Water And Fertilizer Issues

/Water And Fertilizer Issues/

Water And Fertilizer Issues

Sorry for the dealy in responding! Blueberry plants in CA can be tough to grow because they grow best (get the appropriate nutrients and amounts) in a very low (acidic) soil pH around 4.5. CA soils are typically much more basic (alkaline) at about 8.0 - 8.5. We recommend using an acidifying fertilizer. Check with your local garden center or agricultural supply store (which may be the better option for this) for an appropriate fertilizer. You can also get an inexpensive soil pH tester from the same supplier. Keep in mind, we typically see browning of leave edges (margins) in response to under-watering, and/or nutrient excess. Water should be applied when needed (according to weather conditions and plant size) rather than on a fixed schedule. When applied, water deeply (fewer times per week as opposed to daily) and maintain even soil moisture (avoid fluctuations in very dry and very wet/flooding of soil). Insufficient water dries out roots, and too much water drowns roots; both situations result in a lack of nutrient uptake. Also, not applying enough water along with fertilizer applications causes the mineral salts to build-up in the soil around the roots and cause "leaf tip" or "leaf margin" burning.

By | 2015-12-28T16:46:36-08:00 December 28th, 2015|Shrubs|0 Comments
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Mites Lack Of Light Or Just Spring

The yellowing leaves on your Meyer lemon could be one of several things. 1. Citrus mites commonly attack these plants indoors. Look under leaves for a dirty, webby appearance. The mites are too small to see. There are miticides available that are made from botanical extracts you can use, spraying it on the top and bottom of foliage. Be sure to apply before the plant comes back inside next year and at least once in mid-winter. 2. Lack of light - as winter goes on there is less light for citrus and these plants want lots of light. So if the leaves aren't getting much because of the dark days the plant starts dropping leaves. If your leaf drop began in January this might be the reason. 3. Many plants start dropping older foliage at this time of year as they begin to put their resources toward the new growth. That might be what's happening here.

Be sure that you're keeping this plant evenly moist but not too wet. Be sure the pot still has good drainage - no rocks in the bottom of the pot and nothing covering the drainage hole! Be sure that you're fertilizing regularly in that citrus are one plant that appreciates regular fertilizer. Use any fertilizer according to directions.

By | 2015-12-28T15:15:40-08:00 December 28th, 2015|Fruit Plants & Trees|0 Comments
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Citrus Mitis Problem

Next time you have fruit flies, break the cycle between the adults and the eggs in the soil, use yellow sticky traps to get rid of the adults and a layer of horticultural sand over the soil surface to keep the adults from laying eggs and to suffocate the existing eggs in the soil. Yours is one of the more cold tolerant citrus species, hardy down to -6.66 C., but irregular temperatures such as in your area could have caused the plant to discolor and defoliate. It also may have suffered transplant shock when you replaced the potting soil medium with fresh soil. Hopefully it will recover. Also taking outdoors suddenly without acclimating it gradually is like going to the beach without any protection after being indoors all season long. It is best to keep it indoors until mild temperatures for day and evening is consistent. When indoors, place in bright, indirect light, water regularly and wait a few weeks before feeding with a slow release or organic fertilizer formulated for citrus. At its current stressed state, keep the plant moist but not soggy, do not allow the plant to sit in water and do not feed until the plant recovers somewhat. Good luck!

By | 2015-12-28T14:17:07-08:00 December 28th, 2015|Fruit Plants & Trees|0 Comments
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Spider Mites

This is possibly being caused by a large population of Spider Mites. These tiny spiders (can only be seen with a magnifying lens) suck plant sap and chlorophyll from the leaves, causing the speckled appearance we see on these leaves. You'll want to verify this ID by looking at the link we've included and examining the upper & lower sides of the leaves with a magnifying lens. You may also see some very fine, disorganized, webbing with mites in the web. If you confirm, you can use insecticidal soaps or horticulture oils to control them, but don't over-use these products because you'll probably be killing other beneficial mites that are natural enemies of these mite pests. When many of the predatory/natural enemies are killed, the spider mite pest population can sky rocket and get worse. You can also help keep the population of pest mites down by occasionally washing off the leaves of the affected plants early in the morning (and allowing them to dry throughout the day). Here's a web-link with more info:
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/QT/spidermitescard.html

By | 2015-12-28T13:39:11-08:00 December 28th, 2015|Plant Pests|0 Comments
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Pineapple Guava

This is likely the flower of a Feijoa sellowiana commonly known as Pineapple Guava. It is a large fruiting, evergreen shrub or small tree and used primarily as a landscape shrub on the west coast of the United States but has the added feature of tasty, edible fruit and flowers. Does well in USDA zones 8 äóñ 10. What this really means is that it likes some cool weather, can go down to 10 deg. F, likes rain in the 30äó_ äóñ 40äó_ range, and doesnäó»t like super hot daytime weather äóñ so not as happy in the desert. Itäó»s adaptable to a wide range of soils, including acidic soil, but prefers a humus rich soil that is well drained. Adding compost and not manure works for this plant. Full sun is best äóñ but it can tolerate partial shade. The flowers which bloom in the late spring are edible if raised organically. The thick petals are succulent with a tropical floral flavor and are eaten fresh. Great sprinkled over a fruit salad. The petals may be plucked without interfering with fruit set. The fruit ripens in late fall, which is a great boon since almost everything else in the garden is gone. The delicious fruit pulp is sweet and tangy at the same time. Eat them by scooping out the fruit with a spoon, or you can cook them in puddings, pastry fillings, fritters, dumplings, fruit-sponge-cake, pies or tarts.

By | 2017-09-11T15:49:30-07:00 December 28th, 2015|Shrubs|0 Comments
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Spurge

This appears to be a euphorbia, though we can't tell which one without seeing the whole plant and looking at its flower; there are many similar kinds. Because there isn't a lot of fine detail in your picture, this is a best guess that is easily confirmed: when you took the cutting, if the plant bled white sap, then it is a euphorbia. The best way to propagate these is by divisions taken now (divide the rootball with a shovel and transplant part of it where you want to grow it). But you can also propagate it from cuttings taken now. After you make the cutting, put the stem in warm water for a few hours so that the white sap doesn't congeal and seal off the bottom of the stem. Then dip the cutting in a rooting hormone and plant in a pot full of potting mix. Make a plastic tent over it (easily made with a coat hanger and a clear plastic sleeve that comes back from the cleaners with your clothes) to hold in the humidity. Keep the soil moist, and keep the plant in a frost-free, warm place (like a north window) where it gets plenty of indirect light, and it should root in a couple of weeks.

By | 2015-12-28T10:40:26-08:00 December 28th, 2015|Perennials|0 Comments
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Winter Damage On Broad Leaf Evergreen

This is winter damage, which often makes small leaf imperfections and leaf spots from the previous summer more noticeable. Winter damage is caused by cold winds and/or sunburn from the sun reflecting off of the snow. The plants that most frequently show winter damage are the broadleaf evergreens such as Cherry Laurel, Rhododendrons, Holly, Camellias, Andromedas, etc. Boxwoods and Euonymus often turn dry and tan.

Because these plants have leaves that are scorched, the areas on the foliage that had some leaf spot damage from last summer are more evident. You'll see dark spots, or white spots where the leaf tissue actually died last summer or fall and now is turning tan or white. On some plants, such as cherry laurel, such dead leaf tissue often drops out and leave holes.

At this point there isn't anything that you need to do - the plant will drop this scorched foliage this spring and will put on new growth. To help prevent leaf spot in the spring and summer, make sure that the plants aren't getting hit with water from a sprinkler on a frequent basis, as this is a prescription for leaf-spot fungi. To help protect broadleaf evergreens in advance of winter you can use an anti-desiccant product in October, although in a really cold or snowy winter plants will still show some winter damage.

By | 2015-12-28T09:26:24-08:00 December 28th, 2015|Shrubs|0 Comments
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Dracaena Problem

There could be one or more of several reasons why the leaf tips are browning: make sure when watering (about once every 7-10 days) that the soil feels dry down to the first knuckle before watering again and that the water drains out without allowing the plant to sit in water (if there is a saucer under the plant or it is in a pot without drainage holes and it is sitting in the water after watering, then this may lead to root or stem rot and leaf edge browning); feed with a slow-release or organic fertilizer formulated for container plants; the potting soil should be a well-draining commercial potting soil or cactus potting soil (sterile and well-draining); needs bright, indirect light-the spots may be due to leaf burn from too much direct sunlight. Finally, if the leaves continue to spot and discolor, suggest you switch to steam iron water - many houseplants come from the rainforest and are sensitive to the salts in tap water. There could also be some disease issues. Here is more info: http://www.hgtv.com/landscaping/qa-leaf-spots-on-dracaena/index.html

By | 2015-12-27T22:52:19-08:00 December 27th, 2015|House Plants|0 Comments
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Revenea Palm Yellowing

This is a Revenea or majesty palm. When grown in the landscape they can get quite large. They are native to the moist, humid tropics and grow in warm climates out in full sun, which gives you an idea of what they need indoors. In order to do well inside you need to keep the soil in the pot evenly moist but not swampy. When the plant dries out too much in between waterings, it will lose lower leaves first and then the rest of the plant will show dried tips and yellowing leaves.

Your plant could first use a larger pot - use one with drainage holes and a deep saucer underneath. Do not fill the bottom of the pot with rocks or anything other than soil. When you water, water well until the plant drains into the saucer. Let it sit in the saucer of water for up to three hours - if after that time the plant hasn't reabsorbed all the excess water soak it up with an old towel or use a turkey baster to remove it from the saucer. Look to see that all the dirt is moist, not just right around the stems.

Your plant looks like it needs more light as well. These palms do not do well in darker places, but need to be grown near bright windows such as an eastern or western facing exposure. If you have a place outdoors that gets morning sun and afternoon shade, or dappled light through trees, you could put this plant (after repotting) outside at the end of May for the summer and it will be quite happy. Water outdoors (with the pot not in a saucer) every other day.

By | 2015-12-13T23:55:45-08:00 December 13th, 2015|House Plants|0 Comments
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Tomato Leaf Problems

Your tomato plants look like they have one of the fungal problems common to this plant. If you are seeing sunken, dark "rotten" spots develop on the fruit as well, it is certainly fungal. This year was a banner year for leaf and fungal problems on many plants, especially those such as peppers, basil and tomatoes that like hot weather.

Without culturing in a lab it's impossible to know if you have early blight, late blight, septoria leaf spot or another fungal problem but the response is the same for any of these:
1. Remove the worst of the foliage and throw it out - clean up any fallen fruit as well so that the spores don't stay in the garden.
2. Spraying with an organic fungicide can help protect undamaged foliage and fruit while you continue to harvest. Ask at your local garden center, but some options include copper, Serenade, Actinovate or sulfur. Get a product that's labeled for fungal problems on tomatoes and use according to directions. (note: although Neem is labeled as an organic fungicide, many gardeners have found that it's less effective than other options.)
3. Next year start spraying with an organic fungicide as soon as you plant the tomatoes and continue according to directions.
4. Be sure to avoid splashing the foliage with water whenever possible - watering with soaker or drip hoses is preferred, and a deep soaking less often is better than hand-watering every day. If you use a sprinkler do it every four or five days for a longer time, mulch the plants and only water in the morning.
5. Add compost to your soil every year. There is evidence that the beneficial bacteria in compost keeps fungal spore populations down.

By | 2015-11-13T20:50:55-08:00 December 13th, 2015|Vegetable Plants|0 Comments
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