12
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Why is dumping kitchen waste (like peels of a potato) in a potted plant a bad idea?
If you can't have a compost heap, you can direct compost by digging down at least six inches into open ground, burying the kitchen scraps (not cooked food or meat), then covering back up with the soil....
- 132k
11
votes
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What is this black bug, how to control?
The black bugs are the larvae of ladybugs. They are there to eat the aphids. As larvae or adults ladybugs are efficient beneficial predators. There is no need to wash them away they are working for ...
- 58.8k
11
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Planting magnolia tree a little 'high'
There are a couple of problems with your description of how you're going to plant this tree. First, no plant should be planted less than a foot (as a minimum) away from a fence or wall, so if you ...
- 132k
10
votes
Mushrooms instead of tomatoes
Too much water, most likely, for one thing, could be combined with poor drainage depending on the details of the pot and soil mix. Probably some other things [planting depth?] to not get any tomato ...
- 23.2k
9
votes
How can I grow tomatoes in a pot?
That's a small pot, and definitely not ideal. I recommend as much larger of a container as you can manage, even if you have to sacrifice drainage to make room. However, you can grow some kinds of ...
- 18k
8
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Why do people use peat pots?
In many cases, it is simply for convenience. However; there are some plants which do not tolerate transplanting. Therefore, to start seeds indoors to get a head start and/ or maximize their strong ...
- 6,356
8
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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 ) ...
- 23.1k
8
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What's the best pot size for rose seeds germinated in the refrigerator?
All plants should have pots matching the plant size, otherwise you risk root-bound plants or trouble with watering. That's why we re-pot as needed and only go up a few pot sizes at a time.
Roses like ...
- 16.3k
8
votes
Bonsai pot broke due to accident
Your Bonsai will grow bigger if it roots deeper and that appears to be happening. The good news is the Bonsai survived the cat! Bonsai will need pruning of roots at some point, so transferring is not ...
- 3,596
8
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Bonsai pot broke due to accident
From what I understand, ficus is a pretty hardy tree. The way a bonsai works is that people either collect a bonsai from the wild, grow one, find a nursery plant that will work (either a random ...
- 5,102
8
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Why is dumping kitchen waste (like peels of a potato) in a potted plant a bad idea?
In addition to Bamboo's answer. General kitchen waste also decomposes rapidly and resulting in considerable heat production which can damage the root. It can also induce the proliferation of ...
- 789
8
votes
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Can drained water from potted plants be used again to water another house plant?
Well, the correct way to conserve water is to watch your water, and make sure you don't have excess drainage. This of course takes time and experience. Till then, use measuring cups, or watering jugs ...
- 3,596
8
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Can drained water from potted plants be used again to water another house plant?
I haven't found any good reference sources, so this is just my personal experience. It ended up being too long for a comment, so I hope it's appropriate as an answer.
I do this frequently, with both ...
8
votes
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Do young plants prefer their pots be rotated?
Do they prefer it? No, not really. Plants have evolved to grow and orient themselves to get the most light in any given conditions. It could even be argued that turning them away from this orientation ...
- 2,543
7
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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 ...
- 16.3k
7
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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 ...
- 58.8k
7
votes
Accepted
Covering soil of Ponytail Palm
I've only seen this practice a few times in plants sold through the big-box stores. I believe they glue the gravel together so it doesn't fall out of the pot during shipping. The gravel is meant to ...
- 9,464
7
votes
Accepted
Can I grow asparagus in a small container?
Asparagus roots can extend down about 12 feet. The need to develop such an extensive root system is one of the reasons that you should leave it alone for the first 3 years before harvesting. So, it's ...
- 23.1k
7
votes
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Would holes in the sides of plastic pots impove drainage and aeration?
No, don't bother, it absolutely is not necessary and not a good idea either. Just use the pots as they are - the fact that a little free water is sitting in the bottom of the empty pot in your image ...
- 132k
7
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Is cow dung really bad for potted houseplants? (There are videos in the question.)
First, cow dung doesn't have a very high level of nitrogen, specially compared to other forms of manure - the problem with fresh cow dung is a very high ammonia level, but if its dried in heat or sun, ...
- 132k
7
votes
What is this long-leafed indoor plant with one stem per leaf?
This plant is an Aspidastra elatior, a native of Taiwan, which has been in cultivation as an indoor plant for hundreds of years. Common names include the cast iron plant which describes how tough it ...
- 58.8k
7
votes
Accepted
What makes potting soil good for pots?
Potting soil also gets compressed over time.
The most important thing about potting soil is that it shouln't contain fungus spores, insect eggs and weeds. I say "it shouldn't" because I have bought ...
- 5,406
7
votes
Self watering pot with no hole
Unglazed terracotta is a porous material so water can pass through it, albeit slowly. This can be a very effective way of delivering water without drowning the plant. For bonsai, overwatering is quite ...
- 2,245
7
votes
Accepted
How should I "free" these trapped sprouts?
Leave them be.
They will either pop open by themselves, or die.
If you try to help (well, when I used to try to help) the overall success of the operation tends to be less than just letting them be, ...
- 23.2k
7
votes
Is this potted plant with long, narrow, pointed leaves a dracaena?
Yes, its Dracaena marginata to be exact,and it needs some remedial work by the look of it. Although it tolerates low light conditions quite well, yours isn't looking too great, so if its in a really ...
- 132k
6
votes
Accepted
How can I grow tomatoes in a pot?
I know you've said you only have space for a 12" pot, but if you can find any way to accommodate a larger one, you've got a better chance of success. 30 centimeters would be closer to the size ...
- 9,464
6
votes
Accepted
What would be good for aquaponics containers to keep prices low, that can sit on the ground (not in the ground)?
White plastic 20 gallon pails are available for a nominal price at many hardware stores.
If you are thinking big then think used totes. These large plastic containers with a top opening and bottom ...
- 58.8k
6
votes
Accepted
Mushrooms instead of tomatoes
I'd like to know the source of the soil in your pot - the likeliest explanation is that the tomato seeds did not germinate at all, but there was mycelium in the soil, and that's what's grown. Mycelium ...
- 132k
6
votes
Accepted
What are the white patches on my succulent?
It's sunburn.
When going from indoors/partially-shaded to full sun outdoors, plants need some transition to get used to the sun's intensity and the varying heat.
I've had the same thing happen with ...
- 2,163
6
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Why is dumping kitchen waste (like peels of a potato) in a potted plant a bad idea?
You can indeed shred the kitchen waste with a food chopper and mix this with the same amount of garden soil in a bucket. Stir it every two days for aeration. And in 2-3 weeks the microbes (depends on ...
- 61
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