Helianthus Sunflower

/Helianthus Sunflower/

Helianthus Sunflower

Common sunflower is a widely branching, stout annual, 1 1/2-8 ft. tall, with coarsely hairy leaves and stems. The terminal flowers heads are large and showy, up to 5 in. across. A tall, coarse leafy plant with a hairy stem commonly branched in the upper half and bearing several or many flower heads, the central maroon disk surrounded by many bright yellow rays. Yellow ray flowers surround brown disk flowers.

Sunflowers are members of the Asteraceae (Compositae) - Aster Family , and most of them are dicots. The easiest way categorize dicots vs monocots is to consider grasses and grains as monocots, and most of the remaining "flowering" plants are dicots.

Here is a link to the families: http://www.floresflowers.com/taxa/Dicots.html

By | 2016-03-15T09:09:29-07:00 March 15th, 2016|Perennials|0 Comments
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Euphorbia Leucodendron

Euphorbia leucodendron, native to Madagascar, forms spineless, rounded pencil-like green stems with darker "polka dots" to 1/2" in diameter. Offsets from the base to form clusters of cylindrical stems to over 3' in height. Responds well to warmth, with its active growth period in the late spring and summer months. Porous soil with adequate drainage. Water thoroughly when soil is dry to the touch during active growing season. Requires bright light to full sun for best appearance, and should be given a winter resting period at which time less water should be given. Protect from frost. All Euphorbias contain a white sap that can be irritating to eyes and mucous membranes. If contact is made with this white sap, take care to not touch face or eyes before washing hands with soap and water.

By | 2016-03-15T05:35:11-07:00 March 15th, 2016|Succulents|0 Comments
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Brown Apple Leaves

Unfortunately, we can't see the leaf clearly. Also, the best way to diagnose leaf damage is with a loop or hand magnifier. However, it is not a good thing when the fruit tree's leaves begin to brown because it hinders photosynthesis and the ability of the tree to obtain nutrients. Browning of the leaves can be due to a variety of reasons: infestation of aphids, mealybugs, scale, caterpillars, beetles; fungal or other diseases as well as environmental conditions such as poor-draining soil, inadequate moisture or early frost/freeze damage. We suggest you take a few of the browning leaves to a local garden center or the Nevada Extension Agency for confirmation of the problem. Here's a link to your local extension office - http://www.unce.unr.edu/programs/horticulture/

By | 2016-03-15T04:18:08-07:00 March 15th, 2016|Plant Diseases|0 Comments
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Pea Issues

We see a few things going on. In the top photo, if those leaves were anywhere near the soil level, we would think snails and/or slugs. Here is a great link for those pests:
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/QT/snailsslugscard.html
We can't make out any definite issue in the photo in the lower left.
In the photo in the lower right, there might be a couple of aphids. Here is a link for those pesky critters:
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7404.html
Some white coloration on the leaves is normal. Excessive whitish "trails" in the leaf is a sign of leafminers. You guessed it, another link...2 actually:
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/GARDEN/VEGES/PESTS/vegleafminers.html
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/GARDEN/VEGES/peas.html
The last one is a great overview.
Happy Gardening!

By | 2016-03-15T00:38:13-07:00 March 15th, 2016|Vegetable Plants|0 Comments
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Succulent Propagation

Almost all succulents can be propagated from leaves or stem cuttings. Take individual leaves or cuttings and allow them to dry, or callus over in a location out of direct sun for about a week. This can be as simple as putting the cuttings on a paper plate and setting them somewhere like on top of the refrigerator or a bedroom dresser. After drying, pot them up in relatively small pots with new, well draining, dry soil (do not water) and leave them again for about a week. Leaves can be just laid on top of the soil with their stem end in contact with the soil surface. After that week the leaves and cuttings should have begun to initiate new roots. Now give them a good watering and put them in a bright location. Don't water again until the soil has become fairly dry to the touch.

By | 2016-03-15T00:09:58-07:00 March 15th, 2016|Succulents|0 Comments
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Improper Watering Or Drainage

This looks like an issue caused by improper watering practices and/or lack of drainage appropriate to this plant. Improper watering (either not enough or too much), in this case it appears to be too much, can cause the leaf damage we see in your photo. If the pot does not have drainage holes, we recommend you move the plant to a pot that does have them. Water only as needed to keep the soil evenly moist, do not fluctuate between extreme dryness and flooding that removes all the air from the soil. And be sure that the pot and plant are not sitting in water in a saucer. Placing pebbles in the saucer to lift the pot can really help. Plant roots need a balance of water and air in the soil pores for healthy growth and development.

By | 2016-03-14T23:01:31-07:00 March 14th, 2016|House Plants|0 Comments
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Dwarf Pomegranate

This appears to be a dwarf pomegranate, which is not hardy in your area. Outdoors it needs full sun and a well-drained soil mix. The plants thrive in a semi-arid atmosphere and once established need very little water. Fertilize on a monthly basis. Once flowering has begun in mid to late summer, the plant should be watered more frequently to produce lots of flowers. The plants will bear miniature fruit if grown in areas with year-round temperatures that rarely fall below 40° F. To grow indoors, moderate night-time temperatures should be given (50° to 60° F). Keep at 40° to 45° F in winter until new growth appears. In the growing period, keep moderately moist. Water sparingly from August on. This plant requires good drainage. Plants will bear fruit indoors if grown in a sunny exposure.

By | 2017-09-11T15:49:20-07:00 March 14th, 2016|Shrubs|0 Comments
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Meyer Lemon Problem

We have several questions that should help us figure this out. First and formost: was the plant outside this summer? Many citrus drop their leaves when they come indoors after a summer outside and this is not always fatal. How much sun is your lemon getting now? (It needs full sun - south facing window.) What kind of soil was it in? How wet is your soil staying between waterings? Are you letting it dry out before you water again? Meyer lemons should dry out between waterings and should be watered only when the top inch of soil feels dry. A soilless mix is best, because it dries out more quickly than a soil-based mix. Garden soil is a big no-no. It stays wet too long and is not sterile. Check for spider mites and scale, both of which can be problems on citrus, especially indoors.

By | 2016-03-14T21:46:57-07:00 March 14th, 2016|House Plants|0 Comments
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Joe Pye Weed White

Bartered Bride Joe Pye Weed will grow to be about 6 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 4 feet. It tends to be leggy, particularly in shade and should be underplanted with lower-growing perennials. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 15 years. This perennial does best in full sun to partial shade. It is quite adaptable, preferring to grow in average to wet conditions, and will even tolerate some standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This plant can be propagated by division.

Here's a link to more information on the plant - http://www.gatewaygardens.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=plants.plantDetail&plant_id=74

By | 2017-09-11T15:49:20-07:00 March 14th, 2016|Perennials|0 Comments
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Asiatic Lily

Asiatic Lily's have beautiful, striking flowers. However, like most perennials, the flowers only last one to two weeks at most, depending on the weather. The petals will begin to wilt and then fall off. The foliage remains green for some time but also begins to yellow and die back. Once the foliage has yellowed to the ground, you can prune it off to tidy up the garden bed. The good news is that your lily will return next year, usually with even more blossoms.

This inquiry came in for a pest or disease identification. Although the picture is a bit fuzzy, we don't see any pests or diseases other than the natural progression of bloom fade. If we've missed something on the leaves please send us another close up, sharp photo of the pest or problem and we'll do our best to identify it.

By | 2017-09-11T15:49:20-07:00 March 14th, 2016|Perennials|0 Comments
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