Problems With Crabapple

/Problems With Crabapple/

Problems With Crabapple

From a photo alone it's impossible to know why this tree is losing leaves. Some general reasons that trees have leaf-drop or die back include:
1. Drought stress. A plant that hasn't gotten enough water will drop leaves in an attempt to save its life as leaves lose moisture through their pores.
2. Fungal disease. Apples are prone to a number of fungal diseases - these usually cause leaves to become spotted or yellow before they fall. Look at the remaining leaves carefully to see if you see spots or yellowing. Some trees are more prone to fungal problems than others.
3. Broken stems or trunk injury. A plant that's had stems broken, or the bark on the trunk cut or chewed will lose leaves and have dieback.
4. Canker - this is a disease some fruit trees get that causes sunken areas on the trunk that inhibit water flow up to the branches. You see branch dieback but the problem is really on the trunk - look for areas that look sunken and "water soaked" or are weeping sap.

By | 2016-03-03T21:28:31-08:00 March 3rd, 2016|Trees|0 Comments
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Snail Damage

The damage on the leaves of your vegetable plants looks like snail and/or slug damage - unfortunately, almost every garden in CA has them! But you can get control of them. First, look for the characteristic slime trails on and around your plants. Snails usually come out at night we usually don't see them feeding. You mention using a pesticide, we're assuming you mean for insects (?), so that wouldn't give you any control over these mollusks. Your best defense is to seek them out in their hiding places during the day, or trap them and destroy them/throw them out in a sealed bag. This link has great info about these pests, and very effective ideas for trapping. You may also need to alter the environment to make it less favorable for them (they like to hide in dark moist areas during the day and even on the bottom of your plant leaves). http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/invertebrates/links.otherinverts.html

By | 2017-09-11T15:49:21-07:00 March 3rd, 2016|Vegetable Plants|0 Comments
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Amazonian Vine

This is a tropical vine that will be a houseplant in your area. It grows best in bright, indirect light and can get to be quite large. You should water whenever the surface of the potting mix is wet. The thing that makes it tricky to grow in a home or apartment is its high humidity requirement. Most people grow it in terrariums for this reason. The bare patches on your stems may be the result of low humidity. The leaves turn brown and fall off. This is not a common house plant, probably because it's not easy for the average homeowner to provide adequate humidity. But it's a very pretty plant, so we can see why you'd want to keep it. We suggest you take cuttings from the ends of the stems and try making a few new plants. If you grow these new, smaller plants on a pebble tray, the humidity will be higher and you may have better luck. If you can grow it in a terrarium or greenhouse, that would make the plant very happy.

By | 2016-03-03T20:19:57-08:00 March 3rd, 2016|Tropical Plants|0 Comments
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Chewing Insect

The problem with chewing insects such as grasshoppers, beetles, caterpillars (too numerous to name) etc. is they move about and often are difficult to spot among the green foliage. Chewing insects can be large enough to see with the naked eye, but they can be green, brown, black, etc. so look closely and pluck off any you see on this plant or its neighbors as long as the infestation is not too extensive. If it is extensive, you can spray with an organic control for chewing insects recommended by your local garden center, such as Bt or Spinosad. Bt is a contact only control and Spinosad has a 7-10 day residual but spray Spinosad in the early evening after the bees have returned to their hives. Once dry it is safe for beneficials. However, the most benign control is pick and squish. Also look for slime trails to see if the damage is due to slugs/snails, but we think it is likely a chewing insect.

By | 2016-03-03T19:59:50-08:00 March 3rd, 2016|Plant Pests|0 Comments
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Passion Flower Vine

The genus Passiflora contains over 400 species, so the common name Passion Flower can be a bit confusing. To muddle matters further, most are vines, but some are shrubs, annuals, perennials and even trees. What they all share are exotic flowers that only remain open for about 1 day. They have a wide, flat petal base with several rings of filaments in the center which surround a stalk of sorts, that holds up the ovary and stamens. Although passion flowers are native in many regions of the southern U.S., they can become a nuisance, to the point of being invasive. Check with your local Cooperative Extension or DEC to see if you should avoid passion flowers altogether or if certain species are preferable. A lot of gardeners prefer to grow their passion flowers in containers. Passion flower grows quite happily in a pot and you have the convenience of being able to move it to a sunnier site or even bring it indoors for the winter. Plus, it limits the spreading by rhizomes.

By | 2016-03-03T19:54:05-08:00 March 3rd, 2016|Vine Plants|0 Comments
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Mildew

It appears to be a type of Mildew. White fungus grows on parts of genetically susceptible plants during seasonal weather conditions that favor its development (in particular dried out root zones in combination with summer dews or fogs or other instances of humidity). Put a few affected leaves in a baggie to show a horticulturist at your local garden center for confirmation of the issue.
It appears that the plant you are describing is the Snail Vine or Vigna caracalla. This plant does not take cold so maybe that is why yours is losing it's leaves. The webbing could be a sign of mites. You should collect and dispose of the affected plant parts to prevent the spread of the mildew and the mites. As far as the "puppy" sacs go, we are not sure what those are exactly...
Here is a link that you might find helpful:
http://www.monrovia.com/plant-catalog/plants/3589/snail-vine/
The history of the plant is interesting....

By | 2016-03-03T17:29:35-08:00 March 3rd, 2016|Plant Diseases|0 Comments
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One Of The Many Varieties Of Heuchera

This is also known as coral bells and is a genus of about 55 species but it has grown so popular it now has an unknown number of hybrids. It has also been bred with others plants called Tiarella so you have x Heucherella. They like moist, well drained soil and depending on the variety like sun, part sun or light shade. They come in so many colors now and they are a beautiful addition to the garden, but we cannot identify a specific cultivar for you. Suggest you consult the following resources to help you narrow down your search:
The Heuchera Society :: photogallery
theheucherasociety.org/Photo-Gallery.php
The Heuchera Society. Home · About us · News · Blog · Plant of the Month · Membership · Photo Gallery · Cultivation > · Heuchera History · Contact · Links ... Hardy Plant Society - Heucheras Booklet or
www.hardy-plant.org.uk/publications/heucheras.php
The Hardy Plant Society is a registered charity that promotes the cultivation and ... It also describes the various Heuchera species

By | 2016-03-03T15:11:44-08:00 March 3rd, 2016|Perennials|0 Comments
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Plumeria Problem

Please accept our apologies for the delay in responding! Plumerias (also known as Frangipani,) need well-draining soil, full or partial sun and regular water. Make sure drainage occurs from the bottom of the pot with each watering. Fertilize with an acid food such as cottonseed meal. From what we can see in this photo, there are a couple of possible causes of leaf death, including lack of sunlight (or possibly too much reflected light and heat from the wall behind the plant - its hard to know what the exposure is thru-out the day from a photo), improper soil moisture (watering), and/or spider mite damage. We recommend you move the plant into full sun but away from any walls or fences that can reflect/increase light intensity and heat, and use a magnifying lens to look for spider mites on both the upper and lower surface of the leaves. We've included a link about spider mites and another about Plumeria from the Plumeria Society:
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/QT/spidermitescard.html
http://www.plumeria.org/Tech_Info/Tech_info.htm

By | 2016-03-03T14:56:57-08:00 March 3rd, 2016|Shrubs|0 Comments
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Beetle Grubs In Soil

These are grubs from one of the beetles such as the Japanese beetle or garden beetle. Although they eat roots, there are always some amount of grubs in a garden and plants aren't severely effected unless the population is huge or the plants' root systems are reduced because of drought or improper irrigation. Many extension services use the following guidelines for treating grubs in a lawn: you dig a piece of the turf one foot by one foot and roll up the grass, counting the grubs that are reveled when you do so. If there are more than 10 grubs per square foot you would want to treat with grub killing product used according to the directions. Most gardeners don't worry about grubs, and just toss them into the road or onto the bird feeder when they are reveled when we dig. There are many animals that eat grubs including birds, skunks and moles, so Mother Nature often brings things into balance that way.

By | 2016-03-03T14:10:29-08:00 March 3rd, 2016|Plant Pests|0 Comments
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Cutleaf Staghorn Sumac Tiger Eyes

This is Staghorn Sumac 'Tiger Eyes'. It is a dwarf, golden-leaved, staghorn sumac cultivar that typically matures to only 6’ tall and as wide. Deeply dissected, pinnate compound leaves (to 1-2’ long) emerge chartreuse in spring, but quickly mature to bright yellow. Foliage may acquire some striking orange and scarlet tones in fall. Tiny insignificant greenish-yellow flowers bloom in terminal cone-shaped panicles in early summer, followed on female plants by reddish fall fruiting clusters. Easily grown in average, dry to medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Tolerant of a wide range of soils except for soils that are poorly drained. Generally tolerant of urban conditions. WARNING - this plant is suckering and invasive via root invasion into surrounding garden areas. 'Tiger Eyes' is actually known to sucker less than traditional Staghorn Sumac, yet buyer be warned - it still suckers and will be a challenge to keep out of surrounding gardens.

By | 2016-03-03T13:31:51-08:00 March 3rd, 2016|Shrubs|0 Comments
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