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3 answers
French beans (Green beans): Dwarf v. Climbing
French beans (or "green beans") are widely sold in both dwarf (bush) and climbing (pole) varieties. If anything, my experience is that the climbing varieties are harder to find in seed outlets.
Apart from the obvious the difference - dwarf plants…
Tea Drinker
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13
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2 answers
How can I identify the "type" of a rose if I don't already know what it is?
In the gardening and rose books I have they talk about different types of roses - hybrid, damask, china, tea, etc. They give a brief history of each rose type and a couple of pictures, but generally little or no description.
Is it in fact possible…
standgale
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What is the best way to support a stake in a potted tomato plant?
I currently have a tomato plant planted in a pot on my porch. It is doing quite nicely and is tied to a 6' bamboo cane. Unfortunately my cane has started to lean a bit and I am afraid that as the plant continues to grow and eventually starts bearing…
wax eagle
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13
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5 answers
What causes cucumber leaves to turn yellow, brown, wilt, die, and the plants to stop producing?
Every year it seems my cukes will go gang busters then suddenly the leaves turn yellow (starting with yellow spots), then turn brown, wilt and slowly die off. This all happens from the root crown and works its way out. I have pictures of early…
Bill
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1 answer
What is this tiny strawberry-like fruit found in a Southern Illinois lawn?
I live in southern Illinois, and earlier today I noticed this small red fruit in my yard. It looks kind of like a strawberry, but it's the size of a small raspberry (about 1/4 inches in diameter).
Does anyone have any idea what it is?
The Flash
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13
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2 answers
Why are the blooms dropping off my zucchini without fruiting?
As you can see from the pictures the blooms look as if they just release themselves and leave the beheaded stalk. There doesn't seem to be any fruit growing at all. Is there something that I am doing that could cause this? Is there something that I…
DiBobble
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1 answer
How can I ensure a crop of potato seeds?
Background:
I did an experiment where I put the cut seed potatoes directly onto a live lawn, and then covered with 4" of premium bark mulch. The plants did exceptionally well, and I noticed that a large number of the flowers successfully set fruit.…
J. Musser
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13
votes
1 answer
How does vacuuming beetles work?
I've seen advice in books and online that I can deal with my striped cucumber beetle infestation by vacuuming. Unfortunately they don't get into details. I'm ready to drag the shop vac into the garden, but I'm wondering if there are any gotchas...…
bstpierre
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13
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2 answers
Is this beetle on my apricot tree a pest?
My apricot tree is infested with black and white beetles on the branches. They are 2-3 cm / 1 inch long. I can't find an identification on the web. There is no visible damage to the tree. Is this beetle a pest? Should I be removing them?
My location…
Jonathan
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13
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6 answers
What is this weed and how can I eliminate it?
I live in Nova Scotia, and I have been fighting with this weed for at least 7 years. It is in my flower garden. I have gone so far as to try to follow each of the white roots though the soil and remove them and still it comes back. It seems the…
user4662
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1 answer
How do I get rid of this white stuff on my pumpkin leaves?
The leaves on my pumpkin plants have what looks like a white mold growing on them.
What is this?
If it is harmful, how do I treat it?
Mongus Pong
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votes
2 answers
Can cereal boxes be used for mulch?
This question asks about using corrugated cardboard for mulch. In the comments and the answer there are some questions about glues and inks possibly having "bad stuff" that you might not want in the vegetable garden.
I'm wondering about cereal boxes…
bstpierre
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13
votes
1 answer
What's the fastest-growing variety of cherry tree?
I really want to add a tree to my garden, but logistics and budget demand that I plant a sapling and nurture it into a healthy tree.
I really like cherry blossom, so a cherry tree would be ideal. It's not necessary that the tree bear fruit, though…
Paul Turner
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2 answers
Can I still use mint if it has aphids?
I have an abundance of mint that I'd like to use to make mint syrup. The plants are mildly infested with aphids, but that hasn't stopped them from thriving. If I harvest the mint, what can I do to wash off the aphids so I can boil it down to make…
lukecyca
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2 answers
How to stop small black worms from eating my strawberries?
I planted strawberries a couple of years ago in a small patch of my back yard (in Sacramento, CA) and this year they are finally producing lots of strawberries. However, something is eating "divots" into them, as if something scooped out maybe a…
eipi10
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