texts:
My parents gave me a couple of months ago a Viburnum Tinus (aka Laurustinus, or Durillo in spanish). It had a lot of "bud bundles" (I don't know the technical name for that, sorry), that looked nice and about to give us a lot of flowers, but they suddently started to look "sad" and slightly dry. The leaves are still looking nice.
I water it a little everyday (it is in a really big pot), and it's in a large terrace with a lot of light all day long but no direct sun on the spot where this plant is. Also, I live in the spanish mediterranean coast, so the winter is really mild here (not a single night below 0 degrees Celsius)

So, any idea of what could be going wrong with this plant?
See the couple of pics attached.

I am moving it to a sunnier spot, but I don't know if it will be worse.

Thanks!


texts: Is it safe to put animal manure on vermicompost?

texts:
I've searched already regarding this topic, it seeem that in this question the OP is not using worms.

In this article it states that

  Don’t feed the worms pet waste or any “hot” manure. “Hot” manure is uncomposted animal waste and its addition may result in heating the bin too much for the worms.

While in this article it says that it is okay

  Earthworms will consume most organic materials, including animal manure, agricultural crop residues, organic byproducts from industries, yard trimmings, food preparation scraps and leftovers, scrap paper, and sewage sludge.


texts: Why are my pitcher plant's leaves turning brown on the ends?

texts: We bought a Nepenthes pitcher plant 3 months ago. It is growing beautifully but not producing any new pitchers (it has two small ones from when we bought it).  The new leaves that come out and grow then turn brown on the ends. We live in Northwest Florida, and it is outside on a covered deck getting morning sun. We keep it wet with distilled or rain water and we have repotted it in a hanging coconut liner with sphagnum moss, clean sand and perlite. Any help to be given here? We are perplexed!


texts:
Recently I saw these black bugs on my tomatoes' leaves.
I wonder what bug they are and would they harm my tomatoes, and if they do, how can I get rid of them ?:
http://imgur.com/meJNbQi
http://imgur.com/MkDGrUp

Thank you.

EDIT:
Finally, I know the source that produces these flies.
It turns out that these flies come from the soil tray nearby that I used to plant curly lettuce.

Yesterday I realized that there are many flies and larvae hiding in the soil, after googling I believe that they are FUNGUS GNATS.
http://imgur.com/aqFhQEF
It seems that Ithe soil was overwatered that it attracted the flies.

I used the hydrogen peroxide solution to kill the larvae and used yellow sticky to trap the adults
The problem is the adults did fail into the trap, but they still outnumbered and keep increasing in number.

That I'm afraid that the hydrogen peroxide did kill the larvae but it also made the soil wet, and the adults which were not trapped, waiting for the hydrogen peroxide to break then came back breeding in the soil.
Please help me to handle the situation, the flies are spreading all over the place :(


texts:
I have lots of yellow/brown spots on my lawn, and I think they are caused by grubs. I would like to know:

How can I confirm that grubs are, in fact, the problem?
What products are available to combat this issue and make my lawn green again?


texts: How can I plant Little Bluestem seeds into burned out turf?

texts:
We are converting an area of turf to meadow. The plan is to kill off the lawn grasses and seed in a number of warm season grasses and forbs.

The Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) seed is fluffy and we are concerned that it might not work in a standard lawn slit seeder. There are not a lot of rental options here, so we are wondering if the standard slit seeder can be made to work or if, perhaps, a dethatcher can be used somehow.

Is it possible to do this without specialized equipment?


texts: Will applying twenty year old cow manure hurt my vegetable garden?

texts:
I'm cleaning out my barn. It's old cow manure that's been in there for 20 years. I put a bunch of it on the garden, which has clay soil. I'm growing tomatoes, peppers and onions.

Will this hurt my vegetable garden?


texts: Arborvitae stressed after 1+ years in pot, will they regain vigor?

texts:
I bought some Green Giant Arborvitaes in 5 gallon pots on a whim a year or so ago for my landscape. Unfortunately, I wasn't quite sure where I wanted to put them, so they've stayed in the pot since. They're obviously very hardy as they've survived suboptimal conditions for quite a length of time, but there's some foliage that has died, and they've lost some of their pyramidal shape and their lush green growth.
I've put a few in the ground this week finally.
Will they regain their vigor and natural pyramidal shape as they begin growing in the ground, or should I buy new ones and start over?


texts: Pindo palm seedlings, can or should I move them this small if they are growing on top of each other?

texts: Last season my pindo palms had a lot of seeds germinate. The beds they are in are 6 to 7 feet in diameter. There are soo many that they are right on top of each other. Should I move them when they are this small or should i leave them be. If I should leave them, for how long? If move them, when?


texts: Parrots sleep upright on their perch; bats sleep hanging upside down. In the plant world the mantra is "green side up" but is this always the case? Are there any plants that would find roots above more rewarding than below? Are there any plants that might normally be grown green side up that would benefit from green side down, and if so how would this be achieved in a practical sense?


texts: Will interwoven espaliered fruit trees of different types hurt or inhibit each other?

texts:
Suppose I want to espalier a row of trees into a woven boundary, something like this:

Would it matter if the trees were of different types (e.g. apple, pear, cherry, plum)? Will the interwoven branches interfere and cause problems, or will they play nicely together?


texts: What is this ornamental tree with coarsely serrated leaves?

texts:
All I know is that the tree is small (2m), is grafted at 1m, has (or can be pruned into) 'globosum' habit, and have such leaves:

Another picture: (the trees in question are in the group in the middle):

Can you guess the species name or at least point me towards its genus until I can upload pictures for this tree's other characteristics?

New photos, sunny April day:

Some leaves have most unusual 'nipples', never saw such leaves before.


texts: What is this white fungus on my oak tree?

texts:
This white material is on my oak tree, and it's appeared within the last month. What is it, how can I treat it, and is it contagious (it's begun to fall from the tall oak tree onto surrounding plants)?

I live in Florida.

A closeup of the tree, a long shot of the tree, and a closeup of a fallen leaf covered in the fungus.


texts: How long do chemicals persist in a pile of grass clippings?

texts: I have a field behind me and my neighbor is throwing his grass clippings in the field for years, ( the grass is treated with chemicals) I have 2 Doberman  and they tend to go over and scratch the top of the pile and eat this grass  ( I'm always yelling at them for the fear that this is very bad for them) At what time do these chemicals leave this pile  or do I have to take other matters to get my animals not to eat this grass. Very concerned about my dogs. I have one now with bone cancer under her chin which I hope is not my fault from this grass.


texts: This is in Central Texas and looks to have been topped off at some point.  The vines converge into the ground at its base. Apologies for the obstructed image.


texts:
I have just planted 6 leylandii at approx. 3 ft apart. They were 6 ft tall when I bought them last month. I want to grow them to about 15 ft and want them to merge together with a nice thick healthy growth.
Can you suggest when I should trim, and do I need to control the height growth at the same time to allow the width to establish?


texts: How long should I dry fresh seeds from solanaceae, cucurbitaceae and other families, before storing?

texts:
I'm collecting a bunch of wet seeds (tomatoes, tomatillos, zucchini, peppers, cantaloupe, cucumber, winter squash, etc.) I'm drying them out for storage. I have to dry them indoors, with only a limited amount of sun, because there's snow and stuff outside. How long should I dry them before bagging them up and storing them? I just don't want them to mold or some such.

I'm not looking for instructions on saving seeds, germination (how drying affects germination rates), methods of drying (paper plates vs. paper bags and stuff) and all that. I'm just wondering about how long to dry them so I can bag them up without worry of mold and all that.


texts: Are Majorana hortensis and Origanum majorana the same plant?

texts:
I have the hardest time figuring out if Majorana hortensis and Origanum majorana are the same plant, or not. Both of these latin names are frequently seen in seed shops and nurseries in my area. Are they the same or not? I can't find a consensus opinion on the net.

What is a good reference database for resolving such issues?


texts: My plants were soaked with soapy water and are dying, how do I revive them?

texts:
I planted 3 sweet peas in early April and they were doing great. At the end of May, my son got a slip and slide and he put soap on it. All the soapy water drained to where they are planted. They slowly started to turn yellow, now they are 90% yellow and starting to dry up and die.
Is there anything I can do to save them?


texts: Why are the new leaves on my philodendron drying out and brittle

texts:
Just recently bought this about 2-3 weeks ago.
The soil still feels damp so I haven’t watered it yet.
The small leaves or nodes..I’m not sure what they are are dry and brittle. What do I do?


texts: What is a suitable slope for a lawn to drain water away from a house?

texts:
We're about to level our front yard. It will be partly sown with grass, and partly planted with trees & shrubs, though it may not be completely relevant to this question. What is a suitable slope to gently drain water away from the house? I think one of the tradespeople I spoke to suggested a 1 in 65 slope would be adequate, which by my calculations would be a drop of roughly 15mm for every horizontal metre. Is this about right, not enough, or too much?

Also, I had a go at pulling a string taught from one side of the yard to the other. Holding my spirit level against the string didn't really work very well for working out what was level. What is the best equipment for determining what's level?

I think I have a small spirit level that can attach to a string (from a picture framing kit) which might be better, though I don't know how accurate it will be (I can calibrate it against my big spirit level probably).

Background info: we have high rainfall sometimes in the winter, though the soil should have reasonably good drainage qualities (no clay). The size of the yard isn't very big. The max distance from the house to the edge of the yard is probably about 7 metres.


texts: How often should you water saplings that were shipped by mail for the first week?

texts: Is it a good idea to water the trees heavily for the first week to let the saplings take up water (like soaking for 12 hours), or let the dirt dry out to about 20% or so to let the roots breathe more?


texts: Plants like chimney sprouting in Iran - what are they?

texts:
I see some plants like chimney grows behind my sunflowers that you can see in picture:

location:western foothills of Iran

What are these and should I remove these from garden?


texts: Which edible solanaceae fruits will ripen after they've been picked, besides tomatoes?

texts:
Which edible solanaceae fruits will ripen after they've been picked, besides domestic tomatoes? I already know tomatoes will ripen off the vine. I heard that tomatillos or some such won't. So, that's what sparked this question.

Here's a list of notable edible fruits to consider in the solanaceae family. If I'm missing any notable ones, feel free to let me know. By notable, I mean, you can easily buy their seeds online, or else they're pretty common somewhere. Potatoes aren't listed because I'm only asking about fruits (in the botanical sense of the word 'fruit'), though.

Capsicum annuum (a pepper species, which includes sweet peppers, jalapenos and several others)
Capsicum baccatum (a pepper species)
Capsicum chinense (a pepper species)
Capsicum frutescens (a pepper species)
Capsicum pubescens (a pepper species, which includes rocoto peppers)
Tomatillos
Lycium barbarum Goji berries
Lycium chinense Goji berries
Ground cherries
Eggplants
Litchi tomatoes (these aren't tomatoes, despite the name, although they may have a similar appearance and somewhat similar flavor, mixed with a cherry flavor, they say)
Pepino melons
Naranjilla
Tamarillo
Solanum cheesmaniae (a species of wild tomato)
Solanum galapagense (a species of wild tomato)
Solanum pimpinellifolium (a species of wild tomato)

The above are mostly what I want to know about (those are all solanaceae fruits that you can actually buy seeds for online pretty easily), but if you like, feel free to tell me about as many other solanaceae fruits as come to mind, such as these:

Ethiopian eggplant (this is not simply an eggplant variety)
Tzimbalo
Australian desert raisin (kutjera)
Any of the other wild tomato species (I don't mean feral varieties of domestic tomatoes that people call wild)
Any of the other species of peppers (or any species belonging to the capsicum genus)


texts: How can I save these etiolated aloe crowns with under watered stems?

texts:
Two succulent Aloe vera shoots easily fell off a friend's aloe plant from readjusting a pot. This plant is potentially under watered and, from looking at the main plant or by just observing the two crowns below, this plant is pretty etiolated and receives little sun.

Are these plants savable and what propagation method (plant as is-- stem propagation? division propagation) would be recommended?

I saw "Can I save my damaged Aloe vera plant?" however I'm asking in regards to crowns whose stems may look a little dry. I'm not sure if the same actions would be taken regarding propagating these crowns.


texts: How should I remove the wild greenery in my pots before transplanting flowers or herbs?

texts:
I have five big concrete pots with soil in them.  Some have wild greenery of some kind and the others have moss.  Should I just till the soil and turn the surface over, or should I do something to remove the existing plants before transplanting flowers or herbs into these pots?

EDITS:  (to answer Stormy's questions below)

These pots are concrete and I will not move or tip them.  I could shovel out the existing soil if I were to replace it.  I am open to any plant, preferably not expensive as I am a beginner and not ready to invest a lot.  I was thinking flowers surrounded by herbs (sage, mint, parsley, basil and cilantro).  The patio will have many days in a row in the summer of direct sunlight beating down with temperatures in the 90s F (30s C).

Picture of weeds in one pot

Picture of moss in another pot


texts: Everywhere, when discussing moving a plant to a new location/climate, people mention hardening it off. What does this term mean?


texts:
We just moved into a new rental and have permission from our landlord to start a garden. Our yard has a great southern exposure, is very flat, and we're in Seattle.

I've never started a garden before and I'm getting pretty frustrated by all the roadblocks I'm hitting. :/

I was thinking this year I'd try not to bite off more than I can chew and to put in one 4x10 ft. raised bed. Maybe do another in the fall and have it ready for spring 2018. I have no particular aversion to another type of garden, but these seemed popular and pretty simple.

I'm getting a lot of conflicting opinions on this; do I need to remove the existing sod? I started to remove some and went through about a 3x3 area when I realized there was no way it was going to fit in our city compost bins. I'm not sure if I'm pulling up too much but the grass roots seem to be about 4" deep. If I have to I can rent a pickup and truck it to a yard waste disposal facility but I'd rather avoid that hassle if possible.

I've read about lasagna gardening, where you kill the grass with wet cardboard and pile things to compost on top. I wouldn't be able to plant until next year with this method and I was really hoping to have a garden this summer.

So I'm wondering... would I be able to put down wet cardboard over the desired area, build an 11" fence around it, and fill the resultant box with compost/topsoil? I only worry that when the plants get through that first 11" they'll hit the cardboard and the soil underneath will be so compacted they won't be able to grow into it. Could I lightly till the sod and then put cardboard on it?

I really don't need the world's best garden here, I'm just looking to get started without pulling out too much of my hair. Again if there is something totally different that I can try I'm totally open to it, seeing as I've done pretty minimal work so far.

Edit: Also I've been wondering about if it's reasonable to break up and aerate the sod, lay cardboard on top to ensure it's dead, and then add finished soil/compost on top. It's not a labor issue here I'm willing to work hard, I just don't want to spend days renting equipment and running all over town spending too much money.


texts:
How do I stop these pests - the Japanese beetle, from destroying my lawn?
I have tried the nematodes - they did not work.  I don't want to use pesticides.
thanks


texts: Can garlic be planted in the winter, in hardiness zone 5 inland northeast USA?

texts:
I got a bunch of garlic bulbs to plant a couple weeks ago but winter struck early and I didn't manage to plant them yet. We've had a foot of snow and 2 cycles of snow/thaw so far, and for at least two weeks we've had minimum daily temperatures below freezing.

I will check how frozen the soil is - the top layer has been frozen at times but it may not be frozen very deep. I read that it can take until January or at least December for the top inch of soil to freeze, so that gives me some hope.

Can the garlic bulbs be planted in late-autumn winter conditions that are happening already in much of zone 4 & 5 of northeast USA? Under what condition is it too late for garlic bulbs to be planted due to onset of winter? For example if it can be planted as long as the soil isn't frozen, does that mean they can be planted in mid/late-winter during a warm spell?


texts:
After transplanting nine sage seedlings outside a week ago, all but one have wilted and almost died. They all looked healthy, about two inches tall. Strangely, the one that lives on is in the corner getting the least sun.
The thing I'm thinking is that I might be over watering? I did more reading today and noticed that sage doesn't like too much water.


texts: What is this white stuff on my lime tree and should I be concerned?

texts:
My otherwise healthy lime tree (5 years old), has an odd white growth over it's surface. The ants seem to enjoy it.

Is this something that needs to be treated immediately or can I do it in the spring when I return?


texts: Are ants damaging pot plants? If they are, how badly?

texts:
Since spring started around 2 weeks ago, I noticed increasing amounts of ants around my pot plants. Sometimes they like to march over the pots themselves, not sure if they are actually digging into the ground or not at this stage.

So I have a vegetable garden as well, they tend to be around the wooden outlines, I never see them inside my garden (above the ground at least). So in the vegetable garden they appear harmless.

Note: I give my pot plants kelp fertilizer (organic) which smells a bit, so it might be an a(n)ttraction.

Pot plants consist of:

Garlic
Peppers
Bamboo
Bonsai
Coffee
Succulents
Flytraps
Nepenthes


texts: Can I simultaneously kill off grass and sow wildflower seed?

texts:
I'm planing on establishing a fairly large area - 1000 sq ft - as a sort of wildflower meadow.  The area is currently lawn with pretty good quality soil.  I live in Asheville, NC zone 6.

Here is my question:  I have established wildflower meadows by seed before and have always cleared the area of existing grass and weeds before sowing the seed.  My tiller is not currently operating and I really don't feel like hand digging the whole area to remove grass, so here is my plan.  I'll cut the grass super short and add a thin layer of compost to the area.  I'll sow my seed onto the compost and compress with a roller.  I will then cover the area with cardboard for two to three months (until grass is sufficiently dead) into the winter.  I will then remove the cardboard at the beginning of spring or earlier and hopefully be left with no living plants but a nice wildflower seed bed.  I will be sowing the seed in a few weeks so it naturally stratifies over the winter.

Will covering the seedbed with cardboard for a few months affect germination negatively?  I'm aware some flower seeds require light for germination, however, if I removed the cardboard before spring, then it should be fine yeah?  I'm interested in hearing what ya'll have to say about this.  It would sure save me a lot of work!

Here are the species included in the mix I will use.

Annual Baby’s Breath, Annual Phlox, Black-Eyed Susan, Clasping Coneflower, Corn Poppy, Four O’Clocks, Gayfeather, Gilia, Indian Blanket, Lemon Mint, Lance-Leaved Coreopsis, Leavenworth’s Tickseed, Moss Verbena, New England Aster, Perennial Lupine, Plains Coreopsis, Purple Coneflower, Scarlet Flax, Scarlet Sage, Sulphur Cosmos and Tree Mallow.


texts: How to clean and find if the garden is level

texts:
I am cleaning a house previously held by my deceased mother in law and now I am onto cleaning the garden and finding if the ground is level to set up cemented slab for base of a shed I ordered.  I never done such kind of job but want to find out how do I clean my garden, weed out the bad grass/weed and making sure it is leveled?

What tools do I need?


texts: Will Celosia produce more than 1 flower head?

texts: I may be asked to give some flowers to my church this year, so I'm wondering if Celosia argentea cristata can produce multiple flower heads in a season.


texts: I bought this from theheartcompany at metrotown. But i do not know the name of it, any answers?


texts: What is this insect with a funny color pattern?

texts: What is this insect? Does she do any harm?


texts: What is the root span of Dwarf Southern Magnolia 'Little Gem'?

texts:
I can't seem to find any consistent information on the root structure of these guys.  We were given one as a housewarming gift and would like to get it into the ground as soon as possible, however I'm not sure how far to place it from my fence to avoid future issues.

What diameter should I expect the root system to be, so that I can plant it far enough from my deck and fence to avoid issues?


texts: What kind of vegetable plant might this be?

texts:
This plant began to grow in my vegetable garden in early March. I am in Bakersfield, California  It was about 4' tall.

Now, in April, it is almost 6' tall and now has yellow long blossoms.


texts:
received this as a gift and I have no info on it.  Not sure what it is or how I should care for it.  Any help is greatly appreciated, thanks.

Whew, that's a lot of info STORMY.  The plant is currently indoors, I live in buffalo ny, so I plan on moving it outside to my covered deck once the weather becomes nicer.  I received the plant from a buddy at work who got it from his grandmothers house when she unfortunately passed recently.  I had expressed interest in bonsai to him recently and nobody in his family knew what to do with it so I "inherited" it.  I, by no means have any prior knowledge or experience with any type of plant whatsoever.  I couldn't turn it down, I was honored that he thought of me.  I want to try my best to learn and care for it properly.


texts: That's pretty much it. I need to care for this unknown plant. What is it?


texts: What exactly happens to potting soil if it is stored for a long period of time?

texts:
The story: I have bought a few sacks of "Plagron Royal Mix" here in Chile. This soil is supposed to be sufficient for my "tomatoes" for roughly six weeks. After four weeks in the soil I noticed problems, which seem to point to under-fertilization. Since it was time to repot anyway, the plants received roughly 50% fresh soil in a bigger pot, but the symptoms are worsening. Over-fertilization, while not impossible, seems unlikely. Before repotting, I rinsed the soil to remove excess fertilizer. (As recommended by the manufacturer)

Now considering the trip from Holland to Chile and that it's not really a hot product here, I cannot rule out that the soil was stored for a significant amount of time possibly even under adverse conditions. There are no dates on the sack.

If an organically pre-fertilized soil (peat, fibre, worm castings, etc.) is stored for a longer period of time, how does it change? Will it reduce the potency of the fertilizer? Can it have other harmful effects on plants?


texts: Should I remove what remains of a seed from the top of a sprout?

texts:
I planted a seed from a pomegranate, and it successfully started to grow. However, the seed's shell is still remaining on top of the sprout, stopping the leaves from opening.

I am worried that the sprout will not get enough sunlight (as its leaves cannot be fully exposed to sun).

So should or should I not manually remove the seed?

It has been looking like this for 3 or 4 days now:


texts: What are the main benefits and cons of using manure?

texts:
Manure is often part of a prescription for hot composting, and soil enrichment.

But why? Is it just for nitrogen? Is that why people go and get the excrement of vegetarian mammals to add to their gardens?

If it's nitrogen, why not use locally produced nitrogen instead rather then using energy to transport from outside to ones garden?


texts: What is the powdery mildew and why are my cucumbers not growing beyond 1 inch?

texts: I have a healthy cucumber plant to all appearances.  There is some powdery mildew which I am trying to contain with a spray for that disease.  However, I have lots of buds which turn into tiny cucumbers, but they never get beyond 1 inch long then they turn yellow and die.  Does anyone know what the problem is?


texts: How should I add spent coffee grounds to Azaleas?

texts:
My garden has rocks and weed fabric.

Must I remove both and add the grounds to the soil or can I just add on them on top of the rocks?


texts: Possible lawn fungus, brown patches have spread

texts:
I am located in the chicago suburbs with kentucky bluegrass (sorry for the typo) as the grass type. We had a mild winter and am wondering if the attached (brown patches) are fungus. I noticied it spread compared to last year. Thank you.

Bentgrass image


texts: How can I safely transplant blueberry bushes planted in the spring before the winter hits?

texts:
If all goes according to plan, I will be moving this winter to another location.  I currently have two blueberry bushes I planted last spring, purchased from Gurney's.  I'm wondering what the procedure might be to transplant a plant like this given that it was only planted a few months ago.  Is it better to leave the young plants and get new ones next season?

My only concern is whether the plant has a good chance of surviving the transplanting.  I've considered moving them into pots now before the freezes come in southeastern PA.  Is that recommended with it so close to frost?


texts: Sealing Crape Myrtles to stop new growth

texts: I've removed a lot of limbs from the bottom of my crape myrtles, to limit it to a few odd numbered limbs. However, where the cuts were made continue to put forth new growth, that I don't want. Is there anything I can seal these areas with to stop new growth? Thank you.


texts: How to fix a partially uprooted tree? Please help

texts: A few days back due to strong winds a peepal tree(i.e. Ficus religiosa or sacred fig) was partially uprooted near my house. It is approximately at a 45° angle. It is 7-8 meters tall. Almost half the roots are out of the surface. How can i fix it?


texts: Four leaf clover only growing three leaves

texts:
I found a patch of lawn with a high percentage of four leaf clover (standard white clover), carefully dug up several four leaf stems with roots, and transplanted into a pot. But all the new growth is coming in with just three leaves. What can I do to get it to grow more four leaf stems?

Side note, I did shock it by letting it dry out too much before potting, and it experienced another unfortunate drought this weekend while I was away, but otherwise it seems to be growing well and putting out new growth and a few blossoms at the same time as the undisturbed clover in the lawn.


texts: How do I cultivate ginger from a piece of root?

texts:
A month back, I planted a small portion of Ginger root in a pot and watered it moderately every day. Seeing no results so far, today I cleared the pot and saw that Ginger root had started to decompose instead of rooting. I have no idea what went wrong.

I used fairly fresh Ginger root.
I kept the soil moist.
I kept the pot in partial sunlight.

Any suggestions, how do I grow it again?


texts:
Say that I have an area of my lawn (in northern Mississippi) where water tends to pool after a rainstorm (see photo below). This prevents me from effectively installing a traditional garden. Would it work if I instead put in a raised garden? If so, what type would be best? And should it be one where there is a barrier (wood or air or otherwise) between the ground and the bed or is no barrier fine?

Update: here is what I did:


texts: Help identifying this viney plant in Oregon

texts: I would like to relocate this plant in my yard, but I can’t seem to find any roots or how to pull it up. If I knew what it was called then I could probably figure out how to move it.


texts:
I'm going to be transplanting some mint (peppermint or spearmint I think) from an area where it has gotten too aggressive.  It'll be going into a much smaller area in a section of the garden where I can't afford to have it run (spread).

I know this may sound like a bad decision, but it's really for the best.  It's going to get used more, have better growing conditions, and have more eyes on it so hopefully if there are any problems of it escaping we can address it sooner rather than later.  But I do need to contain it, and a flower pot isn't the answer because it'll dry out.


texts: Is it harmful for birds to have a house hanging on a walnut tree?

texts:
There is a belief in my area that it is not healthy for humans to sleep under a walnut tree.

Is this valid for birds too? Is it harmful for birds to live in a bird house hanging on a walnut tree?


texts: small brown bumps on majesty palm leaves

texts:
I am home visiting my parents and they have had a majesty palm for few years. It's never really thrived as we live in Canada and are not gardening experts. Besides its yellowing, it also has small brown bumps as shown in attached photo. I would like to know what this is, what to do about it and whether it could be contagious to other tropical plants such as a banana tree. The bumps are mostly just on the branch in the photo but there are some on other leaves too.
If anyone has experience growing this plant in a pot in zone 5 I'd be interested to know what worked for you!

thanks,

Rick


texts: Are chili plants an annual plant? I have read on the web that they are perennials. But mine have never lasted more than a year.


texts: Which plant can co-exist with the other plant?

texts:
I have picked up the following list of plants and have only 4 decent size pots. Which plants can be grown together in the same pot?

pepper
tomato super fantastic
tomato sweet 100
basil
oregano thumb
kent strawberry
cucumber pickling
pepper early red
pepper jalapeno
onion green bunching
rosemary
lettuce


texts: Is a zucchini that had a maggot under the flower still safe to eat?

texts:
My zucchini plant had vine borer. I did surgery on the plant to get rid of it and covered it back with soil.

Before I did all of that, I  cut off a zucchini that was ready to be picked. I took off the dried up end blossom and there was little white like maggot where the blossom was. The vegetable look perfectly fine. It wasn't over-ripened.

Is it still safe to eat?


texts: Tiny shot holes in leaves of salad bowl crop

texts:
I've got a crop of mixed lettuce, raddish, carrots, kale growing in my 'salad bowl crop'a 6'X 6' area.  I just noticed the tiny shot holes of (flea beetles) all throughout the different varieties.  Never have had flea beetles in this garden so I was a bit surprised. (Could have come in via the bales of not so decomposed compost that I used to improve this pumice soil)

Could be something else as I couldn't find a live beetle in the soil, roots or the leaves (during the day).  I'll be out there tonight.

What else could it be other than flea beetles, any ideas? What I pulled up on the internet was kinda lame but I didn't search that hard.  The information said they fed during the hot temps of daylight? And yet all I could find were tiny possibly beetles dessicated in the soil.

Does anyone have any ideas so I don't have to use NEEM?  Gee, would that even work?  How about Bacillus thuringiensis made with beetles in mind?  I know they were working on one decades ago but haven't heard anything. There was one for caterpillars the one we know best, one for flies and mosquitos and one for beetles.  Three types of BT.  Have not yet seen the beetle and fly varieties yet.  Wouldn't it be a good thing to be able to have the BT for flies and mosquitos NOW? Let me know if you've heard anything about BT.

These beetles must come out at night...the leaves are completely peppered with some damage to the crowns of these lettuces.  Anyhoo, I am in the middle of majoring canning and dehydrating and getting frazzled.  I thought I'd ask for  help.

I'll send a picture by tomorrow of course...but tiny tiny little holes...shot hole only 1/4 the size and smaller.  Seem to love the arugula and a red leaf lettuce best.  Thanks...stormy


texts: How can I discourage ragweed from growing?

texts:
After three years of pulling, hoeing, and tilling, one corner of my garden is still infested with this vile weed. I live in Southeast Colorado, and the brutally-hot summer days seem to keep it under control except for this one, shaded corner...

Is there anything I can do to discourage its growth (short of paving this section of my garden over)? Or am I doomed to spend my days pulling these quick-growing little beasts...


texts: What are consequences of applying glyphosate in vicinity of fruit trees?

texts:
What are consequences of applying glyphosate on weeds in vicinity of fruit trees? Specifically, in my case, fruits are sour cherry, pear, and walnut.

Is there any posibility that the fruit would contain harmful substances?


texts: Should I grind up rhubarb root to make it multiply?

texts: What is the best way to make a rhubarb plant multiply so you can get about a 2 foot area of rhubarb?


texts: Is this yellowing normal for a kalanchoe plant?

texts:
This is the only yellow leaf and the plant is even sprouting out 4 new shoots. I keep the soil moist and let it dry then water again. I don't keep it in direct light. It's in a breeze way that's probably... 80 or so degrees. I'm in Texas where it's 100 outside.

More pictures:
Front of the whole plant.

Upclose of yellow leaf.

Back of plant.

Hidden leaf turning yellow.

Other parts of the plant.


texts:
Most of my plants die when I am away for a week or 2 weeks. Is there any way to water them regularly?

I don't have a water tap on my balcony. And if I move plants inside they die because of a lack of sunlight.


texts:
I planted a pomegranate seed in some soil and kept it indoors. I kept it alive for over a year, but recently it has dried, started to droop and the leaves are falling off.

It's in a ceramic pot of about 3-4 inch diameter without any holes in the bottom of it. What might cause it to be failing so badly and how can I fix it?


texts: As you can see my aloe Vera plant is young and it is in balcony so  2-3 hrs only it is getting sunlight.Frequently the soil get dry,so I give water according to the soil condition.But some brown spots are coming now.I am worried about this.Can you please tell me the cause.


texts: How long until I can over-plant grass seed after spraying Weed b Gon

texts:
I have 5 acres of backyard that used to be farmland.  I planted grass, but I think I used the wrong kind, as it doesn't seem to be spreading.  Now ~5 years later, the yard looks decent, but the grass is fairly thin and the weeds (dandelions mostly) are starting to get heavy.  So I sprayed Weed B Gon on it, and now want to over-plant grass seed.

I'm not concerned about getting it perfect.  If 10% of the seed I put down comes up and starts to spread over the years, I'd consider that a win.  Every amount above that certainly welcome, but...

I just sprayed today, and it's supposed to rain in 2 days (and a few days in a row).  I was hoping I could toss down the grass seed tomorrow before rain, but I wasn't sure if that's too soon, or if it matters with this particular chemical.

Can I over-plant grass seed a day after spraying Ortho Weed B Gon? If not, how long do I need to wait (and why)?


texts: Basil cuttings at the wrong time perhaps?

texts: I took some cuttings from my basil plant to make a new plant but they flowered when I had them in water to grew roots. The new plants leaves have grown and looks and smell great but it's not growing tall. Will it eventually grow taller and is there anything I can do to help? Thanks.


texts: What's wrong with planting a tree deeper than the root flare, or mulching higher?

texts:
People tell you that when you plant a tree, you should plant the root flare level with the soil line. And when mulching, that you shouldn't pile the mulch up over the root flare. What harm can be caused by doing these practices?

Tree (Norway Spruce) with soil/mulch piled over the root flare:

Tree (Norway Spruce) with root flare visible at soil level:


texts: What is this white flowered purslane lookalike from South Florida?

texts: My wife found some purslane on her daily walk and brought some home for the garden. We also have another weed growing in the backyard that seems to be purslane as well, but it lacks branching stems and the stems seems to be all green. I would like help to identify it.


texts: Best tool for underground lawn sprinkler system head removal?

texts:
My lawn has an underground sprinkler system. Many of the heads are old, leaking, and hard to adjust. So I've been swapping them with Rainbird 5000 series heads. They look like this:

Here's the thing. These things are impossible to dig up by hand. I spent 3 hours last night replacing 3 of these. They just screw off of the valve beneath them, counter clockwise, but can be a little stiff. I had to use one of those neat grippy jar opener things to get the 3 off, and my hands are now trashed.

The head, as you can see in the picture, has a texture. There must be some wrench or tool that works to quickly grip and twist these things off, without having to dig like crazy all around them in the yard (destroying the lawn in the process).

What tool would work for this? What tool is best for this?


texts:
New hobbyist here. I'm planing a raised garden bed (about 4' by 6' or 8') and I want to clear the area. My thoughts were to make a bed that would be a 12" high hollow frame, that I would "sink" about 3" in the current soil, so only 9" would show. I want to install that on an area that currently has grass (well, snow at the moment, but underneath is grass.)

My plan was:

Remove the grass (Question to come)
Dig the trenches about 3" where the frame would rest.
Fill the inside of the frame with soil (mixture like suggested here)
But a wooden grid on top just for a frame of reference even though I'm not doing 100% Square Foot Gardening.

My question: What's the best way to remove the grass. I'll be using a shovel and a mattock, but I've read that I should lay a tarp or something to kill the grass to make it easier to remove, but is that relevant since it has been covered by snow all winter? If possible I'd like to "shake the removed grass" to keep some of the soil, and then compost the grass/roots, but I'm not sure if it's a good idea or not because I don't want to end up with a 2nd lawn inside the raised bed...

Regards


texts: How do I protect the roots and adjust watering levels in a non-draining indoor pot?

texts:
The long, winding backstory:  We have a rubber tree which has been in the same pot for ages.  It has been moved twice, and in our new home we're still trying to find it a spot it likes.  Recently, when we went to water it, we noticed standing water on top of the soil.  It's been very droopy lately with leaves falling off.  Thinking it's getting over-watered, we move it to get a bit more indirect sun and hold off watering for a while.  Not much changes (maybe a bit more drooping).  I start worrying about mildew and root rot, and as we're discussing what to do about it we realize it's been in the same pot/soil for probably over a decade.  So I re-pot it in fresh soil and clean out it's pot.  It's been about a week; and the rubber tree is starting (very slowly) to improve.  Some wilted leaves are still falling off, but a few fresh green ones are starting to open.  Now I'm worried about how to keep it happy.

Now that I have fresh soil in a nice large pot, I have the issue of keeping the water fresh.  My past experience of plants is either in proper ground, or pots which can drain excess water.  I understand I've just shocked this poor rubbery tree quite a bit, and I don't want to add more stress.  But I feel there's a fine line between under-watering and over-watering when one leads to drought and the other to rot.  We thought maybe a watering spike would help keep things even (as the water would be released about root level), then thought maybe that was a bad idea when the entire bottle emptied in about 18 hours.  Now we figure there's a lake in the bottom of the pot, and we might be headed back where we started.

Rubber trees are very, very slow growing; and I'm not sure how quickly they take up water.  Then again, maybe they like a bit of stagnant water in their pots.  I've heard they very much like pots, at any rate.

My questions:  In a sealed pot, how can I measure the water needs of my plant, and how can I make adjustments?  Is there something I can do to protect the roots, or prevent water trapped in the bottom of the pot from causing health problems?


texts: This tree is growing in my yard - central VA zone 7 anyone ID? No flowers so far

texts:
This tree is growing wild in my yard about 10 feet tall now. It looked a little like an apple but not when I pick leaves and compare. It grew quite fast and has not flowered yet where most other trees here are finished.

Any ideas what this could be?

I live in central VA (zone 7).


texts: Guttation of my busy lizzie or something wrong?

texts:
This plant is in my office with AC on from 8am to 7pm (low humidity); receives strong sun from 2pm to 5pm. I water it around every 4 days when the soil feels dry from my finger dip into the soil.

I have just noticed the droplets and touched it: they are sticky and sweet. Any advice?


texts:
My house has these two mystery trees and nobody I know can identify them. I am quite fond of them, since they look nice and provide fantastic shade:

They're deciduous, but never flower in spring. Not enough chill hours, perhaps? I live in zone 7b New Mexico, but the trees are positioned such that they catch a lot of winter sun (southwest side of the house, close to a thermal mass wall that soaks up heat).

Growth is extremely vigorous every year, and they grow large numbers of lateral branches, resulting in a lot of crossing and rubbing branches and an extremely dense canopy. Here's what the leaves look like:

Buds grow right out of main trunks all the time. New ones appear every year:

Their bark is gnarled and dark gray, in places almost black:

One is multi-trunked, and the other had a central trunk (with a lot of branches):

Any idea what they are?


texts:
I have planted a few of these plants in front of my fence as hedge.

However for some reason they attract a lot of flies to fly around and stop on the flowers.

Why is it and how can I stop the flies?

Location: Sydney, Australia


texts: Filtered or unfiltered water ok for houseplants?

texts:
I live in what the local water company describe as a "very hard" water area (122.8 Ca mg/l, 307 CaCO3 mg/l, 21.49° Clarke, 17.19° German).

I usually drink filtered water (Brita Maxtra cartridges) - is it better to water houseplants with filtered or unfiltered water?

In this case I'm thinking about a Golden Coast Dracaena which is supposed to be watered weekly.

I've read in various places there can be issues with fluoride and salts, but unsure how fussy it actually is.


texts: Can I grow basil in my avocado plant pot

texts: I have a small avocado tree in a pot, & basil I've rooted in water. Both are in a sunny window & seem to be thriving. Can I plant the basil on with the avocado?


texts: Skinny, scrawny Baobab with two main stems?

texts:
I was given a stick of baobab from Senegal which I dutifully planted in a mix of soil and sand. At some point it split into two, so that there are now two trunks with a tuft of leaves at the end of each.

But they both seem to be growing further and further away from each other, all skinny and scrawny. They don't drop more than a couple of leaves at any point, although the leaves are a nice shiny green colour. What am I doing wrong??

Also, am I meant to split them into two pots or is this how they grow?  I've not seen any baobab growing like this - have a look at the pic. If so, how do I do this?

Many thanks for your thoughts


texts: Is this plant with paired lance-shaped leaves a green chilli?

texts:
I am a newcomer to Canada and have been experimenting with growing vegetables here in my garden.  I did sow some seeds of chilli, pumpkin and tried with some potato as well.  They seem to have come out quite good.  I hope I am getting what I started with.

Please help me to reconfirm that the image uploaded is of chilli only.

I will upload rest of pics soon.


texts: Trying to identify this tree in a park in the US Northeast

texts:
My take is that it has simple alternate entire, acuminate, leaves with pinnate vein system, but it is tough to tell because the lowest branches are high up.

The tree grows at the shore of a river (riparian clue?). It is obviously in poor shape, so there aren't all that many samples at ground level - and the few that land on the ground are probably raked away by the park landscapers.

I didn't see any fruit. Perhaps the trunk is a good lead.

Here are some images:

It may be time to accept the answer (Ulmus pumila) after finding these two leaves on the ground - doubly serrated margins and herringbone vein pattern:


texts:
I've bought some out of season shallot sets ( whatever a set is ) but I'm just wondering how to plant them.  They appear to have cloves but the videos I've seen suggest that you plant them as a bulb and don't divide them into cloves like garlic to plant.

So, it's now early summer and I'm going to plant them anyway, but is there some advantage to planting them as bulbs?


texts: Champignon growing: from Recovery stage to shock, what to look for in covering peat?

texts:
Have very specific question for champignon growers
When is the right moment to switch  between stages, specifically from Recovery to shock.
This is one of the vital points in growing and I would like a professional opinion on what people look for/at
Thank you!


texts: What is this tall potted plant with narrow leaves and braided bark at the base?

texts:
We recently inherited a new plant with no information about the species or location where it naturally grows.  It looks like it has been regularly trimmed by the previous owner, and I'm not sure if the braided trunk at the bottom is naturally occurring or if that was shaped by the owner.  Also, it has a height of about 1.4 meters (55 inches).  On average, there are about 6 leaflets per leaf.

Any ideas on what this plant species is?  Or any general ideas about the family or order?

Also, I'm living in the Netherlands.


texts: I am a new plant mom and have a variety of plants ( peace lilies, anthuriums, dracaena, pothos etc.) And I am very particular about watering, soil check and pruning etc.  I am leaving for a trip (10days) and am worried the plants may wilt or die by the time I'm back. Any tips/ ideas on how I can ensure they are healthy and watered while am away?


texts: One node of Dracaena Marginata not growing

texts:
Image of Dracaena marginata (dragon tree) below. Indoor houseplant.

I recently (about 2 months ago) cut the head off this Dracaena marginata so that I might get two nodes instead of the previously single head. I read online that cutting the head off an already established plant often results in several nodes growing back.

After cutting the head off, over about the course of a month, two nodes sprouted like you see in the picture, but it's been about 2-3 weeks since and only one of the nodes is growing, the other hasn't grown at all. It doesn't look dead to me (no browning or shriveling is apparent) but I don't know what I should do with it.

Thoughts?


texts: I am from the south of mexico, and am not sure what is this, the stem looks like plastic, the pot had like 10 different seeds before, or maybe is just a weird weed I have to cut?


texts: White spots growing on small tree in UK garden

texts:
I've just noticed these white growths on a tree in my garden (UK). Does anybody know what it is, what I should do about it?

I believe the tree us a Salix Integra

Thanks for your help

EDIT:

Here's a picture to show size and environment:

Its not really very big, about 4' tall I'd say

And a closer picture of some of it


texts: What is causing brown and yellow patches on the leaves of my bush beans?

texts:
These bush green beans have been champs, continually producing even though they look like they should die (and it's mid-August in Zone 5, having had some massively warm spells).

However they have looked like this for a long time now, but they keep flowering and producing - we've gotten about 20 pounds of beans from ~20 linear feet of them.

Is this something that is common to beans? Or is this just them trying to die due to heat? I understand beans aren't exactly all-summer producers normally.


texts: Need help identifying brown and white spots

texts:
I have two plants, one can brown spots I can scrape off and the other has white spots which are stuck to the leaves. I've just had an infestation of spider mites and they were absolutely horrendous to get rid off (knock on wood), now I feel slightly paranoid about another infestation of pests and diseases.

If anyone could tell me the names of the plants I would also really appreciate it!


texts: How to fill low spots over existing grass in my yard?

texts:
I read this question and it made me think of what I need to do this weekend. But I have these questions:

If I've got a few holes - maybe a place where a bush was dug out and the ground eventually settled and every time I mow over it I scalp the lawn - how do I go about spreading the fill over the lawn?
Do I need to reseed the grass, or will the grass underneath poke through eventually?
If it will just kill the grass beneath, should I work up the existing soil with a pitchfork or something?
Could I rip the sod out, tuck some dirt underneath and return the sod to it's newly elevated location?


texts:
Can anyone tell me what is happening with this surfinia and what should I do for it to become healthier

Thank you in advance!


texts: Why are the leaves on my drawf mandarin curling? over-watered?

texts:
I just bought this dwarf mandarin tree a week ago and planted it in a pot and the leaves are starting to curl already. I have been looking every day but they seem to be getting worse.

I'm wondering if the roots are too wet - The soil seems to be holding onto a lot of water for some reason.

-

MORE INFO

I watered it once right after I planted it and have been checking the soil each day but it continues to seem wet. There is a drainage hole in the bottom of the pot but I wonder if the soil is retaining too much water for some reason?

I used the soil that was recommended (G & B potting soil) and added citrus fertilizer in the correct proportions.

The tree is in San Jose CA and gets about 8hrs of direct sun right now but it hasn't been very hot. (65-85º)


texts: How can I weed trim without damaging a fence?

texts: I keep damaging the bottom of my fence with my gas weed trimmer.  What is the best way to prevent damage to my fence while using a gas trimmer?


texts: Is it possible to grow vegetables indoors?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  How do I grow a usable vegetable garden indoors?

Is it possible to grow any vegetables, or even fruit, indoors?

I've had a bit of success growing herbs and kalamondin indoors before now, but I was wondering if there's any small vegetables that can be grown indoors?

It's in a flat, no window ledges, but a fair few hours of sunlight


texts:
It's been a year that I have this Calathea. Since arrived, was shooting new leaves extremely fast. In last October a leak has happened at my previous flat, it was cold, the air was bad, but it started giving a few unhealthy leaves, then dropping the existing ones day by day. From around 30, now it has two "alright" leaves. Important note that I noticed sticky transparent spots on the bottom of the leaves. Thought it's infestation, so started handling it with my recipe - spray, and pour Neem oil mixture on the leaves each 1-2 weeks, and wiping the leaves with alcohol. Didn't help. Now because out of ideas - even though it isn't advised - I'm going to repot it - otherwise it will die for sure, giving it a try. I've met with root rot before - black, wet, soft, stinky roots. Now it's different. Some of the roots are black, but dry so with the slightest pressure, it could break. What's sign is this? And what should I do to try revive the plant?
Here are the stages of the plant:
5 months ago:

1 month ago:

Now:

The difference can be seen on the last image, where yellowish, and greyish roots are next to each other.


texts: I live on the Washington coast in an area with a large population of quite tame deer.  There is a 6 foot wooden fence along once side of my back yard.  The deer have never jumped over this fence, but they can easily go around.  Along this fence I planted many small trees/shrubs/etc that were supposed to be deer-resistant.  Ha!  Anyway, if I put six-foot tall fencing around this area attached to the wooden fence at the ends, 4-5 feet out from the wooden fence, would the fact that it is that close to the wooden fence keep them from jumping over the deer fence?  A fence higher than that seems like overkill for such a small area.  I mainly just want to give my trees a chance to get taller.   Thank you!


texts: Please ID this succulent and its hardiness zone, I'd like to know if it can be left outdoor over winter in Zone 5 Canada. Both plants were planted at the same time 6 weeks ago with the inset picture grown indoor. Both are about 6 inches tall but as shown in the picture the one grown indoor is leggy but with shiny leaves. The one left outdoor in a shady location looks healthier and happier.


texts: How to get rid of crab grass and weeds from my lawn

texts: Spring has just come here in Virginia and my front lawn is a mess. I have more crab grass and weeds than grass! I need some help as to what should I be putting in my lawn? Should I just buy Scott's spring treatment or is there someone better out there that I can use?


texts: What happens to a broccoli plant after it has been decapitated?

texts: Does it generate a new head?  Or is it then done for the year?  What can I do to encourage larger heads?


texts:
I've noticed these moldy, fuzzy spots on many of my tomato plants:

I figured it is some sort of a mold problem, but I couldn't find which one exactly and what to do with it. The plants are on the balcony. Due to an early mistake of planting them in small pots, I now water them every morning.
I also try to avoid putting water onto leaves. The fruiting seems to be going fine though.

Any known treatment?

Thank you.


texts: My home made compost produces leachate which smells a bit and is mixed with soil underneath, can i use that soil?

texts:
I've used a plastic bin with several holes done into it as a composting container. The content are all veggies and fruit leftover.
The compost gives out excess water (called leachate / compost tea). see hotbin leachate
I'm not sure about the color, but it does smell a bit, and that water gets absorbed by a large tub of soil beneath, which is compost collected from previous cycle, and is supposed to be used as a fertilizer.
Normally, we wait for that compost to dry up before using it, but is it harmful to use the wet compost mix with leachate already present.
Is drying it up enough in open air to let it be used as fertiliser, or we need to wash it up before using?


texts: Do kidney beans or pinto beans grow stolons/runners?

texts: I'm planning on growing pinto and kidney beans in a garden, and was wondering if they made stolons/runners like some plants, ex: mint. I don't want them to take over my garden and kill everything else. If they do produce stolons/runners, I'm planning on buying a barrier.


texts: What is the fruit of the Chinese windmill palm, and is it edible?

texts:
We have two large Chinese windmill palm trees in our front garden here in Essex, England. They're around 15 feet tall, and absolutely beautiful.

They have a large amount of fruit near the top, small dark purple berries on bright yellow/orange stems.

I'm curious as to what they are, whether they're edible. I know acai come from palm trees, wondering if these are anything similar.


texts: How to save my 1-meter-high Aloe Vera plant which broke off at the stem?

texts:
My aloe plant broke at the stem, all leaves and about 1 inch of stem remain.

Can I re-plant the broken section and will it grow again from the broken stem?


texts:
I have sprouted and grown an avocado tree (for fun, not profit) from a seed I kept about three years ago. The tree. Has just started growing well again after winter, so its alive.

However, it just looks really bad, as if its dehydrated. I water it every time its leaves start to hang, and it has worked so far. I have also put it in a larger pot. Note that the top leaves look normal. Those have recently grown.

The first three years it was in my porch and had ample indirect sunlight. Now, since I moved, it has ample direct sunlight behind a window.

I read I should wait with planting it outside until the stem is brown. At the time of writing its still green.

Can someone tell me what Im doing wrong?


texts: My chilli plants never bloom, instead it becomes some green bud and that’s it. What is happening??


texts: What is this fern-like plant with red stems and green, red or cream colored leaves?

texts:
I am trying to solve this mystery plant. Could anyone verify if it is a fern at the very least?

The photo was taken at the UC Berkeley Botanical Garden in Berkeley, California two years ago. I have contacted the garden's horticulturist but he is on vacation and this is in sort of a time crunch.

Updated: From my memory the spread was quite big maybe a few feet, 2 or 3 feet, in width and the plant was as high as 3 feet? The width may be smaller but I do for sure remembering having to be on my tip toes to take this photo because i wanted this angle and I am 5 2" so it had to be somewhat tall. For sure though, this photo was taken in July.


texts: How much time does clover need to establish before winter?

texts:
I'm planting Mammoth Red Clover as a cover crop -- it will grow all next year in a couple of my garden beds, and I'll plow it under the following spring (~18 months from now). I'd like to get it started this fall, but I'm wondering: how much time does clover need to establish before really cold weather hits?

I'm in NH, USDA zone 5, frosts start in September, ground freezes hard by December.

(I'd rather lose 8 months of growing time than lose all/most of the seed to winter kill.)


texts: How do I stop woodpeckers from killing my beloved apple tree?

texts:
I have a really old Apple tree in the yard that seems to only produce every other year. (Anybody know what's up with that?)

The woodpeckers have done such a number on the trunk's bark, that it looks like a sieve.

Questions:

How do I keep the woodpeckers away?
Should I treat the bark with something like tar to fill in the holes?
I'm assuming there are some sort of bugs or something under the bark that the woodpeckers like. Is there some sort of pesticide or something I should spray on the trunk?


texts: Does Salsola grow better in standing water, or in a semi-dry environment?

texts: I'm trying to grow Salsola (land seaweed) this year, and was wondering if it's better to grow in a 5 gallon bucket full of water, or in a community garden plot that doesn't get watered more than about once per week.


texts: I was told to measure the pH of my soil to help identify some of the symptoms on my vegetable plants.  Does anyone have recommendations of a device I can purchase to measure soil pH?


texts: Plant identification: Small Pink flower on evergreen plant ~2"x2"x2"


texts: First ever homegrown cucumber was bitter

texts:
I consider myself a beginning vegetable gardener, even though I've been working with ornamentals for 30+ years.  After several years of trying, I've finally managed to get my first ever homegrown cucumber.  We don't go into all the failures as they are unimportant for this post.  After harvesting my first ever cucumber last night, we found the skin to be bitter.  If I'm not mistaken it's a burpless slicing varirety.

It was about 7" long, and about a 1" across (smaller than the standard ones you get in the grocery store around here).  I'm trying to narrow down what has causes the bitterness, and wondering if I can fix it for future fruit this year.

From what I've been reading, it seems like inconstant watering might be the most likely cause.  It gets water 3-4 times a week depending to temperature.

Any suggestions?


texts: How do I care for potted apple seedlings over the winter?

texts:
On a whim, this spring, I planted several apple seeds in a large pot just to see if they would grow. Two seedlings have come up and are very healthy looking, despite being munched by deer, and the hot, dry summer we had. They are about a foot tall with several branches and very leafy for their size.

I am very interested in keeping them going. Should I keep them inside in the winter, since they're in a pot? Should I transplant them now, before the ground freezes? I do want them to go through their winter cycle. I'm more concerned with the roots freezing than them drying out too much.

USDA Hardiness Zone 6 - Middle Tennessee.
Winters are fairly mild, but we do get one or two hard frosts and a couple of good snows. Occasionally we even get an ice storm.
The pot is a good 24inches (600mm) or so across at the top rim.
Both trees are in the same pot. The other seedling is an avocado tree.


texts: What kind of weed is this taking over the yard?

texts:
Can anyone identify this? It's starting to take over parts of my yard.

I'm in Chicago, if that helps.

Once we identify it, any recommendations to mitigate it?


texts: Next door has a large yew tree 30ft which is taking moisture from my lawn. How do I retain the moisture in the lawn. Thanks


texts: What's the best way to renovate mature pear trees?

texts:
Of the descriptions about renovating mature fruit trees this seemed useful: Fedco Trees Tips for Renovating Old Apple Trees

These images show trees that are fuller than the ones I am dealing with:

The trees I have are typically very tall and narrow and old (75 - 100 years). I would like to keep them. They will not be for commercial use. They will likely not get watered due to high costs. There typically is less than 1/2 inch of rain monthly for 3-4 months of summer with an annual rainfall of 25 inches in Julian, CA.

I would like to significantly reduce their height. How should this be approached over the recommended 3 year plan that is typically described? Not the details of each little snip but the main cuts to the structure, specifically the first year.

The example tree shown in the images below is 16' tall.


texts: Every year I grow wallflowers (Erysimum cheiri) for spring bedding in my garden. This year, as usual, I sowed them in July in order to plant out now in early November. However, unlike in previous years, most of them are now prematurely in flower (it has been fairly mild here recently). Do you think they will flower again at the normal time next spring? I live just north of London, UK. The variety, which I haven't grown before, is "Monarch Fair Lady".


texts:
I planted this fig tree a couple of months ago and although at first the leaves looked good, the new ones have been increasingly more yellowed. I'm not sure what I could be doing wrong, I water it once a week, a couple of times if the weather is above 90 during the day.

I realize the photo makes it look like there is grass underneath it, but that's just clippings, I've kept the area around it pretty clear of grass. I am in zone 8B.


texts: Is this rose canker? If not what is it? How to identify canker? My plant's stem has gone blackish at some places and woody in others. I tried looking into the available images on the net for canker, and I am confused if this is simply a woody stem or a canker. Also, how should a healthy 5.5 feet tall rose plant's stem look like? Green? Woody? Blackish?


texts: I planted a pineapple plant. Some leaves died. Tips of others died too. But, as you can see in the picture, most of it is green. It has been this way for months, and no new leaves grow. Is it dead? If not, what should I do to encourage growth?


texts: Cactus(Astrophytum) seedlings weather requirements

texts:
I live in Kerala, India, where the weather is humid dry. The temperature ranges from around 26 at night to 33 on daytime. My Astrohpytum seedlings are growing. They're 1.5 months old now. My questions are:
Do they need strong(morning to noon, and afternoon) sunlight?
Do they need good moisture content?
Right now i have 6 of them, kept in plastic containers, out of 12. All others just got narrowed into nothing. The stem becomes slim and dies off. That's what happened to the rest. Please tell me where i'm doing it wrong. Should i water it less? As far as i could understand, whenever i skip a day keeping the soil moist, one of them dies. I haven't covered them with any plastic wraps to keep the moisture. I appreciate any help given.


texts: Should I still add mulch on top of my garden bed when the soil already has mulch mixed in?

texts: I filled my raised garden bed with Kellogg's raised bed and potting mix and have planted my vegetables (plants, not seeds). I've read that it's best to add a layer of mulch on top but this brand of soil already has mulch mixed in. Should I still add an extra layer of mulch on top?


texts: The previous owner had a trampoline over one patch of grass, and there used to be a huge conifer over another area. Also, i accidently sprayed an area of the lawn with glyphosate, so it looks like all the patch has gone yellow and died. The covered parts have hard soil and the odd clump of grass coming out but they are mostly barren. What's the best way, and best time of the year, to get this lawn back in shape?


texts:
I planted a few pumpkin seeds in pots 2 to a pot and left in my greenhouse, after about 4 weeks I had 2 lovely looking plants in one pot each with 3 leaves, at this point I transplanted them each into there own bigger pot. Within about a week one and then the other went really limp, turned light green almost yellow and then died off.

I have been watering and each has been sat in a tray to ensure I don’t over water, any suggestions what I can do differently next time?

I am in the UK and April this year has been unseasonally hot.


texts: Can I gently harvest garlic greens throughout the season without stunting the bulbs?

texts: I cook for one and have 14 robust garlic plants. If I harvest one leaf from each cyclically (i.e. once every two weeks) will this depreciate bulb growth?


texts: Help identifying this perennial grass-like plant

texts:
I live in Ohio and just purchased a home that has this decorative grass-like plant that grows in tufts pictured here.  It didn't seem to bloom last year, but this year it did (then again, I accidentally killed all of it last year with the leaf blower because the elderly woman who owned the home couldn't take care of the leaves the last couple years).

Other Notes:

It's deer resistant, as prior owners chose a lot of deer resistant plants and
the deer seem to mostly ignore it.
It's a perennial.
It spreads like wildfire, as this year it has popped up randomly all over the yard.

Can anyone identify this?


texts: How can I recognize mould in the soil of potted plants?

texts:
Is this mould on my bonsai's soil?

If it is mould, how can I treat it?
How can I recognise mould in potted plants in general?


texts: I have several perilla/shiso plants grown from a batch of seeds. Right now all of them look spotty and yellowish rather than deep green like those you get from stores. Is this a disease or are they missing nutrients / particular minerals?


texts: How do I grow root vegetables in pots/grow-bags?

texts:
We have a flat (apartment) with no garden, but would love to grow root vegetables such as potatoes and carrots. Is it possible to grow these in a pot, container or grow-bag, or do they need too much depth for this?

If it is possible, what containers would be recommended? I assume deep pots - but would those get enough drainage?


texts:
When strimming grass to a nice quality short level the spool should always be tilted to one side so just the tips are cutting the grass? Is that right?

Should you always tilt the spool in the opposite direction of travel so that there is like a tail cutting the grass behind the spool?

I'm mostly strimming steep grass banks, so and tips much appreciated? Using bull horn industrial strimmers.


texts: Can ginger grown in a garden landscape be used as an edible spice?

texts:
Can flowering gingers like White Butterfly (hedychium) be eaten?

The rhizomes look and smell exactly like the ginger in grocery stores.


texts: What is this small brown pill shaped thing?

texts: These objects recently appeared in my house. They have a hard but very thin brown outer shell with indented circles around the cylindrical direction. The shell is only loosely attached to the underneath can be peeled off to reveal a smooth cream-coloured surface of the same shape. If that it squeezed, it bursts and liquid comes out, creamy both in colour and consistency. I live in the United Kingdom. What could this be?


texts: I have a small rhubarb plant and one of the stems has gotten some rust on it. What should I do? (there are only 3 small stems on the plant)


texts: Should I plant paperwhites that have started to grow?

texts: I received my order of paperwhites that I had ordered from a catalog and when I opened the boxes I saw that the bulbs have started to sprout.  Should I get them into the ground now or should I store them, even though they are sprouting, until November.  I received about 400  bulbs and want to plant them around all the trees on our property.  We have three lots.  I plan on planting Muscari around them on the outside of the tree perimeter.  We live in Missouri City, which is located in the Houston area (Zone 9).


texts: How do coffee grounds benefit potted plumeria?

texts:
I have heard that adding coffee grounds to the soil - as a top layer/mulch - help potted plumeria. But what about this helps the plant thrive?

Bonus Q: I have heard the same of banana peels.


texts: Can cherries be coppiced or cut at 1.20m, and stay alive?

texts:
I have an unknown-age cherry that has a significant damage at 1.40m originating from wind and snow breaking a large branch (or several ones). The wound is large, about half of cambium is missing, and the wound is longish (35cm). It also looks really ugly, and there is, it seems, no chance that it will look nicer in future.

Otherwise, the tree seems fine, and perfectly healthy, the tree is fighting with the wound successfully. The tree is a smallish cherry, less than 4m high, and doesn't grow anymore, it is probably one of ornamental ones. It is an upright tree, not weeping.

What are chances that the tree will regrow if I cut the trunk at 1.25m? And what about cutting the whole tree?

If such treatment makes sense, what would be a good time for cutting?

Another option is to plant an evergreen bush just beside the tree just to bring the wound out of sight.


texts: Please identify this flower with variety/species & color classification...?


texts: I live in zone 3 in Wyoming. It is a bold purple. The fragrance is amazing. The plant is about 10-12' tall and about 8-10' wide. I am moving and want to take it with me.


texts: What is this bluish-grey bug on my lettuce, and how do I treat it?

texts:
I have a planter with several lettuce plants and other plants growing on my balcony. Recently, all of "normal" leafy lettuces were rapidly overcome by a bug. A sawtooth, more mizuna-like lettuce was spared, as were sage, parsley, onions, and basil.

When I first saw this bug, I thought it was a fungus, because the bugs come so thickly clustered, and have this bulbous appearance to them like they are all outgrowths of the same fungus. Looking closer, I was able to see that some of them indeed have legs and move around, although some still look very much like unmoving lumps. In the picture I took for this post, they look entirely grey, but in person they definitely seem a little bluish.

When I first noticed them, they had spread so quickly to coat these inner surfaces of the leaves, that I went with the scorched earth strategy. I cut each lettuce back to a stump, and now they are slowly starting to sprout small leaves again. To my dismay, the bugs have already returned to one lettuce. I'm looking for a more permanent solution now. Any ideas?

UPDATE:

I tried @kevinsky's solution. Lacking a hose, I used a spray bottle and toothbrush, using the toothbrush to knock bugs off the leaves
So far, two days after implementing, I've only seen a few bugs reoccur. I've tried to be extremely proactive about disrupting returning bugs. I found that an easy way to find bugs is to shine a very bright LED behind the leaves at night (using my phone's flashlight)
Rinsing off the soap with a spray water bottle was less effective than I'd hoped, although not catastrophically so. It looks like some leaves sustained minor damage. Plants that weren't part of the treatment have some mottled yellow spots where (apparently) splashing from the soapwater spray hit them. For anybody at home trying this solution who also lacks a hose, I'd use a more dilute soap solution, or make sure to rinse the leaves with the spray bottle VERY enthusiastically.

Pending further updates, I'll make @kevinsky's answer correct.

Click for full size


texts: telegraph cucumber yellowish leaf and cracks

texts:
I have a variety of cucumbers planted and one telegraph cucumber plant seems to be having problems, leaves are more yellow and there are some cracks:

the plant is next to other types of cucumbers, Armenian and Cucamelon, and there other telegraph cucumbers also which are doing fine, here's all of them:

does this plant have some disease, can it be helped ?


texts: Can I measure chemical elements in soil myself?

texts:
What sort of equipment would one need to ensure that plant soil contains the right concentration of the 13 mineral nutrients necessary for plant growth? Specifically, can this be measured in real-time without involving sending samples to a lab?

As far I understand, it's vital that all the following elements are present: nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulfur, boron, copper, iron, chloride, manganese, molybdenum and zinc.

It seems like simply measuring pH gives only a rough estimate and is not a very precise indicator of the various element levels.


texts:
https://vimeo.com/326120553

I have a bubbling puddle of mud near my house. It's not my water or sewage lines, I already had the water company come check it out. It doesn't smell like natural gas. What else could it be?

Note that there are two patches, both around the base of the same tree.

There was some rainy weather recently, but this is only happening around the base of one tree.


texts: Why aren't my new echinaceas true perennials?

texts:
The purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) is one of my favorite flowers; it's easy to grow, cheap, spreads quickly (giving me lots of new plants to spread around) and looks good over a long season (I leave the seedheads up for the birds).

I so fell in love with purple coneflower that I planted other types as well, White swan, some of the Big Sky hybrids, and others.

I bought and planted in the spring, in well-draining loamy soil and full sun (watering them in, and appropriately until established), fed only early in the season with Osmocote giving them an opportunity to establish. To my disappointment, none of the newer varieties came back more than for one additional season (except for White Swan, which has done well.

I decided that either I know a lot less about gardening than I thought I did, the new echinaceas are weak, or maybe both.

Has anyone else had success with the newer echinaceas? Are some better than others? At this point, I don't even know why they're labeled as perennials.

Can anyone tell me why I am incapable of keeping the newer varieties? I am in zone 6b, but my microclimate is probably more like zone 6.


texts: Identify plant, and what to do with rocks

texts:
Can anyone identify this little tree/shrub/indoor plant? I got it from a neighbor who had it on her porch, among others, and it appears pretty healthy. It's in a 3" plastic pot, that rests in a faux rock holder.

I'm curious about the rock decor at the base of the plant. It's all glued together in one piece at the top of the plastic planter and is difficult to water, as the water sits on top of the rocks. I'd have to break it to remove. Should I remove the glued rocks? Or is this a kind of Plant that will continue to grow fine even though the rocks are against the base, and/or can it thrive with little water?


texts: Raised beds border - made of a dry stone wall

texts:
I find myself in the situation where I need to redo my raised vegetables and strawberry beds. I read What is a good alternative to pressure treated wood for raised beds? and Do chemicals leach from the sides of raised beds? which are excellent references and I was about to go with wood.

However, I have a huge heap of natural rocks (Griftstone and kind of granite and some others) which I got for creating, at some point in time, a dry stone wall in my garden which is a long slope.

I'm now wondering if I could use especially the griftstones to make a border of my raised beds. My main doubt is that the wall won't be closed. By definition there are holes and I'm afraid that water will dissolve the soil with time.

What do you think?


texts: Wondering why my Ocean Spider Plant is not thriving

texts: A friend of mines had given me this Ocean Plant about six months ago. It has not made the long spider babies that normally come out. I was wondering if someone can suggest what Im doing wrong or if this is the wrong plant that has the spider babies.


texts: Calculate maximal slope angle of tarrain above a retaining wall

texts:
I want to build a retaining wall in my garden with stones like that

(I don't know the english word for it, in German it is called "Pflanzsstein").

I.e. something like this:

My problem is that all manufacturers I found so far, assume in their standard cases that the terrain above the wall is flat without slope, for example like this:

Taking this image as example (70 degree angle of the wall), the maximal height with flat terrain above the wall would be 2 meters.

Suppose my wall has only 1,5 meters and the terrain above it has a slope angle beta. How can I determine the maximal slope angle beta that works for this example?

Is there any free software which does the calculations for me in this and similar cases?


texts: I planted banana plants (gifted by my neighbor who harvests bananas ever 6 to eight months) in my backyard. They are alive and growing for over 7 years at the rate of about 2 - 4 inches a year for the last 9 years. When I planted it was about 3 ft and now it is about 5 ft. my neighbor is astonished but could not find one good reason for this. He again gave me few more plants to grow in my backyard two years ago and these plants are relatively fast-growing (4 to 6 inches per year).  Can someone suggest a reason for the extraordinarily slow growth?


texts: What is this broad-leaved weed in my lawn and how do I kill it?

texts: I live in San Francisco, and this plant has invaded my lawn with a vengeance. Pics are below.  Its leaves/stems are slightly fuzzy, and its roots are kind of woody.  It pops up all over the place and I have a sinking suspicion that they are all connected via a common root structure.


texts: What is "parts" in this potting soil recipe?

texts:
I have this recipe that I found from my Granddad's place for making potting soil, for which I need 120 gallons (or for a 16 cubic foot raised box). The recipe calls for the following ingredients:

5 parts compost
4 parts lava sand
3 parts peat moss
2 parts cedar flakes
1 part soft rock phosphate
1/2 part something
1/4 part something 2

Could someone please help me with how much each of these ingredients are to make 120 gallons or 16 ft cubed? Thanks.


texts: We have this potted plant indoors that we bought in a garden shop about a year ago. It is now getting sick, so I am trying to research how to treat it. However, first I would like to know which species it even is. Can anyone help?


texts:
Looking to add some earthworms to my garden. What types of stores would carry them? I'm guessing Home Depot and Lowes, but I'm not certain.

(I'm in the US)


texts: I've read that ash changes the PH of soil, so I was wondering how it changes the PH.


texts: Why is my Schefflera losing healthy looking leaves?

texts: I bought two scheffleras from a grocery store a few days ago. I've never had this type of plant before, so I'm unsure of what is normal for it or not. One seems to be doing better than the other. The one in question might be due for a repotting since I can notice some roots poking through the bottom. I plan to do that asap.  What I'm concerned about is if I'm providing enough light and water so far. There are a lot of healthy looking leaves that are falling off. Temperature in the house is set at 80 F. There are some yellowing on the edges of certain leaves and black spotting in others. What could be the cause of this?


texts: Tips on lawn maintenance and weed control

texts: I have a lawn that is growing more and more weeds as the days go by. What is the best method of tackling this problem and returning my lawn to its former lush and green self?


texts:
It's about three month that I have bought this orchard.
I have have done Bottle test on my orchard soil. But my test results did not look  like what I have seen in internet. So I decided to post my pictures here to get help. I can't figure out percentage of clay/silt/sand from this bottle test. Maybe It's all clay with ab little bit of sand.
From the crack is in my soil I expect it's clay.


texts: Prevent green parrots dominating the bird feeder

texts:
We have a number of bird feeders hanging in our garden, and a reasonable number of different, interesting bird species visit them. We regularly see Blue Tits, Coal Tits, Woodpeckers, etc., as well as the usual starlings, etc.

There are large flocks of green parrots where we are, and several times a day, one or two of them will hog the bird feeders and chase off the other birds.

Is there anything we can do about this? We'd like to encourage more of the interesting species to visit, and discourage the parrots.

Location: West London.


texts: What part of the blueberry bush forms the blueberry?

texts: Does anyone know what part of the blueberry bush turns into the actual berry? Is it the flower, the bud, or something else? What should I be looking for?


texts: tree id needed - evergreen,two opposing leaves

texts:
Can you identify this tree?  It is in my backyard and might like to have it in other places as well. It is evergreen and grows very fast. This backyard is in zone 10a.    I have not seen any blooms or fruits.

Thanks

Pictures:

 - The branch going between left and right does not belong to the tree in this question.


texts: I got this at a Lowes in the clearance rack. Included is the slightly cryptic (to me) plant tag. I'm guessing the flower will be purple.


texts: Worms stay at corners of the compost bin

texts:
Everytime I turn the compost in the bin, once every ten days or so, I notice that almost all worms are in the corners really close together. Lots of them. They are not trying to escape, they just always feed there.
When I put a tray on top they get to the rest, because I've harvested a couple of trays, but I never find them in the middle of the top tray.
When I put the organic material I spread it evenly on the whole surface. I do not add dry grass or something like that, just the kitchen scraps and shells. I have one of these compost bins.
Is this the normal behaviour for worms? Should I be worried?


texts: Why is my avocado tree dying and how can I reverse it?

texts:
I live in the San Francisco Bay area of California. My avocado tree is about 50 years old. It has produced for about 35 years, some years better than others. In our area we are experiencing our fourth year of drought. My avocado tree is slowly losing its canopy. For the last couple of years it has dropped excessive leaves and some new growth just dies back. I really don't water since it's so large I don't know where to start. We did change around the base of the tree a couple years ago by covering the area around the entire tree with large river rock, just for aesthetics.

Is there any suggestions as to my problem?


texts: How should I diagnose leaf problems on these bonsai?

texts:
I have two informal maple bonsai (i.e., seedlings that I dug up from the garden and potted), both of which have some browning on their leaves:

Preliminary research indicates that this could be because of overwatering, underwatering, insects, fungi, or malnutrition (i.e., a lack of fertilizer). That's a wide field. Moreover, there's also a ficus that is doing just fine, with no browning at all.

The fact that the ficus is OK suggests that it's parasitic, since they're all on the same watering regimen.
There's adequate drainage and I check the soil before watering, so overwatering is unlikely to be the problem.
However, the browning only appears on the older leaves, not the newer ones, so maybe it's part of the lifecycle of the leaves?

But all that is wild speculation. Can anyone help me narrow this down?


texts: How to deal with suckers on a Bradford Pear Tree?

texts:
I have two Bradford Pear Trees at the front of my yard.  They were planted ~1997.  (The HOA requires all lots in the development to have them.)

Little sprouts that keep popping up from the ground around the trees.  Both trees do it, but one tree does it much more than the other one.

They appear to be sprouting from the roots of the tree itself.  They have leaves that do not match the tree at all.  Almost looks like a different plant, but they are absolutely growing from the tree itself (I dig into the soil to check).

I heave read online that these sprouts are called "suckers", and are a common problem with Bradford Pear trees, due to the shallow root system.

If left unchecked, the suckers will grow a few feet high and turn into bushes unto themselves.  So, I have been periodicaly cutting them down.  Currently they are low enough that the lawn mower keeps them in check.

Is simply cutting off the suckers the best way to deal with them?  Is there a good way to keep them from sprouting in the first place?


texts: Which of these Air & Pollution cleaning plants best fit a window/ balcony in Mumbai Weather?

texts:
Most of the previous threads around such plants are centered/ biased around western nations, so finding ones that fit this Asian/ Indian city is different and key.

Also, it would help apply to lots of people in polluted Asian cities.

Which of these plants would work best for outlined Mumbai Weather & conditions:

Better fit for Mumbai Weather
Pollution cleansing; If needed I can try to post pollutant information for a major crowded Metropolitan city in Asia like Mumbai
Low Maintenance for an apartment Window/ Balcony

Current window/ balcony is South facing; so should get enough sunlight except during days in monsoon where there is darker cloud cover
Tall sliding windows with a 8-12" ledge on outside and 8" ledge on inside of window. Open to suggestions that work for both inside and outside

Please advise on what would be a more fitting shortlist from these.

NASA Clean Air Plants & Reference Answers with recommendations on SE:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA_Clean_Air_Study
What are some houseplants that can clean the air, especially chemicals from cigarettes?
What are some low maintenance plant choices for apartment (indoor) living?
What houseplants will best filter the air for a retirement home?
Infographic - https://www.lovethegarden.com/community/fun-facts/nasa-guide-air-filtering-houseplants

Mumbai Weather Information:

Sources & More information:
http://www.worldweatheronline.com/mumbai-weather-averages/maharashtra/in.aspx
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_of_Mumbai
http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=30034


texts: plant identification and remove of seedlings/overgrow

texts:
first question, ever!

Location: north Italy (Alps)

My mother gave me some plant from her garden about 2 years ago which I then planted in my garden. According to her it's some kind of orchid, but she isn't sure either, and I doubt it too. However it makes briefly some nice flowers.

We had a rather mild/dry winter, this spring the plant/bush is now starting to grow out of control, and I would like to limit its growth: i want to keep the main "bush" and get rid of the seedlings. Where possible I'm considering to pull out the seedlings with roots, but I fear it may grow back again later. Alternatively I am also thinking to pour boiling/salty water far away enough from the main bush (e.g. on the tiles), but I fear that may damage the plant itself, grass and a nearby rose plant. Preferably I would like a pesticide-free method.

Questions:

1) What kind of plant is it?

2) How can i best remove the new seedlings?

2) What's the best I can do to make it stop overgrow in the future?

The next 2 photos are of April of the previous year, to help with identification and as comparison of how much it has actually grown.


texts: Cherry sapling has wilted leaves, dried trunk; is it dying?

texts:
I've posted earlier about my diseased cherry seedling.

Since then, all the leaves have wilted and curled to some amount and the trunk of the seedling itself looks like a dried stick.

Is this tree living its final days out? And if it is, is there anything I can do about it?

My location is Ontario in Canada.


texts: If I cut a 3" tree root, and one side drips, which way is the tree?

texts:
I'm looking at the middle of a 3" tree root, that's intruded under a slab and along plumbing.  How can I determine "which direction to the tree"?

I've cut a section out of this root.  One end is damp, the other is literally dripping water (and has dripped for days).  Given the position of the root, either way could be the tree trunk.  Digging to find out which is not practical.

Is there any such thing as a tracer die that can be injected, then found on the tree trunk?


texts: Plant identification - what plant is this?

texts: A neighbor left their plants in the hallway with a sign of “please take me” when they moved out. I took this one because I like it, but I’m not sure how much sun or water needs and I don’t have my ex neighbor contact. Could you please help me to identify the plant? :)


texts:
I bought a house a couple months ago and I don't know anything about garden care but trying to learn :) My front yard in a great shape but backyard is bad. I think I have a mole problem and more than green grass I have weed. I am so ready to start to take care of my garden with some help. I just don't know where to start. I am planning on buying scotts grubex and tomcat mole worms. I will also apply Southern Ag 2,4-D Amine Weed Killer and for some areas I will use Compare-N-Save Concentrate Grass&Weed Killer to install new sod. What are the steps? Can I use grubex first then a couple days later use weed killer and wait a week then install sod. Would it work?

Thank you
Here some photos. I am open to any suggestions.

https://ibb.co/gjGAwJ

https://ibb.co/kYrSbJ

https://ibb.co/hduDGJ

https://ibb.co/kr2B3y

https://ibb.co/h38ZOy

https://ibb.co/c8Yeqd


texts:
Avocado tree is approx. 24" with numerous leaves at the top.

How should I plant it outside (big pot because they say Seattle soil isn't good)?

Do I need to bring it in in the winter?


texts: What are the health concerns of burning with motor oil?

texts:
I know someone who insists on using new, unused motor oil to burn garden waste (in a garden area). Somehow, I'm pretty sure this can be bad for the garden and/or people's health who eat the stuff grown in the garden.

Can you please tell me what, if anything, is wrong with this (besides risk of burns and fire spreading)?

Also, can you tell me healthy alternatives that I can suggest that would work just as well? (If unused motor oil indeed makes the ashes unhealthy for the garden, I mean.)


texts:
So I’ve had this Marigold for a few months so far, and now it seems to be dying. Can I still save it? Shall I replant it? or cut the flowers ?

Any advice could help. I live in Costa Rica central valley, can be sunny half a day and the other half raining. I keep my marigold on the balcony, it gets a few hours of sun, and the rain doesn’t get to it.


texts: Will a Cedar tree survive if a portion of bark is missing?

texts: Will a cedar tree survive if a portion of its bark is removed?  I found someone had removed a strip (2'x5') from a tree on my property.  I was told it was going to be made into a cedar hat.  I am worried that the tree may not survive the winter.


texts: How can you tell if a ponytail palm tree is dying?

texts: I'm worried my ponytail palm is dying because its leaves are falling off and there's black stuff on the top. Can you tell me if and how I can save this plant?


texts: What kind of plant/bush/whatever is this?

texts: This has been growing in my flower bed for a a couple of months.  It sprouted up by itself.  I don't know how it got there on anything about it.  Hope someone recognizes it.


texts: Calorically dense crops that can be grown in southern Ontario, Canada?

texts:
I'm experimenting with growing my own food, and have been for a few years now.  My goal, in the very long term, is to be able to homestead and grow as much of my own food as I can.  In terms of sheer number of pounds of food grown, I think that zucchini is the most prolific.  However, it's not very highly caloric.  I'm interested in growing a substantial number of calories, so I'd like to know which crops might be best for that, in my area, which is southern Ontario, Canada.

I believe that  I'm just outside of the zone I need to be in to grow something like soy, or even peanuts, without some kind of greenhouse.  I'd be interested in trying some grains.

In short: I mean that I want crops which produce the greatest number of harvestable calories for a given amount of land.


texts: Can I prevent my spider plant from growing more leaves?

texts:
I have a spider plant (chlorophytum comosum) that I have raised since he was still attached to his parent.  He is in a small (2 inch diameter) pot and lives on my desk in indirect sunlight all day, growing like a champ.  Today I noticed he began his eight leaf.

I would like him to stop at eight leaves.  Is there any way I can stop or discourage further leaf growth while keeping the plant alive?


texts: What Fungus is this? Is this a good or a bad fungus?

texts: I found this web-resembling white colored fungus(or spider webs? highly unlikely) on the soil in one of my houseplant(Devil's Ivy). I have no idea about this or any other fungus. Here are the pics:


texts: Any weedkillers that are safe for Catnip and Catmint?

texts: I have an area full of catmint and catnip that I'd like to spray to control for weeds.  Unfortunately, all the "Kills weeds and not your lawn" products I could find will target for catmint/catnip.  Anyone know of any safe herbicides that won't kill my catmint/catnip?


texts: What are these gall like growths on my spuds?

texts:
I noticed a volunteer potato plant in the garden a month or so ago which I thought was cool. It's just now at the tail end of winter in the southern hemisphere.
Today I noticed that it had gall like growths where lateral stem branches occur, and where you'd expect to see an axillary bud.  They don't look like tubers so what are they?


texts: If leaves come off a plant with little resistance, does that always mean they're dead?

texts: Spent flowers and old brown leaves tend to fall off at a slight touch. Sometimes reasonably green ones do as well though. If a leaf or flower comes off without having to pull or snap anything, does that always mean it has reached the end of its life? Or do I need to be more delicate as these loose leaves are still living?