12 votes
Accepted

Can rice be used as a potting medium?

The aloe is not growing in that medium. Sugar dissolves, rice and coffee decompose, when exposed to the conditions required for a healthy root zone. They would sour and kill the plant roots. Not ...
J. Musser's user avatar
  • 51.7k
8 votes
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What is this succulent with spined leaves with a triangular cross-section?

This plant is an aloe. It's a desert dwelling succulent. In warm weather they can handle being watered once a month, sometimes more often in HOT weather. Indoors they can often go several months ...
GardenerJ's user avatar
  • 5,849
8 votes

What are the easiest and fastest growing eatable plant you can grow in garden

None of those are particularly "fast" examples. Radish is fast - 3 weeks to harvest for the small types. I don't like it much, but it's fast. You'd need to let some go to seed for seeds. Since ...
Ecnerwal's user avatar
  • 23.2k
8 votes
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Is a 4x4x1ft raised bed too small for potatoes?

My potato bag is one square foot in diameter, and just under 2 foot high. You have 16 square feet in your bed so you could potentially plant one seed potato ( or part of one with at least 3 eyes ) ...
Graham Chiu's user avatar
  • 23.1k
8 votes
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How do I take over a previous owners raised beds?

Topping with compost is always a good idea, it should be an annual fall event, however it won't hurt to do it in the spring when you move in. In any case it's always good to bring some samples from ...
Escoce's user avatar
  • 6,356
8 votes
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How can I prevent my succulent from tipping over its pot?

This is fairly normal behavior for these plants. As they grow, the stems get longer, and since the leaves are full of water, the weight of the top of the plant pulls the stem over to one side. It's ...
Kevin B's user avatar
  • 96
8 votes

What are the advantages and disadvantages of raised vegetable beds?

I'm kind of the opposite of stormy. I love gardening directly in the ground (that is my method of choice for most things). The only reason I use raised beds is because we have some. However, I do know ...
Brōtsyorfuzthrāx's user avatar
7 votes

Is a 4x4x1ft raised bed too small for potatoes?

Looking at the measurements of your garden bed, it sounds like square foot gardening. And yes, potatoes are included in that method, one seed per square, so sixteen for your bed. One issue with ...
Stephie's user avatar
  • 16.3k
7 votes

What sort of pots are used in the pot-in-pot method?

This technique is used by commercial growers for tree and shrub production the pots you use should be identical and readily available in bulk quantities sandy soil is probably not the best if you are ...
kevinskio's user avatar
  • 58.8k
7 votes

How can I prevent my succulent from tipping over its pot?

The cause is usually not enough light, or the light is very directional (for example if the pot is near a window). The remedy is to turn the pot regularly (i.e. every day or two) to keep the plant ...
alephzero's user avatar
  • 11.4k
7 votes

Do I remove the garlic flower?

With regular garlic, you would cut it off at a certain point if you wanted bigger bulbs in the ground, or leave it on if you want bulbils/bulblets to form. FYI: You can eat garlic scapes (they're ...
Brōtsyorfuzthrāx's user avatar
7 votes

How to get rid of worms in containers?

If the plants are outdoors some of the year or all of the year, then earthworms are inevitable, and are not undesirable. If these are plants he wants to keep indoors, then I suggest he decants them, ...
Bamboo's user avatar
  • 132k
7 votes

I planted a vegetable but can't remember what it is

Gees, looks like a potato. But one couldn't forget planting a potato, right? Grins...I am being very bad! Potato would be fine planted in this humongous pot. Seeds of other plants, not so much. If ...
stormy's user avatar
  • 40.2k
6 votes

Is a screened in porch full sun or partial shade?

Well it's filtered sunlight, so that counts as partial or dappled shade, just about. There may be increased ambient light levels because of the reflected light off the pool, and possibly from the hard ...
Bamboo's user avatar
  • 132k
6 votes

Saving sun-scorched succulents

I'm sorry I don't know the cause of your damage, but I have a lot of experience with sedums, and can reassure you that a healthy plant can grow even if the top is damaged, dead, or broken off; and ...
Sue Saddest Farewell TGO GL's user avatar
6 votes
Accepted

Are these plants Aloe or Gasteraloe?

They do look very much like Gasteraloe beguinii
benn's user avatar
  • 13.1k
6 votes
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Identify plant, and what to do with rocks

This plant is commonly known as the Hawaiian Scheffelera or Schefflera arboricola. Although the species grows to 8 - 9 M (24 to 27 feet) tall this variety is variegated and when grown indoors usually ...
kevinskio's user avatar
  • 58.8k
6 votes
Accepted

How to get rid of worms in containers?

l have to assume these plants are on the out of doors deck or patio. With constant water and shelter from enemies pots are beloved by earthworms. Earthworms are in all ways beneficial to soil and ...
stormy's user avatar
  • 40.2k
5 votes

What flowering houseplant can I grow in a ceramic container with no drainage holes?

Many of the philodendron family can be: Caveats: Don't over water. Change the dirt every year or two. My mom kept both cut leaf philodendron and pothos (aka devil's ivy) in non-draining containers. ...
Sherwood Botsford's user avatar
5 votes
Accepted

Are CFL and Energy Saver bulbs same and used for growing plants?

CFL is compact fluorescent lighting. It's basically a low energy using spiraly bulb. You can grow with them and you're correct that you would probably want at least one each of the 2700k and 6500k ...
Dalton's user avatar
  • 5,102
5 votes
Accepted

What flowering houseplant can I grow in a ceramic container with no drainage holes?

First off, possibly your brightest and fastest color would be forced bulbs. Temporary, but easy and well suited to the application. Other than that, you will be looking more long-term. I find that ...
J. Musser's user avatar
  • 51.7k
5 votes

How many times do Fungus Gnats lay eggs?

Fungus gnats have a busy but short life. As this site indicates An adult fungus gnat lays up to 200 eggs during the one week it spends as an adult winged gnat. The adult then dies. Legless larvae ...
kevinskio's user avatar
  • 58.8k
5 votes
Accepted

Date palm just growing in height but not getting a trunk

I am growing a date palm, Phoenix dactylifera as well. The seeds germinated readily from fresh dates about five years ago and it's about three feet (one meter) tall. I have also maintained similar ...
kevinskio's user avatar
  • 58.8k
5 votes

Is it safe to grow vegetables in a container made of stained wood pallets?

If your concerned about how chemicals might leach into the soil over time you may want to take this to the chemistry stack exchange. I'll just say that unless I'm talking to someone who truly ...
Ppoggio's user avatar
  • 208
5 votes

Drainage in planter boxes

Any wood will rot when in contact with moisture. It's just a question of how long. As a DIY project if you are happy with it lasting a few years then what you have is fine. There are those among us ...
kevinskio's user avatar
  • 58.8k
5 votes

How do I take over a previous owners raised beds?

Soil is mainly composed of eroded rocks with some water, air, and some organic material. Compost is derived from organic matter which has been decomposed into a form that can be used to add organic ...
Graham Chiu's user avatar
  • 23.1k
5 votes
Accepted

Will pooping in a flowerpot before planting ivy help it grow?

I really wouldn't advise it - human faecal waste is processed and used as fertilizer even in the UK, although most of it is used by the agricultural industry. But its the 'processed' part that counts. ...
Bamboo's user avatar
  • 132k
5 votes
Accepted

Why isn't my self-watering planter wick carrying water all the way up beyond the dirt line?

I tried using polyprolene rope some years ago and found that it was too tightly bound with no capillary action. I was at the shops today and looked at what they use. It was a braided cotton string. ...
Graham Chiu's user avatar
  • 23.1k
5 votes
Accepted

Is All this blackberry plant or is there more then 1 plant?

The “different” plant is a hitchhiker, either from some random seed or already brought in with the blackberry from the nursery. Without further ado, I recommend you pull it out. It will compete with ...
Stephie's user avatar
  • 16.3k

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