Cypress Problem

/Cypress Problem/

Cypress Problem

There could be a variety of factors but probably most important, if this is a Cupressus genus, most species only need water about twice a month - every day is too much. Also, it might be suffering from transplant shock - some of the roots may have been damaged during the transplanting process and will need time to recover. When you dug the new planting hole it should have been twice the size of the root ball and planted at the same level as its original container - it should not be planted too deep. Also apply a 2-3 inch layer of mulch around the plant (but not up against the base of the cypress) to help protect the young roots from temperature fluctuations. Finally cypress do best in full sun, in well-draining soil and fed with a slow release or organic fertilizer formulated for conifers. We hope your plant recovers and good luck! Suggest you contact your local garden center to confirm the problems and recommendations as well.

By | 2016-02-19T06:10:31-08:00 February 19th, 2016|Shrubs|0 Comments
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Hibiscus Problem

Hibiscus are not long-lasting houseplants. They need the bright light and heat outdoors to remain healthy. Hibiscus cannot be in a pot without drainage holes for very long. Unfortunately, your plant is showing signs of dying - you could try to re-pot it in a container with drainage, but it has already been stressed so much, it may not make it. If you want to try, treat it as gently as possible when transplanting in a more suitable pot (so as not to damage the roots) and fill with a well-draining, commercial, sterile potting soil. Use a liquid rooting hormone containing indolebutyric acid (not B12 - this does nothing to prevent transplant shock) and follow the directions on the label. Or suggest you select a plant that does thrive in the home environment such as a moth orchid (Phalaenopsis) if you prefer a flowering plant. But all houseplants need to be in containers with adequate drainage holes. Do not let a plant sit in standing water.

By | 2017-09-11T15:49:23-07:00 February 19th, 2016|House Plants|0 Comments
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Zinnia

This is a zinnia. In the northeast it is an annual that is either grown from seed or planted as a seedling that you can buy in six-packs from a garden center in May. These flowering annuals are easy to grow in full sun. Some tips for success are:
1. Plant in full sun - zinnias need at least 6 hours of dead-on sunshine including the noon hour.
2. Like all annuals they bloom on new growth so stimulate that new growth with fertilizer, either an organic product with a slightly higher first number (nitrogen) or a synthetic fertilizer that also has a slightly higher percentage of nitrogen.
3. Water zinnias deeply once a week in most northeast gardens. These are plants from Mexico, so they do not like frequent splashing of water on their leaves. Frequent irrigation is the kiss of death for these plants!
4. Deadhead - that is, clip off the old flowers - consistently to promote new bloom. So cutting the flowers for bouquets does double duty: you get pretty flowers for the house or to give away, and you also stimulate more bloom!

By | 2016-02-19T03:32:18-08:00 February 19th, 2016|Annuals|0 Comments
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Nutrient Or Water Issue

Its hard to say what's causing the spotting on your Bougainvillea leaves, but it could be either a nutrient issue and/or a water issue; they are inter-related. Its also possibly caused by root issues. These plants do not like to have their roots disturbed when transplanting, and are easily affected by this process. If you've had this plant in the pot for awhile, that's obviously not part of the problem, but if it was recently moved to this pot, you may have to wait until the roots recover and begin to take up water & nutrients properly. Otherwise, this plant needs regular water (to keep the soil evenly moist) when growing in a pot. If water is not sufficient, it won't be able to get the dissolved nutrients normally taken up with water (if the nutrients exist in the soil). If you have not fertilized in the recent past, we recommend you apply a slow release tree/shrub fertilizer and mix into the soil well (without disturbing the roots). Continue to water as necessary to keep the soil evenly moist (but not wet)!

By | 2016-02-19T03:17:44-08:00 February 19th, 2016|Shrubs|0 Comments
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Lemon Citrus Fruit

Lemon and lime trees are particularly tricky to identify as their fruit and blossoms can look very similar, especially when they aren’t fully ripe. Lemon and lime trees, however, have several characteristic differences that can help identify them. One good way to distinguish is the leaf. Examine the leaf shape. Lemon trees’ leaves tend to be oblong, elliptical and can grow up to 5 inches long. Lime trees’ leaves are smaller and generally aren’t more than 2 inches long. This appears to be a lemon due to the large leaves.
Another way to tell is by fragrance of both the fruit and the foliage.
Score the rind of the fruit carefully. Lemon trees' fruit will smell like lemons, while limes will display a strong lime scent.
Remove a leaf, crush it and smell the leaf’s oils. The lemon tree’s leaves will have a strong lemon odor, while the lime leaves will smell like lime. This will help you confirm, but appears to be an immature lemon.

By | 2016-02-19T03:02:09-08:00 February 19th, 2016|Fruit Plants & Trees|1 Comment
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Crabgrass

It's hard to tell from the picture, but the solution is the same regardless of the type of unwanted grass you have. You have several options. You can selectively remove the unwanted clumps and replace them with healthy sod, which in your case might be a big task. Or you can carefully spray the unwanted grass with an herbicide (see the link below before attempting), being cautious not to get overspray on desirable grass, remove it when it's dead and replant with sod or allow your lawn to fill in the bare areas. The other option would be to consult with a lawn care company in your area. They are often able to apply herbicides that remove unwanted grass types while at the same time applying fertilizer to the desired lawn to improve it's health so weeds and unwanted grasses can't invade. The key to keeping lawns weed free, which includes weedy grasses, is to adopt a lawn maintenance program. Healthy grass is much less likely to have unwelcome weeds and grasses.

By | 2016-02-18T21:50:57-08:00 February 18th, 2016|Weeds|0 Comments
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Citrus Issues

It appears that there are at least 2 things going on here: 1 - Your tree is suffering from a lack of nutrients. We suggest that you invest in a fertilizer formulated especially for Citrus and follow the label directions. When a tree is suffering stress from environmental causes (lack of water, lack of nutrients) it weakens the tree and it is not able to fight off insect and disease pests. 2 - WE cannot see the "white stuff" clearly enough to make a positive ID but it appears to be either a mealybug or a scale insect. For a more positive ID on both, we would suggest taking a bagged sample into your local independent garden center and/or your local Cooperative Extension office. They might also be able to suggest solutions to you specifically for your particular situation. These links might be helpful:
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/GARDEN/FRUIT/citrus.html
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/GARDEN/FRUIT/ENVIRON/mineraldef.html

By | 2016-02-18T21:07:50-08:00 February 18th, 2016|Fruit Plants & Trees|0 Comments
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Fluctuations In Soil Water

This odd shaped/colored fruit may be the result of large fluctations in soil moisture, yellowing leaves, sun exposure on the fruit, or a combination of issues. First, it appears that you have some leafminer insects that have made mines in some leaves, but they probably aren't responsible for the yellow leaves and "off" fruit. The yellowing on the older, larger leaves could be a Nitrogen deficiency, (some of the green leaves appear to be too small which is also a symptom). Nutrient deficiency can also be a result of too much or not enough water in the soil which injures roots so that they take up less of the necessary nutrients. Nitrogen is harder for plants to get usually, anyway. We recommend fertilizing with an appropriate type of material by following the label directions. You can get these materials at your local garden center. Here's more info about squash. http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/GARDEN/VEGES/squash.html

By | 2016-02-18T16:44:12-08:00 February 18th, 2016|Vegetable Plants|0 Comments
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Yellow Leaves On Liriope

This is not an infectious disease, but probably a soil, root, and/or nutrient issue. According to the link we've included at the end of this message, Liriope need good drainage, a slightly acidic soil pH, and regular fertilizer from Feb thru Sept. You'd think, since both plants are in the same area that soil conditions, water content, pH and etc would be the same for both, but we see these situations quite often. It could be that the poor looking plant has a root problem, or a root problem is being caused by the soil properties immediately surrounding this plant. We recommend you refer to the info in this link, specifically the 'Cultural Practices' section. One other note - some plants suffer from close proximity to walls and fences because these structures reflect light and heat to the plant, increasing light intensity and temps/heat in excess of the plants tolerance.
http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freepubs/pdf/liriope.pdf

By | 2016-02-18T15:47:31-08:00 February 18th, 2016|Plant Diseases|1 Comment
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Blueberry Problem

Could be one of several things, including drought stress, salty soils, or a soil pH problem. Most likely drought stress/heat stress. Young blueberry plants are especially vulnerable because their roots tend to be shallow and the top soil depths dry out most quickly. Also, young plants create little shade, so the soil becomes very hot. As soils dry out lack of water causes edges and tips of blueberry leaves to dry out and turn brown. This symptom is often confused with burn from a pesticide spray. They need to kept moist, but not waterlogged, meaning you need good drainage.

We don't know how old this blueberry plant is? And we'd like to ask, is this the extent of the damage --just a few leaves?

For now, we recommend you remove the dead and damaged leaves. You might also want to consider a soil test, through the County Extension office, and tell them you are growing blueberries. Our soil is very alkaline, and they really love acid soil. You may need to amend your soil accordingly.



By | 2016-02-18T14:20:50-08:00 February 18th, 2016|Fruit Plants & Trees|0 Comments
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