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1500 questions
14
votes
1 answer
How do I prevent my berry leaves from getting scorched in the sun?
Raspberries are plants that require good exposure to sun. However, my black-raspberry plant has been getting scorched of late. Typical signs of sun-scorching are when the older leaves start drying out (see photo), turning brown and papery (crumbles…
anon
14
votes
1 answer
Should a root-ball always be loosened when transferring a potted plant/tree into the ground?
I've always thought that the right way to transfer a plant/tree to the ground is to dig a hole twice as big as the root-ball, free the roots that have been growing in a limited space, and set it level with the ground. This way, the roots are free to…
Lorem Ipsum
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14
votes
3 answers
Is there a way to discourage plum trees from fruiting so heavily?
We have 9 mature plum (victoria I think) and a couple of damson trees in quite a small cottage garden. Our plums are very heavy croppers and really it's a frustrating fruit to have in such quantities. It stores poorly (unless you preserve it - which…
Tea Drinker
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14
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1 answer
What are these brown, cap-shaped mushrooms on my birch tree?
I live in Massachusetts and have several birch trees in my yard. One of them has brown, cap-shaped mushrooms growing in groups up and down the trunk. As you can see, the tree has a big crack in the bark. What are these mushrooms, and are they…
Sue Saddest Farewell TGO GL
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14
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2 answers
What can cause the leaves of a rose bush to turn black and fall off?
I bought a small rose bush on Mother's Day this year and planted it in my flower garden. The area probably has too much shade for a full sun plant, but I don't think that is the issue here.
Shortly after planting, its leaves began to develop black…
wax eagle
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14
votes
1 answer
How do I evaluate the condition of a used lawn mower?
I'm looking at buying a gas-powered lawn mower from a friend, but I'm concerned because the mower was purchased new almost 13 years ago. How can I evaluate its condition and know if it will last me several years without any major overhauls? Of…
JavadocMD
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14
votes
4 answers
How can I deal with broken glass spread out in my yard?
I recently purchased a house on a 0.25 acre (0.1 hectare, ~11,000 sqft) lot that in the past was known as "the party house." This name became more clear to me today while raking leaves I found large quantities of broken shards of glass throughout…
shufler
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votes
9 answers
Do any plants add nutrients back into the soil as they grow?
It seems reasonable that there ought to be at least a few symbiotic plant varieties that benefit from improving soil condition for other plants.
If not that, are there plants that essentially improve soil conditions if not by improving land…
Enigma
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14
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3 answers
Is charcoal good for use as a soil amendment?
I came across an article the other day on wikipedia about Terra preta. Has anyone used charcoal like this to enhance sandy soil, like we have in Florida? Does this really work, and what is the best method for applying it?
psusi
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14
votes
2 answers
Why are my pumpkins dying? Is it the heat?
I'm getting plenty of flowers, and about half of them produce a tiny little pumpkin.
However, after only a couple of days, the pumpkins begin to turn black and shrivel up.
It is 104-degrees during the day with medium humidity.
I have been providing…
Brian Webster
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14
votes
8 answers
Is spent cat litter an appropriate source of nitrogen for compost?
Is spent cat litter an appropriate source of nitrogen for compost?
The cat litter used is made of recycled paper pellets so is rich in carbon.
It doesn't contain the cat faeces because that is fished out once or twice daily with a net to make the…
Lisa
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14
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3 answers
What are some good herbs to grow (pair) with tomatoes?
I have 3 tomato plants in pots right now. One of them is in a large pot and I recently planted some basil in the pot, partly for some extra basil, and partly because I have heard that basil and tomatoes go together nicely (I think I heard it…
wax eagle
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14
votes
1 answer
How do I identify and eradicate the pest that is destroying the plants in my flowerbox?
We transplanted an assortment of pretty flowers for our windowsill some weeks ago (albeit rather crudely) and they were growing bright and healthy. Over the last week, however they've been plagued! I live in Scotland and suspect the pest is the…
waj
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14
votes
5 answers
What is this large leafed plant?
I like the way it looks and might want to get one but I need to know what it is. The location is Minnesota.
Mike Wills
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14
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2 answers
Is July too late to replant tomatoes in North Georgia, USA?
I started my garden this year with 8 tomato plants. Between disease, over watering and a misadventure with a plastic softball I have lost about half of them. My wife wants enough tomatoes to can some salsa and probably some spaghetti sauce and I…
wax eagle
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