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Best way to add calcium to soil to prevent blossom end rot?

Tomato    SC



I have a tomato growing question. I have experienced problems with blossom end rot on past tomato crops and I would like to try growing some again this year. If it is caused by a calcium deficiency then what is the best way of supplementing the soil?

Asked by: Melanie Young (10 points)   Posted: April 1, 2013

6 answers    134484 views
Tips of avocado leaves are turning brown

Avocado    Pennsylvania, USA



I wondered if anybody might be able to help me identify the problem with my avocado plant. This is my first time growing one and I can't seem to find a definitive answer to what might be wrong. For the past few weeks I have noticed that the tips of all the leaves are starting to turn brown and...

Asked by: Lindsay McMenemy (4 points)   Posted: December 20, 2013

6 answers    104973 views
White spots on squash and zucchini leaves

Squash    MA



I've had these pictures of my squash plants since summer and wasn't sure who to ask. Both my squash and zucchini plants ended up with strange white spots on their leaves which were quite different from one another. I wondered if it was a disease? It was my first time growing both and I'd like to...

Asked by: Sarah E (2 points)   Posted: February 8, 2013

6 answers    104914 views
squash
How to build a trellis for grape vines

Grape    SC



How do I build a trellis that is suitable for grape growing? Is it similar to raspberries or are there other ways to do it?

Asked by: Melanie Young (10 points)   Posted: February 22, 2013

3 answers    101555 views
Plant & grow a nectarine tree from their stones

General    None Given



Can you plant & grow a nectarine tree from their stones?

Asked by: pauline (1 point)   Posted: August 19, 2013

5 answers    98300 views
How far apart should tomatoes and peppers be spaced?

Pepper, bell    Zone 7



I read somewhere that I should not plant tomatoes close to peppers. I guess this is something to do with an increased risk of disease as they are related? How far apart do they need to be planted?

Asked by: Ed Simmons (3 points)   Posted: April 13, 2013

4 answers    93234 views
Cucumbers producing flowers but no fruit

Cucumber   



I have a problem with my cucumber plants. They have been growing well and look very healthy. I have seen lots of flowers so far but no cucumbers. I grew them last year with no problem and I'm not sure where I am going wrong. Should I fertilize them?

Asked by: Bill (3 points)   Posted: June 3, 2013

2 answers    50297 views
How to turn a male Papaya tree into a female tree?

Papaya (pawpaw)    Ponchatoula, Louisiana



Does anyone know how to turn a male Papaya tree into a productive female Papaya tree?

Asked by: Dr. Manlio V. (Vinny) Mendoza, Ph.D., USAF (Ret.) (1 point)   Posted: October 17, 2013

5 answers    48133 views
Pear trees that don't produce fruit

Pear   



I was speaking to a friend of mine last week about our respective garden problems and she happened to mention that the pear trees she has in her garden do not produce fruit. Is this a pollination problem? What causes this?

Asked by: Pamela Croft (1 point)   Posted: March 26, 2013

2 answers    42646 views
Is it a good idea to put Epsom salts on to tomato plants?

Tomato    FL



My friend swears by Epsom salts for her tomato plants. She says that it supplements the magnesium and prevents blossom-end rot. I thought blossom end rot was caused by a lack of calcium? Can the tomato plant really take anything up from the Epsom? If so then is there a particular concentration to...

Asked by: Denice Williams (4 points)   Posted: April 14, 2013

4 answers    38961 views
How to remove stones from soil

General   



The soil in my yard is very stony I really want to be able to be able to grow root crops. Is there anything I can use to remove the rocks or will I simply have to dig them out and remove by hand? Is it best to invest the effort in raised beds?

Asked by: Nina R (1 point)   Posted: April 26, 2013

5 answers    35197 views
What is this thistle plant, and how do I use or remove it

General   



I have many of these plants (weeds) in my backyard and they have thorns. How do I take them out of the yard while it is hard to use the lawnmower over them? I researched online to see if it was beneficial and it said it was part of the "thistle" family and it is beneficial to eat but I do not...

Asked by: Roseann Sorrentino (3 points)   Posted: April 24, 2013

6 answers    34433 views
some type of thistle??? how can i take it out of the yard safely?
What is the expected yield of maize per acre in Yatta region of Kenya?

Maize (corn)    yatta



How many bags of maize should a farmer expect to harvest per acre after planting PAN variety of maize seed?

Asked by: ELDAD (2 points)   Posted: October 15, 2014

3 answers    34198 views
Why are my lettuce seedlings "leggy"?

Lettuce    NY



I started lettuce seedlings about 14 or 15 days ago. I planted them in a seed starting mix in flat trays by planting 3 or 4 seeds together in one hole. I positioned the trays in the bright test window in my house but the seedlings have gone all straggly, or "leggy". and are too long to support...

Asked by: Jennifer Casey (2 points)   Posted: April 17, 2013

5 answers    33745 views
Do I need to add earthworms to new raised bed?

General    United Kingdom



Is it necessary to add worms to raised beds? I built the bed by layering cardboard an newspaper over a piece of lawn before I layered on the soil due to weed problems in my garden. It was a pretty thick layer which I assume will decompose given time but will worms find their way through quickly...

Asked by: Greg Coyle (3 points)   Posted: May 15, 2013

5 answers    31910 views
How to control the spread of raspberry bushes?

Raspberry   



I planted raspberry bushes in my small yard two years ago. This was my first experience with berry bushes and I didn't realize how incredibly rapidly they would take over. My garden was quickly overtaken last summer. As such, I tore out the bushes by the roots. Nonetheless, four more new...

Asked by: Miriam Stein (5 points)   Posted: May 1, 2013

3 answers    31583 views
Fungi in potting soil

General    Pennsylvania, USA



I have noticed several mushrooms growing in the potting soil of my avocado seedling over the past few weeks. I have attached a couple of pictures taken this morning. One of them is taken next to a quarter for some idea of scale. The fungi always emerge close to the edge of the pot and away from...

Asked by: Lindsay McMenemy (4 points)   Posted: June 9, 2013

3 answers    31095 views
Fungus
What would cause flowers to fall off pepper plant?

Pepper, bell   



Hi.I have noticed this two years running. My bell pepper plant will produce lots of flowers, but they drop off without producing fruit. What could be causing this? I'd really appreciate the help.

Asked by: Nina R (1 point)   Posted: March 5, 2013

4 answers    30331 views
How exactly do I use chicken poop in my vegetable garden?

General    United Kingdom



So, knowing that I am keen on growing vegetables a friend who recently started keeping chickens offered me all the chicken poop I could ever want :-) I have heard of people using it in their gardens but I never have myself. How exactly do I use it to best effect? Should I just throw it on the...

Asked by: Greg Coyle (3 points)   Posted: April 3, 2013

3 answers    29110 views
Best way to trellis raspberries?

Raspberry    NJ



I would like to plant two varieties of raspberry in my yard, a summer fruiting variety and an autumn fruiting variety. Is there a trellis system that works best for raspberry? I have a fairly large back yard and I know roughly where I would like to plant, I just don't know how to design the...

Asked by: Beth Johnson (2 points)   Posted: February 15, 2013

1 answer    26317 views
How to amend sandy soil to make it suitable for vegetable growing?

General    None Given



I would really like to grow vegetables in my garden but the soil is very sandy. How can I make it suitable for vegetable growing? Is there anything that would grow in the soil as it is?

Asked by: Jenny Robertson (2 points)   Posted: March 16, 2013

4 answers    25639 views
Mint with white spots on leaves

Mint    Geneva, Switzerland



My mint starts to be full of clear spots on its leaves. Is this a disease or a nutrient deficiency? I have some thyme nearby with the same symptoms.

Asked by: deactivated (6 points)   Posted: July 23, 2016

3 answers    24691 views
Avocado seed won't germinate, what's the problem?

Avocado    Pennsylvania, USA



By way of illustration to a user back in February, I tried my hand at germinating an avocado seed from a store bought fruit. The picture is dated 2/6 and the original post can be found here: http://www.plantvillage.com/posts/67 I must rather sheepishly admit that my avocado seed has failed...

Asked by: Lindsay McMenemy (4 points)   Posted: March 28, 2013

2 answers    24478 views
Avocado seed set up to germinate (or not)
Ant control for vegetable garden

General   



I have been noticing that I have a few more ants in my garden this year than I did in previous years. I know that they won't do much harm to my fruit and veg but they are really annoying and I don't like them crawling on my kids when they help me tend the plants. Is there anything I can do to...

Asked by: D. Thompson (2 points)   Posted: May 31, 2013

5 answers    24331 views
Why are my pumpkin plants wilting and dying?

Pumpkin    Florianópolis, Brazil



I have a small garden at my house and I grew pumpkins in my garden for several years without problems, but this year the plant are wilting and not happy. I have have been careful with watering them and this has never happened before. This is a disease? I also want to build a fence for plants to...

Asked by: Teresa (1 point)   Posted: January 30, 2013

2 answers    23612 views
Topping tomato plants

Tomato    Zone 7B



So having read a bit more about growing indeterminates I have another question. Some people seem to advocate topping the tomato plants to ripen fruit later in the season, while other recommend simply pinching off flowers and new fruits. What is the opinion on here, is one method better than the...

Asked by: cara smith (2 points)   Posted: March 12, 2013

3 answers    21827 views
Hard lumps in flesh of avocado fruit

Avocado    Norfolk Island



Our trees are large old ones and the fruit is inedible because there are pea sized seed-like lumps all through the flesh. Is there a way to treat the trees to improve the fruit?

Asked by: Muddydud (1 point)   Posted: September 27, 2014

1 answer    21772 views
Earworms on corn - which pesticide should I spray when?

Maize (corn)    None Given



When is the best time to spray for corn earworms? I am currently using Sevin. Is there a better pesticide to use?

Asked by: Bill Zimmer (2 points)   Posted: July 15, 2013

4 answers    21080 views
How many eggplants should I plant?

Eggplant   



I am considering growing eggplant this year for the first time but I do not know how many to plant. How many fruits does each plant produce? I live in South Carolina, zone 8a I think. I have grown squash before and it produced well.

Asked by: Jenny Servick (1 point)   Posted: April 2, 2013

3 answers    20212 views
My plum tree seems to be dying. How can I save it?

Plum and prune    San Jose CA



My plum tree is about 11 years old. We never pruned it till about 2 year ago when we cut off a lot of branches - our neighbors were complaining that it was spreading into their backyard. One of the roots had extended under the fence into the neighbors backyard and they had taken the liberty to...

Asked by: Rajeev (3 points)   Posted: April 19, 2015

2 answers    20152 views
Crosssection cut on the branches - see the black spots
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