Trouble With Tropical Hibiscus

/Trouble With Tropical Hibiscus/

Trouble With Tropical Hibiscus

Without laying eyeballs and fingertips on this plant directly it's hard to say for sure what is causing the symptoms you see. Also, it's often true that what we see happening in plants isn't just from one cause but from several situations piling up one on another. So here are some suggestions of things you should look for and try doing to help this plant.

1. Look under the leaves for signs of insect activity. Tiny webs or a "dirty looking" appearance would be the sign that this plant has mites. Mites are too small to see usually, but you can see the litter they leave behind in that the underside of the leaves looks dusty and dirty. If you think you have mites, ask at your local garden center for a Miticide as a regular insecticide usually doesn't work on mites.

2. Is the plant root bound? If it's been in the same pot for a long time the roots might be clogging the drainage hole and preventing the plant from growing. Root bound plants are often either too wet or too dry because the roots prevent good watering. If you tip this plant out of the pot and see lots of roots circling the bottom, or roots coming out the drainage hole, it's time for a larger pot and fresh soil. Be sure not to put rocks or other stuff in the bottom of the pot "for drainage" - it's BAD for plants! Just soil.

3. Has the plant been fertilized lately? If not, water the plant well and then give it an application of fertilizer mixed according to directions.

If you see no signs of insects and the plant isn't root bound, please contact us again and we'll reach into our collective "green brains" further to help!

By | 2015-11-13T20:55:07-08:00 December 7th, 2015|House Plants|0 Comments
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Field Bindweed Orchard Morning Glory

Persistent, rampant weed in the morning glory family known as the Field Bindweed. It is a terror in the garden. Here are some options:

Some non-chemical solutions have been found that are somewhat successful in certain situations such as newer and small infestations. One option is to completely remove seedlings just as they emerge from the soil. These new plants do not have the ability to produce the runners that generate other new plants for the first three to four weeks of life. Otherwise, for more established infestations, where practical, covering the area with black plastic sheeting for at least a year is an option. Another similar method that has worked for some involves covering the impacted area with cardboard and then placing several inches of mulch over the cardboard and letting this sit for at least a year. For either of these to be successful, no light can reach the bindweed.

Post emergent herbicides such as glyphosate (RoundUp type products) and lawn weed killers (products containing 2,4-D) also can be used to reduce infestations of actively growing
plants. For the best results, apply a combination of these in early autumn after frost but while the vines are still green. Caution must be taken when using this mix, though. It will kill or damage
most desirable plants, including grass, shrubs and trees. Unlike lawn weed killer, glyphosate can carefully be used in hot weather, for suppression. Always read and follow pesticide labels to
maximize protection of yourself and others and for the greatest effectiveness of the product.

By | 2017-09-11T15:49:30-07:00 December 7th, 2015|Perennials|0 Comments
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Spikenard Elk Clover

Elk Clover is an energetic plant creating drama in the garden with its bold form, huge leaves, attractive spikes of white flowers and its warm creamy yellow foliage and wine coloured streaked stems add unexpected punch to the fall garden.
Aralia californica's very large green leaves are compound with 3-5 leaflets between 6 - 12 inches long.
Stalks of small white roundish clusters of star shaped flowers begin blooming in late spring to early summer, though more often from June to August or even October when grown in deeper shade. The flowers are sticky.
The fruit of Elk Clover is round, dark purple to black and only about 1/4 inch in diameter.
The buttery yellow autumn foliage is beautifully contrasted to the wine-coloured streaks which appear along the large stems. In true perennial fashion, this native dies to the ground each fall, only to return the next spring.
Found in moist and shady spots, Aralia californica establishes naturally in many plant communities from southwest Oregon to western and central Californica, wherever it finds cooler, moister areas. Common neighborhoods are yellow pine forest, foothill woodland, chaparral, valley grassland, and wetland-riparian communities. It is especially prolific in the San Francisco Bay area of California.
Spikenard tolerates sand, clay, serpentine and seasonal flooding. as long as there is regular water. Typically, Elk Clover selects moist shady areas, streamsides, or canyons at elevations below 6,500 feet.

By | 2017-09-11T15:49:30-07:00 December 7th, 2015|Shrubs|0 Comments
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Lilac Leaf Spots

This looks like lilac leaves, yes? But no matter what plant it is, there are several possible causes of leaf spot, and for most gardeners what is most important is the answer to the question, "So how can I help this plant?"

Leaf spot such as you see can be caused by something physically hitting the plant, a fungus, or a bacteria. A physical cause would be something such as hot water from a sun-heated hose, a cleaning product such as window cleaner, a fertilizer spray or drift from an herbicide or other garden product. If this is the cause the damage doesn't spread and there is no threat to the plant.

Fungus can cause leaf-spot and although the damage can be unsightly it seldom causes plant death. Bacterial blight can be more problematic and there is no cure. We've included a link in "additional comments" about bacterial leaf blight on lilacs.

The bottom line for most home gardeners is "So what do I do now?" and the answer is several fold: 1. It often helps a plant to spread an inch of composted manure over the ground from the trunk or main stem to about a foot beyond the drip line. If the plant hasn't been fertilized recently it is also a good idea to apply some organic fertilizer on the surface of the ground before you put this composted manure down.
2. Water the plant DEEPLY once a week if it doesn't rain at least 3/4 of an inch.
3. When infected leaves fall, rake them up and throw in garbage, not in the compost.
4. If you suspect fungus you could use an organic fungicide such as Actinovate, but this won't help if the problem is bacterial.
5. Have a pH test of the soil done if this is a lilac - lilacs grow best in neutral or slightly alkaline soils.
6. Don't apply any other garden products such as insecticides "just in case." Do not apply random, single fertilizers or minerals such as Epsom salt, super phosphate etc as this can put soils out of balance.

By | 2015-12-06T22:52:01-08:00 December 6th, 2015|Shrubs|0 Comments
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Pothos Problems

Houseplant leaves turn yellow and brown and dry for a variety of reasons: when grown in too little light, an irregular watering pattern, or the plant is sitting in water and may be the beginning of root rot. Usually if the problem is over-watering the entire plant will turn yellowish - if the problem is uneven watering, that is drying between waterings, then the older leaves turn yellow and brown first but the new foliage looks OK. So evaluate your plant by looking to see if all the new growth is fine but the older leaves are the ones that are going - if that's the case you need to water the entire plant really well and then check it in a few days to see if it is dry.

Often our houseplants dry more quickly at this time of year when the heating is coming on more frequently. Be sure to water really well when you do water - never give a plant "just a little" because you don't want to over-water, don't want the water to leak out of the drainage holes, or don't have time to fill up a container with enough water. In other words, soak the entire root ball well when you water and let it drain into a sink or saucer for a couple of hours - then remove from any standing water and test the soil in a few days to see if it's dry ready for watering again.

Plants also dry up more quickly when they've been in the same pot for awhile. When you see brown leaves on a plant, tip it out of the pot and see if it looks root bound. If so, putting it in a new, larger pot with fresh soil will help.

This does not look like a nutrient deficiency but most houseplants should be fed a slow-release or organic fertilizer formulated for indoor container plants. They do not need fertilizer in the dark months of November through January.

By | 2015-11-13T20:33:02-08:00 December 6th, 2015|House Plants|0 Comments
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Septoria Leaf Spot

This is Septoria leaf spot. The wet weather we have had this spring has contributed to it's rise in gardens this year. First, remove all the affected leaves and place in the trash not the compost pile. Next year rotate your tomatoes because the fungus will over winter in the garden for a season and would affect next years crop. This is specific to tomatoes not cucumber or the like. Good air circulation is very important when planting. Sterilize all your garden equipment that comes in contact with the tomatoes so it doesn't spread. Mulch your tomatoes if you haven't already. It keeps the spores from splashing on the ground and spreading the disease. If the above measures do not control the disease, you may want to use fungicidal sprays. Fungicides will not cure infected leaves, but they will protect new leaves from becoming infected. Apply at 7 to 10 day intervals throughout the season. Apply chlorothalonil, maneb, macozeb, or a copper-based fungicide, such as Bordeaux mixture, copper hydroxide, copper sulfate, or copper oxychloride sulfate. Follow harvest restrictions listed on the pesticide label. You can also use Serenade, an organic fungicide that I personally use. When spraying the plants, make sure you spray the undersides of the leaf as well. Since you are in Morningside (there is a geo locator that comes with your request so it goes to right area advisors and I have friends there) I'm going to assume that your garden is probably in close proximity to your neighbors gardens as well so they may want to keep an eye on their garden as well.

By | 2017-09-11T15:49:30-07:00 December 6th, 2015|Plant Diseases|0 Comments
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Weigela

This is a Weigela shrub. Weigelas flower in spring with pink trumpet-shaped blooms. Weigelas grow best in full sun and bloom every year in Spring. There are many kinds differing in pigmentation, so we cannot determine which specific species this is from. After the short flowering season in July, prune back your weigela. To encourage new flowers next year, cut back new growth by two thirds. The flowers for next year will grow on the old wood, so cutting back the new shoots encourages them to develop and increase the flower bearing stems. With correct pruning, the flower bearing branches will grow rapidly and the weight of the flowers will bend the branches so that they display the bell like flowers to their best advantage. To encourage the development of larger and more numerous flowers, you can cut the growing tip of the flower bearing stems in May. This can also help to maintain the shape of the shrub. Weigela manages quite well in poor soil, but it helps if you introduce fertilizer or compost after the second year, unless you notice that the plant is not prospering as it should. Although a slow release commercial fertilizer is often recommended for weigela, they thrive in soil that has had a level of humus or garden compost worked into it.

Weigela can suffer significant shoot loss in a hard winter. To protect the roots and to prepare the soil for the next year’s growth, cover the root stock with a top dressing of good garden compost.

Weigela is a shrub that can add enormously to the pleasure of your garden because the shrub is attractive to both butterflies and humming birds. By planting them alongside similarly attractive plants, you can help to maintain the humming birds that are attracted to your garden.






By | 2015-12-05T22:06:55-08:00 December 5th, 2015|Shrubs|0 Comments
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Die Back On Cherry Tree

Without seeing your tree in person it's impossible to say what is causing the die back pictured. But listed here are some possible of the causes of such damage. Keep in mind that sometimes what we see on plants isn't caused just by one thing, but a combination of two or more situations, so what you are seeing might be caused by one or more of the following:
1. Physical damage: If a branch is broken, bent, or otherwise damaged it can brown and die.
2. Borers or bark eaters: physical damage can also be caused by insects that bore into a stem, or by critters that eat the bark around a stem.
3. Drought: when a plant is growing in dry soil it may have die back on top since the roots dry up and there aren't enough roots to sustain all the stems and leaves up top.
4. Vascular diseases: there are some diseases that cause the vascular system in a tree to shrink so that the water can't flow from the roots up to the stems and leaves.
5. Bacterial Canker: One of the most destructive diseases in cherry trees - there is no cure.

Without culturing in a lab, and seeing the plant and the soil surrounding etc, it's impossible to know which one or more causes are the problem with your plant. But you, of course, want to know what you can do to help this tree in all ways possible. So here is what you can do:
1. If the stems that have brown leaves are dead, prune them off. If you don't know yet if they are dead, wait until next spring and once the plant starts to break dormancy, prune off any branches that don't have new life on them.
2. Look at the trunk of the tree carefully - if there are sunken areas, especially if there is sap dripping from those sunken areas, it's probably canker and there is nothing to be done.
3. Look at the stems that have wilted carefully: are there any holes or scrapped bark where the die back starts? If so, prune off these branches and throw away.
4. Next year after the plant starts to leaf out, watch for new signs of wilting. At the first sign, take a branch into your local cooperative extension or garden center to see if they can identify the problem. Don't take in branches that are already dead as it's difficult without lab culture to see what the problem is once the area has died. Try to take in samples of the problem just starting.

Cherry trees are prone to numerous problems in this area, both diseases and insects. If your tree dies, pick some other variety of tree to replace it.

By | 2017-09-11T15:49:31-07:00 December 5th, 2015|Trees|1 Comment
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Browning Thuja

There are a number of possibilities for your Thuja problem. A common cause of foliar browning in some cedars is due to root rot or root damage especially if there has been a wetter than normal season or the soil is not well draining. If your garden is on clay soil and drainage is slow, the heavier rains or too much watering this season might have caused problems at the root level. Other root-related issues include compaction of soil or mechanical damage. Thuja roots are relatively shallow/close to the surface, and at 10-12 years, your cedars’ root systems would be quite extensive – growing much further from the tree than you’d expect. So any new digging, for example, even if not immediately beside the trees might have an impact. Additonally, you should check closely to see if you detect any insects or diseases. Sucking insects such as mites or scale could contribute to the browning you see. This could also be winter or salt burn from the winter season. Once you determine the cause of the browning, then you can better treat it.

This could also be cedar apple rust fungus disease. It can attack cedars planted near apple trees or members of the apple family, including crabapples, hawthorn, Juneberry and mountain ash. These trees serve as "alternate hosts" for a fungus to develop and thrive. See if you can find gall-like growths on the branches. Cut out the galls. Then spray the cedar with a fungicide application to prevent new infestations.

We also recommend if you have eliminated bugs, which are treatable, and the majority of the tree is brown -- your cedar may be severely damaged. If most of the foliage is dead, the tree may not be worth saving.

By | 2017-09-11T15:49:31-07:00 December 5th, 2015|Trees|0 Comments
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Seed Starting Issues

There is a fungal disease term called "damping off" disease and it affects seedlings. It actually is several diseases such as phytophera or thielivalopsis that kill the seedlings. I am a professional greenhouse grower and I don't like using those paper pots because they sometimes contain lead ink. They also wick away moisture from the potting mixture causing them to dry out. If you go to your local garden center you can purchase a seed starting kit. It will contain all you need to get started. From the photo, I don't see a lot of light for the plants. I would suggest a grow light fixture about 6 inches above the plants to give them a healthy start. Once they start to grow you can shorten up the light. You should also have good air circulation between plants to reduce disease transmission. Disinfect everything with a solution of 1 part liquid bleach to 9 parts of water to make a 10% disinfecting solution.
Watering when the soil is dry is important. Don't mist plants. It causes the foliage to stay wet and fungal spores to take hold. Just gently but thoroughly water the seeds/seedlings. There are two other thoughts I have about your problem without seeing it in person. The first is you could have contaminated potting mix although that is very unlikely. The other could be that you are not watering the seedling thoroughly and the roots aren't getting the water, only the top of the plant is getting water. Hope this helps and don't give up gardening!

By | 2017-09-11T15:49:31-07:00 December 5th, 2015|Plant Diseases|0 Comments
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