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1500 questions
9
votes
2 answers
Ground cover for large sloped area
I have a fairly large area, ~1000 square feet, that I would like to plant with ground cover that looks good, is low to the ground, and is zero maintenance. The area gets full sun the first half of the day. The soil is moderately clay.
Because it's…
Homer
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9
votes
1 answer
Rumex? Burdock? Perennial fast-grower has us stumped in Illinois
I figured this would be an easy ID given the size of the leaves, segmented stem, and such but haven't been able to nail it down.
The fence pictured is 5 feet tall.
Drew
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9
votes
1 answer
How can I safely prune a melon vine?
I have a volunteer melon vine (it looks like cantaloupe) growing at the end of my garden area. I chose to let it grow out of curiosity. It's now producing a number of healthy looking fruits. However, it's also invading my tomato plants and my…
Flimzy
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9
votes
2 answers
Does bonemeal promote bigger and stronger plants through root growth?
There are many web sites on how to use bone meal with claims like "Using bone meal will help your flowering plants, like roses or bulbs, grow bigger and more plentiful flowers." Is this true for all plants, just vegetables and bulbs or not at all?
kevinskio
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9
votes
1 answer
Care of red currant bushes
I've got two red currant bushes in my backyard, probably several years old, slightly neglected. Anyone have experience maintaining these? I'm about to string them up a bit as they have so much fruit on them they're hanging on the ground, figure if…
Chuck
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9
votes
2 answers
Identification of this branched bush with tiny blue flowers
I would like to prune this bush in my garden. It wasn't me who planted it, which is why I don't know what it is and before doing any mistakes I'm asking here for help.
With this one I'm especially unsure because it has flowered right into December…
Patrick B.
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9
votes
5 answers
Excess Zinc in garden soil
I had the soil in one of my garden beds tested for a wide spectrum of minerals. This bed was originally filled with bought topsoil and mushroom compost, then it was cultivated with parsnips and spinach, finally I have added some homemade compost.…
usumdelphini
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9
votes
2 answers
Tilling soil around a tree for a raised bed. How much is safe for tree?
The trees are Northern Arizona cedar trees about 1'-3' in diameter at trunk base, have a canopy of 15'-25' in diameter and I wanted to to put in trunk-surrounding raised beds that are 5' in diameter, 1' deep above ground. But when I do this…
Daniel Donnelly
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9
votes
1 answer
Raised bed around tree. Do I need to protect the trunk?
I wanted to put in some raised beds that are about 1' deep above ground, and that wrap circularly around a Northern Arizona cedar tree. Do I need to plastic or a rock/cage around the tree trunk to protect it from the new wet environment? The trees…
Daniel Donnelly
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9
votes
4 answers
How to grow a tree on steroids?
How can a tree be made to grow bigger and faster constantly over 100 years?
Could a full grown tree be given a constant trickle of water and a time-released nutrient pack, like huge miracle grow stick or tree steroids, would boost the tree into…
Muze
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9
votes
3 answers
Does Arugula/rocket flowering mean the plant's crop season is over?
I sowed arugula/rocket in an outside pot 2 months ago. As it was my first sowing of rocket, it turned out to be too dense so I have thinned it out.
It was growing nicely, but all of a sudden it started sending out long shoots that now have flowers…
nettle
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9
votes
1 answer
Handling a Cherimoya Tree
Does anyone have any experience with Cherimoya Trees???
We have one in our backyard. Last year, it produced some decent size fruit. This year, it seems like there are more fruits sprouting, and the tree is bending over almost to the ground.
Do I…
Ready4Launch
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9
votes
1 answer
What is causing the bark on my crabapple to crack and peel off?
I have a flowering crabapple in my yard whose bark has several large areas where it cracks and curls away from the wood underneath:
Hover over any image for description / click for full size
I don't know what variety it is (the previous owners…
Niall C.
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9
votes
3 answers
How can I fix a lawn which has become patchy?
My backyard lawn has always been slightly "patchy." My yard keeper attributes this to my two female dogs. I've been willing to believe him as the front yard grass has not had this problem and the backyard grass eventually gets green (even if it…
ahsteele
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9
votes
4 answers
How should I avoid pests in an open compost bin
I am starting composting. I have a pot (basically, a huge knee-high pot) that I want to use; it doesn't have much in the way of aeration holes, but it's open on top.
Two concerns I have are:
Open bins bring more pests than closed bins
I don't have…
ashes999
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