texts: What are these hard white/brown spots growing on my houseplant?

texts:
A little more then an year ago I got six palm trees (two vases). It was the Californian equivalent of an Areca palm (the guy in the nursery suggested this one after I asked for an Areca for its air cleaning prowess but now I can't recall the exact name).

After some six months it started to develop some white dots. My research showed up mealybugs. But they do not look like any infestation of mealybugs I could find! It does not have the silk-like thing anywhere.

Used to clean them  off the plants after I gave up on one of the plants:

Some zoom in 10x the real width of the leaf is 2cm or 3/4 of an inch. They NEVER move like mealybug does. (The horizontal lightning on this photo highlights the dust too)

Week after week I'd spend hours cleaning the white dots. They are very easily removed by a damp cloth or paper towel. I tried spraying everything: vinegar, lemon juice, cleaning products. Nothing took care of it without wiping. I even put a net on the roots and trapped a ladybug that everyone says is the hellhound of mealybugs. It did not show any interest at all.

Also noteworthy, the plants are in a small apartment that has 3 EPA air filters on 24/7.

What is this thing?

More zoom, 10x of the magnifier + 6x camera's optical

The tip usually dries, but I'm not sure it's related to the disease. I'm a bad plant-parent that usually forgets to water.


texts: How do I avoid overfilling raised beds if I'm adding substantial manure annually?

texts:
I've got some freshly constructed raised beds and I've filled them with a lovely load of well rotted horse manure.

The manure is so nice to work with, so rich and friable and easy to weed, that next year and the year after I'm going to want to repeat the process, adding in loads more. I've got no shortage of manure. And that's what all the books say - add in "plenty of well rotted horse manure".

So, this may seem like a dumb question, but aren't the beds going to fill up? Does settling alone take care of the problem? Or do some gardeners actually remove some of last year's beds to create the space to add plenty of fresh manure?


texts:
What plant is this?

This plant grows as bush, 3-4ft in height and width. It has long pointy leaves and white/yellow flowers. It Blooms mostly during summer months. Located in northern California zone 9b


texts: what is this tomato like plant, with spikes under leaves and red tomatoes

texts:
a friend of mine has these growing in his garden, his not really sure where he got the seeds from.
basically it has tomatoes on it and spikes on the back of the leaf

he didn't eat any because he's afraid they might be poisonous.


texts: What is the best way to raise a succulent using still aquaponics?

texts: I am really new to gardening and have fallen in love with the idea of raising plants in a very low maintenance setting because I travel a lot. I have a lot of lucky bamboo and just got a pothos plant. I like them because they can just stay in water with a little bit of fertilizer every now and then. I saw somewhere I can do that with succulents like jade, I was just wondering how that can be achieved.


texts:
I am trying to figure out what these light patches of grass in my lawn are and how to get rid of them?  And prevent them? First two picture were taken last summer. The close up picture of the grass where taken today. They seem to be getting larger and spreading. I notice them the most in the areas that get a lot of shade? Is it Poa Trivialis? Over watering the issue? We also have alot of deer in our yard. Not sure if deer urine will do this?

I started pulling it up and will reseed it this spring. It comes up like a carpet because the root are really shallow.

enter image description here


texts: My Marigold plant that I started from seed is starting to droop, what do I do?

texts: Please help ASAP I do not want my little plant to die, just last week it was doing spectacular and now nothing.


texts: Options for lanscaping around pool and foundation

texts:
When we first moved in, the plants around the pool were severely overgrown and seemed to provide a nice habitat for roaches/insects that liked to swim in our pool. Last summer we removed all the bushes which significantly cut down the roaches entering the pool. We are also battling rodents that like to dig tunnels under the pool deck (the bricks are there to block their entry). Now we are thinking of revamping the landscape a little bit, but not sure what the best option would be. Plants look nice but I am afraid of the insects they harbor. Would pavers be the way to go? Since the area is fenced, how would one do the digging efficiently without heavy machinery?
A perhaps related question, we also removed a lot of the landscaping plants around the foundation that were growing directly against the wall. The plants stained the wall and kept it moist and in the summer sent an army of insects into the house (through whatever cracks we cannot see). After plants were gone, however, weeds take over. We keep reading the different options but none seems perfect. Mulches are said to collect moisture and attract termites and other insects. Landscaping fabric + stones look good, but the fabric can break down over time, leaving residues that are difficult to replace. Stones on top can also collect dirt and require washing and sifting regularly (3-5 years?). Having lived in cities most of our life, we are awfully ill equipped to deal with these complications from mother nature. We are now even considering an industrial look with perhaps just pavers / concrete blocks around the foundation.


texts: What is this shrub producing spherical fruits with maze-like skin?

texts:
The fruit is a bit greener than shown in the following picture and has a diameter of 8-10 cm (3-4 inches).

I was expecting to see them on a tree, but instead they were coming from tall branches of a shrub. Spotted on a trip to Silistra, Bulgaria in late September.


texts: Can anyone tell me what this large-leafed plant is?

texts: I've had this plant for twenty years. I would love to know it's name! It is indestructible, which is a good thing because I am not a very attentive plant owner. It has in the past gone dormant for months, but it has always come around. Several times it has put forth a beautiful long shoot topped by a large ball of tiny orange flowers with stamens full of pollen that is very good at staining anything it touches. At the moment, as you can see, it's, or rather they, are sending up new shoots. I'm wondering if I should chop off the old growth now or later (I've always waited until the old leaves have begun to die back), but perhaps the new growth would benefit if I cut them back now. Any information would be greatly appreciated.


texts: So basically i recently got this cactus as a gift. (And is the 1st time owning one) i keep it in sunlight, water it ever 1-2 weeks depending on how dry the soil is, and i keep it in a pot with holes at the bottom. Despite all this i have noticed that some spikes are falling off and others looking weak. Can any one help! (Also does anyone know what type of cactus it is?)


texts: Does a pomegranate tree need propping up?

texts: We planted a small pomegranate tree (about 1 foot tall) a couple of years ago. The tree has been growing nicely, now standing about 3-4 feet tall. Last year we had a bunch of flowers but no fruit. This spring I pruned it fairly aggressively and we now have a lot of new growth. The new branches seem to be bending under their own weight, some have now bent all the way down to the ground. I am wondering, is this normal or should I give the tree some support?


texts: What would cause only one cane of a raspberry plant to show nutrient defficiency?

texts: I have a Canby raspberry plant. One cane is showing some form of nutrient deficiency. On other hand, the other stalk is is flourishing and even budding fruit. What would cause this, seeing as the two cane's root systems are right next to each other?


texts:
I bought 2 blueberries about 8 months ago and they summer in Cyprus was really long and they seem damaged.
Both of them are planned with soil of 4.5 to 5.5ph and watered with normal tap water. They started showing signs of burned leaves since July but i thought was normal due to the heat.
Now i dont see any new growth and am worried that they will die.
What are your suggestions?
Thank you in advance
Sakis

Plant 2:


texts: Caladium corm pieces: Are they big enough to be stored till spring?

texts:
This is the first time I grow Caladiums. My climate is somewhere between C3 and C4 Mediterranean climate. That means conditions dictate dormancy as well as sheltering from winter rains. I bought my Caladiums around this August. Now, end of october, they are gradually entering into dormancy. Few cultivars just stopped growing further while others have already begun to shed their leaves. I currently have four different plants, and if everything goes well I will expand my collection next spring.
As I cleaned-up the leaves around one of them, I accidentally broke-off two corm pieces, the ones shown in the picture below.

As you can see, the one on the right is one inch long, the one on the left is 4/5 of an inch but is much thicker. The corms have been taken just today, so I am waiting for them to dry-out before brushing-off all the dead organic material sticking to it.
So my question, is such a piece big enough to be stored for next spring?


texts: Easy trees from common fruit/vegetable seeds

texts: It's pretty easy to grow an avocado from the pit. Are there any other trees/plants that can be grown relatively easily from common household fruits or vegetables?


texts: How can I stop grass from growing in my driveway?

texts: I have a split rock driveway and grass is growing in it. How can I kill the grass effectively so it doesn't just come back in 2 weeks?


texts: Is there any way to save my marigold plant?

texts:
I bought this marigold plant with some flower buds a few weeks ago. During the first few days, the leaves were fine.  Sadly, once the flower bloomed, the leaves started to look like this. I do not know why this happened and how to solve the problem.
From the beginning I used the tip of my finger to press and understand how dry the soil was, before watering it. Then I got a suggestion from a friend to place it away from the sun, so I did that, without any success. During that time the soil became a little dry so I watered it.
I never grew marigold plants before, so I lack experience.
If someone provides a helpful suggestion along with an explanation, I would really appreciate that!


texts: Question is what should I do here? Should I try and patch this? Looks like it began as sun damage.


texts: How do I get rid of phragmites in my lawn?

texts:
There are some wetlands in our subdivision which are overrun with phragmites. Some of these have established themselves in our neighbor's backyard and now they're spreading throughout our lawn.

I've tried pulling a couple of them out, but they have these hefty runners under the ground and pulling them out (when possible at all) totally rips up the lawn.

This is our backyard. You can see the phragmites peeking over the top of the fence and shooting up in our lawn.

Here is a closer view.

What is the best way to get rid of these? The only thing I can think of is to mow them down (again) and apply an herbicide (RoundUp? Rodeo?) directly to the stems with a sponge brush or dropper so I don't kill the grass, and possibly to try to put a barrier along the fence (which would probably involve trashing the lawn).

As an additional complication, our yard appears to be poorly graded, so that corner of the yard is constantly soggy, which I'm sure the reeds love.

Does anyone have suggestions? How can I get rid of these?


texts: How can I remove the oil from my soil and grow new grass

texts: I just moved into a new home that used to have an above-ground pool in the backyard.  A guy mentioned that they might have put oil on the ground to prevent weeds from growing underneath the pool so now I have an oil soaked bald patch of soil that grows nothing but weeds.  I wouldn't mind it if it wasn't so big and close to the patio.  I was told that I need to dig up the soil and replace it, which at this time I'd rather avoid due to HOA rules and property being close to "critical zone".  It's a headache I'd rather avoid if possible.  Any other options to getting it fertile again or is there no chance this soil could ever grow grass again?


texts:
I've just found out that my Venus flytraps (dionaea muscipula) is going growing several flowers this year.

I was wondering if it's worth trying to cross-pollinate them.
In that case: how? when?

It also seems that one of the plants is giving not one, but two flower stems (the smaller one is still too tiny and almost not visible in the pic). Should I cut the smaller one? Or should I let it grow freely?

Thanks in advance for your advice!


texts: What can I grow in plastic bottles that provides food and is sustainable?

texts:
I buy bottled water and recently I've started hoarding all the empty bottles because I'd like to find something to grow in them.

I have access to soil so I'd like some ideas for what I can grow in the bottles that will continue to give food until the soil needs to be changed.

I know I could grow beans but my understanding is that they are not sustainable (won't continue to give food).


texts: Getting a Garden/Landscaping Design reviewed

texts:
I hope this isn't off-topic. I've got a garden design sketched out for my back yard. Part of my enjoyment of this project is designing the garden and then making my design into reality.

That said, I'm fairly new to this and I think having a professional review my design may help me find any major problems before I learn them the hard way.

I've reached out to some local design companies and the response from them is that they'll do a paid consultation and if I like what they say, they can do a design for me. I'm sure their design would be better, but it's not what I'm looking for.

My Question: Am I going about this wrong? Is there a better way to get a consultation about my design? I'm happy to pay for it (these people are professionals who have to make a living). I just don't want to be upsold.


texts: Why does this forsythia have such sparse leaves?

texts:
I recently moved into a flat in south Germany with large, south-east-facing balcony boxes.  In one of them is a very straggly-looking forsythia.  It flowered in the spring, but since the leaves have come out it only has leaves at the very ends of the branches, and nowhere else (see photos).

How can I encourage it to grow leaves along the full length of its branches?  Does it need fertilising?  Or severe pruning later in the year?


texts: Perpetually unhealthy tree. Suggestions? [Pics]

texts:
I'd like some help figuring out what the cause of my unhealthy tree is in addition to suggestions on how to fix it.

The tree is at least 3 years old; I've lived in the house 2 years and each year it looks the same. Its leaves are droopy, bark peeling, and the leaves never reach the top of the branches.

I've watered regularly, treated it with root stimulant, pruned dead branches, pruned leaves sprouting from the base of the trunk and nothing seems to work.

I appreciate any help!

EDIT

Also, the tree gets full sun everyday in Dallas, Texas.


texts: What do I need to add to turn (or offset) dog poop into fertilizer?

texts:
We end up with dog poop in our yard.

I'd like to put pour something on it that would break it down/compost it  (even if it took a month).   I'd rather not have to pick it up :)
Bonus points if there's something simple with active microbes to hasten the process.

Any suggestions?


texts: I am not sure if this is or isn't poison sumac (not sure judging by other questions on here), but could someone help me id this?


texts: How long before hydroseeds are dead/dried out?

texts:
I've dropped the ball. My new lawn was seeded in the middle of the week and we decided to go the hose+sprinkler route rather than irrigation system. I've tried my best with the little free time I have outside of work to rig up something that covers parts of the yard, but there are areas that are getting no attention since the application.

How long before those areas are completely lost to me and I'll have to reseed?

If they are done for, what are my options for next steps?


texts: Anyone know what could be wrong with my areca palm? I water it when the top soil starts to feel dry so it shouldnt be getting too much water. I also mist it everyday and it is in a room with a south facing window but doesn't get direct light. []2Thanks!


texts: Putting a temporary greenhouse on a porch

texts:
I am considering locations on my property for a small temporary greenhouse (for example, some variation of this greenhouse.
A great place for Sun exposure is my South-facing porch, which is wooden and sits a few feet off the ground. The primary use of this greenhouse will be starting tomatoes/peppers as early as possible.
Will the fact that the greenhouse is off the ground mean that it won't hold heat as well, and won't be as warm as a greenhouse on on the ground? If so, is there a simple way to insulate it?


texts: Identify this tree with two different types of leaves?

texts:
There are 2 types of leaves sprouting from the mystery root here. You might guess that one is a sprig of tree leaves and the other leaves belong to a weed, but in fact both are growing directly from the root! In fact, the differing leaves even track back to the same stem. Can someone identify this tree, please?

Our best guesses were some type of oak tree or a jacaranda tree, but we couldn't find any similar images on the Internet. There are many trees nearby, and unfortunately, I am not in the area, so I can't photograph them all for you.

UPDATED:

Ok, here are some photos of a young tree growing in my friend's backyard that looks to be the same species. You can't see the root clearly, but the leaf pattern is the same.


texts:
I just moved to a new house and discovered I have a few fruit trees. At the end of fall I found a pear on one... Looked to me like a Bosc pear but not sure. I want to bring it back and hopefully enjoy some pears this coming season. I need pruning help and I do have some pictures. It looks to have had some wind damge years ago and leans quite a bit. It's is flowering now but appears to have a section that might be dead maybe? I think there was also some fire blight but I trimmed that out. Also I have several large branches that droop like a weeping willow and the rest mostly reach upward. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I have researched pruning but I need pruning for dummies lol
I have photos but don't know how to add them


texts: What is the correct way of placing echinacea seed in soil?

texts:
Some of the internet sites claim that echinacea seed should be placed at a small depth of 1/4 inch into soil, but not covered at that time, the reason being that they need light to germinate. And just after they germinate, they should be covered with 1/4 inch layer of soil. (This suggestion seems to be valid for both growing from small containers and directly outdoors)

Is this true? Is that crucial? Does someone have some related experience?

Update:

The content of a bag I bought from a local seed shop: 0.5 gr, it should be around 90 seeds

All seeds are 2mm-3mm long.

The exact species is Echinacea angustifolia. The seed shop says the germination rate is 60%, but I doubt it, it is unusually high, but we'll see.

Update - Match 8 - day 0

Three seeds are placed in each cell, on the surface of the soil, and lightly patted. So there were around 130 seeds in the bag. I found that seeds just 'glued' to my wet finger, so I used just my finger to spread seeds, cell by cell, three at the time. The soil was wet, but I also sprinkled water over each cell afterwards.

I have more seed bags for starting them in the garden directly, but I am going to do it in mid-spring.

Update - March 9 - day 1

I covered the tray with a transparent nylon cover:

The tray is not 100% sealed, but I gather this is enough to keep the soil moist.

The cover is actually a cover for shirts and other clothes that dry cleaning shops regularly use.

I intend to keep the cover for a week. I am going to open it every few days for 10 min, to refresh the air.

Update - March 4th - day 4

I wanted just to refresh air around seeds today (by removing the cover for 10 min), however, unexpectedly, I discovered that some seed already sprouted! I removed the cover permanently.

Update - April 6th - day 29


texts:
Title says it all.  Is it possible to connect a funny pipe to a polyethylene tube?  If so, what exactly do I need?  Here in Southern California, I tried going to Home Depot and Lowes, but none of the employees there were able to help me.

I'd like to set up a drip irrigation system, but if possible I'd like to use an existing but unused sprinkler system pipe as the water source.


texts: Lately I’ve moved it to the patio since the summer began. The leaves started turning pale and are becoming flat. There are few brown spots on the leaves. I water it once in two weeks and it gets ample sunlight. I live in Colorado and the temperatures are high 80s. Please help!


texts: We live in an apartment with a back patio. Something has devoured our chives, kale, spinach and taken chunks of branches out of our tomato plant. Anyone know what would be so brave as to come into an apartment complex???


texts: Is 'fertilizer' considered FOOD for plants?

texts: Plants seemed to have thrived for millions of years without any fertilizer being added.  Why can't I just not use fertilizer?


texts: Growing Tomato Indoors from Cutting: When should I transplant to larger pot? When should I start seeing flowers?

texts:
I took a small cutting from an indeterminate tomato plant from an outdoor plant at the end of the growing season.  Cutting is getting pretty tall (about 19 inches).
Not sure what to do with it at this point to encourage strong roots and to get it to actually produce indoors over the winter.
The pot it is in is approximately 9 inches tall with an inside diameter of 7 inches.

should I get it to a bigger pot now?
should I add more light? - the light you see is a basic full spectrum, and there is morning sun coming from a window on the other side.
should I do any pruning at this point?
when might I expect to see flowers?


texts: Can anyone identify these Western Australian seeds?

texts: Can anyone identify these seeds collected in Western Australia. The main black part of the seed is around 5-6 mm in size.


texts: Average seed to fruit length of apache chili pepper

texts:
What is the average time between seed (including germination) to fruit (first harvest) of the apache chili pepper plant grown in an ideal environment?

If anyone knows a good source of data for such values of other plants, that'll be grand.


texts: How to manipulate a cactus with thick long spines?

texts:
I'm thinking of buying a cactus. Shops have a lot of those and one of the variables is the size and density of spines. Cacti with rare huge spines (something like 15 millimeters long and about 1 millimeter thick) look appealing, but I wonder how practical such cacti are to manipulate.

For example, if I want to transplant one - will I need some super strong gloves that won't be pierced by the thick strong spines or will any gloves do?

How to manipulate a cactus that has thick long strong spines without harming hands?


texts:
Does anyone have any experience with Cherimoya Trees???

We have one in our backyard.  Last year, it produced some decent size fruit.  This year, it seems like there are more fruits sprouting, and the tree is bending over almost to the ground.

Do I need to tie it to itself to keep it more upright?  Stake it?  Accept that it and its branches with fruit will need to be pruned short?

Also, I am not familiar at all with its watering needs, and if anyone has any recommendations.


texts: What is this flowering shrub from Algonquin Park?

texts:
Saw this plant growing to heights of three to four feet (one to one and a half metres) in a mixed pine and deciduous forest in Algonquin Park (USDA zone 3).  The berries or drupes are black.  The leaf is almost ready to drop and is pictured on the left.  The leaf on the right is from Viburnum trilobum "Wentworth" from my garden.

What is this plant?  It looks like a native viburnum but I don't know which species.


texts: Sunflowers: Young leaves turn yellow and die

texts:
These sunflowers are on my window ledge getting ca 8h of sunlight per day. When they lack water the leaves start hanging dramatically. 30 minutes after watering they correct themselves. Plants look pretty healthy all around to me except for the yellow leaves. I get these on EVERY sunflower I have.

I water them thoroughly as soon as the top 3cm dried up which is around once every 4-5 days. Pots are properly drained.

Earth specs:

Ph 7.2
200mg/l Nitrogen
170mg/l Phosphate
950mg/l Potassium


texts: Birch trees with peeling bark and black area on trunks

texts: I am wondering about my trees in our front yard. They seem to be peeling much more than others in the neighborhood and have black patches on the trunk. Any info on what I should do?


texts: Why are my aloe's leaves bent and drying up, and what can I do to help it grow?

texts: My aloe plant is not growing right. I've had it for about a year and the leaves are bending and drying up. Please help me because I don't want it to die, they are very beautiful plants. Can I transplant it in the winter? I just don't know what to do, it’s dying from the tip to the base of the plaint. I can’t give you a picture because this is my first time posting on this site.


texts: Campsis is growing very slowly with holes in the leaves

texts:
We purchased our red Campsis Radicans in the beginning of May which is depicted below. This picture was taken today. What surprizes me is that many articles claim that Campsis is a fast growing vine so I think something is wrong with ours. Specifically:

Within 2 months it only gave several new short shoots.
Many leaves have holes in it. We can't find out which insect might cause those holes.

It is planted in 30cm tall pot with multi-purpose peat based compost (the only compost we could find online at that time). We never fed it with any fertilizer and keep watering it 2-3 times per week. Could you suggest what are we doing wrong with it?


texts: What is causing yellow and brown blotches on my Roma tomato's leaves?

texts:
I left my garden for 10 days (in the care of someone else to water it) and I came home to find my Roma tomato plant in a very sickly state.  Pictures can be seen below.  Perhaps about half the leaves are significantly browned/yellowed.

What is happening to my tomato plant, and what can I do to fix it?

I live in central New Jersey.  It has been pretty rainy while I was gone, to the point that there was some flooding nearby.

Some possibly relevant extra information: I only have one tomato plant in my garden plot, but my plot is in a much larger garden that has many, many tomato plants.  My tomato plant is near (indeed, is touching) some russet potato plants, which have shown some signs of blight and I believe potato mosaic virus.  I have also lost some cucumbers and zucchini to cucumber beetles, which are still present on the remaining zucchini and squash plants I have but are several feet away from the tomato.


texts:
I have a quick question. While I know a good bit about bushes, shrubs and potted plants, I'll admit I don't know much about grass. We live in the south east with a lot of clay soil. Some of the best grass in our yard is just random grass that either blew across the driveway while we were planting at one time or else a bird dropped some there at one point. We have a small field we mow to keep it looking good.

I never water or fertilize it, but it is almost always great looking grass. I don't know the kind, but it's one of the ones that goes by runner. However, they're so dense it's almost like walking on carpet. It doesn't really brown in a drought, though it does go brown and dormant in the winter. I can forget to cut it and it doesn't grow fast or tall. I can cut it lower if I want and it doesn't seem to hurt it.

I'd love to start moving it around my yard and get it started in other places if possible. I have bad luck with grass, though. I know you can get the runner type grass in plugs and plant them slightly apart and they fill in. I'd like to try that, but I don't know how you collect the plugs. As it stands right now, I would try to take a piece of steel pipe and pop it down a few inches into the ground to get plant and root, then I'd take it up and use the "plug" to propagate it and put some good soil in the hole I made to let the grass grow back over it. I'd just take a doze or so of these to start with.

I figured I could then till up the spot I want to start them in and add some miracle grow dirt or compost and plant and water them. If they take I can repeat the process until I have as much as I want. I even have a spot I could make into a sacrifice spot and only use it for the purpose of propagating this grass. Does this sound like a viable way to spread this grass? Thanks for the help. I think it looks like Zoysia grass, maybe? Who knows. I'll get a pick on here if I can.


texts: What the heck is this?!? Can’t find its name anywhere?

texts: It’s a very tall plant over 6ft with red hollow stem and large green leaves.


texts: How to grow Rosemary indoors over the winter?

texts:
I live in northern Colorado on the plains and the rosemary that thrives in the summer never makes it through the winter in a pot.  It slowly dries up and dies even though I water it and keep it in a sunny place.

What should I do to keep it alive?


texts: Good winter vegetables in hardiness zone 8B?

texts:
It's late November now, and I'm contemplating what would be good vegetables to plant in the next couple weeks.  I understand that most things planted now won't be harvestable until spring.

I'm in Santa Rosa, California, where we do get frost, but temperatures rarely dip very much below freezing (and basically never below 25F/-4C). Not sure if we're technically zone 8B or 9A. Maps claim 8B, but there's a lot of microclimates and 9A might be more accurate. Rain, fog and overcast weather are common through winter.

I know November seems late, but a lot of my spring and summer plantings have only started dying off in the past couple weeks.

I've got maybe 50 square feet (4.5 square meters) of raised bed space that's not already occupied with a perennial.

Already planted some kale a couple months back and considering planting some other kale varieties. Also planted some fava beans recently, mostly for the nitrogen.

Looking for ideas for other winter crops.


texts: chilli's yellowing on leaves only produced one fruit still flowering but dropping

texts: Chillis slightly yellowing only produced one fruit when it was ripe took it off still flowing but there dropping


texts: What's a suitable depth for a planter for sage and tarragon?

texts: I have just planted a tray each of tarragon and sage seeds, and intend, once the seedlings are suitably developed, to transfer them to planters on the verandah, rather than to the main plot. What would people recommend as a suitable depth to ensure vigorous growth of the rootball and prevent them drying out too quickly in a warm summer?


texts: What is this evergreen plant and how should I care for it?

texts: I bought this plant from a local nursery, and the owner was ignorant about the plant details...


texts: Houseplant Troubleshooting: Why is this Plant Shedding Leaves?

texts:
I've been caring for this plant (unsure of the name) for about two months--and over this period, it's remained perfectly healthy. In the last week, however, it's begun to lose its leaves, and I'm not sure what the cause is or how to resolve it. Here's a photo:

I water it only after the soil is completely dry. Though it's been losing leaves, it's also been growing new branches from the base of the plant.
I've tried to move it closer to the sunlight, but it doesn't appear to be making a difference.

Any advice you have would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!


texts: Should I fertilize young mango and avocado trees which have stopped growing?

texts: I have a few mango and avocado trees. They are between 5 and 6 months old. They appear to have stopped growing. Should I fertilize them, or is it too early?  If it is too early for fertilization, what can I use to feed them in the mean time? When I seeded them, I added them to the soil with no other ingredients.


texts: I have often heard that particularly dry soil cannot absorb water well. This was often associated with flooding after a long dry drought. I couldn't really imagine it, but yesterday I saw for myself how water that I had poured on very dry ground did not seep in but remained on the surface in a thick puddle. If the same soil was moister, it absorbed the water without any problems.


texts: Is green tissue in the center of cherry tomatoes related to 'Yellow Shoulder Disorder'?

texts:
I've read about the "Yellow shoulder disorder" in tomatoes, and I was wondering if I have something similar going on with my cherry tomatoes.

Some of them do indeed seem a little less colourful on top,
but the most annoying part is this bit of green in the middle:

Is it because of this disorder?


texts: What is this pine tree with long pendulous needles and vivid purple flowers?

texts:
Having looked around the net I think the tree in the photos here is a Western White Pine - certainly the cone seems to suggest that - but the very long pendulous needles and the vivid purple flowers seem somewhat at odds with the other photos I've seen. To answer the question in the comment from Paul Nardini, mostly there are three needles per fascicle, though there are one or two that have four. I haven't noticed any with just two.

The tree is around 50-60 years old, in lowland Cambridgeshire, England, and as a whole is quite open in habit. The branches photographed here were around 2m (6.5 feet) off the ground; they droop to a considerable degree.


texts:
I've seen advice in books and online that I can deal with my striped cucumber beetle infestation by vacuuming. Unfortunately they don't get into details. I'm ready to drag the shop vac into the garden, but I'm wondering if there are any gotchas... and I'm a little worried about too much power ripping the leaves right off the plants instead of just the bugs.

Has anybody here done this successfully? Anything I should watch out for? Any tips to ensure success?

(If this works, it would be great -- I try to avoid spraying as much as possible, and I don't want to kill bees/beneficial pollinators with pyrethrin.)


texts: Does anyone know why my pepper leaves are curling up?

texts:
I looked up the web, some said it was calcium, some said overheating or too much sun.

do you guys know what may be the  reason?


texts: Any problems (plant health, structural longevity, etc?) with planting bamboo in a steel planter?

texts:
--- UPDATEs per feedback (from both StackExchange and Reddit) ---

a. Bamboo species is "clumping growth," not "running" flavor. We don't have concerns about it "escaping." Does this change any perspectives about the rhizomes warping the steel planters?

b. Bottom of all the planters is open, not closed.

c. The pictured planter is NOT the one where we're placing the bamboo.

d. Low-VOC paint, if any, will only be applied to the INSIDE walls of the planter.

--- Original post format, with above modifications ---

Will large clumping-growth bamboo such as Graceful Bamboo (Bambusa textilis gracilis) warp or disfigure steel planters (see below) over a long period of time (think 10 or more years)? NOTE: the bamboo species will NOT be any of the "running" patterns.
Do steel planters negatively impact the health of bamboo over time, especially when compared to cedar wood planters?
Planter specifications: the bottom of these planters is open, not closed. The planters will be 3' (3 feet) tall, 2' wide and about 35' long. There will be significant internal bracing for said steel planters, similar or same to the planters shown in the photos below.  The "Graceful" species has canes about 1" wide and can reach 30'+ tall, though I am not expecting this given the restrictions of the planters.  They are currently 17' tall with more than a dozen canes in their containers (before being planted).
Is low-VOC paint or similar treatments (see below) helpful to protect the INSIDE WALLS ONLY (we love the look of the rusted-steel exterior and will not paint over it) of the steel planter from contact with soil and plant roots?  Will this paint prolong the life of a steel planter? Reiterating, the low-VOC paint/root block liner/polyiso foam is only for the interior of the planter. So the question is whether any liner/sprayed product would extend the life of the planter itself and thus be worth the added time/expense. Note: to match the other steel accents throughout the back yard, the planter walls will be vertical.
The pictured planter below is NOT the one that will house the bamboo.  The photos shown are simply to provide an example of what the planters will look like (although they will be in the same backyard as the photo-ed planters). The planters that will hold the clumping bamboo have not yet been built. And the bamboo planters will not be adjacent to the pool.
Any other considerations to make in addition to the points above with regards to both long-term a) bamboo health and b) steel-planter structural integrity?

Geographic location: south-central Texas, USA.

Low-VOC paint:

http://www.greenhomeguide.com/know-how/article/what-is-low-voc-paint
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volatile_organic_compound#Paints_and_coatings

Again, the following planters are EXAMPLE photos, and NOT the planters
that will house the bamboo.


texts: Can I correct a bad lean in my new 15' willow tree?

texts: We recently purchased a 15' Willow tree.  After planting it, the main trunk is straight, however approximately 5' up it starts to have a very bad lean to the right.  How can we fix it without damaging the tree?


texts: What causes Dutch Irises to fail to bloom?

texts:
For the last 2 years my dutch irises have been a beautiful Spring show. However, this year they have failed to bloom.

I would greatly appreciate any ideas as to what may have gone wrong.

Thanks, Marg


texts:
Can you please confirm:

This is Black-night-shade berries?
This is an edible?
Perennial or annual plant for Zone 9b (N.California)
Best practice/time to propagate them (using the ripe berries)

Update: I've tried eating a few and.. well, it's obvious that I'm still alive  to post this update.


texts: How should we treat cracks in the stem of Aloe Veras?

texts:
I received this damaged Aloe Vera about 5 days ago and I found help, here mainly, to determine the source of its problems. So everything was on track now, until I realized that it had  soil in between its leaves that I couldn't remove and I had the "smart" idea of using an air compressed can to clean it -pressing it half way. It worked like a charm with the first leaf. With the second I may have pressed pass beyond the half way and the whole burst of air did what it is supposed to do. You can imagine the whole soil explosion scene and the cleaning chore it led to.

The real problem, though, is that it blew up more than the soil itself. The leaves have been damaged down at the root level. See the vertical crack in the white part of the plant that circled the left and right leaves:

Also, I have realized that it already had a horizontal crack in the leaf/steam inside and above the part already mentioned that you can see clearer in this pic:

Seen the images and that I have just repotted it 3 days ago into a pot filled with special-for-cactus soil, do you think it can still be repaired? And if yes -hopefully- do I need to cut the two outer leaves (and then can I replant them)? Or what should I do?

More pics of it made 4 days ago - before repotting it:
Causes of pale-brown tips

Update (May 9):
The two bottom leaves are rotting at the stem, one of them has already fallen down -it is just supported by the pot- and the other is becoming brown at the stem so it will too... Is it better to remove the rest of the corresponding layer of stem (is a white part...)?

May 10, the leave in worst condition collapsed:

May 15, the entire plant collapsed. It stayed up for a couple of days after propelling it with a stick, but it seems it has definitively collapsed today and the stem is almost flat at the base, where the plant bent:

I guess at this point there's nothing to be done... (?)


texts:
Location: Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
When: Feb 2015 (summer in Southern Hemisphere)

A couple of questions.

First: Is this Scale in the first photo? If so, what type? If not what is it?

Second: It appears that on some leaves (second photo) ants are turning the scale to mash potatoes. If this is the case then is this sufficient control for the scale or does it need more attention to keep the tree healthy?


texts:
I have a Red English rose potted on my terrace. I am noticing a sideshoot coming just below the bud union. I am attaching a photo of the plant. Please note that this new shoot is just slightly below the union or may be it's a part of it and I am just unable to identify. I have always have had trouble with identifying if it's a sucker on a rose plant or not.

To describe the new shoot- Every leave bunch has 7 leaves, but to be more precise some of the other stems of this rose plant also have 7 leaves. It is bright green as you can see in image. It does have thorns.

Need your experience and suggestions if  this is a sucker that needs to be removed.


texts: What are some of the fastest growing plant by mass?

texts:
There's a few questions on this site based around the fastest growing plant of a specific type (vegetable, tree etc.) but can anyone give me a list of the fastest growing plants by mass. To be clear I mean the plant that (once mature if appropriate) increases in mass by the greatest percentage.

Bonus points for anyone providing a list of different plants!


texts:
I've got a blueberry in a pot that was repotted without amending the soil. Now it seems to be growing okay but rather then repotting it again, I'm wondering if I can apply a coffee grounds mulch while it still has a few berries, and i mean only a very few berries compared with the numbers on it when i bought it just on a year ago. Or should I wait?

I haven't tested the soil pH, and I don't use tap water for watering, but fish water from my gold fish. I did put some citrus fertiliser on it once late last year, and we're now in mid summer.


texts:
I planted romaine lettuce and I think it was attacked by some pests, but I can't identify them because I don't see any insects. I decided to replace with the new plants but it still get attacked. Do you know which pest attack my lettuce like in this picture?

If you need more description about my location or anything else, please comment this post :)


texts: How to prepare these Hydrangeas for healthy growth in Spring and Summer?

texts:
I have a few of those hydrangeas and some others like below

I left them alone during winter.
Now do I cut them down to the root? Or do I leave them alone like that? What to do?

I am in Pacific Northwest. Thanks


texts: What should I do after oak tree removal, before paving?

texts: I recently had a huge oak tree removed. It was ground to a stump. I'm going to pave that area soon.  Do I need to do anything to the area before paving? Someone told me to put salt in the soil.


texts: I have a plant of ornamental chilies, which most probably they are little elf chilies. I would like to know if they are safe to eat and/or use them in cooking?


texts:
Every year around this time I take my basil outside. After a couple of days maybe a week, transparent spots begin appearing in otherwise perfectly good leaves. Last year I had to throw it all away and start over inside.

This year I'm hoping to treat it early and save him, but I have no idea about what it could be. Here's a photo of the first spots appearing. They tend to be large single spots rather than diffuse transparent dots. No sign of webbing for what I can see, no visible insect anywhere.

Any idea?

UPDATE: I found this guy under one leaf, what is it? it's about 2mm long. Can I spray something to prevent further invasion?


texts: What are methods of increasing the protein content of garden vegetables?

texts:
I read a random article about the effects of a certain fertilizer on tomatoes and how it happened to increase the protein content of the tomatoes relative to other fertilizers (1, 2) and it piqued my interest.  I've also read that wheat grown at certain parts of the year have more protein content as well.

Aside from choosing to grow lentils or some other high-protein plant, what are the methods of increasing the protein content of your garden edibles?  If they vary by plant family group, then what are the methods that work for different family groups?


texts:
Motivation: this comment from stormy:

  And DO NOT ADD SAND to garden soil!!! ARRRGGHH. Again, when one takes clay soil, gravel, lime, gypsum, water and then ROTATE what does one get? Concrete. Sand is right in there. Does NOTHING for the soil. The ONLY WAY to improve ANY soil is the addition of DECOMPOSED ORGANIC MATTER. Period. Allow me to elucidate!! I love this question and it is so vital to understand.

I usually add some sand to my soil. I did a few granulometric analysises, which show that my soil has high percentages both of clay and of silt (so very low in sand). On a figure (which now I can't find anymore), I saw that more sand will help to keep more water in soil (there is, IIRC, a sweet point of around 30% of sand; much more sand will make water flow away).

Really I add sand only when planting trees, on sub-soil, and a little sand on seedlings, not to have mould.

So, is it bad to add sand? Why?


texts: What is the effect of  watering on the temperature of the garden?

texts:
We have a large garden (<2 acres) that we are growing for the Post Falls, ID. food bank.  The farmer is supplying the water.  We have 5 zones across the garden and move the sprinklers three times to water the entire area.  We are continually watering each zone for 12 hours, and then moving the sprinklers to the next section, water it for 12 hours, moving it to the next section and water it for 12 hours.  We do not stop watering during the entire growing season.

It seems that the garden is not ripening as fast as gardens in the city. Can a garden's average temperature get lowered due to the watering, possibly delaying the harvest time?


texts: Something has been nipping away at my kale leaves. These are growing in a raised bed and I don't see any snails around. I have also covered up the bed with a net to keep away squirrels to the extent I can but they may be getting in. Any ideas or other pests that may be enjoying my kale?


texts: At what size garden does a backpack leaf blower make sense?

texts:
Our new house has about half an acre of land, including a large lawn surrounded by many mature trees.

We're clearly going to need a leaf blower... Even in spring everything is covered in leaves, bud casings, etc. I imagine we need something quite good and as I never used a blower before I'm wondering at what point a garden becomes large enough that a backpack mounted blower really becomes more of a necessity rather than overkill?


texts: Devils ivy plant leaves are growing with a cut in them; what can I do to prevent it?

texts: How can I fix my devils ivy plant? It's growing fine but the new leaves are getting cracked or have a cut in them. I'm looking for suggestions.


texts: How long may an avocado pit be left out after having been removed from its fruit?

texts:
I have had some uninspiring success growing avocados from the pit, by suspending them in a glass of water using toothpicks. Recently, I had set aside several pits to do the same, but didn't get around to putting them in water for over a week. Now the pits don't seem to be sending down roots or sending up shoots at all.

Is there a maximum amount of time that an avocado pit may be allowed to sit/dry out prior to being put in water for growing?


texts: How long should a golden pothos cutting remain in water?

texts: About a month ago, a friend of mine gave me a cutting (around 10" with several leaves) off her golden pothos plant. Since then, I have kept it sitting in water with in view of sunlight. As far as I can tell, it hasn't rooted yet. Recently, one of the leaves yellowed, so I'm starting to worry. Should I have transferred it to soil right away?


texts:
I have a apple plant which is about 5months old(guessed). As you can see in the image below the new leaves are curling up. I don't know what causes this or how to treat for this. This has happened to other plants than apple plants in my garden. How do I treat this?

Soil: potting soil with cow dung mixed.

Country:Sri Lanka

Plant gets full sun for the whole day.

Watering is done about every 2days.

Max temp 35C

Lowest temp 25C

(I know that it may not be possible to grow apples where I live. But I want to give it a try.)

Edit : more images.


texts: How to eradicate Ambrosia - common ragweed?

texts:
Last year my property and surrounding area was rather free from Ambrosia ie common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) and now it is everywhere... probably because no-one in this country (Bosnia) is really trying to eradicate (regardless it is required by law).

Is there efficient way to eradicate or at least keep Ambrosia under control, since it is highly allergenic and very invasive?

Should I even bother to fight against it (mowing and pulling before flowering), if no-one else is trying? Would herbicides help (although I'd rather not use them)? Is this lost battle?


texts:
Can cherry blossoms be used to cross pollinate sweet cherry trees?
I recently got two Royal Ann cherry trees to plant in my yard. After planting them, I noticed on the card that came with the trees that they require a pollinator. I did some research online and learned that sweet cherry trees need to have another type of cherry tree nearby to cross pollinate to set cherries. I did not know that and the staff at the nursery did not share that info with me. My neighborhood has a lot cherry blossoms, I was wondering if they can help the cross pollination process. I found chart online that only show cross pollination across sweet cherry trees. Here's an example: https://www.mygardenlife.com/uploads/2018/04/104515B%20Pollination%20Chart%20800px5.png


texts: How much should I water an avocado plant guided by a moisture meter?

texts: I have a moisture meter that registers readings from 0.0 to 9.9 (driest to wettest). I cannot find a listing for a potted avocado tree. Can you give me info as to what percentage is optimal for the plant?  I'm not that good at pressing on the soil and figuring it out from there.


texts: What type of potting soil is most suitable for indoor herbs?

texts:
I've tried a few times to grow potted herbs in my apartment with varying success, and I suspect it is related to the potting soil. I have basil and rosemary that are thriving in pots filled with MiracleGro Potting Mix, but I planted chocolate mint, spearmint, ginger mint, thyme, and tarragon in pots with MiracleGro Moisture Control potting mix, and those all died extremely quickly (within a week - one of the mints turned completely brown and shriveled within two days).

I followed the directions from the tags the seedlings came with (regarding sun exposure and watering), and I was careful not to damage the root bundles when I potted them, so the only thing I can guess is that the Moisture Control potting soil did not get along with these plants.

Does anyone know why that is? Is there something about the pH level or nutrient levels in this particular soil that make it ill-suited for herbs? Are there certain things I should look for on the labels when purchasing potting soil in the future? (I live in a city and have a very limited selection of potting soil types and brands in my local hardware stores/target.)


texts: Is pouring boiling water on poison ivy potentially hazardous to my lungs?

texts:
I've read from various sources that boiling water kills poison ivy (leaves AND ROOTS!).
I've read BURNING poison ivy is a VERY BAD idea because you can have a serous reaction in your lungs.
While pouring boiling water I noticed a smell.  My throat feels a bit funny.
I'm worried the boiling water making the poison ivy oils airborne, acting like an essential oils defuser or something.
Before pouring more I put on my 3M 2097 P100 Respirator mask, and some goggles.
Hopefully that helps protect my lungs and eyes.  Hoping someone who knows more can provide insight on this.
For boiling water I'm using 4 tea pots (2 at a time) to try to kill the ivy as deep as practical around a fence.
The last time I had a poison ivy reaction on my skin it took about a week to manafest.  What is the expected reaction time for throat or eyes or lungs?


texts: What is this mark that appears on my small green plums?

texts: After the flowers fell the green plums started growing. As soon as they were 1/4" across, They began developing these little sunken black marks. I have been consistently spraying with fruit tree spray. How can I control this?


texts: I bought this plant a while ago and I'm having trouble identifying it.  I thought it was a hen and chicks when I got it, but it seems to be growing out of control.  It doesn't need much water at all and is growing well in pretty dry soil.


texts: What is this succulent with a tall flower spike with green pods in the UK?

texts: I saw this plant in the entrance to the Princess of Wales conservatory in Kew Gardens yesterday, but couldn't see a name tag for it. Does anyone know what it is? It had a very tall flower spike with green pods on and the leaves were grassy and clumping. It was with the cacti and succulents.


texts: Can anyone help why my Tulsi (Holy Basil) plant has the white thing and how I can fix it?


texts: Is it really that important to prune deadwood from trees? If so, why?

texts: It seems like every time we bring arborists onto a property, the first thing they want to do is to remove all the deadwood from the tree canopies. What are the reasons for doing this, and is it really that important to the health of the trees?


texts: How to help a cold-damaged miniature rose

texts:
I just bought a miniature rose from the store & placed it on my kitchen table, next to a window. In the morning, I found the leaves closest to the window were curled and dry looking, some having turned purple. I assume it was just cold enough near the window to damage the rose.

Does anyone have tips for helping the rose to recover?


texts: What are these little black bugs on my Chives, Welsh and Spring Onions?

texts: What are these little black bugs in my Chives, Welsh and Spring onions? They don't seem to be eating anything, they are clustered around the base and a short way up some of the stems.


texts:
Can someone please help identify this plant? Pictures below.

The plant has red "poofy" flowers which I don't have pictures of unfortunately. Someone identified this as bottlebrush (callistemon), but I now think that may have been a misidentification for the following reasons:

The leaves (closeup above) are pretty differently shaped than what an image-search for "bottlebrush" turns up.
The overall "profile" of the tree looks pretty different, I think, than image-search results for "bottlebrush."
Image searches on "bottlebrush" show the red flowers as somewhat elongated, but mine were more spherical, not really elongated at all.

I'd be grateful if someone knowledgeable out there can correctly identify this plant. Thank you.


texts: Does peat moss negate the effects of perlite?

texts: I am repurposing a fire pit into a raised garden bed. From my readings, it seems like the popular soil mixes for raised garden beds include peat moss, compost, topsoil, and vermiculite. I have the first three ingredients, but I am lacking the vermiculite. However, I do have a bag of perlite laying around. Since perlite aids in aeration while peat moss aids in moisture retention, would mixing the two together cancel their respective attributes? Or would their attributes coexist to create a moist soil that drains well?


texts: Does soap mixed with water kill plants??

texts: I'm doing a science fair project for 8th grade and I'm trying to decide my hypothesis but I'm oblivious .


texts: Storing apples - how do I improve my success rate?

texts:
Here's my apple store a few weeks after I put them into storage:

As you can see, already quite a high failure rate. And even for the apples which still look sound as of today, are they still at risk? Or if they've got this far without rotting are they basically now set to store OK through the winter?

But my main question is, how do I improve my success rate? I can guess that the key things are:

don't store obviously damaged apples
cool, even temperature
darkness
dry, with good air circulation

If my list is correct, which out of those is most important? Is there anything I've left out?

In my case I did pick windfalls rather than harvesting them from the tree (is trying to store windfalls hopeless? They looked unblemished at the time). The temperature may have been a little high. Is that enough to explain the high failure rate?


texts: Can I use silicone latex to plug hole in a tree?

texts: I put some small 1/2" holes around the trunk on a river birch tree and gave it an iron treatment. The instructions called to seal the holes with latex caulk, but I only have latex caulk with silicone added in. Is it a problem to use it with silicone to seal small holes in the tree?


texts: Getting rid of maggots in a compost vessel

texts:
Related: Compost has larva or maggots?
We have a compost vessel (around 300L) which we use as a supplement to our garbage can. We don't usually throw meat in it and we don't intend to ever do it again. However, somewhere around two weeks ago somebody asked if he could throw half a kilogram of spoiled minced meat in it. I didn't know any better, so I gave him the go ahead.
The resulting stench has been growing for the past couple of days and maggots have infested the vessel.
I'm looking for:

A quick, one-time fix which if at all possible will not destroy the rest of the eco-system (or what's left of it) in the vessel.

I have very limited gardening experience and the compost has no specific goal (I haven't needed to clean it in years, it's self-regulating).
How do I get rid of the maggots the easy way?
Note: I do not think this question is a duplicate. I'm looking for a one-time fix while the answers in the other question are more of a long-term thing.


texts: Why are my courgette leaves shrivelled and yellow?

texts:
I have a courgette (zucchini) plant growing in a container, and the older leaves have turned yellow, brittle and shrivelled at the edges, with a little mould also. What could be causing this? Is it simple malnourishment or perhaps a disease/pest?
Here is one of the older leaves with the symptoms:

Here is the plant, you can see it is still shooting new leaves and flowers which look much healthier:

However, some of the younger leaves too look like they're starting to develop the problem:

Extra information: This plant was sown in March and put in the greenhouse in May. Here in Northern England May was hotter than usual, but most of June has been very wet, as it often is. During that time the greenhouse got very humid. I've recently moved it in to a larger container, with fresh compost and now that the weather has warmed up I've moved it outside. None of my other plants in the greenhouse (tomatoes, cucumber, pepper) are displaying anything similar.


texts: What are these trailing plants with white flowers?

texts:
I was looking for plants to add to containers along with red geraniums (pelargoniums) and came across this photo but after much searching couldn't find any information on what the white trailing plants in this basket are. Can anyone identify them?

Looks like it might be two different white flowers. The trailing ones in front and then the ones in the back that look a bit like chamomile flowers.

I'd be happy even with something similar. Ideally a trailing annual that I can use in a similar container arrangement with red geraniums that has small white flowers that is preferably not toxic to pets and that I can start from seeds.


texts:
For several years I have enjoyed the olives of a type of tree from Peru called a Botija olive tree. The olives are cured only by drying them, which seems to remove almost all the bitterness. They are marketed in small bottles or bags by several companies in the United States such as this one. I enjoy the olives enough that I would eat them every day if I could afford to. I tried drying olives local to Sacramento, California where I live but with inferior results. Although a food dehydrator or oven (as described here or here) effectively removes the bitterness, the bulk, texture and flavor of the Botija are hard to reproduce. I would like to grow one of these trees if I could obtain one. For a year I tried to sprout the pits until I learned that it would take 30 years for a seed-grown tree to bear fruit. So far, efforts to correspond with the farm or its distributor haven't elicited a reply. One article suggests that these olives are also known as "sevillana" olives and are commonly marketed throughout Peru. If this is the same as a Sevillano olive tree then I can buy it. But another article lists Botija and Sevillano as separate varieties. Can anyone help me obtain information that might lead to its capture, such as other names that the Botija olive goes by or where else it is grown? Thanks for your interest and help.

Edit: Another article I found describes the Alfonso olive, which the comment by "refreyre" claims is the same as the Botija olive.

Edit 5/4/18: I found a few brands of Peruvian Botija or Alphonso olives at a local international market.  One jar says "GOYA Peruvian Olives - ACEITUNAS DE BOTIJA" and the other "Amazonas ACEITUNA DE BOTIJA SIN PEPA - ALPHONSO PITTED OLIVES". The two brands of salt-cured olives seem to be the same variety, and the pit looks similar to that of a dried Botija olive. Based on my experience drying other varieties of olive I would have expected the dried olives to be significantly smaller than the brine cured ones, but these don't seem to be.


texts: Which grasses should I keep in this terribly overgrown lawn?

texts:
I have moved to a property where the lawn has not been cut for (according to neighbours) 2 years, and the grasses are now about 2 feet high with seeds. I would like some advice about which ones to keep and which ones to remove.

This one seems the easiest place to start:

It is very thick and coarse and has tough seeds which do not fall off easily. After cutting it grows back very quickly. The cut patches seem to be raised above the surrounding areas.

This is what it looks like a few days after cutting:

I guess I should remove these (dig them out)? They appear in small clumps all over the lawn.

This one is finer, though almost as tall as the coarse one, and the seeds are quite soft and fall off easily:

After cutting, they seem a bit coarse but do not seem unpleasant. So should I save these and maybe harvest the seeds to sow on the bare/thin patches ?

And then there is this one, which is very fine and about half the height of the other two:

I'm guessing that this is the "best" lawn grass, as it is so fine and wispy, so should I save these and harvest the seeds for sowing ?

I estimate that there is about 10% of the first one, 60% of the 2nd one, and 30% of the 3rd one.

If I harvest the 2nd and 3rd one for sowing the bare/thin patches, should I use a mixture of them, or maybe just stick with the 3rd one?


texts: Should I feed wild rabbits in my garden in winter?

texts:
In the past week, there is a rabbit's family (2 of them) taking resident in my garden. They jump right up to one of the big pots and take nap there. Here is one of them

I am considering to put some water and carrots out for them, because winter is coming, and the temperature drops to minus. But I am not sure, they are wild rabbits, I am afraid to interfere in their nature.

Is it a good thing to feed wild rabbits in winter?


texts: What equipment do I need to transplant a 20' tall pin oak?

texts:
I knew a guy who moved 7 or 8 large (for moving) 20-35' pin oaks. He used a backhoe, digging out around the rootball, while leaving it intact. While this was successful, and the trees did very well, it completely wrecked all the surrounding land.

I know it's not ideal to move trees this size, but if I do, is there a less aggressive method, and what tools should I use?


texts:
One of the traditional ways potato's are often grown is by slowly piling up dirt and straw around them as they reach around 7-8 inches above the last layer.

I am wondering when would be the best time to water at a time when the are ready for another layer. Should i water them and then put on another layer or put on a layer and then water?


texts: Rust looking spots on most of the leaves of an Indian Guava (Psidium guajava)

texts:
My Indian Guava (18 months) has been getting more and more rust looking spots on its leaves.
Front side:
Back side:

Is this a nutrition issue? (They are given a weak fertiliser about once every 3 months)
A type of insect? (I couldn't find any active bugs, and they get sprayed about once a fortnight)
Too hot? (Days are around 36C)
Too cold? (Nights are around 5C, but it lives in a  greenhouse)
Mould? (I mould spray every month)

I found this: What are these red spots on my guava leaves? but the pics they have seem very different to mine, so I thought it would be OK to ask separately.
I rescued this plant when it was a tiny little sapling about to be thrown out by my local hardware store (Bunnings Australia), so I've got quite an attachment to it and would really like to figure this out.
I've tried so much without effect, so I'm happy to take whatever steps people recommend to get it back to health!
Thanks in advance!


texts: What's this black spot on my gasteraloe?

texts:
I have another question about this plant. I noticed a large black area at the base, surrounded by little black spots.

When touching this area it seems normal, it's just turned black. So my guess is that it's not rot but a disease/fungus. It seems to spread pretty fast.

This plant was repotted three weeks ago and wasn't watered since then. It had multiple "babies" that I planted into different pots, and some of them have the same problem. I suspect they didn't like the repotting, or maybe there was a disease in the substrate I used.

What is it and what should I do about it?


texts:
I've been given the instructions "plant young plants only after the ground temperature reaches 70°F (21°C), about 2 to 3 weeks before the last frost."

I looked up ground temperatures in my area and it never goes above 60°F (15.5°C), measured 1m (3ft) down. So how are you supposed to measure the 70°F (21°C)? On top of the soil, 10cm (4in) below, or above or how?

The way I understand this instruction, I can never plant these. Or at least, it makes no sense to expect these temperatures 2-3 weeks before the last frost.


texts: Hazelnut Tree In Front Yard, Squirrels!! Bad Idea?

texts:
My husband and I just bought our first house with two big hazelnut trees in the front yard, it surely gave us a feeling of being close to the nature, but on the other hand, there are so many chestnut shells (opened and whole) dropping everywhere in my front yard. One thing that worries me is I constantly hear the hazelnut hitting my house (probably roof) and it's either because the chestnut is dropping in the fall season or the squirrels eat it and throws it from the tree. And quite often I do see squirrels on those trees.  Should I be concerned that it's going to be a problem to my house? I live in Ohio.

Thank you people!


texts: Citrus plants that grow best in Northern California, and tolerate our zone 9 winters

texts:
I think I am having some beginner's luck with growing my Bearss Lime tree in a pot. I'd like to grow more of the citrus plants (preferably oranges/mandarins). Any recommendations for a newbie like me? I'd have to grow them in pots, and am looking for a variety that is cold tolerant to our zone 9 winters, which also puts out a good yield. The gardener at my local nursery seems to suggest that orange trees don't particularly give good produce in Northern California climates?

Thanks!


texts: Getting grass to grow on top of hill, shady area with possible concrete

texts:
I am a relatively new homeowner. The back of our house has a carport with a deck above it, then the back yard has about a yard of flattish ground followed by a decent slope. We noticed that the grass was a bit spotty at the top, but didn't think much of it. Two years later, it's practically all bare earth up there. The grass just won't thrive. I suspect there may be a combination of factors. The area gets very little sunlight throughout the day due to the deck. The deck also shades the area from much of the rainfall. Lastly, according to one of our neighbors, there may be concrete a bit further down, the remnant of a playset. I know there there is at least some concrete, as it's starting to become visible in spots through the eroding dirt. I've also found scraps of that black anti-weed fabric, suggesting that they may have planted other things such as flowers.

So, what can I do to fix this area? My first thought is to just put down more topsoil and seed it, but I'm a bit worried that it will all just wash away. If indeed there is concrete, I suppose I might have to dig down to it and break it up so that we can get a good layer of soil, but I'd prefer to put that as a matter of last resort because of the amount of effort it would take as well as that it would likely kill off what remains of the grass in the process.


texts: Mushy Aglaonema stem with browning leaf tips. Answer asap please

texts: Recently I've been watering my Aglaonema Silver Bay a little too much (due to the scorching heat of summer in India). I've noticed that the stem has gotten pretty mushy and dark brownish. The plant cannot stand erect when I move it. It dangles. The tips of all the leaves have started browning too. The pups around the plant seem unaffected by the excessive watering. How can I save my plant? Please answer asap.


texts: What is the best way to put bonemeal into the soil?

texts:
I was suggested to put bonemeal to my chili pepper to make it stronger. However the plant is already there and I've read about bonemeal in the wiki and found out that bonemeal doesn't move by itself in the soil.

I don't like to spread them on the surface because I don't want to attract bugs. If I want to mix the bonemeal thoroughly in the soil, there is no way to avoid digging out the plant. Even if I can dig out the whole plant, the soil could've been mixed with the root completely because the chili is not small.


texts: Sealing cut branches with regular spray paint

texts: I need to prune a red oak tree in August in Iowa. Can I use regular spray paint to seal the cut off branches?


texts: Shrub and Flower recommendations for creek bank prone to flooding

texts:
I have a small creek that runs through my yard.  The creek is more or less storm water control and run-off water from the area, so the water level varies greatly, going from completely dry to fast rushing "river" depending on the weather conditions.

At the current time, the creek bank, which borders my lawn, is mostly weed covered and is rather ratty looking.  I would like to being some planting there to help hold the soil when it does flood and to improve the visual appeal of the area.  I am looking for some flowers, tall (decorative) grasses, and shrubs for this area.

Here are the highlights:

Soil is generally very moist, even when the creek is dry, but is well drained
Soil tends to have a lot of clay
(Wild?) Daylilies do extremely well on the far side of the bank and I will likely plant some on the near side as well.
The area varies from full shade to 6-8 hours of sun in summer
The plants need to be able to handle being submerged in a foot or more of fast moving water 1 or 2 times a summer.
I am in Southeast Pennsylvania, the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone is 6b.
I would prefer not to block the view too much, so I would have a preference for shorter plants (1-2 feet in height), but a few taller plants or trees would be welcome.


texts: How can I keep a clover back yard from encroaching on a traditional grass front yard?

texts:
So I have a fenced in back yard that has a less than perfect lawn; it exists in stark contrast to my very nice front lawn. I've been considering next year trying my luck at planting grass and improving it, but it's being taken over by clover.

After some reading I've found I might not actually mind a clover back yard -- it requires very little care and very soft. It's green and fluffy and from a distance looks like grass, additionally it attracts bees (good) and isn't affected by dogs as hard as regular grass is (also good!). It seems perfect for a backyard that I'd like to look nice but doesn't have to be held to exacting HOA standards.

Unfortunately, the only thing separating my back yard and my front yard is is a privacy fence and plants are quite happy to just grow around it. If I were to have a fescue front yard and a clover backyard, what would be my best strategy for keeping them separate?


texts: Is it true that sunflowers improve soil structure?

texts:
I read that sunflowers can have up to 3m deep dense roots.

Is it true that sunflowers improve soil structure, by penetrating its roots through the ground?


texts: How can I correct a nutrient excess in soil?

texts:
The soil sample I took last fall from my vegetable garden came back from the lab with this result:

                                                Optimum Range
Calcium, Mehlich 3 (Ca)     2063     (ppm)  H   800 - 1200
Magnesium, Mehlich 3 (Mg)   416      (ppm)  H   60 - 120
Potassium, Mehlich 3 (K)    573      (ppm)  VH  170 - 280
Phosphorus, Mehlich 3 (P)   248      (ppm)  VH  30 - 50

Where "VH" means "very high" and H means "high".

Fortunately the pH is 6.5, which is about where I want it. However, all the lime and manure I've added over the past few years has kind of thrown things out of whack...

According to this handy chart:

Too much potassium "Causes N[itrogen] deficiency in plant and may affect the uptake of other positive ions such as Mg and Ca".
Excess phosphorus "shows up as micronutrient deficiency of Zn, Fe, or Co".

Obviously, I don't need to add fertilizer except for nitrogen.

Is this something I should try to balance out? How?


texts: My mock orange flowered this spring following my bare root purchase last season.  However, we are losing the blooms, but it never provided a fragrance.


texts: Japanese squash seedlings are going limp

texts:
Having boned up on online articles on how to grow kabocha (Japanese squash), I understand that it is not ideal to have them indoors and in planters. However, I live in a high-rise and there is nothing I can do to change that. I currently have four kabocha plants in two planters: one in a smaller pot and three others share a larger one. They enjoy the same soil (with a layer of compost) and consistent watering. All of them are about three to four weeks old.

A problem I am having is that the room is facing north, and though bright during the day there is nil direct light shining down on the plants. So I supplement (indirect) sunlight with six hours of LED plant lighting daily.

About a week ago one of the kabocha plants in the large planter started to show droopy signs: it now has two seed leaves and two "true" leaves. Its first true leaf just curled up one day out of the blue. Since the rest of its leaves were seemingly okay and the other seedlings also appeared fine, I didn't pay much attention. Today, another seedling in the same pot suddenly went down, limping on the edge. It was unexpected and had previously showed no sign whatsoever. The third plant, a recently repotted younger seedling, still seems fine. The fourth seedling, hogging its own planter, seems very healthy. This is really a headscratcher because I have made sure to water every day and not excessively (both planters have holes at the bottom to let out excessive water)

I fully understand none of the conditions are ideal, but what might have caused the two seedlings to go limp? Is there anything I can do to help them spring back? Should I worry about the other two?


texts: When is peach season? I heard it is summer but I swear I remember peaches being in season through October? Could you provide me information about peaches in the fall?


texts:
I am planning to do some indoor gardening. I've build some containers large enough to host 1200kg of soil.

I am gonna use the soil form the garden and forest, but I  would like to sterilise it first. I am not interested in commercially available sterilised soil.

Firstly, when is soil considered sterilised? By which I mean to what temperature must be heated and how long must stay at that T.

Secondly, what procedure do you recommend? I am actually dealing with large amount of soil, so I am wondering if there are any commercially available products for that kind of work and

Thirdly, how it is done on industrial scale?


texts: Need help identifying rust-looking spots on Paphiopedilum

texts: I've had this Paph for about 4 months, and recently it's gotten some spots that I'm not sure whether I should be worried, or if it's natural, or how to take care of it. It's only happening on the older portion of the plant (the unaffected part is the one that has bloomed while I've had it, and just finished less than a month ago). I don't see any sign of pests, and none of my other plants seem to have any issues, so I'm at a bit of a loss. Here's a couple pictures:


texts:
I'm in North Carolina and a couple of these plants just sprouted in my garden. It is currently about 3 feet tall after at most a month of growing.

Because of the leaves my intuition is these are brussels sprouts.

Click on pictures for closer view.


texts: sequoia seeds germination, and first "planting" of sprouts method, in which container?

texts:
I received Giant and Red sequoia seeds a few weeks ago (never used those before) and the producer indicates on package to leave those soak 24 hours in water, drain and leave seeds 20 days in the fridge. is this process correct ? (as I read in prior post "I've germinated seeds for 6 WEEKS" (not 20 days in a fridge).... is using a fridge useful , then ? Or was such longer germination about seeds already in soil ?

also, what kind of container size and height should be used, small ones, each seed in an individual hole ? ( like as using an egg plastic package as "holes")

would it be useful to disperse all seeds f.i. in a flat 40 x 40 x 4 cm container, and once the plants are coming out, and each produce a set of leaves, transplant those fragile stuff each in a black plastic bag, and if so, in a relatively high one ( 20 cm height ?) as the other local pines sprouts I used here are extremely fragile and don't like frequent container change. thanks for any answer.


texts: Black Growth on Eucalyptus Seedlings (E. gunnii)

texts:
I have a number of eucalyptus seedling that are still quite small (from one to five centimeters). After bringing the ones I had outside during the summer back indoors most of them got a black fungus looking growth on their leaves and started dying. The growth starts at the growing tip and works its way down. In the end it kills all the leaves and just the tiny stem is left, which is still too small to produce new leaves.

At the around that time one of the pots of seedlings that I had kept indoors got the same black growth. It happened around the same time I brought the other seedlings in but the pots where never in the same room.

I think that the black growth is some kind of fungus and that its onset has something to do with the lower light levels present indoors. What confuses me is that it only seems to be effecting E. gunnii and some other mixed eucalyptus species that I sowed with them. The E. cinerea seedlings I have (I have a lot of Eucalyptus seedlings) are doing fine and I have not seen any black growth on them.

Has anybody experienced something similar? I am looking to grow more eucalyptus species from seed in the future but want to know if there's a way to prevent this before I do it. At this point it has killed all but a few of the biggest E. gunnii seedlings I have.

So far the only thing I can think to do different is plant them earlier in the season so that they can stay outside longer and get more woody by the time I have to bring them indoors. I have a year+ old eucalyptus tree right next to the ones effected by the black growth but it has not shown any signs of infection, so I am guessing it's only a problem for the seedlings.


texts: Which soil works for Dracaena sanderiana (lucky bamboo)?

texts:
I got this Dracaena sanderiana (lucky bamboo) recently, and would like to replant it in a different pot and change the soil:

I've done some googling and got wildly different and often times opposing answers on which type of soil to use. I have some leftover peat moss, perlite, cactus soil and regular flower soil and am unsure if any of those are a good option. I found some answers where people said that a peat moss and perlite combination is a good option but no note about the ratio how much of which to use. Also, because of all of the different answers online, I'm unsure if that is a good option at all.

In short, my question is: Is a peat moss and perlite combination a good type of soil for an indoor Dracaena sanderiana or is there something better? And if it is, what ratio of the two to use?

P.S.

I've also found some tips on growing the plant without soil, however this is not an option I would like to take.


texts: Is it wise to transplant young plumeria trees out of containers into raised bed on concrete? We want to paint the patio floor and not have to move containers.


texts: What is the white, cup-shaped flower growing from these seeds?

texts: These seeds were given to me by someone who hasn't took a picture of the plant and draw it instead. It is supposed to have a white flower in the shape of a cup. Probably an annual plant in a 6b zone in Europe. The seeds have a diameter of 0.2 inch (0.5 cm).


texts:
I've got a few potted lollipop style plants around the house.  (Round spherical foliage on a single trunk.)

Was wondering if anyone has any tricks on how to prune a lollipop plant to keep it round.  I've tried just by using my "eye" but haven't been too successful in the past.


texts: I see a lot of rice hulls that are burned after harvest seasons. Is there a good use for it in my garden or it is best suited for large scale farming like rice and corn? Is there a good use for its ashes?


texts:
I have many small sabilas (a cactus), so my idea was to cut the top part of several wine bottles, fill the remaining glass container with water, and place the cactus in the bottle, like in the picture below.

My question: can a cactus live in water or will it eventually die?


texts:
I received this Christmas Cactus as a cutting from a larger plant about a year ago. It has been growing and doing well over that time. In the past month I have noticed some of the end leaves begin to turn a reddish color.

Is this normal?

UPDATE 04/05/2016

The plant was root bound in the pot. I have transferred it to a larger pot and added new soil.


texts: What is this purple-leafed (potted) plant?

texts:
What is this plant that I was given, please?

If anyone could provide a particularly good guide to caring for it, that would also be great, but I'm expecting to just Google its name once I know what it is :)


texts: Does anybody know this plant's Latin name?

texts: As far as I know, this plant belongs to a temperate herbaceous species, it lives outdoors in the Netherlands. Does anybody know its Latin name?


texts: Is a 4x4x1ft raised bed too small for potatoes?

texts: I'm wanting to grow potatoes in a garden bed. Unfortunately, suitable wood is relatively expensive (~$2 a foot for 1x12 cedar) and space is scarce. Would this be too small for half a dozen seed potatoes or so?


texts: Is Zephirine Drouhin rose completely thornless?

texts: An advertisement of Zephirine Drouhin rose said that this rose was disease resistant, shade tolerant, alkaline soil tolerant, pollution tolerant, more floriferous than other varieties, and completely thornless. I suppose they are probably being optimistic about it: I would especially like to know about the thornlessness. Are these really completely thornless?


texts:
Is anybody able to identify this plant? I'm trying to determine whether it is possible to trim this plant down so it isn't flopping over and generally make it look more attractive.

I'm located in Virginia, if that helps.


texts: I'm in Stockton,Ca. Last year these just appeared in my backyard..they came back this year and are bigger than last year.also in a few more places... they didn't flower last year.maybe I will get flowers this year. I'm thinking they're some sort of lily.


texts:
Last year I bought a potted mini rose. When it started doing poorly on the windowsill, I decided to let it try its luck outdoors. It turned out to be two plants and they both took off. Here's one last year:

As you can see, it's up against a shed. This is southern Ontario and the front faces south. Between those things, I was hoping it would survive the winter. I also built up the soil around it to shield the roots a little more, but I don't really know what I'm doing in this department.

But the sad result this spring can be seen in this gallery.

Just before I dig them up and put something else there — maybe full roses, since one has done well a few metres away — are they as hopeless as they look or can I revive them?


texts:
Does anyone know what kind of plant this is in the photos?
My dog keeps eating the leaves, and it makes him sick.


texts: I have an outdoor container garden in Southern Illinois. The pepper plant is on a raised level, surrounded by untouched tomatoes, carrots, spinach, onions, and squash. I have never seen anything like it. The stems and leaves are all gone. This took place overnight during a 12 hour period, give or take.


texts:
What type of damage has this tree suffered that has made the bark separate? I suspect a lightning strike.

[Trees struck by lightning may exhibit variable symptoms. When lightning hits a tree, water in the cells beneath the bark is heated past the boiling point. The resulting steam causes an explosion that removes a strip of bark. A crack in the bark appears when a continuous groove of bark is stripped along the entire length of the trunk or main branch. A crack that does not run the length of the trunk may indicate a side flash. A side flash occurs when electricity strikes the tree, travels down the trunk, then jumps to an object with less electrical resistance. If lightning strikes a bit deeper, the entire tree may blow apart. The tree may or may not have blackened or charred areas on the trunk.]1

The blackness here looks like charring to me which - along with the winding lightning style patterns - makes me suspect exactly that.

How can I determine exactly what has killed this tree?


texts: What is the relation between number of fish and number of plants in aquaponics

texts:
Is there like a rule of thumb of the relation between the amount (and size) of fish and the amount of plants growing in a aquaponic system?

I started playing with aquaponics in a small setup, but I dont know if I have enough fish, or if they're big enough, I bought 10 goldfish, the kind they use as food for bigger fish, this is my tiny setup

(Pic was taken before the fish where added, but they're there now. Click to enlarge.)


texts: How to protect young plants against frost?

texts:
In a 6b zone I have to grow some annual and perennial flowers by the end of May, meaning that they must be flowering by then. I have tried to make a rehearsal of some sorts, but we had freezing temperatures until the first days of May 2016, so last year I have transplanted them a little late (they were grown indoors from seed). The result was that they came in flower in mid-July.

Some of the species are Tropaeolum majus (or minus), Centaurea cyanus, Lavatera trimestris and Alcea rosea and I was wondering how to protect them in case I want to plant them earlier, let's say in March.

My plan is to make raised beds and any advice on how to protect them is most welcome. I also have to mention that the land is on a north-faced hill, but the slope is barely noticeable in the area I will make the raised beds.


texts: Can a newly sprouted avocado pit survive despite dehydration?

texts:
This may be a weird question, but maybe somebody has any advice.
I had success with growing an avocado plant by suspending an avocado pit in water. The roots started growing about 2 weeks ago - after months of waiting. I was out of town over the weekend and when I came back, the pit layed next to it's bottle with water. (it usually sits on top) Turns out my father accidently pushed it down and it was laying there for over 24 hours, with the roots being exposed to the air. The roots were really brown and shriveled up. I put them back in water and the roots kinda soaked up with water again (the shrivelling went away), but they are still brown and didn't grow anymore. Usually you can watch them grow every single day, but now there is 0 progress.
My question now is, if anyone got a similiar experience and knows if the roots can make it? Or if anyone knows how I can save that little guy. I don't really have a green thumb, so I was very excited when I started seeing results :(


texts:
My husband planted his spider plant in my rose garden as ground covering. It is now growing up and into my rose bushes. It is taking over my rose garden! Will it kill my Rose's? How do I get it out?
Tracey Huffman


texts: Can the filter papers in coffee K-pods be used for composting?

texts: I already know it's a lot of trouble to remove them for composting, but does anyone know if the paper filters inside the K-pods are actually biodegradable?  We no longer use the old fashioned coffee maker so these pods are all I have access to and I hate to waste them. I also recycle the plastic part after I clean the coffee out.


texts: My daughter bought me two Chicago Fig trees and I had no idea what to do with them.  They need no help in south Alabama, but south east Nebraska is a different story.  They are temporary in shipping pots, but if I have to bring them in in the winter, I have to put in larger pots right away.  Thank you for any help I can get.


texts: Will peaches on a sapling grow into mature fruit?

texts:
I planted this peach sapling in mid April in Western New York:

It's about 3 and a half feet tall. It's planted in an area that yields about 8 hours a day of direct sunlight and we have been watering it every few days since planting it. The nursery that sold it to us said it likely wouldn't yield fruit for a few years. But in the last week, these little walnut-sized fruits have sprouted!

Forgive my ignorance, but can we expect these to grow into mature, edible fruit from a sapling? They told us years and it sprouts fruit in a matter of weeks? I feel like I'm missing something.


texts: Why are my Dracaena and ZZ leaves turning yellow?

texts:
I have a dracaena and zz plant, zamioculcas zamiifolia, in my apartment.

Two weeks ago, the dracaena leaves tips started to get yellow and brown, and the zz leaves turned yellow. I cut the affected tips and removed the yellow leaves but the problem is still there.

I water them once weekly when they dry and just as little as a quarter cup of water (I test the soil with a kebab bamboo stick).

I started to water them with bottled water instead of tap water last week.

There is no sun light at all, only 2 ceiling fluorescent lamps. Before they had this problem I sprayed all of my plants with alcohol-soap because I suspected one of them has a pest.

They seem to be dying quickly and every day there are new yellowing leaves. I don't know what's going on or what I should do.


texts: Is there any disadvantage of mixing both? Will it add more value? I am planning to first dilute them in water and then apply in my veggie garden. I purchased these as bagged composted chicken and cow manures.


texts: How can I get my Melampodium "Million Gold" to flower?

texts:
I have tried growing Melampodium var. Million Gold on my balcony. It grows on a coir sheet with soil spread on it. It only keeps spreading and growing leaves but no flowers.

What conditions does it need to flower?


texts: Is it normal for rosemary leaves to have these brown spots on them?

texts:
I've had these brown spots appear on leaves that have matured, but they seem to not have any effect on the plant as my rosemary keeps on growing. I would like to know if they are some sort of fungal infection or just a characteristic of the plant.

Thank you!


texts:
This first house plant/tree I bought around 6 months ago here in London UK, I water it every few days or so, but haven't changed the soil or repotted it. Most of the leaves have since fallen, it does receive plenty of sunlight in doors. What can I do to revive it?

The second house plant has been in my living room, again I do not water it excessively but still it seemed to be dying and wilting in the corner of my living room. I've since moved it to the conservatory study at the back of the house and it seems to have stopped the rate at which the leaves seemed to be dying. Is there anything else I could do to help preserve this plant?

Thanks in advance :)


texts: How do I improve the soil around a plant after it has grown considerably?

texts:
We planted a whole bunch of plants and trees when we first moved in, without any consideration for the soil condition. Now that a year has passed, I see some plants are taking off really well and some have stunted growth. This has to do with the soil mostly, because it is highly inconsistent in the yard and it is more clay-like & prone to quick drying/cracking in the parts where the plants aren't growing so well.

Is there a way that I can improve the soil conditions around the plant without having to uproot them, till & replant them?


texts: I have 2 avocado plants. i pruned them both and the new growth is growing sideways. I stake one to get it to straight and that plant now has trouble supporting its own weight. I would like to prune them both back to see if the stems will get stronger. they are both in pots inside as we have bad winters. this is just for fun. Do  you think a hard prune indoors at this time is a good idea? or should i wait until spring?


texts: Growing Epipremnum aureum stem roots on potted plant

texts:
I have an Epipremnum aureum (once rooted from a cutting) in a soil pot. It took some time, but then it grew at an incredible rate, with a thick stem (fingerbreadth) and large leaves.

On the other side, where it’s stuck in the soil, it’s decreasing in diameter (width like a slim pencil), and leaves are withering now for some time.

It’s healthy, bushy and leafy on one side, and waning on its only access to the ground. I don’t want to cut it in pieces just yet. I’d rather preserve its tiny canopy.

Can I do anything to improve the stem’s health and thickness near the ground level?
Can I safely grow roots along the shoot parts (like covering it with soil to let it take root)?

I’m afraid growing roots along the stem will confuse growth and water transport. Here’s a picture:

EDIT: I knew about layering below the ground, but I never heard of marcotting (a form of air layering). I didn’t cut the “bark” of the stem and—since I don’t have any Sphagnum handy—strapped some earthy garden moss around three clusters of nodes (here the stem gets thicker again). This surely isn’t optimal, but I’ll keep it moist and see if it takes root.


texts: What is causing my bark to fall off and is it normal?

texts:
I’ve looked around at other posts asking this question, but none seem to address this particular scenario.

I had a tree planted a few years ago and a ring of landscaping brick and mulch placed around the tree. The tree has been thriving and doing well best I can tell. Over the last couple of months, the bark has started to fall off and I have noticed some ants crawling around in it.

Is this something I need to be worried about? If so what should I do about it?

Main area of damage

Location of damage

Other areas of bark are also flacky

Base of tree

Top of tree

Fresh growh (lighter green leaves)


texts:
I have this plant grown from seed (sown last day of April), it was doing fine until today. This morning I saw it was leaning over a bit, and in the evening it has completely lie down. What causes this behavior?

The plant is on a balcony facing East (morning sun), in Amsterdam the Netherlands (zone 8b according to wiki). Nothing strange with the weather, it was a bit cloudy today with temperatures around 20 C (similar as the whole week). I water it daily or every other day (depending on how wet the soil is). Has anyone seen this hanging before, and not only with pot but with any annuals?

Here the photos, the first one is from 12 June, and the last one from today (14 June).


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I have a few plants together in the same pot. Most of them have the same symptoms: Part of them gets dark and shrink.

The dark part are not dry and the plant looks alive above it.

I think its like this for a few weeks/months.

PS: Wood chips is not my idea.


texts: What is this plant? Where do you plant it?


texts: Concerned about slow growth of my seedlings

texts: I planted a number of vegetable seeds (zucchini, cucumber, peppers, kale, etc.) indoors in 1"x1" pods.  They germinated quickly and well.  Once the true leaves appeared, I moved them over to a 4"x4" container with potting mix.  The plants look healthy but they are not growing as fast as I would have thought.  I now leave them outdoors (in the shade) and have been out there for about 4 weeks.  What else should I be doing so that they can grow and I can move them to my vegetable raised bed?