What Are These White Spots?
Question: What are the white spots on my trailing ivy?
Answer: Well, they could be lots of things… A really great thing to do would be to invest in a magnifying glass (I use the word “invest” here loosely, since magnifying glasses can be bought most anywhere and are pretty cheap). It is underestimated how helpful [...]
Disconcerting Droplets
Question: My Ivy plant will have water drops on the leaves in the morning, what causes this and do I need to do something?
Answer: Well, first we must figure out the “when, where, and how” of the water droplets.
“When”: You say it is in the morning, which leads me to believe that the droplets are [...]
Croton Comparison
Question: I have two curly leaf Croton plants and one is losing its leaves. From the top to the bottom to the plant is becoming bare. It’s potted outdoors and the soil seems moist enough. New foliage seems to be coming in the same area as the fallen leaves. Why do you think it’s losing [...]
What in the world…?
I found this cacoon in my croton as I went to bring it inside! Or could it be an egg sac?
I’m not really sure what to do.
It’s about an inch from top to bottom. Light brown or tan in color. It looks papery, but I didn’t actually touch it. It’s not attached to the plant, [...]
Winter Refugees
You know cold weather is around the corner when the bugs start their yearly exodus from the garden. There is a little spider taking up residence in one of my cupboards. He’s just too fast, I can’t catch him!
I only hope the first few light frosts kill off the smaller pests, like spider mites and [...]
Autumn is Upon Us!
The last day of summer has passed, but fall is finally here!
Beautiful foliage, pumpkin picking, mums in full bloom. Every gardener delights in the harvest season. Since the warm weather is coming to an end, the next few weeks Ask Ivy will concentrate on how to winterize your plants. I will be sharing steps to [...]
Keeping Your Zanzibar Gem Zesty
Question: Why are leaves of zanzibar gem going yellow after transplanting?
Answer: There could be several reasons for this. My guess is that you may have over watered when you re-potted it. The Zanzibar Gem, also known as a ZZ plant, Latin name Zamioculcas Zamiifola, is a succulent that doesn’t appreciate being soaked. Most plants like [...]
Croton Likes the Sunshine
Question: Is it good to put a Croton plant outside?
Answer: In the Summertime, yes it is. Croton loves sunlight and your back yard, or sunny porch would be a great place for it. Make sure the soil doesn’t dry out, this is NOT a drought resistant plant.
If you choose to put it outside, keep an [...]
Christmas Cactus Questions
Q: I have five Christmas cacti that had flowers on them when I brought them home but haven’t re-bloomed yet. What’s the deal? I have them in bright light and I feed them violet food, but no flowers, what should I do?
A: There’s a lot going on in this question. First, when did you bring [...]
Gardenia Growing
Q: I have a gardenia topiary in a North facing window in my house. Some of the leaves are turning brown and some of the branches are wilting. Why? Please help!
A: Ah, gardenias. The famous white bloom Billie Holiday wore in her hair. Popular in the Southern US, these plants are native to Asia and [...]