Canna Lily

/Canna Lily/

Canna Lily

This appears to be a Canna lily and you will be certain when it blooms. Cannas are prized for their showy leaves and striking spikes of large flowers in reds, oranges, white, cream, yellow, pink or bicolors. They develop from rhizomes and do best in full sun and regular water during growth and bloom cycles but will live on year after year with little care. In mild winter areas such as where you live, Cannas can be left in the ground all year long. Where winter frosts are common, the rhizomes can be dug up and stored in a cool, dry place until the danger of frost has passed and re-planted. There are many, many cultivars bearing flowers that come in a variety of stunning hues and bi-colors. Yours may be the cultivar 'Tropicanna,' but there are other similar cultivars as well.

By | 2016-03-31T16:04:55-07:00 March 31st, 2016|Bulb Plants|0 Comments
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Powdery Mildew On Squash

We apologize for the delayed response, but due to technical difficulties your submission was inadvertently misplaced in an incorrect folder. Our technical staff has been advised about this problem and again we are sorry for the delay. We are in the process of refining our app to make it even better for our users. Your plant likely has powdery mildew. When selecting varieties select those varieties that are listed as disease resistant. This is not the time for squash because they are warm season crops and will be susceptible to disease during the winter season. To prevent re-seeding, clip off flowers before they form fruit and you can also apply a pre-emergent recommended by your local garden center to prevent seeds from germinating.

By | 2016-03-31T15:23:46-07:00 March 31st, 2016|Vegetable Plants|0 Comments
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Flea Beetles

The leaf damage look like that inflicted by flea beetles (look for small black beetles). They are a common pests of some garden and agricultural crop plants. On established plants, their damage is often minor and doesn't affect plant health, but on young seedlings they could be more dangerous. Insecticide treatments for flea beetle control vary with the species and the crop. We recommend you seek advice about control strategies that will work for you, if the number of beetles and their damage continues to increase. We've included some web-links with more info. You may also want to seek advice from your local university extension farm/home adviser, a Master Gardener group, or your local garden center professional. http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/insect/05592.html

By | 2017-09-11T15:49:02-07:00 March 31st, 2016|Plant Pests|0 Comments
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Weed

Unfortunately we cannot identify this plant for you at this stage of its development, but we believe it is a weed. If you didn't plant this, chances are its a weed from a wind blown seed or bird dropping. If it is growing in your garden bed we suggest you pull it out so it doesn't compete for light, nutrients and water with your other cultivated plants. If you have the room and want to watch it grow leave it be; just remember once it is done blooming it will begin to drop seed and disperse throughout your garden. Suggest you show your photo and a sample of the plant to a horticulturist at you local garden center or weed specialist at the university cooperative extension service to see if they can help identify for you. If you find out, please let us know as this is how we learn as well.

By | 2016-03-31T12:53:09-07:00 March 31st, 2016|Weeds|0 Comments
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Gray Mold Or Damping Off

Because we can't clearly see the problem in your picture, we can't tell exactly what is going on, so we'll go with the two most likely cullprits. The first is gray mold (Botrytis), which usually takes new seedlings a leaf at a time. It is most active in cool, humid environments, so you can counteract it by warming the temperature, reducing humidity (which warming alone will do), and increasing air circulation. There are also fungicides made to treat infected plants. The second possibility is damping off disease, which includes a complex of fungi that kill the seedling by attacking its stem. The up-front prevention is to use absolutely sterile soil mix, with no reused soil from last year or garden compost—nothing that contains living organisms. Once damping off starts, you can't stop it.

By | 2016-03-31T12:05:21-07:00 March 31st, 2016|Plant Diseases|0 Comments
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Rhododendron

Your flowering shrub is indeed a rhododendron—one of 500-900 species of evergreen and deciduous trees and shrubs and multitudes of cultivars. Unfortunately we cannot identify your specific species and cultivar but suggest you contact your local Rhododendron society chapter such as: California Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society
www.calchapterars.org/ to see if they can identify your beautiful flower for you. As with all Rhododendrons, they are grown for their showy flowers and beautiful array of colors. They like moist, well drained acidic soil. Shallow planting is essential in that they will not tolerate deep planting. Most like dappled shade in sheltered conditions. They do not tolerate heat well so you see them more often in the northern, cooler climate regions.

By | 2016-03-31T11:36:35-07:00 March 31st, 2016|Shrubs|0 Comments
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Palm

There are many things going on here. I see signs of accumulation of soluble salts on the soil. You should water thoroughly several times in quick succession to remove the unwanted salts thatt are causing leaf edge burning. You have other plants growing with the palm that could act as repositories for insect pest and diseases. The plants should be removed. We have looked carefully at the image as requested, however, given the vast array of variables that cause plant growth, it is impossible to determine exactly when your palm will grow as you want it. Make certain the plant receives full sun, adequate slow release fertilizer designed to feed palms with minor nutrients (especially manganese and magnesium) and provide well drained soil

By | 2017-09-11T15:49:02-07:00 March 31st, 2016|Tropical Plants|0 Comments
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Whitefly

There appears to be whitefly. Whitefly live on plants throughout their three life-stages. During the first stage, whitefly lay eggs which appear on the underside of leaves as white patches arranged in regular curves. Each female can produce 100-200 eggs at a time. After the eggs hatch, they become larvae that suck out the nutrients of the leaves and stems. Their excreta, known as honeydew, causes black sooty mold. There are organic controls such as those that are formulated with Spinosad, but spray in the late afternoon or early evening after the bees have returned to their hives. Once the spray is dry it is safe for beneficials. There are also chemical formulations such as Bayer Advanced Fruit, Citrus and Vegetable Insect Control.

By | 2017-09-11T15:49:02-07:00 March 31st, 2016|Plant Pests|0 Comments
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Brown Marmorated Stink Bug

Uh oh! Your bug appears to be Halyumorpha halys, Brown Marmorated Stink Bug. Has brown shield-shaped body like other stink bugs, but is distinguished from other stink bugs by lighter bands on antennae and darker bands on the rear of the front pair of wings. Can become a difficult problem to control if sets up housekeeping indoors during fall-winter months and if disturbed, will emit an unpleasant and long-lasting aroma from its scent glands on the abdomen and thorax. Suggest you contact an entomologist at your local university to confirm its identity and if it is, to find out methods of control indoors and outdoors. There are Brown Marmorated Stink Bug pheromone traps available. They are a major crop pest damaging everything from squash, to apples to tomatoes.

By | 2016-03-31T07:57:12-07:00 March 31st, 2016|Plant Pests|0 Comments
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Cymbidium Orchid

Your plants are Cymbidium orchids 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 a little more 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 | 2016-03-31T06:13:08-07:00 March 31st, 2016|Perennials|0 Comments
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