Leaf Problems On European Ginger

/Leaf Problems On European Ginger/

Leaf Problems On European Ginger

Without culturing samples in a lab it's impossible to know which bacteria (less likely) or fungus (most likely) is causing this problem, but even without a definite diagnosis the actions for the home gardener would be the same. Know that the cool night temperatures that most of the Northeast has experienced this summer have lead to a variety of fungal/mildew problems on many plants.
1. Cut out the most damaged leaves and foliage and throw them in the garbage.
2. Be sure that you only water this area deeply once a week. Get a rain gauge and if nature hasn't delivered an inch of rain that week, water with a sprinkler in the morning until the rain gauge (not any thing else - a carton isn't the same as a real rain gauge!) shows between 3/4 and one inch of water. Then don't water again for 7 days. Never hand water, especially in the evenings. Every fungal disease in the book lists too frequent watering as one cause.
3. After removing the worst of the leaves spray with one of the organic fungicides such as Actinovate, Serenade, sulfur or copper.
4. Continue to pick off the worst of the symptoms and throw them out.

By | 2016-01-22T18:19:42-08:00 January 22nd, 2016|Plant Diseases|0 Comments
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Root Rot Or Pot Bound

Without taking the plant out of the pot it's impossible to know for sure, but this looks like signs of either root rot or the plant being too "pot bound." Sometimes these go hand in hand because when a plant is very pot bound (there are too many roots filling the pot and it's too crowded) the roots clog the drainage hole so instead of draining as it should the pot retains too much moisture and the roots rot.

Here's what you need to do to confirm our thinking here: Tip the plant upside down holding your hand around the stem of the plant to support the soil. Remove the pot. If you see a mass of congested roots you'll know that the plant is indeed too pot bound. If those roots are brown instead of white, you'll know that root rot is going on. Healthy roots should be white in color.

If you want to save the plant, get a new pot that's about 2" larger on all sides and bottom, and transplant the plant into this using new potting soil in the spaces. Do not put any rocks, shards or other debris in the bottom "for drainage" no matter what your neighbor or mother might have told you. ;-) Professional growers know that stuff in the bottom of pots is bad for plants. Be sure the new pot has a drainage hole and that you have a saucer under it to catch excess water. After two weeks in the new pot, use a general fertilizer meant for houseplants according to directions.

By | 2016-01-22T16:05:41-08:00 January 22nd, 2016|House Plants|0 Comments
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Yellowing Leaves Lemon Tree Indoors

This is a common problem and there are several things that cause yellowing leaves on citrus at this time of year.
1. Lack of light. Plants will drop leaves if they aren't in enough sun. Citrus want lots of light inside and do best in a south-facing window in direct sun.
2. Over or under watering. Citrus do best with steadily moist soil but not swampy wet. Make sure that when the plant is watered you're getting the entire root ball wet, but don't let the pot sit in the saucer of water for more than an hour. You can use an old bath towel to soak up the excess.
3. Lack of nutrients. Citrus should be fed regularly - unlike other houseplants that are given a rest in the winter, citrus can use fertilization 12 months a year. You can buy organic citrus food online and feed according to directions.
4. Mites are common on citrus indoors and can cause leaf yellowing and drop. Wash underside of leaves with a damp, soft cloth regularly to help control citrus mites indoors.
5. These plants are also prone to scale although that doesn't cause yellowing of leaves - we're just mentioning it and if your plant gets sticky, scale is probably the cause. Look for tan bumps on stems and leaf veins on top of and underside of leaves.

By | 2016-01-22T14:27:10-08:00 January 22nd, 2016|House Plants|0 Comments
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Pink Dawn Viburnum

Viburnum x bodnantense (cross between V. farreri and V. grandiflorum) is a hybrid viburnum that was developed at Bodnant Garden, Tal-y-Cafn, north Wales in 1934-1935. This shrub is noted for its extremely fragrant, tubular, pink flowers. In cold winter climates (including St. Louis), flowers bloom on naked stems from late winter to early spring. In warm winter climates (including the deep South and Pacific Northwest coast), flowers bloom on naked stems from late autumn to early spring. Flowers appear in flat cymes (1-2" wide). 'Dawn' is a cultivar that was also developed at Bodnant Garden in 1934-35. It features rosy-pink flowers with purple-pink anthers. This is an upright, narrow, multi-stemmed, deciduous shrub that typically matures to 8-10äó» tall (sometimes more) and to 4-6' wide. Toothed, narrow-ovate leaves (2-4" long) emerge in spring with bronze tints, but mature to deep green. Foliage turns attractive shades of burgundy-red in fall. Flowers give way to red berries (drupes) which eventually mature to black by fall.
Zone: 5 to 7
Height: 8.00 to 10.00 feet
Spread: 4.00 to 6.00 feet
Bloom Time: March to April
Bloom Description: Rosy-pink
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Medium
Maintenance: Low
Suggested Use: Hedge
Flower: Showy, Fragrant
Leaf: Good Fall
Attracts: Birds, Butterflies
Fruit: Showy

By | 2016-01-22T13:54:31-08:00 January 22nd, 2016|Shrubs|0 Comments
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Either Hydrangea Or Crape Myrtle

OK - let's talk! I put this photo into Photoshop to try and see it more clearly, and used the "shadow highlight" feature to look at it with fewer shadows. A long shot like this taken in full sun is harder to look at. After that, there are only two possibilities.

There are two plants that are in bloom in this area now that can be tree form with white, plume-like flowers and leaves with this shape. It could either be one of the Hydrangea paniculata cultivars (discussed before) or a white flowering crape myrtle. Crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia) are less common in the northeast since every few years there is a winter that's harsh enough to kill them off. But against all odds sometimes one survives and gets to be tree sized. I remember one in Falmouth, MA that for years was about 20 feet tall and wide before it got killed in a harsh winter. So perhaps that's what this tree is.

If you're still in the area you might take a closer shot, especially if it's when there is a cloud cover, and we can start again. But it's got to be one of the those two plants. Thanks for resending and letting us consider it further!

By | 2017-09-11T15:49:26-07:00 January 22nd, 2016|Shrubs|1 Comment
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Peace Lily Problem

We do not see any disease problem but there are a few cultural care tips that might help. Peace Lily plants do best indoors in bright, indirect light, w/regular water, but do not allow the plant to sit in water as this may lead to root rot. Since peace lilies are low light plants, do not place where there is direct sunlight, but do provide bright, indirect light. Black or brown leaf tips sometimes develop when humidity is low or irregular watering practices; place your plants on a pebble tray with water just up to the bottom of the pot to raise ambient humidity. Peace lilies are susceptible to salts in tap water which sometimes causes blackening of leaves. Try using distilled water (steam iron water). Some other things to check on: how often do you fertilize? Make sure you feed with a slow-release or organic fertilizer low in salts that is formulated for container houseplants. Again, make sure the pot has drainage holes, water in the sink and allow the salts to leach out and do not allow it to sit in a saucer or pot with water. Peace lilies are dramatic wilters when they get too dry. They bounce back but it weakens the plant.

By | 2016-01-22T09:34:28-08:00 January 22nd, 2016|House Plants|0 Comments
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Water Issues

The plant(s) looks fairly healthy, and since there are flowers, you should expect to see tomato fruits beginning to develop soon. We do have some recommendations: You may be watering too often, which can increase vegetative growth (especially in combination with increased fertilizers, particularly those high in Nitrogen), and reduce or delay flowering and fruit set. Conversely, tomatoes do need more nutrition during certain stages of growth, like at flower & fruit-set. So if you haven't fertilized, you should consider doing that. Your local garden center will have the appropriate fertilizers. We've included a link about growing Tomatoes with info about their common issues/challenges, but we can recommend watering more deeply less often, rather than applying smaller amounts every day. Tomatoes are deep rooted plants, and if water is available will be healthier. Do not allow extreme fluctuations in soil moisture, but try to water according to the plants needs (temp and humidity affect those needs). You can water when the upper 2inches of soil is dry and apply an adequate amount. Use "water cycling" if water does not enter the soil quickly.
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/GARDEN/VEGES/tomato.html

By | 2016-01-22T06:36:14-08:00 January 22nd, 2016|Vegetable Plants|0 Comments
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Things Going On

There are a couple of things going on here, not necessarily related. 1. The bumps are galls. These are caused by insects or mites that lay eggs in the leaf and then the leaf-tissues grow around the developing critter, altering the cellular growth of the leaf to protect what's growing inside. Although this looks creepy, it's seldom harmful to a tree. Read more about galls here: http://bit.ly/1pJ4ZPe 2. There is also some leaf spot on this foliage, most likely caused by a fungus. Again, this is a cosmetic issue and seldom harmful for the tree. Read more about leaf spot fungi here: http://bit.ly/1oRng0w 3. Finally, it appears that you might have a nutritional problem with this birch, most likely an iron deficiency either because your soil lacks iron or because the soil is alkaline so the tree can't uptake the iron that is there in the soil. You might want to have a pH test done of the soil around this tree before doing anything like adding iron...if the pH is off no amount of iron will help. You can read more about this issue by going here:
http://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/diagnose/plant/deciduous/birch/leavesyellow.html

By | 2016-01-22T05:58:44-08:00 January 22nd, 2016|Trees|0 Comments
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Spring Cactus Easter Cactus

We thank you so much for taking the time to provide additional comments. It made us realize that the text for Easter cactus was incorrect and did not properly identify the genus and species. Rhipsalidopsis are commonly known as Easter Cacti or Spring Cacti as they typically flower during April and May, and has typically reddish-orange. pink or white flowers. Often confused with Christmas Cacti or Schlumbergera, they are, in fact, similar in appearance but have very different flowers as you noted. The soil should be very porous, lightweight and slightly acidic. Slightly acidity can be provided by addition of peat moss or leaf mold. Plants must have good air circulation. Water thoroughly when soil becomes dry to the touch, but make sure water drains away rapidly. Soils that do not drain well and remain sodden for days or weeks will smother the root systems and encourage certain root diseases. Rhipsalidopsis thrive in temperatures between 70 and 80ŒÁF. Plants are happiest when night temperatures are between 55 and 65ŒÁF. Excellent as a hanging basket indoors in bright, airy spot or on a sheltered patio in temperate areas. Thank you again for your follow-up. It helped us to correct our database! Your Team at Garden Compass

By | 2017-09-11T15:49:26-07:00 January 22nd, 2016|Succulents|0 Comments
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Marginal Leaf Scorch On Pear

This could be an infectious disease (we've included a link about this at the end of this response), but its more likely marginal leaf scorch caused by high salt content in soils and/or water. If watering is done for brief periods of time, this can cause a build-up of salts at the root zone, which results in brown scroch of the leaves, usually at the edges and tips. Fertilizer that has not been watered-in very well can also cause this damage. We recommend watering for longer periods of time (but less frequently) to push the water and salts further into the soil. (We've included two links about this). If you think you're already doing this and salt burn/leaf scorch is not the cause, we recommend you check out the link about bacterial leaf scorch.
https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/bp/bp_25_w.pdf
http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/gardens-gardening/your-garden/help-for-the-home-gardener/advice-tips-resources/pests-and-problems/environmental/scorch.aspx

From the link: http://soilplantlab.missouri.edu/plant/diseases/scorch.aspx
"Bacterial Leaf Scorch in Landscape Trees
Cause: Xylem-limited bacterium, Xylella fastidiosa. This bacterium is transmitted by leafhoppers. The bacterium grows in the xylem of the plant and physically clogs the vessels. This in turn creates water stress."

By | 2016-01-22T02:17:02-08:00 January 22nd, 2016|Plant Diseases|0 Comments
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