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    Communities > Forums > Beginner Gardening Questions
    Forum: Beginner Gardening QuestionsReplies: 17, Views: 187
    AuthorContent
    vTr
    ATHENS
    Greece

    September 3, 2012 3:28 PM

    Post #9263656

    Hi to all frinds !..i am just a beginner with gardening and there are always so much to ask...
    My experience in gardening is just one year old , so pls forgive if i will mostly ask and perhaps may help if i can..
    Notice pls that i live in Athens , Greece which means (if i am not wrong) that my plants live in number 9 hardiness zone..and the climate is a mediterranean one of course..
    I have many times used Google to help me , but here i hope to find more specific answers to my wonderings..

    so , let me go straight to my first questions..

    1)..what's happening with this boukambilea leaves as seen in the following foto?...is that happening from just the wind or may be any insect or anything else and how can i prevent it?


    This message was edited Sep 4, 2012 1:29 AM

    Thumbnail by vTr
    Click the image for an enlarged view.

    cytf
    Staten Island, NY

    September 4, 2012 4:45 PM

    Post #9264978

    Hi VTr , that is a tropical plant because I am originally from the Caribbean area and it grows well there .You should look up the topic of tropical plants you might get some information , it also grows well in California
    ecrane3
    Dublin, CA (Zone 9a)

    September 4, 2012 7:03 PM

    Post #9265111

    I'm not sure exactly what's causing your problem, but it doesn't look like anything I'd worry about too much at this point since it looks like it's just a few leaves and overall the plant looks very healthy to me. In real life plants rarely look perfect so I wouldn't worry about this too much unless it looks like it's spreading and getting worse.
    vTr
    ATHENS
    Greece

    September 5, 2012 9:32 AM

    Post #9265751

    so , it seems that i must not worry , just keep on watching it anyway thanks for your interesting cytf and ecrane3
    now someth else's perhaps not so important either ..

    2)..why that little lantana growing near the boukambilea plant above , has stopped blooming all suddenly ? on the contrary you can see at the following pics that others same lantanas continue blooming .. (in fact i think i may know why but i would like to know your opinions)
    ..sorry for pics arent so clear , the were taken at night..



    This message was edited Sep 5, 2012 7:35 PM

    Thumbnail by vTr   Thumbnail by vTr         
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    themoonhowl

    themoonhowl
    Prairieville, LA (Zone 9a)

    September 5, 2012 10:25 AM

    Post #9265830

    It appears to be setting seed...they generally stop blooming when that happens...you can prune it back by about 1/3 and it should start blooming again on the new growth.
    vTr
    ATHENS
    Greece

    September 5, 2012 3:02 PM

    Post #9266117

    Thanks "themoonhowl" for your advice . i will tell you something i have in my mind that perhaps is the reason and i would like your opinion...i have three lantanas same age near one another that they all bloom this summer and generrally look very healthy...one day lately i left infront of one of them a big bag of soil , as it was too heavy to lift it little further...this bag was finally moved two weeks later , but the plant had already stopped blooming...i think that the bag kept this plant in some shade and i guessed the reason is that the plant was accidently kept away from the sun and so stopped blooming...is that a wrong suggestion for a new garden-observer?

    themoonhowl

    themoonhowl
    Prairieville, LA (Zone 9a)

    September 5, 2012 4:24 PM

    Post #9266209

    It would need to be a very large bag to block out that much sun, but perhaps it is possible. Can you take a more detailed photo, closer up of the leaves and stems?
    vTr
    ATHENS
    Greece

    September 6, 2012 9:11 AM

    Post #9266958

    yes themoonhowl i will post a closer look tomorrow , but since then take a look at another plant near with it's leaves eaten?

    Thumbnail by vTr
    Click the image for an enlarged view.

    vTr
    ATHENS
    Greece

    September 6, 2012 9:13 AM

    Post #9266962

    and another pic of the same plant..

    Thumbnail by vTr
    Click the image for an enlarged view.

    themoonhowl

    themoonhowl
    Prairieville, LA (Zone 9a)

    September 6, 2012 9:43 AM

    Post #9266994

    This time of year here, in zone 9a, the damage is usually from caterpillars and grasshoppers. Have you seen anything on the plants? Despite the damage the plant looks healthy.
    vTr
    ATHENS
    Greece

    September 6, 2012 10:42 AM

    Post #9267064

    yes i have mostly seen grasshopers ..is there any way to prevent them from the plant?

    themoonhowl

    themoonhowl
    Prairieville, LA (Zone 9a)

    September 6, 2012 2:32 PM

    Post #9267254

    Depending on the number of insects, some folks cover the plants with netting to keep the pests away. If the number seen is just a few, I pretty much ignore them providing they are not destroying a plant...a few nibbles here and there won't hurt much.

    a few links with info for you.

    http://www.motherearthnews.com/Organic-Gardening/Grasshopper...

    http://www.weekendgardener.net/garden-pests/grasshoppers-040...

    http://www.arbico-organics.com/product/semaspore-organic-gra...

    This is anecdotal info from a forum...
    http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/okgard/msg0611030129...
    vTr
    ATHENS
    Greece

    September 8, 2012 10:11 AM

    Post #9268926

    themoonhowl , here is a closer view of the first plant as you asked for it. Thanks for the links above!



    This message was edited Sep 8, 2012 8:16 PM

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    themoonhowl

    themoonhowl
    Prairieville, LA (Zone 9a)

    September 8, 2012 12:14 PM

    Post #9269039

    You are welcome. The plant in the pic above seems to be healthy short of a little insect/environmental wear and tear.
    vTr
    ATHENS
    Greece

    September 8, 2012 2:43 PM

    Post #9269169

    does that means i should take some action?

    themoonhowl

    themoonhowl
    Prairieville, LA (Zone 9a)

    September 9, 2012 6:56 AM

    Post #9269705

    If that is the lantana from your first post, I would trim back the seed heads and let it go...it doesn't look overly stressed or sick.
    vTr
    ATHENS
    Greece

    September 9, 2012 2:25 PM

    Post #9270032

    no i meant if i must take any action for the first plant (boukambilea) leaves

    themoonhowl

    themoonhowl
    Prairieville, LA (Zone 9a)

    September 9, 2012 2:35 PM

    Post #9270041

    Sorry, I confused which plant we were talking about. i see no need for any action unless you see pests or new damage on the boukambilea. It looks healthy and seems to have new growth.

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