For questions about a plant that's failing to thrive, and where the cause is unknown.
10
votes
3answers
2k views
Insect infestation on my pepper plant, what do I do?
I have spotted that one - and only one - of my peppers plants has a number of small black flies of some type hanging around the soil. And while writing this I've just spotted that one (and only one!) ...
9
votes
1answer
291 views
How do I prevent my berry leaves from getting scorched in the sun?
Raspberries are plants that require good exposure to sun. However, my black-raspberry plant has been getting scorched of late. Typical signs of sun-scorching are when the older leaves start drying out ...
11
votes
2answers
2k views
Why have my tomato leaves started yellowing at the base?
One of my tomato plants (Better Boys if that matters) has a few leaves that have started yellowing on the lower branches. Not sure if they aren't getting enough water, or if they are diseased or what. ...
7
votes
2answers
277 views
What is the problem/disease that causes bobbly peach tree leaves?
What is the likely cause of the bobbly forms on the leaves of a peach tree? Does it matter or is it just some natural anomaly that doesn't affect the tree's health? If is it a concern how can it be ...
12
votes
2answers
224 views
Cracks on Bottom Side of Tomato
Recently I noticed the following cracks and small holes on the bottom side of my better boy tomoato plants. I am in Maryland and we have not had a lot of rain the past month however I regularly try ...
14
votes
1answer
362 views
How do I help my kitchen window herb garden thrive?
For the last couple of years, I've been nursing along a sort of kitchen window herb garden consisting of cilantro, parsley, basil and chives. What I've done is bought live herb plants at our local ...
14
votes
1answer
2k views
Why did my jalapeños turn black?
Last year I grew jalapeños. The fruits were tiny, but I was able to harvest a few handfuls. I noticed that many of them started to turn black on the plant. They were still edible, and they weren't ...
14
votes
1answer
2k views
What is my citrus deficiency, based on leaf appearance? And how to treat?
In the images of my citrus below, you can see the leaves are paling towards the edges. What is the deficiency and how can I fix it? The soil is clay-dominated with some sand and coloured red, ...
12
votes
1answer
2k views
Why has my mint plant gone all woody/sparse/stringy?
I grew my mint plant in a pot to contain the roots, and that has worked well for 3-4 months. However, the plant is not really producing fresh leaves now. Is there anything I can do?
9
votes
1answer
905 views
Why are my peach leaves turning orange?
During summer, the leaves on my peach tree turn an orange-green shade. Is this normal? Is this a response to heat stress, drought, or something else (e.g. mineral deficiency during high heat ...
8
votes
3answers
2k views
Why does my cilantro have thin leaves? Why is my parsley not growing? When will they be ready for harvest?
My cilantro (planted outside, full sun from about 11am to 6pm) doesn't have the broad leaves that I see when I buy it in the store. I planted it in May. When should I expect it ready for harvesting?
...
7
votes
4answers
6k views
How do I encourage morning glories to bloom?
I know that many of you will find this unbelievable -- but my morning glories did not bloom this year.
For those of you that live where morning glories are a perenial that borders on "weed" this ...
7
votes
1answer
187 views
What could be causing rot to appear on the skin of my bell peppers?
I have a set of four bell pepper plants that I am growing in 12" containers in my backyard. They've been growing alright until the fruits on the plants have started to develop what appears to be a rot ...
5
votes
3answers
5k views
Why has our lucky bamboo turned yellow?
Our lucky bamboo has turned yellow in a very short time, after we've had it for almost 2 years. We've trimmed all yellow leaves, and changed the pebble to clean the green algae - what else can be ...
12
votes
3answers
3k views
How should a lemon tree with yellowing leaves, peeling bark, and small fruit be saved?
Our lovely lemon tree is in trouble... We live in Northern California. Starting mid-last summer our tree began yellowing.
We've called an arborist out to the house but the advice has been pretty ...
11
votes
4answers
3k views
Why is an indoor pepper plant flowering but not producing fruit?
One of my pepper plants has started to flower, and the petals are falling off to reveal a pepper growing from that stem - well, at least the first two have, and the other flowers seem to be bulging ...
10
votes
1answer
356 views
What are these blemishes on the skin of my bell peppers?
I've noticed the following on two of my oldest bell-peppers, also called capsicum (the third pepper of that "batch" had almost finished going red and ripening instead):
It's not "on" the surface - ...
10
votes
1answer
3k views
What does it mean if my tomato leaves are curling?
The leaves on my tomato plants are curling up and I'm wondering if they are getting enough water. The leaves are still green and there are tomatoes on the plant, but I didn't know if that was a sign ...
9
votes
1answer
255 views
What causes spruce branches to drop their needles?
I have a spruce tree that has a problem. Every year, some branches suddenly drop all of their green needles and die. I would like to prevent this, but I don't know what the cause is. What causes this ...
9
votes
3answers
421 views
Cherry sapling has orange dots on its leaves and the tips are wilting. What could be wrong?
I recently planted a cherry tree sapling about two weeks ago. It's about a handspan high, and has four leaves. I noticed that it had orange spots on one of the leaves when I planted it.
Click on ...
9
votes
2answers
316 views
What is this brown, shell-like thing growing on the stalk of my avocado plant?
Could you please help identifying this brown shell-like thing growing on the stalk of my avocado plant?
There are several of these. It looks like a little shell (with the appearance of a ...
8
votes
2answers
263 views
Why are there kinks in my aloe vera leaves?
On several of my aloe vera plants, the leaves suddenly became kinked. The leaf would get very thin in a spot and bend over. It starts near the tip and is most noticeable on older leaves. What is ...
8
votes
1answer
858 views
Why does my pepper plant have yellowing, drying and curling leaves?
One of my pepper plants has so far suffered from pests, blossom end rot and odd skin blemishes. Unfortunately, the plant is now taking a turn for the worse and looking rather unhealthy.
The leaves ...
7
votes
2answers
2k views
How can I revive wilted water basil plants?
I bought these basil plants from the store. They looked a little droopy and wilting. They came with several bunches and they were half off and discounted because they've been there in the store so ...
6
votes
1answer
251 views
Why does my sweet potato have stunted growth with wide, flattened stems and dense leaves?
My sweet potato plant has a severely widened and flattened stem and grows like a band, with dense leaves and stunted growth. What is wrong with it?
6
votes
1answer
416 views
What are these red spots on the leaves of my boysenberry plant?
Previously, I had issues with the sun scorching the leaves of my berry plants. Now that the heat has cooled down, those leaves are back to normal. However, a lot of the leaves on my boysenberry plant ...
5
votes
2answers
689 views
Tomato plants got black stems and the leaves dry out
I was so proud of my tomato plants (grown from seeds), but now I'm worried that they have died...
Instead of having a usual French summer (with 30 C at least and dry weather) it is raining a lot and ...
5
votes
1answer
1k views
What is causing the bark on my crabapple to crack and peel off?
I have a flowering crabapple in my yard whose bark has several large areas where it cracks and curls away from the wood underneath:
Hover over any image for description / click for full size
I ...
5
votes
1answer
186 views
Why are my eggplant seedlings not thriving?
I have started a bunch of seedlings and some are doing really well others are not, under similar conditions. I used 6-8 inch wide pots, ~6 inches tall, potting soil, and left the pots in front of a ...
5
votes
1answer
3k views
Why does my blueberry bush have brown/scorched leaves?
I recently purchased a dwarf Northsky blueberry bush from a mail order company. When I recieved it, roughly 15-20% of its leaves had the appearance of being burned or scorched; the bad leaves were ...
