Crown Of Thorns

/Crown Of Thorns/

Crown Of Thorns

Here are a few care tips and information about your crown of thorns plant. Euphorbia milii, is a succulent plant in the same family as the poinsettia, the thorns cover stems that ooze latex sap when cut. This is a common characteristic of euphorbias and is not a sign of disease. Use gloves when handling this plant to protect your skin from both the thorns and the sap. Indoors needs bright, indirect light and water only when soil feels dry to the touch down to the first knuckle. Outdoors provide full or partial sun and water sparingly. Does not tolerate frost. Flowers may be red, yellow, pink or white, or variegated, depending on the cultivar. Feed with a slow-release or organic fertilizer formulated for blooming container plants.

By | 2016-03-20T16:49:53-07:00 March 20th, 2016|Succulents|0 Comments
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Weeping Fig Or Benjamins Fig

Your plant appears to be a Ficus benjamina, a member of the large fig family. If we're correct, when a leaf is broken off, a milky latex will exude. Ficus like bright, indirect light, moist (but not soggy) soil, and a permanent location. When their pot is moved, they often respond by dropping all their leaves. Thankfully, these usually grow back.The container needs to be well draining and do not allow plant to sit in water as this may lead to root rot. In some climates the tree does well planted in the ground. From this photo we cannot tell for sure if this is a F. benjamina. If you disagree, please take a few clippings to a horticulturist at your local garden center to see if they can identify the plant and the problem for you in hand.

By | 2016-03-20T13:45:50-07:00 March 20th, 2016|Tropical Plants|0 Comments
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Bradford Pear

Your tree looks like an ornamental Bradford (or Callery) pear. If we could see it in bloom, we could be certain but the leaf shape and the fruit look right. Originating from south-eastern China, Korea, Japan and Taiwan, the Bradford Pear has features very similar to the other ornamental pears. An upright shape, the tree has dark green glossy leaves with a color change in autumn. White blossoms appear in spring. As the tree matures the density, of the flowers increase, become more and more spectacular. Unfortunately, these are weak trees and will split easily in high winds or with heavy snow or ice. They are also becoming more and more prone to disease, and so are no longer as strongly recommended for use in landscape gardening.

By | 2016-03-20T07:34:47-07:00 March 20th, 2016|Trees|0 Comments
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Bonsai Problem

Difficult to tell for sure, but it could be the result of being indoors, or if recently transplanted, suffering from transplant shock, or allowed to dry out. Bonsai specimen are outdoor plants and cannot tolerate the low light conditions indoors for very long. Even with bright indoor light, it is not the same as being out doors. Most bonsai are grown in lath houses. Fertilize with a slow release food recommended for bonsai plants and find a nice outdoor area with filtered light and then be ready to water---they dry out so fast. We are concerned that the problem seems to be from the interior of the plant and this could also indicate a disease, but very difficult to ascertain from a photograph. It would be best if the problem could be confirmed in hand.

By | 2016-03-20T07:34:29-07:00 March 20th, 2016|Trees|0 Comments
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Milkweed Or Pokeweed

Your plant may be a milkweed; please send a long shot of the entire plant, showing its growth habit and size and we'll confirm. Milkweed is a native perennial plant that is about 2-3' tall. This species is sometimes grown in gardens designed to attract butterflies (especially monarchs). The nectar of the plant attracts many other species of butterflies and insects as well. This is a very drought tolerant plant that often reseeds through the garden. We can't see the top so it could be either. Milkweed will have a white milky substance if you snap off a branch or leaf. Both are liked and both are hated. If you didn't plant it it is taking the water and nutrients from your cultivated plants so you have a choice as to what you want to do with it.

By | 2016-03-20T06:39:22-07:00 March 20th, 2016|Weeds|1 Comment
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Aphids

Your pests are likely aphids, although we can't see them clearly. If they fly, they are probably whiteflies. The black sticky stuff is sooty mold. Aphids and other small, piercing and sucking insects like scale or mealybugs, often require repeated sprayings to kill all stages of the insects. Try spraying every 3-4 days for two weeks, then see if insects recur. Insecticidal soap and neem are good organic options as direct contact sprays. Both are rated for edible plants. You can also spray with a strong stream of water. They're not hard to defeat, but it may take a couple of battles before you win the war. You'll also have to make sure there are no ants in the trees. Here's some more info:http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/GARDEN/FRUIT/citrus.html

By | 2016-03-20T06:25:54-07:00 March 20th, 2016|Plant Pests|0 Comments
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Spots On Fern Fronds

The spots on your fern could be either a bacterial or fungal disease. It is close to impossible to give a definitive answer on diseases without proper lab testing. Is it possible that it is being kept too wet (we know, hard for a fern) and is not getting enough air circulation? You might want to seriously consider removing and properly disposing (do not compost) of affected plant parts and review your watering practices. Try watering the soil beneath the plant rather than overhead as that splashes and spreads the disease. You might also want to take a bagged sample of affected plant parts to your local independent garden center for a more definitive answer and possible suggestions for a solution based on your particular situation.

By | 2016-03-20T06:19:14-07:00 March 20th, 2016|Tropical Plants|0 Comments
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Citrus Leaf Miner

This is citrus leaf miner, a very common insect pest of citrus. A moth lays eggs under the leaf surface and the larvae tunnel through the leaf. It makes the trees look terrible but only threatens young trees. The insects can be difficult to control. You'll want to follow good cultural care practices on the trees to keep them optimally healthy and continue to grow and produce fruit. (Specifically, do not prune and/or fertilize at inappropriate times of year as these insects feed on the newest growth). These two web links have the best info: http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74137.html

http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/GARDEN/FRUIT/citrus.html

Peppers can get leaf miner but its a different one: http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/GARDEN/VEGES/peppers.html

By | 2016-03-20T04:50:26-07:00 March 20th, 2016|Fruit Plants & Trees|0 Comments
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Staghorn Cholla

Large, 2 1/4" wide flowers come in an amazingly wide variety of colors and have yellow-green anther filaments and white to bronze styles. (This is one way to distinguish from Buck-horn Cholla. Its flower anther filaments are purple-red.) The rounded, mostly spineless, yellow-green to reddish purple fruits stay attached to the stems all winter and often grow like a chain, one out of the other. The immature fruits are green and bumpy but the mature fruits swell to become smooth and plump, and they remain on the plant while it is flowering. The stems are spiny, green to reddish purple in color, and shaped like deer antlers (stag horns). This cactus readily hybridizes with other Chollas, making it quite variable in appearance.

By | 2016-03-20T04:48:09-07:00 March 20th, 2016|Succulents|0 Comments
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Tip Burn On Cymbidium

Tip burn can be caused by excess salts in the soil/growing medium around the roots. We recommend water should drain from the pot at every watering, and once a month (maybe once every 6 weeks or so) use distilled water to help leach (flush) salts from around the root zone. So Cal tap water is high in salts that build up in soils, especially in potted plants. The browning of leaves may be caused by the same situation, and/or by too much high light or exposure to sun during the afternoon hours. Cymbidiums do better with early morning sun and afternoon (from about 11am on) shade. We've included a web link with more info about growing cymbidiums in So Cal.
http://www.themulch.com/orchids/cymbidium-orchids-care-in-southern-california

By | 2016-03-20T03:44:21-07:00 March 20th, 2016|Perennials|0 Comments
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