| Subject | Date Asked |
|
| Butterfly palm | 11/24/2009 |
Q: I bought this indoor butterfly palm about a month ago and it was fine, it had lovely bright green ...
A: Palms love a humid environment and your radiator is causing an arid one, it needs to be misted ...
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| bougainvillia pruning | 11/23/2009 |
Q: I am a snowbird. When I returned to my pad for the winter, I was astounded to see how tall and ...
A: ...ok, because you are a bird, enjoy the color for a couple of months, but before you head back, you ...
|
| Phoenix Roebelenii transplanting | 11/22/2009 |
Q: I want to remove a 10 ft, 4 trunk P. roebelenii from inside a pool cage planting area. It was ...
A: I just had a similiar question, concerning moving a large Grapefruit tree, and I will tell you what ...
|
| Bird of Paradise | 11/20/2009 |
Q: H Nick, I couldn't ask another questions unless I started a new thread. When you say repot into a ...
A: I will be totally honest with you, Birds here in Florida grow upwards of 25 feet!, they need room ...
|
| Care | 11/20/2009 |
Q: Nick how do i take care of a Schefflera plants and a Croton plants You have help me before and every ...
A: You can use the same potting mix for all, its the amount of irrigating that will differ for each, ...
|
| bird of paradise | 11/20/2009 |
Q: My BOD has a leaf that is opening but looks like the complete leaf will not open again. It has a ...
A: ..not hard to believe with Birds, they grow fast and as I said, the root system can be extensive, ...
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| bird of paradise | 11/20/2009 |
Q: My BOD has a leaf that is opening but looks like the complete leaf will not open again. It has a ...
A: I am inclined to think that it has vigorously outgrown the 12 inch pot, Birds are fast growers and ...
|
| bird of paradise | 11/19/2009 |
Q: My BOD has a leaf that is opening but looks like the complete leaf will not open again. It has a ...
A: I always say if I could materialize at the questioners plant I could be so much more helpful, but I ...
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| disposal of banana plant | 11/19/2009 |
Q: Hi Nick further to my earlier question i would like to know if i can use the trunk of the banana ...
A: Ahhh, ok, you can mince them up and put them on the compost pile, they break down rather quickly and ...
|
| mussaenda | 11/18/2009 |
Q: I have a mussaenda that is being killed by some kind of tan colored egg(??) it is sucking the life ...
A: It sounds like Aphids, and they will suck the life out of a plant, Organocide will work, but Utra ...
|
| Sea Grape | 11/15/2009 |
Q: I have a samll sea grape growing in a container. Something is eating the leaves> Here are some ...
A: more then likely it is Slugs, they feed at night and disappear into the soil during the daylight ...
|
| Rooting A New Bannana Palm | 11/15/2009 |
Q: My Banana Palm was leaning and tipping over as I had neglected to repot it with new and more soil. ...
A: I think I understand what you did, but just in case, you need to take the bottom part, which ...
|
| splitting majesty palm and giant bird of paradise | 11/15/2009 |
Q: I have two large (9ft. & 12 ft.)giant bird of paradise's in my garden (coastal Texas) and a 12 ft. ...
A: You need to cut down into the Rhizome (underground root system) and segment a section of it, which ...
|
| Queen Palm Winter Protection | 11/15/2009 |
Q: I have read that XMAS lights and pipe heaters (heat tape?) can be used. Heat tape had lots of ...
A: Xmas lights are indeed a viable alternative to protection against a light frost, but a hard frost ...
|
| A yellow mold on a dwarf banana plant | 11/14/2009 |
Q: I have a dwarf banana plant that I noticed had some soft light yellow mold growing on the dirt's ...
A: Gloria, it sounds like an innocuous mold that is sustaining itself on the soil, not the Banana ...
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| fishtail palms leave tips browning | 11/13/2009 |
Q: I live in san diego (near the beach, but not on the beach) and our two 10ft. tall fishtale palms ...
A: I need more information, how much water have they got, more then usual? less then usual?, anything ...
|
| my dessert rose | 11/13/2009 |
Q: my son bought this rose for me for Mothers Day, and he told me it likes alot of sun. now its ...
A: you didn't mention where you live, but it does indeed like full Sun and loathes cold temps; if the ...
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| Bird of Paradise | 11/12/2009 |
Q: I have a BOD I have had for about 5 years. Last year when I moved it suffered a bit from being left ...
A: you can cut that lanky stem off, but cut it from the bottom where they all emerge; I never heard ...
|
| ganoderma | 11/12/2009 |
Q: I came across your answer to "Chris" regarding Ganoderma. I first notice Ganoderma on my foxtail. ...
A: ...it is indeed insidious, and the sad part is that there is no cure or preventative; I would remove ...
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| ganoderma | 11/12/2009 |
Q: I came across your answer to "Chris" regarding Ganoderma. I first notice Ganoderma on my foxtail. ...
A: there is no cure for it, sadly the tree will continue a slow decline; as far as it spreading, I know ...
|
| Apple Banana Tree | 11/12/2009 |
Q: I have 2 apple banana trees with bananas. How do I know when to cut down? Do I leave the red seed ...
A: When you notice for 2 weeks, that the Banana fingers have not swelled anymore, then its time to cut ...
|
| franboyan tropical tree | 11/12/2009 |
Q: I have planted franboyan trees in Los Angeles and would like to know what to use for winter ...
A: if they are small enough you can cover them with a frost blanket, this will suffice for your area, ...
|
| Bougenvilla/Oleander | 11/10/2009 |
Q: My Bougenvilla flowered exceptionally well last year, but had not one bloom this summer. I live in ...
A: usually when Bougs don't display their usual colorful bracts (they are not flowers..) it is because ...
|
| trimming mussenada | 11/7/2009 |
Q: Expert I have noticed my pink mousseanda plant, whenever I trim the plant the branch or stein that ...
A: there is not real science to trimming these, they normally react very well to removal of spent ...
|
| queen palms | 11/6/2009 |
Q: I live in Gilbert, AZ. We here cut what we call the bark or wood of the trunk. I just don't know how ...
A: ok, I am going out on a limb here (pardon the pun), but I am thinking that you are referring to the ...
|
| Transplanting Royal Palms | 11/6/2009 |
Q: Our 2 Royal Palms (40')were transplanted Oct. 19. We have been watering them slowly for a few hours ...
A: continue to water them for another week, the stress is normal, especially for such a large Palm; it ...
|
| Queen Palm | 11/4/2009 |
Q: Is there any way one can stop the pods from growing, without harming the Queen Palm? They are very ...
A: I wish I had some good news for you , but the fact of the matter is, that all Queens develop seed ...
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| natal plum plant is dying | 11/1/2009 |
Q: We have 2 natal plum trees on our property that were here when we bought the house in New Orleans. ...
A: Michel, the combination of root damage and extensive rain is contributing to the compromising of the ...
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| Plumeria Plants | 10/30/2009 |
Q: Help..appears they are all dying..combination of black spots and yellowy gold powdery substance on ...
A: you didn't say where you live, but here in South Florida, Plumerias go semi dormant in the Winter, ...
|
| Care | 10/29/2009 |
Q: Nick how do i take care of a Schefflera plants and a Croton plants You have help me before and every ...
A: and great to hear from you again! they both are pretty easy to care for, partial shade for both, and ...
|
| Sago Palms | 10/17/2009 |
Q: I live in SC I have two small Sago Palms. Through the winter the fonds all turn brown. Is there a ...
A: they are reacting to cold stress, if they are small enough, cover them with a "frost cloth" when a ...
|
| Gold capellas with dark mold | 10/17/2009 |
Q: I live in Fort Lauderdale, FL and have gold capellas on 3 sides of my house. The ones that face ...
A: they probably have a fungal problem, you need to get a fungicide called "Daconil", it won't do ...
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| banana leaf palm | 10/16/2009 |
Q: I have a banana leaf palm in my NYC apt. Since I brought it home and replanted it started to die. ...
A: ..the new growth is probably a new plant developing, watch this pup, and when it gets to be about 2 ...
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| banana leaf palm | 10/16/2009 |
Q: I have a banana leaf palm in my NYC apt. Since I brought it home and replanted it started to die. ...
A: Bananas are tropical herbaceous perennials that need a bright and humid growing condition; it needs ...
|
| Kentia palm repotting | 10/15/2009 |
Q: I have a 20 year old 12 foot Kentia Palm (at least I think that is what it is). It has lost soil at ...
A: No, this is a common phenomenon with Palms and is nothing to be concerned about; trying to cover ...
|
| dwarf red banana fruit | 10/12/2009 |
Q: Once the fruiting body/bud is showing about how long before I should see fruit? How long before ...
A: once the inflorescence has shown (the ear of corn type emergence...) it will be a good 2-3 months ...
|
| Wintering Mandevillas | 10/11/2009 |
Q: Good morning Nick. We have three Mandevilla (Sun Parasol Crimson)plants. The questions is; After ...
A: Bill , if its potted, then just move the pot inside to a sunny window and keep it watered enough to ...
|
| Queen palm with ants. | 10/11/2009 |
Q: We recently bought three large Queen palm from a nursery. The largest one is stunning! The trunk is ...
A: The larger ants that stream out when you water are carpenter ants, you need to hit them with a ...
|
| climate numbers? | 10/8/2009 |
Q: hey nick, i just read your question about the ice cream banana! it answered some questions that i ...
A: Hey Leaf, ok, the number one enemy of any banana plant is cold stress, and even a light frost can ...
|
| Mini Palm | 10/6/2009 |
Q: I'm trying to figure out what this plant is, and if i can cut it off and replant it. It seems to be ...
A: thats a Dracaena and a very weak one at that, I would cut it back to near the surface, and it will ...
|
| Hibiscus | 10/5/2009 |
Q: My hibiscus are up about 4 ft. Is this time of year okay to cut back about 1-2 feet so they are ...
A: you can, but there is a great product called "N-sulate", that can be bought online, and it works ...
|
| Fertilizing Phoenix roebelenii | 10/4/2009 |
Q: I live in Volusia County FL and would like to know the recommended times of the year to fertilize my ...
A: You should be fertilizing 3 times a year, March , June and then again in Sept. with a well balanced ...
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| palm trees | 10/3/2009 |
Q: I have 15 palm trees planted in the ground I only have a problem with 3 of them a Christmas ...
A: that is usually a sign of a nutrient deficiency from a problem in the root system, but without ...
|
| draceana marginata | 9/30/2009 |
Q: My Dracaena plant has 3 stems and was looking beautiful for the last year. all of a sudden the ...
A: you didn't mention how long this plant was in its container, but it sounds like the soil needs to be ...
|
| hibiscus sucker | 9/29/2009 |
Q: I have left the little sucker in place all summer. But now the parent does not look as healthy. It ...
A: the sucker is taking away energy from the parent, I would sever it from the parent and wait awhile ...
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| soil type for simi drwarf orange tree | 9/29/2009 |
Q: I recently bought a simi drwarf washington navel orange tree from lowes. It is in a a pot 12" tall ...
A: Oh my! I just read my response LOL....I am sorry Mischale, By all means do "NOT" plant it in the ...
|
| large banana trees | 9/23/2009 |
Q: My back yard is over grown with banana trees. I have cut them down just to see little ones ...
A: Bananas are surviviors and unless you kill the underground "Corm", it will continue to send out ...
|
| Bougainvillea HELP | 9/23/2009 |
Q: I have 2 Bougainvillea plants in my South Florida yard, they are six feet high and have never ...
A: Hey Steve, ok, Bougs are really very easy to grow , what happens is people pay way too much ...
|
| Travelers Palm/Tree | 9/23/2009 |
Q: I moved into my house 4 years ago and there's a full-size travelers palm in the backyard. For the ...
A: ......at least 3 times a year for optimum growth; when its in need of fertilizing, it will draw ...
|
| Travelers Palm/Tree | 9/23/2009 |
Q: I moved into my house 4 years ago and there's a full-size travelers palm in the backyard. For the ...
A: Paul, its normal for the lower fronds to brown out, but the middle ones drying out is sign of ...
|
| Pigmy Palms has white powder | 9/22/2009 |
Q: We live in California in an area where it gets over 100 degrees in the summer months. I have 40 ...
A: This photo was kind of inconclusive, but you alluded to another, so I am going to check it ...
|
| sick roebelenii | 9/22/2009 |
Q: New growth on palm is coated with a white crust.It looks like hardened white wash.Underneath the ...
A: That is a Scale Insect, and needs to be treated with a Horticultural Oil, make sure you coat the ...
|
| When to pick foxtail palm seeds. | 9/21/2009 |
Q: When is the right time to pick foxtail palm seeds? is it best to wait for them to fall naturally or ...
A: Wait until they fall Mark, then be sure to soak them for about a week after scarifying them (cutting ...
|
| Banana tree in my yard | 9/21/2009 |
Q: Should I pick the bananas while they are still green? How do I know when they are plump enough to ...
A: when the individual banana "fingers" plump out to point where you don't notice any more swelling ...
|
| amaryllis plants | 9/21/2009 |
Q: i want to bring my amaryllis plants indoors for the winter .but i also want to put the in fresh ...
A: wait until the leaves are yellow and drooping, then cut them back to an inch or so from the top; ...
|
| White Bird of Paradise | 9/20/2009 |
Q: McCann: I received a Strelitzia Reginae - White Bird of Paradise as a gift. After one week I ...
A: I am thinking that your assumption is correct, transplant shock, and once it recovers, it should ...
|
| queen anne palms | 9/18/2009 |
Q: I have come upon 3 queen anne palms that are about 4 years old. Can I transplant them and if so ...
A: You can transplant them, but when you lift them, ( I am assuming they are in the ground and you want ...
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| Royal Palm Root Structure | 9/14/2009 |
Q: Nick, Could you please explain the root structure on a Royal Palm? I thought it was just the bulb, ...
A: Barbara, I am really at a loss hearing this, for I have seen many Royals right up against streets, ...
|
| brown on the tips of my angel plant | 9/12/2009 |
Q: i have a angel plant and i dont understand why the tips of the leaf turns brown i dont know if its ...
A: there are several reasons this could be happening, but the primary reason for this for a plant in a ...
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| Bouganvilla losing leaves and flowers | 9/11/2009 |
Q: I just bought a beautiful Bouganvilla plant 2 weeks ago from a local nursery. It was full of ...
A: Bougs are very sensitive to a change in environment and watering; they do not like much water, and ...
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| Foxtail Palms | 9/10/2009 |
Q: 3 palms were planted 4 years ago and are large and healthy. Should I be concerned that the trunks ...
A: Palms often show strange growth phenomenon during the life time, many times it is the roots system ...
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| care of "xmas" palm | 9/10/2009 |
Q: I live in FL. I bought a palm with a common name of the Christmas tree palm. Can you give me info ...
A: It is actually an "Adonidia" (common name Christmas Palm); it is not hardy and a freeze will ...
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| Rowe red banana plant | 9/7/2009 |
Q: I live in the Pacific Northwest (Redmond, WA) and recently purchased a row red banana plant. Should ...
A: You didn't mention how big the plant was, if it is under 4 feet, you can containerize it for the ...
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| washingtonia robusta,invasive root span? | 9/7/2009 |
Q: I have a washingtonia robusta palm tree approx 6 years old on my property it is about 4-5 meters ...
A: Palms do not root out like trees, they form a root system that is more like a root clump; the roots ...
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| banana tree support | 9/4/2009 |
Q: I inherited a banana tree that is probably 11 feet tall... It is really bending over and I would ...
A: this is a real uphill battle, first they need to be in the ground, no container can accommodate a ...
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| Fox Tail Palm froze | 9/3/2009 |
Q: We had a fox tail palm (approx 9 foot tall) planted last March. In late March we had an unusual ...
A: The image doesn't look encouraging, albeit there is a little green showing on the terminal frond ...
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| Banana Leaf Palm | 8/31/2009 |
Q: I have a banana leaf palm that has done very well, until recently. The palm continues to grow new ...
A: it is usually a case of not enough fertilizer, Bananas plants, (not palm..) are heavy feeders and if ...
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| Queen Palm | 8/30/2009 |
Q: My queen palm (which is ten years old), is smaller than its sister queens, and now its new growth is ...
A: welcome to the mystery of growing Palms that are not indigenous to a region, I am assuming you are ...
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| repair for over-watered ponytail palm | 8/28/2009 |
Q: I purchased a ponytail palm about a month ago; it's in a gallon container. I put it in my home ...
A: Pony Tails store all the water they need in that bulbous bottom they have, and a young one (like ...
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| adonidia and foxtail palms | 8/27/2009 |
Q: I live in New Orleans,La. and recently planted 2 baby foxtails and adonidia palms. The heat and ...
A: I need more information, who planted them? and when planted,where they planted at the exact height ...
|
| Passion flower leaves | 8/25/2009 |
Q: Its August now and ive noticed that the leaves on my passion flowers have been turning yellow and ...
A: It could be getting too much water, but don't be concerned, they are created to take a lot of ...
|
| bromeliads | 8/24/2009 |
Q: I understand that I am supposed to cut back the bromeliad after it blooms, but where do I cut it ...
A: Just cut the spent bloom off, the parent plant will send out pups that will be the next bloomer, ...
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| musa dwarf cavendish | 8/21/2009 |
Q: I have a 5 year old plant . How old and tall does it get before it is mature enough to produce fruit ...
A: under ideal conditions, "In the ground" without cold stress, a Banana produces fruit in 12-15 ...
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| queen palm pruning | 8/20/2009 |
Q: I have a two very young Queen Palms in my backyard. They're approx. 45 to 55 inches in height. My ...
A: without any fronds at all, it is doubtful that the Palm will send any out, in fact it is a wonder if ...
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| foxtail palm | 8/19/2009 |
Q: its not the fishtail palm that i mean. here is a photo that i found. are they foxtail palms? and if ...
A: Yep ...all Foxtails, but very well kept ones,,this is why it is so important to fertilize and ...
|
| yucca | 8/19/2009 |
Q: I have "inherited" my son's yucca plant in order to save it. The stem is about 1ft high but is very ...
A: It obviously has been over watered by your son, they do not need much irrigating; It may or may not ...
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| Queen Palm frawns | 8/18/2009 |
Q: I have a few mature (15 yrs old) Queen Palms in my backyard. They're approx. 25 to 35 feet in ...
A: There will not be any debris from the fronds themselves;and there won't be any other debris as long ...
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| brown leaves on banana | 8/18/2009 |
Q: I planted my 18 inch tall banana in 5 gallon pot in Mar/09. It is growing but the leaves are getting ...
A: my pleasure, ok, first you must know that Bananas do not fare well in containers, they tend to ...
|
| Bird of Paradise | 8/17/2009 |
Q: I have had my Bird of Paradise indoors (attrium) for 20 or more years. It has multiplied and done ...
A: I would look to the container it is in, it sounds like the root system has become stressed (probably ...
|
| bananas | 8/16/2009 |
Q: Our backyard banana tree is bearing fruit. The bananas are always very small and never turn yellow, ...
A: too bad you don't live near Port Charlotte, Fl, for I will be giving a presentation on growing ...
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| to or not to transplant 8 year old jaboticaba | 8/16/2009 |
Q: 8 year old jaboticaba, 7 ft. tall, grows in a 35 gal. plastic garbage container resting on ground. ...
A: it may well be too big for that container, and it may also have compacted soil , and your irrigation ...
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| Foxtail Palm | 8/15/2009 |
Q: We have two Foxtail Palm, we live in Central FL, last winter we had the first frost this area has ...
A: unfortunately it isn't like a tree, where you can cut a damaged section off and have it callous over ...
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| newly planted pygmy with burning frawns | 8/15/2009 |
Q: I planted to pygmy palms in the ground four weeks ago in a raised bed. I used a lot of compost from ...
A: yes, it sounds like whatever was in the compost has compromised the roots on the Palm; the yellowing ...
|
| Propogating plants | 8/14/2009 |
Q: I've cut back some Ixora and wonder if the cuttings can be rooted in water? Also, how do you ...
A: propagation of Ixora is by taking 5" tip cuttings (they can be green or hardwood..) dipping them in ...
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| Phoenix roebelenii | 8/14/2009 |
Q: Mr. McCann, I rescued this pygmy date palm 10 months ago. Admittedly, it was in bad shape; ...
A: ...the soft trunk is an indication of root rot Troy, I am afraid once that sets in it is extremely ...
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| White Bird of Paradise with yellow leaves--follow up | 8/14/2009 |
Q: Nick, Thanks for your answer confirming that I'm (and well-intentioned friends) are overwatering. ...
A: I would kick it up a tad, with a larger container, preferably a clay pot (my preference anyway..) ...
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| White Bird of Paradise with yellow leaves | 8/13/2009 |
Q: I live in Phoenix, Arizona, which as you know is quite hot. I have a White Bird of Paradise which ...
A: The problem that arises when extreme heat is present, is people tend to water more, thinking that ...
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| Foxtail Palm and Gardenia shrubs | 8/11/2009 |
Q: I emailed you last April concerning foxtails that were not doing well when I first planted them. I ...
A: I am pretty sure I know what the problem "was" and you corrected it albeit maybe too late, when the ...
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| majestic palm tree | 8/10/2009 |
Q: I've just planted a majestic palm tree approximately four feet in height. How fast will it grow in ...
A: "Majesty", Palms have a spreading type growth , unlike the usual vertical growth of many other ...
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| Pups growing out of plant | 8/10/2009 |
Q: I purchased a Bromeliad for my office, one with 2 yellow spikes that fade into red. I noticed today ...
A: ...Shelly, detach them with a sharp knife, when the base of the pup is firm and set it in a soilless ...
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| white bird of Paradise | 8/9/2009 |
Q: I was told not to plant a white bird of paradise next to the wall of my home because of the root ...
A: I wouldn't put a White BOP, but the smaller Orange version is just fine, they both have fibrous type ...
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| potted adonidia palm | 8/9/2009 |
Q: i transplanted some adinidia palms straight from buying them into biger containers for outside. ...
A: Palms need to adjust to a new surrounding when planted and often show stress while going through ...
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| Foxtail Palm and Gardenia shrubs | 8/9/2009 |
Q: I emailed you last April concerning foxtails that were not doing well when I first planted them. I ...
A: nice to hear from you again:)...The Foxtail that is still ailing could just be too compromised from ...
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| Phoenix robellini | 8/8/2009 |
Q: Mr. McCann, I rescued this pygmy date palm 10 months ago. Admittedly, it was in bad shape; ...
A: The image shows me a stressed Palm from what I will have to say is probably too small a container ...
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| leaves turning yellow on my bouganvillea | 8/8/2009 |
Q: I live in Arizona and have a potted Bouganvillea that was doing very well until I notice perfectly ...
A: ...Move it to a location where it is out of the afternoon sun by 2pm, Bougs like a lot of Sun, but ...
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| leaves turning yellow on my bouganvillea | 8/7/2009 |
Q: I live in Arizona and have a potted Bouganvillea that was doing very well until I notice perfectly ...
A: Bougs are extremely sensitive to overwatering, especially if they are potted up; yellowing leaves ...
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| Soil Type/Houseplants | 8/7/2009 |
Q: I repotted two Fittonia, one Purple Passion, and two Pilea plants into African Violet potting ...
A: I always recommend a "soilless" mixture, which consists of 25% Sphagnum Peat Moss, 25% perlite, ...
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| Alexandra Palm disease | 8/7/2009 |
Q: I have planted 5 Alexandras and they are growing beautifully in red clay soil. One of the trees, now ...
A: it sounds like "Sooty Mold" an innocuous fungus that is attracted to the secretions given off by ...
|
| Moon Flowers | 8/6/2009 |
Q: I want to move half of the ears I have now....do I dig down to the bulb area and separate the part I ...
A: When the pod dries, there are hundreds of seeds inside it, these need to be soaked over night and ...
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| Angel Trumpet (Brugmansia) | 8/5/2009 |
Q: I recently saw a question posted to you about an Angel Trumpet that was 2 yrs old, never bloomed, ...
A: any plant will stress for numerous reasons, be it a Brug.. or any other , what I need to know, is ...
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| Elephant Ears | 8/5/2009 |
Q: I want to move half of the ears I have now....do I dig down to the bulb area and separate the part I ...
A: when you relocate them, water them well and hopefully in a location where they are out of direct ...
|
| Croton Petra | 8/4/2009 |
Q: I live in Atlanta GA and have a very small front garden (6ft. x 5ft.) at my townhouse. I need plants ...
A: Crotons are a good choice, but make certain they are in an area where they are out of the afternoon ...
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| Bromilaid houseplant | 8/3/2009 |
Q: I bought a bromelaid plant at a local nursery which was reduced in pice. The only thing wrong is ...
A: low light, no direct Sun! (hence the burnt leaf ends..), water the "cup" which is the center of the ...
|
| Elephant Ear Parasite? | 8/3/2009 |
Q: I live in Florida and I have an elephant ear and as I was watering it and removing dead undergrowth ...
A: it sounds like either "Scale" or "Mealy Bug" both insects that are easily controlled with either an ...
|
| banana plant question | 8/3/2009 |
Q: My banana plant is in a container in full sun. I feed a slow release fertilizer by Osmocote 19/6/9 ...
A: I have never successfully been able to develop a Banana in a container to maturity without problems; ...
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| red banana with malformed leaves | 8/2/2009 |
Q: Strange things are happening to the formation of the leaves on my ensete 'red abyssinian' red ...
A: what you are describing are the symptoms from Choke throat, an affliction from cold stressed ...
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| banana tree | 8/1/2009 |
Q: what is eating the young leaves of my banana tree?
A: probably Slugs, they feed at night and are not fussy at all about what greenery to devour. Slug bait ...
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| majesty palm | 8/1/2009 |
Q: I have a majesty palm that is about 1 year old and have about 4-5 new spikes that have not yet ...
A: Majestys do better with indirect light, misting them is excellent, this will deter Spider Mites (a ...
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| frost damage to christmas palm | 7/30/2009 |
Q: I have several christmas palms that had some frost damage back in the winter. These are 3 stemmed ...
A: Adonidias shed their own fronds, but from an aesthetic standpoint, it wouldn't hurt to prune the ...
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| mandevilla leaves | 7/30/2009 |
Q: I have a beautiful and otherwise very healthy mandevilla that is growing like crazy right now...It ...
A: ...you need to change out the soil, it is evident now, from what you followed up with, that there is ...
|
| Fire ants on Ixora | 7/28/2009 |
Q: We just bought and Ixora. We have it in a pot outside of our apartment. After a few days of having ...
A: fire ants build nests under containers, and in them....you need to dump the plant from the existing ...
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| Paradise palm plant disease | 7/28/2009 |
Q: Got an indoor paradise palm for 2 years, it is about 2 metre's high and has been growing really well ...
A: the soil needs to be changed out, there is probably salt build up in it from years of fertilizing; ...
|
| mandevilla leaves | 7/28/2009 |
Q: I have a beautiful and otherwise very healthy mandevilla that is growing like crazy right now...It ...
A: wish I could see an image, but my best guess is that it probably isn't anything to be concerned ...
|
| foxtail palms roots | 7/27/2009 |
Q: Are foxtail palms likely to raise pavers? There are 2 mature palms foxtails at about 2 - 3 ...
A: I live in Florida, and we have Foxtails all over, and not only do they not pose a threat to lifting ...
|
| BANANAS | 7/25/2009 |
Q: I LIVE IN CLERMONT FLORIDA. WHAT IS THE BEST VARIETY OF BANANA TO PLANT IF I ACTUALLY WANT FRUIT? ...
A: ...Bananas to not fare well in containers Guy, the root area needed for the Corm (root system) is ...
|
| Adonodia Palm stopped growing | 7/24/2009 |
Q: I'm in Florida and have about 20 palms in my yard. I only have an issue with one, an Adonidia Palm ...
A: if your Christmas Palm was stung by a frost or freeze, it probably is in its death throes; what will ...
|
| Hoya's bud falling off | 7/23/2009 |
Q: Can you please tell me what's wrong with my Hoya? And what type it is? It grows many many buds but ...
A: It looks like Hoya Bella, but without the blooms being opened its hard to tell, the plant likes some ...
|
| Yellow Leaves | 7/23/2009 |
Q: I live in Las Vegas and I have a pygmy date palm on my patio facing west. Its gets plenty of sun on ...
A: ...Line the bottom with about 2 inches of fine pea stone, water it well when it begins to dry out ...
|
| Yellow Leaves | 7/23/2009 |
Q: I live in Las Vegas and I have a pygmy date palm on my patio facing west. Its gets plenty of sun on ...
A: Pygmy Dates like full sun, so the "burn spots" are probably a reaction to salts in the soil, often ...
|
| soil for tropical fruit tree in the container | 7/22/2009 |
Q: I just bought 6 grafted tropical fruit tree that are mango, soursop, sugar apple, wax jambu and ...
A: ...You are enlightening, I will give you that:)..no, you can't make bees pollinate what they don't ...
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| palm roots | 7/22/2009 |
Q: We have a palm tree (I think is a Med. Fan) that "planted itself" via seed about 10 yers ago. Now ...
A: no don't cover those roots! thats the flare and its perfectly normal for the roots to be showing; ...
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| banana plant | 7/21/2009 |
Q: I have a banana plant growing on the western side of my house against the house, I live outside ...
A: Bananas need a frost free year to produce fruit, if they don't get it, they are set back a year ...
|
| BANANAS | 7/21/2009 |
Q: I LIVE IN CLERMONT FLORIDA. WHAT IS THE BEST VARIETY OF BANANA TO PLANT IF I ACTUALLY WANT FRUIT?
A: I live in Port Charlotte, which is 20 miles north of Ft. Meyers and I find that the Raja Puri (an ...
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| Heliconia/Bird of Paradise | 7/21/2009 |
Q: Is the Heliconia part of the Bird of Paradise family? I see it sometimes included in the Bird of ...
A: they are related to the BOP and the Banana, for they grow in the same manner, utilizing underground ...
|
| yucca plant | 7/20/2009 |
Q: nick i have a yucca plant for indoors could i plant it outside all year round if not what yucca ...
A: Yuccas are susceptible to cold, so I wouldn't chance it, I had one in the ground here in South ...
|
| Foxtail Palm | 7/20/2009 |
Q: ... I have a foxtail palm that was in the ground for about two years and doing quite well, until a ...
A: from your question I have to say that you have done everything that should have been done, except ...
|
| Care | 7/20/2009 |
Q: Ok I i have little tiny black bugs fly around my dirt what can i do on my other plants? Then i just ...
A: ..I wouldn't be concerned about scraping the glue off, and I don't think any harm has been done to ...
|
| soil for tropical fruit tree in the container | 7/19/2009 |
Q: I just bought 6 grafted tropical fruit tree that are mango, soursop, sugar apple, wax jambu and ...
A: ok. soilless will work great! its just more effort, here goes.....50% organic material,,(half peat ...
|
| bird of paradise | 7/19/2009 |
Q: I have had this plant for about 4 years now, it is about 6 feet tall, in a 10 inch pot. After the ...
A: A 12" container should be fine, make sure you loosen up the roots on the ball when you pop it out of ...
|
| Care | 7/19/2009 |
Q: Hey Nick, I just got a Pachira money tree, can you please tell me how to care for it, should i use ...
A: if you want your Pachira to grow larger, then it needs to be in a larger container, if you want to ...
|
| Yellow Leaves | 7/18/2009 |
Q: I live in Las Vegas and I have a pygmy date palm on my patio facing west. Its gets plenty of sun on ...
A: from what you are saying, I would say you are indeed giving it too much water, check the drainage ...
|
| soil for tropical fruit tree in the container | 7/18/2009 |
Q: I just bought 6 grafted tropical fruit tree that are mango, soursop, sugar apple, wax jambu and ...
A: there are indeed many different soils out there and some are very good while others are very bad; ...
|
| Palm Tree damage | 7/16/2009 |
Q: I just moved into a home that has a palm tree that I am unfamiliar with at the end of a driveway. ...
A: ...I would definitely have an experienced person look at it (I could only tell so much from the ...
|
| Palm Tree damage | 7/15/2009 |
Q: I just moved into a home that has a palm tree that I am unfamiliar with at the end of a driveway. ...
A: Its a "Bottle Palm" and it may or may not recover, but you need to know that Palms do not have woody ...
|
| Pygmy date palm in freeze | 7/13/2009 |
Q: I have 2 triple pygmy date palms in my back yard. They both have two (of the 3) trunks that will ...
A: Lisa, that often happens when a triple or double Pygmy Date stress for whatever reason, this one ...
|
| Yucca Elephantipes Cane Plant | 7/12/2009 |
Q: I have 2 Yucca Elephantipes Plants One in one pot and two in the other pot can i put them all ...
A: you could, but at the expense of their growing in a natural manner; they will stunt if not given ...
|
| Night Blooming Jasmine pests | 7/11/2009 |
Q: With regards to night blooming jasmine and catepillars, is is possible that the offending catepillar ...
A: I am not an Emtomologist, but I do know that it is indeed a night feeding catepilla that is the ...
|
| bop | 7/11/2009 |
Q: our plant was doing great and all the sudden the flowered part dyed, it was outside and we think got ...
A: its pretty tough to kill a Bird with too much water, they love moisture; that said, it is quite ...
|
| Indian Rubber Plant PRUNING Question | 7/10/2009 |
Q: Ive read and been told that the ideal time to prune back my indian rubber plant is while it is ...
A: they never go dormant, they will slow growth in the cooler season, but dormancy is a total cessation ...
|
| OVERWINTERING DATURA PLANTS | 7/10/2009 |
Q: I just bought two white and two yellow datura plants. I live in a s.w.suburb of Chicago. How can I ...
A: Cut them back to about half of their present size, leaving enough leaves to keep them viable, yet ...
|
| pineapple | 7/10/2009 |
Q: does a pineapple continue to ripen after it is picked?
A: it will, but it won't get any sweeter, only softer; this is why its important to hold off as long as ...
|
| dwarf banana trees | 7/10/2009 |
Q: I live in western New York state, in a very old, drafty house. I've been through a few dwarf musas, ...
A: you never questioned to whether they will ever give you Bananas, and I am sorry to say, they won't; ...
|
| Bougenvillas | 7/10/2009 |
Q: I bought a beautiful bougs for Mother's Day. The blooms disappeared in June. We live in SW MO. She ...
A: Bougs don't like too much irrigation, tell her to water it once a week, make certain it is in direct ...
|
| My Dracaena Marginata | 7/9/2009 |
Q: Im not sure if i need to use a fertilizer on my plant or not and I also would like to know how many ...
A: Osmocote is a well balanced fertilizer sold in Lowes, Walmart, Home Depot etc. it comes in a small ...
|
| Fiscus identification, reddening, growing? | 7/9/2009 |
Q: My friend gave me this plant when he moved out of his apartment. I repotted it because the roots ...
A: Allison, thats a Jade Plant, not a Ficus, the reddening is caused by direct sunlight, they prefer ...
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| My Dracaena Marginata | 7/9/2009 |
Q: Im not sure if i need to use a fertilizer on my plant or not and I also would like to know how many ...
A: you didn't mention whether it was potted or not, but I would say you would be fine with Osmocote ...
|
| Palm trees and water | 7/9/2009 |
Q: You've probably answered this question several times, but it's difficult for me to track down where. ...
A: ...as soon as I replied to the other question you sent, I saw this, so disregard the request for a ...
|
| Palm trees and water | 7/9/2009 |
Q: You've probably answered this question several times, but it's difficult for me to track down where. ...
A: I really couldn't make out anything as far as the powder goes, but I did notice that they are pruned ...
|
| Palm trees and water | 7/8/2009 |
Q: You've probably answered this question several times, but it's difficult for me to track down where. ...
A: If they are established, adult Palms, then your Gardner is correct in that they need minimal ...
|
| OVERWINTERING DATURA PLANTS | 7/8/2009 |
Q: I just bought two white and two yellow datura plants. I live in a s.w.suburb of Chicago. How can I ...
A: you would have to cut them back and pot them up; do so in a container big enough to hold their root ...
|
| foxtail palm | 7/8/2009 |
Q: My 5 year old foxtail palm had 3 fonds cut off and now it is not doing well. I have been told it has ...
A: I would really need to see it to determine if it indeed has frizzle top, but if it does, then it ...
|
| Sea Grape roots | 7/5/2009 |
Q: We planted two small Sea Grape plants several years ago very near (1' from) our block sea wall. We ...
A: I see many Sea Grapes planted near sea walls all around me here in Florida, and many of them are ...
|
| Dessert Rose | 7/4/2009 |
Q: I just bought my first Dessert Rose and have repotted it in cactus soil. The leaves are turning ...
A: Dessert Roses do not require hardly any water, they store most of what they need in their spongy ...
|
| Banana Trees | 7/3/2009 |
Q: I have banana trees about six years and they have never produced fruit, they usually get hit with ...
A: therein lies the problem, they need to get through 14 months of frost free weather, or else they ...
|
| disease on Pigmy Palm | 7/3/2009 |
Q: I have had my Pigmy Palm for 15 yrs now and it is doing well. However, I have noticed that the ...
A: the bugs were just taking advantage of a dark, moist area and were causing to harm to the Palm ...
|
| Can I go tropical and how much? | 7/3/2009 |
Q: I just returned from Maui and am interested in knowing if any of their beautiful plants (especially ...
A: The heliconia develop a continuing roots system, they grow from underground trailers, and need to be ...
|
| Can I go tropical and how much? | 7/1/2009 |
Q: I just returned from Maui and am interested in knowing if any of their beautiful plants (especially ...
A: you are adventurous, I will give you that! but you proved you can push the envelope, with you ...
|
| pool planting | 7/1/2009 |
Q: We are going to put a pool in our backyard with existing landscaping. I have 3 mature and beautiful ...
A: I am assuming that you are not putting up a cage, and if that is the case, then if you allow the ...
|
| Mango tree | 6/30/2009 |
Q: I have a mango tree and I think it was hit by lighting. The trunk has been split in half pretty much ...
A: if it was split down the middle, then the bark/cambium layer has been compromised, and this means ...
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| foxtail palm | 6/30/2009 |
Q: Hey-i have a foxtail palm, and have almost had it for a year. Its in a pot however, since i have no ...
A: wrong Palm for a container I am afraid, and from your description, crown rot has set in; the Palm is ...
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| FOXTAIL PALM | 6/30/2009 |
Q: I have a foxtail palm about 15 feet tail. It has two cracks in the bark about 1/4 inch wide and ...
A: it often happens, its a phenomenon , just an irregularity, nothing to be real concerned about, don't ...
|
| Massangeana Cane | 6/29/2009 |
Q: Hey Nick can you please help me I just got a Massangeana Cane on June 18, 09 doing good have not ...
A: you can wait on transplanting them, but just be careful not to soak those roots, you don't want to ...
|
| Queen Palm Pod | 6/28/2009 |
Q: Is it harmful to my queen palm if I cut off the flower pod before or during it's blooming?
A: no, you can prune it off at any stage of the development without doing any harm at all to the Palm, ...
|
| Foxtail Palm: dead or alive? | 6/28/2009 |
Q: I saw a posting earlier relating to the Foxtail Palm. A few yrs ago my wife and i purchased 5 very ...
A: Your neighbors effectively killed their Palms by decapitating them, for this is the crown, the ...
|
| viburnum hedge | 6/28/2009 |
Q: I have a 2 year old, 8 foot high, viburnum hedge (150 plants) that developed yellow/brown leaves, ...
A: Organocide is a combination insect/fungal concentrate; its not what I consider the best choice for a ...
|
| chinese hat tree | 6/28/2009 |
Q: i have a ginger plant that has been in its same location for two years.the location is shaded with ...
A: ..It does prefer partial shade, so that isn't the problem, the fertilizer you are using may have too ...
|
| ginger plants | 6/27/2009 |
Q: i have a ginger plant that has been in its same location for two years.the location is shaded with ...
A: Gingers are one of those plants that will bloom when "they" are ready; known to be one of the ...
|
| Saga Plams (baby sprouts) | 6/26/2009 |
Q: I have a large saga that has 10-15 babys that are sprouting around the bottom. Are they removeable ...
A: ...the pups that have developed an actual base are the ones that have a better chance of developing ...
|
| Queen Palms Transplanting | 6/25/2009 |
Q: I am looking at bidding on a 4-5m Queen Palm on Trademe that has been blown over and is on a lean ...
A: I would definitely get an expert to transplant a Palm of that magnitude, its too large and too heavy ...
|
| Fertilizer | 6/24/2009 |
Q: Miracle gro 8-7-6 liquid Houseplant food or I have Expert slow release 19-6-12 I have a Pony tail ...
A: ok, the Pony Tail, the yucca , the cane, and the dragon should get an application of Osmocote or ...
|
| Fertilizer for Cycads | 6/24/2009 |
Q: I need a fertilizer for my three Cycads (Sago Palms) and got a recommendation to use Osmocote for ...
A: a well balanced Palm fertilizer will do just fine, thats what I have used on mine for years and they ...
|
| elephant ears | 6/24/2009 |
Q: where on the stem do you cut back the leaves. we got some from a friend, and they look bad right now
A: you will notice that down the Petiole (which is the stem the leaf is on..)near the main junction ...
|
| MUSA BASJOO | 6/24/2009 |
Q: MY MUSA HAS DEVELOPED A SIDE SHOOT OVER THE LAST 10 DAYS OR SO. IT IS ABOUT 8" TALL WITH 3 LEAVES. ...
A: the pup is still a little too young to be severed from Mom, let it develop a little more, when it is ...
|
| Bougenvilla | 6/22/2009 |
Q: I live in NC-my daughter gave me a bougenvilla in a hanging pot for Mothers Day- it was in full ...
A: Bougs are not really a hanging plant, but nurseries can force any plant to exist for a period of ...
|
| Ice Cream Banana Tree | 6/22/2009 |
Q: We just bought a small IC Banana tree at a farmer's market this weekend. It is 3" tall. Looks good. ...
A: Bananas need to be in the ground ideally, or in the largest of containers; they need to be in an ...
|
| Transplant of Royal Palm Tree | 6/22/2009 |
Q: Nick: I live in Miami, Florida and had a 40 ft Royal Palm Tree transplanted 5/9/09 (about 40 days ...
A: The irrigation sequence you have in place in fine, but I would be careful not to inundate the roots ...
|
| queen palms producing too many seed pods | 6/21/2009 |
Q: Is there anyway to decrease the number of seed pods that a queen palm produces? Ours seem to be in ...
A: No, sometimes they can be very prolific in producing pods (and eventual inflorescence), just be ...
|
| Bouganvillia | 6/21/2009 |
Q: I am in Florida. We have a Bouganville in front of our living room window. The bush is on the ...
A: Your mom actually did a good thing, pruning back a Boug is a good way to stimulate new, healthy ...
|
| Ponytail Plam | 6/21/2009 |
Q: Nick Sure hope you can help. I just got a Ponytail Plam about 2 weeks ago. And there is seven trees ...
A: go ahead and separate them, as long as they each have their own roots; if they are attached however, ...
|
| Transplant of Royal Palm Tree | 6/20/2009 |
Q: Nick: I live in Miami, Florida and had a 40 ft Royal Palm Tree transplanted 5/9/09 (about 40 days ...
A: right now all you can do is keep it properly irrigated, the root system you mentioned sounds ...
|
| pygmy date double palm leaf chlorosis | 6/19/2009 |
Q: I have a pygmy date double palm in a large pot. (had it for 2 or more years). It is looking very ...
A: I am assuming the soil has never been changed out, this is the core of the problem, the roots have ...
|
| Yucca Plants | 6/18/2009 |
Q: What soil is best for yucca plants and why don't they flower?? Do I need a "Yucca moth"?????????
A: Your Yucca will flower when its ready, and albeit it likes a sandier soil, any soil will suffice; ...
|
| sago palms | 6/18/2009 |
Q: Two questions answered please! 1. My sagos have had scale for a few years now, and somehow, w/out ...
A: ...The systemic is called "Bayer Rose and Flower systemic" and the oil is called "Ultra-fine Oil", ...
|
| sago palms | 6/18/2009 |
Q: Two questions answered please! 1. My sagos have had scale for a few years now, and somehow, w/out ...
A: The Aucalaspis Scale is a persistent pest that will not just go away without treatment, and even ...
|
| Dwarf Cavendish | 6/18/2009 |
Q: I recieved my Dwarf Cavendish Banana Plant from Gurneys about 2 months ago with an amazing root ...
A: You aren't doing anything wrong, Bananas are a tropical plant, and albeit they require copious ...
|
| Queen Palm Collapsing? | 6/18/2009 |
Q: Two of my 15' queen palms seem to be sinking into the ground, the outer bark is spreading out at ...
A: they aren't sinking, this condition is called "flare" and it occurs naturally in many Palms as they ...
|
| Saga Plams (baby sprouts) | 6/17/2009 |
Q: I have a large saga that has 10-15 babys that are sprouting around the bottom. Are they removeable ...
A: yes they can, but the better ones are those that have a base attached; dig as much of the entire pup ...
|
| Bougainvillea | 6/17/2009 |
Q: I recently discovered Bougainvillea in a local nursery and would love to purchase one. However,I ...
A: it would be a difficult endeavor on your part, they are indeed tropical, and even here in Florida, ...
|
| ponytail palm | 6/17/2009 |
Q: How do I "harvest" babies from the trunk of my ponytail palm? There are several and I'd like to ...
A: separate them by taking as much of the base as possible , dipping it in a rooting hormone, and ...
|
| Washingtonia Robusta | 6/15/2009 |
Q: I have these palms and one of them actually has seed pods this year! A couple have opened and are ...
A: What you are seeing is the "Inflorescence" which will eventually develop into a seed pod; the pod ...
|
| Cycas Revoluta | 6/14/2009 |
Q: We are based in Bahrain in the Middle East for a 3 year assignment. Can you advise what care is ...
A: your King Sago can be planted in any sunny location in a relatively fertile soil; make certain that ...
|
| Tropical Privacy | 6/13/2009 |
Q: Nick - I have a small brick paver patio and would like to use tropical plants to create a natural ...
A: Heliconia and Bananas are very invasive, so you will have to consider the upkeep of keeping them in ...
|
| FOXTAIL PALM | 6/13/2009 |
Q: I planted 2 (10gal) foxtail palm 1 year before the hurricane wilma. After the hurricane 1 palm broke ...
A: it sounds like the other Foxtail that survived Wilma has been compromised also, but is managing to ...
|
| Yellow leaves on saga | 6/13/2009 |
Q: We have several small saga's in your yard that has been established at least 5 years. They were ...
A: Sagos are in trouble in Florida because of the Aulacaspis Scale, it is an insect that was ...
|
| queen palm | 6/13/2009 |
Q: I live in Phoenix, Az. why do my queen palm branches keep breaking? That is to say, they collapse ...
A: ..No, lethal Yellowing is usually a problem with Christmas Palms, its very rare to see this disease ...
|
| Container size for pygmy date palm | 6/12/2009 |
Q: I have 2 Pygmy date palm trees by my pool. They are each about 2 feet tall and are in 65 quart ...
A: ..I have to be honest with you James, your Palm will exist for awhile, but in the long run, it is ...
|
| queen palm | 6/12/2009 |
Q: I live in Phoenix, Az. why do my queen palm branches keep breaking? That is to say, they collapse ...
A: this usually happens after a severe "Hurricane pruning", for the petiole is weakened from the ...
|
| Container size for pygmy date palm | 6/12/2009 |
Q: I have 2 Pygmy date palm trees by my pool. They are each about 2 feet tall and are in 65 quart ...
A: Pygmy Dates will max out at about 8 feet if given ample root space; I kind of shudder when I hear of ...
|
| pygmy palm transplant | 6/12/2009 |
Q: I recently transplanted 2 pygmy palms, both bought in container from store. I had one palm indoors ...
A: you didn't mention where you are located (climate zone) , Pygmy Dates are sub-tropical palms and ...
|
| White Bird of Paradise | 6/11/2009 |
Q: I recently purchased my plant and love it. I am concerned however bcause some of the leaves have ...
A: the split leaves sound like the results of a physical trauma (probably at Lowes..), just keep it ...
|
| Foxtail frost burn | 6/11/2009 |
Q: I have two small foxtails that were hit with this winter's frost here in SW Florida. My question is ...
A: leave it be, it will traverse its difficulties on its own, all you would accomplish by cutting the ...
|
| Backyard Landscaping | 6/10/2009 |
Q: I live in Lake Worth FL (Zone 10b I think) and am looking to convert my backyard which has a pool ...
A: ok, lets begin, 10b is great, because you have an endless assortment of plantings to pick from; as a ...
|
| bugenvilla | 6/10/2009 |
Q: I live in Chicago. One of the big box stores here is selling bougainvillea. I love seeing it when I ...
A: no, sorry, its sub-tropical and whoever printed that tag was really pushing the envelope, like right ...
|
| Mexican Petunias | 6/10/2009 |
Q: I have 3 areas of Mexican Petunias in my yard. About 2 weeks ago, I noticed some of the new growth ...
A: Mexican Petunias are pretty much a problem free plant, if anything, they need to be continually ...
|
| White Bird of Paradise | 6/9/2009 |
Q: I recently purchased my plant and love it. I am concerned however bcause some of the leaves have ...
A: I need to know more, where are you located and how and who planted it in the container; plants ...
|
| Fiberous Banana trees | 6/9/2009 |
Q: The leaves turning brown on the tips about a month after coming out. Am I over fertilizing or over ...
A: ...I have given seminars on growing Bananas, and beside not getting enough irrigation "or" the Corm ...
|
| Fiberous Banana trees | 6/9/2009 |
Q: The leaves turning brown on the tips about a month after coming out. Am I over fertilizing or over ...
A: your Bananas are stressed, and being in a container could be the issue; Bananas grow from an ...
|
| Angel Trumpet plant | 6/9/2009 |
Q: We've moved into a home that has an Angel Trumpet and it hasn't bloomed in the last 2 years we've ...
A: usually Brugmansias (or Daturas..) are pretty problem free, I am thinking that they may need a dose ...
|
| repotting plants | 6/8/2009 |
Q: when do you know when to repot a cat palm and a peace lily. i know some plants like to be root ...
A: normally I repot when the plant begins to show signs of stress, albeit slight, look for anything out ...
|
| ficus benjamina is leafed out on one side, naked on the other | 6/7/2009 |
Q: I'm wondering what the best course of action is, to help this ficus return to health. It's about ...
A: Mary, Ficus is a pretty resilient tree, I think your plant has plenty of life left in it,and it ...
|
| Bouganvilla | 6/7/2009 |
Q: I need assistance in caring for my Bougainvillea. It blooms beautifully then all the flowers and ...
A: ..I wouldn't fertilize at all right now, but would definitely stop watering with your household ...
|
| foxtail palm frost damage and disease | 6/6/2009 |
Q: My thriving 10 ft. foxtail palm which was planted 2 years ago, suffered some frost damage this past ...
A: its really difficult to determine just when to throw in the towel on cold damaged Palms, (or plants ...
|
| How to plant a Red Plumeria cutting | 6/6/2009 |
Q: I received a Red Plumeria cutting as a gift. The planting instructions were very vague. There are ...
A: your assumption is correct, the cut end goes into a container of light potting mixture, which will ...
|
| red bird of paradise transplant | 6/6/2009 |
Q: We just moved in to our new home in Las Vegas (Henderson) and have a beautiful red bird in the ...
A: the key here is to get as much of the root system as possible, many people cut corners and just want ...
|
| Bouganvilla | 6/5/2009 |
Q: I need assistance in caring for my Bougainvillea. It blooms beautifully then all the flowers and ...
A: the usual reason for Bougs defoliating is too much water, I am inclined to think (from your ...
|
| Indoor Palm Tree | 6/5/2009 |
Q: I'm not sure what type of Palm Tree I have (thin palms), but I bought it in a local market about 4 ...
A: what you are seeing (sticky sap) is the secretions from what is probably "Spider Mites" feeding; ...
|
| Banana Palm | 6/4/2009 |
Q: I have just the most beautiful banana palms and have for 4 or so years. Just recently two have been ...
A: Bananas are my forte, and I would like you to elaborate on "wrinkled", describe them if you can with ...
|
| watering tropical plants. | 6/2/2009 |
Q: I live in Wales on the western side of the UK. I have several tropical plants that I have had for ...
A: I would like to know the variety, so that I can better help you, but in general, tropical plants ...
|
| Musa Basjoo is Deformed | 6/2/2009 |
Q: Early last year, I was watering roses with Bayer Systemic All in One for Roses and flowers. I has ...
A: I would not have put that on a Banana or any edible for that matter, it is , after all, a "systemic" ...
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| Pindo Palm | 6/2/2009 |
Q: Its not very big maybe about 5ft tall. I would like to move it to a different location in my yard. ...
A: also known as a Jelly Palm, it is a real nice specimen, and I would recommend having a experienced ...
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| Madagascar palm | 6/2/2009 |
Q: MY Madagascar palm roots seem to have dry up its not dead but some Leaves are truning black. I do ...
A: I will be honest with you Charles, I wet the soil on mine (about a quart of water) , every week, and ...
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| hoya or lipstick plant | 6/1/2009 |
Q: I owned a lipstick vine/plant/mona lisa for about 4 years now.. and wanted to purchase another one. ...
A: I have to disagree, I brought up numerous pictures of the Mona Lisa variety and put yours right ...
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| plumeria recommendations | 6/1/2009 |
Q: i have been doing alot of research on plumeria. i am planning on being a first time owner of the ...
A: one key in raising Frangipanis and that is do not over water them, it is a sure fire death sentence, ...
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| Bird of Paradise Plant | 6/1/2009 |
Q: I have a BOP that I kept indoors for many years. It became so big I decided I would move it outside ...
A: it is always difficult on a plant moved outside (stress), and many times they need an adjustment ...
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| Foxtail Palm and Broken New Frond | 6/1/2009 |
Q: I have a foxtail palm that was planted in Ft Lauderdale in Aug 2008. During the past dry months it ...
A: it sounds like the Petiole was in a weakened condition due to the drought and when the full weight ...
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| Madagascar palm | 5/31/2009 |
Q: MY Madagascar palm roots seem to have dry up its not dead but some Leaves are truning black. I do ...
A: albeit they don't need much water, (they store water in their system.), they do need it ...
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| foxtail palm | 5/31/2009 |
Q: My foxtail palms are about 2 1/2 years old and planted in the landscape area of my backyard in south ...
A: usually when you tug on a new spear and it easily separates and appears mushy, then the crown has ...
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| sea grapes | 5/30/2009 |
Q: I live in Spring Hill and have bought my first sea grape, I'm planning on planting it about 10 feet ...
A: I would not plant it that close, they have a pretty good root system that will present problems down ...
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| Outdoor potted palm tree | 5/29/2009 |
Q: I have a palm tree on my deck in Vancouver BC, and it has been with us and thriving despite our cold ...
A: yes replace the soil, it needs to be replaced at least once a year due to salt build up from ...
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| pygmy palm fertilization | 5/28/2009 |
Q: Mr. Mccann: We have just planted a Roebelinii pygmy palm. I believe it is about a 5 gallon size, in ...
A: Your Landscaper is correct in telling you to keep it irrigated, and I would fertilize it in about 8 ...
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| allamanda | 5/28/2009 |
Q: purchased this plant at Lowe's do not know if it is evergreen or shrub. Live in Rio Grande valley ...
A: There are two types of Allamanda, there is the bush variety, but the most common is the vining ...
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| hibiscus not flowering | 5/28/2009 |
Q: I'm in KY and bought a hibiscus that was doing well. While putting Miracle Grow on my plants and ...
A: Hibiscus can be very finicky, and they are the type of plant that will set blossoms when they are ...
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| Hawaii's Red Plumeria | 5/28/2009 |
Q: I brought home a seedling at least 3 years ago. Planted it and believe it or not, it began to grow. ...
A: It will be awhile before flowers develop, there will be further growth of leaves and size before ...
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| Side by Side Hibiscus One Dies | 5/27/2009 |
Q: I planted last summer 2 hibiscus of the same stock, planted at the same time, same soil, same ...
A: when you say a shared box, it tells me that one of the root systems may have taken the Lions share ...
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| Sago palm | 5/27/2009 |
Q: I have like a 5ft sago which is doing very well. I cut out new plants from the bottom and put them ...
A: until they take root, keep them in a shadier area, and keep the soil damp but not wet; it will take ...
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| Transplanting a 23ft. fishtail palm | 5/26/2009 |
Q: What would be the best way to do it and care for it?All your help would be much needed.Thanks!
A: That is a job for a professional, with a Bobcat, the root system is to extensive for conventional ...
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| outdoor palm plant | 5/26/2009 |
Q: I planted a palm plant in my outdoor garden last Thursday May 21. I water it daily, but now the ...
A: Palms are a Tropical plant by nature, and they need high humidity, heat and tropical rains to ...
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| Selloum | 5/26/2009 |
Q: Some of my selloum have this large pod sprouting from the trunk of the tree and has this large white ...
A: Its called a Spadix and it contains both female and male parts, the interesting thing about it is ...
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| Cycas revoluta | 5/25/2009 |
Q: Someone threw this sago away so I brought it home and planted it. It did'nt have much root mass, ...
A: it looks pretty good, I see deep green fronds mixed in, so I would say you did a pretty good job of ...
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| Adonidias Slowly Fading | 5/25/2009 |
Q: I live in Sarasota and have 2 Adonidias with multiple trunks planted where they receive full ...
A: Christmas Palms are very susceptible to cold damage, and I lost one that just was sitting there ...
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| banana tree problem | 5/25/2009 |
Q: An animal has been gnawing the base of our banana tree plant. It is about 4 feet high (not counting ...
A: circle the bottom of the pseudostem (trunk) with some chicken wire, this is the about the only thing ...
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| PROPOGATE ROBELLINI PALMS | 5/25/2009 |
Q: I HAVE A FEW ROBELLINI'S AND I WOULD LIKE TO START MORE FROM SEEDS FROM THE TREES. I AM IN ZONE 10 ...
A: propagating Palms from seeds is a process that begins with waiting for the seeds to separate from ...
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| ? easy way to remove banana stump and roots | 5/24/2009 |
Q: Nick Two years ago I planted one "baby" in the fenced corner of my small garden. Now, I have the ...
A: there is no easy way to remove Banana Corms (underground root rhizome.), you really need to dig the ...
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| Banana palm | 5/23/2009 |
Q: I purchased a large banana palm form B & Q late last year. I was about 4 foot high. The label ...
A: it sounds like the Corm has died (the root system), if there is absolutely no growth, then you have ...
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| queen palm caterpillars | 5/22/2009 |
Q: I have a year old queen palm that just lost the new/center frond. The frond, although only partially ...
A: the caterpillars are a secondary problem, I am more concerned with the fact that the center frond ...
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| foxtail palm | 5/22/2009 |
Q: I have 4 foxtail palms and all are doing well. While I was on the roof (about 15' high) checking ...
A: you did superficial damage to the frond, (if I understand you correctly) but it will still develop ...
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| PINDO PALM | 5/21/2009 |
Q: We bought a pindo palm about 4 feet tall last summer and left it in a pot all winter. It did fine. ...
A: it sounds like it has been shocked from transplant, when a plant or palm is taken out of a ...
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| bougainvilla | 5/21/2009 |
Q: Our two plants have been in the ground for about 3 months and we're doing just great, lots of ...
A: you didn't mention where you live, but Bougs like lots of sun and heat, but are not fond of a lot of ...
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| Sick Foxtail Palm | 5/20/2009 |
Q: I have some foxtail palms that suffered frost damage during the winter and they don't seem to be ...
A: the oozing jelly type substance is caused by an insect called the Silky Cane Weevil, which isn't ...
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| queen palms | 5/20/2009 |
Q: how do you keep the transplanted queens upright and from falling over?
A: whoever transplanted them should have also attached a square of small 2x4's about half way up the ...
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| queen palms | 5/20/2009 |
Q: how long will they live with root ball exposed. i have transplanted 8 all about 12 foot tall. ...
A: ...If you did indeed succeed in keeping that root ball moist, then they should be fine; time will ...
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| Bougainvilla | 5/20/2009 |
Q: I have a Gorgeous Bougainvilla Tree; all my neighbors want slips from it; how do you do this ...
A: hard wood cuttings are the usual way, but I found that it is quicker to take a lower branch and ...
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| foxtail palm seeds | 5/20/2009 |
Q: ie. when the seed is on the tree do you pull it off and go through the motions or do you wait until ...
A: Hey Scott, I am good and thank you for asking; you need to wait for Mother Nature to take its ...
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| propagation of foxtail | 5/19/2009 |
Q: how does one get more plants from one. Also what is the fleshy structure on the root of the fern. ...
A: you need to wait for your foxtail to set an inflorescence, which will develop into a seed pod; once ...
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| Tropical plant identification | 5/19/2009 |
Q: I bought this plant several years ago and planted it in my shade garden even though the container ...
A: its a Clerodendrum Starburst, a beautiful plant that is rather easy to grow; make sure it gets ...
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| care of dwarf palm | 5/19/2009 |
Q: I live in the Arizona desert and planted a dwarf palm in March. This type of palm is very common;y ...
A: even though you are in a dry, arid climate zone, Pygmy Dates (which I assume is what you have...) do ...
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| White B of P and also my Bouganvilla | 5/18/2009 |
Q: Hey Nick - 2 questions. I live in Louisiana. Since H. Katrina my huge white B of P are loaded with ...
A: Ants are very difficult to control, they have obviously nested either in the BOP or close to it; the ...
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| red leafed plant | 5/18/2009 |
Q: this plant was shrouded and out of sight in an overgrown yard. i'd like to know what it is and how ...
A: its a Cordyline Termanalis, better known as either Red Sister or Pink Sister.....or "Hawaiian Ti ...
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| Bird of Paradise Plant | 5/17/2009 |
Q: My daughter & son-in-law brought back Bird of Paradise seeds from Hawaii while there on their ...
A: Birds are very resilient plants, if you say the Rhizome looks viable then by all means, prune them ...
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| How to grow Bouganvillas | 5/17/2009 |
Q: I recently bought a Bouganvilla in a basket. When I put in the ground, it lost most of the blooms. ...
A: Bryon, it underwent transplant shock is all, just leave it be for awhile, makes sure it gets a ...
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| Foxtail Palm question | 5/16/2009 |
Q: after the frost we had this year i lost one of my foxtails but have 2 left. The 2 i have left seem ...
A: ...If the center fronds pulled out., and all you have left is older ones that may still be green, ...
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| Mediterranean Fan Palm Transplanting | 5/15/2009 |
Q: I just purchased a 15 inch Medi fan palm I will be transplanting within a week or so to a larger ...
A: sure, its fine to trim some of them off, just don't leave it with to sparse a crown, for this is how ...
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| Foxtail Palm question | 5/15/2009 |
Q: after the frost we had this year i lost one of my foxtails but have 2 left. The 2 i have left seem ...
A: from what you have told me, it doesn't' seem likely that they are going to come back, in fact I am ...
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| Pindo Palm | 5/15/2009 |
Q: My Pindo Palm has put out what looks like 5 seed pods Can these seeds be harvested and replanted. I ...
A: yes you can, but you must wait for the seeds to fall from the pod, naturally; once they are shed you ...
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| Sago Palm Advice | 5/14/2009 |
Q: I transplanted a mature Sago about 4' tall last august and the fronds were deep green. I dug the ...
A: ...again, I can only help from behind this computer, (without actually seeing it..) but if you can ...
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| Sago Palm Advice | 5/12/2009 |
Q: I transplanted a mature Sago about 4' tall last august and the fronds were deep green. I dug the ...
A: You made two critical mistakes, you added fertilizer to the hole and you augmented the soil; the ...
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| Bromeliad sprouting stamens..? | 5/12/2009 |
Q: I purchased a Bromeliad for my office, one with 2 yellow spikes that fade into red. I noticed today ...
A: its normal, the flowers will eventually fade and new growth will develop from the base that will be ...
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| pygmy date palm | 5/12/2009 |
Q: How to I get rid of small black ants in my pygmy date palm: thank you
A: they are attracted to the secretions of small insects like scale, aphids and mites as they feed; rid ...
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| Bird of Paradise | 5/12/2009 |
Q: Can you please tell me how to separate my bird of paradise plant?
A: it needs to be separated below the surface; the Rhizome (clump) needs to be separated, using a ...
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| King Palms | 5/11/2009 |
Q: No, I put the whole thing straight in there out of the pot. I copacted the dirt as I was told to ...
A: Considering the alternative, I wouldn't hesitate,,especially considering they haven't been in the ...
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| King Palms | 5/11/2009 |
Q: No, I put the whole thing straight in there out of the pot. I copacted the dirt as I was told to ...
A: Rudy, It appears that the root ball is compacted, the roots need to be freed up so that they can ...
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| False Aralia | 5/8/2009 |
Q: I have an aralia that has grown outside in a pot to almost 10 feet tall - surprising since it is ...
A: cut back the longer stems to the next joining stem (axil) this will encourage a more bushy look. ...
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| majesty palm | 5/8/2009 |
Q: I wintered my palm indoors and recently moved them back out. I noticed a brown sticky substance on ...
A: When you moved it out, the tiny insects that plaque plants found your Palm and began eating, these ...
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| Newly Planted Foxtails | 5/8/2009 |
Q: I recently had someone plant 6 foxtails in a new bed. Forgive my lack of knowledge, this is all very ...
A: Ok, I would move the Cannas, there shouldn't be any plantings anywhere near your Foxtails; the ...
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| pigmy palm Transplant | 5/8/2009 |
Q: I live in the Phoenix AZ area. I want to move a pigmy palm, about 5 years old, from one area to ...
A: it should be pretty easy but you do want to get as much of the rootball as possible, with as little ...
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| Palm Tree | 5/7/2009 |
Q: The barks around my palm tree root growing above the soil and go outward like skirt... It's above ...
A: yes it is a common phenomenon called "Palm flare", nothing to be concerned about, it is common with ...
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| Newly Planted Foxtails | 5/7/2009 |
Q: I recently had someone plant 6 foxtails in a new bed. Forgive my lack of knowledge, this is all very ...
A: You didn't allude to how they were planted or who for that matter, its important to know that a ...
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| Pothos Plant Stall in Growth | 5/6/2009 |
Q: I got this plant roughly a month ago that I suspect being a pothos after a bit of Internet ...
A: ideally you should put your cuttings in a moist Vermiculite/Perlite mixture; (water forms weaker ...
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| Bird of Paradise | 5/5/2009 |
Q: I planted 3 Bird of Paridise last year. They are growing well but I have yet to get the nice blooms ...
A: a common dilemma among those growing BOP's; the answer is not that simple, but the truth of the ...
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| Ponytail Palm | 5/4/2009 |
Q: I have an outdoor Ponytail Palm that seems to have stunted growth and has lost its top. I don't mean ...
A: ....Ok, it lost the top of its crown, but it should send out side shoots from just below where it ...
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| Ponytail Palm | 5/4/2009 |
Q: I have an outdoor Ponytail Palm that seems to have stunted growth and has lost its top. I don't mean ...
A: ...Albeit Ponytails do fine in a cramped container, I would put it in a new, bigger container ...
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| Banana Palm Weeping | 5/4/2009 |
Q: I have a banana palm that is 10 feet tall and been thriving for many years. Now the edges of the ...
A: Bananas are very resilient growers, and will continue until they break a bunch of fruit, then the ...
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| Hibiscus Tree | 5/4/2009 |
Q: I live in Michigan on the west side of the state. I have a Hibiscus Tree, but I am afraid I killed ...
A: scrape the bark near the bottom of the tree, if it is still green (The Cambium layer), then the tree ...
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| Pruning Bouganville shurbs | 5/3/2009 |
Q: We have 6 bouganvilleas planted in the yard here in Phoenix, AZ. They very from 2' to 6' in heigth ...
A: Yes, prune back the trailers or if you want to prune the entire plant back, thats fine also; bottom ...
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| my dying Croton | 5/3/2009 |
Q: I've had my Croton for about 8 yrs and we have had some struggles. However, we have always pulled ...
A: I wish I could see it, but it sounds like it is just leggy from age; you have a good handle on ...
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| procedure for planting colocasia 'black magic' | 5/3/2009 |
Q: What are the detailed procedures for planting a colocasia 'black magic'? Please include depth at ...
A: Elephant ears like a lot of water and a shadier location; the planting dept should be the same as it ...
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| Bird of Paradise Infested w/ white footed ants / aphids - what to do | 5/1/2009 |
Q: My 20 foot white bird of paradise has a two-fold problem: white-footed ants and aphids. Some stalks ...
A: First thing to get rid of is the aphids, by using either Horticultural Oil or Insecticidal Soap, ...
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| Small animal protection for plant | 4/30/2009 |
Q: We live in Central Florida and have a potted Desert Rose on a table on our patio. We fertilized it ...
A: Raccoons are one of the toughest animals to deter, but also, I wouldn't use the emulsion on a Desert ...
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| Foxtail Palm | 4/30/2009 |
Q: We bought and planted a three stalk foxtail palm last year and this winter we had was a little harsh ...
A: I am getting this question quite a bit, and rightfully so with the cold snap we had in February; all ...
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| foxtail palm seeds | 4/28/2009 |
Q: And thank you for your help. I have a large foxtail palm, that has large red to orangs fruit. My ...
A: Dry the seed for a couple of days and then soak it for a couple of days in warm water (wash the ...
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| Saga Palms | 4/27/2009 |
Q: ...I live in Birmingham, Alabama and we had quite a rough winter with below freezing temps and some ...
A: they could indeed be dead, but often people get impatient and dig up plants they feel are dead, and ...
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| Hindu rope and Purple Passion | 4/26/2009 |
Q: Have recently ordered both a purple passion (gyurna) and two hindu rope plants, and would appreciate ...
A: They both like bright light, so the closer to a window, the better; water them when the soil is dry ...
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| foxtail palm | 4/26/2009 |
Q: I bought a foxtail palm last winter, about 2.5 meters high, but unfortunately it was the only one ...
A: sounds like the Palm is indeed stressed, and no wonder with what its been through; First of all, the ...
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| Passion flower | 4/25/2009 |
Q: I have a passion flower that is now in its second year, which I grow in the conservatory. It was a ...
A: first of all, you must refrain from fertilizing too much, as the Nitrogen tends to encourage green ...
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| Strelizia nicolai - Transplant mature plants | 4/25/2009 |
Q: I live in So Cal about 2 miles from the ocean and have several S Nicolai specimens about 10 yrs old ...
A: ..Cut them back pretty good, because you are going to lose a good part of the existing root system ...
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| Fertilizing Bromeliads | 4/25/2009 |
Q: When you say fertilizing bromeliad with liquid fertilizer, like 20-20-20, 1/4 strength???, should I ...
A: they are right on, but morning sun is fine, when they say shade, they in fact mean morning sun, for ...
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| Strelizia nicolai - Transplant mature plants | 4/25/2009 |
Q: I live in So Cal about 2 miles from the ocean and have several S Nicolai specimens about 10 yrs old ...
A: They are pretty well developed at this point, but you should be able to get most the root system; ...
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| Burnt Schefflera | 4/24/2009 |
Q: I left my two year old schefflera in my car on a sunny day and the top branches and leaves were all ...
A: from what you describe I feel it will be just fine; Scheffs are pretty tough plants and it would ...
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| lucky bamboo | 4/24/2009 |
Q: Last fall someone gave me a stalk of lucky bamboo. I have it in a vase of water on my desk at work. ...
A: Ok Beth, first problem is you are probably giving it tap water, which contains chorine which is very ...
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| Kimberly Queen Ferns | 4/24/2009 |
Q: I have 4 Kimberly Queen ferns that have been sun scorched. Should I remove the burned fronds? Also, ...
A: prune off the scorched leaves and then move the ferns into an area that gets dappled shade and only ...
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| Sago Palm | 4/24/2009 |
Q: All of my fronds on my sago palm have fallen off, but the pineapple part still looks good. What can ...
A: I would first determine what caused the palm to stress and lose its fronds, were they coated with a ...
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| Coconut Palm Help!?!? | 4/23/2009 |
Q: I recently (about 8 mos ago) transplanted a coconut palm from my neighbor's yard and initially the ...
A: Coconuts are hot weather lovers and after the cold winter we had, its going to be awhile before you ...
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| pygmy date palm tree | 4/22/2009 |
Q: About a month ago I bought a pygmy date palm tree, it came in one container, and there were four of ...
A: When you separated them you disturbed the roots and this weakened them, so watering them probably ...
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| Fertilizing Bromeliads | 4/22/2009 |
Q: When you say fertilizing bromeliad with liquid fertilizer, like 20-20-20, 1/4 strength???, should I ...
A: Osmocote is fine, it is granular and last longer than a soluble would, if you use the diluted Peters ...
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| Bananas | 4/22/2009 |
Q: We have or had many banana plants planted along our back fence. For years they got taller than 6' ...
A: ..ideally one that has a large Potassium content (last number on bag..), but as they say, any port ...
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| Bananas | 4/22/2009 |
Q: We have or had many banana plants planted along our back fence. For years they got taller than 6' ...
A: Bananas grow from an underground root system called a Corm, this Corm is like a potato, it sends out ...
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| My Plumerias do not root ! | 4/21/2009 |
Q: I count on your proficiency to help me out with some expert advice related to Plumeria cuttings. I ...
A: you are reading way too much into the rooting procedure for your cuttings: after they are cut, they ...
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| majesty palm tree plant | 4/20/2009 |
Q: First thanks for helping. I have had this majesty palm tree plant for about a month. the outside ...
A: Buddy is just letting you know that he is tropical by nature, and this means he needs humidity; ...
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| Peony Plant | 4/20/2009 |
Q: I have a pink peony I don't know why but its never bloomed, have plenty of leaves its healthy and ...
A: Peonies need plenty of sunlight and usually several years (3-4) before they are mature enough to ...
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| palm trees | 4/18/2009 |
Q: We live in Clermont, FL and during this winter we had lots of cold and even freezing temps at night. ...
A: not knowing the variety of Palm is tough for me to determine how cold hardy it is, but from what you ...
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| white bird of paradise | 4/18/2009 |
Q: Nick,I have a white bird of paradise that is approx. 3 years old. Yhe leaves are turning yellow and ...
A: tough to tell without actually seeing them, but with what you gave me for info, it sounds like ...
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| bird of paradise | 4/17/2009 |
Q: Nick, I have a white and an orange B of P. I have had them planted outdoors for the last 2 yrs. ...
A: no , Birds can be very finicky when it comes to flowering, as long as your Birds are lush and not ...
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| Care for Indoor Kentia Palm Tree | 4/17/2009 |
Q: Good afternoon, Nick. Hope you can help. I just purchased 2 Kentia plam trees from a local K-mart ...
A: I just use a good quality potting mix and line the bottom of my container with about 2 inches of ...
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| pigmy date palm | 4/17/2009 |
Q: My pigmy palm has frizzled palm fungus. My landscaper thinks it is caused by too much or not enough ...
A: I never heard of "frizzled palm fungus", there is a "Frizzle top" which is a nutrient deficiency, ...
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| whenis the best time to tranplant my saga palm? | 4/17/2009 |
Q: i want to know when is the best time to move a saga plam is it now or wait untill the fall?i use to ...
A: now is fine as long as you are prepared to irrigate it daily for a couple of weeks, until it takes ...
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| Foxtail Palm after the frost | 4/17/2009 |
Q: I've been looking for information about caring for a foxtail palm that had a rough go of it during ...
A: there is no way to predict whether your Palm will turn the corner for you or not; what you can do at ...
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| palm pods | 4/16/2009 |
Q: I have 6 palms and last year the put out 10 pods before the cold hit here in SC. Now they are hard ...
A: you didn't mention the type of palm, but I am pretty sure you are referring to "seed pods" they ...
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| Root System on Royal Palm | 4/15/2009 |
Q: I planted a royal palm in my southwest Florida lawn. It sits in the middle of my lawn, between my ...
A: Keith, The Royal Palm has a "deep" root system , hence its ability to withstand hurricane force ...
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| Root System on Royal Palm | 4/15/2009 |
Q: I planted a royal palm in my southwest Florida lawn. It sits in the middle of my lawn, between my ...
A: No worries here, their root systems are very compact and do not stretch out very far; 20 feet is ...
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| Desert rose - plant | 4/14/2009 |
Q: I live in the nature coast area of FL. 1 hr N. of Tampa - I purchased a desert rose plant. It was ...
A: Bingo!..Desert Roses are not fond of water, they store what they need in their pulpy trunk; I let ...
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| Palm Plant | 4/14/2009 |
Q: My planted palm (on my balcony) grows nicely but has dark or rotton tips at the end of the leaves. ...
A: there are several reasons for this, the most common cause is lack of humidity; usually summer is the ...
|
| Yucca elephantipes | 4/14/2009 |
Q: Is there a small version of a Yucca elephantipes plant. One that would grow to approx 36-48 tall. ...
A: there isn't a dwarf Elephantipes per se, but there is a Yucca that looks like Elephantipes, but in a ...
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| Scale? | 4/13/2009 |
Q: We started out with one plant that seemed to have "scale infestation". Our local nursery identified ...
A: It sounds like either scale or mealy bugs, I would treat it with "Bayer Rose and Flower systemic" ...
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| orange tree left out on a cold night | 4/12/2009 |
Q: I have had a Dwarf Patio Orange Tree for about 6 years and a Meyers Lemon for 2 years. I live in ...
A: scratch the bark at soil level, if it is brown, then your trees are indeed dead; if the bark shows ...
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| stump rot | 4/12/2009 |
Q: I took a small, indoor palm tree from work. Went to repot it and noticed tha the stump was half ...
A: Go ahead and plant the entire rhizome (underground root system) even though it may seem rotted ...
|
| Red Banana | 4/12/2009 |
Q: We have a red banana that is about 6 ft tall. One of our dogs decided to chew on the trunk and ...
A: because of the wound, it is probably better to cut the trunk directly under it and remove the entire ...
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| banna plant | 4/12/2009 |
Q: to nick every time my banana plant makes a new leaf.One of the old ones always burn.I took it out ...
A: ..anywhere from a year to 2 or 3 depending on setbacks such as frost, stress etc., but ideally, in ...
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| banna plant | 4/11/2009 |
Q: to nick every time my banana plant makes a new leaf.One of the old ones always burn.I took it out ...
A: The growth pattern of a Banana is for that to happen, it grows a new leaf and one of the older, ...
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| Parlor Palm | 4/11/2009 |
Q: I have what I think is a Parlor Palm house plant that I received as a gift. I had it in my front ...
A: ...I agree, that is definitely fertilizer burn and as I stated, they really are not a good concept; ...
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| Parlor Palm | 4/11/2009 |
Q: I have what I think is a Parlor Palm house plant that I received as a gift. I had it in my front ...
A: That is an indication of sun scald, you did the right thing moving it out of the direct sun; what ...
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| Palm plant problems | 4/11/2009 |
Q: I have a palm that is over a year old just lately the leaves and stalks in the slit leaves turned ...
A: sounds like your Palm is being accosted by spider mites or scale insects; I am assuming it is a ...
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| windmill palms | 4/10/2009 |
Q: Nick, last month I asked a question about the yellowing and drooping of the leaves of my new nursery ...
A: yes it would make a real big difference, for what happens is the roots never break out of the ball ...
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| areca palms | 4/10/2009 |
Q: A recent cold snap left my 8 ft. palms with dead tops. what is the best way to trim away the dead ...
A: Arecas are a laborious Palm to clean after a frost/freeze; take your time and cut each frond back to ...
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| Mexican Petunia Dying | 4/10/2009 |
Q: I have searched everywhere for an answer on what the pests growing on my Mexican Petunia are. All I ...
A: those are scale insects and you need to address them with a systemic and a Horticultural Oil; Get ...
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| pool planting | 4/10/2009 |
Q: to the pool? The planting area is at the front of the pool next to the entry, so I don't want them ...
A: )....I would consider a "Dwarf Oleander", it has masses of pink/salmon colored flowers year round, ...
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| Mass Cane | 4/7/2009 |
Q: How do I care for the Mass Cane plant (i.e. watering, fertilizing, etc.)? No instructions came with ...
A: Very easy plant to care for Dot, just make certain it gets watered when the soil drys, and it gets ...
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| Yucca elephantipes | 4/6/2009 |
Q: My Yucca Elephantipes had very droopy leaves and this winter was covered in a 1' of snow. I brought ...
A: Oh happy to help our friends across the pond:)..trim all the dead leaves back to the main trunk, and ...
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| Yucca elephantipes | 4/6/2009 |
Q: My Yucca Elephantipes had very droopy leaves and this winter was covered in a 1' of snow. I brought ...
A: Give it some time, unless the top pulls right out and it is mushy, it still has a chance; I too had ...
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| Indoor Palm Plants | 4/6/2009 |
Q: What would cause some of the spreading green fronds to turn yellowish and then brown on the outer 5 ...
A: You hit on two of the possible causes, under or over watering, the soil should be allowed to dry and ...
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| Cutting White Biord of Paridise Back | 4/5/2009 |
Q: A number of leaves have died due to frost. I have new leaves growing near the base but there is so ...
A: ...Thats fine, new growth will develop from the surface, picture an underground Potato, and the many ...
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| Cutting White Biord of Paridise Back | 4/5/2009 |
Q: A number of leaves have died due to frost. I have new leaves growing near the base but there is so ...
A: Cut them back by entire stems and leaves, from the bottom , where each joins the mass. You can't ...
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| Foxtail Palms & Jathropa | 4/5/2009 |
Q: I had 2 Foxtail Palms planted April 08 & established Jathropa replanted. This winter Tampa, FL had ...
A: you should already see new growth if they are still viable, I fear that the Foxtail may be gone, you ...
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| Frost Bitten Palms | 4/4/2009 |
Q: I live in Rotonda West and my Christmas Palms and other Palms especially my Bird of Paradise were ...
A: Yes! by all means, they respond very well to pruning, so don't be shy about it, take off the ...
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| Pony tail plant trimming | 4/4/2009 |
Q: My pony tail plant is under our verandah in a garden bed. It has now reached the top of the roof. ...
A: You can, but it will be awhile before it conforms, for its going to look pretty strange until it ...
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| Bouganvilla | 4/3/2009 |
Q: Was introduced to these awesome plants while living in the islands. Have numerous of them at ...
A: The worst thing you can do to a Boug is fertilize it, especially with a high Nitrogen count ...
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| Dying indoor pygmy date palm | 4/3/2009 |
Q: I have 2 pygmy palms inside, by an open blinded window. The palm on the right is doing....pretty ...
A: first of all, not the best choice for indoor growing, there are many Palms out there that would do ...
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| Bird of Paradise | 4/3/2009 |
Q: I bought a Bird of Paradise in January I transplanted it kept it inside it is doing well. I want to ...
A: Because its been growing indoors, when you move it out, it should be done moderately, morning sun, ...
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| capella plants | 4/3/2009 |
Q: Are capella plants poisonous to pets?
A: some Dogs have been known to chew on Scheffleras and that is in the family, so to be on the safe ...
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| Queen Palms | 4/3/2009 |
Q: My dad has four Queens in his front yard. They have aged and grown quite well in S Fl, and are now ...
A: they did indeed freeze, the litmus test for palms is the center of the crown, if it pulls out (as ...
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| Frost Bitten Palms | 4/2/2009 |
Q: I live in Rotonda West and my Christmas Palms and other Palms especially my Bird of Paradise were ...
A: Adonidia (Christmas Palm), is very cold sensitive and any brown/damaged fronds will indeed be shed ...
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| BIG things on my palm | 4/1/2009 |
Q: I have these huge banana-like pods on my palm..and when they open they look like yellow cauliflower. ...
A: Yes, but you have to wait until they fall from the pod on their own accord, what will happen is a ...
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| pruning | 4/1/2009 |
Q: I have a large outdoor philodendron selloum about 7 years old. healthy large leaves some are frost ...
A: Selloums are the type of Philodendron that develop a large tangle of surface roots and really are ...
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| bouganville | 3/31/2009 |
Q: I recently purchased a beautiful bougainvillea from a nursery in a hanging pot. I transplanted the ...
A: Bougs do not remain in color perpetually, it is normal for the colored "bracts" (the actual blooms ...
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| Indoor palm tree | 3/29/2009 |
Q: My parents had an indoor palm tree for 30 years and gave it to me about 2 years ago. Up until 6 ...
A: its probably either a Majesty Palm or an Areca, either way it needs to be transplanted into a new ...
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| orange king bouganvillea | 3/29/2009 |
Q: I have a orange king bougainvillea that was planted two months ago. Everything including the ...
A: go to the base about 2 inches above soil level, scrape the bark with a knife and see if the ...
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| Spathiphyllum | 3/29/2009 |
Q: Just so you know, I had to resort back to an old email from expert Nick McCann in order to ask this ...
A: I am glad you were able to get to me, I don't know about the technical aspect of getting here, but ...
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| alamanda | 3/28/2009 |
Q: I live in central Florida....How do I propogate chocolate alamanda thanks sandy
A: the easiest way is to take tip cuttings, about 3-5 inch new growth and place them in a small ...
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| Are our palms dead | 3/27/2009 |
Q: We live in Portland OR., and this past winter, we had a lot of snow, which is very unusual for us, ...
A: Palms in Portland OR?? I am curious what type they are, please follow up and let me know of the ...
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| trimming pygmy date palm | 3/27/2009 |
Q: My pygmy date palms were brown all the way to the heart, due to the winter.I trimmed some of the ...
A: its up to mother nature at this point, you really should have left the damaged fronds alone, for ...
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| crotons | 3/26/2009 |
Q: My crotons got bit by frost,although I covered them. The leaves are all brown. Two of my crotons ...
A: whatever is viable will stay attached and needs to be left alone, Crotons will shed leaves that are ...
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| Super Dwarf Cav pup | 3/26/2009 |
Q: My Super Dwarf Cavendish has a pup that is 3-4 inches tall with six leaves (working on the seventh). ...
A: wait until another pup appears before separating the "daughter" (the second pup will be the ...
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| Browning of Royal Palm Fronds at Tips | 3/26/2009 |
Q: My Royal Palm here in SW Florida is 8 ft high and 5 years old. During past month or so, the tips of ...
A: I am just south of you in Port Charlotte, and yes that cold snap we had in the beginning of Feb., ...
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| tibouchina bush | 3/25/2009 |
Q: I have a tibouchina bush - had it cut back last Late Summer. When we returned to Florida for the ...
A: My Tibouchina got hit hard by the cold this Winter and is just now starting to send out new growth; ...
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| Robilini Palms | 3/25/2009 |
Q: I have a huge triple Robilini Palm that was burned pretty badly from the cold snaps this winter. ...
A: I know, I can empathize with you, I too had extensive cold damage, all you can do at this point is ...
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| indoor miniature bird of paradise | 3/23/2009 |
Q: my bop was doing great for awhile and then the flowers started curling in, and nothing happened ...
A: the sticky residue is from insect secretions, probably spider mites, the most common "indoor" ...
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| frost damage | 3/23/2009 |
Q: We have extensive frost damage to our mature variegated schefflera in the front of our Florida home. ...
A: you don't have to wait if you don't want to, but if you do you will get a better picture of exactly ...
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| BIG things on my palm | 3/23/2009 |
Q: I have these huge banana-like pods on my palm..and when they open they look like yellow cauliflower. ...
A: It sounds like you have a Queen Palm, but it could be one of many that procreate in this manner; the ...
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| frost damage | 3/22/2009 |
Q: We have extensive frost damage to our mature variegated schefflera in the front of our Florida home. ...
A: what you need to do is shape it to conformity, not worrying about hurting it because believe me, you ...
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| queen palm | 3/22/2009 |
Q: I have a palm that has been planted about 8 years and has always seemed in good health. However, I ...
A: this is a condition common with older established palms, I've seen it on Queens, Washingtonias, ...
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| Majestic palm tree | 3/22/2009 |
Q: We live in The south eastern part of Tennessee about 2 hours or so from Georgia. We purchased a ...
A: I wouldn't put it in the ground, for your climate zone is a little too cold for that, but put it in ...
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| Splitting Majesty Palm | 3/22/2009 |
Q: I have a very healthy majesty palm that was potted eight months ago. Now I realize it appears to be ...
A: Yes it can, but you will need to be very careful, disturbing each root section as little as ...
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| pony tail palm | 3/21/2009 |
Q: I have a huge ponytail palm, over 30 years old, 8 feet tall - it has started to have some splits in ...
A: it is a phenomenon that occurs on many Palms, it isn't anything to be too concerned about, watch the ...
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| lakeview jasmine tree | 3/21/2009 |
Q: We had a freeze in 9b back in Jan/Feb and I am wondering if I've lost my 4 trees. They were planted ...
A: I too have had to remove many of my plantings due to cold damage, and you are correct in checking ...
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| Bananna Tree and palm plants | 3/21/2009 |
Q: I was told to cut my bananna trees back at approx. waist high. They don't seem to be growing back ...
A: The Bananas should have shown new growth from the cut pseudostem (trunk) within days (from center of ...
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| making a bougainvillea rebloom/brac in India | 3/21/2009 |
Q: I live in Bombay/Mumbai India (just mover from Australia for work). Given the weather seems ...
A: Your best bet is to place the containers in an area that is protected from the wind, or at least has ...
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| making a bougainvillea rebloom/brac in India | 3/20/2009 |
Q: I live in Bombay/Mumbai India (just mover from Australia for work). Given the weather seems ...
A: first of all you must understand that Bougs actually do better when they are water stressed, so a ...
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| desert rose | 3/20/2009 |
Q: i have a desert rose. Before i knew what kind of plant it was, it was planted outside and left ...
A: it sounds like it went through the ringer, but be patient, you did the right thing cutting it back ...
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| Queen Palm Growth Problem | 3/20/2009 |
Q: I have a queen palm, well established about 15+ feet tall. I noticed that the new shoots were not ...
A: it sounds like it is suffering from a lack of nutrients, primarily Manganese; Queen Palms need to be ...
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| Pygmy Palm (robellini) | 3/19/2009 |
Q: My palm was hurt by the deep cold spell even though it was covered and I hung a warming light under ...
A: you should always leave fronds on a Palm until they are totally brown, for they are still ...
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| Gold Capella's | 3/19/2009 |
Q: I believe the plant I have is a tropical plant. Gold Capella. I bought it without any instruction. I ...
A: Nice plant for a beginner, it is very forgiving and easy to care for; Shefflera Arbicola is indeed ...
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| Bouganvilla | 3/19/2009 |
Q: i am living since November last year on the island Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. The temperature is ...
A: Bougs color best when stressed, and this means lack of rain or irrigation and cooler nights; here in ...
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| Dracaena Marginata | 3/18/2009 |
Q: I purchased the above plant about a year and a half ago. It has been growing fine. Recently the ...
A: its a normal reaction to an increase in irrigation, but nothing to be overly concerned with; bottom ...
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| Hoya Vine transplant | 3/18/2009 |
Q: There is a hoya vine that was planting in a bad location at least 5 years ago before i moved in, ...
A: they do not respond well to transplanting, but if you must, then cut it back to about a foot and use ...
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| ponytail palm | 3/18/2009 |
Q: We have a ponytail palm planted at the front corner of our home. My husband found Carpenter ants in ...
A: Carpenter Ants seek out a woody area that is moist and rotted, they do not eat the wood, just ...
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| Palm Tree Frost Damage | 3/17/2009 |
Q: I am in mid Florida and have had some frost damage to the palm trees on my lawn. After several days ...
A: no, as long as there is some green left in even the frost burned fronds, they are still functioning ...
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| Help Please! | 3/16/2009 |
Q: I have a plant that my dad gave me and I have no clue what it is. When he had it, it was green and ...
A: that second picture shows me a pretty normal, healthy looking Corn plant, which kind of puzzles me; ...
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| Fish Tail Palm Cold Damage | 3/15/2009 |
Q: Nick, We have a fishtail palm that has been planted for a few years. This year central Florida ...
A: same goes for the Bird, cut the melted sections off, but do so by removing the entire stem from the ...
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| Help Please! | 3/15/2009 |
Q: I have a plant that my dad gave me and I have no clue what it is. When he had it, it was green and ...
A: I need a little more info in order to help you here, is it in a container? how big a container? how ...
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| Sea Grapes - Diseased | 3/15/2009 |
Q: My Sea Grape seems to be dying! I live in St Pete Beach and it always has been a wonderful tree. ...
A: that cold snap we had the first week of February was a real bad one, and many plantings got the ...
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| windmill palms | 3/15/2009 |
Q: The leaves of my 6 mo. old windmill have a yellow tint to the leaves and slightly droopy compared to ...
A: The drooping/yellowing is usually a sign of too much or not enough irrigation, if you have a ...
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| saga palms | 3/14/2009 |
Q: How can I keep my saga palms from getting too large? They are blocking the entrance to my porch.
A: the only thing you can do to keep a Sago under control is strip the lower fronds; you can cut the ...
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| Fish Tail Palm Cold Damage | 3/14/2009 |
Q: Nick, We have a fishtail palm that has been planted for a few years. This year central Florida ...
A: I know, I live here too and we got some pretty cold weather in early February; this did a lot of ...
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| Mediterranean Fan Palm trimming pups | 3/14/2009 |
Q: I have a clump Mediterranean Fan Palm planted by the entry of my home and it is taking over the ...
A: first of all , don't worry about hurting the parent palm, it will do fine with the pups excised, ...
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| Bouganvilla | 3/13/2009 |
Q: What kind of fertilizer do you recommend for a bougainvillea? Or do you think it should be ...
A: there is a fertilizer on the market for Bougs because of its low Nitrogen count, but any fertilizer ...
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| Transplanting Queen Palms | 3/13/2009 |
Q: I live in the Palm Springs area of Ca. and recently transplanted a 6ft queen palm. 2 weeks later ...
A: when you transplanted it, you needed to irrigate it well for several weeks, and hopefully you lifted ...
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| Chamaedorea trimming | 3/12/2009 |
Q: I have over 20 palm plants(I don't want to say palm trees because I don't have that) around my ...
A: I am assuming they are either Areca Palms or maybe Majesty Palms, in either case they will need to ...
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| Passion flower -- leaves falling | 3/10/2009 |
Q: I'm really hoping you could help me. I have a passiflora that's losing its leaves, and I have no ...
A: growth usually commences from the bottom, the top usually is what dies back, I cut mine back almost ...
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| What is the palm tree drip line? | 3/10/2009 |
Q: As a follow on question to leaves turning yellow, what and where exactly is the palm tree drip line? ...
A: the drip line is the farthest reaching frond, you want to spread the granular like you feeding ...
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| banana palms | 3/10/2009 |
Q: I bought my house(in the NW) just before winter,the owners recommendation was to cut the banana ...
A: first of all, Bananas are tropical by nature, and freezing temps will definitely to them in from the ...
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| Hawaiian Schefflera | 3/9/2009 |
Q: I have a large schefflera that's probabley 15 yrs old. It's outside and is much taller than our one ...
A: go ahead and cut it way back, it should be severely pruned once a year anyway, believe me , you ...
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| Majesty Palms | 3/9/2009 |
Q: I wanted for years to have a Majesty Palm, and I got a pot from Lowe's. There are actually two ...
A: they should be separate, and when you take them out of the container, you should be able to easily ...
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| Pygmy date Palm | 3/8/2009 |
Q: I bought this pygmy date palm tree for my wife and planted it in the yard in a large hole. It got ...
A: First of all , make sure that you planted it at the same level as it was in its nursery container, ...
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| Passion flower -- leaves falling | 3/8/2009 |
Q: I'm really hoping you could help me. I have a passiflora that's losing its leaves, and I have no ...
A: Passion Flowers can be finiky when it comes to flowering, I had one that completely covered a 10 ...
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| mango tree growth | 3/6/2009 |
Q: I have a lot of new growth on my mango tree. I can't tell if it is above the graft. I am hoping it ...
A: I understand your concern, the rootstock could only take over if you allowed it, many people don't ...
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| mango tree growth | 3/6/2009 |
Q: I have a lot of new growth on my mango tree. I can't tell if it is above the graft. I am hoping it ...
A: its hard to tell from the photo, but unless there was trauma to the graft area it should be above ...
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| poinsettias | 3/6/2009 |
Q: Can I plant poinsettia plants I recieved as Christmas gifts outside? I live in zone 9 - Dade City, ...
A: sure you can!..they will get as big as a bush by next xmas; put them in a location where they will ...
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| Stunted bird of Paradise | 3/6/2009 |
Q: I have been growing a bird of paradise (orange)for about 8 years now and as of late last year to ...
A: often times when a plant begins to wane, I have found that lifting it and moving it to a different ...
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| White Bird of Paradise | 3/6/2009 |
Q: We have a large White Bird of Paradise which is blooming. What do I do with the flowers after they ...
A: good for you, you have a happy "Bird", it is often difficult to get them to bloom, so you are doing ...
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| Pygmy date palm | 3/5/2009 |
Q: We are sorry, but kathy crowley wasn't able to answer yourWhat does it mean when the pygmy date ...
A: often when a plant (or palm in your case) will not respond to normal care, by growing in a natural ...
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| Banana Palm leaf/frond discoloration | 3/5/2009 |
Q: I am in Oakland California, and am writing about our banana palm that is starting to look a bit ...
A: You can either cut away the discolored leaves or you can just cut the trunk below the bad growth and ...
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| Banana Tree | 3/5/2009 |
Q: Iam in a new home with banana trees. After the winter they look dead. Can I just peal the dead ...
A: if you want to keep them, just cut the trunk about 3 feet of the ground, and new growth will develop ...
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| Mexican Palm is is Dead | 3/4/2009 |
Q: I have a Mexican Palm that is about 10 years old. It went through Hurricane Ike in September. We ...
A: check the center "spear", is it green or brown? if it is brown, then your worse fears are true, it ...
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| How To Repot Pony Tail Plant | 3/4/2009 |
Q: My plant came in a small saucer like container and small pepple rock that seems to be glued. I see ...
A: Pony Tail Palms are tropical by nature and grow in soil in their natural habitat, however, many ...
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| Dessert Rose | 2/28/2009 |
Q: HELP....my dessert rose is about 7 years old. It blooms for me all the time. It also gets spider ...
A: Desert Roses do not like much water, so if you are watering it , stop! and let it dry out completely ...
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| Pygmy Date Palm | 2/28/2009 |
Q: Approximately 2 weeks ago I purchased an ill looking Pygmy Date Palm. It was a lighter green then ...
A: ...it sounds like it is extremely stressed from being in it original container too long, what you ...
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| canary island palms | 2/27/2009 |
Q: I purchased 8 canary island palms last year they are about 5 feet high but due to the severe winter ...
A: even though they are frost damaged, the new emerging spear is the determining factor to whether the ...
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| bird of paradise | 2/19/2009 |
Q: I was told to trim all the branches to the bottom where they are together and leave new ones to ...
A: Birds have an underground root system called a Rhizome, its like a large solid root and all surface ...
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| Florida plants that got frost bite | 2/16/2009 |
Q: How should I treat the: Oleander Bouganvillia Robilini (sp?) and similar plants that got badly ...
A: a common question coming to me and with good reason, people want their beautiful plants back, and ...
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| frost damage on plam that is in a pot | 2/16/2009 |
Q: i have a palm that i bought last summer it was growing well but this winter we have had bad frost ...
A: it all depends on whether the root system was injured or not, and the verdict will not come in until ...
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| Croton | 2/7/2009 |
Q: I bought my Croton last summer and it did beautifully until the Fall. Then it started losing it's ...
A: Crotons are pretty resilient, and if they shed their leaves its usually because of either scale ...
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| Bannana Palm Tree | 2/7/2009 |
Q: I purchased a Palm tree that is suppose to produce banana's. I've had it for 2 years and no ...
A: I get very upset when I get a question about Bananas in containers; the claim by the sellers is that ...
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| Use of golden cane palm mulch | 2/7/2009 |
Q: We chopped down two large palms and had the tree stumps ground to mulch. Can we use it as mulch on ...
A: ..It will make a fine underliner to hold down weed development, but I would lay a standard mulch ...
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| Bougainvilla | 2/7/2009 |
Q: I have three bougainvilla outside two are massive meaning the trunks or main vine is three inches ...
A: the first step is to prune them way back, almost to a nub; then you will need to really take your ...
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| Mature Transplanted Sago Palms | 2/6/2009 |
Q: We just had several mature Sago Palms transplanted - how do we keep them alive?
A: providing they were transplanted properly, they are very easy to maintain; for the first couple of ...
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| frost damage carnation tree and pigme palms | 2/5/2009 |
Q: the frost turned my carnation tree brown and than in days bare. it turns my pigmy palms brown. last ...
A: I know your despair, I too (Port Charlotte) have the worse horticultural carnage I have seen since ...
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| Freeze protection for Roebelenii Palm | 2/3/2009 |
Q: What is the best way to protect this palm from freezing temps. I has some damage already from two ...
A: depending on its size, the only thing to do is wrap the trunk adjacent to the soil and place a ...
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| Trimming Main stalk of White Bird of Paradise | 2/3/2009 |
Q: We have some 20 foot white birds. They are getting ragged from wind. We would like to trim the main ...
A: If you cut the entire stalk (parent) it will not grow back, the pups are the ensuing growth; what ...
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| Trimming Main stalk of White Bird of Paradise | 2/2/2009 |
Q: We have some 20 foot white birds. They are getting ragged from wind. We would like to trim the main ...
A: don't worry you won't hurt it, it grows from an underground Rhizome (root system) that sends up ...
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| Pygmy Dates and frost | 2/2/2009 |
Q: Here in central Florida, while gone, we had 22 deg. for several hours. All our pygmy date palms are ...
A: I know, I too had damage down here in Port Charlotte, but don't fret, beleive it or not, most will ...
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| Foxtail palms | 2/2/2009 |
Q: Our fortail palms are getting too tall for our pool enclosure -- can they be cut back?
A: I'm afraid not, they are not the type of palm that can be groomed to size, like an Areca or Majesty; ...
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| Trimming & transplanting corn plant | 2/2/2009 |
Q: I have a corn plant (Draecena?) that I purchased at a street fair several years ago and has thrown ...
A: when you cut it, it will send out side shoots from the cut area and those will curl up and continue ...
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| banana palms, look dead? | 2/1/2009 |
Q: This is my first year at this homme and we have several 8-9 ft tall banana palms near the house, we ...
A: yes, cut them back to the ground and mulch them over, new growth will develop from the ground when ...
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| Queen Palm pods? | 1/31/2009 |
Q: My neighbor gave my husband some pods off their plant. He was told to soak them in water until they ...
A: first they need to be orange in color, thats the color they are when they drop from the pod onto the ...
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| Bromeliad help | 1/31/2009 |
Q: I recently received a bromeliad as a gift but I have very limited knowledge on how to care for it. ...
A: Kelly, the plant will take awhile before it declines, even after the blooms fade; the blooms will ...
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| Bromeliad help | 1/30/2009 |
Q: I recently received a bromeliad as a gift but I have very limited knowledge on how to care for it. ...
A: very easy plant to care for, the spike is the bloom, and when it fades it will usually pull out ...
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| jade plant | 1/30/2009 |
Q: I have a jade plant that was given to me and is doing very well, a lot of growth and healthy ...
A: it sounds like you have a scale problem, (possibly mealy bugs), Mealy bugs have a cotton like ...
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| lychee tree/ avocado tree | 1/30/2009 |
Q: I scratched the bark like you suggested to check if the tree is still alive. It appears to be brown ...
A: Give the Lychee some time, it may be on the cusp, but the Avocado should be fine, and won't require ...
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| Florida cold spell | 1/29/2009 |
Q: We had two nights in a row that got down to 27 degrees and now my foxtail & christmas palm tree ...
A: this is the most common question I have been receiving in the last week and with good reason; your ...
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| palm tree care | 1/29/2009 |
Q: my palm tree has leafs growing at the base of the tree. i don't know what kind it is. it came in a ...
A: it sounds like an Areca Palm, and it is normal for growth to develop from the bottom; you can snip ...
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| Canary Island frost damage | 1/29/2009 |
Q: I just planted 100 Canary Island palms. They were about 2-3 years old, in 5 gallon containers. A ...
A: mid 20's is dangerous for all the palms you mentioned, especially those that are young and in ...
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| Foxtail Palm | 1/28/2009 |
Q: I have two foxtail palms one of them has two flat things that kind of look like tongues coming out ...
A: I have to admit, that I have never heard of them referred to as "tongues", but they do indeed look ...
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| pygmy date palm | 1/28/2009 |
Q: i have a beautiful multi trunk pygmy date palm in a container, the gardener turned off the ...
A: it sounds like it is drought stressed, given the fact that it is in a container and received little ...
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| damage to lychee/avocado | 1/27/2009 |
Q: The trees were covered during the recent cold snap. When I uncovered them the leaves look dried and ...
A: go out and scratch the bark on the trunk, if it shows green then it was just cold stressed and will ...
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| Is my Fan Palm dying? | 1/27/2009 |
Q: I live in Cyprus (hence, Mediterranean weather) and had to replant 2 large fan palms (approx. 20 ...
A: ....the fact that one is fine and the other one is declining leads again to the roots and I am ...
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| knats in my corn tree | 1/26/2009 |
Q: I have had my corn tree for about a year. it has done well until recently it has knats and i think ...
A: Corn plants are pretty resilient, I would say it may need its soil changed out; the insects you are ...
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| Travelers Palms | 1/26/2009 |
Q: We have 2 Travelers Palms planted between a privacy fence and the pool cage. The trees are planted ...
A: it sounds like they are doing what any plant will do when it needs sunlight and that is lean toward ...
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| foxtail palm | 1/26/2009 |
Q: i am wondering if i should prune the brown fronds of my foxtail after this weeks frost... they were ...
A: Foxtails are self shedding, they do not need to be pruned ordinarily, however for aesthetics, it ...
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| Is my Fan Palm dying? | 1/26/2009 |
Q: I live in Cyprus (hence, Mediterranean weather) and had to replant 2 large fan palms (approx. 20 ...
A: by what you have said, it sounds like the one that is failing may be experiencing a stress from the ...
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| Recent freeze | 1/25/2009 |
Q: We live in Central Florida. How soon after our recent freeze can we cut back our bouganvilla and ...
A: the general rule of thumb is to be patient and delay any pruning until at least a week, this allows ...
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| Ixora | 1/25/2009 |
Q: I live in Punta Gorda, southwest Florida. We had a hard frost the other night and it looks like our ...
A: They will respond the same as many plants stung by the hard frost we got, and that is by eventually ...
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| Frost/freeze damaged plants | 1/24/2009 |
Q: I live just north of Daytona Beach. This past week we had 3 nights of freezing temperatures. This ...
A: the Papayas are probably toast, but the Bananas should show new growth in a couple of weeks if the ...
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| Brown Foxtails and Xmas Palms | 1/22/2009 |
Q: my name is Greg. We live just east of I-75 in North Port, Florida. It was unusually cold last night ...
A: East of 75 got a freeze, west got a hard frost; a hard frost will do superficial damage to palms, ...
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| Subtropical Foliage During a Cold Spell | 1/21/2009 |
Q: I live in SW Florida, and during the month of January, the temps do go down to mid 30 degrees. I ...
A: I too live in SW Florida (Port Charlotte) and yes, protective measures need to be taken for tonight ...
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| sick foxtail palm | 1/20/2009 |
Q: I am adding some additional details to a previously posted postedWe don't have most of the ...
A: ok, its an established palm, this is what I needed to know, it sounds like the roots have been ...
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| foxtail palms | 1/20/2009 |
Q: We live near Houston, Texas. I want to know how freeze tolerant foxtail palms are. We have two ...
A: The Fishtail will usually freeze back to the ground, and then (as you noticed..) usually send out ...
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| Foxtail palm questions | 1/20/2009 |
Q: I bought about 11 6ft foxtail palms at a garden center closeout sale approximately 1 1/2 yrs ago. ...
A: Tony, always fertilize with a well balanced granular specifically for Palms, for they have the ...
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| WINDMILL PALMS | 1/17/2009 |
Q: I HAVE TWO WINDMILL PALM THAT I BOUGHT AT THE END OF A NJ SUMMER. INSTEAD OF PLANTING THEM BECAUSE I ...
A: this a common occurrence when a nurser purchased plant (or palm in your case..) is not changed out ...
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| Foxtail palm questions | 1/17/2009 |
Q: I bought about 11 6ft foxtail palms at a garden center closeout sale approximately 1 1/2 yrs ago. ...
A: (I am in Port Charlotte), what is happening is the palms are stressing because the root ball is ...
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| Can Palm Roots be a problem? | 1/17/2009 |
Q: I have a palm someone gave me 7 years ago. I kept it short, but lately the trunk has become very ...
A: without actually seeing the situation it is hard to see if any disruption has already occurred, but ...
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| Bird of Paradise Plant | 1/16/2009 |
Q: Six months ago I purchased a Bird of Paradise plant from my local garden center. I have been a ...
A: brown tips on tropical plants grown indoors is usually a case of too low humidity levels; Birds like ...
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| palm tree | 1/15/2009 |
Q: I live in Illinois. My palm did fine during summer months with just sun, rain, and occasional ...
A: many people lose sight of the fact that a palm is tropical by nature and needs humidity; the lack of ...
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| Bonzai bougenvillia plant | 1/13/2009 |
Q: It was very expensive but Both my wife and myself loved it. We asked about how to care for it and ...
A: it sounds like it may have shocked from a location change, providing you didn't apply too much ...
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| Sago Palm | 1/12/2009 |
Q: We are renting a house that has a beautiful yard with 2 sago palms and one pineapple palm. The sago ...
A: it is indeed harmful! the white dust as you put it is actually a scale insect called "Aucalaspis ...
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| bugs on Hibiscus indoors | 1/12/2009 |
Q: I brought in 2 hibiscus trees to my sun room for the winter. I suddenly noticed many tiny black ...
A: Mary, wheneve you introduce a plant from the outdoors, it is imperative that you remove them from ...
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| Queen palms | 1/11/2009 |
Q: I just got 2-10 to 12 ft. queen palms and I would like to plant two of them together to form a "U". ...
A: some palms can be planted in that manner, however, the Queen is not one; the root system is the type ...
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| 12 year old queen palm | 1/11/2009 |
Q: The trunk is splitting about half way up- 2 finger slits- 1' - 2' length. What do I DO?
A: its a common phenomenon, don't be concerned, the only time its a problem is when it occurs up near ...
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| Palm not suckering | 1/11/2009 |
Q: My Golden cane palm has 9 trunks about 6 metres high and has no foliage or any suckers at the base. ...
A: you can't really force the matter, all you can do is keep it healthy, maintain a mulch covering ...
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| tropical bird of paradise infestation | 1/10/2009 |
Q: We purchased two tropical bird of paradise plants two months ago from a Phoenix-area nursery, and we ...
A: I can only speculate on the species of insect, could very well be aphids, but nonetheless, the cure ...
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| palm trees | 1/9/2009 |
Q: We just bought a house in SW FL and the palm tree out front (I think a queen??) has 4 fronds(is ...
A: Pruning of palms is specific to the variety,some shed their own fronds while others need to be ...
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| palm trees | 1/8/2009 |
Q: We just bought a house in SW FL and the palm tree out front (I think a queen??) has 4 fronds(is ...
A: ok, I really want to help you out here, I need to know several things first however, are the fronds ...
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| "bonzai" ponytail palms | 1/8/2009 |
Q: my husband bought me what i believe are mini versions of my larger ponytail palms there are 3 in a ...
A: Ponytails (be it standard or bonzai..) do not like to have their feet wet, that bulbular bottom acts ...
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| Sago Palm | 1/8/2009 |
Q: I have a large sago on my covered front walkway, It was growing over the walkway, I cot back some of ...
A: ....with the scale problem eliminated we can pretty much assume that it is just reacting to the ...
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| Palm tree in door | 1/8/2009 |
Q: We are building a house in Malaysia and like to include in the bar area a palm or other tree (about ...
A: indirect light by definition is referring to sunlight that finds its way to the plant by ...
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| Sago Palm | 1/7/2009 |
Q: I have a large sago on my covered front walkway, It was growing over the walkway, I cot back some of ...
A: cutting the lower fronds back on a Sago (either Queen or King), is fine and should not have caused ...
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| dracaena marginata | 1/5/2009 |
Q: My dracaena marginatas have been growing in the ground for about a year now. They are around 31 ...
A: Louise, it really doesn't matter where you make the cut, for that is where the new growth will ...
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| dracaena marginata | 1/4/2009 |
Q: My dracaena marginatas have been growing in the ground for about a year now. They are around 31 ...
A: unfortunately this is a common problem with them, they get leggy and the only way to do it , is to ...
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| Troubles with indoor palm | 1/2/2009 |
Q: We have a six foot interior palm bought at a housewares store for $16 or so. It is still in its ...
A: you need to get it out of that container right away, what is happening is the roots are rotting ...
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| Winterizing bouginvilla plants | 12/30/2008 |
Q: I live in central Texas and have several bougainvillea plants that I want to cut back and put away ...
A: the only way would be to cut it back and pot it up and then bring it inside as a houseplant for the ...
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| Fox tail palm | 12/29/2008 |
Q: I live in Dallas Texas and the weather has been crazy- one day it's 27 and the next it's 62. My ...
A: it is a young palm and will be very susceptible to stress from any cause, especially cold stress; ...
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| Palm | 12/29/2008 |
Q: Nick, We have an 18ft tall palm, not sure which type, maybe 6years old. It was very root bound, so ...
A: I wish the picture had a clearer shot of the trunk, the fronds could be that of several varieties; I ...
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| Inquriy: re: drac massangea oracaena plant | 12/28/2008 |
Q: The above is what is listed on the sticker on the plant I just purchased. Is it toxic to cats? Also, ...
A: a very easy plant to care for, water only when dry and fertilize once every three months with a ...
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| paradise palm | 12/28/2008 |
Q: my palm is dying and has a sticky substance on the leaves. it has spread to my other palm. What is ...
A: it is a common occurrence, what you are seeing is secretions from small insects, almost microscopic, ...
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| Tree Ferns | 12/28/2008 |
Q: I was wondering if tree fern rootsystems are invasive, I have planted a couple by the pool. I live ...
A: you have to be careful with any planting near a pool or structure, but the tree fern is low on the ...
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| mass cane | 12/28/2008 |
Q: I bought a mass cane from a local nursery for a dollar. The people there said the plant was ...
A: if the roots are still viable, then it should come back for you, but if the damage is from water ...
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| sago palm care | 12/26/2008 |
Q: I thought I read a lot about the palm when I got it and somehow thought it said they could live in ...
A: the cold tolerance limit for both the King and Queen Sagos is 20 degrees, 11 degrees is too low for ...
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| Bird of Paradise | 12/26/2008 |
Q: I have two near my pool, they have taken over and are pushing through my screened enclosure, I trim ...
A: the key in pruning back Birds is not to cut from the crown, but to excise from the corm, the corm is ...
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| Rubber plant | 12/25/2008 |
Q: i have a large rubber plant outdoors in a container - we live in south texas. about 20% of the ...
A: we (South Florida here) are in winter now, as you are, and the colder nights is stressing our ...
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| Majesty Palm Fuzzy White Mold | 12/24/2008 |
Q: I bought a Majesty Palm from a local home store roughly 6 months ago. We live in SC where palms are ...
A: and is probably innocuous, but just to be on the safe side I would change out the soil, thats where ...
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| struggling parlour palm | 12/22/2008 |
Q: We had a Parlour Palm in our airconditioned office for about 6 months when it seemed to dry up and ...
A: it sounds like you have a solid hand on your horticulture , good for you, but from what you are ...
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| Bouganvilla | 12/21/2008 |
Q: I am in Las Vegas. I am using three five gallon plants in the ground with trellis to cover an ugly ...
A: they are tropical plants and freezing temps will do them in; most people grow them in containers in ...
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| Alocasia Polly | 12/20/2008 |
Q: What happens if a child bites a alocasia polly leaf he was complaining about stomach pains and his ...
A: Jose, I could not find anything that said any of the Elephant Ears are poisonous, but many plants ...
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| pindo palm | 12/19/2008 |
Q: I have a Pindo palm that the outer fronds are doing fine but the inner bud seems to have died as ...
A: when you say "inner bud" I am assuming that you mean the new fronds that emerge from the center; ...
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| 15' bamboo palm clump | 12/19/2008 |
Q: we just bought a hse. and have a large clump of maybe twenty bamboo palms approx 15' or taller , how ...
A: this is a labor intensive endeavor, underground is a root system called a Rhizome, all the shoots ...
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| Flowering Corn Plants | 12/19/2008 |
Q: I have a plant that I think is a corn plant, Long green leaves not yellow but lighter green in ...
A: what you have is properly known as a Massangeana (Dracaena Fragrans) , commonly called (as you ...
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| Croton Petra | 12/18/2008 |
Q: I have several plants that have 2-3 different shoots coming off. Can I separate it, will a shoot ...
A: )..ok, side shoots are branches that extend out from the main stem; these will not propagate, but ...
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| Christmas Palm question | 12/16/2008 |
Q: I have a 3 tree cluster christmas palm that I moved to a new location in my yard back in sept. It ...
A: ..Adonidia , better known as the xmas palm is indeed stressed by cold, and this is undoubtedly a ...
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| Ponytail plant | 12/15/2008 |
Q: general care instructions, please
A: one of the easiest plants to care for, that swelled bottom is a reservoir for water, so very little ...
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| bouginvilla tree | 12/15/2008 |
Q: My tree is blooming on top but other than a few spotty leaves there is nothing in the middle or on ...
A: Bougs need to be pruned every year to keep the middle open and devoid of dead wood; the reason your ...
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| Palm Tree yellow with brown spots | 12/14/2008 |
Q: I have a palm tree that is turning yellow with with brown spots. I have applied palm fertilizer. A ...
A: it could either be a nutrient deficiency or a fungal problem; you already fertilized, which is good, ...
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| Quen Palm - Bent | 12/13/2008 |
Q: I'm in the Houston area, and from hurricane Ike, I've got a queen palm basically bent over at the ...
A: unfortunately it won't, it will stay at that angle but will snake vertically again, but the bent ...
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| Musa plant | 12/10/2008 |
Q: I have two small (2"high) plants growing in the pot of my Musa plant. They appear to be small musa ...
A: these are babies, and when they are about one third the size of the parent you can separate them and ...
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| bulbless elephant ears | 12/9/2008 |
Q: do I need to dig up my black magic elephant ears for the winter? they appear to have roots and not ...
A: no, mulch them over to insulate them and they should be fine; as long as the ground doesn't freeze ...
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| Ficus Problem | 12/8/2008 |
Q: All the new growth leaves close up and have bugs or spots on them. What do I do?
A: you need to treat it with a Horticultural Oil or an Insecticidal soap; if it isn't too bad, then you ...
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| Aloe vera plant | 12/7/2008 |
Q: I live in St. George, Utah. I have a potted aloe vera plant under a shaded patio. Wondering what ...
A: the Aloe has a liquid type center and will freeze when temps drop below 32 degrees, killing the ...
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| bird of paradise | 12/7/2008 |
Q: I live in Fort Worth, Tx. and have been growing my bird of paradise in a large container inside for ...
A: the fact that it has been in an indoor envionment with an ambient temperature that has been somewhat ...
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| Bougenvillia | 12/7/2008 |
Q: My potted plant is doing great, however we will soon get freezing weather. Its on the porch next to ...
A: the only thing you can do is bring it in at this point, it is tropical and will not stand a chance ...
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| Lemon tree losing leaves | 12/6/2008 |
Q: I have an indoor, potted lemon tree which is dropping a lot of leaves. I sprayed it with K+ Neem ...
A: the webbed culprits are called "spider mites" and love a dry, warm environment like the indoors of a ...
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| tree fern transplant | 12/6/2008 |
Q: I have a five foot tree fern growing out of a small brick retainer and a concrete pathway. What is ...
A: if I understand this correctly, then you have no choice but to crack about 2 feet of retainer and ...
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| pygmy date palm | 12/6/2008 |
Q: My folks live in Nipomo, CA. They are considering purchasing a pygmy date palm. Theirs is a ...
A: they should have no problem growing it there especially given the fact that they only experience ...
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| fruit flies on my tropical plants | 12/5/2008 |
Q: They were fine when i bought them in october and a month later my house was infested.. I am ...
A: I am not an Entomologist, but what I think you are seeing is an insect called White Fly, and they ...
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| decorative banana palm | 12/5/2008 |
Q: I need to transplant the above asap and need advice on how to do this. It is rather large with a ...
A: when you say transplant I assume you mean relocate, and this will be difficult given the size and ...
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| Transplanting Queen Palms now | 12/5/2008 |
Q: I need to transplant 2 queen palms, both about 10-12 ft. tall, this month. This needs to be done ...
A: those are pretty good size Queens, but still should be manageable; you will need to begin about 4 ...
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| Mass Cane | 12/4/2008 |
Q:
A: Your Massangeana has showed you in its best manner, that you are taking great care of ...
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| chamaedorea palm/ Parlor Palm | 12/4/2008 |
Q: I'm sure this is the palm I have. It's about 8 months old but is December (cold) here and lately, ...
A: your right on track with the "house not being humid enough", they like a tropical, humid atmosphere ...
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| Bouganvillia plant | 12/4/2008 |
Q: I would like to know why the leaves on my plant keep getting brown spots and then eventually die ...
A: you didn't mention how you were caring for your Boug,but the majority of problems this time of year ...
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| fox tail palm | 12/2/2008 |
Q: they have been the ground for one year now they are all turing brown and sheding even the new prongs ...
A: the key with these palms is the planting technique, many people (even some so called experts) plant ...
|
| Miniture orange tree | 11/30/2008 |
Q: I have a small lemon and orange tree,the lemon tree will set fruit each year and yield about 6 to 8 ...
A: when fruit forms and falls off at that stage it is a sure sign of poor pollination; I don't know the ...
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| musa | 11/28/2008 |
Q: My banana has brown spots, that are kind of large on the pseudostem, or trunk. Do I need to be ...
A: Holly, Bananas are my forte, and believe me when I tell you that they will not grow well contained, ...
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| musa | 11/28/2008 |
Q: My banana has brown spots, that are kind of large on the pseudostem, or trunk. Do I need to be ...
A: What is happening, which is very prevalent in potted Bananas, is the roots become very stressed, ...
|
| dracena spikes (lucky bamboo) | 11/28/2008 |
Q: I live in Pslm Beach Florida and have many plants indoor and out. I have taken an interest in ...
A: bottled water is fine, the key is to change it weekly (keep it fresh), ..from what I have noticed, a ...
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| bougainvillea cultivation | 11/26/2008 |
Q: I have a very successful climbing bougainvillea which I would like to replicate in other sections of ...
A: I don't know your location, but it is not the right time here in south Florida to propagate, ...
|
| winterizing a trumpet plant | 11/25/2008 |
Q: I live on the coast of NC. I have a Trumpet plant that is about six feet tall in my garden, this is ...
A: its kinda big for bringing in, but if you can by all means, do!...if not feasable, you can prune it ...
|
| Croton loosing leaves | 11/24/2008 |
Q: We live in Clearwater Florida where it's pretty warm all year. We purchased a pair of Cortons about ...
A: Your Crotons are going through a readjustment period with the change of weather; You should see new ...
|
| sea grape tree | 11/23/2008 |
Q: I have a beautiful sea grape about 20 to 25 feet from my pool. I know some trees are really bad to ...
A: that far out should be fine, the farther out the thinner the root system begins, and 20 feet from a ...
|
| Dying Foxtail Palms | 11/20/2008 |
Q: We initially had 4 foxtail palms but now have 1 that looks fair and 1 that new growth seems to come ...
A: Billie, If the palms were planted too deep, and by deep it could be as little as 3 inches lower then ...
|
| Cutting Back Banana Trees | 11/19/2008 |
Q: I am located in NE Alabama and I would like to know when is the best time to cut back banana trees. ...
A: the 20 degree temp assuredly did in the crown, and it will begin to turn brown and wither, so go ...
|
| Hibiscus in Florida | 11/19/2008 |
Q: Sorry Nick,I should have mentioned I live in New port Richey/Tampa area in FL.It's 40 deg. here this ...
A: I wouldn't put it in the ground, but I would put it in a larger container with new soil (and gravel ...
|
| Banana Palm | 11/17/2008 |
Q: I live in Norfolk, Va. I have 10 or so Banana Palms in my front yard that are 10-20 ft tall. ...
A: Bananas are tropical and you are in a climate zone that really isn't proper for them to prosper, ...
|
| Dwarf Cavendish banana | 11/16/2008 |
Q: How can you tell when they are ripe / when they should be picked?
A: when they are fully plumped out, this can take months to happen, but you will notice over that ...
|
| hibiscus problem | 11/15/2008 |
Q: I have 5 hibiscus plants-trees that are in ground in Florida.One of the trees is 4 years old and the ...
A: Hibiscus is very sensitive to surrounding changes, the cooler nights and scarcity of rain has caused ...
|
| ailing lychee | 11/14/2008 |
Q: well after about a month from when i got my answer about my lychee the new growth on it all slowly ...
A: if the roots are not terminally damaged then it should send out new growth,but you need to be ...
|
| repotting a masscane | 11/13/2008 |
Q: I was given an 8 year old mass cane plant about 8 months ago that is now over 8 feet tall!When the ...
A: You can repot it, they are very resilient (hence, your not being able to kill it:)..they do well ...
|
| Bouganvillea | 11/13/2008 |
Q: I bought my Bougainvillea this summer and it loved the garden but since I have brought it indoors ...
A: Bougs need direct sun and warm conditions, your plant shed its leaves because of the change in ...
|
| palm fungus | 11/12/2008 |
Q: I live in the Tampa area and my palm plant has a fungus which I know from reading here needs to be ...
A: fungal problems and nutrient deficiencies are not contagious,but if one specimen suffers, chances ...
|
| "Boonie" Pepper growing | 11/11/2008 |
Q: I just came back to the US from the island of Guam. I used to grow "boonie" peppers, a local pepper ...
A: Albeit I am not familiar with that particular pepper, I can tell you that peppers are self ...
|
| Bouganvilleas | 11/11/2008 |
Q: I planted a bouganvilla this spring, and it is growning like crazy, but never bloomed. I live near ...
A: Bougs do flower, but the color you see are actually colored bracts, the flower itself is a very ...
|
| i have flies!!! | 11/11/2008 |
Q: I have a yucca elephantipes plant and another palm-esque plant both potted. They were outside and ...
A: what happened was your compost never got hot enough to kill any eggs and they hatched! You have no ...
|
| COCONUT PALM TREE | 11/10/2008 |
Q: i read where it is suggested that a palm in a pot be brought in when the temp. hit the 30's. mine is ...
A: Coconuts in a container are real iffy, they have an extensive roots system and really do not do well ...
|
| Winterizing a Basjoo Hardy Banana | 11/10/2008 |
Q: This is my first year with a Basjoo Hardy Banana planted outside. I read on a related website that ...
A: because you are in a cold climate zone, your Banana is suceptible to cold damage; it needs to have ...
|
| Alamada bush | 11/5/2008 |
Q: I purchased an Alamanda last April and have repotted it to a bigger container and it is now located ...
A: it sounds like over watering, the roots have been stressed for it to defoliate that quickly; if it ...
|
| Multi-trunk pygmy date palm | 11/4/2008 |
Q: We recently transplanted a 3 trunk Pygmy Date Palm and one of the trunks evidently did not survive ...
A: yes, this is a common occurance with many triad Pygmy Dates, you can remove the afflicted one ...
|
| Splitting Trunk of Palm Tree | 11/4/2008 |
Q: Two years ago I put in 4 palms. One of them has developed splits in the trunk from ground up to ...
A: a common affliction, especially with Queen Palms; experts differ as to the cause, but suffice to say ...
|
| Royal Poincenna tree | 11/3/2008 |
Q: This will be the 2nd winter for my Royal Poinsciana (I am not sure of the spelling); the first year ...
A: ...set a step ladder next to it and have two of the lamps set on them so the top part gets benefit ...
|
| Royal Poincenna tree | 11/3/2008 |
Q: This will be the 2nd winter for my Royal Poinsciana (I am not sure of the spelling); the first year ...
A: It should be ok in a Zone 9, thats where I am and they are all over the place and I have never heard ...
|
| Seagrape tree roots exposed after OMAR | 11/2/2008 |
Q: Can you Help? We have a lovely condominium complex in St. Martin and Hurricane Omar did some beach ...
A: sorry, I never got where you were, ok, you need to bring the level of sand back to where it was ...
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| Seagrape tree roots exposed after OMAR | 11/2/2008 |
Q: Can you Help? We have a lovely condominium complex in St. Martin and Hurricane Omar did some beach ...
A: ideally you want to have the Sea Grapes in the same covered position that they were before the ...
|
| Severe trimming of a bougainvilllea | 11/1/2008 |
Q: Would severe trimming to the major branches {like trimming a grape vine} kill a large bougainvillea ...
A: trim it to your hearts content, they thrive on pruning and come back fuller and lose that lanky ...
|
| Height of my false aralia | 10/30/2008 |
Q: My aralia had grown to over 10 feet tall. It is getting too tall for the space (it is outdoors.) ...
A: you can shape it to your hearts content, just don't hit the main trunk, and if you want to take out ...
|
| Elephant ears and insects | 10/29/2008 |
Q: I have just recently bought an elephant ear plant. I was told it could be kept indoors in a sunny ...
A: oxalic acid and asparagine are in the plant leaf and stem and can cause problems if eaten by ...
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| Winterizing Cocnut Palm tree in Georgia | 10/29/2008 |
Q: I live in Georgia and have a Coconut Palm tree planted in a pot outside. Do I need to bring it ...
A: Coconuts are extremely sensitive to cold Susan, so it is imperative that you bring it during the ...
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| banana Palms | 10/28/2008 |
Q: we just moved to the Houston area and our back yard is landscaped with banana Palms. They are ...
A: ok, cutting the Banana "plants" (they are Herbaceous Perennials not palms:).. to the ground will not ...
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| Windpalm trees/Banana trees and winter preperation | 10/28/2008 |
Q: We planted several windpalms around our pool are this summer. Two are about 5 feet tall and the ...
A: Hey Mike, ok, the palms should be ok with the radiance of warm vapor off the pool when the ambient ...
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| Night blooming Cereus | 10/28/2008 |
Q: My Night blooming Cereus has to come indoors because it's starting to freeze, but it's too big for ...
A: you can cut it back without any problem, and even transplant pieces of the cactus for new plants, ...
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| Tree trimmer used spikes on my Queen Palms :( | 10/27/2008 |
Q: I have these beutiful queen palms in my back yard. I had a guy trim the trees. In the past they ...
A: first of all, your tree trimmer should not have a license to trim palms; the worst thing you can do ...
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| transplanting my elephant ears | 10/27/2008 |
Q: I need to know the best way to transplant elephant ears. We are getting ready to move into our new ...
A: easy one, just cut them back to a couple of leaves and then lift the bulb/corm, put them in a large ...
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| white powdery substance on saga palm | 10/27/2008 |
Q: On several of our saga palms a thick dusting of a white powdery substance is on the leaves.Small ...
A: what you have on your Sagos are Aulacaspis Scale, its an insect that will eventually kill your Sago ...
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| bonuganvillas | 10/27/2008 |
Q: If you have your bonuganvillas planted in the ground and live on the coast of North Carolina and ...
A: Bougs are tropical plants and will not survive a freeze; you really can't cover them with straw or ...
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| Corn Plant | 10/26/2008 |
Q: I live in the southern part of Virginia and have a corn plant that is big and beautiful that I've ...
A: the problem is tht it is not a plant that goes dormant in the winter, therefore it will not survive ...
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| Robusta Rubber Plant | 10/26/2008 |
Q: I have had this plant for about 7 years. It used to be about 2 1/5' and very full. It is not about ...
A: there really isn't anything you can do to force it to fill out, it will eventually send out new ...
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| root bound Strelitzia nicolai | 10/24/2008 |
Q: I am in Santa Monica and have two very large clumps of mature (30'high) of Strelitzia nicolai. They ...
A: they could in fact eventually break through the stucco, dividing them could be chancy also though ; ...
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| winter care for a banana plant in Tennessee | 10/23/2008 |
Q: I live a little south of Nashville and have a very large banana plant that was purchased in Fl. It ...
A: the corm will survive your rather mild winter if it is mulched over heavily, as you stated, the ...
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| Indoor Christmas palm | 10/23/2008 |
Q: I live in Indiana, but love to vacation in Key West, Florida. Last year I brought home a Christmas ...
A: spray the fronds down with a copper fungicide, this should take care of what I think is a fungal ...
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| Hardy Banana Tree | 10/22/2008 |
Q: It's Lisa again. Do you cut the tree down before winterizing? My Mom said that someone told her ...
A: Hey there again:) actually you don't cut it, just mulch the bottom heavily; bananas will continue to ...
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| hardy Banana tree | 10/22/2008 |
Q: i have a hardy banana tree in my backyard and I don't know what to do to winterize it. I live in ...
A: there are many precautions you can take, you can place several spot lights at the base, only to be ...
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| bouganvilla | 10/22/2008 |
Q: I live in Minnesota. I brought my plant in for the winter at the suggestion of the people at the ...
A: you Boug simply stressed from the move indoors, it should grow new leaves for you once it has ...
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| thorns of the bougainvillae | 10/21/2008 |
Q: One of the larger thorns stuck into the back of my foot in the heel area. Two days later it is ...
A: sorry to hear about that, ouch, I can relate, everytime I prune mine back I have trepidation, ...
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| Areca Palms | 10/21/2008 |
Q: We are looking at re-locating a bunch of Areca palms. These plants are mature; many of the bundles ...
A: this is going to be a big job for you, the root system on 15 foot Arecas is quite extensive for a ...
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| Dwarf Bouganvillea plants | 10/21/2008 |
Q: Do you have a picture of a dwarf bougainvillea plant? We had one in a container on our deck, and ...
A: Bougs are sensitive to changes in the enviorment, bringing it inside probably stressed it a little, ...
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| Banana Palms | 10/20/2008 |
Q: Can they be grown indoors? How so? How much fertilizer & Water? ANSWER: Hi Sue, although they will ...
A: best in full sun,but can tolerate partial (especially if fruit isnt important), but copious water ...
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| Banana Palms | 10/19/2008 |
Q: Can they be grown indoors? How so? How much fertilizer & Water?
A: although they will tell you that you can, the fact of the matter is, they will stress and grow very ...
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| mandevillia | 10/19/2008 |
Q: I have a mandevillia outside.I live in zone 5 in Ohio.How far back should i cut it when i bring it ...
A: Bemice, cut it back when the night temps threaten to go near freezing, or frosting; cut it back to ...
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| RUBBER TREE REPLANTING | 10/18/2008 |
Q: IS IT OKAY TO REPLANT A RUBBER TREE THAT HAS OUTGROWN IT ORIGINAL CONTAINER AND IF POSSIBLE CAN IT ...
A: if you have any chance of the ground freezing, then it can't be put in the ground; your best ...
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| Hurricane damaged queen plams | 10/18/2008 |
Q: My plams were folded over just above the main trunk during the last hurricane. I tried to splint ...
A: The crown sounds like it has been broken, if the entire crown is flopped over then the palm probably ...
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| bouganville | 10/18/2008 |
Q: my bougainvillea have holes and white deposits on leaves i have seen something resembles a fly that ...
A: The insect you are seeing is Whitefly and the larvae is what is eating the leaves; Spray with a ...
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| Banana plants | 10/17/2008 |
Q: i live in s.c.,(not near the coast),should i cut my banana plants down and cover with mulch over the ...
A: The fact that it didn't bear fruit tells me it is going to continue to grow aggressively in an ...
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| King Palm | 10/17/2008 |
Q: I really don't want to know the answer because I think it won't be good. But, I have a newly planted ...
A: that is indeed the problem, if the roots perforated the container and took hold into the ground, ...
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| Sago palm trimming | 10/16/2008 |
Q: Southern Califirnia and when can I trim the bottom fronds off my sego palm?
A: and welcome! your Sago (either the queen or king)can have its bottom fronds trimmed to suit the look ...
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| Queen Palm | 10/15/2008 |
Q: About 3-5 inches at the base of my queen palm seems to be flaking, crumbling anyway disappearing. ...
A: not to worry, its called palm flare...it happens to many different types of palms and is not a ...
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| Pygmy Date Palm | 10/15/2008 |
Q: Is it possible to keep a pygmy date palm 4'tall alive over the winter in s.c.
A: you are really tempting fate if you try, unless you are near the ocean and benefit from a micro ...
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| Song Of India | 10/15/2008 |
Q: I am actually watering every 1.5-2 weeks because I queried earlier with some symptoms and they ...
A: ...check the soil ball in the ceramic container, often it becomes compacted and as you water the ...
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| transplanting massangeana cane | 10/14/2008 |
Q: Bought a massangeana cane plant at Home Depot, which appeared to have outgrown it's pot. Does this ...
A: these plants are very hardy, but they tend to be top heavy, because their root systems are small in ...
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| Bird of Paradise | 10/14/2008 |
Q: Hope you enjoyed your vacation! I received a "dish garden" and it contains 2 Birds of Paradise. ...
A: how are you?:)...dish gardens tend to contain numerous plants that look great in the initial stage, ...
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| bannanas | 10/14/2008 |
Q: how can i tell when my bananas are ready to cut
A: as the banana fingers swell, they lose the rectangular look and begin to become oval; when you ...
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| sad cane yucca | 10/14/2008 |
Q: i got a cane yucca at a garage sail that had been sitting in a 5-gal. bucket of stagnate water. I ...
A: it sounds like it is suffering from rot, from the water it was sitting in; the roots were probably ...
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| burning lychee leaves | 10/5/2008 |
Q: I received this emperor dwarf lychee a few months ago and have noticed that the leaves have begun to ...
A: I wouldn't be too concerned about it, watch to make sure new tip growth continues; tip burn is ...
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| wintering an hibiscus outdoors | 10/4/2008 |
Q: I live in northern part of Virginia and would like to keep my hibiscus that is planted in the ...
A: truth is, this measure is only effective in an 8 or 9 zone, when protecting against the occasional ...
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| Bird of Paradise | 10/2/2008 |
Q: I live in South Texas, about 100 miles south east of San Antonio & I just bought 2 of the most ...
A: my you are an early bird! lol..I live in South Florida and they pound that into us here, at the ...
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| bougainvillea | 10/2/2008 |
Q: I live in Montreal, Canada, zone 5 in Canada, probably 4 in the USA. I just purchased 2 ...
A: Oh I'm sorry, I misunderstood, ok, they are very drought tolerant, show don't over water them while ...
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| Banana Palms | 10/2/2008 |
Q: I purchased 3 banana palms 3 years ago, 2 of them were 2 years old and the other was only a year ...
A: ..cut it right back to about a foot of the ground, and it will send out new growth from the center ...
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| Banana Palms | 10/2/2008 |
Q: I purchased 3 banana palms 3 years ago, 2 of them were 2 years old and the other was only a year ...
A: ....yes, just cut it at ground level, it will not regenerate, because it already did its ...
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| bougainvillea | 10/2/2008 |
Q: I live in Montreal, Canada, zone 5 in Canada, probably 4 in the USA. I just purchased 2 ...
A: oh my! you have a tough row to hoe here, Bougs are tropical and having worked in Montreal for 3 ...
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| Banana Palms | 10/1/2008 |
Q: I purchased 3 banana palms 3 years ago, 2 of them were 2 years old and the other was only a year ...
A: Bananas grow from an underground rhizome called a corm, it is like a big potato underground, and all ...
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| Bird of Paradise | 10/1/2008 |
Q: I live in South Texas, about 100 miles south east of San Antonio & I just bought 2 of the most ...
A: first of all, thank you for your kind remarks on my previous reply, it is appreciated:)...now for ...
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| Bird of Paradise | 10/1/2008 |
Q: I live in South Texas, about 100 miles south east of San Antonio & I just bought 2 of the most ...
A: I would put it in a larger container and place it in a protected spot where it will be protected ...
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| banana tree | 9/29/2008 |
Q: How do I kill or get rid of overgrown banana trees? I recently moved and our new home is over run ...
A: Dianne, the only way to erradicat a banana "mat" is to kill the underground corm, which is like a ...
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| yacca palm | 9/28/2008 |
Q: I bought a 7' Yucca Palm tree from Home Depot in June 2008, put it in a larger pot and placed it on ...
A: you need to make sure the container contents doesn't freeze, so mulch the surface with a 3 inch ...
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| banana palm babies | 9/25/2008 |
Q: I planted a banana palm in the spring & it has sent out all these baby plants. Is there a way I can ...
A: yes! but you must wait until they have developed several leaves, so you get a pup with roots ...
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| Here is the picture of our little tree!! | 9/25/2008 |
Q: we just bought a nice tropical house plant. a small tree with leathery long green leaves that grow ...
A: you have what looks like either scale or meal bugs (hard to tell with picture), spray them with ...
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| What is wrong with my Foxtail Palm trees? | 9/24/2008 |
Q: We moved into a house in South Florida that has 3 Foxtail Palm trees in our front yard....but they ...
A: well, without a history its tough, but from what you describe it sounds like they have definitely ...
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| sago palms | 9/24/2008 |
Q: What can I do to get rid of a white fungus on my palms??
A: its not a fungus, but an insect, Aucalaspis Scale is an insect that makes the fronds look like they ...
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| Red Banana Tree leaves browning and dying | 9/23/2008 |
Q: I bought a red banana tree potted in July and it was growing well. Now the outside edges are ...
A: Randy, I often get questions on growing bananas in containers, even the super dwarf banana is ...
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| Droopy palm | 9/23/2008 |
Q: I have about 6 palm trees that I have grown from seeds. They're about 12 months old. Some are ...
A: Kendall, try planting them just a little deeper, it sounds like the roots are are little too ...
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| Sago Palm | 9/22/2008 |
Q: I have black sticky substance on this plant. What is this called and how can I cure this plant ...
A: its secretions from feeding insects, get a quality Horticultural Oil and spray the entire plant down ...
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| coconut palm | 9/21/2008 |
Q: I live in northern Highlands county where coconut palms are marginal. I bought a $10 plant from ...
A: you can prune back the sea grape anytime now through the end of the month, but just be careful not ...
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| Boganvillias not flowering | 9/21/2008 |
Q: I have several boganvillias around the yard and they all seem quite healthy and lush, but none of ...
A: Bougs are at their best during the cooler seasons beginning in October; during the hotter time of ...
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| Hurricane damaged queen palm | 9/20/2008 |
Q: After Ike, one of the queen palms had the center stalk snap in half. The palm still has a dozen or ...
A: Mike, if the frond broke in half, and the lower half is still emerging or at least is still attached ...
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| Celosia | 9/20/2008 |
Q: Could you please help me? I planted some celosia seeds-cockscomb-and now find the tops of the plants ...
A: they look like they are infested with "leafminor" an insect that burrows into the vein of a leaf and ...
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| banana palm | 9/19/2008 |
Q: Can a large potted banana palm be split at the root like Hostas? This thing has gotten too big and ...
A: The main growth of the banana is only cut after it produces fruit, the bird is different, you would ...
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| Wintering over Mandevilla Plants | 9/17/2008 |
Q: Is is possible to keep a Mandevilla Plant alive over the winter in Illinois. If possible how?
A: I get this question often, and depending how deep the ground freezes in your area will determine ...
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| Saga Palm | 9/17/2008 |
Q: How tall can a Saga Palm get? What does it mean when the leaves turn yellow?
A: is it a Queen Sago or King Sago? the Queens get up to 10 feet, while the Kings top out at about 7 ...
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| mandevilla plants | 9/16/2008 |
Q: I have a mandevilla plant and wish to give one to my daughters. My question is how can I start new ...
A: Mandevillas are like most plants when it comes to propagating; 2-3 inch tip cuttings dipped in a ...
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| What is the white dots on my plumeria plant? | 9/15/2008 |
Q: I have a plumeria plant in a large pot. The top of the leave are green and beautiful, however, on ...
A: No, this will not kill your Plumeria (Frangipani in Hawaii)..the only thing that many people do that ...
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| What is the white dots on my plumeria plant? | 9/14/2008 |
Q: I have a plumeria plant in a large pot. The top of the leave are green and beautiful, however, on ...
A: sounds like scale insects or whitefly larvae, either way get some common household isoprohyl alcohol ...
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| tropical plants | 9/14/2008 |
Q: Planted a praying plant (from the store where purchased)into a larger pot in order for it to grow. ...
A: it won't hurt the plant to take a cutting and place it in some moist vermiculite, this will also ...
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| ethiopian red banana & chinese yellow banana | 9/14/2008 |
Q: our plants seem to be doing ok, but we are wondering if we should move them to the sunnier side of ...
A: ..they are small enough to lift the entire plant, so dig out the whole root corm with soil attached ...
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| ethiopian red banana & chinese yellow banana | 9/14/2008 |
Q: our plants seem to be doing ok, but we are wondering if we should move them to the sunnier side of ...
A: I am assuming they are in the ground, so here goes, the Banana (all varieties) grow from an ...
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| Chusan Fan Palm | 9/13/2008 |
Q: I have bought the fan palm and it seemed to have rooted well. I have planted it with stones in the ...
A: that is really somewhat normal, the lower fronds provide nutrients to the upper fronds as they ...
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| Foxtail Palm | 9/13/2008 |
Q: We had a frond pop open before it came out of the trunk. Now the plant is not doing growing or ...
A: that happens and all you can do is gently pry the opening somewhat to alleviate the jam, but don't ...
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| sea grape root system | 9/13/2008 |
Q: my neighbor just recently planted 3 sea grape trees. each approximately 5 feet from our hollow tile ...
A: I will tell you that any large tree will have the potential to damage structures close to it with ...
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| white bird | 9/12/2008 |
Q: My white bird's main stem is about 10 ft tall before the stalks with leaves (which are torn up by ...
A: no a travelers palm is a different strain, cutting the stem does eliminate that entire stem, but ...
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| white bird | 9/12/2008 |
Q: My white bird's main stem is about 10 ft tall before the stalks with leaves (which are torn up by ...
A: ,ok, picture a huge potato under the ground, coming from this is all the stems; you can cut away as ...
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| Yucca, Dragon and Snake Plants | 9/12/2008 |
Q: Nick, It is Sherri in South Carolina again. Incidentally, my Hibiscus plants are doing fine own ...
A: nice to hear from you again:) ok, down to business,,,all you have told me lead to one major problem, ...
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| giant yucca cuttings | 9/12/2008 |
Q: I've got two giant yuccas that have grown from barely 18" when I bought them in 2 quart pots 5 or 6 ...
A: ...I wish I knew the details on how the professionals do it, it has something to do with cutting ...
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| giant yucca cuttings | 9/11/2008 |
Q: I've got two giant yuccas that have grown from barely 18" when I bought them in 2 quart pots 5 or 6 ...
A: the only way I know of propagating Yuccas is with the offshoots, cutting them and dipping them in a ...
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| Bouganvilla | 9/11/2008 |
Q: Nick I live in the Mojave Desert and some times in summer it gets up to 112 or more = is direct sun ...
A: ...yes, mulch the root system to retain a cool soil base and as I said, water when the leaves begin ...
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| Bouganvilla | 9/10/2008 |
Q: Nick I live in the Mojave Desert and some times in summer it gets up to 112 or more = is direct sun ...
A: Bougs thrive in hot sun, just make sure they get sufficient irrigation and there won't be any ...
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| Coconut Palms | 9/10/2008 |
Q: Is it necessary to trim coconut trees every six months. If not, how often should they be trimmed.
A: contingent on how you want your palm to look will determine when to prune it; if you like the look ...
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| New Ficus Benjamina Dropping Leaves | 9/9/2008 |
Q: I purchased a Ficus benjamina (approx. 6 ft tall) ten days ago and the leaves have been dropping off ...
A: ) certainly, it is always a good idea to keep water to evaporate around your tropical plants to ...
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| New Ficus Benjamina Dropping Leaves | 9/9/2008 |
Q: I purchased a Ficus benjamina (approx. 6 ft tall) ten days ago and the leaves have been dropping off ...
A: your Ficus is reacting to its new surroundings and too much water; Ficus doesn't need this type of ...
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| Hibiscus plants | 9/9/2008 |
Q: What should I do to winterize 2 potted Hibiscus shrubs that are potted? I live on Cape Cod.
A: bring them in during the night and out during the day and this will gradually adjust them to their ...
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| Mandavilla winterizing Cape Cod | 9/9/2008 |
Q: I saw the answer for winterizing Mandavilla plants for PA. and wondered if there was much difference ...
A: not really, Cape Cod is in about the same climate zone as PA, and as I said before, a gradual ...
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| Fox Tail Palm frost | 9/8/2008 |
Q: We planted our three foxtails over two summers ago. The frost hit us this winter like everyone else ...
A: its funny you ask that question, for I too have one I am watching, that is exactly the same; my ...
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| Fox Palm | 8/29/2008 |
Q: My fox palms new prawns are very green but VERY quickly turn brown and the stem seems to be spotted. ...
A: The fronds turning brown is usually a problem with too much moisture at the root ball, make sure ...
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| Christmas Palm | 8/29/2008 |
Q: I live in Florida and I have a 3 cluster Christmas Palm and a Foxtail Palm, we did not cover them ...
A: I too have a foxtail I am trying to nurse back to health, it has 3 spears that are green but they ...
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| petra croton not doing well | 8/28/2008 |
Q: I recently bought 3 croton to put in front for landscaping. They were planted right in front of my ...
A: sounds like too much water, they are stressing from their roots getting soaked, Crotons don't need ...
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| Majesty Palm | 8/28/2008 |
Q: Hi is their a way that i can stunt the growth so they don't grow so tall thank you
A: not really, but if you are worried about the optimum growth given for the palm (20 feet), don't be, ...
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| Foxtail Palms | 8/27/2008 |
Q: two large great looking foxtails in front yard and suddenly they look like they are dying? Limbs ...
A: I need more info on this question, there are so many variables for ailing palms; let me know how ...
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| Song of India, Bamboo palm and yucca cane | 8/25/2008 |
Q: I am new to houseplants. I recently purchased two song of India plants, one bamboo palm and a yucca ...
A: ....cut back well below the rot, the color of the cane should be the same as the other healty ones, ...
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| Hibiscus Plants | 8/25/2008 |
Q: Hope you enjoyed your vacation. To bring you up to date: Before I had a chance to purchase the ...
A: good to be back:) sounds like it will be fine, but the copper should be applied once every couple of ...
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| Song of India, Bamboo palm and yucca cane | 8/25/2008 |
Q: I am new to houseplants. I recently purchased two song of India plants, one bamboo palm and a yucca ...
A: without seeing them it is difficult, but from what you told me, you could be giving them too much ...
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| Mandevilla problem | 8/25/2008 |
Q: We have had Mandevilla plants each year growing on a post/trellis for 15 years (Michigan). The last ...
A: because you are unable to locate them during the day tells me your Mands are being attacked by ...
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| sticky palm frond | 8/24/2008 |
Q: My indoor palm tree has a new frond that has developed a sticky residue. None of the other fronds ...
A: it sounds like you may be developing an insect problem, most likely mites; as they feed they give ...
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| Can we save the bananas? | 8/16/2008 |
Q: Last night some critters finally reached their goal and broke our banana tree w/about a half ripe ...
A: don't fret, you really should have cut the stalk off while it was still green, but plumped out to ...
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| White Bird of Paradise Pruning | 8/16/2008 |
Q: My plant is inside a pool enclosure. It's about 12 feet tall. I need to cut it back to about 6 to 8 ...
A: it won't, I'll explain, Birds grow from underground corms, and when you cut one out, its merely ...
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| Yellow gardenia blossoms | 8/16/2008 |
Q: I recently purchased a beautiful Gardenia tree with many blossoms...until I got it home and into my ...
A: Hey Ed, Bostons my old stomping grounds:)...sounds definitely like an environemtal reaction, plants ...
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| Queen Palm | 8/15/2008 |
Q: The trunk of the palm at about 15 feet has a a horizontal crack almost like someone took an axe to ...
A: that is actually a common phenomenon with Queens, there really isn't much to be concerned about, it ...
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| Hibiscus plants | 8/14/2008 |
Q: I'll start with particulars. Have 2 hibiscus... We live in South Carolina and keep in containers our ...
A: ...Hi again:)..if there is no indication of insects then it has got to be a fungal problem, try ...
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| Majesty Palm with a white mold | 8/14/2008 |
Q: I already sent one question.We live in Albuquerque NM.My palm is indoor plant and we keep it not on ...
A: a picture is indeed worth a thousand words! what you have isn't mole, it is an insect called ...
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| Hibiscus plants | 8/13/2008 |
Q: I'll start with particulars. Have 2 hibiscus... We live in South Carolina and keep in containers our ...
A: Well, I will tell you one thing Sherri, that is one of the most concise questions I have ever ...
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| yellow alamanda | 8/12/2008 |
Q: i have a yellow allanada planted next to a pink hibiscus. they are beautiful when blooming at the ...
A: I have a dog and 2 cats and they totally ignore my Allamanda and Hibiscus, so I wouldn't be too ...
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| Indoor palm | 8/12/2008 |
Q: I've acquired an indoor palm that looks like the bottom trunk is a pineapple. It isn't, but that's ...
A: any indoor palm will fare just fine with filtered light and irrigation when dry to touch; be on the ...
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| my Hibiscus plant | 8/12/2008 |
Q: I Live in Arizona were the temp hit 120 degrees, I have a hibiscus plant that i brought indoors ...
A: when you brought it in it adjusted from the hot temps outside, but I am thinking you may have given ...
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| bananna plant | 8/11/2008 |
Q: i do not want my banana plant to flower/fruit because i know it will die, can i stop this by cutting ...
A: actually the only way to prolong your plant is to cut the trunk itself, it will then send out a new, ...
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| banannas | 8/9/2008 |
Q: is there a way to get bannannas to ripen faster?
A: no, they will plump out gradually over a span of 2-3 months; the key is to cut them off the plant ...
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| aloe plant care | 8/7/2008 |
Q: I was given an aloe plant, but the leaves are very flat, not full of sap like I am used to. I water ...
A: there are different varieties, some are flat,but have the same substance when cut, but not the ...
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| Damaged bougainvillea trunk | 8/7/2008 |
Q: I recently purchased a young bougainvillea plant which I wanted to turn into a bonsai. Unfortunately ...
A: Anisa, as long as it isn't completely severed, there is a chance of it mending, but slight, as far ...
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| Sago Palm browning | 8/6/2008 |
Q: I have 6 Sago Palms in my yard. 4 of them are green as can be and beautiful, but two have new ...
A: Frizzle top is more common in other palms, and Magnesium Sulphate deficiency is usually the reason, ...
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| indoor tropical plant too big for ceiling | 8/6/2008 |
Q: . i rescued a tropical plant years back and it has done well in my home- i think its a ficus.. with ...
A: Ahhh, ok now we can push on here...(and thanks for the compliment!:))..they only thing you can do ...
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| Ponytail Palm | 8/6/2008 |
Q: I have inherited a three foot tall Ponytail Palm that was generally healthy when my grandfather was ...
A: Ponytails need very little water, that bulbular bottom is a resevoir; I am thinking you provided too ...
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| indoor tropical plant too big for ceiling | 8/5/2008 |
Q: . i rescued a tropical plant years back and it has done well in my home- i think its a ficus.. with ...
A: it needs to be pruned way back! get yourself a pair of hand trimmers, and shape it as you cut it ...
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| tropical plants | 8/5/2008 |
Q: I was surfing the net and came up with this site. It's great! I live in the Buffalo area and ...
A: I probably should not have mentioned fruiting, that would be for the experienced, so I am going to ...
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| Majesty Palm black mold and scab looking prob. | 8/4/2008 |
Q: I have two Majesty Palms on my front porch with black mold on them. What should I do to help? I've ...
A: the black mold is called "sooty mold", it is considered an innocous fungus that is feeding off the ...
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| Gardenia Bush | 8/4/2008 |
Q: What kind of soil do I plant a Gardenia bush/tree in? I plan to keep it in a large terra cotta pot ...
A: normally it would be a light potting mix, if planted in a plastic container, but with a Terra Cotta, ...
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| mass cane temperature tolerance | 8/4/2008 |
Q: I purchased a mass cane yesterday, repotted it and today the leaves are darker in color and starting ...
A: I have two outside of my patio, and they get exposed to direct light/sun all day; here in Florida we ...
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| night blooming jasmine ( Cestrum nocturnum ) | 8/3/2008 |
Q: I Live in Florida where its been raining allot for the past few weeks. I have 2 night blooming ...
A: its either scale or mealy bugs...same cure for both is either an insecticidal soap or horticultural ...
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| House Palm -not sure what species | 8/3/2008 |
Q: Sticky gooey film on some leaves? Is it some type of infestation? Worth spraying or should I get ...
A: its the residue of tiny insects (probably mites) feeding on your Palm (probably a Majesty); wipe the ...
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| Alocasia polly | 8/2/2008 |
Q: WILL THIS PLANT HURT MY KITTEN IF SHE EAT IT . JUST GOT IT TODAY ,ITS ALOCASIA POLLY.
A: ...I have 2 cats and a dog and Elephant Ears abound in my garden, have no fear with your kitten, ...
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| Queen Palms | 8/2/2008 |
Q: I have some very big queen palms which have dropped a bunch of seeds and now they have rooted and ...
A: yeah, if you don't prune those inflorescence off and allow the seeds to develop and eventually ...
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| tropical plants | 8/1/2008 |
Q: I was surfing the net and came up with this site. It's great! I live in the Buffalo area and ...
A: good for you! tropical plants in Buffalo though is kinda like wanting snow in southern ...
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| indoor palm tree needs help! | 8/1/2008 |
Q: A friend of mine asked me to take care of his 6 foot indoor palm tree while he is out of the country ...
A: without seeing it makes it difficult for me to really diagnose what is going on with this palm, but ...
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| Banana plant with sticky leaves | 7/31/2008 |
Q: My banana plant was so healthy then I noted that one of my other plants had white stuff all over its ...
A: sounds like its being attacked by White Fly Larvae, is it like bits of cotton badding? without ...
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| Princess Flower | 7/19/2008 |
Q: I have a few princess flowers zone 10. Some of the princess flowers have lost almost of their ...
A: ...it could be, any plant will react to too much irrigation, the difference is, a plant that loses ...
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| Princess Flower | 7/18/2008 |
Q: I have a few princess flowers zone 10. Some of the princess flowers have lost almost of their ...
A: Tibouchina needs to be watered on a regular basis, and also they react to insecticides or anything, ...
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| Red banana palm pest | 7/18/2008 |
Q: I live in PCB, NFL and planted two red banana palms about three months ago in my yard. One plant is ...
A: it is either slugs or a bee called the leaf cutter; if the holes are perfectly symetrical, then its ...
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| Transplating Queen Palms | 7/17/2008 |
Q: Can queen palms be successfully tranplanted after that long of a time? If so, what are the tips for ...
A: Ok, the smaller 3 should be no problem, just make sure you get the entire root ball; the 2 big girls ...
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| bouganvillea not blooming | 7/17/2008 |
Q: I have a 5 foot tall bougainvillea plant that is potted in a large whiskey barrel and brought inside ...
A: Bougs usually show their best color when the temps are cooler, summer is not their heyday by trait; ...
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| dwarf cavendish | 7/17/2008 |
Q: We were wondering how long from the first pup we see coming up how long does the plant take to ...
A: the very first banana pup will produce a small bunch in about 13 frost free months, it will be the ...
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| Pygmy palm appears to be losing a trunk | 7/16/2008 |
Q: I have a 4-trunked pygmy palm in my southern California yard that was planted 8 years ago. It ...
A: this is actually a common occurrence with multiple trunk palms, especially Pygmy Dates; the usual ...
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| QUEEN PALM PODS | 7/16/2008 |
Q: CAN WE USE THE SEEDS FROM THE POD TO GROW NEW PALMS? HOW WOULD WE BEGIN THIS PROCESS?
A: you can, but they won't be ready until they have turned orange, at this point they usually fall off ...
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| mushroom in soil of goldfish plant | 7/15/2008 |
Q: I have a goldfish plant. I think it's a tropical plant but I'm not sure. I have it on a sunny ...
A: don't be freaked out..lol..this is common in soil that is wet and the surrounding environment on the ...
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| Dying Queen Palms | 7/14/2008 |
Q: I have several queen palm trees in my landscaping at my home in Tampa, FL. We had several freezes ...
A: if you had said there was a white growth at the base of the trunk, I would have told you they are ...
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| Bird of Paradise | 7/13/2008 |
Q: I planted two bird of paradise in my yard a few years ago. One is in a hot bright sunny spot, and ...
A: Hey Stan, Birds are real temperamental when it comes to flowering, there isn't anything you are ...
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| elephant ears transplant | 7/12/2008 |
Q: Should I cut the ears back after transplanting? They are pretty dried up. I know the bulbs are ok ...
A: they both like copious amounts of water and wilt if it isn't provided (especially the elephant ...
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| White bird of paradise | 7/11/2008 |
Q: I am considering buying a White Bird of Paradise that is about 6 feet tall at a local nursery. I ...
A: Birds do best in a 9zone or higher, but if you are successfully growing Bananas, and getting them to ...
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| Brown Frond tips | 7/10/2008 |
Q: I just bought a small Pygmy date palm. I brought it home and replanted it in a slightly bigger pot ...
A: Ok good! keep it in a dappled shady area until it shows new fronds that are nice and green; the ...
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| Droopy transplants | 7/10/2008 |
Q: Nick, Several of my neighbors have been donating plants for us to landscape our new home. A lot of ...
A: watering them won't stop the transpiration (plant equivalent to evaporation), they plants are losing ...
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| Bougenvilla | 7/10/2008 |
Q: I live in Las Vegas and planted several of these wonderful plants. I know you say to get them to ...
A: Bougs are primarily a hot weather plant, so don't be too concerned about them panting...LOL...but do ...
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| Brown Frond tips | 7/10/2008 |
Q: I just bought a small Pygmy date palm. I brought it home and replanted it in a slightly bigger pot ...
A: ok, I got some of the info I need, but I need a tad more..were there any brown fronds on it when you ...
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| Repotting White Bird of Paradise. | 7/7/2008 |
Q: I have a White Bird of Paradise that has been in a pot for about 4 years outdoors on a window ledge. ...
A: if you can find a deeper container that would certainly help, but you really are trying to fit a ...
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| indoor tropical fig tree | 7/7/2008 |
Q: I have 2 indoor fig trees. One is about 20 years old. In the last year the trees started excreting ...
A: the secretion isn't be secreted by the plant, its the tiny insects that are feeding on it; let me ...
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| Bird of Paradise unwell and infested | 7/6/2008 |
Q: I'm in the UK, and I've been growing a BOP - its about 4 foot tall now and in my kitchen. Recently ...
A: Amie, the only thing to do at this point is change out the medium, I am not sure what type of insect ...
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| my poor yellow banana palm | 7/4/2008 |
Q: I'm having trouble with my banana palm it's turning a yellowish color. We've been experiencing 118 ...
A: ,,,,ok, it has a well established root system, so given the size and magnitude of lifting it, this ...
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| myers lemon | 7/4/2008 |
Q: I am enclosing a copy of my previous question. I think the tree is now ready to replant. I also have ...
A: ok, I am assuming it has recuperated in the container, that is great! now you need to dig a hole ...
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| Potted Palm Trees Cracked | 7/4/2008 |
Q: I own 2 potted palm trees since Fall 2001. They lived in Virginia for 4 years, including being in a ...
A: Jessica, I don't really know what this affliction is, but the main thing is that the Dracaena is ...
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| my poor yellow banana palm | 7/3/2008 |
Q: I'm having trouble with my banana palm it's turning a yellowish color. We've been experiencing 118 ...
A: Yes, actually take your spade and dig down on both sides and lift the entire corm (root ball) out ...
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| palm | 7/3/2008 |
Q: Hi I transplanted my palm the other day and I am not sure what kind of palm but it is not a majesty ...
A: it sounds like a Washingtonia or a Paurotis, but I would need to see it to be sure; in either event, ...
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| my poor yellow banana palm | 7/3/2008 |
Q: I'm having trouble with my banana palm it's turning a yellowish color. We've been experiencing 118 ...
A: it sounds like you have instigated a root rot situation with the increased watering; when a banana ...
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| Cutting back an indoor banana plant | 7/2/2008 |
Q: I have an indoor banana plant that has reached about 6 feet tall. It was a beautiful plant as it ...
A: growing Bananas in a container is not the easiest thing to do, they will never produce fruit in a ...
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| Orange Bird of Paradise | 7/1/2008 |
Q: I have a 2 year old orange BoP in the house in England. I keep it indoors and have a very sunny room ...
A: it sounds like it is indeed pot bound, and another indication is when the new leaves are somewhat ...
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| Fiddle Leaf Fig | 7/1/2008 |
Q: I have a large fiddle-leaf fig plant that I recieved about 4 months ago when my Mother passed away. ...
A: yes you are a bit too cold for outdoor planting, so, the container you put it in should be fine, ...
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| Ficus trees and strange, sticky, curled leaves | 6/29/2008 |
Q: I have two ficus trees. One is 21 years old and the other is 18 years old. They are potted and ...
A: its probably a fungus, have you been getting a lot of rain lately, if so, fungal problems are going ...
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| palm tree(maybe parlor) plant | 6/29/2008 |
Q: why does the plant give off a sap-like substance that get on the table on which the pot sits on?
A: When small insects feed they give off this substance, check real close at the underside of the ...
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| yucca stems | 6/28/2008 |
Q: I am enjoying five yucca plants in my yard that have already bloomed (white flowers on tall stems). ...
A: let it brown out and then snip it off near the end of the stalk (flower stalk); it will probably ...
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| Fiddle Leaf Fig | 6/28/2008 |
Q: I have a large fiddle-leaf fig plant that I recieved about 4 months ago when my Mother passed away. ...
A: it needs to be put in a larger container (or the ground for that matter) with a new soil base; line ...
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| Foxtail palm | 6/28/2008 |
Q: I live in zone 10 and planted 2 foxtails 3 years ago. In the last three weeks one is dead. The ...
A: Hey Zeke, no just pull it, sounds like a crown rot or possibly root rot situation; the palm must ...
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| palm plant | 6/27/2008 |
Q: I received a palm plant from my Dad's funeral March 2007. Not sure what kind of palm it is but the ...
A: Ok, its probably a Majesty or Areca (parlor palm), that is the most common household palm, that ...
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| palm tree dying | 6/27/2008 |
Q: I am not sure the exact type palm,it looks like a coconut palm but has like berries it grows.The ...
A: Chris, cut it off at the soil level and don't plant anything else there (palms anyway), Ganoderma ...
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| palm plant | 6/27/2008 |
Q: I received a palm plant from my Dad's funeral March 2007. Not sure what kind of palm it is but the ...
A: I need to know what type of container it is in and if you have done anything to it since you ...
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| palm tree dying | 6/26/2008 |
Q: I am not sure the exact type palm,it looks like a coconut palm but has like berries it grows.The ...
A: its probably a Queen Palm and the mushroom type growth at the bottom is called Ganoderma, its a ...
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| Spots on Pindo fronds | 6/26/2008 |
Q: We had a Pindo palm planted in our Central Florida landscape 3 months ago. It has done very well, ...
A: with out rainy season kicking in it is most assuredly a fungal problem, this is the season that ...
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| Night Blooming Jasmine | 6/24/2008 |
Q: My night blooming Jasmine is still being eaten alive every time it begins to bloom I followed the ...
A: its probably night feeding catepillas or slugs (also night feeders)...try a insectecidal drench like ...
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| Tropical plants | 6/24/2008 |
Q: I bought 3 tropical plants in mobile, AL I live in Talladega, Al Zone 7 and would like to know how ...
A: ok, the Bird needs full sun and kept moderately watered, mist the leaves whenever possible, ...
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| Leaning Palms of Katy | 6/24/2008 |
Q: I have 2 SAGO palms which are about 9 years old. Fo over 7 1/2 years they grew straight as an ...
A: Hey Steve, no, no worries, Sagos are known for that, they have a nice strong constitution, it would ...
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| tropical plants for sandy soil | 6/23/2008 |
Q: I live in Florida and my front yard gets full sun and has extremely sandy soil. What is a good ...
A: are you looking for color and a made to order care free plant? then you can't do better then ...
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| Pachira Twisted | 6/21/2008 |
Q: I brought a pachira twisted when it was looking a bit poorly. I over watered it slightly, before ...
A: these are more often then not, killed by people who buy them; unfortunately they often over water ...
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| SPLITING TRUNK | 6/21/2008 |
Q: I live in Puerto Rico and about six months ago did a little landscaping which included a fish tail ...
A: Marie, this is usually an indication of too much water at the base of the palm; my advice is to ...
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| various tropicals | 6/21/2008 |
Q: We live in San Diego. It's particularly warm right now. We just planted a pigmy palm, a flax and a ...
A: tell me about your planting technique, many times the problem with new palms/trees struggling ...
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| Pindo palm seed pods | 6/20/2008 |
Q: I just read the question and answer about removing seed pods. My question is can you use what's ...
A: actually the seeds themselves will germinate, but the process and ensuing palm is so slow going, ...
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| bouganvilla | 6/19/2008 |
Q: My bouganvilla plant has been healthy for several years, but this spring several "branches" did not ...
A: Bougs don't need much attention, very little water and once a month fertilizing with a low nitrogen ...
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| Pindo palm (butia capitata) | 6/18/2008 |
Q: Nick - My pindo palm has sprouted abt 5 large seed pods this yr. The pindo is probably 8 ft tall. ...
A: a common question, the fact of the matter is, all palms set out seed pods, and whether you remove ...
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| bougenvillia | 6/18/2008 |
Q: What type of fertilizer is recommended. My plant does not bloom.
A: the secret to getting Bougs to bloom is to (believe it or not!)..stress them! very little water and ...
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| foxtail palm | 6/18/2008 |
Q: i planted 10 fox tails they are 1 inch on bottom and about 6ft high they seem to be growing slow i ...
A: it isn't necessary to fertilize at planting, the palm needs to establish itself before it can take ...
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| Elephant Ears | 6/17/2008 |
Q: My friend gave me some of her elephant ears. I dug them up this morning and planted them in my yard. ...
A: Elephant ears like a shadier environment and lots and lots of water; they wilt fast after transplant ...
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| Silver Queen Plants | 6/17/2008 |
Q: Is the silver queen a bulb plant or not? I'm planing on replanting mine in a bigger pot in a couple ...
A: ..ah! to be needed...lol.....ok, mealy bugs look like little puffs of cotton balls, if you ever get ...
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| White Bird of Paradise | 6/17/2008 |
Q: Nick, I have 3 very large white bird of paradise plants, that were planted about two months ago. We ...
A: Sure, go ahead and prune off the dead leaves, that is actually a normal occurance; keep your bird ...
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| transplanting elephant ears | 6/15/2008 |
Q: I live in the central US and started elephant ear bulbs in pots in my family room til they sprouted. ...
A: you can, but they are cold sensitive, and winter will do them in, ( central U.S.), my suggestion is ...
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| showboat or monster philodendron | 6/15/2008 |
Q: i bought a huge one of these least year,,,it has lost all its leaves,,it does get new ones,,the ...
A: I am surprised that it is giving you this much trouble, they are normally a very forgiving plant and ...
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| white Bird of Paradise | 6/15/2008 |
Q: I bought this plant 6 years ago. It is around 6'to 7' tall. I was told it had to be rootbound to ...
A: The rule of thumb is to keep it crowded and it is more apt to bloom; the worse thing you can do is ...
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| dieffenbachia amoena | 6/15/2008 |
Q: I would like to know how tall can a dieffenbachia amoena can grow, mine was to high for my flat so I ...
A: Thats a pretty big dumb cane! in its natural habitat it grows under a canopy and can get twice that ...
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| hardy banana tree | 6/13/2008 |
Q: I see someone has asked you about their banana tree so I'm giving my question a shot. I have the ...
A: Unfortunately a frost will knock them back to ground level every time, and then new ones develop ...
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| Mandevilla ( Ruby Red) Brown spots on bottome leaves | 6/13/2008 |
Q: I have 2 Mandevillas which I purchased and planted in the ground several months ago. They were doing ...
A: It sounds like your planting technique was fine, so I'm thinking that they are having fungal ...
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| Mandevilla ( Ruby Red) Brown spots on bottome leaves | 6/13/2008 |
Q: I have 2 Mandevillas which I purchased and planted in the ground several months ago. They were doing ...
A: I often get questions that I need more info on, this is one of them, the problem may have been in ...
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| Yellow Bird of Paradise | 6/12/2008 |
Q: Up till now it had that beautiful yellow flowers with touch of red.Now they started falling off. I ...
A: ok check the buds real close and see if there are tiny dots on them, this would be indication of ...
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| red banana plant/palm | 6/11/2008 |
Q: I have two red banana plants about 2 yrs in the ground, 1 of them has grown what look likes a new ...
A: Ok, from your description I am inclined to think you have the beginning of an inflorescence that ...
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| banana palm | 6/11/2008 |
Q: My 8 foot banana palm (dont know what type) has yellow edges to bottom 3 leaves. What might be ...
A: this is actually a normal occurrence for bottom leaves, but the emphasis here is "bottom leaves", if ...
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| Tropical plants | 6/10/2008 |
Q: My friend gave me a huge (8 feet) tropical plant with very large leaves. She said it was some kind ...
A: if it is indeed a Banana, then it can be cut back and will send out a new stem from the cut point; ...
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| Silver Queen Plants | 6/9/2008 |
Q: Is the silver queen a bulb plant or not? I'm planing on replanting mine in a bigger pot in a ...
A: no its not a bulb, and it is easy to transplant, in fact you can separate it when you remove it from ...
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| tropical plant help | 6/8/2008 |
Q: I have a tropical plant indoors, and it is not doing so well. I transplanted it into a clay pot 2 ...
A: part of the problem is indeed the clay pot, they are very porous and will dry out extremely fast, ...
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| pygmy date palms | 6/7/2008 |
Q: I planted 2 pygmy date palms about 2 years ago, they were great until recently, limp, new growth ...
A: Tom, when planting a palm the backfilling is real important, as you backfill, (and with existing ...
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| Traveler's Palm/White Bird of Paridise | 6/6/2008 |
Q: Am I able to transplant the 'off shoots' via digging & moving them from the 'mama plant'? Have lots ...
A: yes, but make sure you cut down and get as much of the shoots roots as possible, which will ...
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| cane plant | 6/6/2008 |
Q: I GOT A CANE CUTTING YEARS AGO.THIS CUTTING WAS IN A BOTTLE OF WATER WITH ROCKS IN IT.IT REALLY ...
A: I think your are referring to lucky bamboo, which is really a Draceana; if you put it in soil, put ...
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| pygmy date palms | 6/5/2008 |
Q: I planted 2 pygmy date palms about 2 years ago, they were great until recently, limp, new growth ...
A: first of all, fertilizer sticks are useless, they provide fertilizer only to the immediate roots ...
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| Oleanders | 6/5/2008 |
Q: I have several oleanders (red and white), their leaves are turning yellow and dropping off in large ...
A: I think you asked me about palms in another question, overwatering could very well cause defoliation ...
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| Yucca Plants | 6/5/2008 |
Q: I have a Yucca in my yard. It bloomed and now the blooms are off. I was wondering if I am to cut ...
A: It is suggested that the bloom should be left to its own means, but there is no harm in accelerating ...
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| silver buttonwoods | 6/4/2008 |
Q: I have a hedge of silver buttonwoods and recently it seems that I am finding a lot of dead ...
A: it is a common occurance with hedge plantings eventually, as with any older plantings, they begin to ...
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| palms & bougainvillea | 6/4/2008 |
Q: Can I plant a coconut palm and bougainvillea together? I have a coconut palm growing (about 6 ...
A: in my humble, but experienced opinion...no; The Coconut Palm will shade the Boug and hinder its ...
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| Plumeria problem | 6/4/2008 |
Q: I have a plumeria planted in the back yard, coming up on 2 years old. Until just recently it looked ...
A: I would take as many 6inch or biggier cuttings as I need and start new plants, and then hope the ...
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| Giant White Bird of Paradise | 6/4/2008 |
Q: I have a few Giant Bird of Paradise's that I planted a couple months ago. One was split into two ...
A: its sounds like when you split them out of the pot, you damaged the roots (which had undoubtedly ...
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| Yellow Alamanda bushes | 6/2/2008 |
Q: Nick, we planted all new plants in the front of our house late last summer in Central FL. All ...
A: APHIDS! that definitely explains it, spray them down with a horticultural oil (ACE hardware has a ...
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| madagascar palm | 6/2/2008 |
Q: I have a madagascar palm indoors in bright eastern light. The leaf tips are turning black and ...
A: they don't need much water at all, that trunk is a storage container for water; let the soil dry out ...
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| Plumeria problem | 6/1/2008 |
Q: I have a plumeria planted in the back yard, coming up on 2 years old. Until just recently it looked ...
A: it sounds like too much water, which can cause just what you are describing, a rot sets in; you may ...
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| Croton Petra | 6/1/2008 |
Q: I am also an expert but in insurance law. My wife and I recently bought four beautiful Croton Petra ...
A: high humidity (no problem where you live) is imperative; other then that, very easy plant to care ...
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| Yellow Alamanda bushes | 6/1/2008 |
Q: Nick, we planted all new plants in the front of our house late last summer in Central FL. All ...
A: it sounds like you did everything by the book Jeanne, but the Alamandas need full sun to flower, ...
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| King Palms with stubble frond leaves | 5/31/2008 |
Q: I live in Huntington Beach, CA and have 2 30+ foot King Palms, which are about 10-12 years old. ...
A: these palms need a well balanced palm fertilizer,not just magnesium sulfate, they need manganese ...
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| Yellow Alamanda bushes | 5/30/2008 |
Q: Nick, we planted all new plants in the front of our house late last summer in Central FL. All ...
A: it sounds like they haven't broke out of their root ball yet, check to see if they have, often if ...
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| pygmy date palms | 5/30/2008 |
Q: I planted 2 pygmy date palms about 2 years ago, they were great until recently, limp, new growth ...
A: Pygmy Dates can't get too much sun, so thats not your problem, it is assuredly a nutrient problem ...
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| Hibiscus tree | 5/29/2008 |
Q: I have had my hibiscus tree for about four years and it has always been full of leaves and flowers, ...
A: I am assuming this is a "tropical Hibiscus" which can be a very temperamental plant even under ideal ...
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| CONFUSED BEGINNER | 5/29/2008 |
Q: Ok i have some questions for you...sorry they are not of a particular plant. The first question is ...
A: Bromeliads produce side plants, these are what you are referring to as pups, they are self ...
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| Ponytail plant bugs | 5/28/2008 |
Q: next to windows w/pretty sunny eastern exposure, for about a yr -- they're in separate rooms. ...
A: You spray the alcohol undiluted, and that could very well be an additive the nursery used (the ...
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| crown rot on king palms | 5/27/2008 |
Q: I have a customer who is telling me that he has established king palms that appear to have crown ...
A: it sounds like "frizzle top" which is a nutrient deficiency, Palms need a well balanced fertilizer ...
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| Tibouchina grandiflora | 5/27/2008 |
Q: My husband bought a Tibouchina in S.C. and brought it home to upper East TN. It is still in the ...
A: I would not give it much chance of surviving beyond Dec. the first frost would stress it and the ...
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| bird of paradise | 5/25/2008 |
Q: 1) how do I control a bird of paradise from spreading. 2) I have been told 2 ways to get rid of the ...
A: The Bird of Paradise develops from an underground rhizome called a corm; this corm is like a big ...
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| dessert rose | 5/25/2008 |
Q: I have two sago palms planted outside in the yard. Each time a new group of limbs grow, the leaves ...
A: its called Alacaspis Scale, and it is the nemesis of Sagos, both Queen and King; there is no way to ...
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| washington palms | 5/24/2008 |
Q: I have a cocoon built on two of the fronds. I is made of the palm frond and angular in shape. Do ...
A: its either a moth or butterfly, in either event it isn't harmful to the palm, and its just mother ...
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| Ponytail plant bugs | 5/24/2008 |
Q: next to windows w/pretty sunny eastern exposure, for about a yr -- they're in separate rooms. ...
A: spray the mealy bugs with household isopropyl alcohol, this will take care of them; The small green ...
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| White Bird of Paradise | 5/23/2008 |
Q: I have a beautiful White Bird of Paradise (actually three plants in one pot) that has grown ...
A: ok, a couple of things are going on here, first the change of venue most likely stressed it and it ...
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| Pygmy date palm | 5/22/2008 |
Q: We have a pygmy date palm tree which is exactly the right size for our landscaping. We don't want ...
A: ...no it will be fine, just don't take too many off, as I said previously, no more then 9 and 3 and ...
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| monstera slipt-leaf | 5/22/2008 |
Q: I have to large monstera split leaves, I live in S. Colorado and they are doing great. But they are ...
A: don't cut them, this is part of their root system that is above the soil level, if you want to start ...
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| Pygmy date palm | 5/22/2008 |
Q: We have a pygmy date palm tree which is exactly the right size for our landscaping. We don't want ...
A: you can't contain its vertical growth, but you can trim the lower fronds; picture a clock, and the ...
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| Tropicals in Zones 7a-7b | 5/20/2008 |
Q: Nick I, and others in my area, am interested in what can grow up here in North Georgia that will ...
A: Go to your local Cooperative Extension Service, and speak with the Extension Agent, he can assist ...
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| Pygmy Palm | 5/20/2008 |
Q: I water my pygmy palm 3-4 times a week, but i noticed the trunk and leaves are getting an orangish ...
A: thats too much irrigation, and you are tempting fate by laying too much water on those roots; palms ...
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| Hatching Fox Tail Palms | 5/19/2008 |
Q: I have bunch of big red berries for the first time on my Fox Tail Plam, i would like to hatch the ...
A: the seeds need to be mature first of all, meaning when they fall off the pod easily; then its a ...
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| Watering of Palm trees | 5/19/2008 |
Q: Nick, I have two majesty palms, a travelers palm, a king and a king kong palm. I fertilize every ...
A: Ok, so you just augmented the bottom of the hole with compost, ah, thats fine, I thaught you filled ...
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| ponytail palm tree | 5/18/2008 |
Q: I have a ponytail palm tree in the backyard, height approx. 8'. Doesn't get a lot of water, never ...
A: something shocked it, albeit doesn't need a lot of water, it does need occasional irrigation; if it ...
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| Watering of Palm trees | 5/18/2008 |
Q: Nick, I have two majesty palms, a travelers palm, a king and a king kong palm. I fertilize every ...
A: one of the problems right off is using the soil to augment your existing soil; what happens is the ...
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| Bouganvilla | 5/18/2008 |
Q: Live part time in tropical area where bouganvilla grows well...can cut branches be rooted? If so, ...
A: they will root in moist vermiculite ideally, but I have seen them root also in plain water; another ...
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| Watering of Palm trees | 5/18/2008 |
Q: Nick, I have two majesty palms, a travelers palm, a king and a king kong palm. I fertilize every ...
A: I need to know how old these palms are, and when they were planted; this will determine the amount ...
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| indoor palm tree | 5/17/2008 |
Q: My palm tree plant seemed to be doing fine until recently. I've re-potted it at least 3 times over ...
A: when you repotted it did you line the bottom of the container with some kind of drainage medium? ...
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| mandevilla | 5/16/2008 |
Q: I was cutting my vine from a wood trellis to put it on a old metal trellis and accidentally cut a ...
A: actually, take a tip cutting from that piece and it will root; put it in a container with moist ...
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| Hardiness of Dwarf Cavendish | 5/16/2008 |
Q: I have 3 dwarf cavendishs and have been reading about the hardiness zones for them. I have heard ...
A: I would love for you to be able to grow beautiful lush, tropical (I emphasize "tropical") Bananas, ...
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| Foxtail Palm Tree | 5/16/2008 |
Q: We will be moving soon and wanted to take them with us. They are only 1 meter high and were in the ...
A: depending on how many roots were damaged when your husband dug them up will determine if or when ...
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| Christmas Tree Palm | 5/15/2008 |
Q: My palm tree was knocked over by severe wind and the tree snapped where the fronds meet the tree ...
A: if it was completely severed, then there is nothing you can do, but if it is still attached then ...
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| peace lilly | 5/15/2008 |
Q: can you put a peace Lilly in a pond outside?
A: no you can't, they need good drainage and only enough water to keep them hydrated, they will let you ...
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| Palm Tree - Branches Breaking | 5/15/2008 |
Q: I would kindly like to know if you know of any reason why my palm branches are breaking off. It ...
A: I spoke with my local Cooperative Extension Service Agent, and he never heard of this happening here ...
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| Palm Tree - Branches Breaking | 5/14/2008 |
Q: I would kindly like to know if you know of any reason why my palm branches are breaking off. It ...
A: are the fronds being snapped off, or chewed, and what kind of palms are they? it is normal for lower ...
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| sea grape tree | 5/14/2008 |
Q: I honeymooned in Jamaica and my wife and I just fell in love with the sea grape trees on the beach ...
A: first of all, congrats to you and your bride, that said, Sea Grapes are large and take a lot of root ...
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| dying Bouganvilla | 5/14/2008 |
Q: I just planted my bouganvilla against the house about a month ago, and it seems to be dying already. ...
A: Bougs are one of those rare plants that require extremely low water intake; believe it or not, you ...
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| majesty palm | 5/13/2008 |
Q: I have just purchased two majesty palms...and did not realize that they will grow 40x20. I wanted to ...
A: absolutely, Majestys can grow that big in the ground, but I have had one in the ground for 5 years ...
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| bouganvillea | 5/13/2008 |
Q: I brought a bougainvillea home a couple weeks ago, my 1st. After I got it home, I realized that the ...
A: .that was damage already done by either caterpillars or slugs, as long as the culprits are not still ...
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| Planting and Growing Ixora coccinea In North Texas | 5/13/2008 |
Q: I am wanting to plant some different colored Ixoras in our shrub garden that was planted when we had ...
A: you could try by mulching them heavily (covering most of the plant) when a freeze threatens; but if ...
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| Planting and Growing Ixora coccinea In North Texas | 5/12/2008 |
Q: I am wanting to plant some different colored Ixoras in our shrub garden that was planted when we had ...
A: you didn't allude to your climate zone, Ixoras are tropical plants and need a zone 9a at least; they ...
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| Mandevilla | 5/12/2008 |
Q: I got this beautiful plant for mother's day. I have cats and dogs are these plants toxic in anyway ...
A: It is considered in the list of poisonous plants, but allegedly its toxicity is very low, and no ...
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| royal palm tree | 5/11/2008 |
Q: we planted 3 royal palm and two foxtail palm trees last saturday. leaves are turning very dark and ...
A: Fill the berm once in late morning, that will suffice, and again make sure it is draining off in a ...
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| banana plant fruit | 5/10/2008 |
Q: I am from Shreveport, La. and I love tropical plants. I cut my banana plant back to the last leaf ...
A: good news and bad news, yes you will get a bunch to develop from that inflorescence; the bad news is ...
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| Cotton Palm Trees dying after re-location | 5/10/2008 |
Q: We have 2 much loved Cotton Palms (Washingtonia robusta ‘Washington’ Palms), 6ft tall, that we ...
A: the rootball is the entire root structure, save the lateral roots that can span out as far as 6-15 ...
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| royal palm tree | 5/10/2008 |
Q: we planted 3 royal palm and two foxtail palm trees last saturday. leaves are turning very dark and ...
A: this is a common occurrence, it could just be transplant shock, but at this stage you have to assume ...
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| Cotton Palm Trees dying after re-location | 5/9/2008 |
Q: We have 2 much loved Cotton Palms (Washingtonia robusta ‘Washington’ Palms), 6ft tall, that we ...
A: sorry to hear this, I need more info to properly help you out here; crucial is "transplant ...
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| hardy banana tree | 5/8/2008 |
Q: I see someone has asked you about their banana tree so I'm giving my question a shot. I have the ...
A: you won't see growth from that actual stump, it will come from the "corm" that its attached to; let ...
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| silver queen palm | 5/8/2008 |
Q: I have a silver queen withh three very healthy fronds, but the spike in the middle is bent over and ...
A: ..usually crown rot can be blamed on either too much moisture in the root system, or the palm being ...
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| silver queen palm | 5/8/2008 |
Q: I have a silver queen withh three very healthy fronds, but the spike in the middle is bent over and ...
A: it sounds like it has "crown rot", and if so, it is in fact doomed (there is no correcting it); wait ...
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| pineapple(s) | 5/7/2008 |
Q: McCann : I have two pineapple plants that have pineapples the size of a "Softball", maybe ...
A: when they begin to turn yellowish brown in color, they are at their optimum size; this is directly ...
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| jacaranda tree | 5/7/2008 |
Q: I stared my jacaranda tree from a seed 10 years ago. It is huge probably 20' high but no flowers ...
A: I researched any reason why your Jacaranda isn't blooming and can find no viable reason for it; one ...
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| Windmill Palms | 5/6/2008 |
Q: We live in North Carolina, and last year planted 3 windmill 1-2' plams, two in the ground and one in ...
A: They don't go dormant, and if you neglected to water them through the winter, they probably ...
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| jacaranda tree | 5/6/2008 |
Q: I stared my jacaranda tree from a seed 10 years ago. It is huge probably 20' high but no flowers ...
A: the seeds are flat and mahogany colored, I am assuming you are sure you have grown a "jacaranda"; it ...
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| damaged foxtail trunk | 5/6/2008 |
Q: I was transplanting some 12-15 ft. foxtails and I skinned and knicked up the trunks on them from ...
A: as long as the cuts are superficial and no deep penetrations occurred, you will be fine; the ...
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| Majesty Palm | 5/5/2008 |
Q: Can i place a majesty palm on the bgack of my patio with direcxt southern sun? of under a porch ...
A: Majestys do better in a morning sun exposure; mine is in a dappled shady area and the fronds are ...
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| hibiscus & bougainvillea together | 5/5/2008 |
Q: I bought a bougainvillea plant and a hibiscus "tree" to plant in the same large pot. I wanted to ...
A: well, there is a limited amount of root space (as Grandma had said), so I would stick with just the ...
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| hibiscus & bougainvillea together | 5/4/2008 |
Q: I bought a bougainvillea plant and a hibiscus "tree" to plant in the same large pot. I wanted to ...
A: well Grandma is partially right,but a more important problem with doing this is the irrigation each ...
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| Foxtail Palm | 5/4/2008 |
Q: I have 4 Foxtail Palms that are about 2 years old. This past winter, the temp dripped into the ...
A: if that center emerging spear pulled out then it is indeed gone:(.....(crown rot)..the cold, damp ...
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| anthurium outdoors | 5/3/2008 |
Q: I just got an anthurium plant and would like to know if it is ok to put it outside in summer. I ...
A: do not put it in direct sunlight, keep your flamingo flower in a container that will compact the ...
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| King Palm - Brown/dead leaves | 5/3/2008 |
Q: 6 weeks ago I planted 8 King palms - 6' tall - They get full sun. Several of the leaves are ...
A: many palms go through a transplant shock when first planted, its the existing fronds that will show ...
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| twisted hibiscus trees | 5/3/2008 |
Q: I bought 2 small (1 gallon) twisted hibiscus trees. I planted them by the deck of my pool. My ...
A: you can put your husbands fears to rest, Hibiscus have a very small root system, in fact, they are ...
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| areca palm trimming | 5/3/2008 |
Q: i have a 6 foot areca palm in my yard. i've read they can grow up to 20 feet tall. as it gets ...
A: Hey Jeff, yes but you need to do it correctly so as not to ruin its tropical flare; don't just cut ...
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| Propagating Japanese Aurelia | 5/3/2008 |
Q: How do I propagatemy Japanese Aurelia? Would "tip stem cutting" work? The plant has done wonderful ...
A: yes, stem cuttings is the method used to propagate them, be careful not to touch newly developed ...
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| crown rot in pygmy date palms | 4/30/2008 |
Q: I am losing two of my three trunk pygmy date palms and it seems to be crown rot. I would like to ...
A: crown rot is usually caused by too much moisture, especially when too much mulch is piled at the ...
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| saga palms | 4/30/2008 |
Q: I have several saga palms that are suffering from frostbite. If I cut the ends off where they have ...
A: The Sago Palms will grow new fronds from the top, new growth will emerge (they will grow from the ...
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| pygmy date palm | 4/29/2008 |
Q: My friend had a pygmy installed by a landscaping company 5 months ago. 1/3 of the root ball is ...
A: any palm should be planted with the top portion just above the soil line, but the tale of the tape ...
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| scheffelera (Umbrella Tree) wilt | 4/29/2008 |
Q: Nick, I live in So FL and noticed my tree that has been in my atrium (gets very little sun) forever ...
A: how long has it been in the container? this could be the problem; a build up of salt from ...
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| Red banana tree is coming up this season with holes in the leaves | 4/29/2008 |
Q: We purchased a red banana tree last year and it grew so well, so fast. But now that it is starting ...
A: looks like the slugs have found your banana, put some "slug bait" around the base of your plant; ...
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| sago palm help | 4/28/2008 |
Q: I relocated my sago from the back to the frontyard 3 weeks ago. I planted it properly but it's ...
A: thats just transplant shock, snip off any brown or snapped down fronds, then back off the watering, ...
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| Queen Palm Tree Seed Pods | 4/27/2008 |
Q: We have 9 palm trees planted around our pool. Some but not all grow what can turn into large seed ...
A: if there was a way, the palm trimmers down here in south Florida would be in the unemployment line; ...
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| bougainvillea cuttings | 4/26/2008 |
Q: How do I take cuttings from the bougainvillea..put it in water and after it grows roots, plant it? ...
A: take firm tip cuttings (3 inch) dip them in a rooting hormone and then place them in a container of ...
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| Propagation of bougenvilli and lantana | 4/26/2008 |
Q: My bougainvillea and lantana are growing wildly. I would like to trim them and use the cutting for ...
A: both can be propagated from firm tip cuttings, place them in a container with damp sand with a tray ...
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| Sea grape tree | 4/26/2008 |
Q: I have a sea grape tree planted in a concrete planter box between the pool and the hot tub. ...
A: Its very possible that it is the cause of the cracks, can you change this by pruning it back? no, ...
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| white bird of paradise | 4/25/2008 |
Q: Nine years ago I planted a white bird of paradise in my yard in Pasco Co. Florida. I didn't realize ...
A: underground is what looks like a big potato, this needs to be cut out to stop it from forming new ...
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| House plant | 4/25/2008 |
Q: Can you prune (cut back) a fictus elastica rubber tree house plant?
A: sure, they are very resilient, use a very sharp knife or pruning shears and be careful because they ...
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| Foxtail yellowish green instead of full color | 4/24/2008 |
Q: I planted a Foxtail last February that has a trunk diameter of about 9 inches at the base. It grew ...
A: what you have done is sufficient to get the required nutrients into the palm, the existing pale ...
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| mulching around a bananna tree | 4/22/2008 |
Q: Is pine straw ok for mulching a banana tree. I live in northeastern North Carolina, have just ...
A: anything organic on Bananas is perfect, they like anything that will break down and enrich the soil; ...
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| broken limbs on a banana tree | 4/22/2008 |
Q: I recently planted my banana trees back outside (I grew them in pots during winter months), and ...
A: don't be concerned about the broken leaves, this is common with bananas in windy conditions, mine ...
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| hawaiian ti plants and mandevilla outdoor planting | 4/21/2008 |
Q: We live in New Orleans La, and have decided to go tropical with all landscaping,most of which is in ...
A: well they are both tropical by nature for sure, and a winter had freeze would do them in; I'm not ...
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| Another mussaenda question from SOFLA | 4/20/2008 |
Q: I, too have a mussaenda plant, but I neglected to cut it back last fall. It still has no leaves ...
A: it probably is just looking ratty, cut out the dead leaves and trim it back if you like (they are ...
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| mandevilla | 4/17/2008 |
Q: When it started getting cool I cut the plant down to the dirt. I also put a layer of mulch over it ...
A: If it is still viable it will show growth in a week or so but don't water it so much, the roots will ...
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| mandevilla | 4/17/2008 |
Q: When it started getting cool I cut the plant down to the dirt. I also put a layer of mulch over it ...
A: John Mandevilla aren't like a bulb, they can't be put in a dark area to rest and then replanted the ...
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| caffeinated corn plant | 4/15/2008 |
Q: A coworker and I both have corn plants - mine has been about the same size for many years, and ...
A: if your coffee is with cream, then you are adding a tad of calcium to the soil, the coffee itself ...
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| aucalaspis scale on sagos | 4/15/2008 |
Q: We have to two sagos with the white scale you mentioned before in response to a question in 2007 ...
A: try to find an oil called "ultra-fine oil" , make sure you apply it per instructions during the ...
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| Too cold? | 4/14/2008 |
Q: I bought some potted palms so I could dress up the yard for an upcoming wedding in May. The weather ...
A: you didn't mention what type of palms they were, but palms are tropical by nature and Maryland? I ...
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| Banana Trees | 4/14/2008 |
Q: I live in Corpus Christi, TX. I moved into a home 3 years ago that has a stand of banana trees in a ...
A: ok, time for banana 101, First of all one bunch per stalk and then after you cut the bunch off, you ...
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| palm fronds on sego palm | 4/14/2008 |
Q: Our landscape people cut every last palm frond off our 20 years old sago palm with nothing left but ...
A: albeit it wasn't the wisest thing for your landscaper to do, if it was infested with acalaspis scale ...
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| kentia palm dying? | 4/13/2008 |
Q: I bought a tropical plant (a kentia palm, I believe) at Walmart at the end of the summer. I ...
A: Kentias do indeed like a dappled shade, but it seems from what you are telling me that you are ...
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| care of ficus tree | 4/13/2008 |
Q: I just got a ficus tree that is about 25 years old. I need general info on how to care for it. It ...
A: ...that will do just fine, Ficus is not fussy but mist it occasionally to keep spider mites at bay; ...
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| care of ficus tree | 4/13/2008 |
Q: I just got a ficus tree that is about 25 years old. I need general info on how to care for it. It ...
A: well you inherited probably the easiest tree to care for, it is one of most resilient of foliage ...
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| bouganvilla | 4/12/2008 |
Q: I have a beautiful bougainvillea (or had) and this week the leaves are drooping..starting to get ...
A: a ground drench used for eliminating bushes and shrubs will act on any root it encounters; roundup ...
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| Banana tree | 4/12/2008 |
Q: Our plumber has told us one of our banana trees needs to be removed as it's roots are going into ...
A: the root system is like a huge potato with fibrous roots, you need to kill this "corm" (as it is ...
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| Tropical Plants | 4/11/2008 |
Q: I live in Alabama and am wanting to know what kind of plants will survive around our pool? ANSWER: ...
A: depending on what part of Alabama you are in, climate zone wise, as long as you don't experience a ...
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| queen palm transplant shock | 4/9/2008 |
Q: I dug up 3 10-15 queen palms from across town. Cut through most roots but left about 8-16" on all of ...
A: Jeff, not a good sign that most the existing fronds turned brown, they would have wilted somewhat ...
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| Outdoor potted ficus | 4/9/2008 |
Q: We're in south Louisiana. In Nov. 07, we inherited, from previous homeowners, a large(6ft) potted, ...
A: it sounds like it froze back to ground level, but the roots are still viable; I would cut back all ...
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| bougainvillea | 4/9/2008 |
Q: Our bougainvillea is being eaten by something. We can see anything on it but the leaves look like ...
A: Kathy, more then likely its slugs, albeit could be night feeding catepillas also, in either event, ...
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| Easter Lily | 4/9/2008 |
Q: I received a very healthy & blooming Easter Lily this Spring and although it has quit blooming, it ...
A: Elizabeth, they are grown from bulbs and the ones you have will eventually die back to ground level, ...
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| Seagrape Trimming | 4/8/2008 |
Q: Nick, I live in a condo in Palm Beach Co, on the beach. One owner wants all of our Seagrapes trimmed ...
A: I could tell you how to propagate your sea grapes, but I have a suggestion for you, go to your local ...
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| damaged ponytail palm | 4/8/2008 |
Q: I have a 30+year-old ponytail palm that has been kept in small pots so its about 3 ft. tall. It has ...
A: as long as the root ball is intact, it should refurbish itself; it is going to be stressed, needless ...
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| washingtonia fan palm | 4/7/2008 |
Q: I have a fan that is actually 3 plants all together. They have been in a ceramic container for ...
A: the answer is yes, however, you must be careful when separating them that you don't deplete any of ...
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| Majestic Palms and Inside Ivy plant | 4/6/2008 |
Q: #1.) I purchased 3 majesty palms at work and they are so pretty, what i want to know is I'm hearing ...
A: ok, Majestys do just fine inside as long as you know how to care for them; they like low light and ...
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| Banana Tree I think | 4/6/2008 |
Q: one of the reasons Im not sure exactly what type of plant this is is that I cannot find it online. ...
A: bananas need a moist soil at all times, (not wet, but damp), they can't dry out or the symptoms you ...
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| Quenn Palms Rescue | 4/5/2008 |
Q: Two issues: Most recently- I have 4 queen palms planted two years ago that have recently become ...
A: ...I'm just telling what I know, and that is spikes won't cut it, the reason being, is that there ...
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| Quenn Palms Rescue | 4/5/2008 |
Q: Two issues: Most recently- I have 4 queen palms planted two years ago that have recently become ...
A: its hard to tell without actually seeing the deformation, what I am going on is the possibility that ...
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| Quenn Palms Rescue | 4/5/2008 |
Q: Two issues: Most recently- I have 4 queen palms planted two years ago that have recently become ...
A: what you have done is cardinal sin number one with palms or trees/bushes, that is cover the junction ...
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| Anthurium not looking good | 4/4/2008 |
Q: I have an anthurium growing on a piece of lava rock that seems to be wilting. The leaves are ...
A: you say you have it growing on a piece of lava rock, hmm, I did some research on the potting medium ...
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| Bird of Paradise | 4/3/2008 |
Q: I live in southwest Florida and I have a large Bird of Paradise plant potted. It wasn't getting ...
A: I don't think sun exposure is your problem, I have seen them in sun and shade and do just fine ...
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| pygmy palm fonds caught the cold | 4/3/2008 |
Q: our pygmy palm was in touch with and unusual cold snap. when frost time was completely over i cut ...
A: your friend couldn't be more wrong, the palm relies on its fronds for photosynthesis (eating); the ...
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| pony tail palm | 4/1/2008 |
Q: my pony tail palm just developed white powdery things in the center. the new leaves are light ...
A: ok its an insect problem, you need to get a horticultural oil (either "ultra-fine" or "organocide", ...
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| pygmy date palm | 4/1/2008 |
Q: We bought a pygmy date palm a few days ago. We've located it adjacent to a south window. It's ...
A: tell me, is it in a container? if so, I hope a large enough one and I hope you put a couple of ...
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| identification | 4/1/2008 |
Q: My wife bought a large(5ft+ tall)broad leaf plant. The stems seem to "fan" out, sliming from the ...
A: they say a picture is worth a thousand words, in this case I really need it to tell you exactly what ...
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| dying foxtail | 3/31/2008 |
Q: i have 2 large and tall foxtail trees in my yard. i live in Louisiana, well this winter we had a ...
A: First thing is they are indeed reacting to a cold stress, the brown fronds and the delay in ...
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| Ponytail Palm | 3/31/2008 |
Q: Do you have knowledge with what to do when the top crown of a 7 foot tall ponytail palm dies off but ...
A: I wouldn't cut the crown off, but I would take off the dead fronds without actually cutting the top ...
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| yellow alamanda | 3/30/2008 |
Q: Nick can I grow a yellow Alameda in south east Alabama without bringing it inside if I cover with ...
A: its a risk, but if you can prevent the root ball from freezing, come a hard freeze, then yes, if you ...
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| bananna tree | 3/30/2008 |
Q: I have a banana tree that fruited last year and this year the same stalk is not leafing out as the ...
A: that particular stock needs to be cut back to ground level; the ensuing stalks will each in turn ...
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| Suggestions for a potted tropical | 3/30/2008 |
Q: I have two large pots, both with drainage and both larger than 15 gallon. I live in San Diego and ...
A: the lady palm likes shady conditions, and its rootball is suited to container growing, just be ...
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| Suggestions for a potted tropical | 3/29/2008 |
Q: I have two large pots, both with drainage and both larger than 15 gallon. I live in San Diego and ...
A: there are numerous choices, but I need you to narrow it down for me, what type of tropical effect ...
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| sago palm losing fronds | 3/28/2008 |
Q: I have two sago palms that are about 5 feet tall. They were transplanted last summer and were doing ...
A: this is really strange, sago fronds will snap off if given a good tug, but I have to admit, I have ...
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| adonidia pest in miami | 3/28/2008 |
Q: something is eating the center stalk only of my Adonidia palms at night. It is not a bird it seems ...
A: I don't know what type of creature this could be, but I know that when I was having trouble losing ...
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| Zebra Plant | 3/26/2008 |
Q: My sister has basically killed her Zebra plant. All of the limbs have had to be cut off. I believe ...
A: hmm..sounds like its roots have been damaged from too much irrigation, hence the inability to ...
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| recovering plants | 3/26/2008 |
Q: I have a variety of indoor/outdoor potted plants and I had to move in with my mom for a while. She ...
A: you have done just about all you can do at this point, the rest is up to the plant; don't water it ...
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| no blooms on 2 yr. old angel trumpet plant | 3/26/2008 |
Q: Please tell me what to do or what I may be doing wrong. I have an angel trumpet plant that I ordered ...
A: ..(hmm that sounds funny addressing myself)..ok, back to business, is it a Brugamansia or Datura? ...
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| Ponytail dying | 3/26/2008 |
Q: I have a large ponytail tree, about 2.5 feet tall and 2 feet wide. We went on vacation for 5 days, I ...
A: ...therein lies the problem, you must take that pan away, Ponytails need very little irrigation; I ...
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| Ponytail dying | 3/25/2008 |
Q: I have a large ponytail tree, about 2.5 feet tall and 2 feet wide. We went on vacation for 5 days, I ...
A: its not from lack of irrigation, for Ponytails have a reservoir (that big bulbular bottom), which is ...
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| WATERING TROPICAL PLANTS | 3/25/2008 |
Q: WE LIVE IN FRESNO CA, LAST SUMMER WE HAD PLANTED TROPICAL PLANTS- BANANNA TREES, QUEEN PALMS, ...
A: the Bananas will take all the irrigation they can get, the Birds almost as much, but the Sagos and ...
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| Majesty Palm | 3/25/2008 |
Q: .. i purchased this plant, 'Majesty Palm' from a home improvement store (OSH) this past Saturday. ...
A: Majestys are the most common indoor palm, and are really very easy to care for as long as they ...
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| Bougainvillea | 3/25/2008 |
Q: my daughter is getting married in August in southern California. She loves bougainvillea and I am ...
A: I have never heard of anyone successfully keeping them fresh even for a short period of time, they ...
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| Bougenvillia won't bloom | 3/24/2008 |
Q: I have had a bougenvillia as an indoor tropical plant here in Canada for about 4 years and it ...
A: Bougs like bright light and heres the secret "very little water", yes, the more drought stressed ...
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| Watering a potted tree | 3/24/2008 |
Q: Is it beneficial or harmful to water an outdoor potted tree by watering through the reservoir it ...
A: watering a plant with a reservoir (and I'm assuming that is a container under the pot that holds ...
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| Adonidia palm | 3/23/2008 |
Q: this is a general question but I live in central New Jersey and i have a good sized adonidia palm ...
A: thats pretty common with Christmas Palms, I have an 8 footer growing outside (south Florida), and it ...
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| Banana Trees | 3/23/2008 |
Q: Nick, I have two potted banana trees that have survived two winters outdoors in Vancouver, B.C. I ...
A: well first of all congratulations for even being able to keep the corm alive (the underground ...
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| dying royal palm trees | 3/23/2008 |
Q: We planted 5 new royal palms about 2 weeks ago and were told to water them 30 min per day, which we ...
A: the 30 minutes a day is way too much for new palms, the roots are saturated and root rot is setting ...
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| Queen Palm | 3/23/2008 |
Q: I have notice that several of my Queen Palms are experiencing the loss of a new frond. The frond ...
A: what you describe is known as crown rot, usually caused by a fungal disease in the crown, but you ...
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| bouganvilla | 3/23/2008 |
Q: How close to the house or pool deck can I plant a bouganvilla? Is there any way to control root ...
A: hey Doug, Bougs don't have a very extensive root system, go ahead and plant it anywhere you want, ...
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| tropical plants for shady beach areas | 3/22/2008 |
Q: need suggestions on a colorful plant to put there. We have drip irigation
A: I would put in a mass planting of "Aboricola Trinnette", its a beautiful green/yellow leafed bush ...
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| Majesty Palm | 3/22/2008 |
Q: i read your comments and i also read comments from a number of other "authorities" why is there so ...
A: Scott, the Majesty is a palm that can be grown either way, it would do better outside in the ground, ...
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| Bird of Paradise | 3/21/2008 |
Q: My huge, 15 yr. old Bird of Paradise has a black moldy looking "fungus" on most of its leaves and ...
A: it sounds like "sooty mold" which is an innocuous fungus that feeds on the secretions of insects ...
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| Dying palm | 3/20/2008 |
Q: I have a palm, not sure what kind. I believe it has started to die. I have been trimming away all ...
A: I'm assuming its in a container (being in Canada, LOL)..it is probably a Majesty Palm, they are the ...
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| mini palm | 3/20/2008 |
Q: my friend got me a mini palm tree from the bahamas, how do i take care of it? watering? lighting? ...
A: well I'll give you advice on caring for a Majesty palm, which is the most common indoor/outdoor palm ...
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| bannana trees | 3/19/2008 |
Q: It looks like something is eating the leaves on my outdoor bannana trees. What is the best ...
A: what you are describing is the tell tale results of a leaf cutter bee, which takes snips of leaves ...
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| indoor palm | 3/19/2008 |
Q: I have an indoor palm that has grown too tall. It has reached the ceiling and is continuously ...
A: Ok Maria, I'm 80 percent sure you have a Dracaena, they only thing you can do is cut it about 2 feet ...
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| Blue Java Banana Tree | 3/19/2008 |
Q: I recently purchased a small blue java (about 4ft). Is there any way I can keep this plant fairly ...
A: this is known as an Ice Cream Banana and grows upwards of 12 feet with an extensive root corm; It is ...
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| Foxtail palm yellow and brown fronds | 3/17/2008 |
Q: I have 3 foxtails-my favorite-and 2 are doing great and growing fast. The smallest is looking bad ...
A: I need more info to help you, where when and how they are/were planted, comparisons between the ...
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| My Palm Tree Dies/Died? | 3/17/2008 |
Q: I have one of them small palm tree in the house and I had it for about 2 years, it was fine till I ...
A: It sounds like the neglect may have done it in Matt, but what you have done is correct, now it is up ...
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| Young Queen Palm | 3/17/2008 |
Q: I bought a baby queen palm and noticed that no instructions for re-potting came with it.I want to do ...
A: pop it out of its nursery container with as much soil attached to the roots as possible and pot it ...
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| bottle palm, browning and yellow leaves | 3/16/2008 |
Q: i have a bottle palm that i planted about a year ago and some of its leaves have brown and yellow ...
A: Hey Brian, Bottles don't need to be fertilized but 3 times a year with a well balanced "palm ...
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| Boganvillia | 3/16/2008 |
Q: my 2ye old boganvillia plant has started getting new leas and had some new flowers but before they ...
A: ahh , ok, its either insect damage (night feeding slugs or caterpillars) or you are giving it too ...
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| Queen Palm | 3/16/2008 |
Q: My queen palm has some sort of clear sticky substance on it. It looks like a clear bebe. Do you ...
A: ....it is definitely a tissue excretion, palm trunks are actually tissue not bark like a tree, and ...
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| indoor palm | 3/15/2008 |
Q: I have an indoor palm that has grown too tall. It has reached the ceiling and is continuously ...
A: oooo, thats a toughy! you can't top it, for that is where the crown forms new fronds, and you would ...
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| Hibiscus Bushes | 3/15/2008 |
Q: I planted a number of hibiscus bushes last spring. However, I am afraid with the unusually cold ...
A: unfortunately all the tropical hibiscus varieties are just that, cold sensitive; There is a hardy ...
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| Palm Tree | 3/15/2008 |
Q: I don't know what kind - but my neighor bought 2 at Home Depot - probably in the indoor plant area ...
A: it sounds like it could be mealy bugs or even scale; use household Isopropyl alcohol, put it in a ...
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| Sago palm | 3/14/2008 |
Q: Both my sago palm's have got a yellow dry spots on them, they were planted about 2 months ago into ...
A: Bradley, it sounds like a fungal problem, spray them down with a copper fungicide and the new ...
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| Bugs on Bird of Paradise | 3/12/2008 |
Q: I am having trouble with the blooms on my Bird of Paradise. It seems that when they start to ...
A: it sounds like slugs, they feed at night hence the absence of them when you see the damage during ...
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| wintering a hibiscus | 3/11/2008 |
Q: I have a hibiscus plant in a large pot that I brought in for the winter. Should I cut it back this ...
A: Hibiscus responds very well to pruning, but its not a plant that goes into dormancy, so pruning it ...
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| Queen Palm Help | 3/11/2008 |
Q: We have 15 queen palms throughout our front and back yard. A few of them we have noticed small brown ...
A: ok, lets take it one step at a time here, first the whitish "stuff" on the fronds is probably scale, ...
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| Jade plant | 3/10/2008 |
Q: I have a ~5 ft jade plant in my backyard (SF, CA) which could be 40-50 yrs old. The small branches ...
A: Jades don't need pruning per se, but you are advised to pinch back when they start becoming top ...
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| Lakeview Jasmine | 3/10/2008 |
Q: My Lakeview Jasmine tree has small, red, fruit like berries. Are these seeds that can be sown and ...
A: the sure fire way to propagate any of the Jasmine family is by semi hardwood cuttings; take about a ...
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| majesty palms in containers | 3/8/2008 |
Q: I purchased several majesty palms to use as patio palms in containers. All had roots growing out ...
A: Majestys like humid conditions and low light, the brown edges are from lack of humidity (which can ...
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| Zebra plant care | 3/8/2008 |
Q: I just purchased a zebra plant to keep indoors. The flowers have brown edges and look like they need ...
A: ok, first of all keep it out of direct sun, they don't do well in it, second, they like a humid ...
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| plumbagos | 3/8/2008 |
Q: i recently moved from south florida to south georgia, and in fla i had plumbagos in my gardens, so ...
A: Plumbagos are considered a tropical plant, and Georgia may be a tad to cold for them; that said, ...
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| brown on ends of indoor palm | 3/8/2008 |
Q: ..have a fan palm...most of the large leaves on all brown on the tips about 4 to 5 inches up the ...
A: John, the fan palm likes a humid location, and low light, it seems the low light is being provided, ...
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| ponytail palm | 3/7/2008 |
Q: We have a large ponytail palm in a big pot outdoors in CA. It gets alot of afternoon sun and was ...
A: sure, snip them off, it won't hurt the mother, the Ponytail may be looking dim because of too much ...
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| Banana Palm | 3/7/2008 |
Q: I live north of Dallas, TX. I have banana palms in my backyard near the pool. I was told to cut ...
A: Hey Sam, ok, lets start from the beginning, they are banana plants (not palms),,actually a big herb; ...
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| Pygmy Date Palm | 3/7/2008 |
Q: I purchased a beautiful triple trunk pygmy date palm. I had to drive 45 minutes to get it home. Tied ...
A: the palm is assuredly stressed from the cold, so its ok to prune off the completely brown fronds, ...
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| Majesty Palm tree(Ravenea rivularis) | 3/5/2008 |
Q: My husband bought me this palm tree to plant in our yard. We live in Lexington, South Carolina. ...
A: you are in a zone 6 or 7 I'm thinking (not knowing exactly where in South Carolina you are located) ...
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| bird of paradise | 3/5/2008 |
Q: do bird of paradise need repotting or divided
A: the operative word here is "need", and the answer is not unless it has outgrown its container and is ...
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| Indoor Tropical Plant | 3/4/2008 |
Q: I bought an indoor tropical plant about a week ago. At first it seemed to be in perfect health, I ...
A: .yellow leaves is over watering, brown tips are not enough humidity (dry indoor heat will do this); ...
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| Australian tree fern | 3/4/2008 |
Q: My two trees have gotten too big. The winter killed off the fronds and the center part, but there ...
A: I have to admit, I had to do some research on this one, but I got the information needed; you can ...
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| Ponytail palm | 3/4/2008 |
Q: Hola Nick: My Palm is getting the leaves dry at the points and is loosing the bottom leaves. It has ...
A: Ponytails need very little water first of all, your question leads me to believe you may be ...
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| indoor palm | 3/3/2008 |
Q: the leaves are sticky, leaving sticky film around the pot as well
A: sounds like a spider mite infestation, they leave a secretion when feeding that is like that; get ...
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| kentia palm | 3/3/2008 |
Q: I was careful not to over water , but I noticed the tips of some of the leaves were brown so I ...
A: like the Majesty Palm, Kentias like low light situations; they will tolerate direct sun but will ...
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| sago palm is turning brown | 3/2/2008 |
Q: my sago palms are planted in large pots, they are turning brown and look unhealthy, my neighbor has ...
A: it sounds like they have been in those containers too long without being changed out (soil change); ...
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| ailing potted palm | 3/2/2008 |
Q: My smallish potted palm is dying and I don't know what to do. The top leaves are just all dried out ...
A: Ok, we got to change it out of that pot, especially if there isn't any drainage holes! often those ...
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| ailing potted palm | 2/29/2008 |
Q: My smallish potted palm is dying and I don't know what to do. The top leaves are just all dried out ...
A: hmmm, it still sounds like the problem is definitely in the root ball, the drying crown leans me in ...
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| ailing potted palm | 2/29/2008 |
Q: My smallish potted palm is dying and I don't know what to do. The top leaves are just all dried out ...
A: ok lets see if we can turn this little guy around, first I need more info, how long in that ...
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| how to take care of my plant | 2/28/2008 |
Q: I have a TROPICAL BROMELIAD PLANT how do i water it and how much. I have heard to put warm water on ...
A: the top of the bromeliad is called the "cup" and you need to put half a cup of water into it and ...
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| white bird of paradise | 2/26/2008 |
Q: I live in southwest florida and recently purchased a large white bird of paradise(it is potted). I ...
A: is it still in the nursery container you purchased it in? if so, it needs to be changed out to a ...
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| musa | 2/26/2008 |
Q: thanks si
A: Hey Simon, sure let them grow and when they get several leaves on them, they can be separated from ...
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| musa banana plant | 2/25/2008 |
Q: could you tell me why the leaves retain beads of water? on them.and should i water them from the top ...
A: Bananas are 70 per cent water, and its natural for the water to manifest itself on all parts of the ...
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| Ginger plants | 2/24/2008 |
Q: Over a year ago i got 3 beautiful ginger plants, and was told they did not like sun ... so i ...
A: they do like shade, but has happened to yours is they received too much water/irrigation, this ...
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| organic solution for pests on my night blooming jasmine | 2/20/2008 |
Q: One of the great joys of living in south Florida is the profusion of fragrant flowers - one of the ...
A: it is indeed night feeding caterpillars or even slugs, and they only way I know to deal with them is ...
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| palm tree browning | 2/20/2008 |
Q: i kept it under a solarium which has indirect bright light but i watered it once a week only ... i ...
A: ok, first of all I hope you kept your receipt, because home depot has a one year guarantee on their ...
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| help with my baby banana plants | 2/19/2008 |
Q: i bought some baby banana plants from a nursery that cami in a box the roots was wrapped in plastic. ...
A: ....sorry, plant them right where the pseudostem meets the roots and then mulch them about an inch ...
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| help with my baby banana plants | 2/19/2008 |
Q: i bought some baby banana plants from a nursery that cami in a box the roots was wrapped in plastic. ...
A: don't be concerned, they will be fine, bananas look pretty bad when shipped via mail, but they are ...
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| Young Queen Palms | 2/19/2008 |
Q: Late summer or early last fall I planted 3 small Queen Palms (6-8') tall. Are doing ok , but during ...
A: the rule of thumb with Queens is if the frond has any green or even yellow in it, it is functioning, ...
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| My miniature orange tree | 2/19/2008 |
Q: It is me again. I am really concerned with my tree. Now, even healthy leaves are falling off. If ...
A: Honestly Cale, I never really paid much attention to the unfurling of citrus blossoms, there are ...
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| spider plant | 2/18/2008 |
Q: Is it common to have a varigated spider plant with solid green pups? ...
A: unfortunately many variegated plants revert back to their parent plant, especially the propagations; ...
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| pygmy plant | 2/16/2008 |
Q: I added a pygmy tree. The tree was glowing fine until in Florida we had a freeze. I cut the damage ...
A: Esther, there was a lot of cold damage done during that dip a couple of weeks back, and pretty much ...
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| Pony Tale Palm | 2/15/2008 |
Q: I have had my pony tale palm for 2 years now. It doesn't look like the ones I see on the ...
A: your ponytail doesn't need a lot of water, and when you cut back, the new growth is testimony to ...
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| Foxtails | 2/15/2008 |
Q: We planted foxtail palms in the panhandle of Florida in April. They did very well, but for the past ...
A: the foxtails should be fine, they cold stressed, but thats normal when the temps drop below ...
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| Dead Palm Tree | 2/13/2008 |
Q: We have about 12 20-30 foot palm trees in our back yard. One of them started leaning over about a ...
A: without actually seeing it its hard for me to be definitive, however, it sounds like the palm ...
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| Foxtail Palm FL Freeze | 2/13/2008 |
Q: I planted three Foxtail palms this summer and got caught in a freeze where I was unable to protect ...
A: I know what you mean, I'm here in SW Florida and I had damage to my landscape also; don't water ...
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| banana plant | 2/9/2008 |
Q: at the end of fall i cut my 1 meter tall banana plant flush with the dirt in the pot..Did i kill ...
A: Joe, it won't stop attempting to grow until it bears fruit, if you just cut it back to the ground it ...
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| foxtale ferns | 2/8/2008 |
Q: I would like to know how far north in the US can a foxtail fern remain planted outside. Also how do ...
A: foxtails are sub tropical (zone 9-11) Florida and parts of Texas ideally, but if you grow them in a ...
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| Sago Palm | 2/8/2008 |
Q: I have a Sago whose leaves are turning yellow. It's 10 inches tall and not over-watered. It's ...
A: Ok, so it could very well have its roots saturated, this is bad and you need to repot it again and ...
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| My miniature orange tree | 2/7/2008 |
Q: It is me again. I am really concerned with my tree. Now, even healthy leaves are falling off. If ...
A: ..I would use any good quality potting soil, but not the type with additives, (miracle grow, or ...
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| My miniature orange tree | 2/7/2008 |
Q: It is me again. I am really concerned with my tree. Now, even healthy leaves are falling off. If ...
A: Cale, first of all, citrus are indigenous to Florida, and during the dry season down here, they ...
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| spider plant leaves are shriveling | 2/6/2008 |
Q: i brought a spider plant right after christmas.this is not a big plant but not small. the leaves are ...
A: Jared, what you need to do in the near future is move it to a larger hanging pot; the fact that its ...
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| miniature orange tree | 2/6/2008 |
Q: I just got a miniature orange tree. A few days after I got it, it bloomed beautifully. It has been ...
A: ok, part of the leaf loss is just a reaction to the oil, but it sounds like you are wayyyy ...
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| pony tail palm, shriveled feet! | 2/4/2008 |
Q: I bought a ponytail palm at Home Depot not too long ago because I think they are just the most ...
A: Julie, you guy will be fine, this is actually a common phenomenon, you can snip the excess growth ...
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| disease of palm tree identification | 2/4/2008 |
Q: I have a medium sized palm tree that is in a large pot, covered with small rocks on top of the main ...
A: Kai, it sounds like a rust fungus (very common) caused by the fronds getting wet and the spores ...
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| Cold Shock Musa Dwarf Cavendish | 2/4/2008 |
Q: I have a Musa Dwarf Cavendish that was exposed to about 10 degree F weather for 15 minutes, and then ...
A: ok, the corm (root system) should regenerate new growth as long as it wasn't frozen; the pseudostem ...
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| fox tail not growin | 2/3/2008 |
Q: my fox tail has new shoots but they are just all bunched up in the middle and have not spread ...
A: When new fronds emerge stunted, its usually from fertilizer deprivation, if you have fertilized, ...
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| false aralia | 2/3/2008 |
Q: ... Three years ago I bought a false aralia house plant. A very health plant. My wife is an avid ...
A: Hey Steve, sorry to hear about this, usually when a plant has its roots sitting in water for this ...
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| bougainvillea | 2/2/2008 |
Q: I planted two bougainvillea plants. I live in San Diego--20 miles from the ocean. Shortly ...
A: Pam, it wasn't the heat that caused the leaf loss, Bougs love heat, and they hate water, (albeit ...
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| miniature orange tree | 2/1/2008 |
Q: I just got a miniature orange tree. A few days after I got it, it bloomed beautifully. It has been ...
A: Ok, it sounds like the only real problem here is the gnats, they are probably white fly, they lay ...
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| Bougainvilla Cuttings | 2/1/2008 |
Q: I have a beautiful Red Bougainvillea here in Lakeland, Fla. After the hard freeze a few weeks ago, ...
A: ...Thats the easiest way, but you can also take woody cuttings and put them in moist vermiculite and ...
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| Bougainvilla Cuttings | 1/31/2008 |
Q: I have a beautiful Red Bougainvillea here in Lakeland, Fla. After the hard freeze a few weeks ago, ...
A: Butch, the easiest way to propagate your Bougs, is to scrape a lower branch, so that the cambium ...
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| Banana tree | 1/31/2008 |
Q: Are banana tree's look fully mature 8'to 9' feet high do we need to cut them back. They look awful ...
A: Sandy, bananas are not done until they send forth a bunch of fruit; if you cut them back they will ...
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| White Bird of Paradise | 1/30/2008 |
Q: I have a very large BOP with several smaller trunks growing around it. Can I dig up and transplant ...
A: the underground root system is called a corm,,, you have to cut into the corm and remove that ...
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| massangaena cane | 1/29/2008 |
Q: I have an above named plant bought in 1964 (at the NY worlds fair). The leaves are at the top of ...
A: Hey Richard, ok, you can cut it as high or low as you want, you really can't hurt the plant; it will ...
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| Full sun tropical plants | 1/29/2008 |
Q: I live in Tiburon California and have 2 large clay planters on my FULL SUN back deck, in front of ...
A: Bananas love heat, but I'm thinking that your problem is that we are talking searing heat during the ...
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| White stuff growing in my Palm Tree | 1/29/2008 |
Q: My palm tree has white fluffy sticky stuff all over the trunk of the tree. The trees don't look too ...
A: I really would need to see this substance to determine what it is; I'm going to suggest you take a ...
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| white bird of paradise | 1/28/2008 |
Q: I bought and planted a white bird of paradise that was supposed to be a miniature. I planted it over ...
A: you got a White Bird of Paradise instead of the orange variety; The root system needs to be removed, ...
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| amaryllis | 1/28/2008 |
Q: I bought 2 bulbs at Christmas. The foliage came up, but there has been no sign of the flower stalk. ...
A: ok I did some research and came up with the following, (again I apologize for this subject not being ...
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| white bird of paradise | 1/28/2008 |
Q: Being new to FL I am trying to learn all I can about local plants. I am a cashier in a garden center ...
A: Glad to help Susi! yes the bird will get 10 feet and bigger, but it will be years before this ...
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| Pygmy Palm Disease | 1/27/2008 |
Q: We live in Tampa Bay area and our beautiful 3 trunck palm is sick. It has little white dots and ...
A: good! you used a "copper fungicide" I hope, and cutting off the damaged fronds is fine from an ...
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| Pygmy Palm Disease | 1/27/2008 |
Q: We live in Tampa Bay area and our beautiful 3 trunck palm is sick. It has little white dots and ...
A: sounds like a fungus, try copperfungicide and back off on the watering (if you are). The fungicide ...
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| Foxtail palm cold damage | 1/27/2008 |
Q: Nick, we had a foxtail palm planted a few weeks ago. The following weekend Central Florida ...
A: it sounds like superficial damage, (from what you describe); if the immerging frond is healthy ...
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| Banana Trees | 1/27/2008 |
Q: I would like to know if a banana tree will produce bananas more than once on the same tree.
A: the answer is no, Bananas produce the one bunch and after you cut it off, the stalk is to be cut ...
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| Bouganvilla dying back/leaves turning brown | 1/26/2008 |
Q: I just realized the water timer was drip watering the bouganvilla 45 minutes every day. Could this ...
A: Mary Lou, way too much water! Bougs hate water, they require very little to sustain themselves; even ...
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| Rubber Tree | 1/26/2008 |
Q: My Rubber Tree is not doing well. It has lost all of its leaves that it had when we got it and now ...
A: Rubber Plants grown inside in a container are very prone to losing their leaves; don't water them ...
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| amaryllis | 1/26/2008 |
Q: I bought 2 bulbs at Christmas. The foliage came up, but there has been no sign of the flower stalk. ...
A: Jo Anne, I will be the first to admit that my experience with Amaryllis is somewhat limited, but ...
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| Ponytail Palm Recovery | 1/22/2008 |
Q: I inherited a 30 year old Ponytail Palm. I've only had it two weeks and my heater broke, so the ...
A: ....strip all the brown fronds off, its the new growth that we want to watch, if the roots are ...
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| bird of paradise thinning | 1/21/2008 |
Q: There appears to be black spots on the stalks of our 6yr old large bird of paradise. It is loosing ...
A: Monica, if everything else is constant, as far as watering etc. then it is indeed a fungus, a broad ...
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| Bouganvillia stopped flowering | 1/20/2008 |
Q: I have a bouganvillia tree on the south side of my house that I planted 3 years ago. Last year it ...
A: Your welcome Sue, just keep in mind that Bougs like stress, that is the key to getting them to ...
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| Chewed Leaves | 1/18/2008 |
Q: Well I am getting discouraged with my poor plants along one side of the house. My beautiful Bird ...
A: OH Paula! you are nothing if not a challenge...ok...again, the cold and dampness is the main ...
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| dwarf bannana plant | 1/18/2008 |
Q: I have a bannana plant that the bottom leaves are turning yellow and brown and also I noticed that ...
A: Your banana is showing signs of corm rot, thats the root system, and it sounds like it is getting ...
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| Banana plant (tree) | 1/18/2008 |
Q: I have an indoor banana plant(tree). The new leaves are beautiful but after awhile they start to ...
A: Bananas need humid conditions to flourish, they will brown out on the edges if there is no humidity; ...
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| white mold | 1/17/2008 |
Q: My ponytail palm has what appears to be white mold on it's leaves. How can I get rid of the mold ...
A: its either powdery mildew (fungus) or white scale (tiny insect infestation)...first look close and ...
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| Bird of Paradise | 1/13/2008 |
Q: I have a nine year old Bird of Paradise. How do I get it to flower. It has never produced a flower. ...
A: birds can be very temperamental when it comes to flowering; as long as the plant is healthy, then ...
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| re potting a money tree | 1/12/2008 |
Q: i have a super money tree that needs re potting. please could you advise me on the best soil to use ...
A: You want to get a container at least twice the size of the existing root ball, line the bottom with ...
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| Bird of Paradise - deadheading and such... | 1/12/2008 |
Q: We live in New Zealand (North Island) and have several Orange Birds of Paradise (Strelitzia reginae) ...
A: Birds can be very tempermental when it comes to flowering, they will flower splendidly for months ...
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| Sun Parasol Crimson Mandevilla | 1/10/2008 |
Q: We live in Lanse, Mi in the Up. I inherited the above in the fall. I have it in a window for light ...
A: Ok good! Mands are like Allamandas, they are vines that can be cut back at any time without harming ...
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| Sun Parasol Crimson Mandevilla | 1/9/2008 |
Q: We live in Lanse, Mi in the Up. I inherited the above in the fall. I have it in a window for light ...
A: defoliation can be from a number of reasons; but I find that most indoor plants defoliate when ...
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| palm cutting | 1/9/2008 |
Q: i bought some sort of trachy palm at qfc grocery store in the floral section. they are 4-5 feet ...
A: Aron, are they multiple fronds or just one long frond? meaning is there a group of fronds ...
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| Ponytail Palm Recovery | 1/8/2008 |
Q: I inherited a 30 year old Ponytail Palm. I've only had it two weeks and my heater broke, so the ...
A: Don't panic Kathleen, it has shocked from the cold, but it should come back as long as the root ball ...
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| Bannanas | 1/7/2008 |
Q: It is my understanding that commercial bannanas that are harvested while still green, are sprayed ...
A: Hey Jeff, first of all, you are most definitely welcome for the info on bananas, now, not to pass ...
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| Freezing a Banana Tree & Watering a Palm | 1/5/2008 |
Q: Nick, Great site. I live in Allen, Texas. I have 2 outdoor, potted banana trees, which I don't ...
A: From your description, I'm afraid the banana is toast, but the palm should be ok, but don't water it ...
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| Bannanas | 1/5/2008 |
Q: It is my understanding that commercial bannanas that are harvested while still green, are sprayed ...
A: Its called ethylene, and you can generate the same vapors from apples in a bag with the bananas; ...
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| freeze damaged banana plants | 1/5/2008 |
Q: What should I do? Cut them back, Cut the leaves, or leave them alone.
A: Join the club James! what a mess huh? ok, cut the melted leaves off and then let mother nature take ...
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| the money tree | 1/5/2008 |
Q: i have a money tree and she's beautiful. I've had her 1 year. about 5 months ago i transplanted her ...
A: I wouldn't be too concerned about the browing ends of the leaves, this is a common occurance when ...
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| Tiny Worm-Like Infestation on Mussaenda | 1/5/2008 |
Q: Our very healthy Mussaenda Plant was beautiful. But, within 6 weeks time, it has lost all its ...
A: I too live in Southwest Florida, and also have several Mussaenda but have never experienced any ...
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| Pachira tree wilting | 1/4/2008 |
Q: I have a 3 year old pachira tree I usually keep indoors,put it out to clean forgot and the cold got ...
A: depending how bad it got shocked, without seeing the plant, I can only speculate; if the rootball ...
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| Paradise Palm houseplant - leaves becoming black | 1/3/2008 |
Q: The new growths and older leaves have blackening along their leaves. I have given them mineral ...
A: it sounds like wet roots, usually the leaves spot and then blacken when there is a build up of ...
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| plumeria | 1/2/2008 |
Q: We have a 4-5 ft. plumeria that has gotten too big for it's location. We live in central FL, & it ...
A: sure I will! first of all if its lanky, then you should cut some of the longer canes (about 10 ...
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| Bougainvilla Tree | 12/29/2007 |
Q: I bought a beautiful full bougainvilla tree approx 3 wks. and and it's in front of my house that ...
A: Bougs like full sun and not much water, this is the optimum condition for a Boug to flourish; its ...
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| cold hardiness | 12/28/2007 |
Q: I live in the Phoenix area, zone 9. We moved into a new house over the summer and put in new ...
A: they are all cold sensitive plants, however, 33 is above freezing but barely; a freeze will do them ...
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| tree ferns | 12/28/2007 |
Q: why do the fronds turn yellow
A: fronds turn yellow for numerous reasons; lower fronds turn yellow as the plant utilizes nutrients ...
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| croton help | 12/28/2007 |
Q: I purchased two plants, in 10" pots and are about 24" tall, in late summer. I keep them indoors. One ...
A: It sounds like it may be having a fungal problem or possibly what you describe could also be spider ...
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| musa dwarf cavendish | 12/23/2007 |
Q: I have been referred to you as trhe foremost expert on Banana plants, specifically the dwarf ...
A: Hey Jim, thanks for the accolades, Bananas in containers are very iffy, They require a large root ...
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| plant care | 12/22/2007 |
Q: Can I keep bouganvilleas to smallish bush size by kkeping them pruned? How much watering will they ...
A: there are standard Bougs and dwarf Bougs, the standards can be kept groomed, but not smaller then ...
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| Jasmine | 12/22/2007 |
Q: Is it true that the Jasmine bush needs both a male and female in order to have a fragrance? ...
A: and Happy holdays to you!:) Jasmines don't need a mate to smell LOL (and boy the night blooming ...
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| Dwaft Palm | 12/21/2007 |
Q: When I returned home today, my lawn man (trying to clean up for Christmas and in a good spirit) ...
A: Ok Barb, from the beginning, first, is it a Pygmy Date Palm? and if so then the correct trim is to ...
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| How do I split a Cordyline Australis | 12/19/2007 |
Q: I have a Cordyline Australis which is about 6 or 7 feet tall but the leaves at the top are only ...
A: yes! you can sever it and actually trim back the leaves from the severed one and start a new tree; ...
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| Banana Leaf Palm troubles | 12/19/2007 |
Q: For years, I have had a potted banana leaf palm tree. It has been kept indoors due to our climate in ...
A: Hey Paul, ok, your banana bent at the pseudostem (the trunk) which is concentric leaf tissue, not a ...
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| canela plant | 12/17/2007 |
Q: i have just received a canela plant that is in very bad shape. it seems to be dying from the top ...
A: I have a Canela growing in a pot and its leaves will frequently turn brownish and fall off, but new ...
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| Zebra Plant | 12/13/2007 |
Q: I purchased a Zebra Plant.I then transplanted it to a larger indoor pot using miracle grow potting ...
A: You didn't allude to what kind of watering you gave it after transplanting, a good soaking after ...
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| Bouganvilla Hardiness | 12/12/2007 |
Q: We live in Las Cruces, NM and I have two potted bouganvilla on the patio. This is our first year ...
A: Ok, I thaught that might be a problem, if they get enough sun through those windows they should be ...
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| Bananas | 12/12/2007 |
Q: Nick, This is a long question. I live in Gainesville, FL. I think that being able to go out in the ...
A: I grow 5 different varieties of Bananas here in south Florida; I have to take measures even down ...
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| Money Tree Frostbite | 12/10/2007 |
Q: I'm not sure if a money tree counts as a tropical plant...but I had to transport my money tree and ...
A: thats a sure sign of cold shock, prune back the dead growth and it should be ok, the rootball is the ...
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| Poinsetta and christmas cactus | 12/9/2007 |
Q: I have a pointsetta I just purchased for a fundraiser and I believe it has frost damage, it is ...
A: if the poinsettia has indeed been stung by a frost then there is no immediate remedy; the leaves ...
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| bougainvilla tree/night blooming jasmine | 12/9/2007 |
Q: I also live in Florida (SW/Cape Coral). My bougainvilla tree has been stripped almost completely of ...
A: there are actually two possible "culprits", night feeding catepillers can strip them over a period ...
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| bouganvilla plants | 12/8/2007 |
Q: I have several of these in my yard and the leaves are shriveling up and dying. They look as if ...
A: you didn't mention how much you water them or fertilize them; Bougs are one of the plants that ...
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| massangaena cane | 12/8/2007 |
Q: I have an above named plant bought in 1964 (at the NY worlds fair). The leaves are at the top of ...
A: because of its age, it has developed into a lanky specimen, this is typical growth pattern for this ...
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| Plumeria | 12/7/2007 |
Q: I have a plumeria that was bought last year. I was told that during the winter months to take it out ...
A: honestly, I have never heard of that, Plumerias go semi dormant in winter, perfectly normal for ...
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| Palm excessively trimmed | 12/6/2007 |
Q: My neighbours view was being obscured by a palm in my yard and offered to pay to have it trimmed. I ...
A: if the central spear was cut (which I can't even believe they would!) then the palm is dead! that is ...
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| palm tree | 12/4/2007 |
Q: We live in Northern Virginia. we bought a 25 ft plam tree this year to dress up our pool. We thought ...
A: All of those mentioned need ample sunlight and are not suitable for container growing (except the ...
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| planting sea grape seeds | 12/4/2007 |
Q: This past summer while visiting my best friend in south eastern fla., I came across sea grape ...
A: sea grapes are usually pollinated by cuttings,but the seeds will germinate easily; normally here in ...
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| Best indoor palms | 12/3/2007 |
Q: Could you suggest some indoor palms that would be 6 to 8 feet tall and can thrive with little to no ...
A: ok, a good choice would be a "Majesty Palm", they like dappled shade in their natural habitat,, and ...
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| Bird of Paradise slowly turning yellow :( | 12/2/2007 |
Q: I just bought an orange bird of paradise. It was in good shape when I brought it home. I waited a ...
A: ok, the rootball is saturated and holding water, you do indeed need to pull it out, spread the roots ...
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| frost injured Hawaiian Schefflera | 12/2/2007 |
Q: I have had this Hawaiian Schefflera for about 3 years and it is about five feet tall and 3 feet wide ...
A: if the rootball didn't freeze then it should be ok! the fact that the frost burned the crown is ...
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| Transplant large plumeria san diego | 12/2/2007 |
Q: My Dad just gave me a 10' plus plumeria from his yard. We dug it out and had to cut much of the ...
A: I would go ahead and plant the rootball, it should be fine, but I would also take a few 7-10 inch ...
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| Rescue Pony Tail from Accident | 12/1/2007 |
Q: I bought a small ponytail plant 4 months back and the young plant has a bulb about 6" in diameter. ...
A: ok, I'm thinking that you may be watering it too much, Ponytails store water in their bulbous trunks ...
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| yucca | 11/30/2007 |
Q: we have planted about 10 yucca trees all around the house..but some of it are not doing very ...
A: from what you have described it sounds like the roots are in serious trouble; this is usually caused ...
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| sea grape plants | 11/29/2007 |
Q: I am a transplanted retired Canadian living in the north shore village of El Porvenir in Honduras. ...
A: I must admit I have never heard of this before, we too have many seagrapes here in south Florida, ...
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| boganvilla | 11/28/2007 |
Q: I have turned my garage into a winter house for my many plants. they get full spectrum light and I ...
A: tip cuttings are best, what I do though is take an existing low lying branch and "bruise" it, that ...
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| banana palm/trees | 11/27/2007 |
Q: I live in Texas and want to know how to care for my banana palms in the winter. Are you suppose to ...
A: You can do either, but if you want to get fruit, I would just cut back the dead growth; Bananas will ...
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| banana palm/trees | 11/27/2007 |
Q: I live in Texas and want to know how to care for my banana palms in the winter. Are you suppose to ...
A: Bananas are my forte, I too have them all over my landscape; You don't want to cut them back because ...
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| croton | 11/26/2007 |
Q: I have an "old" croton. When is the best time to fertilize? It's 4+ yrs and 2-3' tall. Has been ...
A: Crotons do fine with a monthly application of miracle grow along with a slow release granular 3 ...
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| This is GROSS | 11/25/2007 |
Q: This is Paula in Port St. Lucie. I never saw anything like this...under the mulch where the ...
A: nice to hear from you:) I gotta be honest, I don't have a clue!! I would recommend clearing out the ...
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| Bouganvilla woes | 11/22/2007 |
Q: I have had a few bougainvillea over the years and they NEVER bloom, just the green healthy-looking ...
A: many people have this problem, the key to getting those beautiful colorful bracts are stressing the ...
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| Orange Bird of Paradise | 11/20/2007 |
Q: About a month ago I planted seeds for this plant in the ground thinking that they would not grow ...
A: yes lift them carefully and get all of the rootball without disturbing them; put them in a quality ...
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| cyclamen seeds | 11/19/2007 |
Q: When is the best time to sow?
A: They can be sowed in a light starting mix anytime after the capsule breaks open exposing the seed, ...
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| White Leaves | 11/17/2007 |
Q: Yes, it's me again! Some of my plants (Dianthus) are getting white leaves and others white marks ...
A: welcome back, there will be a lot of peculiarities this time of the year due to the colder nights; ...
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| Cutting back a banana tree for winter | 11/14/2007 |
Q: When cutting back a banana tree for winter , How low should I cut down the stalk?
A: Hey Paul, I'm assuming you don't expect to get fruit from it and you are growing it just for the ...
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| majesty palm....continued :) | 11/13/2007 |
Q: I just bought one about 4 ft. I Planned to grow it outside. I live in zone 9, the villages, Fl. if ...
A: I also live in zone 9 (southwest Florida) and I have had a Majesty in the ground near my house for 3 ...
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| massangena cane house plant | 11/12/2007 |
Q: THe plams on my massangena cane pant, they are brown and falling off of the cane, the little stud on ...
A: too much sun will cause the edges to brown, but they usually won't fall off, too much water will ...
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| bouganvilla reproduction | 11/9/2007 |
Q: How do you reproduce bouganvilla, not produce more blooms, but actually a second plant? I live in ...
A: I live here also,,,nice now isn't it? ok, the easiest way is to take a lower branch and about a foot ...
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| pesticide | 11/7/2007 |
Q: What are the side effects if I sprayed a pesticide too strong on the plants. Leaves have black, ...
A: I hear you Paula:) there is an old addage that for every minute you spend in the garden the good ...
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| pesticide | 11/6/2007 |
Q: What are the side effects if I sprayed a pesticide too strong on the plants. Leaves have black, ...
A: it depends on the type of pesticide, some are stronger then others;reddish spots sound like a ...
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| bougainvilla | 11/5/2007 |
Q: I have a bougainvilla that has beautiful blooms and the leaves are turning yellow and falling off. ...
A: its one of three things (or all three) insect damage (sometimes so small you can't see them) colder ...
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| Fonds on Palm Trees | 11/4/2007 |
Q: I currently planted a 10 to 12 ft. palm. I have been watering the roots and all the fonds at the top ...
A: A newly planted palm will often shed its lower "fronds" after turning yellow, if they collapse while ...
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| pony tail palm | 11/3/2007 |
Q: I have what once was a beautiful pony tail palm but put it outside in the summer but with working ...
A: my goodness its been through the mill eh? PonyTails are very resilient (albeit this one may have ...
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| angel trumpet and confederate rose plant | 11/3/2007 |
Q: it is getting cold here in greenville,s.c.what exactly do i need to do to both my bushes-plants-- to ...
A: you have choices, you can try to cover them with heavy mulch or straw, or prune them back and lift ...
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| Plumeria Cuttings | 11/2/2007 |
Q: I live in Southeast Texas. When is the proper time for taking cuttings from my plumeria? What is ...
A: you can take cuttings anytime, they are usually shedding their leaves and going semi dormant right ...
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| maui ixora | 11/1/2007 |
Q: a friend moved from houston and gave me a very large (30 gal.) Maui ixora. this plant is very big ...
A: Yes, plants react to environmental changes, even from a shady location to a sunny one will cause ...
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| Bouganvilla | 11/1/2007 |
Q: Hoping you can answer this for me. I bought a Bougainvillea for the first time. It's a beautiful ...
A: Bougs are tropical plants, and they need to be protected from frost and freezing; they can handle ...
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| bouganvilla | 10/31/2007 |
Q: I live in Santa Fe N.M. now that the weather is colder I've my bouganvilla inside in front of south ...
A: getting this question quite a bit it seems; the Boug is going through a natural shock from moving it ...
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| bouganvillia indoors? | 10/31/2007 |
Q: I have a bouganvillia which has lived on my New York City terrace all summer and done well. I moved ...
A: yes! bring it in and make sure it gets ample sun; move it out during warm spells so the sun it gets ...
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| Draceana trimming | 10/30/2007 |
Q: I have an outdoors Dracaena marginata that is over 10' tall. I need to bring it indoors for the ...
A: Hey Jerry, ok...if you cut the crown off and leave about 4 feet of stem..then you can take the ...
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| Date palms, mangoes, and pomeracks | 10/30/2007 |
Q: Mr. McCann, I have several tropical trees that I keep indoors in the winter and put out in the ...
A: the tropical flauna you are growing will survive the way you are growing them, but they need the ...
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| Date palms, mangoes, and pomeracks | 10/29/2007 |
Q: Mr. McCann, I have several tropical trees that I keep indoors in the winter and put out in the ...
A: its probably not what you want to hear, but too often people try to grow tropicals in a cooler ...
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| bouganvilla | 10/29/2007 |
Q: We started a bouganvilla from a stick and some roots last spring. We put it out with south/west sun ...
A: Bougs are tropical by nature, and bringing them inside places them into a stressed situation; its ...
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| Sago Palms | 10/28/2007 |
Q: We live 15 mile south of Houston TX in League City, TX. We have seven (7) large Sago Palms which ...
A: the culprit (white spots) is a scale insect called aucalaspis scale, its an exotic pest that entered ...
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| Hibiscus Tree | 10/28/2007 |
Q: I followed your instructions regarding the white sticky deposits on my hibiscus tree. I strayed it ...
A: Joan, if you sprayed it with organicide, you in fact killed the mealy bugs, but you will see the ...
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| QUEEN PALM TREES | 10/28/2007 |
Q: WHAT DO WE DO ABOUT THE SPIKES GROWING IN OUR QUEEN PALMS? HOW CAN WE PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING?
A: , I'm not sure what you mean by spikes? if it is the pod like protrusions growing out the top, they ...
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| bouganvillea | 10/27/2007 |
Q: Going to live in Ecuador next year have bought heritage-listed colonial house to restore and want ...
A: first congrats on your new purchase...now, the easiest way to propagate a Boug is with cuttings, ...
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| Royal Palms browning | 10/25/2007 |
Q: I have six newly planted royal palms about 20 to 25 feet in length and the lower branches all seem ...
A: Hey Bob, first of all the ants are carrying eggs, because they obviously have a nest in the root ...
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| Orange Bird of Paradise | 10/25/2007 |
Q: I live in Orlando, FL and within the past two months planted two Orange Bird of Paradise in my yard. ...
A: I'm thinking that the one that is dying had an affliction before you even planted it, and its ...
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| Orange Bird of Paradise | 10/25/2007 |
Q: I live in Orlando, FL and within the past two months planted two Orange Bird of Paradise in my yard. ...
A: without seeing them and where/how they were planted it is hard for me to pinpoint the problem; you ...
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| white bird of paradise | 10/25/2007 |
Q: Is there any way to stunt the growth of the white BOP to keep it in the 10 ft. height range? Would ...
A: Hey Dave, if you keep it in the container you will only stress it, the only way to keep the height ...
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| showboat philodendron | 10/24/2007 |
Q: ,,I bought this huge plant about a year ago,,it weighed almost 20 lbs. from a nursery..i have had ...
A: ,what type of philodendron is it? Monterosa, split leaf? both of these like dappled shade and moist ...
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| Pigme Date Palm | 10/23/2007 |
Q: I have a Pigme Date Palm that we planted in our backyard planter in Huntington Beach, CA. The palm ...
A: if the crown is completely brown then the palm is in fact, dead; sometimes if the new frond ...
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| elephant ears | 10/23/2007 |
Q: my elephant ears are huge, but on one plant there are brown holes eating away at it like there is ...
A: its damage from slugs, they feed at night and before dawn they slink off to hide under leaves, and ...
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| hibiscus | 10/22/2007 |
Q: I live is South Fla. I have a tropical hibiscus that sets lots of buds, But the flowers are always ...
A: I'm also here in south Florida and have several hibiscus; herein lies the problem, the buds are more ...
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| ponytail palms, seed staulks | 10/22/2007 |
Q: my plant is several years old and recently sent up a stalk which developed small flowers and now ...
A: remove the stalk with the seeds and let them dry out for about a week then they should be viable ...
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| Bringing Dracaena marginata in for the winter | 10/22/2007 |
Q: I've had one for about 6 years (actually 3 stems in one pot), which I put outside in summer (zone ...
A: ok, get some horticultural oil at home depot or lowes, Ultra-Fine...Orgnocide, are two brands; spray ...
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| bananas and tropicals | 10/21/2007 |
Q: I live in zone 8 in the central texas hill country. I have quite a few banana trees,palms and other ...
A: Bananas are my forte, so I can safely tell you that frosts destroys the crown, but the corm (root ...
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| angel trumpet plant | 10/21/2007 |
Q: We have an angel trumpet plant that we bought around 6 wks ago. We planted it in a large pot using ...
A: Hey Mac, yeah, the Florida sun is a lot hotter then most anywhere else; when they say full sun, they ...
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| Boganvilleas | 10/21/2007 |
Q: Can you grow Bognavilleas from cuttings? If so, how can you go about it. Many thanks for your ...
A: ok,Bougs can be difficult to propagate, they take a long time to root; the easiest way is to scrape ...
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| planting yucca cuttings | 10/20/2007 |
Q: I have several beautiful large cuttings of yucca, varying from 5-9 feet long.I would like to plant ...
A: I would get at least a 12 inch piece and put it in moist vermiculite until it roots, then transplant ...
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| patio plants | 10/18/2007 |
Q: I have a northern facing house (in dallas, texas) and i just bought two big pots for the front ...
A: Hey Tom,. I would put a couple of "Majesty Palms" they like dappled light and give a tropical ...
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| What is root rot ? | 10/18/2007 |
Q: What is root rot and how do I know my plant has it? I have a 6 yr old Hawaiian Schefflera has done ...
A: it sounds like a fungus, but without actually seeing it I can't be sure; root rot is when the roots ...
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| Bangalow Palm Trees going brown | 10/16/2007 |
Q: I've just recently established a new garden and have planted a number of beautiful bangalow palm ...
A: ok, looks like you have no choice but to pull it up and check the roots; I've got a bad feeling they ...
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| Palm plant problem | 10/16/2007 |
Q: We have a palm (don't know what kind) in the house which has been growing beautifully for several ...
A: its probably a "Majesty Palm", they are the most common house palms; the spots sound like a fungus, ...
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| Bangalow Palm Trees going brown | 10/16/2007 |
Q: I've just recently established a new garden and have planted a number of beautiful bangalow palm ...
A: albeit we don't have Bangalows here in Florida, I did some research and from what I found out, they ...
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| Ponytail palm problem | 10/16/2007 |
Q: I live in Tampa, Fla. My ponytail palm which is about 3 feet tall looks like the top is about to ...
A: it sounds like crown rot, but without seeing it I can't be sure; crown rot can be caused by the ...
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| bananas | 10/16/2007 |
Q: When do I pick the bananas from the tree? The bananas have been on the tree for 8-10 weeks they are ...
A: it usually takes about 2-3 months for Bananas to plump up before they are ready to be cut and hung ...
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| Start new plants from cuttings | 10/15/2007 |
Q: I have Alamanda, Lakeview Jasmine, Jatropha and Thryallis, can I start new plants from cuttings? Do ...
A: The best method is by using moist vermiculite for your cuttings, and be sure to use 3-4 inch tip ...
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| grape-less sea grape | 10/15/2007 |
Q: I have a healthy looking, well established sea grape here in SW Florida. It has flowered and bore ...
A: unfortunately there is little you as the gardner can do to encourage fruiting on the sea grape; in ...
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| Hibiscus Tree | 10/14/2007 |
Q: My hibiscus tree had white sticky stuff all over it. I sprayed it with Organocide and cut back the ...
A: you did good! organocide is a fungicide and insecticide and should do the job, however, you must ...
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| BANANNA TREES | 10/14/2007 |
Q: HAVE BANANNAS ONE STEM HAS TWO BUNCHES OF FRUIT ABOUT 6 INCHES LONG. I LIVE IN SAVANNAH GEORGIA. HOW ...
A: ..ok .. when the bananas "plump up" which usually takes about 3 months from the time they form; we ...
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| Bouganvillea mealie worm infestation ? | 10/12/2007 |
Q: Our four young (1 year old - 8ft tall), bouganvillea plants have become infested with lots of small ...
A: It is more then likely scale insects, spray them with a horticultural oil in late afternoon (so as ...
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| Tropical Hibiscus | 10/12/2007 |
Q: I live in upstate New York and have two tropical, non-cold tolerant, hibiscus shrubs that have ...
A: Bring them in and put them by a southern exposed window where they can enjoy the sun, mist the leave ...
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| Bouganvilla | 10/12/2007 |
Q: I planted a small bouganvilla in a pot recently. I bought a variety that is supposed to be bushy. ...
A: Betty, without seeing it I can only speculate, but bougs are plants that don't like or need much ...
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| Dwarf Sago Palm | 10/11/2007 |
Q: We have two in our front landscaping and they are starting to get quit large. Can you trim them ...
A: you can trim the lower fronds off show off more of the trunk, but that is about it, there really ...
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| Palms | 10/11/2007 |
Q: Mealy bugs have been getting on my palm that are on my screen porch. They have been growing ...
A: LOL...Paula, when I'm not here I'm a slave to my own landscape!...ok....sounds like you have either ...
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| Coffee Plant Transplant Problem | 10/11/2007 |
Q: We have a kona coffee plant, about 6 months old, that was doing beautifully till we decided it ...
A: not having seen your transplant method,I can only speculate, but it seems that you may have ...
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| bouganvillia | 10/10/2007 |
Q: I live in Las vegas, nevada. I just bought some Boug.in pots, they are in bloom. I want to plant ...
A: Bougs are tropical plants, they can't take a freeze, that said, you know your landscape, is there an ...
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| Dracaena Marginata leaf yellowing | 10/10/2007 |
Q: I have three 6' tall Dracaena Marginata (stump) plants that have been in place for several years. ...
A: I wouldn't be too concerned about that as long as they are the lower leaves; if they are upper ones ...
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| Palms | 10/9/2007 |
Q: Mealy bugs have been getting on my palm that are on my screen porch. They have been growing ...
A: oh no! the oleander caterpillar is a tough customer to eradicate, you need to step it up to Sevin or ...
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| Palms | 10/8/2007 |
Q: Mealy bugs have been getting on my palm that are on my screen porch. They have been growing ...
A: ok, go to homedepot and get a product called "organocide" its a horticultural oil that will take ...
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| areca palm transplanting | 10/8/2007 |
Q: I'm giving a 6' tall areca palm to a relative. She wants to split it with her daughter. Can they ...
A: Yes! just make sure that each section gets its share of roots, Arecas are very determined growers, ...
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| Allamanda | 10/7/2007 |
Q: I live in TX, zone 6-8 and I planted my Allamanda 4 months ago in a big pot. It gives a lot of ...
A: Hang, the pot is waterlogged, you need to change out the soil after pruning your allamanda back; ...
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| Jasmine Plant | 10/5/2007 |
Q: I brought my beautiful, thriving plant indoors because the evenings were beginning to drop in to the ...
A: ok, first of all you need to begin bringing tender plants in gradually, (move it in at night and ...
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| Banana Palms | 10/4/2007 |
Q: I live just north of Dallas, TX in Allen. We originally purchased two banana palms about two years ...
A: Sam, Bananas are tropical, and if you are growing them for fruit, its not going to happen; if you ...
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| Too Much Rain | 9/30/2007 |
Q: You helped me out about 2 wks. ago. I was planting a garden all around my mom's home. Everything ...
A: Hmmm..theres really not much you can do when plants are in the ground except move them if the ground ...
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| Too Much Rain | 9/30/2007 |
Q: You helped me out about 2 wks. ago. I was planting a garden all around my mom's home. Everything ...
A: Paula when you planted these did you put down potting soil, or sometype of top soil, or did you put ...
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| Mandevilla | 9/29/2007 |
Q: i have a mandevilla that is in a very large pot on my deck. it gets morning sun and i live ...
A: ok, don't be afraid to trim your mandevilla back, like an alamanda, they do better with trimming, ...
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| moving to Florida, from Michigan | 9/23/2007 |
Q: I have Mandevilla,Brugsmansia, and Datura, and a Hibiscus.... also Martha Washington ...
A: and welcome to the sunshine state!...take them all out of their pots and (after pruning them way ...
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| Part 2 - Transplant large dracaena marginata | 9/22/2007 |
Q: Nick - You've given me clear instructions on transplanting my 7' Dracaena Marginata (question dated ...
A: Yes, by all means, you will find the small ones are actually separate plants, so separate to your ...
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| Bouganvillia | 9/21/2007 |
Q: I Want to use Bougs as a cut flower on tables for tropical outdoor evening wedding. Do you know if ...
A: Kerry, I have never heard of anyone doing it, but, if you were to cut some perfect specimens the ...
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| Transplant large dracaena marginata | 9/19/2007 |
Q: Congrats on your great reputation! I am replacing a 10'diseased dracaena marginata I had for 10 ...
A: ok Dracaena's are pretty resilient so I wouldn't be too concerned about the leaf drop, its just ...
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| Banana Tree removal | 9/19/2007 |
Q: My neighbor is getting rid of her banana tree(s) (has 3 in one root) One is producing fruit right ...
A: Well howdy neighbor, If the mother plant already has fruit, this may mean its a pretty extensive ...
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| Plants in general | 9/18/2007 |
Q: I live in zone 10. I have just spent a couple of weeks planting about 70 plants all around my moms ...
A: ok. the purple flower is a Mexican Petunia, they will multiply to beat the band if you don't keep ...
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| hibiscus | 9/18/2007 |
Q: the buds are falling off of my hibiscus. What is wrong?
A: more then likely if you look real close you will see mites or scale insect, if there isn't any ...
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| Tropical Plants in TN | 9/18/2007 |
Q: I live in southwest TN and I am wanting to landscape my pool area with tropical plants. Please ...
A: I am not sure what your climate zone is? I'm thinking around a 7, tropicals in general are a little ...
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| winterize banana plantin crowley,texas | 9/17/2007 |
Q: i had planted two type of banana plants which i couldn't tell ya what kind it is, but one has red ...
A: you are limited to what you can safely grow by your climate zone, I'm thinking you are around a 7, ...
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| care & pruning of bannana tree | 9/16/2007 |
Q: I have two bunches of bannanas on the top of the stalk then there is a corn cob shope hagging below ...
A: ok, you have two "Hands" of bananas at the top of the stalk, and at the bottom your red cob needs to ...
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| transplanting | 9/16/2007 |
Q: I have several maui ixoras planted too close to some other shrubs. I live in north Florida. When ...
A: ok, prune them back and then water them real well, making sure that the root ball is good and moist; ...
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| Large Bird of Paradise-Leaves dying | 9/16/2007 |
Q: I have one of those large BOP's with dark blue/white flowers. The leaves seem to be systematicall ...
A: no, the reason being, is that spikes only get the nutrients to the roots that they are adjacent to; ...
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| Bird of Paradise | 9/15/2007 |
Q: I just got a white bird of paradise I have been researching it all day but i just want you to anwer ...
A: ok a white bird gets pretty big in the ground, I would not think it would make a very good potted ...
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| Transplanted Queen Palms | 9/15/2007 |
Q: I was given Four 16-22'ft [dying]queen palms. 2 transplanted into pots with drainage and potting ...
A: ...mulching them will release you from having to constantly water them, mulching with a cypress ...
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| Transplanted Queen Palms | 9/15/2007 |
Q: I was given Four 16-22'ft [dying]queen palms. 2 transplanted into pots with drainage and potting ...
A: Aire, the tell tale sign of it survival is the new fronds coming out of the center of the crown, if ...
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| allamanda in winter | 9/13/2007 |
Q: I have this plant in mid georgea and I would like to see how to winterize it. I hope that can be ...
A: Jack, I think your climate zone is too cold to winter out without some drastic protection; Pruning ...
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| Dwarf palm trees | 9/13/2007 |
Q: I have six dwarf palm trees, my wife thinks they are called Pygmy palms, about 4 ft. tall in large ...
A: John, go to home depot and get a horticultural oil, what you are dealing with is scale, and this oil ...
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| Fig Tree Roots | 9/12/2007 |
Q: I have an 8 foot fig tree in my yard that is threatened by some construction we're doing. We need ...
A: John, saw the photos, if you cut that much of a main root, you will definitely stress it, and ...
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| Bougenvillea | 9/12/2007 |
Q: I also bought a Bougenvillea plant. Is there simpler name for the plant? I have been calling it ...
A: Most people call them Bougs...prune it back and cut away the old pot, then break up the roots so ...
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| Bouganvillia | 9/12/2007 |
Q: Our bougainvillea was planted in the wrong spot. It has grown tremendously, although flowering is ...
A: You can cut it way back with no fear, they respond just fine to pruning, and will probably start ...
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| I am aware that Ming's will 'droop' when they get 'wet feet', but this is ridiculous | 9/1/2007 |
Q: I have a wonderful Ming Aralia, which was, until about a week or so ago, quite healthy. I admit that ...
A: Micah, you seem to be very knowledgeable, and everything you have said makes perfect sense, ie. ...
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| Plumeria | 8/31/2007 |
Q: I bought a plumeria stem in Hawaii. And planted it in a pot in North Carolina. The stem was green ...
A: .. you don't want to keep the soil to wet or it will rot, it needs to be allowed to dry out between ...
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| annuals in a tropical climate | 8/30/2007 |
Q: I am living in Bangkok Thailand and I have all tropical plants and flowers in my garden. However in ...
A: the only factor that shuts down flower production up north is the onset of the colder nights and ...
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| Seagrape transplant tips | 8/29/2007 |
Q: I have just transplanted several large Seagrape bushes. Some of them now look like they are in ...
A: Jackie, typical response to transplanting, its called transplant shock and you need to give them ...
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| Star Fruit | 8/29/2007 |
Q: Can I grow Star Fruit from their seeds and how do I do that?
A: yes! but they have to be utilized within a couple of days, for they lose their viability (and won't ...
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| annuals in a tropical climate | 8/29/2007 |
Q: I am living in Bangkok Thailand and I have all tropical plants and flowers in my garden. However in ...
A: I live in south Florida, and the climate zone is similar to Thailand, in that it is warm year ...
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| sago palm | 8/28/2007 |
Q: Some of the leaves on my sago palm look like they were spray painted with white paint. What could ...
A: what you have is called Aulacaspis scale, its an insect that is the bane of Sagos; The only thing ...
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| king palm tree | 8/27/2007 |
Q: i have a king palm and it froze during the winter we cut back the brown leaves and the trunk still ...
A: unfortunately once a palm freezes, it is up to mother nature whether it makes it or not; there ...
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| Taking cuttings from Banana Tree | 8/27/2007 |
Q: we live in Bristol which is in the south west of England and have a banana tree growing in the ...
A: ok, first of all you are not in the proper climate zone for bananas, lol, but I think you know that, ...
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| Plumeria | 8/27/2007 |
Q: I have two very large plumeria trees that are potted (3 years old) and two medium sized plants that ...
A: the newly potted ones need to be kept in shade until they root securely, don't keep the soil too ...
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| mussaenda plant | 8/26/2007 |
Q: im not sure of this plant as tropical or not.It is called mussaenda or budda's lamp. My problem is ...
A: I'm also in south florida (southwest), albeit I don't have a mussaenda, I know they are very similar ...
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| Elephant Ears | 8/26/2007 |
Q: I rec'd some elephant ear bulbs from my sister-in-law in Houston, TX. I live in Denver, Colorado. ...
A: plant them so they are about 2 inches below the surface and on their side; lots of water once ...
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| mussaenda plant | 8/26/2007 |
Q: im not sure of this plant as tropical or not.It is called mussaenda or budda's lamp. My problem is ...
A: mussaenda is 100% tropical, it needs full sun but moderate water, allowing to dry between waterings, ...
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| Repotting Croton and Chinese Fan Palm | 8/26/2007 |
Q: I'm looking to repot 2 plants I just bought from a Home Depot. Both are still in their original ...
A: Breanna, the fan palm will do fine in the 14 inch pot, but be careful, for clay pots dry out rapidly ...
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| areca palm worms | 8/25/2007 |
Q: Yesterday I bought a gorgeous areca palm, only to notice, when I was watering it, a dozen or so ...
A: A common occurrence I'm sorry to say, what you need to do Keith is repot it with new medium and a ...
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