My front yard is heavily treed with pines and yews are planted against the house. I know the acidity makes it hard to grom most plants, but I desperately need some color in front of the house. I rent, so removing the trees or shrubs is not an option. Any suggestions?
What flowering or colorful plants can be planted near/under pine trees and yews.?
I have planted many hostas under pine trees and with great success.; There is a lot of variety in hostas so have a look at a catalogue. I have many different types and all have done well. I have also planted pulmonaria also knows as lungwort. In my opinion nothing is more beautiful that a lungwort. This is one of the first plants to bloom in Spring and the varying colors of the flowers is sensational. Lily of the valley has also done well but Lily of the valley can spread and get out of control. Columbines also do well under my pine trees. I also have a huge bleeding heart that does quite well every year.
Reply:Impatiens, snapdragons and wallerana will do well and for groundcovers, Bunchberry (Cornus canadensis) and wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens) will do the trick.
Both of the above are excellent groundcovers for under pines and yews. For non-native plants, try Campanula takesimana (Korean Bellflower) which grows to about 2-3' high and will bloom most of the summer, with fat, pendulous creamy white bells with burgundy markings inside. The latter is a little too rambunctious for good garden soil, but it excels in poor areas of the garden.
Reply:Impatiens, if kept moist.
Reply:If you don't mind putting in a shrub, azaleas love acid soil. If you want annuals, impatiens are really colorful and love the shade. They grow reasonably rapidly too. For perennials I have planted bleeding heart and astilbe. Hostas are great too, but are mostly green (although there are some lovely variegated ones as well).
Good luck!
Reply:Astilbe is a good choice.
Hiking Shoes
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
What's the best way to progagate house plants from cuttings?
I get mixed results. Sometimes the plant cuttings florish, sometimes not. Generally, I put the cutting in a cup of water and wait until it develops roots. Sometimes, though, they rot. What am I doing wrong? What are some other 'greenthumb' tips? I'd like to be better with plants.
What's the best way to progagate house plants from cuttings?
There is a white power called rootone or root tone anyway you cut a circle around the bark portion then another about an inch away...cut a line between them and peel off the outter layer. spread rootone over the entire area then dampen spagram moss and wrap a ball of it around the branch over the rootone. Wrap and secure the moss with clear wrap making it as air tight as possible. Roots will grow while the branch is still living off the plant. When you see plenty of roots emerging through the moss clip it off and plant. In the case of say fruit tree cuttings the clipping is as mature as the mother plant and will bare fruit just as it would on the mother plant.
Reply:use rooting hormone powder,, and quality soil
Reply:Egg shells crushed in water.
Reply:Try damp sand or perlite instead of water -- many things need the oxygen they're not getting in water. Also the success rate of transplanting rooted cuttings from sand or perlite is higher than cuttings rooted in water for many species.
What's the best way to progagate house plants from cuttings?
There is a white power called rootone or root tone anyway you cut a circle around the bark portion then another about an inch away...cut a line between them and peel off the outter layer. spread rootone over the entire area then dampen spagram moss and wrap a ball of it around the branch over the rootone. Wrap and secure the moss with clear wrap making it as air tight as possible. Roots will grow while the branch is still living off the plant. When you see plenty of roots emerging through the moss clip it off and plant. In the case of say fruit tree cuttings the clipping is as mature as the mother plant and will bare fruit just as it would on the mother plant.
Reply:use rooting hormone powder,, and quality soil
Reply:Egg shells crushed in water.
Reply:Try damp sand or perlite instead of water -- many things need the oxygen they're not getting in water. Also the success rate of transplanting rooted cuttings from sand or perlite is higher than cuttings rooted in water for many species.
Why Do My Tropical Community Fish Break The Plants?
I have a tank that has fancy guppies, mollies, tetra neons, platys, gourmanis and a mystery snail all happily getting along. Water levels and temperature is good. We have only real plants in the tank. I was wondering why and who is breaking the plants in half?
Why Do My Tropical Community Fish Break The Plants?
It is most likely the Gouramis or the Mollies. Both the Guppies and Neons really aren't big or strong enough to do much harm to plant stems, but Mollies and Gouramis certainly have the ability to snap some leaves off...
Soop Nazi
EDIT: Mystery Snails do not eat plants, so it was definitely not the snail. The fish don't even have to eat the plant to break it, all they would have to do would be swim quickly, and bump it too hard, snapping or bending the stem (which only the Gouramis or Mollies are big enough to do).
Reply:I just asked my boyfriend who has been in the fish industry all his life. He named 2 possibilities:
1.) the snail is the only one with the mouth to do that, and could be chewing on the plants
2.) said the plant could be dying
Reply:It is probably the gouramis. Although they are community fish that just means they won't eat each other. They probably love the plants as a fresh food source. The flakes are partially made up of dried up plants so they are just opting for the fresh stuff.
I went through the same thing for a while after finally giving up on live plants. I was totally against plastic plants but when you are pulling leaves off the filter every day, it gets a little old. I went to plastic and you can find some very good looking ones.
Why Do My Tropical Community Fish Break The Plants?
It is most likely the Gouramis or the Mollies. Both the Guppies and Neons really aren't big or strong enough to do much harm to plant stems, but Mollies and Gouramis certainly have the ability to snap some leaves off...
Soop Nazi
EDIT: Mystery Snails do not eat plants, so it was definitely not the snail. The fish don't even have to eat the plant to break it, all they would have to do would be swim quickly, and bump it too hard, snapping or bending the stem (which only the Gouramis or Mollies are big enough to do).
Reply:I just asked my boyfriend who has been in the fish industry all his life. He named 2 possibilities:
1.) the snail is the only one with the mouth to do that, and could be chewing on the plants
2.) said the plant could be dying
Reply:It is probably the gouramis. Although they are community fish that just means they won't eat each other. They probably love the plants as a fresh food source. The flakes are partially made up of dried up plants so they are just opting for the fresh stuff.
I went through the same thing for a while after finally giving up on live plants. I was totally against plastic plants but when you are pulling leaves off the filter every day, it gets a little old. I went to plastic and you can find some very good looking ones.
How can I bring my sun-burnt brown plants back to life?
I got a new job and have been working 12 hour days...and completely forgot my poor plants outside on the porch... I put them out there about a week ago bc they were wilting and needed sun but now they are brown and sun burnt. I watered them and put them in partial sunlight in my living room. What else can I do to save these poor plants?
How can I bring my sun-burnt brown plants back to life?
There is nothing you can do for the brown parts, cut them out, they will drain the life out of the rest of the plant. What is left may look devastating, but it will recover, try miracle grow, a bright window and patience. You will be surprised how quick they will come back, but probably not until fall or winter depending on the type and how quickly they grow.
Reply:If you cut them back or remove the leaves that are sunburned they will sprout new growth in no time. I am always leery about feeding plant in times of stress, what they need now is some "down" time to recover, a nice drink, a shady area, with a loving owner to watch over things while they recuperate, then..... something to eat!! :)
Reply:I agree with the cut-back advocates. It's always amazing to see a plant that looked to be at death's door bounce back. If your plants have branches with nodes (Joints), cut them back deeply, always cutting just above a node. New leaves will come from these joints. If the plant grows from a crown, like a peace lily, you can cut the sunburned leaves off down to the soil and the plant will grow new ones. Don't overwater at this point, as you can kill your plants with kindness. For most house plants, only water when the soil feels dry. If it's not too hot in your area, an outdoor vacation like what you tried to give them works great. You just have to watch all that sun and wind exposure.
Reply:cut back some of the brown, but not to much , then water good, in a couple of days give it another cut back. see if that helps, and put them in the tub with some steam or something to keep them moist.
Reply:water/miraclegrow
beauty secrets
How can I bring my sun-burnt brown plants back to life?
There is nothing you can do for the brown parts, cut them out, they will drain the life out of the rest of the plant. What is left may look devastating, but it will recover, try miracle grow, a bright window and patience. You will be surprised how quick they will come back, but probably not until fall or winter depending on the type and how quickly they grow.
Reply:If you cut them back or remove the leaves that are sunburned they will sprout new growth in no time. I am always leery about feeding plant in times of stress, what they need now is some "down" time to recover, a nice drink, a shady area, with a loving owner to watch over things while they recuperate, then..... something to eat!! :)
Reply:I agree with the cut-back advocates. It's always amazing to see a plant that looked to be at death's door bounce back. If your plants have branches with nodes (Joints), cut them back deeply, always cutting just above a node. New leaves will come from these joints. If the plant grows from a crown, like a peace lily, you can cut the sunburned leaves off down to the soil and the plant will grow new ones. Don't overwater at this point, as you can kill your plants with kindness. For most house plants, only water when the soil feels dry. If it's not too hot in your area, an outdoor vacation like what you tried to give them works great. You just have to watch all that sun and wind exposure.
Reply:cut back some of the brown, but not to much , then water good, in a couple of days give it another cut back. see if that helps, and put them in the tub with some steam or something to keep them moist.
Reply:water/miraclegrow
How to make sure my plants get enough water when I am away?
I am going away for a week or two and dont have friends or family nearby to water my plants. Is there something I can buy from the store which will keep them watered?
How to make sure my plants get enough water when I am away?
Check out the following products from Gardeners Supply: Precision Drip Spikes, plant sitter, Caretaker 1. All are vacation watering products. Good Luck !! http://www.gardeners.com/Vacation-Wateri...
Reply:Get a timer for automatic watering or a trusty neighbor.
Reply:Go to the plant store and ask . . I think there is that Miracle Grow Moisture Control that may work though
Reply:if you water them rigth before you leave you shouldnt have many problems i dont think
Reply:Yes you have a couple of options. You can purchase moisture cyrstals which swell when you water them and continue "watering" the plants while you are away. You can also purchase water tubes in the garden section which you fill with water before you leave and they slowly drip water into your plants. You can also "make" water tubes yourself by filling up plastic containers, poking a tiny hole in the bottom and the water will leak out the same. I've found milk jugs work well for very large bushes and shrubs in the ground and butter containers work for smaller container plants for a week to 10 days.
Reply:Get a drip line or soaker hose and a timer, if you have a multiple timer you can hook it up to your water spigot and more than one hose and it can come on for certain amounts of time daily. They also make bulb water holders. These are pretty neat.
Reply:Nope, there sure isn't. What about a next door neighbor? Or, you could take your plants to a friend or relatives house.
Reply:You could put them in large plates or short containers full of water. Fill a 1 or 2 inch tray or dish or whatever with water and put your plants in there. I've done it, it worked.
Reply:If you are talking about indoor houseplants most of them can go for a week or two with out water if you try to schedule a good watering before you leave. Alas, some cannot go that long and there are automatic watering gadgets you can buy at lowes or home and garden specialty stores that will help you out with your problem. You can also gather them together and put them on trays of pebbles with water not touching the bottom and they will get water through osmosis and evaporation and humidity in the air. Or put them all in the bathtub together and they will keep each other company and not dry out so fast if you have any light in your bathroom but my advice to you , dear heart, is to make some friends that you trust to help you out when you are in need Good Luck
Reply:Get a couple of big two litter soda bottles with the lids (for your outside plants). Get some pliers and a small nail and get the nail hot. Burn one or two holes into each cap.
Fill the bottles with water and screw on the cap nice and tight. For the outdoor plants, you will want to bury the bottles about half way up so they dont fall over. This also will make the water drip slowly into the soil, down bellow nearest the roots. The will keep the roots moist, slowly, and keep the water from evaporating. You can do itfor your house plants too, but put a drip pan underneath and I would recommend using smaller bottles and holes in the lids.
The rest of the time the plants should be fine.
Reply:You can probably find a better selection online by looking up 'hydroponics' in any search engine. You can get drip irrigation systems that are set on timers and just make sure you have a receptacle that holds enough water for the time you'll be gone. I'll be facing the same problem this august so i'm looking in to building one myself. All the ones I've seen so far are pretty pricey, but you can kind of see what the general components are and how they set them up.
Hope that helped.
Reply:There are mechanical timers that you can buy at most garden centers %26amp; discount stores that you put on your faucet %26amp; hook your hose up to it. The water will come on at the same time every day for the amount of time you set. You can use a soaker hose or a drip system, which isn't very expensive %26amp; is easy to install. Be sure to try it for a few days before you leave to make sure you have the timer working the way you want.
Reply:Hi!
This is a site you can buy a "waterer" for while you're gone.:
http://marketplace.hgtv.com/View_Listing...
I don't have the money for that, tho'. For your potted plants, what you can do is set up a watering system that's pretty easy.
Set some big containers with water in them next to the plants. Get some kind of cotton (long strips of cloth a couple inches wide, cotton rope, etc.). Put one end in the bucket and the other end at the base of the plant. (It helps if the water container is higher than the plant.) The cotton wicks the water (draws it out), and gravity pulls it down to the plant. You could use it for the outdoor plants, too, if it's not too hot. (I'm not sure how much water and how large the cotton needs to be for those conditions.) This is just using science - tried and true.
You may want to experiment with it before you go, so you know how much water to leave.
Good luck.
Reply:If they are potted plants, water them well and mulch before you leave and put them all in the shade so they dont demand as much water.
For plants in-ground, you can get a perforated drip hose and run it near the plants on the ground and then cover with mulch. This is kind of irresponsible in drought conditions however, so you may want to ask your local hardware or garden store if they have a timer for watering.
You could also mulch heavily with grass clippings, straw, or humus and water heavily before you leave and hope they can make it while you are away. If you mulch well, they should.
Shade cloth will also help preserve moisture while you are away. Don't use cloth so heavy that it will block out all light- you are trying to reduce the plant's demand for water without killing them. You will pay a price of reduced growth during that time, but at least they'll live.
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How to make sure my plants get enough water when I am away?
Check out the following products from Gardeners Supply: Precision Drip Spikes, plant sitter, Caretaker 1. All are vacation watering products. Good Luck !! http://www.gardeners.com/Vacation-Wateri...
Reply:Get a timer for automatic watering or a trusty neighbor.
Reply:Go to the plant store and ask . . I think there is that Miracle Grow Moisture Control that may work though
Reply:if you water them rigth before you leave you shouldnt have many problems i dont think
Reply:Yes you have a couple of options. You can purchase moisture cyrstals which swell when you water them and continue "watering" the plants while you are away. You can also purchase water tubes in the garden section which you fill with water before you leave and they slowly drip water into your plants. You can also "make" water tubes yourself by filling up plastic containers, poking a tiny hole in the bottom and the water will leak out the same. I've found milk jugs work well for very large bushes and shrubs in the ground and butter containers work for smaller container plants for a week to 10 days.
Reply:Get a drip line or soaker hose and a timer, if you have a multiple timer you can hook it up to your water spigot and more than one hose and it can come on for certain amounts of time daily. They also make bulb water holders. These are pretty neat.
Reply:Nope, there sure isn't. What about a next door neighbor? Or, you could take your plants to a friend or relatives house.
Reply:You could put them in large plates or short containers full of water. Fill a 1 or 2 inch tray or dish or whatever with water and put your plants in there. I've done it, it worked.
Reply:If you are talking about indoor houseplants most of them can go for a week or two with out water if you try to schedule a good watering before you leave. Alas, some cannot go that long and there are automatic watering gadgets you can buy at lowes or home and garden specialty stores that will help you out with your problem. You can also gather them together and put them on trays of pebbles with water not touching the bottom and they will get water through osmosis and evaporation and humidity in the air. Or put them all in the bathtub together and they will keep each other company and not dry out so fast if you have any light in your bathroom but my advice to you , dear heart, is to make some friends that you trust to help you out when you are in need Good Luck
Reply:Get a couple of big two litter soda bottles with the lids (for your outside plants). Get some pliers and a small nail and get the nail hot. Burn one or two holes into each cap.
Fill the bottles with water and screw on the cap nice and tight. For the outdoor plants, you will want to bury the bottles about half way up so they dont fall over. This also will make the water drip slowly into the soil, down bellow nearest the roots. The will keep the roots moist, slowly, and keep the water from evaporating. You can do itfor your house plants too, but put a drip pan underneath and I would recommend using smaller bottles and holes in the lids.
The rest of the time the plants should be fine.
Reply:You can probably find a better selection online by looking up 'hydroponics' in any search engine. You can get drip irrigation systems that are set on timers and just make sure you have a receptacle that holds enough water for the time you'll be gone. I'll be facing the same problem this august so i'm looking in to building one myself. All the ones I've seen so far are pretty pricey, but you can kind of see what the general components are and how they set them up.
Hope that helped.
Reply:There are mechanical timers that you can buy at most garden centers %26amp; discount stores that you put on your faucet %26amp; hook your hose up to it. The water will come on at the same time every day for the amount of time you set. You can use a soaker hose or a drip system, which isn't very expensive %26amp; is easy to install. Be sure to try it for a few days before you leave to make sure you have the timer working the way you want.
Reply:Hi!
This is a site you can buy a "waterer" for while you're gone.:
http://marketplace.hgtv.com/View_Listing...
I don't have the money for that, tho'. For your potted plants, what you can do is set up a watering system that's pretty easy.
Set some big containers with water in them next to the plants. Get some kind of cotton (long strips of cloth a couple inches wide, cotton rope, etc.). Put one end in the bucket and the other end at the base of the plant. (It helps if the water container is higher than the plant.) The cotton wicks the water (draws it out), and gravity pulls it down to the plant. You could use it for the outdoor plants, too, if it's not too hot. (I'm not sure how much water and how large the cotton needs to be for those conditions.) This is just using science - tried and true.
You may want to experiment with it before you go, so you know how much water to leave.
Good luck.
Reply:If they are potted plants, water them well and mulch before you leave and put them all in the shade so they dont demand as much water.
For plants in-ground, you can get a perforated drip hose and run it near the plants on the ground and then cover with mulch. This is kind of irresponsible in drought conditions however, so you may want to ask your local hardware or garden store if they have a timer for watering.
You could also mulch heavily with grass clippings, straw, or humus and water heavily before you leave and hope they can make it while you are away. If you mulch well, they should.
Shade cloth will also help preserve moisture while you are away. Don't use cloth so heavy that it will block out all light- you are trying to reduce the plant's demand for water without killing them. You will pay a price of reduced growth during that time, but at least they'll live.
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What causes an overgrowth of plants in a lake besides nitrogen?
My watershed management class is trying to find out why one of our local lakes is so over populated with plants. we've done nitrogen testing but, our results show that the levels are low.
What causes an overgrowth of plants in a lake besides nitrogen?
The other major nutrient other than nitrogen is phosphorus. Test for that.
Overpopulated is a subjective term. So is low. For example, 10 mg of nitrate as nitrogen/L is the EPA drinking water standard.
Reply:High CO2 concentration in the area...frequent thunderstorms (*specifically* thunderstorms)
Reply:Feeding the plant to much and it produces off other layers of the plant.
Reply:plants use nitrogen to pruce protein. I doubt if those plants in the lake are high in protein. I believe an overgrowth of plants in a lake s most likely due to the lake having a favourable growth condition for the plants to thrive. (afterall not every species of plant grows there) e.g moderate PH (not acidic) and very organic (therefore high in nutrients)
ciao :)
Reply:Higher than average temps, increased sunlight, fertilizer and manure washing into lake (this is nitrogen...what N are you asking about?)
its called eutrification. i think.
What causes an overgrowth of plants in a lake besides nitrogen?
The other major nutrient other than nitrogen is phosphorus. Test for that.
Overpopulated is a subjective term. So is low. For example, 10 mg of nitrate as nitrogen/L is the EPA drinking water standard.
Reply:High CO2 concentration in the area...frequent thunderstorms (*specifically* thunderstorms)
Reply:Feeding the plant to much and it produces off other layers of the plant.
Reply:plants use nitrogen to pruce protein. I doubt if those plants in the lake are high in protein. I believe an overgrowth of plants in a lake s most likely due to the lake having a favourable growth condition for the plants to thrive. (afterall not every species of plant grows there) e.g moderate PH (not acidic) and very organic (therefore high in nutrients)
ciao :)
Reply:Higher than average temps, increased sunlight, fertilizer and manure washing into lake (this is nitrogen...what N are you asking about?)
its called eutrification. i think.
How long does it take plants to recover after repotting?
I have several different chili plants that have been growing on my kitchen windowsill. Yesterday I bought some terracotta pots and compost and repotted them. Immediately some of them appeared quite droopy, so I watered them afterwards.
They seemed to perk up a bit, but still seem a bit flacid.
Is this usual (it has been 24 hours now)?
How long should it take for them to recover? and is there anything I can do to help them (baby bio or similar)
How long does it take plants to recover after repotting?
Always put some miralce gro on mine when I move them about ........worked most of the time for me
Reply:tap the pots on a surface to get rid of any big air pockets that there might be, then put somethink underneath them like a plate and fill it with water and leave them to soak as much as the soil can. then the roots should take batter.
there isnt really any need yet for fertilisers as the soild hasnt lost any of the nutriants that are in there.
Reply:far too early to put them outside and re-potting is a no no ... what you should have done is to put them outside to harden off ... then after a few days you could have re potted them ... too many shocks at this stage could kill them off
Reply:there is a product that i use everytime I transplant anything from a house plant to vegtables it's called miracle grow quickstart it prevents the plants from going in to shock and it also stimulates the roots so they get growing faster I have never been disapointed with this product it comes in a green jug and I buy it at wall mart in the lawn and garden dept-satified customer-( i just hate to see my plants wilt and with this product they dont)
Reply:It will take them a week......and DON'T put them in direct sun for that week. Just light filtered sun and when they "recover" put them back on the window.
They seemed to perk up a bit, but still seem a bit flacid.
Is this usual (it has been 24 hours now)?
How long should it take for them to recover? and is there anything I can do to help them (baby bio or similar)
How long does it take plants to recover after repotting?
Always put some miralce gro on mine when I move them about ........worked most of the time for me
Reply:tap the pots on a surface to get rid of any big air pockets that there might be, then put somethink underneath them like a plate and fill it with water and leave them to soak as much as the soil can. then the roots should take batter.
there isnt really any need yet for fertilisers as the soild hasnt lost any of the nutriants that are in there.
Reply:far too early to put them outside and re-potting is a no no ... what you should have done is to put them outside to harden off ... then after a few days you could have re potted them ... too many shocks at this stage could kill them off
Reply:there is a product that i use everytime I transplant anything from a house plant to vegtables it's called miracle grow quickstart it prevents the plants from going in to shock and it also stimulates the roots so they get growing faster I have never been disapointed with this product it comes in a green jug and I buy it at wall mart in the lawn and garden dept-satified customer-( i just hate to see my plants wilt and with this product they dont)
Reply:It will take them a week......and DON'T put them in direct sun for that week. Just light filtered sun and when they "recover" put them back on the window.
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