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1500 questions
24
votes
1 answer

Can I save my damaged Aloe vera plant?

I had an Aloe plant that had grown to about 10" tall, in the shape of a miniature Christmas tree. It was potted in a small 8" pot with two other succulents. Last night our cats broke the plant from the pot, leaving the roots in the pot and a small…
George
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24
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3 answers

Insect infestation on my pepper plant, what do I do?

I have spotted that one - and only one - of my peppers plants has a number of small black flies of some type hanging around the soil. And while writing this I've just spotted that one (and only one!) of the leaves has what I guess might be aphids on…
DMA57361
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24
votes
1 answer

Garden Hoses: how safe are they?

After noticing that some garden hoses carry a warning, "Not to be used for drinking water", I recently switched to one labelled "non-toxic". Does this only mean that the hose is lead-free, or also that it is free of the other chemicals in PVC that…
Mancuniensis
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24
votes
3 answers

How often should I fertilize my lawn?

How often should I fertilize my lawn? Should I follow a certain schedule? I have heard of people fertilizing on around holidays [US: Easter (sometime in April), Memorial day (last week of May), fourth of July, Labor day (first week of September)].
Milos Petrovic
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23
votes
3 answers

How can I tell if my lawn needs to be dethatched?

I understand that a lawn may need to be dethatched periodically so the roots of the grass can reach into the soil (instead of into the thatch layer). How do I tell if my thatch layer is getting too thick? (Preferably before the lawn starts to look…
myron-semack
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23
votes
4 answers

What is the functional difference between cow manure and sheep manure?

I know that they come from different sources, but is there a reason to prefer one over the other? Are they appropriate for different tasks?
Chris Cudmore
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23
votes
3 answers

How should I use corrugated cardboard for mulch?

I tend to have a lot of corrugated cardboard boxes laying around, due to getting various things shipped to my house. I have heard of using cardboard for a mulching material, but I'm not sure exactly how to do it (maybe I'm overthinking things). …
baka
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23
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4 answers

Why is it a problem to use manure as a fertilizing amendment over the long term?

I had my soil tested last fall. As part of the submission I checked the box that said I use manure as a soil amendment / fertilizer. In the results from the lab, they included a note that said that manure is a good source of many necessary…
bstpierre
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23
votes
1 answer

How often should I harvest herbs?

I have a few herbs growing hydroponically (basil, chives, cilantro) that are about 4 weeks old. Right now they are about 4-5" tall and have a health glow and smell to them. The herbs are being held at a continuous temperature, light, and nutrient…
WienerDog
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23
votes
4 answers

Starting tomato from seed

We are wanting to grow tomato plants from seed this year. We've not done this before, so we have some questions. How big should the containers be that we start the seeds in? How long should they be in the containers before they get transferred…
David Oneill
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23
votes
3 answers

Should I insulate my compost heap?

I understand that compost heaps have an ideal temperature for the bacteria to decompose the material into compost. Living in the changeable Great Britain, the weather can be windy, rainy, sunny and dry within a single day. Given this changeability,…
Paul Turner
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23
votes
3 answers

Why won't my venus fly trap eat?

Today I finally caught my Venus Fly Trap in the act, or rather caught this snap of the bug relaxing on the trap. The plant just won't eat. It may have been on a local store shelf for a while (instruction sheet says source is http://flytraplady.com/…
Erik Olson
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23
votes
3 answers

What is the right way to pick peppers so the plant keeps producing?

Does it matter where on the stalk you cut or remove the fruit off the plant so that you don't suck away its future earning potential? Let's take the photo here, of a Cayenne pepper (Capsicum annuum), where the chilli is now ripe and ready to burn up…
Eight Days of Malaise
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23
votes
4 answers

What do purple tomato leaves mean?

Sometimes the leaves of the tomato seedlings we grow in pots gain a purplish shade on the bottom; the plants themselves (don't know if this is a coincidence) also seem to turn out stockier, shorter, and thicker in the end, and curl a bit. Does the…
Vervious
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23
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8 answers

Will I get lemons from a tree grown from a lemon seed?

I have planted seeds of a lemon and want to know, if I have to graft the lemon plant so I can get lemons? Or will they in time grow without grafting?
Angie
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