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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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Leaf Damage

You have damage that appears to be from beetles. The picture isn't from either a zinnia or a kale, however, so we're assuming that what you're seeing on those is similar? Neem doesn't work that well for many insects. Try dusting with diatomaceous earth, reapplying after a rain. Also go out at night and see if you see earwigs, brown beetles or shiny black Japanese beetles. Those are active in Northeast gardens right now. Also, the damage you see on Kale might be from the cabbage loper larvae - tiny green worms. Spray either with Bt or a product containing Spinosad. Our best guess is that this is what's doing damage on your kale at this time of year so treat it differently than the zinnias. Earwigs (brown, pinchers on their hind ends) love zinnia foliage so that might be the problem there. Diatomaceous earth is quite effective for earwigs - dust the plants and the ground around them. All of the above are organic controls.

By | 2016-02-17T21:27:38-08:00 February 17th, 2016|Shrubs|0 Comments
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Bougainvillea

Your lovely plant is bougainvillea, an impressive woody and thorny 'vine' or shrub bearing colorful bracts (the real flowers are the small inconspicuous white flowers in the center). A South American native, it does not tolerate much frost but is a fast-growing, vigorous plant that needs a sturdy support such as a trellis, wall or fence. Needs full sun and moderate water. Bougainvillea blooms best in nutritionally poor soils. They come in many different colors.
Bougainvillea are tropical and must be protected from frost. In Zone 8 and cooler, you are almost limited to growing them in some kind of container unless you treat them as an annual (plant a new plant outdoors each year). Bougainvillea thrives in full sun. At least 5 hours a day of direct sunlight is the minimal light required for good bloom. More hours of direct sun are better. Less than 5 hours and the plant may not bloom very well.

By | 2016-02-17T14:38:02-08:00 February 17th, 2016|Shrubs|0 Comments
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Camellia Petal Blight

This may be camellia blight, a fungus that is soil-borne. During winter and spring rains, moisture splashes the soil and moves the fungus from the soil to the branches and foliage and then to the buds and opening flower petals. When and if the buds open, the petals decay and are brown and mushy. If infected buds, flowers, and leaves are left on the ground, the cycle will continue and destroy your plant’s flower production. So pick up the fallen camellia debris and dispose in the trash. Also apply a 2-3 inch layer of mulch around the plant, leaving a 2- inch diameter around the base of the plant clear to help break the cycle. And, once flowers are spent, camellias need an acid fertilizer such as Camellia/Azalea food or cottonseed meal. Camellias do best in partial shade or filtered light and regular water. Here is more information: http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/GARDEN/PLANTS/DISEASES/campfbli.html

By | 2016-02-16T09:22:02-08:00 February 16th, 2016|Shrubs|0 Comments
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Asian Spindle Tree

The genus Euonymus is comprised of 175 species of shrubs, trees, and climbers grown for their attractive foliage, interesting fruit, and good autumn color. Most are native to Asia. Euonymus have a variety of uses in the garden, including as part of a shrub border or as specimens, hedges, or groundcovers.
Noteworthy characteristics: Nice autumn color and ornamental fruit. All parts cause mild stomach discomfort if eaten.
Care: Tolerates most any well-drained soil in full sun or light shade. Evergreens need a sheltered site, while variegated plants show best in sun.
Propagation:

As soon as seeds ripen, sow them in containers in a cold frame. Deciduous species can be started from greenwood cuttings in summer. Propagate evergreen species in summer from semi-ripe cuttings.
Problems:

Witches' broom, stem dieback, powdery mildew, and fungal spots. Some pests and diseases can cause problems both in the garden and indoors, including mites, scale insects, leaf miners, aphids, and mealybugs.

By | 2016-02-14T19:39:07-08:00 February 14th, 2016|Shrubs|0 Comments
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Mickey Mouse Plantbirds Eye Bush

Your plant is likely the evergreen shrub commonly known as Mickey Mouse plant or bird's eye bush because of the berries and sepals similarity in appearance. Endemic to South Africa, their fragrant and short-lived yellow flowers emerge in spring and on and off throughout the year depending on weather conditions, followed by clusters of small green fruit that mature into glossy-black berries below bright red sepals (not really flowers, but the lingering sepals). By early summer the entire plant can be covered in what at first appears to be red flowers but is actually the lingering sepals and with closer inspection the combination of these sepals and the black berries show the resemblance to the face of Mickey Mouse or bird's eye, hence their common names. Flowers best in full sun but will tolerate some shade. Once established, needs little to moderate water but will flower more when given supplemental water. Hardy to 27° F. It is a bee and butterfly magnet and birds love the berries. Can be pruned for shape or into hedges.

By | 2017-09-11T15:49:24-07:00 February 14th, 2016|Shrubs|0 Comments
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Lilac

This may be a lilac but it's hard to be sure since the joining of the stems of the two largest leaves is hidden by a smaller leaf. If you could send us a photo of two pairs of leaves showing how the stems of those leaves attach to the main branch, we could tell for sure. Lilacs have leaves that are opposite - since so many plants have similar shaped leaves one way of telling one from another is how the leaves are arranged on the stem. Another is to have a photo of a flower, or the dried remains from an old flower.

If it is, lilacs produce fragrant trusses of flowers in blue, purple, pink, white in the spring. Lilacs need full sun (or light shade where summers are hot), and regular water. Prune just after flowers are spent to encourage new shoots and better flowering for the following year. Feed with a slow release or organic fertilizer formulated for blooming shrubs about once a year just as the buds are beginning to emerge.

By | 2016-02-14T11:40:17-08:00 February 14th, 2016|Shrubs|0 Comments
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Lichen

Lichen (pronounced “liken”) is a biological class of complex organisms (a fungus and alga or cyanobacterium) that have a symbiotic relationship. The green algae and cyanobacteria produce food by photosynthesis. The fungi cannot photosynthesize, but provide a protective exterior surface for the algae/cyanobacteria. This enables the algae/cyanobacteria to exist in full sun, thus maximizing its ability to produce food for both. Lichen gain water and mineral nutrients mainly from the atmosphere, through rain and dust. THis is not a disease and will not hurt the tree or shrub.

Lichen not only grow on plants but on the ground and on rocks. Lichens have a great deal of variability in color and form depending on the species. The color can range from white to green to yellow/orange/red, and some have black specks. Some are flat and others look like ruffles. Some look like small, leafless shrubs.

By | 2016-02-14T11:16:14-08:00 February 14th, 2016|Shrubs|0 Comments
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Butterfly Bush

Butterfly bush is a sub shrub in your area and can die back to the ground during cold winters. This by itself is not a problem because many people cut it back to the ground in spring. There are two reasons why they might not make it through the winter. One, the soil might be getting too cold. Provide winter protection such as a mound of chopped leaves around the base of each plant. They should be hardy in your area and such protection shouldn't be necessary, but perhaps it is windy there. Two, the soil could be too wet during the end of winter when snow melts, causing the roots to rot. It is very difficult to correct drainage problems after plants are in the ground. Applying an organic mulch around each plant at least as wide as the shrub, and maybe wider, will eventually improve drainage as the mulch rots each year and adds organic matter to the soil. You may want to consult a cooperative extension agent or the horticulturist at a local garden center in case there is a local problem with these shrubs that we don't know about.

By | 2016-02-14T01:19:10-08:00 February 14th, 2016|Shrubs|0 Comments
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Rose

Because there are over150 wild species of shrubs and climbers native to Asia, Europe, North Africa and North America, plus thousands of different garden forms of varying growth and flower types divided into two broad categories, Old Garden Roses and Modern Roses, we cannot identify yours specifically. All roses however do best in full sun with regular water and feed with a slow release or organic fertilizer formulated for roses. Since it is in a container, do not allow the plant to sit in water - allow the water to drain out thoroughly if you want to put the plant back in a saucer. Suggest you show a few clippings to a local garden center that specializes in roses or botanic garden to see if a horticulturist can identify more specifically. You can also visit online websites such as www.helpmefindroses.com or Welcome to The Rose Society of Pune
www.punerose.com/ or India - World Federation of Rose Societies
www.worldrose.org/countries/india.asp‎

By | 2016-02-13T08:01:07-08:00 February 13th, 2016|Shrubs|0 Comments
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