Rose Locust Or Rose Acacia

/Rose Locust Or Rose Acacia/

Rose Locust Or Rose Acacia

Bristly locust is a much-branched, erect shrub, up to 8 feet tall, forming colonies from root sprouts. Stems and branches are stiff, hairy, coarse, and bristly. Leaves are compound, alternate, deciduous, and densely hairy, divided into 7–19 leaflets, 1 1/2–2 inches long. Flowers are in clusters that hang from the leaf axil, dark pink to rose or orchid. They are 2-lipped, the upper lip shorter than the lower.

This shrub has been planted for erosion control; in the north it is planted along highways where it acts as a snow fence. Attracts bees and butterflies often followed by reddish-brown seed pods. All part are poisonous if eaten. Does best in full sun, well-drained soil and protected from wind. Prune to control size after blossoms are spent.

By | 2016-04-06T21:37:52-07:00 April 6th, 2016|Shrubs|0 Comments

Cymbidium Orchid

Your lovely flower is a Cymbidium orchid of which there are many, many species and cultivars. If you have ever attended an orchid show, you will be amazed at the array of Cymbidiums in all shapes, sizes, colors, etc. As a plant indoors, it needs bright indiirect light, regular water but make sure the water drains out - do not allow the plants to sit in water as this leads to root rot, and feed with a slow release fertilizer formulated for blooming container plants. After you have enjoyed the flowering spikes and the flowers are spent, it would be best to place outdoors in full sun or partial sun. When temperatures dip in winter, that will signal your cymbidium to form flowering spikes again, but does not tolerate frost.

By | 2016-04-06T19:45:51-07:00 April 6th, 2016|Perennials|0 Comments

Geraniumpelargonium Scale

This appears to be either euonymus or boxwood scale. You will find this on many types of plants because it isn't limited to those two plants. You can try to control it with a horticultural oil but in my experience it is virtually impossible to get rid of it on a plant. It is best to pitch the plant get a new one in the spring or start your own. The scale will infest other plants as well. Check your garden for an infestation as well. Starting annual geraniums from seed is easy.You should start them in a soilless mix in early March and germination should occur within 7-14 days. When they have their second set of true leaves, you can transplant them to 4 inch square pots and keep them growing until it is times to plant them outside after a frost.

By | 2016-04-06T17:57:13-07:00 April 6th, 2016|Plant Pests|0 Comments

Tree Trunk Damage

This type of damage can be caused by many things including weather conditions such as a lightning strike, borers or bark beetles, or even animals. If the damage is too extensive, it can jeopardize the trees structure, weaken its stability and make it a future liability. Removing the dead bark may give you some info on what caused the damage ( for example-insect galleries-patterns where beetles feed under the bark) but it really requires a bit of expertise. Here's some info that may help: http://essmextension.tamu.edu/treecarekit/index.php/after-the-storm/tree-damage-and-hazard-assessment/tree-wounds/. This damage looks pretty extensive, Depending on where the tree is located and how valuable it is, you may want to consult a certified arborist on what to do.

By | 2017-09-11T15:49:01-07:00 April 6th, 2016|Trees|0 Comments

Bouncing Bet Soapwort

Easily grown in average, dry to medium, well-drained soil in full sun. Tolerates poor rocky or sandy soils. Tends to flop when grown in rich soils. Spreads by rhizomes, but is not as aggressive as the species. Deadhead spent flowers to prolong bloom period. This cultivar does not come true from seed and should be propagated by division in either spring or autumn.'Flore-pleno' is a double-flowered soapwort or bouncing bet cultivar which grows to 2' tall on stiff, unbranched stems.

Europeans originally introduced S. officinalis into America in colonial times. They mixed plant sap from the stems and roots with water to form a lathery soap, hence the common names of soapwort and latherwort. Bouncing bet (bet is short for Bess) is an old term from England which means washerwoman.

By | 2016-04-06T15:55:30-07:00 April 6th, 2016|Perennials|0 Comments

Pitcher Plant

This appears to be a pot of pitcher plants. Sarracenias are one of the several exotic and fascinating carnivorous plants whose prey-trapping mechanism features a deep cavity filled with liquid known as a pitfall trap. Sarracenia grows best outdoors as a container or potted plant. It makes an excellent addition to any sunny deck or patio. You may also grow it in a pond or fountain, but keep the crown of the plant above water. Because of its specific soil requirements, avoid planting it directly into the ground, unless you have created a specific type of bog garden. During the growing season, grow your pitcher plant outside in full sun. Provide 6 or more hours of direct sunlight for vigorous growth. For more info, see: http://www.growcarnivorousplants.com/Articles.asp?ID=258

By | 2016-04-06T14:17:29-07:00 April 6th, 2016|Perennials|0 Comments

Cabbage Aphids

This looks like a common insect pest called Cabbage Aphids (or sometimes just Aphids - there are many different species of them, but they all have same feeding habit/life cycle). Among other things, you can clean these off with your hands, use a high-pressure spray of water to knock them off, and allow their natural enemies (lady beetles, parasitic wasps, green lacewings, etc) to help control them after you have reduced the population using the above methods. We've also included this link to give you more info about control measures. If you have trouble getting control of them with these methods, you can also get a pesticidal soap from your local garden center. Follow the label directions for best results. Happy Gardening! http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/QT/aphidscard.html

By | 2016-04-06T13:25:54-07:00 April 6th, 2016|Plant Pests|0 Comments

Slugs Or Snails

We apologize for not getting back to you sooner. We are bit perplexed by your basil leaves. We assume you have looked at the back of affected leaves and didn't see a pest to identify. Also consider that this could be the result of herbicide or pesticide drift from treating another plant nearby. We noticed a chewed leaf in the background. This may be the work of slugs or snails. Look for slime trails to confirm. An iron phosphate slug bait is pretty safe and does as good a job as the more toxic baits. Very early in the morning or at dusk when the garden has been watered, the beasties come out and can be identified and dealt with. The best hunting for slugs and snails is just a bit after dawn. Your basil looks rather pale and we wonder if it is getting enough sun.

By | 2016-04-06T11:51:11-07:00 April 6th, 2016|Plant Pests|0 Comments

Schefflera

Sorry it took some time to get to your Schefflera problem, and unfortunately its hard to say. It looks like it could be a number of different things from nutrient deficiency, leaf spot fungus, or a virus. I've included a couple of links that might help you. It also looks like the plant may be in a pot too small for it? If you don't fertilize the plant, you can try that (although the affected leaves may not recover, you may avoid further issues); however don't over-fertilize! A general tropical or houseplant fertilizer should be fine, and follow the label directions. Make sure you are not watering over-head with very cold or warm water. http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/3000/3068.html AND http://www.clemson.edu/extension/hgic/pests/plant_pests/indoor/hgic2251.html

By | 2016-04-06T11:45:46-07:00 April 6th, 2016|House Plants|1 Comment

Aphids On Sempervivum

Wow! You have got one bodacious infestation! The little sawdust things are shed skins from the aphids. I'm not sure how successful you will be treating this as there are so many but here goes. First, use a fairly strong blast of water from a hose or good spray bottle and try to knock off as much as you can see. They are soft bodied insects and will usually not survive the blast. Let the plant dry out for a few days and then take a spray bottle with a mix of 50 / 50 distilled water and rubbing alcohol. Spray down everything you can see and especially the things you can't like in the tight stacked leaf areas and let it dry. Give it a wash off with clean water and hope for the best. If you see more appear you may need to repeat the water / alcohol treatment a few times.

By | 2016-04-06T11:05:32-07:00 April 6th, 2016|Plant Pests|0 Comments