texts: What are some good plants to put in a guild built around plums/stone fruit?

texts:
I'm starting a small orchard of stone fruit trees -- just a few hundred square feet. I will be putting in plums next spring, and I'm thinking about what to plant between/around them. In the lingo of permaculture, I'm building a guild.

I'm in New Hampshire -- USDA zone 5 with a short growing season, heavy annual snowfall, and fairly reliable year-round precipitation.

The soil in this orchard-to-be isn't in great shape: rocky, shallow (about 4' to bedrock), acidic, and lacking nutrients. I know it needs improvement and I plan to add (have already started) manure, compost, and lime to correct the nutrient gap, organic matter, and pH. It's a well drained, silty loam.

Both white pine and sugar maples are growing natively, along with a lot of beech and black cherry. Understory includes blackberry and ferns I have yet to identify. It's downhill from the house, garden, and part of the lawn, so there's a potential to capture (if I want to) quite a bit of moisture. Eric Nitardy identified this environment in a comment below as "a Northern Dry-Mesic Forest. Dry, where the Pines do well, and mesic, where the sugar maple and beech do well."

The site is on an east-facing gentle slope with full sun.

Specifically, I'm looking for suggestions for compatible plants in the following growth zones:

ground cover -- probably a perennial nitrogen-fixer that will tolerate shade from the trees; I'd consider mixes.  Does it make sense to plant something like strips of oats or barley in the cross-paths (for straw mulch and seed for the following year's cover crop)?
"understory" -- the plums won't be very big, so anything in the space between the plums and the ground cover can't be too tall or spreading. Future trees will be bigger. Small fruiting shrubs or something low like comfrey or rhubarb.
"canopy" -- 3-4 larger trees to be planted north and east of the orchard; primarily to provide protection from harsh winds. These will also help as a wind break for the house and summer vegetable garden. I'm thinking about a combination of a fast growing native like white pine, some kind of nut, and perhaps a cluster of birch or a sugar maple.

Attributes I'm trying to capture:

Dual-purpose plants -- pick two or more of nitrogen-fixing, soil-improving, attracts pollinators, has visual appeal, produces mulch, is edible, scares away deer and woodchucks to a distance of 500', etc.
Perennials (ideally) or annuals that produce lots of easily harvestable seed (e.g. oats, sunflower).
Plants that do not spread aggressively. I don't want to have to be constantly keeping "bullies" under control out there.
Roots that do not wander too far -- the leach field for my septic system is about 30' away from the north edge. Willows are not a good choice for the canopy...

(Side note: I realize this is asking for a lot, and I'm planning on doing a bunch of my own research, but I will upvote answers that provide a couple of plants that would work well together in this guild.)


texts: What causes holes through forsythia branches?

texts:
I was pruning some forsythia, and I noticed that there was a hole through the center of many of the major woody parts. It looks as if (only) the pith had been bored out. I'm wondering what could cause this, or if it's common.

I saw only a few mentions of this online: one question with no answer and another that seems to suggest that this is normal in older wood.

I hope the description is adequate; I could take a picture of the trimmings if it's not clear (not my plants and I didn't think to snap a picture). The plants are otherwise reasonably healthy-looking, and flowered well this past season. Is this normal/common in healthy forsythia? Wood-boring insects?


texts: Does anyone know what type of chilli plant this is?

texts: I posted photos here last year but the plant was too young to produce fruit. Here are new photos of the same plant with chilli's growing on it. What type of chilli plant is this? My uncle was told the seeds were a Thai fire chilli, but there are so many varieties of them. Is this an ornamental plant?


texts:
Yesterday I purchased a plant from Ikea Egypt, called Brassisca Pink. I have tried to search Google and wikipedia for any details about this plant, but I could not able to find anything. I have transferred it into the permanent jar and shot it the following photo:

I need to know any documented information or data about this plant, including the scientific name, how to cultivate it, does it need strong sun light?, etc


texts: Golden Pothos Leaves Are Regularly Dying

texts:
I have a very interesting set up and had questions about the differences across our factory floor.

We have three columns of Golden Pothos that are numbered about 96 plants (unless the irrigation failed on one and I removed the plant before it died) per column:

The irrigation is set up for a hose to connect to about my chest height.  The water travels through the plastic hose to the top of the column.  From here the water gets distributed through regulators to each plant.  There is a regulator every two rows.  It's kind of a nightmare.

Previously the pots were self-watering, but we had huge issues with proper drainage and we lost almost every plant.  This time we made sure each plant had a large amount of drainage.  This also has the effect of the higher plants draining into the lower plants.  This set up seems to work well, to ensure more even watering across the board.

However, I am regularly finding about 4 to 6 leaves that are dead per plant, about every two weeks.  Is this volume normal?  I know this question was asked before, but my set up is atypical.  We have other plants in the area that seem to be doing much better as far as die-off is concerned.  I only remove one or two leaves per two or three plants.  They are also pictured:

The other plants are watered by hand.  I also water the columns by hand every week I don't water using the irrigation (every other week)

So why what appears to be a significant difference?  What can I do to help the columned plants grow better?  Is there anything that we're doing wrong?


texts: Why do the leaves on my black fig tree have white patches?

texts: I bought a fig tree from a local DIY store. It has started developing these white patches. Does anybody know what they indicate?


texts: My Cherry tree saplings are drying and dying, and I'm not sure why

texts: I have two cherry tree saplings here in Bogotá Colombia. It's sunny and not raining much, with 20 °C (80 °F) During the day, dropping to around 8/9 °C at night (47 °F). I'm watering around a cup of water or a bit more every two or three days depending on how sunny it is. The saplings are in large separate pots in a balcony, behind other pots so as to not suffer from wind. I want to ask if it's too late and if not what steps could be taken, and what seems to be the issue.


texts: Should I leave fallen apples (windfall) to rot under the tree?

texts:
I'm co-maintaining a small orchard. Often, noone will look after it for a while. Nature conservation and tree/ecosystem health is more important for the group of maintainers than a high yield.
After and during harvest season, there are naturally a lot of apples on the ground, mostly windfall, I guess, maybe a few from shaking and not collecting. Many of them are good to eat, but still a lot aren't collected by anyone and just rot. I'm wondering whether that's good or bad. Should we leave the rotten apples on the grass, or should we remove them?
Pro leaving: The apples contain the nutrients the tree will need in the next season. Leave them there to let the tree reabsorb them.
Pro removing: The apples will attract all sorts of bugs and possibly illnesses (bacteria, funghi) that are harmful for the apple tree. Remove them, compost them, and apply the compost after 2-3 years.


texts: Will amaranth directly seeded into grass grow?

texts:
In USDA ZONE 4A finally thawing out, and I plan to grow some amaranth this summer for grain/lettuce, so I was wondering if it would be acceptable to plant amaranth directly onto the soil right now (where waist-height grass grows), and let it germinate, or should I probably grow it the traditional way of planting it on top of soil, then water it.

We have a huge field next to where I want to spread the seed, so if it becomes invasive we wouldn't care.


texts: Autumn Revolutions bittersweet not fruiting

texts:
Two years ago, I planted the Autumn Revolutions cultivar of bittersweet near a garden trellis. The vines took over the trellis quite nicely, but it has not fruited.

I know most varieties of bittersweet require both a male and female plant to produce fruit, but this cultivar is supposed to have both male and female parts on the same plant, and thus be self-fertile.

I did try to plant two separate vines on either side of the trellis, but only one thrived.  I have not seen any flowers on the established plant either year.

I am about to re-plant the second vine, but was wondering if I there is anything else I can do to encourage fruit production on the established plant.

Perhaps the plant I purchased was faulty and did not actually have both the male and female parts?


texts: Harvesting tomato seeds and planting the same year

texts:
I just saw this question: Harvesting sunflower seeds and planting the same year

Now I wonder whether the same is valid for tomatoes, too? About a month ago, I started harvesting the first tomatoes of a fast-ripening variety (42 Days) here[1]. Would it be possible to start a few new plants this year?

The current plants are already dying, so I hope to get at least some more before winter... (Don't know why, that would likely be the topic of another question.)

[1]Middle of Germany, equivalent to hardiness zone 8b.


texts: What is this large bushy plant, found in Somaliland?

texts: Please help me to identify this shrub. It's commonly found here in Somaliland.


texts: What could be causing my top kakis' leaves to turn yellow and sick?

texts:
These two kaki were planted last year, and I was thinking there were doing pretty good.

But as you'll see on the pictures, leaves are really light green, and the topmost ones show brown and black spots or cracks... What could be doing this? What should I do?

From what I understood, the pH of the soil is not very important for this plant ( mine is calcareous). And I see no issue at the ground level on the little trunk...

My guess is some mineral deficiency. Any clue welcome.

Kali leaves yellowing

Kali leaves yellowing


texts:
My flower beds have landscaping fabric covering them, with 2-3 inch depth of mulch sitting on top.

Are there any ways to feed my plants that don't require me to remove the fabric and mulch? Up until now, all I have done is water them.


texts: Practical to feed a pond from an existing stream on the property?

texts:
Our garden has a stream on one border of it, and I'm considering adding a pond.  I'm curious if it'd be practical to pump water from the stream into the pond, and then have an overflow that fed down a small run back into the stream?

I know very little about garden ponds at the moment.  I think generally with a liner pond it can be hard to get the nutrient/pH balance correct, and I wondered if feeding it from an existing stream would help or hinder?

Obviously any pump needs to have a filter on it, but it won't come close to purifying the water, so it'll certainly be different to having a pond that's filled from the tap/rainwater.

At a rough guess we'd be looking at a 3-5 cubic metre pond, and the rate of flow into it from the stream could be chosen to be anything depending on the pump used.

Maybe it's a stupid idea, in which case let me know and set me straight!

Thanks


texts: Why are blackberry plants typically named for Native American tribes?

texts:
Whenever I see blackberry plants for sale, it always seem like they're named for a native American tribe. There's Navaho, Apache, Arapaho, Kiowa. The only ones I know of that don't follow this trend are the triple crown blackberries.

Is there a reason for this trend?


texts: What causes young peppers, lettuce, arugula and basil to "faint", dry out and die?

texts:
I'm planting in an indoor garden (with artificial lighting). This happens with some plants:

They "faint" and after some days dry out and die. This doesn't happens with some other plants but it happens with peppers, lettuce, arugula, basil. I don't think the trouble is the light nor nutrients in the soil (I have other plants in similar conditions thriving extremely well, mostly cucurbitaceae, tomatoes, beans, java plums, etc). Today I conjectured that it could be the heat. Do you have any idea why this happens?


texts:
I recently moved into a new house. A tree in the backyard does not seem to have a "main" trunk. It has a lot of branches coming from the ground. What should I do with it? Remove it? Trim it, if so how? Leave it?

Pictures below:


texts: l have this neon pothos, not sure if it's variegated (l suppose so) cause it has real neon leaves on top and the variegated one at the bottom, but the older leaves have these marks shown in the picture. Does anybody know what those are?


texts:
Which plant is this?
It has frosty leaves and white-pink flower and some purple underdeveloped flowers.


texts: How to differentiate between Portulacaria Afra and Crassula Ovata?

texts:
The answers to this question have two different answers.

Someone believes here it is Crassula, most probably Crassula Ovata ("jade" plant).
But the other answer claims this is Portulacaria Afra a.k.a. Elephant Bush (funny name)

I would have thought the initial answer about Crassula was the right one, but now I see the picture of the other, Portulacaria, and I don't know what to think anymore.

here is Crassula Ovata(creds. to wikipedia):

and here is Portulacaria Afra (creds. to wikipedia):

Indeed from the initial question, leaves are very similar to both:

And wiki says it:

  Similar in appearance to the unrelated "jade plant"!

I recon flowers would help see which one it is. But if there's none?
Any idea how we could differentiate them when they are not bearing flowers?


texts: How close can I plant a clematis to a small climbing rose

texts: I am planting a clematis with Rosa Creme de la Creme.  I do not have room to leave 3ft between the two.  Can I plant them closer


texts: What is the best way to mass produce willows?

texts: I get asked this frequently from people who want to propagate a row full of willow trees for a hedge, or setting up for basket making.


texts:
I have had an orange tree (Valencia Orange) for roughly a year now, and it is currently a 30-something inches sapling.

It so far was looking healthy, but in the past couple days, some new leaves it had been making appear to be drooping (is wilting the right term? See picture below)

Is it because it needs more water? (I have it indoors, in my office, and winter in New York can be quite dry. The temperature itself is never too cold, as it's indoors; and for the past week or so I have started misting the leaves 2-3 times a day with a spray filled with plain water.) Or could it be a lack of nutrients, or something else?

Thank you!


texts: Counteracting Black Walnut or Cedar mulch

texts: I heavily mulched both my garden and food forest with mulch and later learned that the mulch contained Black Walnut and/or Cenar chippings. As a result, I can tell you exactly which plants are susceptible to harm from it. Is there anything that I can add to the mulch layer that will mitigate the allelopafhic affect of this mulch? I"m going to try Epsom Salt to see if that helps.


texts: How can I make a cedar hedge appear more dense than it is?

texts: Is there anything I can plant on the inside base of a cedar hedge to make it appear more dense without damaging the cedar ie., ferns?


texts: Separate multiple lemon sprouts planted in a single container

texts: I recently germinated and planted lemon seeds. So far they have sprouted and are healthy. My concern is, I planted about 2-3 seeds per container, and now I have about 2 sprouts in each container. When I need to transplant them, do I need to separate the sprouts and plant them individually? Or can I leave them together? Will it be two trees in one pot eventually? Or turn to one tree?


texts:
Recently bought a new house, and we have a cryptomeria planted about 10' away from it. It's currently about 20' tall and healthy.
I know cryptomerias can grow very tall and we do not want to allow for that. The tree is too close to the house and we don't want the risk of it ever falling onto the residence. The current height is perfect.
What is the best way to prune it for height control?


texts: Identifying a potential Greengage Plum tree

texts: We think that this is a plum tree, but we are not 100% sure and just wanted to confirm that there aren't any poisonous look-alikes out there before we taste one. From the small size of the fruit we think that they might be Greengage plum trees. The trees are in the backyard of our house in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada in Northern California. Any confirmation or feedback would be greatly appreciated.


texts:
I am looking to maintain a small patch of loose rock/pebbles in my yard:

There's a fair bit of weed growing through the pebbles. I am hesitant to use Glyphosate as its an over kill and I've heard has carcinogens.
How could I make an effective weed killer at home ? (Preferably using everyday ingredients (like vinegar etc), and not harmful chemicals)


texts: What is this white stuff under the leaves of my fruit trees and how do I get rid of it?

texts: i took this picture like thirty mins ago off of one of many fruit trees I own. I also would like to get rid of what ever it is so it doesn't affect the fruit that is growing.


texts: Why isn't my basil pesto perpetuo doing well?

texts:
I have a basil pesto perpetuo (a variegated variety of basil) I'm growing because it just looks and smells nice (not to eat).  It supposedly likes sun (it's in a pot next to a window that gets plenty of afternoon sun) and lots of water.  The soil is never-before-used potting soil.  It's gotten a lot taller since I bought it.
However, many of its leaves are just falling off.  If you breath on it hard, leaves fall off.  Why isn't it doing well?


texts: Will a galvanized container leach Zinc and "Trim" the roots? Are there other effects?

texts:
I have heard that a galvanized container such as this one for a raised bed will leach zinc and "trim" the roots. What do they mean by this?

Would the increased zinc be bad for raising food plants? I was planning on growing bamboo in them but having a couple more for  food plots would be awful convenient.


texts: What is this houseplant with woody stem and varigated leaves?

texts:
What is the name of the plant pictured below and what is its watering cycle?

Thanks in advance


texts: Do toxic mushrooms that grow near a plant affect its edible / poisonous traits?

texts:
Some facts:

I have some Basil growing in a pot, for the past 7-8 months, with some Thyme right next to it.
Last week some mushrooms grew on the soil in-between them and under the Basil.

What I know:

These mushrooms are only the fruiting body of the underground Mycelium present in the soil, and probably came with the soil itself.
Mushrooms feed on dead organic matter.
These mushrooms probably grew due to high-moisture and convenient temperature - possibly caused by over-watering of the pot.

What I am not asking:

This question is not about the mushroom, its identification and / or classification. For the purposes of what I am asking - this is a toxic mushroom species.

What I am asking:

I am asking about the Basil plant (or the Thyme).

Assuming the mushrooms touched the Basil (or Thyme) leaves - can the Basil (or Thyme) still be consumed safely?

If not - is trimming the leaves that came in contact with the mushrooms, and getting rid of the mushroom safely safe, or should the whole plant be treated somehow?


texts: I've just received a small plant in a tiny pot. I read somewhere that you should not repot in an enormous pot but in one that's a bit bigger. This makes no sense to me. Why wouldn't I just pick the pot that will accommodate the full size that the plant will grow to (in a few years) and immediately put the plant in this sized pot to avoid future repots?


texts: I liked the plant I spotted in the city - but what is it?

texts:
I walked down a street tonight, and spotted an unusual plant that I liked very much. Can you perhaps ID it?

How come this plant flowers in November?

Pictures were taken today, continental european climate zone 8a.

First four pics are all of one specimen, and the fifth one pictures another specimen, but apparently of the same species.


texts:
I tilled an area about 3 feet from a large Crape Myrtle (all the way around), about 6 inches down. I did indeed get a lot of small roots (like pencil thick) and a couple large ones (about wrist thick) that I had to chop and remove. Will some of these be replaced by the tree? I really hope I didnt kill the tree.

*EDIT: it's been 2yrs & 1mos (Jan 2019) and the tree is still standing strong!


texts: How to completely overhaul a weedy flower bed

texts:
So I recently moved into my home, and the front flower gardens are overrun with weeds and honestly I don't know the difference between the flowers, plants and weeds. I want to gut it entirely (with the exception of two small bushes) and start over planting.

(I can't add pictures.) There is a dark green thorny looking brush/bush with some red on it, looks kind of like ivy but pointy and sharp. It pricks my fingers to touch the edges of it. From what I can gather from my neighbors, the other one over growing is a "wild grape" bush. They grow up all the fences for 3 of my neighbors and myself on top of taking over my front garden. The rest are small thick grass looking ones that are white at the bottom.

I haven't even the slightest idea of where to start on this project. I have seen many posts saying spray herbicide. Will this work on the larger weeds/plants (like 2 foot high)? Will this affect the small animals in my area (we have lots of feral cats and squirrels) and how will it affect the couple of bushes that I would like to save?

Once I put this down how long do I wait to start pulling them up? Should I cut the top parts of these maybe with shears or a chain saw? I'm sorry for all the questions I just have no clue where to start, I just know that it looks awful and I want to start it all over.

I cant seam to figure out how to add pictures. the main one is a dark green thorny looking brush/bush with some red on it. it pricks my fingers to touch the edges of it.(it looks kind of like ivy but pointy and sharp)  And from what I can gather from my neighbors the other one over growing is a "wild grape" bush. They seam to be growing up all the fences for 3 of my neighbors and myself on top of taking over my front garden as well.  the rest as small thick grass looking ones that are white at the bottom.


texts: What is a good distance to grow coconut tree from house and compound wall?

texts:
I am planning to plant the following trees in my new home (yet to build). I think I will not get much space between house foundation and compound wall. What is the recommended space to grow the coconut tree?

Coconut Tree
Teak Tree
Lemon Tree
Jack Fruit Tree

Do you recommend any trees (Hot climate - India) that will not damage the house foundation but will give sun shade along with other benefits?


texts: What is wrong with my indoor cherry tomato plant?

texts: I recently noticed a few gnats and added some mosquito bits to the water which I use to water it with... not sure if it is related though.


texts: Why are the south side leaves gone before the north side leaves? - Ray wood ash

texts:
This is a ray wood ash:

I'm trying to figure out why the south side leaves are falling before the north side leaves. My guess is that it's some vascular cycle having to do with the branch thickness. That is, the south side leaves stem from thicker and longer branches, so the tree would... well... yeah... I don't know what they would or wouldn't do. I'm just thinking that the south side branches have been around longer, so their vasculature is more optimized for absorbing chlorophyll (among others) from the leaves. I really don't know. Thoughts?


texts: What products can I use to hang herbs under a fluorescent light?

texts:
I have a window-like opening between my kitchen sink and the adjacent room.  On the ceiling of the opening is a fluorescent light, and ideally I'd like to set up a long rectangular hanging basket underneath.  I would also like ideally to use an adjustable chain so that I can keep the plants at a constant distance from the light as they grow.

I'm wondering what options might be available.  I found some correctly shaped baskets online, but can't seem to figure out what to search for regarding adjustable hanging hardware.


texts: Identify a plant with a woody trunk and big, long, green leaves with yellow edges

texts:
Follow up to these questions:

Identify a plant with pronounced white veins on dark green ovate leaves
Identifying a flower basket - Plant 2

For Mother's day I bought my mother a basket with three different kind of flowers. She wants to take them out of the basket and into their own pots, and needs to know what plants are they to take proper care of them.

The basket's label is extremely helpful stating just "Flower Basket" and nothing else.

My mother knows quite a bit of gardening but doesn't know these specific plants and asked me to help her identifying them, but my gardening knowledge is negative so I think that together we average 0 knowledge altogether.

These are the pictures of the third plant in the basket, would it be possible to identify it?

Thank you very much!


texts: Should I use epsom salt foliage spray on giant sunflowers?

texts: I'm currently growing some giant sunflowers. I really want them to be as big as possible. I'm wondering how good it would be to spray them twice a week with a epsom salt, gypsum and / or saltpeter spray?


texts: What is this plant with flowers that resemble butterflies?

texts: Living in Toowoomba Queensland Australia, trying to identify this plant.


texts: Can I move a 13 year old Wisteria from the ground to a container?

texts: My Wisteria has been growing well in its current spot for about 13 years but has become too large for the fence that first supported it.  It measures about 6ft and I would like to re-position it to the front garden where it can climb the front of the house.  At present, it grows happily in a flower bed and and would be transplanted into a large tub or enclosure.  Is any of this possible?


texts: Soil improvement for poor-producing squash for next year

texts:
I have two 8x4 raised beds that I grow various vegetables in, alternating tomatoes in one or the other with the other being squash, cucumbers, zucchini, pumpkin, and a few other vegetables.
This year, my squash and zucchini didn't really work out.  Cucumbers were amazing, but I got only a couple of small zucchini and one or two small squash, no pumpkins. I had a ton of male flowers, but nearly no female flowers (none on the two Pumpkin plants, who constantly had 5-6 male flowers each, and one or two at the most on each squash).  (I seem to always have either the Cucumbers succeed, or the Zucchini/squash, never both; I assume it's something related to how they like the soil.  Sigh.)
My guess is I overshot on nitrogen in the soil, from what I've read; I tend to amend a fair amount of mushroom compost in each year, and perhaps I put too much in.  (I'm mostly organic, I don't tend to use any -icides or fertilizer other than compost).  From what I've read, too much nitrogen leads to only male flowers.
What can I do now (in the fall) to make it so the soil is a better balance next year?  Will it likely be better simply by using up the nitrogen to grow this year, and I simply can amend less or no compost?  Or is there something I can do at this point to help it out, that's ideal to do in the fall?
(Of course, I'm going to swap beds next year, but I tend to treat both beds the same, so I'm assuming the tomato soil will similarly be high-nitrogen, unless tomatoes and peppers eat up a lot more nitrogen than squash/peas/cucumbers).
If it's relevant, the beds are 8x4 feet, with probably 1-1.5 feet of soil depth, and I tend to add about six bags of compost each - 1.5 cu ft bags, roughly - every year.


texts:
I first adopted my K. Blossfeldiana about a year ago from a friend of mine. When I got it, the flowers had all wilted and were falling off. Since then, it only blossomed around 2 or 3 flowers (single flowers, not bunches). Moreover, the bigger leaves fell off and new leaves never grew to the same size. Still, it never stopped growing more stems and leaves and is much larger now than it was when I first got it.

What worries me about it is that some of the leaves are yellowing and that some of the leaves curl inward towards the stem. The yellowing leaves aren't crispy, but soft. I expect this is due to overwatering, so I'm not overly worried about it. I've reduced my waterings since then. At times, the leaves will bend downwards from their base at the stem. The leaves themselves will look fine, but they won't be perpendicular to the stem. Is that normal? If not, any comment on what the cause could be is greatly appreciated.

Finally, the tallest stem is somewhat flimsy and is leaning to the side. Is it normal for it not to hold its form?

There probably isn't much wrong but I am somewhat of a doting plant owner and want to make sure my plant is doing fine. There are pictures of the plant linked below. Thanks in advance!


texts:
I have a practical question about a garden irrigation system I'm thinking about creating. Instead of connecting this "drip system" to my faucet which only has expensive water from the government, I'd like to connect it to a water barrel that collects rain water.

I have the current setup in mind (apologies for my programmer art):

A hose is running through my 4 garden beds (only two drawn). I figure the total hose length would be about 15 meters, with a diameter of I guess 1 cm (typical garden hose). I would then make holes in the hose, and connect smaller tubes. I got this idea from http://www.prettyprudent.com/2011/03/prudent-home/irrigation-system-for-raised-bed-garden-2/

The question I have would be: is the system of "communicating barrels" enough to ensure the water from the barrel reaches all the way to the end of the hose? Or would I need a pump to ensure pressure? Is there a way to calculate these things?

Thanks in advance (I haven't bought anything yet)!


texts: I recently noticed the internal needles on my cedar (pretty sure they're cedar) trees are turning brown and falling off. There's some sort of insect all over them too that looks like they're making nests out of spit. Are the bugs the cause of my trees' poor health? If so, what are they and how do I get rid of them?


texts:
We have evergreen trees that are approx. 55 feet tall.  I am not sure the name of this type of evergreen, but is has short needles and the branches fall like a canopy and produce very small pinecones.  Next door to our property they are intending to build right next to our property line where the trees are and we are concerned about damage to their root system.  We have been here for 30 plus years and love our trees.  The questions are:  (a) how far does the root system extend?; (b) what can be done to protect the root system? (c) if they dig so close to the trees would it be likely that they will die?

The area the new trees would be planted face north, they get some early morning light and afternoon light.  Not sure about the soil, but there are scattered trees in this area already but not as a border, so there are quite a bit of root system in the area, but the new trees should be planted a couple of feet away from the existing trees.  The trees would be along the back of the lot and our lot is approx 63 ft wide.  Also, if we would request 2 lines of trees for privacy/noise levels, do you think that is feasible or how far do such big trees need to survive?

One other question I have is if we want to plant additional trees to line the property line, are there fast growing columnar evergreens for privacy that we can plant or what type of tree could we plant for privacy as they are building a 3 storey, 36 foot tall building right beside our property line which apparently will be 40 foot wide.


texts: Identification of a plant: Green Leaves with Red Streaks

texts:
Hi! I'm new to gardening and this is my second plant. The first one (a Sedum Plant) [unfortunately :(] died.
The gardener in me hasn't yet though! Or so it seems! So, I've bought this plant recently. I want to be better at taking care of it and do not want to repeat the sad episode again! I couldn't figure out how to find its name so that I could Google around and know more about the caring specific to the plant.
So, Please help me identify the plant!
Thanks for your time! :)

EDIT: Google Image search showed me a few very similar plants but all without the red streaks.


texts: Which basil has the strongest licorice flavor?

texts:
This is my first year growing basil. I'm growing Spicy Bush Globe basil, this year. However, I've found that it doesn't have the licorice-type flavor I'm used to with basil. It tastes like a mix between mint and those spicy gumdrops that are coated in sugar, although the effect after having eaten it is more pleasant than that sounds, I think (and strangely, it makes my tongue a bit numb, and later it makes me salivate in a way that feels pleasant). At first, I was a bit put off by the taste, but I think it's growing on me.

Anyway, I'm looking for a basil variety with a very licorice-type taste, and a not very minty taste (although I know it's in the Mint family). I know there's one called Licorice basil, which is said to have a mild licorice flavor, and there's one called Anise basil, which is also said to have a licorice flavor (potency unspecified). I know there are a lot of basil varieties, and I don't trust implicitly that Licorice basil is the most licorice-like one.

Anyway, do you have any recommendations? Or if the question is too broad (considering the number of basil varieties), do you know if Anise basil has a stronger basil taste than licorice basil?

Thanks!


texts: Is adding a surfactant causing my herbicide to solidify?

texts:
I mixed Triplet SF with some non-ionic surfactant in a ratio of 3:1.

The mixture coagulated and formed what looked like you might see gumming up the outlet of a soap pump dispenser. Is there something I can do to prevent this, besides maybe diluting it with water?


texts: Is there an easy way to create a new plant of Symphytum orientale, white comfrey, at a different location by cutting a bit of stem or root?


texts:
I threw a bunch of seeds and fruits over the year to my backyard and now two plants showing up:

I am just curious if they are anything valuable before I pull them. I am in Pacific Northwest.

Thanks.


texts:
I accidentally left a plastic container full of vegetable seeds under direct sunlight for several hours.  The plastic container is translucent and became quite hot (above 60C, i.e. 140F) and uncomfortable to hold. The seeds themselves are packaged in small white envelopes.  It's hard to say if the seeds also reached that temperature.
Are the seeds likely damaged/dead now?


texts:
I'll be moving to the Seattle area in a few weeks and am starting my garden planning. The house we're buying has a small, shaded front yard with a large tree in it surrounded by about a ground cover of a few hundred square feet of English ivy.

Living in the Northeast, I've always hated the invasive pest that is English ivy. I'd like to replace it, probably with another shade-tolerant ground cover--I'm thinking of trying lingonberries, but I'd even prefer pachysandra to the ivy--at least the pachysandra won't climb my walls and poke through my basement windows.

The first step, though, is removing the ivy.

Short of (1) digging through the whole patch pulling up every piece of root and throwing it in the trash, or (2) soaking the whole yard in glyphosate every day for a month, is there any way to get rid of the stuff?

It sounds like ivy doesn't like alkaline soil--would digging it out and liming the soil stop it from coming back? And if so, how quickly could I then dig in some sulfur to get back to a low, lingonberry-friendly pH?

If possible, I'd prefer solutions that would let me dig up one patch at a time, so I'm not left with completely bare soil (and an invitation to weeds) until I get the whole front planted with something else. But with how fast ivy spreads, I know that might not be realistic.

So who's done it? Who's killed off their ivy, and how did you do it?


texts: For how much area should I amend the soil for a given plant?

texts:
My question is not about depth, but area.  For a given individual plant, do I amend the soil for an area the size of its seed spacing recommendation (12 in., etc.)?  Or is less required?  I am a complete beginner.  Thanks!

Sarah


texts: First Time Hydroponics, Cloudy Water with White stuff on top? Is this bad? High Res pics

texts:
It's my first time doing hydroponics, I am using the GH Flora series. Yesterday I changed my Basil's water to use those nutrients, along with epsom salt and CaMg.

Everything was fine all day yesterday, and today, until a few hours ago I checked and everything was "bad".

Here is a folder of all the pictures:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1cH5gRP2ddOce01VeVU-78B6wqkqOewQh?usp=sharing

The plant still looks healthy for now, and obviously I shouldn't have a clear container, but I noticed this same stuff in one of my other plant's containers, which was spray painted opaque.

Any insight would be helpful, I don't want to mess up really bad :(


texts: Why Ranunculus tubers rot shortly after planting?

texts:
I live in zone 11. My climate is warm Mediterranean. Those plants marketed locally are Mediterranean too. There should be no problem to grow them, I thought, but I was wrong.

First, they are hybrids marketed only with the genus name, so no further classification is given.

The practice: Plant them in fall. Winter rains and declining temperatures will make them break dormancy. Package instructions say soak tubers in water for 24 hours before planting.

The problem: tubers rot. Some rot before sprouting, others rot after sending out their first few leaves.

attempts: i skipped the soaking stage, and tried my luck in the garden. In my latest attempt, I used a fast-draining cactus potting mix.

So far, no progress. My next window of opportunity is in the coming November.


texts: What is this smallish tree with waterfall of berries in the autumn?

texts:
I would like to know the species and, if possible, the exact cultivar, of this smallish tree:

(Hints: the pictures are taken today, northern hemisphere, temperate climate, and a woman living nearby says birds eat all the berries during winter)


texts:
I'm working with a computer and got the window in my back. During late afternoon and sunset, the reflection of the sun rays in my screens is really annoying. I've also got a little cabinet between me and the window.
As I love plants I just had the idea that I simply could put a small ( ~40cm height, ~30 depth, ~1m width) hedge like plant on it. This would cover my screens from the sun rays and it would make the office greener.

The thing is that I have no idea about plants. What would be a plant which could provide the density of a hedge and can be grown inside?

I've already checked boxwood (Buxus sempervirens), which is obviously not suitable for inside.


texts: I'm trying to protect a giant puffball from elements while it grows under a 5 gallon bucket, and so far so good, but how long can I allow a puffball to grow for (in days)?


texts: What fruit/nut/berry grows in mottled sunlight on a climbing structure?

texts:
Location: Arizona

I currently have a dying dragon fruit on a climbing structure that I am going to replace. Given that this location is in mottled sunlight and has a pre-established climbing structure I'm looking for something different to replace it with that would need and benefit from those 2 items. What are my options?

So far I've identified a kiwi fruit. I feel that there must be a ton more available...


texts:
This tiny plant needs help ! The previous tenant left it in the apartment. With a little search, I guess it's a crassula ovata. I live in France, what are the best recommendations do you have ? Is it too late or is there hope ?

What I will do for now :

I'll keep it inside, under luminosity
I'll water it once a month until the winter ends

I don't have green fingers but I have to give it a try !


texts: How do I naturally eradicate a stand of invasive bamboo?

texts:
I am on a 1 acre hill-side near the Oregon coast. The previous owner of this property decided it was a good idea to plant some type of invasive bamboo that covers a good 50% of the property (mostly the sloped backyard facing the ocean) and never maintained it. It covers a sloped area about 150ft by 50ft (running laterally along a hill). The bamboo is about 10-15ft tall and VERY thick! It is very aggressively killing everything else.

I'd like to restore the hillside to its natural species like ferns, silktassel, ocean spray, ninebark etc. I'm pretty discouraged reading about how difficult a task this might be and it seems as though all of the suggestions are basically: mow, wait for it to regrow and spray it with as strong an herbicide you can legally buy. Repeat process multiple times. I may be restricted on heavy herbicide use as I have a creek running through part of it which feeds the community water system. I'd have to ask my water district manager, but prefer not to do this regardless. My ideas thus far:

Hand root out all of it, a section at a time replacing slowly with a
faster growing native bush / ferns etc.
Cut it all down at once, cover with black plastic.
Cut it down and mulch in native species, the idea being the mulch would kill the bamboo while supplying nutrients for the newly planted natives.
Tie it off/lasso with a cable / rope and pull it out in large clumps with a tractor then compost it or burn it.
Buy a goat!

Which is most feasible? Are any of these methods likely to work?  I'm not 100% joking about the goat!


texts:
I am considering growing a garden on what is now grass and am considering how to get rid of the grass. One method I have become aware of is to lay cardboard on the grass and wait. How long does this take? I like in Mississippi in zone 7b/8a.
Are there any other methods that might be preferable to the above?


texts: This past growing season (2011) I was growing squash.  Often I would find that the leaves had drooped (lost rigidity).  Watering the plant seemed to help; but I'm not sure if there is a causal link there.  The season was a particularly dry and hot season.  What is the cause of this droop?


texts: Why are my limes taking a long time to ripen?

texts: I have an indoor lime tree and it grew blooms and fruit for the first time (in seven years) this spring. I'm very excited. Now, it has 4 or 5 fruits on it and they've been on there since April or so. I read that I need to wait until they start changing their color to slightly lighter green, but before they turn yellow, before I pick them, but they've been on that tree for so long and it's winter again. Should I just wait or pick them now while they're still green?


texts: The leaves of my aloe plant are growing stacked. Is that okay?

texts:
So I have had this aloe plant for three years and she has been doing fairly well, producing plenty of pups (the ones in the pot have grown since I separated 7 from her 4 months ago) but I have noticed that her leaves are growing on top of each other instead of fanning out. Should I be worried or is there something that I can do to help her?
Thanks in advance!


texts: How can I tell what animal is eating my plants?

texts: Many of my perennial garden plants have been getting eaten by some animal. Possible culprits include deer, rabbits, and groundhogs. I would like to control them, but I have to know what I am controlling. for example, I don't want to start trying to control rabbits when deer are the problem. How can I find out what is eating them so I can match control to culprit?


texts:
My 4 mango plants (from 5 to 8 months) are now struggling with weird disease. It started about 3 weeks ago, lower leaves got brown and finally gone. Now I have noticed brown thing on younger leaves.

Plants sit in pots, in potting soil, with good light, being watered twice a week. Last month I gave them organic fertilizer (5-5-5), not sure if that could be the cause.

I would be thankful for any hint.


texts:
This  four to five feet tall shrub is growing in Eastern North America USDA zone 4.  I thought it looked like dogwood but the leaves have serrations so it's not that.

What is this shrub?


texts: Interested in starting a new small Kratum plant from a large 4 year old one

texts:
Does anyone know how to start a new Kratum plant from an old one?

For a little context, my young cats are attacking my large, four-year-old Kratum plant since I brought the plant in for the winter. They generally only bother it when they want my attention, but I suspect it will not last the winter.

I've put the plant inside a cage. Beyond that, there's not much I can think of doing to protect it because there are two cats, both of whom are only a year old and very inquisitive, and they've figured out that I'll get up and stop what I'm doing once they start digging up the soil and tearing up the leaves of my plants.

All my other plants are smaller and I've put them inside larger, enclosed containers. Sadly, the Kratum plant is a little too large for that - about three feet tall and more than a foot or so wide.

Because of the cats' treatment, the poor thing is not doing well anymore. About half of its leaves are shredded and I keep finding its soil dug out so much that its roots are bare several inches down into its pot. I'm considering moving it into the basement with a plant light to allow it to recover, but that's not a good longterm solution. I'll almost definitely forget to care for it down there any longer than a few weeks.

This brings me to my main question. I'm thinking that a good approach might be to start a new, smaller Kratum plant from the old, larger one while the larger one is recovering in the basement. If I can do that, then I can keep the smaller plant inside one of the enclosed containers with my other plants.

I often take cuttings and use rooting hormone to start new plants from old ones, but that's not working with the Kratum so far. I'm wondering if I'm just stressed about this or if there's some other way to propagate Kratum.

Does anyone know how to start a new Kratum plant from an old one?


texts: Is it a good idea to plant blueberries in July in USDA hardiness zone 7b?

texts: I'm wanting to plant a blueberry bush now so hopefully It'll be established by next spring. I don't know if it's good to plant them in July. I'm in zone 7 (Northern Mississippi). Does anyone know if this is a good idea?


texts:
Bought this Peony about 2 weeks ago, was happy and green with two buds at the time.
Repotted in its own soil when we got it home, it gets quite a lot of sun and we have had several wet days recently.
In the last week however one side has turned purple/brown and the bud has failed to open whilst the other side seems happy!
Total novice gardener. Thanks for your help.


texts: I saw this plant around New York City. I don't think I've seen it before. I'm hoping to find it's name.


texts: What is this tall plant with narrow leaves and white flowers?

texts: What type of plant is this? It's tall with white flowers and narrow leaves. It is a variety of vegetable .


texts: Acer palmatum katsura dropping leaves in June

texts:
I recently bought a potted acer tree (Acer palmatum katsura) from a garden centre. However, it is now dropping leaves (14th June) and I dont know how to help it! The leaves drop very easily - if I move the tree slightly or brush up against it.

I live in England (North-West) so it is just coming into the summer months. It is kept on my balcony that is West facing and only recieves direct sunlight from about 4pm.

We did have a very hot May with lots of sunlight, and I think the leaves became a bit scorhed and perhaps I didn't water it enough. It has also been very windy, but I always try to move the plant to a more sheltered spot if the winds are excessive.

I have ordered some wood chippings to spread around the top of the pot to try and keep more moisture in.

I am unsure how to tell if it is pot bound? Although I have read you should repot before the growth season.

Any advice on how to help the plant and stop it dropping leaves would be amazing.

I attach some photos:


texts: Plant recommendation for gift for kindergarten students

texts:
My wife is a kindergarten teacher and this year, as an end of year gift for the children, she wanted to give them each a small tomato plant to bring home on the last day of school.

She asked me to grow these as I already grow seedlings for our vegetable garden and annual flowers for our beds.

I haven't discounted the idea but I'm wondering if there might be some better options (my wife is open to this).

My reservations are:

We are in zone 4/5 with a last frost date of May 10. I usually plant my tomatoes around this date to maximize the growing season but the last day of school is around the 23rd of June which seems late to plant tomato seedlings in the garden (particularly in Canada with a short growing season).
Tomatoes seedlings seem like fragile plants. They will need to take a car ride, spend all day in a classroom and then some of these will be taking a ride on a school bus and may end up with a few bruises along the way.
I always plant my tomato seedlings in small pots rather than plugs (because I haven't had success with plugs for tomatoes) and growing 19 tomatoes plus backups in case some die will take a lot of space in my small growing setup.

I want to know if the tomatoes are a good idea and if not I'm looking for suggestions. The plants would need to be tough to survive being badly handled during transport, easy to grow for non-gardeners, easy to start from seeds in plugs and ideally could be grown in a pot and be a fun plant for kids.

We're open to colorful annual flowers or culinary herbs. Two plants that came to mind are Mint and Marigolds (though I have no experience with the latter).


texts: Trim hydrangeas when some growth on old branches

texts:
Below is my hydrangeas that was way over due

I didn’t trim it until Feb 15

The darker branches have some growth on top of it. I thought those are dead branches.

Also the whiter color branches are dead right? I assume.


texts: Spots & holes appearing on rocket leaves

texts:
Does anyone know what these spots & holes are that appeared all over my otherwise happy rocket crop recently?

I'm not sure if it's related, but there has been a lot of rainfall in my area recently, and my outdoor tomatoes (several metres away from the rocket) have started showing the first signs of blight.

Many thanks in advance.

They've also been appearing on the adjacent lettuces.

Update. I just caught these little sods in action on the leaves. Some sort of weevil perhaps?


texts: I have a small Acer in a pot. It's about 3 years old and has been doing well. We have just noticed that the bark around the centre of the stem / trunk has disappeared. Any ideas?


texts: 1/4 of my Christmas palm dead, do I cut or leave alone?

texts: One forth of Christmas palm seems dead.  Other parts of cluster seem to be doing fine but I don't know if I should cut the dead part off or hope it will come back.  Any help would be greatly appreciated.


texts:
I bought this Pink Hawaiian Coral Paeony when it was flowering last summer, and thought it had died due to lack of care early autumn. I hoped it wasn't the case and left it exposed to get a good frost.

But now it's two months into our winter and shoots are appearing. I hadn't cut the dead stem back but luckily don't see any fungus yet so I should do that today. Should I cut right it back to ground?

I'm wondering if I should put some sheep pellets down on the surface as a mild low nitrogen fertilizer, and I'm also wondering how many flowers I might expect to see based on the numbers of shoots.  And if I need to setup a tomato cage round it right now to support the flowers should I get them.

I will plant it into the ground once I find a suitable location.


texts:
Can someone help me find the name of this tree ?

thank you


texts: Good thorny bush for a ditch or low area on my lot?

texts:
I have vacant lot in Sandy Central Florida I want to clear and do some land grading on. My plan is elevate the center back by digging some slopped graded ditches.   I'm looking for plants and trees that can do well in central florida sandy soil and don't mind being in a ditch that might take a lot of water every so often.  Ideally i want something like a Yucca Aloifolia or Yucca Brightedge which I've seen in the area and when in clusters it's seems like pretty good perimeter security.

How will these perform and how can i get them to propagate?  Anything else out there that might do well?  Note the sandy soil is very porous and does not hold water for long.


texts:
This is my aloe vera plant. It’s healthy but it long outgrew the 10” pot. Instead of moving it into a bigger pot, I would like to transplant it into 2 or 3 pots.

How should I do this without hurting the plant?

Thanks.


texts: What is this tiny translucent insect on my shiso leaf?

texts:
Some leaves on my shiso plant were thinned and white at places.

I looked at one of them with a small microscope (around x400) and detected this guy busy chewing:

Apparently his kind has caused lots of damage at macro and micro levels, including some galls too:

Could someone please tell me what kind of insects are they and how to treat them?


texts: The chili plant has smallish leaves, current height about 1 & half feet tall. The chili pepper is probably half the size of a golf ball, green turning to red. Any ideas what type it is please?


texts:
If you wish to have an instant effect with your planting, can you plant more than one plant in a pot?

In this case, I have 3 Hydrangea arborescens ‘Anabelle’ which I want to place on a large pot. They are in 2 litre pots currently. As Spring comes. I want to transfer them in a large pot.

Will this work? Or will they get over crowded?


texts: Are there any benefits from leaving dead leaves in the soil around a plant?

texts: Do the dying/dead leaves that fall off young plants provide any nutrients or any benefit to the existing plant, if left in the soil around the plant?


texts: When is the best time of year to transplant established strawberries?

texts:
I've got a 4 foot by 8 foot bed of Mara des Bois strawberries that's been growing for about 4 years now. Due to excessive heat the last two years about half the plants have died. I would like to dig up the remaining plants and move them to a better spot in the garden. Would it be better to do this in the fall or spring?

Since I'll be moving the plants and will be able to amend the soil is there anything in particular that I should add for them or is compost/composted manure good enough?


texts: I have several different rose bushes that I am concerned about. The buds and leaves are unusual shapes. They don’t have the classic extra thorns or red leaves of RRD.  This just showed up late August when the Japanese beetles were ravaging my roses. I was spraying with pesticides because I was desperate. I have not sprayed since mid August.


texts: Strawberry Plants from Home Depot not producing.

texts: This is the 3rd year and they have done ok, until this year and no fruit to mention. Planted nicely in ground on retaining wall of rock. Growing very large, should I cut them back or just let continue to let them grow???


texts: It is growing in bare areas of a poorly draining lawn.


texts: Recently I received guava seeds from two of my friends. One is a red variety and other is a normal Guava variety. I planted the seeds on coco-peat three weeks ago and kept watering since then. I just didn't plant the seeds deeper than one inch.  But still not a single seed germinated. What am I doing wrong here. Will it germinate or what's the correct way to germinate Guava seeds?


texts: Can I use 3 year-old bagged topsoil for a new garden?

texts: I have 10 loosely tied bags of topsoil from a nursery that have been sitting outdoors for 2-3 years.  I read an answer to a similar question, but I have some follow up questions.  The soil smells normal, but there is a green discoloration of the inside of some of the bags that looks like algae.  In the other answer, the writer said it would be okay to use the old soil in "small" areas, and that makes me wonder whether this soil will come back to life soon enough and well enough to make vegetables and flowers grow in a 60 square foot garden this spring.


texts: Can Thuja trees live in a "square foot garden" style container?

texts:
I have a number of young Thuja trees that I would like to grow outside my porch.

However, I live in student housing and we're forbidden from altering the outside area, so I don't like the idea of putting them into the ground - I fear that an overzealous gardener / inspector / whatever might have them removed.

I got myself some wooden boxes that I'd have to isolate in some way (that's a different issue) but my basic question is - are these boxes large enough to house one of the plants, or even two?

Will there come the time when they need an even bigger box? If yes, is there a way to tell before it's too late?

The plants are currently about 3 feet tall (from where the stem enters the soil); the boxes are 1 foot wide, 2 feet long, and 1 foot tall.


texts: Low maintenance evergreen shade-tolerant container climbers for UK

texts: I'm new to gardening and looking for a some climbers to put in my North facing lightwell. It is very sheltered and gets a little bit of sun in the summer evenings. I have bought two very large containers (60x60x60cm) to put the plants in and erected some trellis for them to grow up. Ideally I would like something that flowers but my main priority is to ensure good coverage. I will be getting one trachelospermum jasminoides recommended in other posts but would appreciate any advice on something else to get.


texts: Can you patch your lawn using not the entire roll but pieces of it?

texts: I have small holes or gaps in my lawn because of squirrel work or because lawn died. Can I cut pieces from a roll and patch as needed ?


texts: Why is my pear tree dying around the blossoms?

texts:
Shortly after the blossoms fell on my pear, areas around the blossoms started to turn black and die. This is spreading. Although the dead areas tend to be on the end of the branches, there are exceptions where a branch may have 2 or 3 dead zones along the length of the branch. Each is centered on a blossom. The dead zones do not have fruit - not all of the blossom locations are dead, and some have small fruit starting to form. However over half are dead.

Location: North Texas. We had a mild winter with relatively few proper frosts, and it cannot have gone below the mid-25s.


texts: Why are my Dracaena marginata leaves getting brown spots and falling off?

texts:
My dracaena has been losing a lot of leaves recently, and it seems to me that they all have brown spots. They turn yellow and then they fall.

My mom says nothing has changed in the way she watered it during the entire winter.

Click on the pictures for larger view.

Update on 4/1/16: still losing leaves, and every leaf has brown areas on it.

Update on 4/20/16: nothing has changed...


texts: Chilli sprouts are too close together. Should I start culling them?

texts:
I literally just sprinkled some chilli seeds into an unused pot with potting mix.

They have all started sprouting. I didn't really know what I was doing, so I think they are too close together.

I am only looking to get 1-2 plants. There are over 20 sprouts.

Should I start culling the plants I am not interested in?


texts:
I've spent several weeks hand-digging out dock and other obnoxious weeds from our pastures.  There's a couple cubic yards of it now in the back of the pickup.  I was considering hot-composting this in a separate pile and covering it in thick black plastic to cook it sufficiently to kill off the roots.

Has anyone hot-composted dock or other hardy roots such as these?

Other ideas?

Aside:  We don't use herbicides here on the farm as a general rule so anything I do to these needs to be a herbicide-free solution.


texts:
I have Basil and mint plants with leaves filled with white dots (see images), and now I've even noticed the same thing on a red currant bush. But I have no idea what's causing it. I can not see any pest on or under the leaves. The mint plant got some ants (just a handful) running around it, but I don't think that they are causing this.

EDIT

I tried, as suggested, to shake the leaves with a white paper under them, but no bug could be found on the paper (I did not use a magnifying glass, though. I used the zoom of my camera though, but nothing).

It is not only the surface, so salt residue it is not.

The plants where planted in fresh potting soil, though with the soil from the container it came in included. I have some hydroponic nutrient which I have been giving the plants every once in a while. So my hope was that there would be no deficiencies. The ph of the soil I do not know though.

Note: the bush on the other hand was planted in some super cheap soil, not the same as the herbs. So I would not be surprised if that one show signs of deficiency.

The way the leaves differ from the photo of the manganese deficiency is that in that photo the edges seem to be whitening all around. Whereas my plants only get spots (albeit more or less all over).

What makes me personally lean towards some type of pest is that some leaves have holes in them (So I am surprised that I am unable too see any. I might just have to buy a magnifying glass.). And I have another mint plant on the other side of the house which does not show any of these symptoms, and I treat them similarly (same soil, etc.). Though on that plant I found a bunch of mites close to the stem (but that's another story :p).

I don't really care too much if the mint and basil survives, or if I have to start over. But  I would like to figure out what it is and how to treat it. Because I have a citrus tree in the same location which I care about. The citrus shows none of these symptoms btw.


texts:
Before I ask my question, the only place I can buy from is Home Depot.

With that said, what type of soil should I buy for my plants? It would be soil for planters and pots, and I live in the Caribbean (very sunny and with temperatures currently reaching 98F).

Someone mentioned top soil, but I wanted to confirm.


texts: Should I trim the leaves off my fig cuttings?

texts:
I have a Black Mission fig tree that's getting removed soon, and in order to (after a fashion) rescue it, I've taken some cuttings from it using the instructions I found here.  The cuttings I've taken have lots of leaves on them since spring is here and that's what happens.

Should I trim the leaves off my cuttings, or leave them on?  Maybe just remove the big ones and leave the newly-budded leaves?


texts:
I have a sunflower plant growing flowers, and I want to grow more sunflowers in my garden.

How do I grow more sunflowers from the current plant?


texts:
What would be some good container planting combination ideas for the winter?

  A bit of extra info: I live in Bristol, UK. And the containers would
  be in a courtyard on the North-East side of the house, but in front of a very busy
  road. On the other side of the road there is the river.

The amount of space available is reasonably big, and I have about a dozen of 15 litre pots.


texts: Brown patches on underside Peperomia leaves

texts:
Have had a couple of these plants for 6 months now and they have started to develop brown patches on the underside of their leaves. They start small and slowly spread, with the upper side of the leaf loosing colour too.
Eventually the leaf dies and drops off. There were also some tiny black specs on the underside too, but were easily removed by wiping.
Have tried the anti-fungal option and have sprayed twice with a solution of sodium bicarb and hand soap. Also used Bug-clear. Being careful with the watering. The new leaves come through fine, but before long they succumb. Any ideas?


texts:
I have these orchids that I bought three years ago, and they are not flowering. At the beginning they almost died because of insufficient light in my home. I moved them next to an always-on artificial source of light and they came back to life. Even a couple of new leaves appeared but they have never produced flowers. What can I do to make them make flowers?

They are is a kitchen, no natural light. However the natural light in winter conditions is worse than what they have in the kitchen. The pots are on the top of my fridge.

Here's a picture (click to enlarge).


texts: Why does my cactus have a weird white coating? What type of disease is it?

texts:
My cactus used to have white little rod like insects on it, and when I put some insecticide (added by liquid to the soil around it), the insects disappeared and it grew this weird coating, as shown in the picture. In addition, the other cactus (from the same type) next to it also grew this coating, but the other cacti and succulents next to it were not influenced by it.

What is it? What can I do to heal it?


texts: Does anyone have an approximate idea (either based on own observation or literature) of how long apple flowers stay opened during the day in the flowering period? I can imagine it varies quite a lot between varieties and geographical regions. I am mostly interested in temperate regions at a latitude between 40°F-50°F (5°C-10°C).


texts: How do I get rid of houttuynia (heartleaf/lizard tail)?

texts:
A previous owner left me with a garden full of Houttuynia cordata (also called hearleaf/lizard tail/chameleon plant), an invasive weed that I've been trying to eradicate.  I can't believe it is sold in garden stores; it's far too aggressive.  It sends these little whitish lateral shoots about 12 inches deep in all directions and thereby spreads under fences and into all the other flowers in the bed.

How can I get rid of it completely?

Source: Wikimedia commons


texts: What are the white and yellow spots on the underside of tomato leaves? There are plenty of whiteflies around but I cannot see any eggs. These seem to be the immobile pupae but I am not sure about it since I see no eggs anywhere. I tried releasing ladybugs twice but they just flew away and i never saw a single one to be interested in these spots...


texts: My dieffenbachia is suddenly losing all its leaves. I’m not sure what’s going on. I watered it today after almost 8 days. It was doing good then. Had some new growth as well. But then started shedding like crazy! Any suggestions would be helpful


texts: How should I prune a top heavy Jade plant?

texts:
I have had a Jade plant over 15 years. It thrives most of the time, however this morning I found it toppled over from being so full at the top of the plant.  I have never pruned it and am very afraid of doing it wrong and damaging the plant.

How should I go about pruning it so that it's not so top-heavy?


texts:
I've just recently endeavoured into the world of gardening, and one of my first adventures is to successfully get my newly purchased clematis armandii to wrap around my Pergola.

Now i'm planting the clematis into the ground but looking to wrap it around my structure of the pergola, so in an ideal world it'll grow up the wooden structure legs, but I'm wondering is the structure too thick for the clematis to wrap onto it?

And shall i buy some string to wrap the bamboo support in the clematis to the structure or just plant it next to it and leave it to wrap itself?

Also can anyone recommend any good plant feeder for them?

Thank you in advance.


texts: What fruit trees to grow in clay soil - USDA hardiness zone 9a/10?

texts:
I have a tall order -

Are there any fruit trees which will grow well with little work in clay soil and can handle wet winters where the temperature gets to -5c occassionally?

Ideally trees which will grow moderately large (ie 3-5 meters high), should have pretty flowers/blossoms, and its important they are not toxic to goats and sheep.


texts: How do I make plant labels for outdoors?

texts:
I would like to put small plant labels in my garden so that I don't forget what exactly is sown where.

Can you suggest plant labels that:

are made from non-toxic materials
can have arbitrary text written/carved in them
are relatively easy to make
are made from materials easy to obtain
are made from materials that are durable outdoors for at least one growing season


texts:
I am living in Tartu where the water is middle hard.
I think that it is partially the reason why some of my plants are dying.

I manage my plants by

watering once a week by room temperature, 20C, water middle-hard
showering them once a month - cleaning dusts away
removing death parts of the plants if needed everyday

I personally filter the same water which I drink.
However, I do not filter it to water the plants.
The filtering does not affect the calcium level of the water.

Possible reasons why some of my plants are dying

the high level of the calcium is the problem why some of my plants are dying
little light during the winter time, I am not using bright light bulbs for them
the water has much different microflora than for instance human

How would you soften the water?

It is probable that the light is the key problem.
However, I would like to get your comments about if the hardness of the water affect on plants.


texts:
A friend gave me some mint, and didn't mention what type it is. How can I tell if it's spearmint, peppermint, apple mint, lemon mint, or some other variety?

I googled some pictures, but quite frankly, all the pictures look very similar -- four leaves growing from the center which a textured leaf and a rich, green colour.

If it helps, I see what appears to be a purplish stolon making it's way across the surface of the soil (my soil is clay so I have this planted in maybe 3-4" deep soil right now).

Pictures:

(Overall plant)

(Close-up of leaves and flower. I picked alternatingly, so the plant originally has groups of four leaves.)

Over-ground purplish stolon)


texts: Our lemons have just started to ripen, but something has started attacking them and eating through the skin. Can anyone identify what is likely doing this and what we can do to protect the other lemons on the tree?


texts: Is my bonsai tree still alive even though its leaves are dry and brown?

texts:
About four months ago I watered my bonsai tree but it didn't soak in any water. Its leaves just hung. I changed its soil and removed all the rotten roots but nothing changed. Eventually, its leaves just dried out and became brown. They never fell off, they're stil hanging on the bonsai like that. The stem is completely firm and seems normal (as it seemed before this happened).
Is my bonsai tree still alive, and if it is, what should I do with it to help it live normally again?


texts: I need advice on preparing my garden for planting grass seeds, I have a new build property and the current grass is always waterlogged. I plan on hiring a man with digger and removing the top 6-8 inch firstly is this enough? Secondly what base would you recommend to stop this again? I have conflicting advice, just soil or some sharp sand first then soil? I'm baffled. What quantity (depth) of each? Many thanks in advance


texts: How can I break up drywall without damaging my soil?

texts:
I have heavy clay soil. I just discovered that drywall is compostable, and possibly good for certain types of soil (like heavy clay).

I can break it into sufficiently small pieces with a hammer, but doing so directly on top of the soil actually compacts the soil more. Breaking it on flagstones damages them, too.

Is there a safe and somewhat easy way to break up drywall without causing collateral damage?


texts: How to help our tall cedar hedge grow thicker?

texts:
We have about 50 meters (165') of cedar hedge between our row of townhouses, and the row behind us.
Depending on the trees around it, it is between 10-12' in height, approximately.
I think they are white cedar, aka arborvitae; maybe a specie of Thuja or Leyland cypress.

You can see it on Google Maps here, and in those pictures.
We are in Montreal, Canada.

Our problem with those hedges is that they are getting more and more sparse; we see more and more through it, every year.

We had very different opinions on what we should do with them, to help them grow thicker.
Should we cut their head, maybe to something like 8-9', and give them enough earth+compost+fertilizer?
We were told by some people that those kind of trees should not have been left to grow this tall, but that if we cut their head too much, they're going to die. Others are saying it's fine to cut their head as much as 3-4', as long as it's done in the autumn or spring.

Ideas?

Thanks.


texts: Do I need to remove some of these orchid leaves?

texts:
I was given this phalaenopsis or moth orchid a few years ago but lately have perhaps unwillingly mistreated it. I've never fertilised it except by watering it with aquarium water, never removed the stems after flowering, and never removed dead roots. Worse after I left it outside for some rain, I brought it back inside and didn't notice the butterfly egg which hatched leading to the two fenestrations on the newest leaf. I also left it on the window sill in full sun resulting in leaf burn ( the white patches).

Should I remove any of the yellowed, burnt and eaten leaves?


texts:
I have 1-year old indoor avocado tree. Recetly, I noticed gray / brown spots around its veins. What is the problem and how to fix it?

Avocado was firstly pruned 4 days ago. I am not sure if the problem was there before or not.


texts: Help! My avocado plants are drying out after transplanting

texts: I grew 4 avocado trees from seed about a month ago, and they were growing really well and were healthy back then. However, I decided to transplant them after seeing how crowded the pot was and moved them to another container. A few days later, their leaves started drooping and now the leaves are becoming really dry. The tops of the plants are also starting to brown. What should I do to help my plants? My plants are about a foot tall, and one of them started to lignify at the bottom.


texts:
Please find attached below the images of cabbages that I have with me. Is the cabbages different or it has grown differently based on the place.

The one with three cabbage plants is what i am growing(at Coimbatore, India) and the one with a single plant is grown by my one of the relatives(at Bangalore, India).

Kindly help in identifying it.


texts: Can plants raised with hydro still be considered organic?

texts: I have access to certified organic seeds. I want to raise the organic seeds in a soilless, hydroponic solution. I'm just wondering if I raise the plants like this would I be deceitful to market the resulting product as 'organic'?


texts: Why do my african marigolds have long stems and few blooms?

texts: I have grown, from what is resembles on the internet, an african marigold. The problem is that its stem grows too tall, 1-1.3 m (3-4 feet) with only 2-3 blooms on top and the bottom is dried up. I have seen the same marigolds with dwarf size 0.3-0.6 m (1-2 feet) with green foliage and lots of bloom. What is wrong here?


texts: Is this plant (Radermachera ) sick? Leaves turning yellow and spotty

texts:
Previously I did not know the species of the plant in the picture. (The one with the owl ornament). I finally found the sticker. It is Radermachera.

In last couple of week I find that many leaves start to turn yellow. Some of them even developed some dark spots.

Is this plant in distress? If so, is there anything I can do to make it well again?

Location: Sydney, Australia

Edit

As per @stormy's suggestion, I will add photo of the underside of the leaves. I am a total amateur. I use slow release fertilizer every couple of months.


texts: Why are chunks of my Sedum Spectabile snapping off at the stem bases?

texts: Whole chunks of my sedum plant (which looks otherwise healthy) come away in my hand because the stem has snapped/cut clean through. What's causing this, and how can I prevent it?


texts: Dracaena Massangeana: Leaf spots on new growth

texts:
Over the course of the past week I noticed spots developing on some of the new leaves. These start as faint yellow halos and seem to develop a brown core quickly over the course of a few days. The brown part is ~5 mm in diameter, while the halo can reach 2 or 3 cm.

The plant gets watered every 5 to 7 days (I have to admit I usually follow a schedule rather than checking moisture). The pot has no outflow, so there might be some standing watered at the bottom after each watering.

This condition has never been present on this plant before, and even now it has only developed on three or four leaves, all fairly recent.

In the last 3 years I have not given the plant anything other than water. I worry that this condition may be caused by a lack of nutrients.

My questions:

What is this condition? (My research points to "Leaf spot disease", apparently due to fungus)
Will flushing the plant help it recover?
Do I need to cut off and dispose of the affected leaves?
Can the fungus spread to healthy parts of the plant if I touch them after touching infected parts?
How can I heal the plant and prevent its recurrence?
Should I give the plant any supplements?

EDIT: I took the plant out of its outer pot and noticed there is a fair amount of roots sticking out of the bottom. Pictures added at the bottom.
 - Is this plant excessively root-bound?
 - Is this a potential cause of the disease?
 - Should I change anything about its current potting situation?

EDIT 2: I flushed the plant by spraying room-temperature water from the shower into the soil for about 5 minutes. I let the runoff water flow away and then put it back in its pot.

Pictures of the affected leaves (click to enlarge):

Root pictures:


texts: Harvesting beans to prolong cropping - but how thorough do I need to be?

texts:
It is said that if you let your runner/french beans reach full maturity, the plant stops producing.

So I harvest my beans (even if only to throw/give them away) regularly to prolong cropping.

How thorough do I need to be? Is it sufficient to regularly pick most of the beans that are ready or do I have to ensure I catch every single bean pod?


texts: Does spreading blood around the edge of the garden work to deter animals?

texts: I've noticed that a lot of animal sprays have blood in their brews, will just spreading pure blood around the edges of the garden send animals far away to keep my plants safe?


texts: Good potted vine to grow inside a greenhouse?

texts:
I have a small greenhouse (9'x9' and 9' tall at peak) that I’d like to grow a vine inside and have it grow up through the exposed rafters. I think it would look very nice.
The vine species would:

Have to be planted in a large pot and run up the wall since the greenhouse floor is finished with permeable pavers, i.e., it can’t be planted into the ground.
Be able to handle the heat on a sunny day.
Be at most moderate in its water requirements.
Ideally be a species that flowers.

Any recommendations for vine species?
FYI: I’m in a temperate climate in the San Francisco Bay Area, so it never gets below freezing here.


texts:
We bought a plum glory tree recently but it doesn't seem to be doing very well.

It seemed perfectly happy when we bought it and it's started growing a few plums (They are still green). However since we moved it into a larger pot some of the leaves have turned yellow and in the last couple of days they've all started to curl up.
The most common problem on Google I've found is Aphids but there's no stickiness on the leaves.
At the moment I suspect I've not watered it enough but I wondered if anyone here has some good advice.

It's only a young tree about a meter high.


texts: What is this variegated low-growing plant with purple flowers, and how do I get rid of it?

texts:
I'm not even sure this is considered a weed, but it seems to be taking over a flower bed, so, I'll treat it as one. On my neighbors' front garden, it completely took over.

The ground is somewhat humid due to constant rain (US Pacific Northwest), and the plant grows low to the ground, and has some beautiful purple flowers. Its roots are somewhat deep, and I either need a tool or some digging to remove all the roots from the bigger plants.


texts: When is the best time to trim cedar hedges?

texts: When is the best time of the year to trim cedar hedges? Importantly, does choosing when to trim have any affect on encouraging growth in areas recovering from small bare spots?


texts: How can I keep my cycad from growing too large?

texts:
For the first year, my cycad was a stout and aesthetic little plant. But then its annual fronds shot out. And they kept shooting out. And today the plant looks like this:

Each frond is about 2 feet long. That makes for a big footprint in a small NYC apartment.

What can I do to manage the directionality of its fronds and the plant's overall growth? (Is it too late?)


texts: Will this pepper seedling survive being spilled from it's pot?

texts:
I started growing some sweet peppers plants about 2 weeks ago.  Yesterday I was moving them out of the window to get them away from the cold and I accidentally dropped one of the containers and spilled the dirt everywhere (the seedling hadn't come through the dirt yet).  I managed to find the seedling in the mess. The root seemed intact, so I pulled off the seed coat which was stuck and put it back in the dirt.  The cotyledon leaves are out, but they're not pointing straight up, they're kinda flopped down towards the dirt.  Any chance this thing is going to survive?

Here's a visual


texts: What should I do before using dried up bagged potting soil?

texts:
I bought potting soil (good stuff) a year ago. Since then the bag dried out.

What can I do to get it moist again? Should I just water it?


texts: Will solar lights around my vegetables and flowers be bad for them?

texts:
I have a decent size vegetable garden and various annual flowers in my back yard.

I recently bought some solar lights and put it around the plants. The lights stays on all night long, and I wonder is having a light source around them 24/7 (sun in day time, solar lights at night) bad for plants?


texts:
After noticing that some garden hoses carry a warning, "Not to be used for drinking water", I recently switched to one labelled "non-toxic". Does this only mean that the hose is lead-free, or also that it is free of the other chemicals in PVC that are thought to cause cancer? Those of us who grow our crops organically, believe that they are (relatively) uncontaminated. Are we unwittingly introducing harmful chemicals into the food chain, every time we water our fruit and vegetables?

Does anyone know if there has been any research into this, and how safe our hoses are?


texts: Why some of the stems are red and more strong than others in this mint plant

texts:
This is just a general question.

I have mint plant that I have bought from the store. However, some of the mint plants in the same pot looks different. Their stems are red and leaves are very small the stems look ore strong than others.

Can anyone please explain?

Here is the image.


texts: What needs to be considered when rerouting irrigation lines?

texts:
So I have a perpetual dead spot in my yard. I did some testing with the irrigation system and found that the sprinklers must have been installed before the landscapers put in the trees; the sprinklers would work great without the trees, but with the trees they create a dead zone where no water touches.

I've considered my options. While using a conventional sprinkler would work, it really sucks the joy out of using the irrigation system and not having to worry about it. I have a nearby garden bed with a drip line. I'm thinking about 86ing the drip line and using that piping to install more sprinkler heads in the dead zone. Im also considering splicing the 86'd drip line feed tube into a drip line feed tube that goes to the back yard so it will still be functional (just turned on with the back yard drip line)

All of that said, while I've worked with PVC and pipe glue, I've never done it under ground. All this sounds good on paper, but I have no practical experience. What sorts of things do I need to be aware of when trenching and laying pipe? For the job I'd be doing, I probably wouldn't rent a trencher, I'd be digging a trench with a drain Spade.

Edit for future readers trying to figure out how to do this -- It's worth the few minutes of exploratory testing in your irrigation system to see if there isn't actually a sprinkler where you want it. I actually had one, but it appears the previous home owner had moved the irrigation controller and forgot to extend the wire for that zone. Manually trigger all your valves to be sure that you don't actually have heads where you want them!


texts: I have never grown ginger and want to try to in my raised beds in my backyard.  I don't have ginger seeds to grow from but can I cut sections of ginger I buy from the store and grow it?  Any other guidelines to how to start growing ginger would be appreciated such as seasons to start "seeding" and harvesting would be appreciated. I am in USDA Hardiness Zone 9b


texts: Aromatic firewood: What is the fastest growing prunus plant?

texts:
Prunus firewood smells nice when burned, and the smoke can be used to flavour food (it adds a cherry-like flavour).

I'm curious if it would be feasible to grow prunus plants specifically for using the wood as aromatic firewood.

What is the fastest growing prunus plant that is hardy to USDA zone 5?


texts: I have this cactus cactus, but it leans heavily. The bigger it gets, the more it tends to lean. It leaned even before I repotted it, and is even worse after. Is there any saving it, or should I just get rid of it? I live in Georgia and am able to have it outside about half of the year. (I am not equipped to have indoor heat lamps or anything like that.)


texts: Can planting solve fly/insect problems caused by neighbouring pig sties?

texts:
My father's neighbour keeps pigs. Father has no problem with this and indeed it amuses me somewhat that he's chosen to plant an apple orchard on that side of his plot. He doesn't really have any problems with noise from the pigs, but they do seem to attract an increased number of flies/biting insects

The border of the plot comprises a few overgrown sycamores with plenty of adventitious growth around the base, a couple of fir trees and a wire mesh fence. I'd like to pretty it up for him by planting a border hedge and I'm looking for something colourful for the garden aesthetic, and/or possibly something fragrant. What I'd really like to know is if there is any planting that would generally keep the insects more interested in the plants than roaming the rest of the garden/house, biting the occupants etc. Neighbour also has a few other farm animals (geese/ducks/dogs/horses) and father keeps chickens, so I'm keen to know whether there are any species of plant that should be avoided in terms of poisoning the animals if ingested

I realise stackexchange sites don't typically do "recommend me a" type questions, but I'm hoping that he gardening section is a bit more flexible in this regard/that the questions I'm asking are fairly fact/hard answer based -

Can plants be more attractive to insects/form an effective fly screen, and hence improve screening.
Can those plants also be attractive to look at or smell in human terms, and
Are there any to species to avoid avoid in terms of representing a poisoning danger to the resident animals?

Location is Scottish borders


texts: How near to each other should I plant my vegetable and fruit plants?

texts:
The plants I have started are: lettuce, tomato, carrots, green beans, kidney beans, peppers, and cantaloupe. I've never grown any of these things before, or much of anything before. If there any reason any of these shouldn't be planted near each other?

Also if anyone has any general tips for growing any of these I'd appreciate any advice I can get.


texts: Branches on tomato plants are curling under

texts: I have 12 Tomato plants, planted two to a pot in very large plastic pots with proper drainage holes.  I used good quality peat based potting mix and have not fed them at all.  The weather here has been off and on wet and hot and sunny.  I would say at least 2 days a week of rain.  I have never seen this before.  I had my plants in pots last year as well and they didn't look like this.  The stems are curling under and the leaves are limpish, but the plants are continuing to grow and produce flowers.


texts: What's wrong with my philodendron bipennifolium's stems?

texts: Can someone tell me what's wrong with my bipennifolium's stems? It is light brown but the leaves are nice and green, so are the top part of the stem. Is that a disease?


texts: When do I need to protect a fruit tree from cold, and how do I do it?

texts:
The last couple of weeks we had unusually warm weather in the Northeast -- several days had record warm temperatures. My pair of (two-year-old, 8' high) peach trees have buds earlier than usual. If it matters, the varieties are Reliance and Red Haven, both selected for hardiness.

The warm streak is ending abruptly: it will be 12°F on Monday night.

Is this warm/cold transition going to prevent me from getting fruit this year?
Is there anything I can do to protect them from the cold? I'm thinking about covering them, but two nights below 20°F and a day with a high of 32°F seems like a long time for a tarp to keep the chill off.


texts: We have a Lamprocapnos spectabilis or Bleeding Heart plant which has become quite large. I need to trim it back some. Does this type of plant receive getting pruned very well? How much can I trim it back? Any worries on doing this? The plant is established as this is its second year in place.


texts: How to save a tree that is falling apart?

texts:
I have an issue with my trees. They have been gradually shedding bark and now it's to the point where a couple limbs have fallen off this spring.

I've attached the pictures and hope someone will have a suggestion. I live in Northwestern NJ, USA if that helps.

Hoping to know what is it, what I can do to fix it, and determine if its salvageable. I'd hate to have to cut down trees.


texts: Will banana tree grow fruit more than once?

texts:
I have a banana tree with fruit in my very small backyard. The trunk is huge and that (plus the leaves) take up lots of space.
Once I remove the banana cluster, can I cut the tree? Or is it possible that this same tree grows more banana?
I would only cut the tree if I’m positive it won’t grow another cluster of bananas.
I added a pic as reference.


texts: What is this low growing plant with pink flowers?

texts: I'm still getting to know my garden. I see these pink flowers growing and can't decide whether they're growing at random or they were planted intentionally. What type of flowers are they? Should I get rid of them along with the purple ones?


texts: Can I replant a Bonsai into a bigger pot during growth?

texts:
I've been gifted a Bonsai (jap. Hornbeam) which is already in growth (leaves have fully emerged). However the root bulb is already pretty dense and I'd like to put the bonsai into a bigger pot to increase trunk thickness and growth.
Can I repot the bonsai now if I don't prune the roots and try to disturb the root bulb as little as possible, or should I wait for the next early spring?


texts: Watermelon leaves curled up and fruit were squishy. Is it normal?

texts:
I planted Crimson Red watermelon seedlings (top) in a firepit that I converted to a garden bed. It's sharing space with a tomato (left), rosemary (bottom), and red pepper (right). Since there's 4 plants crammed into this garden bed, I decided to drape the watermelon vines over the concrete to make room. Is there any problem for the watermelon fruit to grow on a hard surface? I've been slowly building up this soil with a mixture of store bought soil and vegetable scraps, egg shells, fallen fruit, and nut shells for several years. I water this garden bed twice a week.

I noticed that the watermelon leaves are all curling inward. It looks wrinkly just like kale. Is this normal or a sign of some disease? The leaves are a decent green color. There's not much yellow. There's 3 watermelon fruit growing, They're all around 6 inches in diameter. The fruit started off squishy but now they're rock hard like the mature watermelons you find the super market. Is it normal for the fruit to start off soft?

I'm in California zone 9. It's been around 80 degrees Fahrenheit during the daytime for two months.


texts: What is causing black spotting on my air plant?

texts: I've had this tillandsia for about three months now. I watered it yesterday night and left it to dry upside down over night like I normally do. Just this morning I noticed some black spotting on the growing (and hopefully will be blooming) part of my air plant. The spotting is only near the top of the bloom. What is it caused by? can I get rid of it? and will my air plant survive?


texts: Identify deciduous shrub with small red berries and small leaves

texts:
I live in London, UK and have had this shrub in my garden since I moved in 2 years ago. It looks like it has been shaped/pruned.

Two years ago, there were tiny green leaves which turned red in autumn. And the plant sets tiny berries. Last year, the plant didn't have as many leaves (probably 10% of the year before) and there is only 1 berry that I can spot on the plant now.

Can someone identify the plant for me please? And why it may have a lesser leaf + berry flush?


texts: This is the second time I've planted cucumbers. Last year they did great despite some yellowing of the leaves. However the leaves didn't yellow til well after cucumbers were produced. This year the blooms just started a few days ago but the leaves don't look healthy. It's a raised bed and the only other plant in the garden is cantaloupe. I'm not sure what's causing the yellowing. Some leaves also appear to have white dotting on them. My question is what can I do to help my cucumbers? They're not all growing at the same rate and the ones that have grown the most or are closest to the biggest plant seem to be the most yellowed. Could this be a virus or simply nitrogen deficiency?


texts:
I was given a young pine tree some months ago.
 I placed it in a larger pot in the communal garden (so I cannot see it from my window) and hardened off during the winter. It is now outside since months, and it started growing new bright green sprouts on its branches. It is now around 45 cm tall.

One week ago I went out after one week I was home, and I went checking on the tree. I found it outside the pot, with roots exposed, laying on one side. Its leaves became crisp and started falling, and the sprouts turned pale from bright green. I don't know how long it has been laying like that.

I placed it back into the pot and started watering as soon as I feel the soil is not that dump, so I don't wait it to dry, and till I see water coming from the bottom of the pot. I don't know if it needs anything more or if I am doing things right.

Would you please let me know how I can fix it?


texts:
I have a row of evergreen trees that have that scaly, cedar-like bark. So, they might be cypress, cedar, juniper or something like that. Actually, I think it is definitely some kind of juniper because it has little tiny blue berries.

They are getting kind of overgrown and branches are spreading out.

Can I just go hog wild and cut them back, or will I potentially harm them by cutting indiscriminately? Note that the branches coming out are up to a inch thick or more, so "cutting back" would involve sawing.


texts: Can someone tell me what this 5 petal pink flower is?

texts: 5 petal perennial blooms in late May early June in zone 5.


texts: Yellow spots appeared in my lawn suddenly although all other area is green

texts:
I live in southeast Michigan. I built my house 2 years ago and had sod laid down last year.

I was told to water twice a day at least. The grass has held in and it came green during this season with no issues. I have reduced the watering to a single time a day and everything was perfect.

Suddenly within 2 days yellow spots appeared in different areas of the lawn.

I used Grub control in May of this year.
I used Scott turf builder weed and feed in June.
I applied grass food in July.

What is causing these yellow spots? How do I fix them?

Update: here are some pictures from different areas.

this is close to the garage

and here is another picture in my back yard all by it self

this one is next to the side walk(and could be dog pee)


texts: How do you attract and keep worms in your garden?

texts:
I have seen worm farms for sale down at the hardware store but have always been discouraged by the price. I know the benefits of using worm poop/tea on your garden, but I'm wondering whether it is actually just better to encourage worms into your soil naturally.

What are the benefits of using a worm farm over encouraging them naturally?

What can you do to attract worms into your garden?

And how do you keep them?


texts: How to make a Snake Plant Potting mix in three category: Perfect, Good, and okay

texts: I think title is clear. By graphic instructions, I mean pics of soil/sand/gravel and potting mix. If this question is weird and off-topic, I will delete it.


texts: What are these very saturated-purple flowers?

texts:
I found these flowers in Saint-Petersburg, Russia in the end of July, growing near a house, apparently planted by someone along with lots of other flowers. These look very saturated purple: my phone failed to capture this purpleness, instead rendering them red regardless of white balance setting, and with a DSLR I was able to capture something closer to their real color, although still not ideally (see the photo below).

What is the name of these flowers?