texts: I transplanted my tomato plant about three weeks ago, in a pot with potting soil. There is plenty of room in the pot as well. It is outside all day and the weather here is about 75 degrees at night and 85-90 during the day. I water the tomato plant every three days, longer if there is rain. Around last week, it rained pretty hard for a couple of days. The tomato plant is blossoming (about ten flowers now) and was doing great until the past three days. I’ve noticed that several stems and leaves on the lower part of the plant seem to be drying and withering. In the past day or two, some stems have also been falling off. What is the reason behind this?


texts:
I've had this Nerve plant for about a year and a half and it is one of my favorite plants. It has always been a consistent grower and never given me any trouble.

In the last few weeks, the plant has begun to struggle. A lot of its leaves are beginning to bleach/yellow, and eventually shrivel up and die. I didn't realize how big a problem this was at first until I checked the underside of the vine and noticed that a large number of small leaves had withered away without me noticing.

As for conditions: The plant sits in the corner of my room adjacent to a south-facing window, but in a way that it doesn't tend to get very direct sunlight. It's been in the same place for several months, so if the issue was too much sun I would have expected it to become a problem in the summer instead of now.

I keep the soil consistently moist, I am a bit worried this could be due to overwatering but I believe I've seen the results overwatering in this plant before and it looked different than this.

The heat in my apartment has been on for the last two months, though I only started noticing these issues with this plant in the last two weeks. I also keep a small humidifier running in my room at all times and the humidity tends to be at least 40%. The plant is somewhat close to the radiator though (its built into the wall under the window).

Anyone have any idea what could be wrong with this plant? I'm starting to get worried about it.


texts:
As the pea seeds from the gardening store look the same to me like the dried ones from the supermarket, I'd ask myself the question if I could use those for growing them as Microgreens? Is this possible or are they most likely some kind of special breed that can't germinate?

UPADTE:

I had a few supermarket peas soaked overnight and 'planted' them this morning. Unfortunately, I could not find my usual microgreen trays because I did renovate this summer and therefore I had to use a provisional, but it will do the job.
I will post an update with pictures as soon as there is something to see.


texts: What is this plant growing along wires below the ceiling?

texts:
I recently went to a restaurant in Bremen, Germany, and they had this plant growing along wires below the ceiling:

When I asked the waitstaff what kind of plant it was, they didn't know. But the owner gave me this:

My best guess after some web search is that it might be an Epipremnum aureum. Is that correct?


texts: I have a closed compost bin and when I took the lid of today to put something in it I noticed lots of bugs, a bit like flattened wood lice... I am just wondering if they are good for the compost bin or not? Thank you!


texts:
I have a peace lily in my office at work that gets low indirect natural light, in addition to bright white fluorescent light.

I have had it for about 12 months now. I have not potted it up, and it has always been quite root bound.

All that said, it was always the happiest green and healthy plant. It consistently got new foliage growth and sometimes almost flowered. It never ever showed signs of nutrient deficiency, and the leave were always a healthy green with a flawless complexion.

Then last weak it wilted like it was thirsty, and after watering it, it is not reviving. It is wilting now like it is heavily dehydrated, even though the soil is still semi damp from the last watering. Even though it is wilted over, and the stems are getting a little soft to the touch, the leave still have turgor and seems almost like they are not dehydrated.

I always watered it only when it got completely bone dry. I never over water.

I have no clue what happened. The only thing I could imagine is that last time I watered it, I much too heavily swamped it, and in a single watering I drown the plant. Is that possible??

This plant shows no signs of root rot, and has never shown signs of any maladies. Just one day it wilted and it won't revive.

Is there some other possibility of what went wrong?


texts: What are some good landscape design planning softwares?

texts:
My goal is to create a landscape plan/map for my yard. So, basically, the first step is to create a scale drawing of my lot. I recently attended a couple of local workshops on "site planning". In the workshops, the idea is to make measurements to identify the house "footprint" on the lot using graph paper. From there, one creates "bubble diagrams" with ideas for various plant material and hardscapes like in the following pictures (click to enlarge)

Source: Left, Right

I'm looking for some software options to help me along with this. So far, I am exploring Google SketchUp and also Inkscape. What are other options for creating such layout maps?

Cross-platform solutions would be nice, but if not, please indicate which OS it supports. Free and commercial software are both welcome.

Note: I am personally using a MacBookPro and an Ubuntu machine. Windows options are certainly welcome as well.


texts: I noticed dark dots on some of the leaves which I assume is not a good sign... but at the same time new leaves have been growing and are a beautiful green and spotless, so I am confused. Do you have an idea of what that could be?


texts: Guiding zucchini growth off edge of raised bed

texts:
I have a 4' by 8' raised bed that I tend to overfill. :)  I have two zucchini plants that are growing very nicely.

To prevent them from covering other plants in the bed, I was thinking of guiding their growth off the edge of the bed so that they will extend over the ground next to the bed instead of covering other plants.  The bed is about a foot high.

Do you think that will harm the zucchini plants at all?

EDIT:

I'm adding some photos to confirm that Graham's advice was good!  I put a little box next to the bed to make the drop a little more gradual.  The zucchini split into three branches, and the neighbors are scared it will take over the neighborhood. :)


texts: Should I worry about breaking roots when compressing wood chips?

texts: I have about a foot thick of wood chips in the rows, and was wondering if I should worry a lot about breaking roots on the plants, or would they grow at a steep enough angle to not really damage the root systems?


texts: Is there a pole version of marrow beans?

texts: Any other rich-flavoured, white dry bean would do as well.  I'm in zone 5a or 5b, ample growing season.  I grew a few types of dry bush beans this year and even got a second crop off some of them.  Next year I want to do only pole beans. I would prefer an open-pollinated variety.  I have found white runner beans, but I don't think they have the flavour I'm thinking of.


texts: Will it kill my potted tree if I use tree fertilizer spikes?

texts:
I recently bought some tree fertilizer spikes to feed my potted dwarf kumquat and lime trees.  After I got them home, I read the following warning on the side of the box:

NOTE: Never apply within 30" of the trunk.

Obviously, my pot's radius is less than 30 inches so I would need to go against the instructions if I were to use the spikes.

Is the 30 inch warning there to protect the tree's roots from being spiked (in which case I can be careful and take the risk) or because the fertilizer itself will damage the tree being in high concentration (in which case I should return the spikes)?  Or is there some other reason for the warning?

Update: One suggestion below is to break the spike in half to reduce the concentration of fertilizer.  Is that a good idea?

Final update: The die is cast and I've put half a spike in each pot.  Depending on how the trees respond, I'll post any further updates as answers to the question.


texts: How do I prevent my forsythia from getting leggy/wiry at the bottom?

texts:
How do I prune my forsythia to encourage bushy growth at the bottom?  It is extremely healthy-looking at the top and ends, but I want to stop it from becoming leggy/wiry at the bottom.  I don't want the branches long and extended, with the leaves only at the extremities.  It will remain in a pot.

I don't want it to look like the one in this question that I posted last year: Why does this forsythia have such sparse leaves?


texts: Time to plant new shrubs and plants in New England

texts: I would like to transplant my front-of-the-house shrubs and plants to my backyard because I don't like them very much. I then want to put in new shrubs/plants in front of my house. They will go on both sides of my front steps, 3-5 plants/shrubs on each side. I thought that fall was known as the best time of the year to do this, but I am worried that they won't have enough time to really settle in and grow in roots for the harsh New England winters. Is it better to do this in fall or spring?


texts: Is High-Intensity Discharge (HID) lighting better overall than Compact Fluoresent Lighting (CFL)?

texts:
For hydroponic horticulture are Metal Halide (MH) and High-Pressure Sodium (HPS) lights still the staple/better choice for growing indoors or do Compact Fluoresent lights (CFL) offer enough light output/spectrum to give the HID lights a run for their money?  Can CFLs provide enough power to support indoor plants alone (specifically concerning a setup where there is very little sunlight available)?

Also: Perhaps this would be better suited as its own question but, where do LED lights fit in to the plant lighting world?


texts: Why is my Litchi plant getting brown leaves indoors?

texts:
I have a Litchi plant grown from a seed that doesn't seem too happy. It keeps growing new leaves, but each time a fresh set appears, the old ones turn brown.

It seems unable to carry more than two pairs of leaves simultaneously. It's placed in a south facing window in southern Sweden, which this time of year means quite a lot of sun and warmth.

I've tried giving it rain water (which I've read it would prefer) and watering it only when the soil is no longer wet, but nothing seems to boost it's growth. Any ideas?


texts:
I bought Abies koreana molli tree (25 cm high) 3 month ago. Im keeping it in my flat at the balcony door (so it shoudl have enough light). Temperature in my flat is constantly at 18-20 degress of Celsius.

1 month ago, I discovered that lower branches were attacked by Tetranychus mite - I sprayed it with spcialized pesticied that was intended to kill these. It killed mites succesfully, but needles from lower branches started to fall of (because they were damaged too much by the mites).

I though that the tree will regenerate and everything will be fine, but problem is, that currently, almost all the needles are slowly falling of (they either slowly turn brown or fall of even while green after I gently touch them).

I examined the tree again and found out, that some of the needles on few branches have green-brownish areas (first photo) on them and also little brown "protrusions" at the middle axis of the needle (Second photo and third).

Is this some kind of disease? Can it be cured? I searched other forums and tried to compared images with some other diseases, but found nothing.


texts: What is this small plant with 3 inch long leaves?

texts:
My kid got this from school, in South Korea. The leaves are about 3 inches long and are thick and stiff.

One leaf has fallen off and I re-potted it, but I don't know how to care for it or what to expect. It seems to be doing nothing at all.


texts: What's the function/purpose of the waterproof tarp a few inches beneath the ground in my yard?

texts:
When I tried to plant some plants and dug up a hole in my front yard, it appeared that there is a waterproof, at least it appeared to me so, tarp under the soil and mulch mixture, and it extends to a very large area, probably as large as most of my yard. The material of the tarp looks similar to this.

Source

What is it called? What is its function/purpose? When planting perennial plants, should I dig through this tarp or not? If not, the depth of the soil/mulch does not seem deep enough for the plants to develop a large root system.

This yard is located in Pacific Northwest which alternates between a rainy fall-winter season and a dry summer season.


texts:
I had this flowers a few years ago but I don't know what it is called so I don't know how to look for it now. Can anyone help identifying it.
This is the only photo I have


texts: What are these curly mushroom-like growths in my mulch?

texts: In one area of the garden in the house I bought couple of months back, we have mulch and recently we are seeing the following. Not sure if this is a mushroom or not. My current guess is that the mulch is very old and needs to be replaced. But I would like to know more about why this is growing.


texts: How do I recognize a hermaphrodite papaya tree?

texts: I know how to recognize males and females (based on flowers), but how can I recognize a hermaphrodite papaya?


texts: Is it safe to grow vegetables in a container made of stained wood pallets?

texts:
I made a couple of containers for my garden out of pallets. I wanted to protect them from rain, so I stained them with an exterior waterproof seal.

But later I read someone mentioning to avoid using treated lumber for containers in which you would grow edibles. I'm wondering how unsafe it could actually be or is it just a minor thing?


texts: How do I remove sticky palm sap from the household fixtures around it?

texts:
Our potted palm has dripped or sprayed a very sticky substance all over everything near it: curtains, carpet, furniture, plastic case, etc. It is truly awfully sticky!

What is the best remover?


texts: Need help with identifying the disease on my mango tree and a possible cure

texts:
It started with me seeing dark spots appearing on the leaves of my mango tree, which grows in my apartment. When I looked underneath the leaves I saw something white growing there. Now it has spread to most of the leaves.

Today two of the leaves fell of, probably because of this disease. I have made photos of the tree, the leaves, which fell of, and two detailed macro pictures. But for now I will just add two of the pictures due to not having enough reputation to have more than two links on this page.

I really want my tree to survive so I hope somebody here can help me identifying what disease this is and how to fight it. Preferably in a way I can do it in my apartment.


texts: How to get rid of these small black bugs on gardenia

texts:
My gardenia is more than 6 months old. it was in good health.

Suddenly I noticed that the gardenia leaves are turning yellow. I thought that it was because of natural causes. So, I ignored it initially.

Then I saw that even small leaves are turning yellow.

Then I check for the bugs and I saw these:

I sprayed insecticide and later also sprayed (strong force) it with water thought that I am safe now. But, unfortunately, they are keeping coming back in a couple of days. So, clearly, I could not kill the pest properly.

Any suggestion? My gardenia looks very tired :( . How can I revive it ?


texts: I recently bought a house and am new to gardening and lawn care. Some guys stopped by and asked me if I need "aeration service." I was wondering if I need it for my new lawn/sod. I still don't see the grass coming up yet. It's still dry. I bought my house last winter around November. Could some one shed some light on this question please?


texts: Are those spots on my plant at my desk at work anything to worry about?


texts: What are these potted plants with thin stems and leaves that look like sticks?

texts:
My mom gave me cuttings of this plant. She didn't know what it was but it seemed to do alright outside in the shade in Houston.

What is it?

Click on pictures for closer view.


texts:
My Aloe Vera Plant isn't doing to well.
I bought it approximately a month and a half ago in a very nice state.

Moved it directly to a new pot(unfortunately at the time without a drainage hole) with this soil .

I live in Scotland (UK) so the temperate is around 10-20c degrees inside the house where I have the plant.

It started drooping a week or so ago, as seen in pictures.

Edit: Updated photos of leaves:


texts:
I dug out all the moss in my backyard in early May and reseed with Scotts sun and shade grass seed. After a month there are some weed or some kind of grass growing. Just wondering what kind is it. I cut across the stem and is flat. The leaves are glossy on the underside and no hair or nodes. I have not mowed the lawn for over a month since reseeding. Should I dig it out or should I just leave it. I am in Pacific Northwest.
Thanks for your help.

The Scotts sun and shade grass seed consists of 42% creeping red rescue, 34% turf type perennial rye grass and 24% Kentucky blue grass. I check on the internet, it looks like those weed/grass is turf type perennial rye grass. But I am not 100% sure.
It looks like the same as this :
Is this a grass or weed or what type of grass?

Here are some pictures:

More pictures to show the stem.

More pictures to show the size.


texts: I purchased, on a whim, a packet of my favorite wildflower seeds (California poppy, cornflowers, etc.), but I don’t have a yard that I can plant them in since I rent. I do have a handful of large-ish pots that I can keep outside (used to grow tomato vines). The packet instructions indicate sprinkling the seeds over open ground/garden area. But can I put some in a pot and successfully grow flowers (assuming correct sun and water conditions)?


texts:
I live in west-central Minnesota on the border of Zones 3b and 4a (but within 3b). I started a couple of dwarf tamarillo trees this year from seed on the last day of February. I transplanted both of them once and have kept them outside in containers since the weather turned warmer in the spring.

I have found many of the things I have read online about tamarillo trees to not be the case with my tamarillo trees. For example, I've read from numerous sources that tamarillo trees are not tolerant of wind, are finicky when it comes to watering, and take at least a year and a half to two years to set fruit.

My trees have made it through several windy summer storms and I have just let the rains water them, and they seem to be doing well for the most part. And now today I noticed fruit is beginning to form, the plants being approximately 6 months old.

Having never grown tamarillo trees before, I have some questions about their proper care. Firstly, both trees have 3 main trunks. Should I let these three main trunks be, or is it best to prune them down to one trunk apiece? Both trees are approximately a meter tall at this point. And, now that they have begun to set fruit, is it even advisable to prune them?


texts: When to bring potted calamondin tree indoor?

texts:
I have a potted calamondin tree (calamansi). I had to bring it to the balcony in summer because it does not fit on a window sill and it was too hot to keep the curtains open all day. Now I noticed that it started to shed leaves more than usual. Those are all old leaves from the bottom of the foliage, mostly with yellow tint. The balcony is glass-shielded, but the temperature is somewhat lower and the day is shorter. Can I assume that it just reacts to the oncoming autumn? This reminds me that I will need to bring it indoor eventually before winter comes. When can I bring it indoor? When should I bring it indoor? How to bring it indoor so that to cause least stress to it?
Where I live, the first frost for the last 15 years was as early as 6 October and as late as 19 November. Usually, it is somewhere in the middle of October.


texts: Does aerating water to raise the pH in nutrient solutions work well?

texts:
As anyone who has ever had to tend to a pool painfully discovered, aerating water causes the oxygen to react with something and raise the pH. From what I have read it converts contents of the water that are considered micro nutrients for some plants, like manganese and iron. Now when watering plants, it may be necessary to raise the pH of the nutrient solution. Can aeration be a tool for this or will it deprive the water of some nutrients?

On the other hand, in good soil the water will be in contact with air anyway, so aerating the water could more accurately reflect the final pH of the solution in the soil. Is that an accurate assumption?


texts: How can I improve the quality of soil after using newspapers to kill the weeds?

texts: A few years ago I covered my backyard garden with a thick layer of newspapers to kill the weeds. Now I think I might have spoiled the soil and have to do something to change its quality. What should I do now?


texts: Does anyone know what type of Sansevieria is this? The foliage looks like Sansevieria Cylindrica, but I have only seen starfish shape or straight-up shape before. The layering of foliage looks a bit like Haworthia Fasciata.


texts: What's the ideal shape for a cucumber trellis/cage?

texts:
Is there an ideal or preferred shape for a trellis or cage for cucumbers?

My plant is taking over my garden and I would like to get things a bit more organized.  I've seen a cone type trellis where it's narrow at the base and expands toward the top.  I'm just not sure if that type of trellis is ideal for cucumbers.


texts: Fiddle Leaf Tree: does radical pruning make sense?

texts:
Last year our Fiddle Leaf Tree lost many of its leaves due to overwatering. You can see that the three top branches only have leaves on their ends:

To give the tree a nicer shape, we want to cut all the three top branches (marked on the image). Do you think it's a good idea? Won't it be too big of a stress for a tree?

Also, do you have any suggestion about watering/fertilizing? We did it a couple of days ago, and there is still some water in the pot. Is it appropriate to prune now or shall we wait while it's dry?

Thanks!


texts: About how big will this olive tree grow?

texts: It looks more like a bush now, but I'm wondering if it will grow into a tree?


texts: What is this purple plant with skinny leaves?

texts:
I recently was given this plant and apparently it has a pretty bad history. First it was left outside and infested by snails and then it was accidentally mowed over.
When I got the plant it was in a very small plastic pot with some horrible clay-like soil. I have now re-potted it into a slightly too big clay pot witch decent soil and better drainage.

The plant was left out during the summer in eastern europe, so it was able to survive around 10 degrees Celsius.

What is this plant and how do I care for it? Should I remove all the messed up leaves that are cut and have holes in them?


texts: How long to dry out soil to kill all the bugs?

texts:
How long can the eggs/larvae/pupae of indoor plant bugs survive in soil that is not being watered at all?  For example, after the plants have died and been removed, so literally no water at all is being added to the pot.
I have some medium-sized pots of soil that have been sitting dry inside for 8 months, and some other small pots of soil that have been sitting dry for 3 weeks.  Are bugs likely to still be alive in either of these situations?
Specifically, fungus gnats and thrips.
Thanks!


texts: Why does my gardenia look deformed and have dark spots on the flowers?

texts: Can anyone explain why my Gardenia is blossoming like this?


texts: Growing Mushrooms: Grain & Saw Dust in one bag

texts:
When dealing with Shiitake liquid culture it is advised to first inoculate a grain substrate, like a bag, after which to transfer the spawn to saw dust. It seems to me, that the big advantage of using liquid culture is the possibility to inoculate via syringe, which will lessen the possibility of contamination. However, if you end up opening the grain bag anyway and transferring to saw dust, it kind of defeats this purpose.

Would it be possible to have a two layer bag, where the top layer is grain and the bottom is saw dust?

So you inoculate the grain and after colonization it will transfer to the bottom layer of saw dust, without having to ever open the bag?

Is this done?


texts: I just noticed these little brown things on my rosemary...it does not seem to be harming anything else, no leaves were eaten, or brown. They dont move at all, no appendages, and seem quite attached to the stem. Does anyone know what they may be? The plant was outside for the summer, and now is on a window sill.


texts: I live in the south west VA and I cant seem to identify this plant


texts: One of my apple seedlings is wilting, how can I rescue it?

texts:
Okay, so once, I was eating an apple, and all the seeds inside it had sprouted. So naturally, I planted them in two pots, and they all have been just exploding with growth ever since.

However, today, something happened to one of them. I found out it was raining, so I ran out to bring them back inside. One of them has not been buried deeply enough in the soil, I guess, and it was uprooted when I went out there, and wilty. I'm not sure what happened, except that perhaps the soil dried enough for it to be knocked over by a raindrop? The soil didn't seem dry enough for that to happen, though.

At any rate, I replanted it with the stem deeper in the soil and placed the plants under my plant light inside. What's the best thing I can do for the wilted plant to help it survive? Why did it wilt? It's always done fine out in the sun, as have all the others. Was it just because it was uprooted?

(I do not know how long it was uprooted for. So far I don't think it looks any better, it happened a couple hours ago.)

Thanks!


texts: Will tomato fruits stunted in size by cold still develop seeds in a timely fashion?

texts:
If I have a Legend tomato plant with a very small green tomato that isn't growing larger due to the cold (the tomato has been there the same size since about the beginning to early middle of October), are the seeds in the fruit still maturing just as fast as usual, or will it take longer? My goal is to save seeds from it, however big it gets. I'm pretty sure it was pollinated before the cold inhibited it.

It has been frosting, but it's growing under a tree (so, it isn't affected much).


texts: I have found loads of them in the soil in the large planter I have herbs in


texts:
what plant is this? thank you
hope you can respond to my question


texts: How were estate lawns cared for prior to the popularization of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides?

texts:
I'm interested in the following information, and will be happy to follow any leads to good resources for the info:

How were they cut?

Were they irrigated?

Did they fertilize?

Did they overseed?

Are there things they did then that can inform how to maintain healthy turf today without the use of synthetics?


texts: What is the best way to grow vegetables without using chemical insecticide?

texts:
I am looking for tips and recommendations because I do not want to use any pesticides.

I am in Jamaica where insects are a big problem.
I am using a combination of dish soap and hot pepper.

Any suggestions as what to mix with the soap? I have a backpack sprayer and want to spray safely and effectively.

I hand pick insects daily.

Does anyone have any favorite methods?


texts: Why Did My Maidenhair Fern Die Overnight?

texts:
I'd a maidenhair fern for 3 months that was thriving, very lush, seemed healthy. One morning nearly all its leaves shriveled. Most were still green, but several shriveled leaves near the root had turned yellowish-brown. This was a complete surprise. I'd watered it every other day making sure the soil remained moist. I'd fertilized it on schedule. I made sure it received appropriate lighting. Basically, I followed all the instructions given by my local garden center. Nevertheless, it apparently died overnight.
I've not been able to find a satisfying answer by googling; any thoughts as to what happened?


texts: Identification of houseplant and diagnosis of its discontent

texts:
About a week ago, I was given a houseplant (pictured), with the instructions to water it twice a week. Unfortunately, it seems to be fading fast - its leaves are drooping and the flowers are turning black.

What is the name of the plant?
What to I need to do to save it?

Click on photo for full size

Edit

The plant is fading fast. Does anyone have suggestions of anything I could do pending identification?


texts: Identification of ground cover in small decideous forest (zone 5B)

texts:
This morning I was walking in Saint-Bruno national park in Quebec, Canada and I happened upon this large patch of ground cover. It was particularly striking as it seemed to be an evergreen herbaceous plant. Apart from conifers I don't remember seeing green anywhere at this time of year in the woods or forests of Quebec.

This leads me to believe it might not be an indigenous plant.

It was located in a zone 5B small deciduous forest that is near a small lake and very close to a suburban area.


texts: Will beans or peas grow back after being topped by a deer?

texts: A deer got at my peas and beans. The peas seem to still have some leaves and stem. The beans are missing most of their leaves. Do either plants have any chance of regrowing or should I scrap them all and replant?


texts:
I have an area that is being taken over by wild blackberry thickets. this area had been growing wild flowers and is on a dry southwest slope.

How do I get rid of them, preferably via organic means, and prevent them from taking over again?

Once I've cleared the area of them, I will probably scatter wildflower seeds or something similar...


texts: What is this small shrub with variegated glossy ovate leaves?

texts: My mother has this plant on her window sill and we don't know what species it is. All I know is that it resisted temperatures below 0°C this winter. Any idea? I can take other pictures if necessary.


texts: What are the consequences of espalier on a non dwarf tree?

texts:
I read a recommendation that espalier should be performed with trees grafted onto dwarf roots.

What challenges or problems can I expect if I don't use a dwarf tree?

If it makes a difference, I'm considering apples and pears.


texts: What climbing plant can I grow on my balcony that's not poisonous to cats?

texts:
I have a west-oriented balcony where I would like to grow a climbing plant, to separate my balcony from the neighborhood.

However, I found that most of the climbing plants like ivy are poisonous or at least a bit toxic for a cat. Another plant is Cissus alata but it's more for interiors: outdoor conditions in my country (-10 to +20 Celsius degrees) might not be good for it.

Can you recommend any climbing plant for my place?


texts: My mint plant (bought about 2 months back) is drying and the leaves are going brown.  The stems have fallen to the sides as well. I dried it out a few times and changed its position but I'm not sure if it's a problem of inadequate watering or light. Please help!


texts: House sparrows ruining my plants. How do i kill them?

texts: Any idea on how to Permanently get rid of house sparrows? They've taken over the bird feeders we've set up for our pigeons. Plus, they destroying all my plants and creating a huge mess everyday. I've tried feeding them separately, setting up decoys, even have dogs but nothing seems to be working. They're just too many. We used to see alot of different bird species outside but now all we see are sparrows. I really want them gone and I'd go out and buy a pellet gun but everything's closed. I can't even buy bird poison. Is it possible to make poison at home using household products to all to their feed?


texts:
Today I went to the supermarket and saw some small pots with strawberry plants. I'd never seen a strawberry plant before, and I wanted to buy it, but decided to check here before.

We live in the Caribbean, so the temperature will always be over 80°F. The plant may receive shade or it can be under the scorching-hot sun (depends on what you guys suggest), but the environment will never be cool. Also, I live in an apartment so the plant will always be in some kind of pot.

With that said, will this strawberry plant actually produce fruit? There's no reason to buy it if I know beforehand that it won't grow anything.

Here’s the plant:


texts: Help rescue over-watered houseplant - species unknown

texts:
can anyone tell me how to revive this plant please? I'm unsure of the species.
I'm pretty sure I over-watered it. The bottom leaves started turning yellow. I repotted and removed as much as the water logged soil as possible before putting the roots back in to fresh compost.
Since then however the leaves have gone very dark. Please help]1


texts: Does a floating row cover prevent wilt diseases on cantaloupes?

texts:
Every year my heirloom french cantaloupes look beautiful and then one morning you wake up and they are essentially dead - I've never gotten a harvest after three years. I am pretty sure this is related to a wilt disease which I've heard is transferred by cucumber beetles. So my question is will a floating row cover help prevent this or will it foster an environment for another one of the fungal diseases that affect melons?

I grow organically with no fungicides or pesticides.


texts: I have received these plants from somebody who didn't know what their name was. Can you help with an ID?


texts: Please identify this flowering shrub with white bell flowers

texts: This shrub was flowering in October in Exeter, UK. On the University campus which has collections of exotic species.


texts: I am trying to root a limb from an apple tree we had to take down. For 1 day the limb, about an inch in diameter and 6 to 7 inches tall with leaves, was in a bottle of water. I then dipped it in root enhancer and planted in a small pot in peat moss. It was doing well until about 2 hours ago. The leaves are limping. Help? What causes this? The peat moss is damp to the touch but not soaked. Please help.


texts: Artificial Lighting for Growing Seedlings

texts:
I'm attempting to grow Curcubits and Nightshades (for eating) indoors (in the middle of winter).   I recently acquired a  (Red/Blue LED 120 watt) grow lamp - but my calculations are that it will eat a lot of electricity for the number of seedlings it will produce.  [ I'm growing everything in a 60cm x 40cm x 35cm high with my lamp situated about 10cm above the lid ]

Am I better off having this light come on  intermittently throughout the day and night to provide warmth and heating, or have it on a timer - say 4 hours per day, and rely on heating from a heat pad (actually a heating blanket under my plastic growing chamber) ?

(Unless it is not practical to avoid it, I would prefer not to leave the light on for 12 hours per day as it seems it will eat quite a lot of power)

I guess a third option would be to remove the heat pad and rely on the Light, but I think this would be inefficient for heating.

Does anyone have any ideas how best to optimise the setup of my "growing container" ?


texts: We were walking around on our land a few weeks ago and saw these things on some Cedar trees. Never seen them before. Is it a bug in there or something else? We are in Northern KY. This thing was hard, we had several. I cracked one open and it had the texture like a nut inside.


texts:
I've been growing this tree (as a bonsai) for quite a while and for a long time I thought it was a Japanese Cedar. But now I'm not so sure.
Can anyone tell me what kind of plant this is?


texts: How to overwinter a potted oriental lily in an apartment?

texts:
I wanted to have a scented flower indoors, so I bought a potted lily, it seemed to be the suitable for my conditions.

I'm aware it's only going to bloom for a few weeks, then die back, then - if I understood what I read correctly - regrow the next year from the bulbs.

However, most instructions mention the bulbs are to be replanted in a garden, which I don't have.

What I have is:

The windowsill in my bedroom. It's north-facing, so it gets good sun before noon, through a triple-glazed window. I use curtains on the inside of the room, not blinds, so the plant will get that light every day.

A small corner balcony on the other side of the apartment. There's a wall to the east side and it faces an inner courtyard, so it's only getting a little light during the afternoon.
This is the inner city, winters tend to be more soggy than cold. I'm guessing that near the walls there shouldn't be any significant frost.

I was hoping that I'd just need to wait until the leaves die, trim the stalks to 10ish centimeters, and move the pot outside into the corner until it comes back to life in the spring, then move it closer to the balcony railing until I see flower buds. Would that be enough, or do I need to do something more involved? (Discard/replant extra bulbs or change out the soil.) I'd also be happy with any extra advice, this is my first nonsucculent plant I'm attempting.

I'd also be thankful for any tips on how to have preferrably scented flowers in my room for a longer time. Are there other plants that will handle my conditions that bloom at other times of the year? I've also read about forcing bulbs in a refrigerator to make them bloom earlier, but I've no idea how to store them and schedule that to cover a length of time.


texts: I have a large fig tree with the figs rotting and falling off

texts:
As the title states, all the figs fall off the tree without ever getting ripe. I am a property caretaker and the owners said that this happens every year.

It is a huge tree that is full of massive fruit, and I'm wondering if there is anything that can be done. Nobody knows what variety the figs are.

I live in California, zone 9B

We have 3 other Black Mission trees on the property that are all very small, but put out very nice figs, my neighbor has one also.

This tree gets fruit way before the Black Missions, it gets loaded up in March or April and then they sit there on the tree, green, until they all start rotting and dropping around now.

Here's some pictures.

Here's what the green figs look like, they are huge.

Here's pictures of the tree and foliage

Here's what they look like as they start to rot. The outside gets very soft and squishy, while the inside feels like a hard lump.

Here's rotted figs on the ground after they fell. The middle, the flower part, is basically dry.


texts: How many strawberry plants can you plant in a 10" hanging basket?

texts:
I have a couple of extra plastic 10" hanging baskets and soil and I'd like to plant some more strawberries. Likely some sort of everbearing variety like Evie that I'll get as bare root plants.

How many plants can I add in each 10" planter without making holes on the sides of the planter? I may do that too but not sure if I want to bother with that yet.


texts:
My Sansevieria plant was great for almost a year. A couple days ago I noticed this (looks as if leaves are drying out from the inside).
How should I treat it now and what I did wrong with it?
Appreciate any ideas about it.


texts:
I planted some attractive sweet potato vines in a 6 inch deep pot -- about 1.5 ft in diameter. I didn't expect them to grow extensively. However, with watering regularly, they certainly are growing like crazy. I'm wondering if I should take the time to try to harvest sweet potatoes from them.

Is it feasible to harvest an appreciable amount of sweet potato from the pot? Or would it only be feasible to grow sweet potatoes in a more traditional vegetable garden?


texts: what's my tomatoes problem? is that a fungs? what's the solution

texts: it take all of the plants and we use several fungicide like chlorothalonil but it didn't work.


texts: Do I need to treat a Eucalyptus stump to prevent regrowth?

texts:
I've just had to cut down a Eucalyptus tree.

Do I need to treat the stump that's left behind to stop any regrowth?


texts: Why is the leaf on my avocado tree drooping?

texts:
I have had an indoor avocado tree for a couple of months, but it doesn't look like the pictures on Google. One leaf is almost touching the tree. The new leaves on top are fine but when others appear the old ones droop and touching the tree trunk.

Why is this happening?


texts:
I have a problem with Kikuyu which feels like its "too hard" for me to deal with, and I'd be grateful for any  advice, thoughts or productive comments.   My property is in Auckland, New Zealand (approximate equivalent to US hardiness zone 9B I believe)
Kikuyu has taken over my property (I was blind to just how badly until recently - but in hind site this has been a problem in the making for longer then the 5 years I've been at the property).   I have Kikuyu for lawn - which can be mowed and I expect I will have to live with, I also have a steep drop down to a very large pond which, when I refer to pictures, used to have native flaxes and other plants and is now overrun by Kikuyu.  There is no way I can get a lawnmower down there - let alone my ride-on.  When I started on it with a brush cutter there is a huge amount of runners acting like a mat which goes so far down (down as in layers - not down as in to the pond) I can't actually work out where it ends.
If I can weed-wack the green layers as well as say the top 10cm of runners , can I cover this mat of kikuyu with weed-mat and will it over time be able to turn into compost/soil?   If this is doable, am I after some months (eg 6 months) able to cut holes in the weed-mat and replant?  How long will a layer of weed-mat likely hold the kikuyu at bay, assuming I can keep the edge of the weed-matted area under control?
In addition to and/or in place of the above - and in the expectation that there is a clay soil underneath the kikuyu - are there any plants (particularly Native NZ trees and shrubs and fruit trees) and how big do they need to be to out-compete the Kikuyu around the bank/lake without a lot of regular maintenance - My goals here are too -

Provide a shade and privacy to the pond area (so ideally stuff which is evergreen).
Act as a carbon sink towards offsetting my CO2 emissions (for my own piece of mind, not commercially)
If I can get fruit which I (and or the ducks and other wildlife) can eat that would be an excellent bonus.


texts: Is this weird glob of brownish stuff a fungus?

texts: I was doing my daily inspection of my plants I noticed this weird glob of stuff in the pot of one of my trees. I'm trying to figure out what exactly this is, because I've seen the same thing in another pot about a month ago. Is this some kind of fungus?


texts: I have 30 year old redwoods.  One keeps sprouting a lot of suckers at ground level. All have suffered from drought in California. I have added water to help with this.  Should I prune the suckers or let them grow into a bush/tree?


texts:
I have a cherry fruit tree that I left alone for 5 years. It's growing "weird" now that I need to seriously pay attention and prune.

The first photo shows that the top two branches reaching up to like 10 feet high. They are both similar height and very thin on top.

The second photo shows some problematic spots.

My questions:

Should I prune this branch 1 entirely? It's a bit smaller than the main branch?
The bottom 2 has several branches pointing at different angles. What are the rules to prune here? Should I prune the ones that are pointing up sharply and leave the horizontal ones alone?
For all long branches like 3, should I cut off the tips / terminals a bit so they are shorter? Right now they are like 3-4 feet long and thin like pencil size.

UPDATE 1

Summary actions based on suggestions below:

Prune smaller competing leader to the collar
Prune sucker
Prune dead branch


texts: I’ve been trying not too water it too often or too little but it’s just looking sad. What do you think could be the cause of this and can it be saved?


texts: What are some good plant suggestions for a cool climate in an apartment?

texts:
I'm staying in an apartment which has no balcony (it's a single bedroom house). I want some flowers/houseplants which do not require much sunlight or space. Can some one suggest any plants? The temperature is fairly cool.

Updated: Can I get plants suggestions which is suitable for Indian climate where i don't get few plants which are mentioned in this link


texts:
Two weeks ago I laid down new sod on the lawn. I'm watering it really well, and it is greening up. So far no issues with it.

My question is, is it too early to weed and feed it?

Note: It is centipede grass.


texts: How to help seedlings recover from tip burn

texts: I germinated some seeds and I had the seedlings under a two new 40w LED grow light for a few weeks. I'm used to keeping florescent lights very close to the plants, but apparently this LED light is more powerful. The tips of the leaves got yellow and crispy I turned off one of the lights and raised it up to 8+ inches above the leaves. It seems like it may be too late for some of my unfortunate toasted plants, but is there anything else I can do to help the others recover? I'm watering weekly with a mild organic kelp fertilizer.


texts: Should I prune fungus-infected vegetable plants or destroy them?

texts:
I have some eggplant and tomato plants. My eggplants appear to have some kind of fungus. It's being raining quite a bit in Central, FL; as a result, I think they are infecting the tomato plant too. Should I remove the eggplants leaves, prune them, or destroy them?

click on pictures for full size


texts: I always wanted to know what this early-flowering tree is, but was afraid to ask, since it must be some common tree, and I would look so stupid if I asked. But now I am finally asking you. :)


texts:
I live in Houston, TX and this is growing in our garden (planted by previous owner).  My fiancee says it's a weed but I'm thinking otherwise.

Can anyone settle our debate?


texts: What is the species name of this red berried tree from Stellenbosch, Cape Town

texts:
Please help with identifying this tree. I harvested berries from it and want to propagate it but only if it is indigenous to Cape Town, South Africa.

It was found on Stellenbosch University campus, is about 1-2 meters tall and growing against the wall. It has red berries


texts: How to protect potted vineplants from cold temperatures?

texts:
I have two vineplants in 40-litre-pots on my rooftop garden. This will be their first winter outside and I want to protect them from freezing to death. I live in an area where there are a lot of wineyards (southern Germany), but our winters can get as cold as -10 to -15°C.

The pots are made from plastic and are about 50cm high and 30cm wide. They have holes in the bottom so the roots don't sit in water.

The first pot is a "Jakobsberger" plant with white grapes. It is loacated against a wall facing south with sun from
late morning until early afternoon (Position 1 in the image below). Behind the wall is an elevator
shaft, so it might be a bit cooler than a normal house wall. The wall should provide some protection from wind. The first pot could easily be moved as it's climbing aid is
free-standing.
The second pot is a "Moldawa" plant with blue grapes. It is located against a metal wall facing west with
direct sun somewhat longer than the first plant (Position 2 in the image below). The metal wall is
free standing so it provides no protection from temperature changes.
As the plant grows along the top side of the wall it has little protection from wind. Moving the plant would be a bit more difficult (due to the same reason of "growing along the top side of the wall").

I though about buying several meters of bubble wrap and wrapping it around the pots multiple times as an isolation. I hope this way I would get a reusable solution that doesn't take up too much storage room during summer.

Do you have other (better) suggestions?

Remark: Alternative locations for the plants would be:

Both in the same location (one of the two described above). 1, 2
Next to the balustrade facing south (Probably quite windy, sun from morning till afternoon) 3
The elevator shaft wall facing west (Almost no sun in winter). 4
The house wall facing east (our flat behind the wall, no sun after late morning). 5
In the entrance area of the roof garden (Our flat behind the wall, not much wind, almost no sun) 6


texts: Why did my young cucumbers turn yellow and fall off?

texts:
small cucumbers turned yellow http://imagizer.imageshack.us/a/img537/2604/223Te1.jpg

My baby cucumbers turned yellow and fell off. I have 2 cucumber plants that produced 8 cucumbers each, however, the other flowers with small cucumbers turned yellow and fell off.

What causes that problem? How can I solve it?


texts: Is it safe if there is a small amount of rubbish/debris in the compost?

texts: Just as the title says, I am just wondering if it is fine there are some rubbish (e.g. plastic items, and very rarely metal parts and cigarettes) as well as some uncharacterized dirt. It is because part of the fallen leaves collected was on the pedestrian road and we inevitably collect some unwanted stuff. By being safe, I mean that the compost can be used in crop production.


texts: Can you help identify these plants in my new garden?

texts:
I have just moved to Berkshire in the UK and this is the first house I have had with a garden. I've been trying google search to try and identify these plants, but I'm not having any luck so I hope this forum can help me.

No1 is a plant with large leaves (bigger than my hand), with serrated edges. It stands about 1m tall.

The stems are green but some of them appear to have spots on. There are also little red (buds?) where the leaf is attached to the stem.
Close up of the leaves.

No. 2 is a tall plant with green leaves turning yellow/orange. It is over 6ft.

No 3 Is a climber. It has small green leaves and small white round buds/berries.

No.4 I think is a Rhododendon?

No 5 Is a tall shrub with dark green leaves and is already over 6ft - seems to have the potential for a large spread too.

This is the first time i have posted to the forum so i hope the images work ok. If they don't here is a link to the album with all the plant photos. http://s996.photobucket.com/user/Caidan_Trubel/library/Garden%20plants

Thanks!


texts: Are there specific lawnmower spark plugs?

texts:
My mower needs a new spark plug. It won't start and the plug is covered in crud. It has been cleaned a couple of times before so I think I will just go for new.

The spark plug model needed is NGK BPR6E.

My question is whether there are different spark plugs for cars and mowers? Or whether I can buy any BPR6E and it'll do the job?

I raise the question because, for example, Halfords site lists the same model number in both auto and gardening sections, in different packaging, but specs seem the same.


texts: How much accumulated rain within 24 hours is considered a "normal" watering for grass?

texts:
We have a fairly extensive home auto setup at our home. Included is a Netatmo Rain Gauge. All APIed to our RaspberryPi running openhab.

One of the parameters we are able to pull from the api is accumulated rain within 24 hours, in mm.

Rather then relying on Rachios (we use their sprinkler IP bridge) "app" to schedule watering, I would rather roll our own and have more control over when the sprinklers go off.

I am not sure in mm what is considered a 'sufficient' watering for our grass. I understand this can vary, but I have no idea what a starting point would even be.


texts: Scoria coarse "sand" for my Haworthias and others

texts:
I don't find horticulture-grade pumice available locally. So, I bought some scoria and sifted it. I got three grain sizes, with two shown here:

The third is whatever passed through the finest sieve. It is the finest, still coarser than regular sand but full of dust. I have kept it until I find what to do with it.

My question - Which to use for the following plants: Haworthia, Gasteria, Aloe, Echeveria and its allied species. Is the finer grain of any use?

My climate - Csa according to the köppen climate classification: hot Mediterranean.

Edit: Climatic data for Tel-Aviv in this link. No rainfall in summer (but very humid), high rainfall in winter.

Do I need to add water-retaining mediums, such as peat or vermiculite?  I grow my collection items in unglazed pots. Rooted cuttings from trimming are grown in plastic pots.


texts: Is it possible to graft together a self-pollinating cherry tree?

texts:
Earlier today I asked this question: How do you tell if a tree is male or female? because I've been looking into fruit trees and learning about what is needed for them to bear fruit.

So based on this new knowledge that some trees need a male and a female tree to bear fruit, I was wondering if it would be possible to graft a branch from a male cherry tree onto a female cherry tree. That way, instead of having two cherry trees in my yard, I could have one tree that would pollinate itself with the grafted branch. Would something like that be possible?


texts: Does anyone know what is growing in my sweet pea soil?

texts:
I am trying to grow my first deck garden (all in pots on my balcony). I am trying to grow sweet peas that I started from seeds that I left in a damp paper towel in a plastic bag for about a week before transferring them into the dirt. They have been planted in dirt for about two weeks and I just noticed this odd dark yellowish substance appearing on the dirt surface and around the plant roots.

Does anyone know what this is? Is it harmful?


texts: 12v lighting cable and drip tubing in same trench?

texts:
I just had my landscape cleaned up and some trees replaced but the lighting system I had is defunct and the irrigation system is 20+ years old and in need of replacing. I need drip lines and lighting around my pool that follow a near-identical path and figured it'd ease the workload and maintenance to dig a single trench for both the polyethylene tubing and 12v power line.

Is there any danger in this? With such a low voltage I figured not, and wiring lighting systems often goes through ground that can get really wet, but thought it prudent to ask. I'm relatively new to DIY work for both irrigation and lighting.

Thanks


texts: Why does my chilli plant have wrinkled leaves?

texts:
I have one chilli plant that has wrinkled leaves. The other plants in the pot (I know, I know) appear to be fine.

It has been like this for some time now, so I think I can rule out stress. It also doesn't seem to be getting any worse, and there are no signs of infestation, so I don't think it's an insect.

I'm thinking that maybe it's just the runt of the pot. It's the smallest plant.

Updates:

I took a small magnifying glass to the plant. Fairly sure there are no insects.
On the smaller leaves, the edges curl down.
Upon closer inspection of the neighbouring plants, 2 show similar symptoms on 2-3 newer leaves next to the problem plant.


texts: Can I remove my lemon tree when it has fruit but is not growing well in a corner of the garden?

texts:
I transplanted my lemon tree from a pot to the corner garden bed. Since then, it has a lot of flowers and has lots of lemons.
It is only just over a meter high but seems to be stagnated now, as the fruit has been the same size for a couple of months.
I water and feed it, but the fruit seems more like limes than the huge lemons it previously produced.


texts: I have an abundance of mint that I'd like to use to make mint syrup.  The plants are mildly infested with aphids, but that hasn't stopped them from thriving.  If I harvest the mint, what can I do to wash off the aphids so I can boil it down to make delicious syrup, and subsequently, delicious mint juleps?


texts: Mexican hat vs. Black-eyed Susan - comparison

texts:
Mexican hat vs. Black-eyed Susan

or, in Latin,

Ratibida columnifera vs. Rudbeckia hirta

Ratibida:

Rudbeckia:

These are two not-so-distant cousins, from famous Asteraceae family. Do you guys know what are the goods and the beds of each plant when you compare them? Which can you recommend? I am interested the most in their wildlife value, but also in all other aspects of growing them. I live in zone 8a, my soil is clay, and I have all kinds of sun exposure places for them.


texts: What is the advantage of a raised bed over clay soil vs just amending the clay soil?

texts:
Assuming:

There are no tree roots or moles around to worry about.
I am young and don't mind bending over the extra 6-12 inches.

What is the advantage of building a raised bed vs just heavily amending your base soil until it's almost as high quality as a raised bed and just using that to garden in?


texts: What should I cover the ground in my garden with?

texts: I have not covered my garden all winter, did not know I was suppose to until now. I am ready to plant my garden but want to know best way to prepare the soil and should I cover garden with bark? I am beginning a compost pile now


texts: Why are those Marigold leaves turning white?

texts:
I got a few marigold plants planted in the ground. A lot of them died, two are surviving somehow.

Earlier these two seemed to be dying also. Their leaves are turning white or are they white spots ?

Next, they turned all green, new branches came out and buds and a flower too.

Now the leaves are all turned white again.

What is this? Why are they turning white again after recovering from that? I water them everyday, they get enough light also.


texts: These four saplings are grown from seed around 6-10 months was growing perfect untill around 4 weeks ago I started to see a little bit of yellowing thinking its nothing untill now.


texts:
If thou art be courageous, please help this villager identify these mystery seeds. The peddler(got it online) sayeth they be sakura seeds, but methinks it might not be the case.

See those black pointy ones? That's the one in question.

Bonus Quest!: Do the other seeds look like Japanese Red Maple and Green Maple?


texts: Big root sucker on productive orange tree

texts:
This orange tree produces wonderful oranges in large quantity. I just noticed that its double-trunk structure is due to a sucker that was allowed to grow and nearly take over. The two trunks form a balanced shape and the tree is productive.
The two trunks are of similar sizes, but most of the tree's canopy is from the orange tree (I do not know the variety). The rootstock sucker has branches and leaves higher up and does not appear to produce fruit. Based on a cursory look at the leaves off of the rootstock sucker, it could be a Trifoliate / bitter orange (it also has thorns). The rootstock has its first branches at a height of about 7ft/2m and most of its canopy is at the highest point, where it is inconspicuous (We moved to this property about a year ago, until now I thought it was a cute double-trunk tree, as I hadn't noticed a graft line and the trifoliate leaves higher up).
Here are three possible courses of action (please suggest others):

Cut the root sucker all the way back to the graft line: Looks like this could seriously affect the tree's overall balance.
Leave the root sucker, but control its growth by frequent pruning.
Cut back to a height of 7ft/2m (so the tree's balance won't be affected) and graft one or several orange scions to direct nutrients to fruit production.

QUESTION: What are the pros and cons of letting the rootstock have branches and a canopy as opposed to cutting it back as far as possible? What course of action do you recommend? I'm leaning towards 3.
Photos:
The overall aspect of the tree: Is that about ten years old, would you say? (the red brick line is at about 6ft/1m80)

The double trunk: Is that the graft line we see on the photo or is it buried further down? The rootstock is the one on the left.

The first branch on the rootstock: At a height of 7ft/2m, the biggest branch is not huge. I'm thinking of cutting this and other branches higher up to graft the scion in its place.

The leaves of the trifoliata:

The leaves of the scion:

We were lucky to harvest hundreds of these guys:


texts: What is this decorative plant with small white flowers that blossoms in mid-May?

texts:
This is a decorative shrub that grows on the alleys and streets of my town in Moscow region, Russia. It blossoms in the middle of May, with the day temperature around 20 °C.

It's not hortensia, jasmine or lilac, which are common as street decorative plants around here. On ShootGardening, I found the Silver ghost rose, with the flowers looking similar, but larger than flowers in question.


texts: "Dracaena reflexa" aka Song of India almost lost all its leaves

texts: My Dracaena reflexa plant which I got a month back lost all its leaves. I have been watering only if the top soil is dry and have kept it in a window sill. Initial two weeks it was inside my living room with full bushy leaves...but it slowly started losing its leaves, so I placed it in a south facing window with moderate indirect bright sunlight. Yet no use. It has lost almost all the leaves now with its trunk standing erect. I even mist the trunk and the leaves everyday after reading a few tips..no luck. How do I save my plant in this stage?  I so badly want it to be revived. Any help/ suggestions are welcomed.


texts: How can I discourage mycelium and other fungi growth in containers?

texts: How can I discourage mycelium and other fungi growth in my plant containers?  And yes, is it even a good idea?


texts: How can I revive a wilted Mexican feather grass?

texts:
I bought a Mexican feather grass from the clearance section so I know it's been taken care of, it's just a little droopy so it was heavily discounted. Since I thought I'd like it, I'd love to be able to get it to perk up. Right now it looks like a pony tail that's partly green, partly tan. My friend thinks it looks like Lady Gaga buried feet first. Hopefully it's not too late.

Any ideas on how I can revive it?


texts: What causes yellow spots on Calathea Warscewiczii's leafs?

texts: So I bought this Calathea about two weeks ago and the leafs were like that when I got it, however, for preventative measures, I'm wondering what causes these yellow spots on the leaf like that. Is it improper watering? Watering with tap water? Root issues? Or humidity issue? Has someone seen this in their Calatheas at home? How would you prevent this from happening in the future?


texts:
I'm pretty new to gardening and I recently (~2 weeks ago) got a Pinus sylvestris 'Fastigiata' plant and I noticed that some needles started to yellow. Here are a few pics:-

The yellowing is mostly on the internal and lower needles, but there is also some yellowing on the tips of top needles, with the tips completely brown with some white stuff on them. And I also noticed the plant is full of ants, you can see it on one of the pictures.

Is this a problem that I need to do something about, and if yes, what exactly? Thanks.


texts: Germination of Bassia/Kochia scoparia (burning bush)

texts:
Does anyone have any successful methods for germinating these seeds? I've tried soaking and keeping them warm, wet, dry, on the surface, buried and I've never yet managed to get them to germinate (even with different seed packets bought).

also I'm aware they're invasive pest plants in some regions, but they're fine to grow here apparently.


texts: About a year ago, I kept some red potatoes in the cellar. Most of them were edible, but some of them began sprouting so I didn't eat them. Now, I want to plant these remaining potatoes in the garden. When is the best time to do this in Israel? Should I wait for the rain season?


texts: Can I fix my lucky bamboo that has yellow stalks?

texts: Is it possible to save my lucky bamboo plant? The stalk is yellow and starting to turn brown but the leaves are still green. I have cleaned the glass container it is in and placed it in indirect sun.


texts:
Could you tell me what is the name of this plant?

Found in the park in London at the end of May.

Red berries on shrub with saw-toothed leaves.


texts:
What would be a hardy evergreen flowering vine that can live in Southern Ontario (5b)

Here is the map
http://www.plantmaps.com/interactive-ontario-plant-zone-hardiness-map.php


texts: Why growing fruit trees from seed won't yield the same fruit of the same tree?

texts: Why is it necessary to graft a tree to get the desired species and not rely on the tree's seeds?


texts: What are these yellow/brown spots on the leaves of this Alocasia?

texts:
Last year this alocasia 'giant taro' was very healthy growing foot long leaves shooting up every couple of weeks. At some point the leaves started to decay and while it's still alive, the leaves are small (4 inches long max) and they develop yellow spots which eventually turn brown.
I wonder if it's a pest as the underside of the leaves have some little black dots on and occasionally I have seen little black bugs crawling around. The soil is kept damp but not waterlogged.
The plant

A new leaf that has developed the problem almost immediately

Older leaves


texts: What do I use to fill in low spots in my yard?

texts: I have low spots in my yard that I would like to slowly fill in.  This isn't anything big enough to constitute a truck load of dirt or anything. What can I use (either dirt or manure) to fix these spots?


texts: How deep to start my vermicomposter and how many worms to start?

texts:
I'm asking a few questions in getting my vermicomposter started. I'm using a 100gal Rubbermaid horse water tank.

I'd like to know how deep the bedding should be when I start it and how many worms I need to get it started. I have access to shredded paper from work and I've been saving up scraps of paper and card board at home. I'll buy a couple of bags of garden soil from Home Depot and mix that together for the basic bedding, adding a little sand for digestion.

My plan is to start it shallow and gradually add material till it's full over the year. That way, they can keep rising and digesting and I'll end up with a lot of worm castings for my garden in the spring. I just don't know how deep I should start it and how many worms I need.

I found a site called Uncle Jim's worms, they have the red wiggler composting worms and will sell you boxes of 500, 1000, and 2000 worms. I want to start with the 500 and I really think that's too many since I'll start shallow. They sell the red wrigglers and the European night crawlers. I'm really not sure how these differ from the ones sold for fish bait and wonder if I could just buy some of those to start small and save on shipping. Anyway, if you guys could help me out on how deep to start it and how many worms it would take to get it started, that'd be great? Thanks.


texts:
I have two different varieties of rose - red and white.

How can I use them to grow an hybrid plant like this?
Or is it even possible to grow a plant like this?


texts: What is wrong with this desert rose and how can I cure it?

texts:
My desert rose appears to have a disease, as shown in the picture above. Every year, the leaves develop these spots and look terrible.  It still blooms every year.

Here is another picture of it:

Can anyone identify the disease and/or suggest a cure?


texts: What kind of pump do I need for my giant rain barrel?

texts:
I have a giant rain barrel that holds 1,000 litres when filled. It was one of those industrial white cube barrels that are used for food. It was decommissioned and sold as a rain barrel. Anyhow, it's set up and has water in it. Instead of using water from the house I would like to use the water in the barrel to water my vegetable garden. I have several garden boxes that have soaker hoses running through them. I have a hose going from the house, under the ground (20 feet or so), to the garden where it then goes into a splitter to feed all the boxes.
I want to get a pump for the rain barrel that I can use for the watering but I am not sure how strong of a pump is needed. Do I need something like this sump pump, or is something like this pond pump good enough? I've read that soaker hose needs at least 10 psi for the water to come out, but I would like something that provides about the same pressure as I get from the house.


texts: I collected a bag of tame chestnuts when they fell in August. A few weeks later I found most of them had sprouted in the bag so I planted them in potting mix and they are progressing. The best result has come from suspending a nut over a jar with its root in the water. That one now has a green shoot growing upwards. My question is will the seedlings keep growing indoors through the winter so they will have a head start if/when I plant them next spring? If I keep a couple in a pot and bring them indoors for autumn and winter will they skip hibernation and keep growing?


texts: Pale green areas in new leaves of Draceana fragrans, disease?

texts:
Does anyone know whats wrong with my draceana? All the new leaves have those "pale green" areas, they have it already in the beginning. I´m familiar with the common pests and they are not the cause. All the old leaves seems healthy. The plants get plenty of indirect sunlight, and I water it only when the soil is dryed. I have seen the same symptoms in other tall "Rikki"s, I have met in my work as a plant carer, but no-one know the cause for this or could it be treated.

"Sick leaf"

"Healthy leaf for comparison"


texts: Approximately how rich is the soil that's permanent-black dirt?

texts: Unless you've dug around in a swamp you probably haven't seen the dirt that's permanently black (or the dirt that's built up over 1000s of years from decomposing plants), so I was wondering how rich the nutrients in that soil is.


texts: Since seeds are packed with nutrients, could it be a good idea to break them (so they don't sprout) and use them as a fertilizer?


texts:
On my recent trip to the Lower Himalayas, I came across this succulent in the crevices of the rock. I have taken the plant back home and planted this in a pot having coco peat and compost. I have two questions

Could someone identify this succulent for me
Will this succulent survive hot climate (approx 40 degree Celsius)


texts: What is this lawn weed with cut-edged leaves and five petaled pink-purple flowers, found in Belgium?

texts:
I have recently had to move, and we have a lawn that has not been taken care of for some time. Due to this it's about 30% grass, with the rest being assorted weeds/wildflowers.

I've managed to identify most of them but I'm having trouble with this one, and want to know if it's something I need to take care of now, or if it's harmless.

It branches outwards from a central point, has a tap root and when the flowers are open they have 5 sepals, 5 petals and are a deep pink-purple color. They may have flowered before in late May, but due to the mix of plants it's possible it was something else.
The soil here is very loose and sandy and the plant is growing in full sun.

Edit: after some rain the flowers all seem to have come out nicely so here's an example. The camera I used seems to have changed the hue to be a bit less pink though. I don't know how noticeable it is in the picture but for every flower two petals seem to have a dark spot near the base and a deeper color than the other three. I have also included a branch with the leaves less clustered so that you can see the alternating pattern of the leaves.


texts: Which kitchen and garden scraps can be scattered on a vegetable garden soil?

texts:
I'm trying to make the switch to adding natural instead of synthetic fertilizer to my vegetable garden (and stop tilling while I'm at it). Besides compost, I'm curious whether I could use some kitchen and garden scraps for this purpose. I don't have room for a compost pile.

Googling it, some blogs suggest scattering tea leaves, peanut shells, grass clippings, leaves from the beech hedge and even shredded banana peels on the soil.

How do I know which and how much of these scraps to use? For example, using too much tea leaves seems to make the soil more acidic. And won't the banana peels attract fruit flies?


texts: Dark and light core plugs after aeration

texts: I got my lawn core aerated the other day. Some parts of the lawn have core plugs that are a nice rich dark color (at least I think this is nice/good). Other sections of my lawn have core plugs that are much lighter. Is that indicative of not having enough organic matter in these parts and the soil has more clay in it? It just so happens that these parts where the lighter core plugs are happen to be the more problematic parts of the lawn (more weeds, more dead spots).


texts:
I collected seeds of a local pine tree, and the seeds were different from typical pine seeds I've seen before. It has a little needle sticking from the end of it. The tail is stiffer and doesn't break as easily. The seed as a whole is about 2 inches.

This tree was growing in San Diego.
Here's a picture of it's leaves.

The tree was a mature tree. Not tall and conical, but rather had medium height (20-30 feet) and a dome shaped canopy.
Update:
As @blacksmith37 noted in the accepted answer below, this wasn't actually a pine. It was some sort of mesquite tree. These seeds did travel quite a bit.


texts: What is this mystery plant and should I pull it?

texts: These two plants appeared after a very wet winter. No flowers have ever appeared, but it looks like it is making a lot of big seed heads. I am thinking to pull it before it drops its seed. It is in full sun, and seems to be somewhat drought tolerant. Central Oregon. Photos taken a month ago, now seeds are bigger but no other real changes.


texts: What is this small white spathed plant in southeast Pennsylvania woodland?

texts:
This plant was definitely not there last year. It is about 10" tall, and has only two leaves. It looks a lot like a peace lily, but obviously, those aren't naturalized in my area. I would like to know firstly, what is is, and secondly, is it under protection? Many native araceae are.

See photos:


texts: When are the best times to prune or trim leylandii?

texts:
We have a row of quite mature leylandii trees as a privacy screen which we wish to have shortened and trimmed, to turn into more of a hedge. Part of it was already done this summer but when are the good and bad times to do this?

I had theorised spring so it has the whole year to grow back?


texts: columnar tree with orange caterpillar flowers identification

texts: I have a columnar tree about 7 feet tall and 1+ feet wide.  Leaves are long and thin.  It has interesting orange flowers (?) that are look like caterpillars on the branch.  There are no petals and they are made of tiny orange dots.  There are tiny white flowers elsewhere on the tree.  It may be a bush that is 7 feet tall.  Looking to see if anyone knows what this is. Thank you!!  chris


texts: Is this an Ailanthus tree ("tree of heaven")

texts:
Just found this small tree growing on the backside of the property and wanted to know if this can be positively identified.

The base of the stems are a fairly bright red that fades to green. I noticed on the wikipedia page that the Ailanthus tree is not shade tolerant and since this tree is growing against a cornered fence where it would receive shade 95% of the day I'm not sure what it could be.

This is in central Texas.


texts: What is this seed pod and heartwood, maybe Ash?

texts:
I am working on a wooden staff from a fallen branch. I am pretty sure it is a variety of Ash tree but I am not sure which. As it is still very early spring there are no buds or leaves to examine, just the seed pods left from last year, the bark (thick and rough) and the heartwood that I have revealed on my staff.

Currently I am thinking either White Ash, Black Ash or European Ash, but would love a pro's thoughts.

Click on pictures for larger view.


texts: I was at the store and I saw an Erica Gracilis and decided to buy it to give a bit of colour to my garden. However, I do not know how to take care of it. I was wondering what is the best location to place this plant, is it indoors or outdoors? In addition, should it be located in direct sun or indirect sun?


texts:
I live in the San Francisco Bay area and my landlord asked us to take care of the overgrown yard in exchange for reduced rent. I cleared a lot of the dead weeds and piles of leaves out and it looks like the soil is mostly sand (we live near a beach, so that makes sense). Any plants I can put in that patch that will keep the wind from kicking up dirt/sand?

I suppose I could cover it with topsoil, but maybe keeping the soil the way it is and using plants that are conducive to that environment would be lower maintenance.


texts: How does one build a bluestone paver patio with grass between the stones?

texts:
The plan is to use 2'x2' bluestone pavers with up to 3" of space between the stones. This would be placed on a base of 6" of bluestone dust (as this has been more effective than natural screenings/fines at keeping ants from taking up residence).

I would love to have grass between the stones, but I'm concerned that the 2" deep won't be enough soil.

Is this enough soil for grass?
What are some considerations to help ensure success?
Is this a long term solution?
Will the grass cause the stones to shift/lift over time?


texts: Support Structures for Green beans and peas

texts:
Growing green beans and peas in my raised garden bed and wanted to know about supports for these plants. For the peas I plan on just using canes in the ground and tying them up as such. I also purchased trellis netting and was thinking of just tying it to two posts like a soccer net for the beans. Will this be sufficient? I have pictures of my plans with the canes for the peas.

These are just sticks/ canes I had in the garage, I'll buy some more of them or something similar and plan on sticking in a total of 8 of these two stick structures for the peas. and having two plants per each stick so 2*2*8 = 32 pea plants in 2x2 square feet of raised garden bed.


texts: I took a picture of a fruit and its branch today. The fruit is yellow and appears to be similar to a quince.


texts: How do lots of trees affect the soil pH?

texts: Does planting lots of trees in a treeless area generally make the soil more acidic or more alkaline? I've read that it does one or the other (and the change in the water table, resulting from the trees has to do with it).


texts: Identify this grass and provide hints on removal

texts:
I just moved into a relative's house in Sydney and the backyard is a disaster. There is some unusual grass that is invading that I haven't seen before.

I looked at http://thelawnguide.com.au/lawn-care/lawn-varieties.html but it doesn't appear that the grass is similar to anything listed. I don't think it is a lawn grass, but some weed that has grown thickly.

Apparently it has not been raining for a few months now and I noticed that the pest is drying up. How do I go about removing it as the roots seem to be very deep from my experience with a large shovel. You can find some extra photos at http://s1277.photobucket.com/user/evilgrasscorporation/library/
I'm not what types of photos I need to post but I might add to it later if requested.

I also found it weird but there are whole patches where my relatives have been growing vegetables and those patches seem to be immune.


texts: Why does my English walnut lose its leaves early?

texts: I have an English walnut sapling that grows vigorously all summer, but at the beginning of Fall the leaves dry up and fall. It has been two years now. Is that a problem with the tree?


texts: I started growing plants since covid - so a novice :) I noticed that the leaves from the mint plant were turning rusty brown. Initially thought that it was just regular life cycle, but now I'm noticing them on the other leaves as well. Please help!


texts: Large excretion of sap from Austrian Pine

texts:
I noticed a large clump of sap in my lawn, and determined that it came from the Austrian pine tree nearby. (I didn't know what it was at first because of the color, but it had a strong pine odor). A 3-4 inch diameter branch was cut off about 10 years ago, and this sap came from that stub.

I've never seen anything like this. Is the tree unhealthy/dying? I haven't noticed anything else that leads me to believe the tree is unhealthy.


texts: How old are these trees? (Match kids with trees)

texts: These trees were planted by a gardening company in our courtyard. We would love to match the trees' ages with neighborhood kids' ages so they can see the trees growing along with themselves over the years. The childred will be able to attach their photo to 'their' tree. Unfortunately, the gardening company was unable (or unwilling) to give me estimates on the tree ages. Who could throw in some guesses on the ages of these trees?


texts: Can I use salt for weed control in a play area?

texts:
I have a 20 x 20 play area in my backyard and it seems I have to spray with weed killer almost every other month.

Can I dump some salt in the area to control the weeds?


texts:
When I uproot my vegetable plants or even sometimes when I remove weeds, I see this white stuff in the soil near the roots:

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/717/img1014be.jpg

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/802/img1013ae.jpg

What is this? Is it harmful? How to get rid of it?


texts: Is a self-watering pot viable for indoor gardening in the long term?

texts:
I got a big self watering pot with 3 different plants. After some weeks it got some mold (something like this, but I got it earlier) in it and after trying some stuff in the internet I ended up changing the soil to stop the mold from growing.

In this pot there is a fern, a fittonia and succulent and I'm starting to think the fern is getting too much water.

I also got 3 other self-watering pots. One of them has an oregano, another has a small pepper and the last one has a cherry tomato. The oregano has some leaves with brown tips (I learned here that it might be overwatering), the pepper is not very good as well (some pictures here), and the cherry tomato is not the best either.

I keep all those plants indoors, there is no direct sunlight but there is clarity.

Are those pots viable for this situation? I feel that my plants are getting too much water and the mold seems to be a problem too, but I'm an absolute beginner on this.

Here is a to the pots that I got big one (there is a stack in the video but i only have the bottom one), and the small ones.

As per request, following are some pictures:


texts:
I have dozens of wild thistles (most likely Silybum marianum, but there are several different kinds) in my yard.

Should I keep them, or get rid of them?

Their look is fine to me.

Would they aggressively spread? What would my neighbors say?


texts: Can I reuse utensils after sterilising potting soil after cleaning it?

texts: For sterilising cocopeat/garden soil/potting mixes, I am thinking of using a big vessel from the kitchen on a stove with water. My question is, will this vessel be usable for cooking if I clean it with detergent/utensil liquid soap thoroughly or would I keep it away from cooking because of health hazards (possible fungi, insects etc.)


texts:
I have four apple tree seedlings that are in one pot and they're getting too big to get enough light for each of them. I have some pots that I bought to transplant them, but I bought some of this.

But I'm not sure if I should transplant them into it, because they're definitely not being started anymore (I can post a picture of them if I get enough up-votes).

Would they give them the nutrients they need? Would there be any other problems? What should I have bought?

Thanks!


texts:
We think it showed up one year later than it was supposed to
My wife planted some bulbs and not all of them turned into a plant the year before.
We do not know if it is a weed or one of her bulbs


texts: What is this bush with small yellow flowers and an orange substance in the stems?

texts:
There is a round bush, which I didn't plant, growing in what is usually my "annual" garden. It's about two feet high and the same width. At the end of the stems there are clusters of small, bright yellow flowers, somewhat resembling buttercups. The flowers have no odor, although the leaves smell unpleasant in a way I can't really describe. In some areas narrow seedpods are appearing. The seeds are white, very small, and lined up in a row, like peas in a pod.

It has been blooming for about a month. I think it's pretty, and have been hoping it would stay for a while. To that end, I decided to deadhead the flowers and stems back to the next junction.

When I pinched off the main stems, I found that they're filled with a bright orange substance. It behaves like a line of paint from a tube, thick at the end and growing thinner and more pale as I squeeze the stem. The same substance is in the base of the cluster of seed pods. It is not, however, in the small stems which join the flowers to each other (I have a feeling stem is not the right word for those, and would appreciate a correction), or in the flowers themselves, even if I open a bud. It's odorless, spreads easily to any skin it touches, and, although not sticky, requires soap, water, and a bit of effort to remove.

I have a few questions:

What is this plant?
What is the orange substance called?
If I deadhead it, can I extend its blooming period?
If I open the seedpods and scatter the seeds around some other areas, might they produce more bushes next year? I'm too lazy to gather the seeds and do what's necessary to overwinter them, so that's not an option. I thought about propagating from a cutting, but it doesn't seem woody enough to do that. I understand birds, other backyard visitors, and wind, might carry the seeds away. I just wonder if, in general, doing that might increase my chances of having more.

Click on the pictures for larger views.


texts: Why did my amaranth seedlings emerge like this?

texts: I had planted some red amaranth seeds in these washed and dettol cleaned seed trays with some boiled cocopeat. However the seedlings that have emerged have their cotyledons stuck to the seed coat. I have used drinking water and kept these in shade.


texts: Is there a name for the tall reproductive grass stems?

texts:
I noticed that not all grass stems seems to be used for reproduction.
When growing freely, it seems there are two heights of grass: there's the main ground-cover (stolon or tillers, maybe?), and there's the tall stems that distribute pollen and seed (looks kind of like wheat/grain/cereal, I guess). I don't know if it's a polymorphism or if perhaps the two are simply a generation apart. My question is, what are the taller, stronger, reproductive stems called?

Like the tall grass on the right, here. It's all tall compared to the mown lawn on the left, but you can see some is taller, and in this case kind of brown/yellow.

Here's a diagram. I thought maybe culm or meristem, but they appear refer to to be fairly localized segments.


texts: Are these Golden Pothos roots overwatered?

texts:
Based on my previously asked question:

Golden Pothos Leaves Are Regularly Dying

I took one plant apart to examine the root structure.  The soil seemed dry enough, and almost no moisture was felt.

The soil came out in larger chunks, but said clumps were easy to break apart.

Pictured is the root structure.  They seem solid enough, although the entire structure seems small.  What's going on here? Are they over-watered?  Are they under?

Appreciate the help!


texts: Are there any effective treatments for Armillaria root diseas (AKA shoestring root rot)?

texts: A client recently lost a maple to a suspected case of Armillaria root disease. She is reporting that a nearby sycamore is showing signs of the same disease. We would ordinarily remove the tree and roots and burn everything, but due to the location and maturity of the tree, she is willing to try anything to save it - even non-organic options.


texts:
Found this growing in Northern California in the wild. It features large arrow shaped herbaceous leaves at the base and several long stalks with some sort of berry/fruit on the ends.

It looks like the berries start green and turn red with slight spikes on them.

I didnt notice any flowers at the time, but upon viewing the image closer up, it may have black flowers?


texts: How can I encourage my plants to push out larger leaves?

texts:
I have some potted plants (Philodendron selloum, Monstera deliciosa) that were propagations from larger plants. Their leaves are on average only about 4 inches long. They were propagated about a year ago. Is there a way for me to encourage larger leaf growth, or will that come with maturation?
The plants are in potting soil in pots that are a suitable size, and are in front of north facing windows, as that is all I have to offer.


texts: I'm used to deadheading roses and mums and other "normal" flower shapes. We bought some gorgeous maroon snapdragons for way too much and I'd like to deadhead them to encourage more blooms. Should I cut the whole stalk off or pinch the flowers individually as they wither? If I cut the stalk, is there something to look for to indicate the right place to cut?


texts: Am I meeting the light requirements for indoor dwarf citrus trees?

texts:
I've recently purchased 3 dwarf citrus trees that we plan to keep indoors for ~9 months of the year. We are in zone 6 so we can only reliably move the trees to the porch for June, July and August with time moving in and out in the spring and fall for acclimation.

The trees will be kept in 3 different rooms, all of which we regularly use. The individual trees are Dwarf Meyer Lemon, Dwarf Venous Orange and a Dwarf Key Lime.

Current available lights are 6 300 watt max can/spring lights that mostly have 100w equivalent 1600 lumen leds on the 5000K spectrum and then I purchased 3 200w Comp Fluorescent lights that initially will be running 6400k 200w lights that, on the safe side, we will estimate at 13,000 lumens. These lights will all be custom mounted on an adjustable bar and kept a little less than a foot from the top of the trees as they grow and be put on timers for 14-16 hours a day. Combined this calculates out to ~58,000 lux per tree given a 3'x3' area, using 2 can lights and the 1 compact fluorescent.

There will be very little window light access, maybe only a few hours a day from a southern facing window. I'm loath to do anything extra special on the color spectrum, since these are rooms we regularly use like the kitchen/bedroom/hallway. While I can direct the lights so that they are not at risk of shining directly in people's eyes, creating such a bright room that we would not want to sit near it without sunglasses isn't optimal either.

Questions:
Is my current plan sufficient for light? If it is not, what is the most cost effective way of making it sufficient?
Do any of the 3 have greater light requirements than the others?


texts: How can I predict the best time to put a hummingbird feeder outside in the spring?

texts:
I live in Illinois (Zone 6) where I'm sure the hummingbirds still migrate south to overwinter since they stopped visiting my hummingbird feeder sometime late last fall.

Now that spring is here, the temperatures are rising, and it's seeming like there isn't any more chance of sleet/snow, I'm wondering when I should start putting my hummingbird feeder back outside with nectar for them when they return.

I know there's no point in putting it out right now, since the temperatures only just started to stay above freezing this week, but are there any signs I can look for to know when hummingbirds will be migrating north again and that it would be good to put the hummingbird feeder back?


texts: Do young plants prefer their pots be rotated?

texts:
I'm growing some plants from seeds indoors and they're coming up well. They sway toward the brightest light source, sometimes swaying so far they almost tip over. Some species do this more than others - e.g. 2" tall parsley is swaying much more than 2" tall chives. The brightest light, which they sway towards, is the window they're nearby when it's bright and sunny. They all enjoy a grow lamp directly above them, but they still seem to prefer the light. It could also be due to water mist being applied to them predominantly from one direction but we try to be gentle with misting and do it mostly from directly above them.

I have a habit of rotating their pot/planting trays so that they lean the other way. I see this as a kind of 'exercise' for them, and helping them form well-rounded growth. They do rotate and over the course of a few days will go back upright and then lean in the new direction of the window. Does anyone know, though, is it good to rotate young plants that are bending toward a light source?


texts: What is this fungus that looks like a brain coral?

texts: It looks like a brain coral. It is about a foot in diameter. It is Dry to the touch but still a bit soft. I live in Prince Edward Island in Canada.


texts:
I was gifted this areca palm about 8 months ago. It was fine for the first 3-4 months. After that it has started yellowing, the fronds are not straight as well. Earlier I used to water it about once every 10 days which I realized was too less for this plant. For the past 3-4 months, I have been watering it regularly every 4-5 days making sure the soil is moist in Virginia heat. It used to get decent sunlight sitting near a window in my bedroom (never direct in sunlight). Recently I have started keeping it out in the balcony during evening (again not in direct light) for more sun.
I fertilized it 2-3 times with granular fertilizer in last 8 months making sure it gets some nutrients. The fronds are yellow are very brittle, sometimes they just get uprooted when the handling the plant for watering. I have added a straw for support so as to keep they straight but doesn't seem to do much.
Please take a look and tell me what's wrong with it? Does it need repotting? Do I need to change the water type (I use tap water) and watering frequency? Does it need any specific micro-nutrient like Iron, Manganese or Zinc? ( I used a generic orchid one that I had) I hope it's not too late and I can save it. Please ignore my mistakes if any, I am a first time plant owner. Thanks!


texts: Emergency --- Today I planted new grass near/under a maple tree.  Now the helicopters are starting to fall.  Is their a way to protect my new grass from invading seeds?  Would it work to put burlap down?


texts: Can someone please tell me the name of this flower??It has sometimes two layers of petals

texts: Its a yellow flower with spiky leaves...Would like to know its name..Some little bigger ones have two layers of petals.


texts: Is it possible to have an odorless/near odorless indoor vermicompost?

texts:
Is it possible to have an odorless/near odorless indoor vermicompost system?

Somewhere in the range of 3-7 gallons.

What about purposing something like this on the scale of 65 gallons? Does size have an impact on odor? (That particular one may not be well oxygenated but imagine if it were aerated on all sides)


texts: What should I do about landscape rocks in my garden plot?

texts:
I have a brand new house and garden plot; it is currently sod so I have to dig it this first year and amend the soil. I have run into a section that seems like it used to be a rock path or drive way, just smallish 1"d river rock about five inches down and up to one foot deep, some are big fist sized guys.

I know that "sometimes the problem is the solution," so I am wondering if I really need to pull all of these out and sift the soil? If I don't will they add to my drainage and water storage under the garden? What if they are all mixed into the soil? How deep should they be under the growing strata?


texts: Using water soluble fertilizer as nutrient solution

texts:
I am quite new to hydroponics so forgive my ignorance :)

I am planning to make a simple DWC set up (for tomatoes) and was wondering if I could use a water soluble fertilizer (20-20-20 with Mg Fe Cu etc.) as the nutrient solution since (according to the label) it can provide NPK with other macro and micro nutrients for plants that grow in soil-less environment or should I only use nutrient solutions made especially for hydroponics? How different are they?

Thank you!


texts: My lettuce is flowering - does that mean it has bolted?

texts:
I planted a batch of "zesty blend" lettuce seeds. They seem to be doing fine, but suddenly they started flowering:

Have they bolted? They look healthy otherwise. Still edible?


texts: I bought another small cactus today, the sellers in the store were not sure what species it is. My guess is that it is from the genus Pilocereus, but it is a wild guess. The height is about 7-8 cm (3 inch). Can anyone ID this one with more certainty?


texts: Restore grass field which is overgrown by nettles

texts:
I recently own a piece of land (800m²) which used to be full of grass. Lately the grass is being overgrown by nettles. Right now I'm at the point where almost all the grass is replaced by nettles.
My plan is to get back a grass field.
From the research I've done it seems that the soil is too rich and therefor the nettles will dominate over the grass. The grass on the field has been mown for years and left behind on the field. This is the reason why the soil is so rich I believe.
So in order to make the soil poor again I could keep op mowning the field and removing the grass/nettles. But I was wondering if there's also a faster way to get my soil poor?
I prefer not to plow the ground.


texts: Indoor lemon/lime - wilt leaves which yellow and drop

texts:
After they had been outside throughout the summer, I brought my citruses inside.
I've been having them for a couple of years and this is the first time I observe so much leaves being dropped. On the lime tree, they just go yellow and on the lemon tree, they wilt first and then drop. I also have kumquat tree which doesn't show any problems.
I don't believe that's because of too much watering since I've learned that lesson by loosing few trees, so I keep the soil on the dry side.
Indoor humidity has fallen to 50-60%. Could that be due to too dry air? Should misting help?
Or it is a sign of nutrient or sun/light deficiency?
Any suggestion is more than welcome!
Lime
Lemon