exceptionally large and its neck is as tall as the depth of the pot in which it was placed.
The image below shows almost two-thirds of the neck above the soil.
So how does this happen? Is that a response to deeper planting (hence the long neck) which also causes the bulbs to grow larger?
I have Zephyranthes grandiflora (the pale purple variety) which was the only species in our possession for almost 60 years. While the bulbs multiplied and I separated them into different pots, I never saw bulbs growing much beyond the size of garlic.


texts:
I have had ivy covering a wall in my garden for several years now. However, recently, the leaves started turning brown (as it is possible to see in the photo below) and eventually dying and falling off.

I was wondering if anyone could help me identify what is causing this.


texts: What is this dark leafy vegetable plant? What's causing holes in the leaves, and how can I help it?

texts:
I got a variety of seeds from a friend. Most were swiss chard and butter lettuce but this one is different. Also it's the only one that's getting riddled with little holes. What's eating it? What should I do to stop them? I haven't used any pesticides.

More photos.


texts: Is there any kind of plant or vine that can grow so thick as to replace the need for sheetrock?

texts:
I've been looking at the sheet rock and I've decided it's kind of boring. I want to rip it out exposing the rafters behind it. I was thinking it'd be kind of cool to layer the framing and the sheet rock behind it with a strong white epoxy (for protection) and to see if I could get pothos to fill up the void. I could build a bamboo lattice where the sheetrock used to be for the pothos.

I find it hard to believe indoor vines covering a wall is that unique. Have you ever heard of this being done? Are there any concerns to growing vines indoors on a larger-than-pot scale?


texts: When should I repot a newly planted potato?

texts:
I recently planted a potato in my cubicle at work (don't ask why, long story) in a pot that is much too small for the potato. The soil that I used was completely bone dry, it had been sitting in a coworker's cubicle for years.

I watered it about twice a day for the first week, and once a day since then just to try to get all the soil wet (it's been planted for about a week and a half now). Since the pot is transparent, I can see that roots have already reached the edge of the pot and through the bottom.

I want to avoid repotting it too soon in case the ball of soil falls apart when I lift it out of the pot. How long should I wait to repot it, and should I not water it for a while before repotting it so the ball of soil is more likely to stick together?


texts: What to do with sickening flower petals?

texts:
This is my first flower garden and I don't know what to do about flower petals that are sick.

Here are some pictures:

I think the reason for them being sick is that this plant was not in the best shape when I bought it (it had stems that were cut with scissors) and also there was a big big rain yesterday and I think it had too much water. Not sure.

Please let me know how to help the flower to become more healthy.

Thanks kindly.


texts: How to bury water pipes in a nice and safe way

texts:
I have a 4000 square meter land that contains my house, trees and vegetables and I use many water pipes in it.

I have a main water pipe that comes from the main pipe from the street that crosses all of the land and then I have several other pipes that provide water to the house, plants, trees etc.

My problem is that every pipe is on the ground that they might cause problems to the kids playing around and it look ugly and unorganised. I don't put them in the ground because the tractor that comes once in a while it might break the pipes if the driver cannot see them.

What is the best way to deal with this? I have thought of digging 10cm and cover with white rock so it look nice but I am not sure if this is the right way, could you suggest somthing that is safe and good looking too?


texts: What is this cactus with flat pads and spines growing in small patches?

texts:
I was given a cutting of a friend's cactus. It is growing in his front yard but he does not know much about it.  His cacti are green and segmented some with red bulbs on top. I believe the red bulbs were fruit, not unopened flowers.  All segments of the cactus (like the segment I was given as a cutting) have patches thick with spines which would stick to skin on touch as you can see in the picture:

Most of the pads were larger than the one pictured. It is only about 3 inches in diameter, while some of the pads were much larger than that. But they all generally had the same shape, generally flat with a slight curve, rounded, and segmented. His plants stood a little more than 3 feet off of the ground at max height.

I am located on central part of the east coast (USA) near the ocean.


texts:
What is this fast growing plant growing in my pot?

Walking around nature and parks I would collect all sorts of seeds from all sorts of plants and threw them in my pots, so all sorts of things are popping up.

This beauty grew around 60cm in two or three months (NOV DEC JAN), a very fast grower. It's big leaves are maybe 20-30cm long.

And these very small little white flowers grow up close to the main stem.


texts:
Snack Peppers; I love these things, the kids eat them right in the garden while we work there. The seeds are harder to find than most peppers in local stores, and I refuse to pay $3.50 for a single growing plant at Lowes, etc and I want to grow my own. I forgot to get them last summer but this spring I went around and picked up many seeds from peppers left on plants last winter (from last year - when I did buy from a store 2 plants).

I planted them and out of 12 peat pots, I got 3 plants - great! I also bought seeds from ebay and planted them and nothing came out after 10 days or so. I replanted with a second batch of snack peppers seeds from a different supplier, one was US, one was a foreign country, but none of either batch has germinated so I held hope for the 3 plants from last year's peppers.

Then.... wham - they started wilting, now 2 are done for, one is wilted but the stem looks ok. I read up on them and have no moss, mold, flies, etc., but I suspect overwatering. I have plants in peat pots (discs that expand) so they are sterile, in a tray with water on a heating mat under a full spectrum grown light (led) also with another led Blue/red light.

Tomatoes, basil, squash, lettuce are all doing great but these snack peppers are dying. They sit in the same water as the other plants which are doing fine and I don't let them dry out, I keep them all moist. Do pepper plants have less resistance to overwatering? Everything else is fine. Do they require a dry out then water scenario? I admit, my bell, jalapeno, banana, chili peppers aren't thriving or doing well either.

Some of my seeds are 3 & 4 years old , some are those American no name type from dollar store for 20 cents (some of those work great) but in this post I want to concentrate on snack peppers though I'm sure solutions/causes probably apply to other peppers as well. Those red, yellow and orange walnut sized peppers are so sweet and I don't want to buy store grown plants.

update after reading several replies:
Thanks for the feedback. To the fella mentioned what are 'snack' peppers, if you check EBAY for them/seeds, you'll see a bunch of sellers. I am getting a common theme here - I over watered. A bunch of other seedlings didn't do well suddenly as well, my lettuce all dropped and pretty much dies. Tomato's survived, cilantro did one of those long skinny stem thing, don't look good, thought about repotting// deeper in soil. My heat mat is a generic one, nothing fancy, I cant turn up the temp but I have a dome that I took off because I wanted the grow light to be closer to the seedlings, it's a 6" high clear dome, maybe put it back on to help trap the moisture/heat and reduce  or eliminate standing water in tray.

Does the condensation on the inside of a dome affect the ability for the grow lamp to get light to the seedlings?

My wilting plants were put outside, dried out a little and within a day came back, even the surviving lettuce seedlings, however, the pepper (3) did not. Trying again with other seeds though its getting late to start from seed.

One last comment - to the question of what nutrients am I giving them, I had this organic plant food that ended up really stinking, like worm juice or something, rotting vegetation. I think I'll go back to a miracle grow type unless there is a better suggestion? I am using a miracle grow potting soil which I believe has some nutrients in it. Thanks.


texts: What's the name of this small plant with six-lobed umbrella-like leaves?


texts: Wild violets gone -now what ? What is the right sequence of operations to re seed?

texts:
My backyard was the largest plantation of wild violets known in North America. The grass was gone almost suffocated and in order to remove them I let them grow for the entire summer (so that they at least can kill the grass and make the removal easier
The Home Depot Billy the goat sod cutter did a very good job adjusted to the maximum depth. Removing the cuts was a nightmare because unlike the sod the wild violets do not keep the soil slices together so they break in small pieces when you try to remove them
You can guess how bad it is here

And here is after the massacre

Now I need to rent a bin and dispose that crap and get soil and seeds
What is the right order of operations here ?
I am thinking:
-use a rototiler to break the soil
-level the soil (the previous owner did a poor job when he spread the soil after he excavated to build the patio)
-not sure if I need to compact after this
-add seeds
-add top soil


texts: How do I grow root vegetables hydroponically?

texts: Hydroponics is the method of growing plants in a soil-less medium.  I've always wondered, how does someone grow a mainly root/bulb-based vegetable (potato, turnip, onion, etc) in a hydroponic environment?


texts: Difference between Areca, Chamaedorea and Kentia in appearance

texts: Areca and Chamaedorea and Kentia are very similar. Whats difference between them in appearance. In the other word how can recognize each of them.


texts: Carrots grown in my backyard look different

texts:
I just removed a carrot that I grew in my backyard. It is very different from the carrot you get in the supermarket. Wondering why the core is yellow instead of orange. The taste is not great either.

See pictures below.


texts:
I found this growing in one of my pots.

Does this look like lemon balm? The leaves impart a very lemony smell when you touch them.

I looked online but the veins on a lemon balm leaf looks more pronounced. Could it be because the plant in the photo is very young?


texts: Small powdery white around bottom of stems of a Peace Lily, and some brown lesions on some of the leaves

texts:
Problems:

I recently noticed some small powdery white regions around the bottom of some of the stems on my peace lily, below are some examples:

They become less prominent when wet, but are visible again immediately after the regions dry out.

I'm not sure it's a related issue, but some of the leaves on my peace lily have lots of small, dry, brown lesions.  Not all leaves seem to have these, they seem to only be common on the larger leaves.  They have had them for a while, below is an example:

How I have investigated the problem:

I inspected the other stems and leaves of the plant, but did not really see anything that looked unusual.  I wasn't able to find any abnormalities on the underside of any leaves, which I believe is a typical symptom of powder fungus (which from what I've read online, is what this sounds like it could be).
I had a look on various websites and have googled the symptoms, but was unable to find any articles or videos which included pictures of the described (but similar-sounding problems).  It appears to be quite hard to find satisfactory, actionable articles about peace lilies, many seem to contradict each other and do not seem to contain meaningful conclusions or related pictures.  I would very much appreciate some advice on where I can find good articles for problems like the one I have described.  rhs.org.uk looks promising, but the search function doesn't seem to work particularly well.

How I take care of my peace lily:

I water it with roughly 1 litre of filtered water, whenever the deeper soil feels dry and the plant is drooping.  I make sure that the pot has finished draining, before I put it back in its planter.  I normally do this every 1-2 weeks.
I keep it in a relatively bright room, but it doesn't receive direct sunlight.  On most days, it measures around 2,000-8,000 lux near to the plant.
It is not particularly humid in the room (~37% rh).
I rarely clean the leaves, so dust does accumulate on them.
It sits next to a similarly sized anthurium, which doesn't appear to have any visible fungus or pests.
It is kept in a relatively drafty room, but is not directly exposed to the drafts.
I do not mist the peace lily (I probably should, but I have not found it to make much of a difference in similar environments in the past).
I do not move it around very often.

Please advise.


texts: I planted about 10 arborvitae‘s probably five or six years ago. Some of them are nearly 8 feet tall. In the last month and a half, three of them appear to have died. Why so suddenly?


texts: Is there a ground cover seed or seed mix that I can throw out around my yard during monsoon season that will take root and possibly displace the weeds that spring up after/during the rains?


texts: What books would be most useful as a reference for (vegetable) gardening?

texts:
There are a few main subjects such a book should cover, such as:

the seasonal dependence of various plants (which can grow when, and
when can one grow what),
descriptions of the specific care different plants need (how/where to
plant, how often to water, when to prune),
nutritional information of the crops described (which to combine for
a complete diet),
climate dependence (which plants can grow where).

Ideally such a book would have an index of some kind where one could look up information about crops and alike (so that one could for example look for chives in the index, and find information such as that they thrive in well-drained soil with a pH of 6-7 and full sun, and should be planted in the early spring).

Do some or any of you have experience with books of this kind, and which ones would you then recommend (and why would you recommend that book)?


texts: How do I make my dead & weedy lawn suck less?

texts:
The severe drought in the midwest has killed my yard.  The Fescue I planted in the spring (which took nicely) has completely died and is being replaced with crabgrass and native grasses.  Other parts of the yard are full of random weeds and dead grass.

With the recent rain we've gotten I'm interested in redoing the lawn.  I'm trying to find the "best" blend between manual labor and cost savings.  I am trying to choose all 3 of lazy, stingy, good-lawn, but I know I can only pick two.

Half of my yard is heavily shaded by a large maple tree (but the grass is still dead and weedy).  A third of the remainder is covered by a heavily-producing pear tree (which we might mulch around to promote the tree instead), and what's left is exposed to sun.  Trees are slated for the near future, so shade will be coming in 5 years.

My question:

How do I go from my crappy dead, weedy lawn to a gorgeous lush lawn?  I have available to me:

Weed & Feed
About 25lb of Fescue blend (grew well in all areas before I gave up watering)
A "chick-chick-chick" sprinkler and a "wave" sprinkler on a long hose with a timer.  I don't have enough hose or pressure to water the whole yard at once.
Access to an aerator (PTO on a riding mower)
Access to a tiller (manual, this will conflict heavily with my lazy streak)

I am not against any chemicals or fertilizers.


texts: How far (on average) do tree roots extend out from the base of the tree?

texts: I a looking to plot out my new garden site for next year and am wondering how far I need to be away from some nearby trees. The trees are a few different types (apple, oak, pine etc.) and anywhere from 20-40 feet tall. I am trying to see if there is a way to tell/guess how far the roots will reach before I start digging and find out the hard way.


texts: How to plant herbaceous perennials under an existing tree without harming it

texts:
I've seen beautiful plantations of herbaceous perennials plants under mature deciduous trees and I would like to plant something similar.

My concern is for the tree itself (an Autumn Blaze maple in this case).

I have often read on this site that trees respond badly to changing the height or grade of the soil above their roots. So this precludes simply adding 6 inches of soil inside the drip line section.

I once tried digging around but the three (planted 2 years ago at that site, bought at a nursery it was about 8' to 9' tall) already has many small roots in all directions which I assume are from this tree and I fear that by digging holes I will be damaging it.

What is the best way to proceed or is this just a bad idea?


texts: Over 1 month, lawn hasn't come out of (what I assume is) dormancy. Is it dead?

texts:
About a month ago I asked this question about my lawn. To summarize, I just had this house built, so the grass was only put in a few months ago and the sprinklers did not turn on for 1 week last month. The suggestions I got all said to just keep watering it and it should come back in a few weeks. It's been over a month now and I see very little improvement to the grass. This is what it looks like now.

I also applied this plant food after a suggestion from the original landscape company and I have not cut the grass at all. Is there anything else I can do to get my lawn back or do I need to cut my losses?

EDIT: To add to the information above; the grass was sod when it was put in a few months ago. Do I need to hire a landscaping company to tear it all out and re-apply sod? What are my options?


texts: Will peanut seeds grow if they are missing their papers and/or split in half?

texts: I have some peanut seeds, and about half of them have lost their papers and/or are split in half. Will these grow properly, or should I remove them? I don't have any experience with these.


texts: I have planted some seeds but they don't grow to a full plant, why is this?

texts:
I bought some seeds such as the following (pepper), but there are also seeds of other plants. I'll use this one as an example.

In the back, there are instructions:

It instructs to plant in a 0,5cm hole, and then when the plant gets a little bigger, one should transplant it to the definitive place the plant is going to stay. I have tried to do plant it directly but the seeds germinated and grew to a maximum height of ~1cm. I have these questions:

Does direct planting works for these seeds?
Why do they suggest to plant and then transplant?
Why didn't the plants grow to a full plant?


texts: What beneficial thing does eggshell do to tomatoes as a fertilizer? Does it heal leaf health, flowers, taking up nutrients, or something else?


texts: Olive tree leaves are turning brown but stays on the branches

texts:
We transplanted a mature olive tree way back March and it's been adjusting well on the new location. But starting mid of July, at the peak of summer here in Qatar, the leaves of 1 big branch started to turn yellow then brown. As of this day, most of the brown leaves stayed on the branches.
New leaves are starting to grow at the bottom of the tree. What is the best to do? It this caused by overwatering or suffering from verticillium wilt?


texts: Seen in a Botanical Garden - which species is it?


texts: Transplanting watermelons from 3gal pots outdoors

texts:
I may have started my watermelon plants too early. I started them in solo cups and then transplanted them into 3 gal pots indoors. They are growing big quick!
I have a 10x9foot garden plot which intend on moving 1 into the ground. Variety is crimson sweet
Due to the weather not being warm enough (50 degree nights) my plan is to keep them indoors another month in my grow tent. My plot currently is completely covered in solar mulch. Is it going to be ok to transplant a large melon plant?


texts:
I am turning on my sprinkler system for the year and I am very unfamiliar with this setup.  The system was winterized by a professional last year and I am not sure what all was turned off, opened, etc.

So far I have: closed the backflow valve (as to not spew water everywhere), attached my pump (no leakage and turns on), and turned on the sprinkler system at the control panel computer and verified each zone works and each sprinkler works.

However, I noticed that after the sprinkler system is turned off, one of the green access panels in the ground was flooding with water.  After further investigation, it appears that there are several "valves" and each is spraying water - even when the system is turned off.  I have turned off the water to the sprinkler to avoid a costly water bill.  I am not sure if these valves (included in the photos) are "opened" to bleed water and allow air or if there is another component that is faulty.  This mostly stems from me not knowing what these valves are.

tl;dr:  What are these valves and how can I keep them from spraying water?


texts:
I'm growing some tomatoes from seed, and one of them has two pairs of cotyledons. The stem splits just before the leaves start with a pair of cotyledons on each side. The leaves are smaller than its siblings'.

What causes this and how common is it?

The seedling with the double dicotyledons is the small one directly in the centre of the photo.


texts: What is a practical strategy for removing dandelions and bull-thistle from my lawn without them returning?

texts:
So I asked a question about how to remove the dandelion and thistle invasion from my lawn, and saw a similar question which mentioned an excellent tool. So I went ahead and purchased the Fiskar thingymabobber for removing deep dandelion roots.

Now the question is, how do I actually remove the dandelions/thistle without them coming back? I've tried, for a span of a couple of weeks each, strategies like:

Random weed removal
Remove weeds in a certain area
Remove weeds of a certain type

As far as I can tell, this is not really effective, because they're still everywhere.

What is the right strategy to remove weeds without them re-infecting cleaned-up areas and coming back?

Edit: I guess I need to be explicit about this: I'm not interested in any form of chemical control. This includes:

Herbicides
Pesticides
Anti-Weed fertilizers

I have young kids, and some agriculture going on, so I cannot afford anything but my already picked hand-weeding approach.


texts: Can I replant the propagated branch into the same pot that it is coming from?

texts:
I replanted and propagated my Monstera 2 months ago, and it started to grow new leaves since then.
I am trying to reshape my awkward shaped Monstera to look dense and compact.
My question is, can I replant the propagated branches into the same pot?
According to the previous owner the Monestra is 30 years old. There are 3 main branches in the current Monestra.


texts: what to put in center of mulch ring around trees

texts: So I recently put down 4" of double cut down around my yard.  I moved the mulch back away from the tree trunks by a few inches because I know that's bad for them.  Should I put anything in that gap so the mulch doesn't fall back in?  Basically it looks like a 4" doughnut where the trunks are.  I'm okay with it but wasn't sure if putting a nominal amount of gravel would be a good idea.


texts:
I bought a Curio Mount Everest from Lidl 1 week back. Since I am in northern Germany, it does not get much sunlight or sun in winter. So, I am watering it only when it is totally dry and I am also keeping it under a growth lamp for 12 hours.

Still, after 2 weeks I am seeing that lower leaves are drying out and when I touch the leaves, it looks like some white powdery substance comes out and also the leaf color changes to green.

Any suggestions on how can I take care of it?

Here are the images of the plant:


texts: Will potatoes in containers grow more potatoes?

texts:
I am under the impression that people grow potatoes in bags, containers, stacked up tires and so on because they get higher potato yields this way. The way I've heard it explained is that you plant the seed potatoes on the bottom and wait for the plant to grow. Keep adding soil every few weeks until you reach the edge of the container. Supposedly the roots will keep growing upward as well, and the whole container will be filled with potatoes.

I tried growing this way this year, and all my potatoes plants initially grew like crazy. I added soil as the plants grew, and eventually, I reached the edge of the container. The plants grew a bit more but mostly stopped adding new growth. Fast forward and my plants are starting to die back, so I harvest potatoes. To my surprise, all the potatoes were in one layer in the bottom of the container where I started the seed potatoes.

Reflecting back it seems pointless for the potato to put all that energy into growing a long stem and tons of leaves if I am just going to cover them with soil. The container did make it easier to harvest, but I did not have potatoes growing upwards in the soil as I expected.  Is this an unusual result? Why bother growing in containers at all?  Does anyone have any evidence that potatoes will grow all the way to the surface of the container?


texts:
We got a bouquet of cut flowers from someone attending a party we were hosting. It included this thing which I assume is a seed pod of some sorts.  It feels sort of like a baloon in that it is obviously hollow inside.  It is covered with small spines.  It has also lasted a really long time - longer than any of the flowers in the bouquet by far.

Can anyone tell me what it is?