For questions about how to maintain or assess a plant's health.
8
votes
1answer
235 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 ...
1
vote
1answer
31 views
Should I pinch early pear blossoms to encourage stronger tree and better season?
I have a young pear tree that has several varieties of pears grafted on it. It is starting to blossom. Should I pinch these early blossoms? Will the tree divert resources to making more leaves and ...
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 ...
1
vote
1answer
59 views
What can I do to help a Japanese box that is not thriving?
I planted my Japanese box two years ago but it is not growing: it is the same size it was two years ago. I wanted to make it like a ball but it has not increased its size even one inch.
Can you ...
8
votes
1answer
115 views
Does Rebutia grow better when grafted onto an Echinopsis?
I have tried growing rebutias before, and failed because the plants lacked vigor and grew slowly. Would they do better if I flat-grafted it onto a columnar Echinopsis, to increase vigor? Are there any ...
7
votes
1answer
171 views
Can this peace lily be saved?
We have bought this peace lily plant one or 2 months ago, but suddenly all life seems to have gone out of it. Can we still save it?
We watered it once a week, so I don't think that is the issue.
2
votes
1answer
39 views
Lilium flower withering
I've just recently (2013.03.08) bought a lilium and an orchid plant from a big hardware/gardening chain store. The day after, I watered them early in the morning with room temperature water ...
2
votes
1answer
59 views
Should I cut leafless stem off of plant?
I have a ( Indoor ) plant that has been drooping lately and its stems are long and touch the floor. I'm not sure if the stems are supposed to be stiff, or if that is just the way the plant is supposed ...
2
votes
0answers
32 views
Brown turkey fig dormancy time
We picked up a brown turkey fig tree last summer. We plan in keeping it in a large pot rather then in the ground. We have a small space and understand they have a good sized root system. Plus we live ...
6
votes
1answer
89 views
Potted sweet peas have shot up quicker then expected
Please help i've never grown sweetpeas and wasn't sure what to expect when I chucked the seeds that had started to grow in the packet in with the ones i'd started already and now they have all grown ...
1
vote
1answer
44 views
Sequoia Browning
I have a small sequoia tree which I got from the San Francisco airport as a seedling. I planted it in January 2012 and it has been growing (slowly) and seemed healthy - it is about a foot tall and is ...
2
votes
1answer
135 views
Why the leaf tips of my spathiphyllum look burned?
I have a spathiphyllum and I water it 3 times a week. But the leaf tips look like burned.
Is that natural or should I do something for it? BTW, how can I make it blossom?
2
votes
0answers
90 views
How long do Nepenthes leaves last without traps
My nepenthes ventricosa x mira has lost two of the four traps it had when it shipped in but the leaves are still living, kinda growing, and are healthy. But I am wondering how long will they last.
...
3
votes
1answer
54 views
I just planted a Paperwhite bulb and I broke the roots. Will it still grow?
I planted it, indoors, about 2 days ago. I rotated it because I thought it was leaning. Then I heard a snap and realized i'd broken the roots. I didn't think roots would have already sprouted :(. Did ...
8
votes
2answers
145 views
What could be the cause of death for my carnivorous plants?
In the past year I've had a venus flytrap and two sundews that each arrived healthy, flourished (and ate!) for a month or two, and then died (after which I tried again and bought a new one!). They all ...
1
vote
1answer
174 views
How to care for/water Snake's Plant (Mother-In-Law Tongue Plant) indoor potted plant?
I have several indoor potted Snake's plants. One pot has several kinds of plants in it, and is reasonably large - probably 16" diameter. It is filled with Prayer plants, another plant (the name leaves ...
5
votes
3answers
2k views
How do I stop dog urine from killing grass?
Everywhere I've lived, the dog urine just kills the grass. I've found nothing on the internet and the garden person at the local hardware said it's impossible. Any suggestions?
3
votes
1answer
124 views
What are these yellow bugs and should I be worried?
I took a close look at one of my plants, and saw all these tiny yellow bugs.
They don't seem to be hurting the plant, but I thought I'd ask to make sure.
If it helps, this is in the San Francisco ...
4
votes
2answers
251 views
Restoring overwatered rosemary
I have several rosemary bushes in the backyard; I live in San Francisco and rosemary thrives here.
However, the landlord overwatered one of the bushes for several months. It's now got some kind of ...
9
votes
1answer
9k views
What conditions are necessary to make a potted aloe vera bloom?
I have a potted aloe vera that I keep indoors during the winter and outside the rest of the year. It has leaves one foot long and two inches wide at the base. I fertilize it with tea from my ...
1
vote
1answer
63 views
Houseplant Help
Looking for help with this plant we recently got. Not much of a plant person, but struggling with this one in particular. Don't know what it is..but I think it's slowly going.
I think the soil is ...
4
votes
1answer
32 views
How should I care for the rhizome of a small canna seedling?
I had been hybridizing cannas in the summer and have a promising young plant. Should I store its rhizome in a basket in the basement like the big rhizomes or do mini plants need special care? The ...
3
votes
1answer
157 views
Peppers not growing - growing tips diseased?
Please have a look at these images of my hot pepper plant. Notice the growing tips which seem withered and diseased.
What disease is this and what is causing this? What are the solutions to counter ...
2
votes
2answers
425 views
White spots on rose leaves
I have a rose. I have noticed that some of the leaves have got white dots and do not look healthy. There are also strings between some of them (similar to spider webs). I also noticed some small flies ...
2
votes
2answers
351 views
Schefflera arboricola , seems to be withering and dying, help!
I am not sure what is wrong, the plant seems to be rotting and withering from the top down. The tag says that it is a bush but it has grown to 5 feet or more in height. I tried trimming back the ...
2
votes
1answer
323 views
How should I treat Frangipani rust?
My frangipani experiences rust. How should I best treat/protect my plant from rust (all year round)?
My plant experienced severe rust during December/January (Australian Summer). It was a very wet ...
10
votes
5answers
948 views
Chlorine vs Chloramine: Both harmful?
I've seen a lot of information saying that chlorine can be bad for some plants and the suggestion to let the water sit out for several hours before using it on plants. I rarely see anything about ...
7
votes
2answers
212 views
Cut lupines to the ground, will they grow back next year?
Our lupines (also called lupin in the UK) were done flowering for the year and were harboring an aphid infestation... so I mowed them. Are the "stumps" likely to regrow next year or do the plants rely ...
4
votes
1answer
192 views
What's causing these yellow veins on my Okra leaves?
My Okra leaves have turned as shown below
Is this a deficiency or a disease? How can I remedy this?
Location: India. Weather In May-June: Hot! > 95F days.
Current: Overcast with light rains.
5
votes
1answer
182 views
What is causing diseased leaves on my French beans?
My French bean plants have diseased leaves as shown below:
What can be causing this? The beans themselves are relatively plentiful.
Location: India. Weather In May-June: Hot! > 95F days.
The ...
4
votes
1answer
114 views
Why are my lemons cracking?
My lemons are cracking as shown in below image:
What can be causing this and how can I prevent this in the future?
Location: India.
Weather In May-June: Hot! > 95F days.
2
votes
2answers
333 views
What causes my zucchini-leaves to become light yellow?
Please have a look at these images of my zucchini plant:
What disease is this and what is causing this? What are the solutions to counter this?
Location: India.
Weather In May-June: Hot! > 95F ...
7
votes
1answer
398 views
How can I help a sunburned jade tree recover?
I put my jade tree out to get some sun yesterday, and apparently the sun was a little too blazingly direct. Instead of the healthy red edges I was expecting to see, several of the leaves are now ...
5
votes
2answers
1k views
Does Arugula/rocket flowering mean the plant's crop season is over?
I sowed arugula/rocket in an outside pot 2 months ago. As it was my first sowing of rocket, it turned out to be too dense so I have thinned it out.
It was growing nicely, but all of a sudden it ...
4
votes
1answer
114 views
Letting basil loose. Will it die?
I let my basil grow from seed, and I very seldom trimmed it. My aim is to understand the plant life cycle, so I did it on purpose.
The plants are so arranged: Three vases sitting in a larger, long ...
3
votes
1answer
84 views
How long until the fireblight is gone?
Our fruiting quince tree has fireblight. We've been trying to control it by pruning, but it's not working. We're going to have to take out the tree. I can't buy quince fruit, so I want a quince ...
2
votes
1answer
133 views
Can I use an NPK compund fertilizer on herbs?
I have some "Low nutrient NPK compound fertilizer" which is sold as Citrus Food left over from a Calamondin tree which has sadly passed away.
Can I use this fertilizer on my herbs? They are basil, ...
4
votes
2answers
103 views
What is this little narrow leaved rosette forming plant?
I have a little plant and don't know it's name. I don't know how to maintain it or what kind of soil or fertilizer it needs. Any suggestion is welcomed in advance!
Edit1: Can I bring out the root, ...
5
votes
2answers
98 views
What is this fungus or weed growing in my flower bed?
I came home today and noticed two patches of this stuff in my flower bed. I recently put down new mulch and I just started watering my lawn again. I live in Texas.
1) Is this a fungus?
2) Is it ...
3
votes
1answer
48 views
How can I prolong a marigold?
A girl who's graduating just got a pot with a pretty little flower in it from her a capella group as a parting gift. She's about to fly away across the world, so she can't take it with her, so she ...
2
votes
1answer
162 views
Is there anything I can do to promote spreading in my Lily of the Valley?
I have some old Lily of the Valley plants around the northeast corner of my house, and they grow nice and thick around the foundation, but failed to spread into the four-five foot wide strip along the ...
6
votes
1answer
68 views
Will a winter-damaged hosta self repair?
In winter, the next-years growth spikes of some of my Regal Blue Hostas got trampled off, and now that they're up, the leaves all have blunt-ended, ragged ends that curl and ripple. This is right by ...
3
votes
2answers
324 views
Is it okay to grow English ivy on the base of a tree trunk?
In one place in the yard, there is a carpet of ivy under a black walnut. Would it harm the tree in any way to let the ivy up to the base of the branches? I would like to do this so that the whole ...
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 ...
3
votes
1answer
74 views
How should budding off be prevented on Gardenias?
How can budding off be stopped on a mature Gardenia? The plant is healthy in all other ways, but the buds always fall off before opening. What is causing this?
7
votes
1answer
317 views
What are the optimal growing conditions for chives?
I have a few questions about starting chives (Allium schoenoprasum) and keeping them happy. I understand chives can survive and grow in many conditions, but what are the best conditions? A few ...
3
votes
1answer
64 views
How should I care for a dozen bulbs of Lycoris squamigera?
Someone gave me a box of bulbs, Lycoris squamigera (Resurrection Lily), and I don't really know how to care for them. They are in a cardboard box in my basement right now. When I looked up how to care ...
7
votes
2answers
2k views
How does pH affect plant growth?
I am aware that different plants thrive/need different pH levels to grow. What is it about the alkalinity/acidity of the soil that effects how a plant grows?
Note: I understand that this could have ...
5
votes
1answer
215 views
What Should I look (out) for when purchasing a hydrangea plant?
I was about to buy a potted hydrangea as a last minute gift. I looked at the stem and it appeared dry, brittle and brown at the base of the plant. It's nice and green and firm near the heads of the ...
8
votes
1answer
233 views
Should my spruce tree roots be covered?
This Norway spruce's roots have always been on top of the ground. The soil it is growing on is very hard white dry soil with a layer of decayed needles on top. It has been growing fine so far, but ...
