Advice for plants
Mia
22 days ago
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arcy_gw
22 days agoRelated Discussions
newbie advice for planting companion plants?
Comments (11)Skeptic here, too, for the most part. I *have* found nasturtiums to work very well, though. You have to remember, however, that they're a trap crop, not a repellent. Nasturtiums are more attractive to some pests than the crop you're trying to protect, so they go to the nasturtiums first. You can then kill the pest on the nasturtiums (either by organic or synthetic pesticide or by simply removing the nasturtiums along with the resident pests). Whatever method you choose, you're sacrificing the nasturtiums on purpose to save the crop. In our in-ground garden, I plant a row of nasturtiums next to the row of crop I want to protect. With pots, I'd definitely have the nasturtiums in their own separate pots. As far as repelling pests, I still haven't found any plant that lives up to the companion planting hype. The problem is, the majority of them only work when they're jostled or crushed to release the offensive (to the pest) scent. That just doesn't happen enough in the average garden unless the plants are right on the path getting stepped on and brushed against. I just don't have the time and space for that. The dill and brassicas combo is the one other CP that has worked well for me. I have no idea why. It's just been a consistent observation that the years I plant a row of dill in between my rows of broccoli, I have healthier plants and bigger harvests. *shrug* That's not to say that that would happen for everyone, though. Another lucky gardener here who doesn't have to deal with slugs. We have them, but not many. They stay way out by the slough (pond) with the snails and the only place I've ever seen them in the garden is under the rhubarb when I haven't had time to keep it tidy and off the ground. My dad used to have them, though. Horrible things. He used to send me out with a salt shaker when I was a kid. *shudder*...See MoreAloe plant advice- large plant, less then a years old
Comments (22)Andrea - sometimes it is difficult to imagine what we are talking about. I like pictures. Actually feeling with my hands is better, but pictures will do. When we talk about adding perlite to a mix, we mean at least 50/50. Measure with whatever you have - a scoop, a measuring cut, a Dixie cup. Do a scoop of soil, and a scoop of perlite. In the end, it should look really chunky, like this. That is a 50/50 mix of the Miracle Gro C&S mix. I know it says right on the MG bag that it is the "Fast Draining Formula", but just like the sand in a mix, they are wrong about using this alone for our succulents. That 50/50 mix doesn't work for me on everything. It stays too wet during my summers when we get rain every day. But it may be perfect for your conditions if you are keeping the plant indoors (or you don't get 50-70 inches of rain over the summer - LOL). When we mention grit, most of us mean granite chicken grit. It is this size - And Turface is a calcined clay product that retains water but drains quickly. Some people also use NAPA floor dry with good results. And my mix is perlite, Turface and granite grit. It looks like this - A lot of people add bark to their mix. I don't because it breaks down into compost quickly in my warm wet weather. But it does work quite well for others. I've used ReptiBark from the pet store right out of the bag. I hope these pictures help. And as Stush said, your other plants look good! And I really like that new pot you have for your Aloes. Good luck!...See MoreTotal newbie advice sought, Plant/Grow Ponderosa Pine
Comments (3)First off look at the Sunset Western Garden Book and see if this species is zoned for your area. It is extremely drought tolerant and does occur over a very large part of the American West. However the climate of Phoenix is pretty intense, may still not suit it. Other than that do not leave them sitting where the sun will beat on the black pots. And be sure to water enough that the potting soil is not absolute dust for weeks at a time. If you are able to get them established there the planting site better have enough room for what is currently the world's largest growing species of pine, bigger even than the sugar pine that grows among/near the Sierra redwoods in California....See Moreneed advice on plants, jade plant and dracaena maginata
Comments (1)I do not see black spots on the leaves of the jade, just 1 or 2. Is there many of them? Are they large? How about dry leaves that fell off - was it just few or many? Sounds like normal ageing of leaves. Why do you think plant has root rot? Plant looks just a bit etiolated at places, maybe it was moved from poor light into better at times. Soil doesn't look that great for a succulent: I would add lots of sifted perlite to it to improve drainage. After that, I would keep it in best light possible over the winter, let it grow and do some pruning in spring. Where is it going to be kept? What is your growing zone? Can't help with other plant - do not grow it....See MoreJennz9b
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