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1500 questions
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Why are the leaves on my chilli plant turning 'silver'?

The leaves on my chilli plant have recently started turning silver, (as below), they also become thinner and have an 'elasticy' quality to them. Any idea what is causing this? Factors to consider: Its a 2 year old plant Its recently been put…
Dan
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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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Cement Blocks for Raised Bed?

What are the pros and cons of using cement blocks for a raised bed? I am thinking of using something similar to these cement blocks and building them 3 blocks high. That would give me a good 2ft deep bed. I am also thinking (but unsure) if I should…
corymathews
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Is it possible to do my own extensive soil/organic matter testing?

I've read the posts on soil testing, and I realize it's cheap and widely available through local universities, etc. Question: Is it possible to do my own soil testing? Are there some compounds that it's very difficult to test for without a big…
themirror
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2 answers

Identifying/operating an automatic watering system

I recently bought a house built circa 1970 in France, and it came with an automatic watering system (date of setup unknown, so any time between then and now), controlled by this: I've been unable to find any kind of instructions on how to operate…
C4stor
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2 answers

What can I plant in dandelion graves?

As part of my other question, I started uprooting dandelions. How successful, exactly, in removing the root, I'm not sure. Assuming that I am not always extracting 100% of the root, what can I put in the dug-up "grave" to prevent or stunt future…
ashes999
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1 answer

Is this a desirable plant or a weed?

Found these growing in our flower bed of the home we recently purchased. I didn't really like how they looked, so I started ripping them out. Afterwards, I noticed some in other strategic places and thought maybe I had made a mistake. Learned…
mikeazo
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9
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3 answers

What should I do with some volunteer potatoes growing in my compost pile?

I have two or three potato plants growing in my compost pile. I'm pretty sure they are some red potatoes I tossed after they got too old. I bought them from a local organic produce store. The plants look pretty healthy (to my untrained eye). What…
Flimzy
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How do I make a wooden container fit for growing stuff in it?

I have bought a number of used wooden containers that I would like to grow Thuja trees and various vegetables in: they are about 1 foot wide, 2 feet long, and 1 foot tall. Being an amateur in these things, I naively assumed I'd just put the soil in…
Pekka
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Is it normal for Pak Choi (Bok Choy) seedlings to come up so varied in colour and leaf shape?

It's my first time with Pak Choi (Bok Choy) and so I don't know what seedlings normally look like. But should they be this varied in shape and colour?
Tea Drinker
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9
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4 answers

Lawn problem - seasonal grass, thatch, or something else?

I've owned my home for about 3 years now and every winter large patches of my lawn appears to die, but in the summer it comes back to life.... which makes me believe its some sort of seasonal grass. I'm not 100% sure of this though, and if there's…
9
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1 answer

How can I tell if frost damage has happened?

This is a follow up to Protect flowering fruit trees from frost Background: We have several fruit trees in our back yard. They are in full bloom at the moment. It was supposed to be pretty cold last night. (I don't know what the actual low…
David Oneill
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Identification needed on this plant with reddish stems

I am needing an identification on this gem growing in Utah. I usually pull them up when they are little so I've never seen it grow this big. I appreciate your help!
T Emmons
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3 answers

What kind of orchid did I buy?

I stumbled upon a farmers market in North California this weekend and bought this really pretty orchid, but I guess I was too excited about my purchase to ask the seller what kind of orchid it was, and there is no identification on the pot or…
Kareen
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1 answer

Is this weird glob of brownish stuff a fungus?

I was doing my daily inspection of my plants I noticed this weird glob of stuff in the pot of one of my trees. I'm trying to figure out what exactly this is, because I've seen the same thing in another pot about a month ago. Is this some kind of…
Ashley Grenon
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