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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 ( points) Posted:September 27, 2014

1 answer 12960 views

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How long is roundup effective?

General

I have lots of weeds in my garden, but I do not want to use chemicals. If I use roundup in the early spring when the weeds have just started, how long before this chemical is inert?

Asked by: Charlie ( points) Posted:August 3, 2013

7 answers 12951 views

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How to hand pollinate tomatoes, peppers and squash?

Tomato near Johnstown, PA

I would like to hand pollinate my plants this year as I'm not satisfied by the yields I have been getting. What is the best way of doing this for tomatoes, peppers and squash?

Asked by: Larry Pelenski ( points) Posted:February 12, 2013

3 answers 12712 views

White spots on oregano leaves

Oregano Lausanne, Switzerland

Like last year, the leaves on my oregano plant have white spots on them as shown in the pictures. Any help in identification of the problem, and its management, would be appreciated.

Asked by: deactivated ( points) Posted:May 27, 2013

3 answers 12400 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 ( points) Posted:June 9, 2013

3 answers 11754 views

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How do I know when cucumbers are ready to pick?

Cucumber OH Zone 6

How can I tell if my cucumbers are ready to be picked? I’m a first time cucumber grower and my plants have several fruits about 2” long so far. From what I understand I want to avoid them turning yellow as this means I have waited too long. Is there a foolproof way of telling when they are ready...

Asked by: Rosemarie ( points) Posted:July 10, 2013

2 answers 11264 views

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How do you keep weevils from destroying beans if you don't have a freezer?

Bean northern California

Every year I find a few weevils in one or two varieties of beans when it's time to plant them. I know the usual way to prevent eggs from hatching is to make sure the beans are dry and then put them in a chest freezer at 0F for a few days. But I was wondering how bean seed was protected before...

Asked by: Tanya in the Garden ( points) Posted:April 4, 2013

3 answers 11006 views

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How much seed do I need to grow half acre of butternut?

Pumpkin None Given

Question posted on behalf of Sarah Ameso from Kenya. I would like to grow half an acre of butternut pumpkin. Kindly advise on how much seed I will need.

Asked by: deactivated ( points) Posted:March 10, 2013

1 answer 10919 views

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Growing plants in red clay soil

General None Given

Just moved to Arkansas , and all my soil is red clay. How do you get any thing to grow?

Asked by: Fred E. Woelk Jr ( points) Posted:March 30, 2014

3 answers 10870 views

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Is mango a monocot or a dicot?

Mango Nigeria

Is mango a dicotyledonous plant? I am confused if it is a monocotyledonous plant or a dicotyledonous plant

Asked by: Michael kolade ( points) Posted:April 28, 2015

1 answer 10819 views

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Planting apple trees near cedar

Apple

I have been told by a friend (who also happens to live next door) that I should not plant apple trees in the yard as there are cedars growing in the area and they can get a disease from them. There is a small patch of cedars growing about 3 miles away as far as I know - are they really going to...

Asked by: Alex Ramirez ( points) Posted:March 8, 2013

2 answers 10734 views

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How do I growing tomatoes in hanging baskets?

Tomato Zone 7B

I would like to grow some cherry and/or grape tomatoes in hanging baskets. What exactly does this involve? Do I just need to fill the basket with regular potting mix and transplant my seedlings. Will the plants naturally grow downwards from the basket or is it more complicated than that?

Asked by: cara smith ( points) Posted:April 16, 2013

3 answers 10141 views

Result of 32 mm of rainfall event over a ~45 min period on Feb 2, 2013

Advice on cover crops for soil erosion control in Tanzania

General Luvilukuni, Tanzania

We are currently experiencing massive soil erosion in the Kisongo area of Tanzania. The general location can be found on a Google Earth search. What might be some fast growing, tough, non-invasive cover crops that we might be able to use to slow this down?

Asked by: Markus Walsh ( points) Posted:March 2, 2013

7 answers 9890 views

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Adding perlite to clay soil

General

Hi. I have been trying to do some research on what I should/could add to my heavy clay soil to try make more permeable. The soil is completely flooded today after a heavy downpour. I have been interested by what I have been reading about perlite and thought I'd best ask some advice before I go...

Asked by: Megan Long ( points) Posted:August 28, 2013

4 answers 9868 views

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How can I attract more bees and pollinators into my garden?

General near Johnstown, PA

I swear I used to see a lot more bees in my garden than I do now. More or less everything I plant is self pollinating but if I was going to plant something like raspberry then I would quite like to attract the bees back. Has anybody had success with a particularly attractive flower? What else can...

Asked by: Larry Pelenski ( points) Posted:April 12, 2013

6 answers 9693 views

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Advice on strawberry farming and marketing in Kenya

Strawberry None Given

hey, i am about to venture into strawberry farming in Kenya. Is there available markets out how an i get contacts Leah

Asked by: leah ( points) Posted:October 10, 2013

2 answers 9451 views

What can I grow in an unheated greenhouse over winter?

General ct

I work at a Montessori School in CT and we just got a greenhouse. It will not be heated this winter but I was wondering if we'd be able to use it through the winter. I was thinking about starting carrots in five gallon buckets and nasturtium in pots. Does anyone have experience gardening in...

Asked by: Emily ( points) Posted:October 24, 2013

5 answers 9425 views

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Most productive vegetables for limited space?

General

What specific vegetables plants give really good yields of produce? I do not have a lot of space in my garden to dedicate to vegetable growing but I would like to plant some and aim for as big a harvest as possible. I was considering cherry tomatoes as I have heard they can be quite prolific and...

Asked by: Stan ( points) Posted:April 22, 2013

6 answers 9172 views

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How do I collect and save the seeds from my habanero pepper plant?

Chilli Pepper MI

I would like to try and grow some more habanero plants from my existing one which has been very productive. Could somebody tell me the best way to do this?

Asked by: Abby ( points) Posted:April 16, 2013

2 answers 9110 views

Crosssection cut on the branches - see the black spots

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 ( points) Posted:April 19, 2015

2 answers 8958 views

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How do bush cucumbers compare with vining varieties?

Cucumber USA

I am interested in trying out some bush cucumber varieties this year, would anybody be able to comment on the pros and cons compared with a regular vining variety, particularly for burpless cucumbers. They look like a good way to save space but I do not want to compromise on yield. Many thanks in...

Asked by: Maggie Muffins ( points) Posted:March 27, 2013

3 answers 8850 views

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How can I amend heavy clay soil for vegetables

General

My husband has pulled up part of the back lawn at our new house to make way for a vegetable garden. Unfortunately we have a heavy clay soil and water just pools on it when it rains making big sticky puddles. With the strange weather this year this seems to happening a lot and the soil is getting...

Asked by: Megan Long ( points) Posted:August 15, 2013

6 answers 8688 views

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What causes grapes to shrivel up before harvest?

Grape

I have a grapevine in my garden that looks healthy enough and each year it seems to be doing fine, only for the grapes to shrivel up before they are ready to harvest. I have some pics somewhere from last ear but m having trouble finding them. This is an old vine, several years at least and...

Asked by: Fred Johnson ( points) Posted:March 24, 2013

3 answers 8451 views

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How should I care for my strawberries in Spring?

Strawberry NJ

My strawberry plants (like the rest of the garden) are in need of sprucing up this Spring. What should I be doing to get them back to their best? Should I prune the dead leaves? Also is it best to remove runners as they are produced to concentrate the plant's energy back to fruit production or...

Asked by: Beth Johnson ( points) Posted:April 5, 2013

1 answer 8382 views

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How to remove apple tree suckers

Apple ND

Our apple tree is producing extensive suckers and I’m worried about cutting them as I have been told that this will just make the tree produce even more of them. Any advice as to what is best to do here?

Asked by: Jack Wilson ( points) Posted:March 6, 2013

2 answers 8361 views

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Why did my seeds not grow?

General

Ok so I have been trying to to do the whole grow your own thing but I just can’t get anything to sprout. I gave up last year after spending too much money on seeds and supplies only to have nothing happen. I don’t know if there is any point trying again this year. All my seeds were in trays in...

Asked by: Susan Davis ( points) Posted:February 21, 2013

5 answers 8327 views

How to cut off Rhubarb flower?

Rhubarb Lausanne, Switzerland

My Rhubarb plant is producing a flower, which I understand should be cut off immediately so that the plant will not put any more energy into it, rather than the leaves. Is it enough to just cut off the the flower, or would it be better to remove pretty much the entire stalk?

Asked by: deactivated ( points) Posted:May 5, 2013

2 answers 8241 views

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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 ( points) Posted:April 2, 2013

3 answers 8144 views

Ants in Lemon Tree

General None Given

My lemon tree is being attacked by little black ants. They seem endless and I'm worried they may spread through my garden. I read about a few methods of getting rid of them: boiling water , vinegar, cornmeal, and baking soda. Which one is most effective and least harmful to my tree? It is...

Asked by: reem ( points) Posted:April 13, 2014

3 answers 8075 views

How to protect young grapes from frost

Grape Lausanne, Switzerland

About two weeks after bud break, we are scheduled to have a frost (-2C / 28F) in the next few days. I have quite a bit of fruit on my plants and I'm looking to protect it. Any tried and true methods how to do this would be appreciated.

Asked by: deactivated ( points) Posted:May 12, 2013

4 answers 7898 views