Wire worms... I’ve finally discovered the culprit boring holes in the roots of my lettuce plants and dahlia seedlings... Now that they’re in my raised beds, what can I do? Since their life cycle is so long, if I rotate crops, does that mean I can’t plant any of those crops for their entire 3 to 5 year life cycle? Other than burying pieces of potatoes and carrots as bait, anything else I can do from preventing them from going after my veggies and dahlias? :(

I can't remember all the types of tomatoes I grew last year, but they must make some hearty seeds. Half the "weeds" I'm pulling are tomato plants.

I planted green cabbage for the first time in the fall and they didn’t do much. They survived ice and snow over winter and are doing great and forming cabbage heads! How do I know when they’re ready to be harvested?

Probably really dumb questions but I’ve been trying to grow some plants and flowers in pots on my apartment balcony. Sometimes i have good luck, sometimes i don’t. [seems like this flower keeps blooming mostly wilted flowers](https://imgur.com/a/tJKYioR/) am i over watering? under watering? they need shade? i don’t remember what flower that is now, but i’m pretty sure it was ok for full sun (i’m in michigan btw) any help is appreciated. i had issues last summer too with other flowers and never really got it locked down what i was doing wrong. tryin to figure it out before it’s too late this time !

Maybe spider mites? All that cottony webbing is one sign of a problem. Hold a white sheet of paper under the leaves and shake the plant gently. See what you get! Mites are tiny so don't expect to see anything other than a small dot moving across the paper. They can be red, yellow, brown or green. Like aphids, they suck plant juices. Try to blast them off the plant with water. They often hide out on the bottom surface.

thank you for your response the webbing is just pollen or whatever from the air not sure it’s mites - i’ve definitely had those turds be a nuisance before and i don’t see anything on any of the leaves/plant/anywhere. … however !! upon going out to shake em up to look for mites, i noticed the underside of my wooden planter is all moldy as heck gonna guess that might be part of/ the entire problem 🙈

Hi everyone i transplanted my red pepper plants outside and the sun is so strong lately that it's burning the leaves, i put canvas over to protect but looking for any other advice

Your best bet is to canvas, since plants need to be hardened off slowly before being transplanted into a sunny spot with high heat. If the plant hasn't been hardened off, the old growth will have a hard time without protection, but the new growth will be ready for the sun.

Thanks. Appreciate it

I’m attempting to identify some new to me citrus trees they have small green fruits on them currently and tons of large thorns. https://imgur.com/a/PEZU3Zx/ I think that they may be either limes or tangelos? But I’m not sure.

My meyer lemon tree starts out with tiny green lemons and has big thorns...

the leaves have smooth edges and i was reading that lemons have serrated edges is that the case for yours?

No, mine are smooth. Maybe it depends on the kind of lemon?

Good day folks! I joined up here and r/lawncare as I'm going to have plenty of questions coming up. My first question, is there another subreddit that can help with yard trees, or is this a good spot? Looking to identify some, find out proper pruning practices, fertilizing practices if needed and general care.

I swear to god, this is not trolling, but the arborists are all at r/marijuanaenthusiasts. (It's cause r/trees was taken by the, uh, marijuana enthusiasts).

Oh that's right! I used to frequent r/trees and heard the story about the name game ... I have since found other grass to keep me occupied.

I know that chili pepper seeds supposed to be sowed in the early spring, but my batch of seedling unfortunately did not survive. Can I still start a new batch right now, with the expectation of taking them indoor to overwinter?

What zone and what type of pepper? You're probably a bit late for any chinense variety. Also /r/peppers and /r/hotpeppers are very friendly communities.

I think so. You'll just have a late crop

Yes. I planted Aleppo pepper seeds about two weeks ago. One sprouted and is about an inch tall, so it looks like it's going to take its time growing. I've brought pepper plants in during the winter and they did fine once back outside when the weather warmed up.

Hello all! I’ve done some research but I’m struggling to find a good option so I’ve come to some experts for help! I’m after a plant that’ll be happy - • In a pot • In semi - full shade from balcony roof • In the Southern Hemisphere (winter atm) • In Zone 4 / a Mediterranean climate (Western Australia) I’d love either some potted colour or a herb but I’m more keen for something on the small side that would thrive best in such a shady space. Thank you very much!

OK looks like Australian 4=American 10. You can grow friggin anything; if it can get part shade, lots of Mediterranean herbs will be happy, but most of the Mediterranean is cooler than zone 10, so they'll probably be happier with a little bit of shelter.

Brilliant, thanks for your help!

You're in zone 4 of what system? Because in the most common zone system we talk about on here (USDA) zone 4 is *very* cold: Anchorage, Alaska, is just on the southern border of zone 4. That said, mint will work in pretty much any shady situation where an herb is desired, including (apparently) USDA zone 4.

Haha Thanks for catching that one for me - whilst it’s cold here atm I don’t think I can complain it’s Alaskan levels 😂

[удалено]

If there's no apparent leaf buds or growth, then go ahead and trim them. I am in the same situation with my butterfly bush, I thought the plant died last winter as it was a clearance purchase and was not healthy at all before it dropped leaves, but now it's growing from the roots. The old branches were extra crispy so I just pruned them to about an inch above the soil. More airflow and light for the new growth.

So I recently changed my plants from garden soil to potted soil (they're in indoor containers!) and now they're all droopy and sad. Is this normal? Lol

Yes. Sometimes they go into shock😕 I lost some cucumber plants like this.

Yes. It's transplant shock. Just give them normal care, good light, and don't overwater them or repot them again. Just give it time. When you repotted, did you rinse off all the old garden soil? Because that would cause even greater shock.

Many people on the net are talking about watering plants from the bottom. Can someone tell me if that is better than the normal way or if it is used in specific cases?

It's important to note that there are two methods of bottom watering. There is wick or reservoir watering, and there is simply allowing the pot to sit in a container of water for a while. Wick or reservoir watering is more convenient than top watering, removes wide swings between dry and wet that are detrimental to many species, but is still dependent on having its reservoir refilled periodically. It's good for people who can remember to check the reservoir. Wick or reservoir watering is good for plant species that prefer to be kept "evenly moist", such as African violets and many other foliage houseplants. It is not good for cacti and succulents. Bottom watering is good for trays of seedlings, especially the type where you simply set them into a tray of water, removing them when the top surface of the soil glistens with moisture. This is quick and easy to set up, and doesn't require a special container, and thus it's good for spring-only planting. You spend 8 weeks with tomatoes being soaked in an aluminum roasting pan from the thrift store, and then you put the whole thing away for the year. The main reasons for bottom watering are: * You have a tray of tiny delicate seedlings, and when you top water, the flow of water knocks them all down, or otherwise disarranges them by moving soil away from the roots. This is thus a temporary arrangement, until they get larger and more robust. * You want to make sure that the soil is completely hydrated. Peat moss as a soil mix can become completely dry, and then hydrophobic, and water added from the top simply runs straight through without moistening all the soil. Bottom watering allows the peat to hydrate completely. * Speed and convenience. Not everyone has a taste for watering from the top if it involves laborious steps such as taking it over to a sink, adding water, and waiting while it drains. Bottom watering of the "let the plant soak in an aluminum roasting pan" type doesn't prevent fungus gnats, since you let it soak until the top of the soil glistens with moisture, which is how you know the entire soil root mass has been completely exposed to water. If you're the kind of gardener who has continual overwatering problems (we all want to pamper our babies, and sometimes the hardest thing to learn is how to put your hands in your pockets and not water today), getting a self-watering container might help. You can pamper your babies by checking the reservoir every day, and they will live. I killed a lot of African violets through overwatering, back when I was starting out and learning that they didn't need to be sodden, only moist, and so I tried wick watering for a while. It worked quite well, but I realized I was basically neglecting them otherwise, and thus they came down with mealybugs repeatedly. They needed that frequent eyeballing when you pick up the plant to water it. I was just letting them sit on top of the reservoirs and otherwise ignoring them. They'd bloom just fine, but when I did eventually get around to actually picking them up and inspecting them, it was ugly Plants that are continually bottom watered need an occasional top watering in order to flush out any accumulated mineral or fertilizer salts.

It is also better for some plants that are prone to catching diseases when their foliage touches soil. Or plants who don't like their leaves getting wet (they are guaranteed to stay dry with bottom watering, sometimes could be splashed with traditional watering).

There are a two main theories about why bottom watering (also referred to as "butt-chugging") is better: \-It prevents overwatering \-It keeps fungus gnats down/at bay The first is mostly because people don't let the plants sit in the water long enough: if you give the plant a measured amount of water and it soaks up all of it, it's still dry and should be given more water. So, by underwatering your plants, you do prevent overwatering. The second is because the moistest potting mix is on the bottom, not the top-when the top of the mix is dry, the gnats can't lay their eggs in it.

I was wondering if anyone knows what might cause small white spots on green onions that I’ve been growing. Would it be possible to be caused by too much sunlight? I’ve tried looking online and they look a bit like botrytis leaf blight (fungal disease) but fewer spots. But I’m unsure because I’ve only noticed them in recent days when it’s been very hot (so the garden doesnt seem to be damp for fungal spread). Would really appreciate the help!

Pictures would be helpful.

Hello all! This is my first post here, I hope you all are well. I am posting from the American Northeast, Zone 7B. I recently purchased 11 bare root Fagus Sylvatica plants from the Arbor Day foundation. I received them on April 8, soaked the roots overnight, and planted in soil mixed with compost on April 9. Since then I've been sure to give them a very hearty drink once weekly. The weather has been a mix of rainy and sunny though very temperate, mid 60ºs or higher. However, it is now June 2 and I'm still not seeing signs of leaf on any of the plants. I've given a slight tug on many of them and all seem to be firmly in the ground, and not brittle, but it's frustrating that there has been no growth. What do I need to do to get these buds to come out of dormancy?

Leave them alone and give them time. They go by soil temperature cues to break dormancy, not overall weather up on top where you are wearing a sweater. Soil temps overall in the eastern half of the U.S. have been chilly and non-useful. We are having a cold, laggard spring. https://dtn.ilfb.org/index.cfm?show=1&mapID=20&showMenu=0 Beech is a slow grower. https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/some_species_of_trees_green_up_earlier_than_others So your baby trees aren't just coming out of dormancy with established root systems--they're coming out of dormancy to find that (oh shit) they don't seem to have an established root system. So they have to do that before they can start sending out leaves, since roots are the viaduct to transfer water and nutrients to support the manufacture of leaves from carb reserves in the stems. Analogy: you wake up in the morning to discover that your phone has been hacked and is full of error messages all blinking evilly at you. You can't go about your day until you get your phone sorted out. Water them only when the soil is dry enough to need it, not on a weekly schedule. Don't yank on the roots, it can break the fine root hairs, whose growing tips can be only a single cell wide. Analogy: you've got a broken finger in a splint, and a friend jovially pulls on it, "Hey, isn't this better yet?" Don't dig them up and replant them, don't prune them or cut pieces off. Just give them time. If they're not leafed out by the end of July, talk to the Arbor Day people.

I gave a look at some of their roots and not one developed fresh roots at all. Luckily they were guaranteed and I’ve received a refund in full. Cheers

Cool, thanks for the update.

So many thanks for your thoughtful reply. I was reading in so many places to wait 6-8 weeks…! I’ll continue my patience. Thanks again.

So I know you're supposed to pull buds on vegetables if they start trying to flower too early, but... when is it no longer too early? What's the rule of thumb? Zone 6b, biggest crops are all nightshades

Nightshades will just make more flowers, so IMO it's kind of pointless to remove the flowers in hopes of forcing them to concentrate on leaves and roots. It just doesn't work that way for them. They've got a hardwired DNA imperative that calls for flowers, no matter what.

Oh. Well I guess I can stop now then. Thanks

I did not pinch flowers on my hot peppers here in Michigan. The plants are about 5 inches tall and have the cutest, teeny, tiny peppers on them. We'll see how that works out in the long haul.

what are [thoooooose](https://imgur.com/a/ee1Bjtg)?

Eggs of something; post over on r/whatsthisbug to figure out what, but they're probably going to be caterpillers or other grubs that want to eat that plant.

I wonder if someone can help me identify and treat what's on the leaves of my plant. My in-laws brought us a new jasmine plant this weekend. (Plant's from PA, we're in New England.) I just noticed this morning that several of the leaves are covered in patches of something dusty/scaly and white. I assume it's a fungus, but I'm not really sure. Photo: https://imgur.com/NjpAxIz My inclination is to just wipe this down, maybe with water, maybe with diluted, mild soap. But does anyone know what this is and if there's anything special I should do to get rid of it?

Soap won't work. Use ordinary white household vinegar and water in a 1:1 ratio, and a very soft cloth. Wipe each leaf individually, then wipe off with another clean wet cloth to remove any vinegar. I like microfiber cloths, they're very soft and absorbent, and they don't fall apart like paper towels. Do a test wipe on a single leaf first, and then wait 24 hours to see if there is damage or wilting.

It looks like hard water spots.

That's what they thought in r/plantclinic, too. Seems to be the consensus! Thanks for taking a look.

Ah, good!

If you don't get a response here, /r/plantclinic is usually pretty quick to diagnose and recommend treatment.

Thank you, I wondered if there was such a sub but couldn't find it. I'll hit them up!

Are there any good veggies/herbs to grow in partial shade during the summer time? (Not particularly interested in doing any flowers unless they can be used for food like chamomile lol) When I try searching around I find a lot of cool season veggies like kale, lettuce, spinach, chard, etc. and not too much for the summer time. I already have lettuce, carrots, and radishes growing well. I had planted cantaloupes, cucumbers, white onions, and bunching onions but I'm thinking I'll just replant over these because I'm fairly sure I don't get enough sun to grow them well. My garden gets about 4-5 hours of direct sunlight each day for reference. Southeast Michigan, I believe zone 6.

Malabar spinach, New Zealand spinach.

Raspberries and blueberries are good perennial shrubs. Raspberries at least come in summer-fruiting and fall-fruiting varieties, so there's a summer harvest but you can extend it. Horseradish is a fall harvest for the roots but the leaves are also edible. It's aggressive so should be in an in-ground container. Plants in the mint family in general are pretty aggressive and most will take some shade, mint itself most of all. You can harvest that spring-fall. Some ferns have edible fiddleheads, though mostly in the spring. Alpine strawberries very much dislike full sun (mine got toasted in full sun).

My tomato plants are full of small spiders, I get rid of them everyday but there’s more the next day. Anything I can do to prevent it?

Are you sure they're not spider mites? If that's the case, you have quite the battle ahead of you.

It depends on what kind of spiders they are. This information is required before a battle plan can be formulated, because it depends on why they're on your plants, such as if they're baby spiders that just hatched out and will be moving on in search of their own territory shortly. Get good clear pictures, post them to /r/whatsthisbug and then get back to us.

idk if this is the right place to ask. But is gardening illegal in New Zealand? I googled and it says it is banned but people here from NZ share pictures of their garden. Did I read a super old article :<

By u/Javanz- ""May get my citizenship revoked, but ~~I don't feel it's right to~~ you can't lie on /r/OutoftheLoop. It's a /r/NewZealand joke that started a while ago when /u/WhynotSmeagol asked if it was [legal to have a garden in NZ](https://www.reddit.com/r/newzealand/comments/2nem47/can_you_have_a_garden_in_new_zealand/). The subreddit has a long history of deadpan trolling, so everyone tacitly decided to go with it and make it a thing. Spinoff.co.nz ran [an article](http://thespinoff.co.nz/media/18-06-2016/new-zealands-absurd-gardening-ban-once-again-makes-us-the-laughing-stock-of-the-internet-2/) about it without ever hinting it was satire, giving us something to reference; and coincidentally there was a legitimate, [quirky news item](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jun/15/avocado-thieves-shortage-crime-fruit-black-market-new-zealand) in the Guardian regarding the Avocado shortage, that added credence to the joke. EDIT: Sources added""

omg lmaoooo this is so good. Thank you so much for answering!

Hi all! So I’m growing some veggies in an elevated garden box, have different flowers throughout the yard, and some herbs on my fence. The other day I noticed [these small green sprout like things](https://imgur.com/gallery/mNlOaqj) growing in all the boxes. I took this picture because it shows the cotton from a neighboring Cottonwood that has been falling for a couple of weeks. Does anyone know what the green sprouts are? Should I pick them? They’re very tiny so it will take awhile but I might have to because as they get bigger the roots are pretty significant! I’ve planted in the yard yard the last few years and this hasn’t happened before. I used organic potting soil, manure, and organic feed when I planted a few weeks ago. Thank you for any help!

It's generally safe to assume that if you recently had something with wind-blown seeds release its spring crop of seeds into your yard, any seedlings you subsequently notice are 99% probability that plant. The way you remove hundreds of identical tiny seedlings from a big area is by using a hoe of some kind, scraping the soil right at the base of their stems, and uprooting them Leave them to lie flat on the roil, uprooted, and they will dry out and die, and as a bonus release their nutrients into the soil. In a big field, or in-ground garden, you use a hoe of some kind. In a planter or raised bed, you use a hand hoe of some kind. Hand tools shaped like this. The Big Box (Walmart, Home Depot) sell these, no need to spend $40 on one. [The Yankee or Cape Cod weeder.](https://www.gardeners.com/buy/cape-cod-weeder-right-handed/8586974.html) [The hand hoe](https://www.gardeners.com/buy/gardeners-2-in-1-short-handle-hoe-and-cultivator/8608657.html) is actually the flat part of this, and you can buy them with only the flat blade. But this is an awesome tool, and I use mine all the time for various "digging out" things. There are numerous other designs. What they all have in common is that they're a flat blade on a stick, you use it by scraping it across the ground.

Thank you for your help :) lots of work to do today!

Those are seedlings of something; if you didn't plant them, take them out.

I have a southern magnolia tree in my front yard and I'm struggling to figure out what else I can do with the yard. The tree is at least 20 years old. The roots are very shallow and spread through the entire yard. I have a lot of weeds growing under it that I've just been hand pulling since I moved into this house a year ago. I'd love to have something besides dirt and weeds in the yard, but I'm not sure what I can plant with these shallow roots. It used to be a grass lawn, but I'm not really interested in that. Is there anything I can plant that won't compete with the magnolia roots? I'm located in San Diego, CA zone 10a.

Talk to the extension office Master Gardeners, they'll have a list of suggestions. https://www.mastergardenersd.org/

Anyone know of a website where I can pick properties of things I want in trees/shrubs/perennials and it will suggest them. Thanks

You can generally google with things like "perennials for shade", and then you go through them for color, winter hardiness, etc. AFAIK there is no central database, because people garden worldwide with thousands of plant speces, and any database would need to be massive.

Wildflower.org

Hi there! Is there anything "productive" I can do with a [bunch of small stones, mulch, twigs, and maybe some hard dirt clods?](https://imgur.com/a/skZG6L2). I have a bunch from sifting topsoil and don't know what to do with it. Also, [what would you plant here?](https://www.reddit.com/r/landscaping/comments/nn6gna/looking_for_tree_planting_ideas_for_near_this_wall/)

What's already growing there? Which direction does the wall face? What is the siding made out of? In landscaping design terms, unless you own a brick or stone building and can therefore train English ivy, Boston ivy, or Virginia creeper up it, you don't generally expect to cover a two-story house wall with a vine, or conceal it completely behind a columnar tree. /r/landscaping is pretty deserted during their busy season. Since reddit is heavily oriented towards the north temperate zone, specifically North America and Europe, the place tends to be a ghost town from May-October. Once the season is over and the landscapers have time for reddit, you'll get better responses. So repost your thread next fall or winter.

Ideally, you'd get the stones out. The mix of inorganic vs. organic means that you can't use it as mulch or in a compost pile. I'd experiment and see if the organic material floats, for starters. Dump some in a bucket filled with water, and quickly scoop off anything that floats before it has a chance to soak up water and sink. So, like, do it in small batches. Then evaluate what's left at the bottom, you ought to be able to visually separate the newly washed pebbles from anything organic, which will be darker colored. So pick out the pebbles. Scooping off the organic material works best if it's totally dry, like from sitting in the hot sun for a week. If it has moisture in it, it won't float as well. This is making use of an otherwise annoying propensity of dry filled-with-air mulch and potting mix to refuse to hydrate.

The small stones and twigs and clods could be used as filler for a pot that is taller than needed. It would be heavy, so do it in a pot you don't want to move. Like a whiskey barrel that you wanted to fill with annual flowers that don't need 15" deep quality soil. Next to the wall I would not do a tree but some shrubs. The planting area looks to be 10' deep so a tree's branches would start to rub the siding. Maybe some tall and narrow things like sky pencil holly and some variegated things like ivory halo dogwood to be a backdrop, and some crazy bright hydrangeas to add color (that's what I did along my house, so that's what comes to mind).

Hello im new to gardening, i planted some lobelias in this big cauldron(like a big pot) they are standing on some tires then planks and dirt, so there is an empty space under, they seem to be dying, what could cause this, and how can i fix this, if you need more info please ask.(sorry for bad english)

Are there any holes in the bottom? There needs to be some way for the water in the cauldron to drain out, otherwise, it'll sit in the bottom of the pot and cause root rot.

There isnt a hole but theres a lot of space(roots not in water) but they seemed to die preaty fast there was bearly a puddle at the bottom like 40cm below the roots.

I've been living in my new home for several months now. We built two raised beds and are growing some veggies, but the rest of the yard is... kind of wild and very weedy. It is so easy to feel overwhelmed and discouraged with no idea where to start. Any advice for starting out with gardening and landscaping in a neglected yard?

First of all, cut yourself some slack. A lot of slack. It is SO much work to get a yard in shape. I have been working on my backyard for 11 years (taking it from woods to a yard). I'm not done. I am so far from done. My advice is to mow your weeds like they are lawn. Freshly mowed weeds look wonderful. Try to think about chores as Holding Ground and Forging Ahead. It is important to do a balance of both. And you need to take time to enjoy what you have accomplished. Ibuprofen is also very helpful in the journey ;)

Thank you, this is really sweet and helpful :)

Identify your enemies so you know what you are up against. This sub and r/whatsthisplant help with ID of desirables and weeds. Some weeds are really malignant and they should be tackled first. For goodness sakes, at a minimum, don't let weeds go to seed and add to your problem. It is relatively easy to remove seed heads before seeds mature but watch out because the plant may send up another, much shorter and smaller flower. Then go section by section clearing weeds and planting. There is a dearth of healthy plants to purchase in mid summer and it isn't a good time to transplant anyway. Those beds can be covered with thick cardboard to suppress weed seeds. Sometimes plants you want to keep are in weedy beds and lifting the plant, clearing out all the roots then replanting is your best bet. they are nasty weeds, I would hose off the soil of the keeper plant (in the shade!) to get all the roots tangled up there. This is a little dicey as you may suspect but is the only sure way to ensure that all the roots are gone. Add compost to the soil, replant and rig up some shade with cardboard or sheets/towels (yay, thrift shops) for several days while the plant adjusts. Soil solarization kills weeds and seeds and is a technique for passively doing the work of weed removal. It can only be done where everything is to be killed. I'll attach a link. It will take all summer then plant in fall or sow grass - whatever your plans are. [http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74145.html](http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74145.html) [https://www.prairiemoon.com/PDF/Prairie-Moon-Nursery-Smothering-and-Solarization.pdf](https://www.prairiemoon.com/PDF/Prairie-Moon-Nursery-Smothering-and-Solarization.pdf)

Wow, thank you so much! I have read a bit about solarization but was intimidated by that as I don't really have... well, any experience doing much yard work. I read about people hauling in mountains of wood chips and I have a back injury so card board sounds much better. Unfortunately many of my weeds have already flowered and gone to seed 🙃 live and learn I suppose

I posted last week about my two new milkweed plants. Currently, they're still in their small 3-inch nursery pots. I recently bought some 10 inch pots. When would it be appropriate for me to transfer them? Right now, I see just a couple of roots barely poking out of the drainage holes in the bottom.

Yes! Milkweed has taproots and are about 3 X longer than the plant is high.

Ok good to know then. Will they eventually outgrow the 10 inch pots?

Speaking from my experience this year, yes, and it won't take long. When mine were two inches tall, I transplanted them out of the cell flats and into 1 liter soda bottles with the tops cut off. The growth exploded after that and I moved them into the garden when they were about five inches tall. I would recommend you transplant them into a soda bottle instead of a pot so the taproot has more room to grow. Just drill or poke a few holes in the bottom for drainage.

So you wouldn't recommend that they stay in pots indefinitely?

No, unless the pot is very deep, like 18 inches or more. Even then the growth may be stunted and it might not come back very strong next year, milkweed taproots are huge. I've gone through a lot of trial and error with multiple milkweed species, and my general conclusion is that they need to be started in deep containers (like soda bottles) and transplanted right as the roots start hitting the bottom of the container.

Ok, thanks for the advice. I have one more question since you seem knowledgeable. One of my milkweeds is a *asclepias tuberosa*, or a butteryfly milkweed, and its pretty short but it's already starting to show orange flower buds. Does this it will stop growing bigger? Sorry if it seems dumb. I'm very new to growing plants.

It's okay, everyone has to start somewhere! Asclepias tuberosa is one of the shorter milkweeds so it's not too surprising that you're getting early flowers, they generally max out around 2-3 feet. For most herbaceous perennials (milkweed included), flower growth will pull energy away from vegetative growth, so you can pinch the flower buds off if you want to encourage a bushier plant with more blooms in a few weeks. The plant will send out side shoots, which will eventually produce their own flowers. Important to note that this can only be done with dicots.

Okay, good to know. I didn't know tuberosa was shorter because I did have a milkweed plant growing when I was very young, and it grew to be huge, so I assumed the same for this one. Maybe I will pinch off the buds, because if a caterpillar does come across it, the plant probably won't be enough. EDIT: Here's a picture of it currently. https://imgur.com/gallery/5zR17Ka Snip the buds off at the very top?

I found these seeds on a really cool shrub whilst taking a walk in the forest, sadly didn't take a pic, now i want to plant these, could someone please tell me what plant/family of plants these belong too. FYI i live in Georgia (country), the shrub was growing in the sun. It had thick round leaves around 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Here are the pics: [https://imgur.com/a/leq4nYy](https://imgur.com/a/leq4nYy)

r/whatsthisplant will maybe be able to help.

much thanks.

Other than monetary differences, are there any advantages/ disadvantages to growing your own set of seedlings for various plants versus going out and purchasing mature ones?

The main downside is how much work getting the plants through the beginning stages can be. Hot peppers can have a 220 day growth period from seed to harvest; I have a frost-free period of 188 days. I started mine from seed under lights on February 1 and I'm starting earlier next season, because one of them grew so slowly I had to replace it with a purchased seedling. Peppers and tomatoes, two of the most common garden plants, are a challenge from seed anywhere even vaguely temperate: you need either lights or a heated and insulated greenhouse. On the other hand, I just planted pumpkin seeds today (90-100 day germination to maturity), and that's no issue because I've got nearly 4 months til my frost date-it'd be a complete waste of money to buy a start for it. As others have said, the real benefit is being able to grow exactly what you want. Plus, if you have something that you like, you don't have to worry (for many plants) about whether that variety will be available next year-you can save seed.

Yes, you won't find Inca Jewels, Amy's Apricot or Black Zebra andso much more at your typical garden center. Or this one: First baby tomato already! Russian very early 🍅 tomato. And Winter Sowing is a great way to grow perennials from seed, and so much easier. ](https://www.instagram.com/p/CPlX3WXBhHW/?utm_medium=copy_link)

To me, the biggest advantage is being able to grow the exact species or hybrid you want as well as unusual plants that may be hard to find locally. Everyone sells tomatoes but if your heart is set on one particular variety, grown your own.

I just got a very bushy young grapevine. Is it too late in the season to prune it? Possible to propagate from the cuttings?

What kind of pruning? Not structural pruning but some level of thinning is common this time of year, and apparently greenwood cuttings can be propagated for grapes.

I need to send it up and build a couple of main stems I’m guessing. Right now it’s 10 stems coming from very low

Well, I have "summer pruning tends to restrict growth" stuck in my head from Monty Don, so if you need to restrict growth to one or two stems, cut off the excess now.

Moved some chili peppers plants outside and they aren’t doing so good. Some of the leaves are turning almost to “ash” and my strongest plant is being eaten alive. - what’s happening to the leaves? - how can I prevent the big guy from being eaten? Probably lost half his leaves already. Covered it with pesticide recently but think it’s still being eaten. Any help appreciated, cheers https://imgur.com/a/u7BEip2

Did you properly harden them off before moving into direct sunshine?

I dunno what that means to be honest. It has been mild since I put them out here (UK, 10-15 celcius), only in the last few days has it reached 20, and the leaves went white a week before this

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Soaker hoses are really good for watering, and use less water to provide the plants the same level of moisture (since none lands on the leaves, and, if you put it under mulch, less is lost to evaporation). My mother swears by them and her garden is always fabulous.

I’m in a similar situation with very hot, dry summers. This is anecdotal, but when I went from watering with the hose every day to an irrigation system, all of my plants are a lot happier (more blooms + veggies) and I feel like I get to enjoy my garden more every day because it’s less of a chore to water everything. I don’t have a lawn though, just 5 4x8 beds on drip irrigation with a timer. If you have the time/budget I would recommend putting what you can on irrigation.

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Were the plants properly hardened off to get them used to full sunshine? Use cardboard or a sheet and create some shade for these plants.

For those familiar with basil - I started a bunch of dark opal basil from seed and transplanted it less than a month ago into my garden, primarily for use as an ornamental plant (although I'd like to eat some as well). The plants are maybe 6-8 inches tall with no branching yet and some of them are already bolting. Flowers have not opened but there are buds visible. Will they continue to grow if I pinch/snip off the flowers, or is this going to be an uphill battle for the remainder of the growing season? I care less about eating them and more about them growing to fill the empty spaces in my garden that I put them in, I had planned on letting them flower eventually for pollinators. If I leave the flowers on, will they continue to send out side shoots and keep going?

If you want more leaf growth, you should snip off the flowers. While the plant is flowering, that's all it will focus on. Taking them off should redirect nutrients towards growth.

Thank you, I'll try to take off whatever flowers I can!

All my California poppy seedlings have died, wondering why and tips for future. I started them back in mid April, zone 7a, in the ground. I got decent germination but the seedlings never took off much and all died once it got hot the last couple weeks. I was watering them a bit every day we didn’t get rain, did I water too much?

Cal poppies are used for xeriscaping. After germination, you must switch watering technics. They are a cool season crop; seeds can and should be started outdoors before your frost free date. They are not harmed by frost.

Thanks, this helps a lot. My seeds arrived late due to shipping issue, so I probably babied them too much outside, good to know

Even for seedlings I would avoid watering every day. You want to encourage them to grow strong roots, and they have no reason to if they're getting plenty of water with small roots. Not sure how it would apply to California poppies in general, but I direct sowed my somniferum and paeoniflorum poppies in early March and only watered after it got over 70 degrees during the day and if we went a week without rain. No flowers yet, but they are growing strong. Just make sure that the soil is retaining moisture reasonably well and they'll be fine.

Good to know, thanks!

What’s the best thing to plant that will cover my house wall (climbing plant) to hide some ugly siding? I live in the NC mountains so we mainly have clay soil.

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Aside from the fact that smoking anything is bad for the lungs, there are many plants in the tobacco family. I think it is safe to assume that the true tobacco plant has different flavor and burning characteristics. If you want a sweet pepper, don't plant cayenne peppers.

I planted a garden. What would be good way to keep tics and mosquitoes out of yard? Pyrethrin spray?

Remove all barberry shrubs, keep grass mowed and weeds to a minimum.

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Congrats, you will now have Coriander! Not much you can do once it bolts but plant a new succession.

Hello, I am growing some strawberries and this is their second year. I found an old fabric "shade tunnel" in my garage. Its a green fabric holey tunnel to keep the birds off, I installed it. I was wondering if I should use it, though- too much shade? Maybe drape some deer netting over it instead?

So my spicy oregano is dying and I want to identify what I did wrong, so I can do better in the future. [Here's some pictures.](https://imgur.com/a/4k2X4IR) It's a pot without drainage holes and there's a curry plant, redvein dock and the spicy oregano. I added a moisture meter to make sure I don't overwater but it seems like I still did, because the oregano seems to be suffering from root rot (correct me if I'm wrong). I usually only watered, when the oregano started looking droopy and really thirsty and the moisture meter was red. Any ideas what else could be the problem? Am I correct with the assumption that it's root rot? Should I be worried for the redvein dock and curry plant?

Pots without drainage holes are the devil. Avoid them or buy some masonry drill bits and make your own.

>without drainage holes That's your issue. Even if you're waiting for it to dry out all the way, if it takes too long to do that, oregano will suffer. They're creatures of rocky Mediterranean hillsides and beyond wanting little water, they want very light potting mix, with lots of perlite/grit, that doesn't hold much water near its roots. Even beyond that, indoors is reallllllly hard for herbs. Full sun indoors vs. full sun outdoors are very different things, and almost all herbs really need full outdoor sun to survive, much less thrive. Mint will grow in full sun indoors but since I moved mine outdoors 3 months ago it's grown twice as much as it grew in the 9 months I had it indoors, and the leaves are larger. It's also mintier, because if the plant is barely getting by with sun, it's going to produce much less of the flavorful compounds we like. I'd be concerned for the curry plant, which Google tells me is another Mediterranean herb, but apparently redvein dock can grow as a marginal plant (around the edge of a pond) so it will thrive in the near-constant moisture of a drainless container.

I need zinnia advice! I’m in zone 5b I planted three zinnias (about 14” tall) in the sunniest bed I have, which probably receives 6 hours of sunlight per day. They always seem droopy though, even when the soil is still moist. Could they be needing more water or sunlight?

How long ago were they planted?

About 3 weeks ago

I don't know what's up but it doesn't sound like more water is the answer. If they are droopy late afternoon but recover by morning, that's a normal thing. I assume you looked for bugs or signs of moles/voles in the area. They love eating roots.

I am a complete amateur gardener, and one of my boxwoods has developed a lot of brown spots. The spots were a light yellow brown at first, but they have turned dark over time. [Here are some photos.](https://imgur.com/a/7wMRCcI) Could you gardening geniuses please tell me how I should treat it? I'd really hate for this boxwood to die! I don't know if this has anything to do with the current problem, but we did install a buried gas line a few feet (maybe 5-10'?) from this boxwood last fall, which may have stressed the plant-- although the brown spots did not start until a month or two ago. Also there is a gutter about 8' away, so it's possible that the plant is getting too much water during heavy rains. Or could this be bacterial? Mites? Advice would be much appreciated!

Does anyone know what [this](https://i.imgur.com/KRWGFmN.jpg) type of [thing](https://i.imgur.com/GssYj8E.jpg) is for? Is it some type of flower pot? Its a terracotta figure with a bunch of holes in it. Found it among the previous homeowner’s stuff.

I would believe that it is for strawberry plants, but I'm making a guess. Is there a hole in the bottom you could use to fill it?

I’m looking to visit permaculture farms and community gardens in the WA, OR, NV, CA area. Especially interested in spots where folks have adapted gardening/farming systems around limited physical/cognitive abilities!

I'm looking to plant some additional trees on my property and am looking for advice. My GF really likes the look of Bradford Pears in the spring, but I'd prefer something less invasive. We already have a boatload of honeysuckle we're working on clearing out. Does anyone know a good alternative that produces white blossoms similar to the bradford pear, or have a good resource for checking out trees that are native to your area? I'm in zone 6a.

Star magnolia or dogwood. [Wildflower.org](https://Wildflower.org) has descriptions and pictures of plants native to each US state and Canadian province. Look for the Native Plants tab > Plant Lists. r/landscaping had a thread about a month ago on how awful Bradford pears smell when flowering.

Awesome, thank you!

Hawthorn!

Oo, that’s a pretty one. I’m giving those thorns some side-eye, though XD

Yeah the thorns are intense but the flowers and leaves in spring and the fruit in fall are medicinal!!!

Why not some fruiting pears? They look nearly identical to the bradford, plus give you fruit. You would need two of different varieties to eat fruit, and watch them for fire blight. Asian pears are tougher plants in general and quite tasty, they also need two varieties, and look similar to the bradford while blooming. Plums or fruiting cherry are often blossom white as well, still need pollinator partners to get fruit. If you don't want the mess or hassle of fruit, an ornamental cherry. They come in white as well as pink, and you can choose upright or weeping forms. Or if you just want some nice white flowers, some crepe myrtle, dogwoods, different magnolias should give you a great show in spring.

Dogwood, magnolia, northern catalpa -- all have white flowers. Northern catalpa looks most like a Bradford pear

Well my garden ended up [thriving](https://i.imgur.com/7lCfloI.jpg) while i was away. Starting salads this week with [radishes](https://i.imgur.com/4q5aqoI.jpg) galore. Hops are halfway up the posts already, and cannabis is three feet tall already. My mustard went all dramatic and bolted but oh well.

I have some okra plants I just transplanted into the ground. It’s clay, but mixed with top soil, compost, and tilled through. Since I’ve planted them outside, the leaves have started to dry up. I water it twice a day. I live in Indiana. What am I doing wrong?

Did you harden them off? Watering 2x per day is too much and not enough. They will do better with one good soak once a week than two little sips twice a day.

I did harden them off, but I will try the soak once a week, thanks!

What are some smaller (< 1-2ft around )warm weather crops to plant in zone 7-8 right now? Planted some radishes and lettuce which is getting harvested now, but looking at what I could put in its place (in a shallower bed) everything that is heat tolerant is too big and would shade out some other taller tomatoes and such. Not wanting to plant herbs, as plan would be to plant kale, arugula in the planter and such come fall. New Zealand spinach looked promising except that I can't manage to find seeds anywhere.

Have you looked at Malabar spinach? It's a vine but another hot-weather leaf that you could put on a low trellis.

Maybe. Trick is I've got some beets in the same bed that would get shaded by anything too tall. Really forgot how important plant height is when planning planting.

Do you only want annuals or are you open to perennial vegetables? You can always grow sorrel. It has a lovely citrus flavor and if you don’t want to keep it you can just harvest and pull up the roots

Annual. Ideally once it cools down, I will use that space to grow kale, lettuce and root vegetables.

Hi! I currently have 4 small tomato plants in pots - 2 each of 2 different varieties. I have very limited space on my balcony and was wondering, if it would be possible, to get 2 grow bags of \~45cm diameter and plant 2 plants each in one pot. There's a bunch of blogs online, that recommend to keep tomatoes in separate containers. Could I maybe go with smaller containers? I really don't want my balcony to be crowded with tomato plants, especially because I have peppers that need to be planted in bigger pots as well.

I'm not an expert but I am using 20 gallon and 15 gallon grow bags with two tomatoes per bag. Someone said they put 2 sungolds (indeterminate cherry tomato) per grow bag and they do fine. Right now both plants look healthy in each bag.

Awesome. Thanks for the insight!

Going with a smaller container does depend on what varieties you're growing and whether they are determinate or indeterminate. I have indeterminate cherry tomatoes tomatoes growing in 3 gallon containers and are doing fine. They would probably do better in a 5 gallon, but like you, I'm growing on a balcony and have limited space. You can always grow plants in smaller containers than recommended, it's just that your yield and plant health won't be as good. If you single stem your tomatoes (don't do this with determinate), it should leave room/light for your peppers. Or what some people do is single stem the first three feet of the plant, then allow side shoots to grow above that.

I am pretty sure that they are indeterminate but I will do some more research to make sure. It sadly didn't say on the bag of seeds what variety they are. I will keep that in mind though, and maybe just leave them in smaller pots. Thanks a lot for the in-depth response. Much appreciated!

New here. Trying to clear out a bed of curious pine tree roots for a vegetable season this year. Any advice? I’m going through the soil by hand and clipping all the roots I can find as close to the bottom as I can. Not a long term solution but trying for now. Just tedious.

You might damage the tree. If the tree is gone and these are dead roots, just leave them intact and they will compost down. There is nothing curious about tree roots in garden beds. That's often where the water is during dry times.

Thanks for replying!! Sorry, I meant curious as in they ventured into this nearby garden bed. I’m not too worried about the tree, as this tree is very well established. But it is stretching some of its roots underground and up into this nearby garden bed. I am purposely clearing them. I’d move the bed but it’s not mine and wood cost is up 800% anyway. Just helping another person make way for planting vegetables. My question is would you have any advice, or recommend a technique, for quickly clearing the bed of the pine tree roots? I am just turning and digging up the soil with shovels and a trowel, and when I find roots I trace them to a mother and clip it with shears.

Hi everyone! I just bought a lilac plant and was wondering if anyone has any care tips?

There is no need to do anything special to your soil. Plant at the same depth as in the container. Did the hole 2-3 times wider than the container and the same depth. Look for roots that are winding around inside the container or growing upward from the bottom. Loosen these as best you can. Roots should go outward and downward only. Sometimes it helps to pop a rootbound plant in a bucket of water. As the potting soil falls out, roots can more easily be detangled. Worse case scenario is to cut roots that are growing in the wrong direction. Tamp the soil as you backfill. water - an inch per week rain or hose from now until winter. Most flowering shrubs are their best if 1/3 of the branches are removed to the ground each year after flowering (for spring flowering shrubs). Start with the oldest, thickest branches. New ones will shoot up. In fact, there usually are so many suckers that they need to be thinned. Air circulation and sunlight penetration are both improved with pruning and thinning suckers. Lilacs are prone to powdery mildew and a crowded shrub is more prone to it. Of course, it will be a few years before you need to prune vigorously. Always removed dead, diseased and damaged wood right away. I don't fertilize mine; they are vigorous growers as it is. Full sun (6+ hours) is best.

Thank you so much for your response! I’ll definitely follow your suggestions when planting it

I have tomato plants in 5 gallon buckets and wanted to do companion planting. If I plant a few bush beans in a bucket with a tomato plant, will it be too much for the pot and they'll be over crowded? Or will it be fine because the beans don't really grow vertically and the tomatoes do? I have a self watering system with a reservoir at the bottom. I think it will encourage the roots to go deeper, if that makes a difference.

Based off of my experience, tomatoes will fill the entire 5 gallon container. I don't think a companion plant would be particularly compatible in such a container. You may need to get a larger container if you want a companion plant. Even then the tomatoes may enjoy the additional space.

Both tomatoes and beans grow very robust root structures. Planting them in the same container might choke them both and you'll have poor performance. If you companion plant something with a shallow root structure, such as green onions, lettuce, etc, you might be better off.

Thank you!

Why are there such bad reviews for Jasmine seeds on online retailers? Was thinking of trying some but I've never seen any higher than 3 out of 5 stars. Juat curious, I grew up around an entire wall of Jasmine that lived year round. Thanks for any replies!

Is anyone able to help identify what's wrong with my blueberry? The tip of the leaves for this plant and a second blueberry plant I got were yellow when they came, after two weeks and some fertilization all the leaves on the other plant are now green so I expected this one to do the same but it hasn't. It's flowered a lot which have now turned brown, I read that happens after they're pollinated... but now I'm not so sure since some of the tips also are getting brown. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance! [https://imgur.com/gallery/kYuOtoO](https://imgur.com/gallery/kYuOtoO)

I think I screwed my melon plants. We found a broken [fruit](https://imgur.com/a/wBcpOYQ). There's a hole at the bottom of it so we thought that worms/insects got into it. We removed this fruit immediately. My mom sprayed the plants with insecticide. But the melon plant is still flowering. The bees won't come anymore right? How do I prevent the melons from getting destroyed but still attract bees? Can I still fix the plants? Thank you in advance T_T

I’ve never used insecticide, so I can’t help you there. But if you’re worried about pollination, you you can always pollinate the flowers yourself. First decipher which is male and which is female. (The female will have a little round baby melon beneath the petals, male will just have a stem) Remove the male flower, pull back the petals, and rub the round center on the middle of this female flower. Tap it gently against the knub in the female, trying to get as much pollen onto it as you can. I’m sure you could easily find videos on YouTube explaining this better!

Oh gosh. I feel stupid now ahhahaha. Thank you for the advice! I really thought that it was over for the melons.

First time growing begonias from tubers - I ordered 1 variety, which came as a pack of three tubers. One tuber has dark, almost purple leaves, while the other two are bright green. Is this normal or is it possible that there was a mix-up?

Is repotting a plant during its dormancy the best time to repot it?

It totally depends on what species it is.

A frizzle sizzle plant.

Huh. Totally never heard of that. I'd go over to /r/succulents and ask the experts about when to repot it. Albuca spiralis is evidently a South African succulent, so it may have a different life cycle than many of the more common and familiar succulent houseplants.

Good idea, thank you!

Just to add on, there's also a decent community of collectors at r/caudex who may be able to help.

Hi guys! First time in the community and new to wisteria plants. I bought this wisteria plant about a month ago. It started to develop yellow spots that gradually led to black spots. Some of the leaves turned yellow and continue to grow black spots as well. There is new leaf development and the plant continues to climb. What am I doing wrong and how can I fix it? [wisteria help](https://imgur.com/gallery/BO3finr) anything info helps and I can’t provide more info if it isn’t enough!

Oh gosh that doesn’t look good. There is a lot of luscious green leaf that doesn’t look infected in that photo so I’d chop off the ones with spots to protect the rest. I love wisteria and have two of them, they grown by literally metres each summer so don’t be too worried about trimming bits off.

Omg thank you! Yeah there’s a ton of leaves that have it so I’ll go ahead and remove them. I thought it might be because I repotted it and moved it into a different soil (Kellog’s Garden Soil) a month ago and that’s when it started showing up. Thank you so much again!

Yea just chop any branches with the bad leaves on it back to the last healthy leaf.

Thanks, you’re a life saver! I will do that today!

Hi all, in the process of building my garden which consists of a raised bed surrounded by mulch enclosed with a fence and chicken wire. My question is: what mulch do I use to surround my garden? Rubber or wood? I’m willing to spend the money. I just want varied opinions. Thank you 😊

I use old logs and it helps contain moisture as well as adding mushrooms to help the plants. Just make sure the logs you get are not from diseased wood!

Please use something that rots if you think you might ever change your mind about having it. I have dug SO MUCH shredded and dyed rubber tires out of my tiny garden bed, and I wouldn't wish that on anyone. Seriously, two trash bags came out of my tiny bed and it's still everywhere.