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Shasta Daisy-browning, die back
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Date Posted: Tue, Aug 17 - 8:52 pm
- I have a large shasta daisy that I planted along my side yard years ago. About 3 years ago it started having "issues". It starts the spring with very green and abundant stems/leaves. And everything seems wonderful as the plant starts to bud....but then the flowers bloom already browning and die quickly. I am guessing it has some kind of wilt but not sure what to do. I also have dianthus in pots up my steps for the first time and it appeared that they also caught "the wilt" but they seem to be bouncing back. Not so for my Shasta daisies. Is there anything I can spray them with or can I transplant? It's such a gorgeous prolific plant.
- Sorry to hear of your daisy troubles. I'm going to refer to a previous answer I gave about Rudbeckia 'Goldsturm'. The daisies are also one of the stalwarts of the garden but can run into various problems. Please see the rudbeckia answer below. I didn't spell it out in the answer below but good drainage and air circulation are essential for plant growth and prevention of fungal diseases. And again, if your plants continue to succumb, selection of a new plant for your particular environment may be a good solution. Good luck, let us know your progress! "Rudbeckias are usually pretty sturdy plants but they do succumb to some fungal issues. Sometimes the problem could be attributed to too much water, so that's a simple fix. Or, you may be dealing with septoria leaf spot or a similar fungus. Rain and humidity contribute to the problem. You can start with some cultural practices. Remove all affected leaves and put them in the trash. The fungus overwinters in infected plant debris so you want to clean up the area around the plants to make them less inviting to the fungus. You may also try moving the plants to a spot with new soil and seeing if the plants improve over time. Additionally, do not water from overhead. Try a soaker hose so that the foliage does not get wet. You could also try a baking soda solution spray but that's usually better at prevention. A neem oil solution may be effective. You may decide to simply remove them from the garden and substitute another perennial that's less susceptible. There are many choices. A lot of gardening is just adapting to your circumstances and trying new plants that may be better suited to your patch of ground. Best of luck with your garden! "
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Rudbeckia-leaves blackened
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Date Posted: Tue, Aug 17 - 8:51 pm
- I’m having a problem with my Rudbeckia Goldstrum. The leaves are blackening and the plants dry out and die. I took pictures but can’t figure out how to attach them to this message. So far the problem is only with the Rudbeckia.
- Hello there, Rudbeckias are usually pretty sturdy plants but they do succumb to some fungal issues. Sometimes the problem could be attributed to too much water, so that's a simple fix. Or, you may be dealing with septoria leaf spot or a similar fungus. Rain and humidity contribute to the problem. You can start with some cultural practices. Remove all affected leaves and put them in the trash. The fungus overwinters in infected plant debris so you want to clean up the area around the plants to make them less inviting to the fungus. You may also try moving the plants to a spot with new soil and seeing if the plants improve over time. Additionally, do not water from overhead. Try a soaker hose so that the foliage does not get wet. You could also try a baking soda solution spray but that's usually better at prevention. A neem oil solution may be effective. You may decide to simply remove them from the garden and substitute another perennial that's less susceptible. There are many choices. A lot of gardening is just adapting to your circumstances and trying new plants that may be better suited to your patch of ground. Best of luck with your garden!
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Lavender siting, growing
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Date Posted: Tue, Aug 17 - 8:42 pm
- I have 3 small (6 " high) lavender plants. Where is the best place to plant? Do the roots get deep/wide? How long will it take for them to get 2 feet tall? Any best practices? Thank you.
- Hello there, lavender is a lovely plant and generally not fussy if given the right conditions. It's partial to warm and dry, not so fond of humidity, but if you plant it in area with good air circulation that should help. Also, it needs well-draining soil, no compacted clay for this plant. As far as height and growth, without knowing the cultivar it's hard to say but it will probably put on a couple of inches of growth each year and most varieties are in the 2-3 foot height at maturity. Enjoy the fragrance!
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Raised beds - yellowing leaves
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Date Posted: Tue, Aug 17 - 8:41 pm
- I created new raised beds and filled them with Miracle Grow Raised Bed soil combined with mushroom compost. All of my plants have yellow leaves. The soil should be provided the necessary nutrients, and I was wondering if the weather might be part of it? Can you give me an idea of what I should do? Thank you
- Hello - interesting question. The first thing that comes to mind is your soil. It sounds like you have created a very rich soil for your new plants. Typically, yellowing leaves can indicate a nutrient deficiency, and/or the soil is too wet. As you know, mushroom compost does a good job of soaking up a lot of water and helps keep soil moist. It is also nutrient-rich, and contains a high degree of soluble salts. I’m wondering if your ratio of mushroom compost to soil is too high. The mushroom compost should make up about 1/4 of the total volume of the soil. If your soil is too concentrated and the plants are seedlings or are very young, this may result in your plants dying. The soil may actually be too rich for them. Also make sure your soil is not staying too wet. It should be allowed to dry before adding water. Good luck, and let us know if we can help further!
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Majesty Palm dying
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Date Posted: Tue, Aug 17 - 8:40 pm
- I have a majesty palm that sits in a corner by my living room windows. It doesn't get very much light there (but I don't have anywhere else to put it) so I added a growth light. The light delivers red and blue light for 4/hrs every night and is set up about 5 feet away. I also have a terracotta automatic water in the soil, which keeps the soil most without being soggy. Nonetheless, the plant is dying. The fronds have been turning brown from the outside in and now I've had to cut away two complete fronds which and a third is on the verge of death. What am I doing wrong and is there anything I can do to still save it?
- Majesty palms are very particular about the level of light required, but it sounds like you are dealing with that effectively with the grow light. One factor you did not mention was your soil. These plants require very well aerated, loose soil which drains well. Make sure your soil is not too dense, particularly since you are irrigating with terra-cotta automatic watering. I have three majesty palms and all are sitting in north facing windows. They are getting only indirect light all day. One of them was initially in densely packed soil, and was not doing well, so I repotted in a very loose soil and the palm seems much happier. Also, these plants love to be fed. I use a miracle-gro continuous release palm plant food, so you may want to try that.
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Tomato-Blossom End Rot
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Date Posted: Tue, Aug 17 - 8:37 pm
- I'm just starting to see fruit on my tomato vines, but unfortunately they look to already be developing blossom end rot. I'm using a mixture of organic soil with fertilizer and perlite, and I'm not sure if the plant is salvageable. What can I do to help this plant? And what advice can you give for other tomato plants to prevent this blossom end rot? Is there something I can apply early on to prevent this? Thanks!
- Hello there, This is a pretty standard issue with tomatoes. Generally, the cause is inconsistent watering and/or a calcium deficiency. So the first step would be to establish a consistent level of watering for your plants. Of course, Mother Nature plays a role here as well, you can't control that. If you're sure that watering is not the problem, then you need to think about calcium. Without testing the soil you won't know the level of deficiency. But if you want to proceed, there is a short-term fix. I haven't tried this myself because the cause for me was generally a watering issue, but you can spray the plant with a calcium solution. That will buy you some time to increase the calcium content in your soil. There may be enough calcium in the soil but the ph of the soil may be preventing the plant from absorbing it. I don't understand all the chemistry of this but soil ph is the root of plant happiness. A ph of around 6.5 will do. Try adding some fast-acting lime (don't use dolomitic lime) and working that into the soil about 12 inches deep.The lime frees up the calcium from the soil. As I said previously about chemistry....This is a time-honored practice so it should work for you if, in fact, you find that watering is not the problem. If you would like to have a soil profile done, please let us know and we can send you a soil test request kit. Good luck with the tomato harvest!
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Boxwood with patches of brown leaves
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Date Posted: Tue, Aug 17 - 8:35 pm
- I just bought a house and I have a boxwood bush in the front that has patches of brown leaves. Is this that blight that I've heard people talking about? would it be a good idea to remove the bush or is there something I can do?
- Thanks for your question. This does sound like it could potentially be boxwood blight which is a fungal disease, and for which there is no cure. This disease first appears as lesions with dark brown edges on the leaves and black streaking on the stems. The foliage then turns brown and falls off. Observe the leaves and stems on your boxwood for these signs. If your plant is minimally affected, you can cut off affected branches, clean up debris from the ground, bag the trimmings, and put in the trash (do not compost). You may then be able to keep the disease at bay by spraying a chlorothalonil-containing fungicide every 7-14 days. Be sure and sanitize your garden tools with a 1:9 bleach to water solution to avoid spreading the disease. If your boxwood is heavily infected and unsightly, it may be easiest and safest in the long run to remove the whole plant. It’s also important to know that the spores from the infected plant can remain in the soil for 5-6 years, so if you want a replacement plant be sure and select a boxwood cultivar with a high level of resistance which will not require a fungicide treatment.
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Dog-proof ground cover
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Date Posted: Fri, Aug 06 - 7:11 pm
- Hi! We have a small back yard (no trees) in the Museum District that faces southeast. It's mostly dirt and crabgrass. We also have two dogs. Can you recommend a good, tough, affordable, relatively "dog-proof" ground cover? Something relatively soft that will be okay for bare feet would be idea, if I'm not asking for too much. Thank you!
- Ok, we'll have to laser focus to meet the requirements. I think a planting of dutch clover might do the trick for you. You're probably familiar with it, it tends to pop up in lawns frequently. You're going to have to kill the crabgrass before you attempt anything else. I generally suggest covering the area with tarps, newspaper, and/or cardboard to smother the weeds. However, this process could take a couple of months and you want to plant the clover about 6 weeks before a frost. If your space is small you could remove the weeds by hand, that would be quicker. Throw the pulled weeds in the trash, you don't want weed seeds winding up in your new clean space. Till the earth you've just cleaned up and spread the seed! Next-water. The clover will sprout in about 2 weeks. You'll need to keep the seed bed moist. Once the clover goes through a winter it will be established. Then you want to weed whack or mow the clover once a month when it's actively growing to keep the planting nice and thick. This choice would be the most cost-effective way to establish a walkable ground cover. An added benefit of clover is that is adds nitrogen to your soil. Of course, there are many other interesting choices for a sunny ground cover. You might want to experiment adding other plants and creating a bit of embroidery. There's always scotch or irish moss, mazus, ajuga, speedwell, or even creeping thyme, to name just a few other possibilities. Good luck with the project!
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Gardening in Raised Bed
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Date Posted: Mon, Jul 05 - 6:29 pm
- I bought a cedar raised bed kit from Lowes that stands on legs off the ground. I bought bags of organic raised bed soil as the kids suggested. I planted lettuce in it and it only made seedlings. So I put the tomato plants in it but they didn't grow either. I watered every day and it was in direct sun. Why would this be happening?
- Good afternoon! Thank you for your question. I know from experience that it is frustrating when you put time and effort into planting new plants, only to have them not thrive. Gardening is certainly a learning experience! From the information you provided, I am assuming you planted the lettuce and then the tomatoes in recent weeks. The first thing that comes to mind as far as the lettuce goes is that lettuce is a cool season vegetable, best planted in very early spring (March) for harvest in late spring or early summer. I'm wondering if you planted your lettuce from seed in late spring and by the time germination occurred the weather was already getting too warm. If lettuce is planted in late spring, it will certainly need some shade as summer approaches. Your best bet is to try planting your lettuce again in the fall season. And as you did before, water frequently and keep it in a sunny location during the cool fall season. With the tomatoes, it sounds like you planted them at the appropriate time, and in a sunny location which they require. My only thought here is that the tomatoes may have been watered too frequently, and the soil did not have a chance to dry out enough before a subsequent watering. Overwatering tomato plants can cause the leaves to turn yellow if the roots are not getting enough oxygen from overly saturated soil that does not have a chance to dry out. You may also want to check the drainage in your raised bed. Does it have a liner? This could be a factor in water retention in your bed if you are perhaps watering too frequently and proper drainage is not occurring. The best rule of thumb to check soil moisture is to insert a trowel, or wooden dowel, about 6 inches into the soil, and check to see if it comes out clean (soil has dried out), or if it comes out with damp soil clinging to the trowel or dowel. If it comes out with damp soil clinging, you do not need to water. Overwatering is a common mistake in gardening, and growing plants in pots or raised beds makes it even trickier. But with the right practices in routinely checking your soil moisture several inches down into the soil (before watering), you should have better success. If you have other questions, or experienced other circumstances than what I assumed above, feel free to reach back out to us and we'll be happy to help!