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- Q.What Causes Perfectly Healthy Plants To Have Curled Leaves? - The leaves don’t die or turn yellow, they just curl. And not all of them!
- Q.Plants Don’t Grow Well - Sometimes come to FL 8b and have a little garden. Some plants don't grow well, some disappear. Tested soil, a ...
- Q.Mud On Path !! - Pond(see photo)-fibreglass circular salmon fisheries tank--no leaks. Around pond- rocks. Between rocks plants overgrowing down to ground level. When it ...
- Q.Scorching Heat Question - I loved your "12 Low-Maintenance Perennials Absolutely Anyone Can Grow" article and video! In case it helps, I'm in zone ...
- Q.Болезнь липы - Листья скручены, насекомых не видно. Обработка была в начале апреля би58. Что это может быть?
- Q.Why Are My Zucchini And Cucumbers Leaves Drooping And How Can I Save Them? - I started my first garden this year. I picked a sunny spot along my side yard, killed the grass underneath ...
- Q.Plants Keep Dying In One Area - Ive had several plants die the same way in the same bed/area. I've lost 2 x choysia's, 3 x viburnum, ...
Asked by
Anonymous on
October 23, 2023Q.What Causes Perfectly Healthy Plants To Have Curled Leaves?
The leaves don’t die or turn yellow, they just curl. And not all of them!
Answered by
GKH_Susan on
October 23, 2023
Certified ExpertA.Curled leaves can indicate a plant is under stress. The type of plant isn't mentioned, but these articles should help:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/houseplants/hpgen/curled-houseplant-leaves.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/tomato/tomato-leaves-curling.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/begonia/curling-begonia-leaves.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/herbs/basil/basil-leaves-are-curling.htm
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- Asked by
Wease48 on
March 4, 2024
Zone 5Q.Plants Don’t Grow Well
Sometimes come to FL 8b and have a little garden. Some plants don't grow well, some disappear. Tested soil, a little alkaline. Would that be a cause? What should I do for amendment?
- Answered by
luis_pr on
March 4, 2024A.It depends to the requirements of the plants you selected. Consider doing a formal soil assay as sandy soil may have nutrient deficiencies. And also consider using native plants. Be ready to provide supplemental watering until well established. Be on the lookout for pests like deer, rabbits and squirrels.
Was this answer useful?00 - Asked by
Anonymous on
May 6, 2024Q.Mud On Path !!
Pond(see photo)-fibreglass circular salmon fisheries tank--no leaks. Around pond- rocks. Between rocks plants overgrowing down to ground level. When it rains, path is full of muddy water from soil between plants being washed down. How can I stop it? How can I permanently seal ALL AROUND at ground level to stop mud coming out? Those couple of stones I placed there did nothing to stop the leakage. I am 76--widow -need simple solution ? Thanks
- Answered by
GKH_Susan on
May 6, 2024
Certified ExpertA.It seems like you need to stop the flow from the origin. The water level is very high, can you reduce the water level? Also, add groundcover plants down the sides to absorb the water and stop the mud or add a thicker level of plants at the top.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/water-plants/wgen/popular-pond-plants.htm
Was this answer useful?00 - Asked by
Shoron on
July 20, 2024
92372Q.Scorching Heat Question
I loved your "12 Low-Maintenance Perennials Absolutely Anyone Can Grow" article and video! In case it helps, I'm in zone 8b, 4400' elevation, zip code 92372, high desert of So. Calif. Our Summers are routinely hot, dry and scorching. I tried growing Astilbe last year in partial shade and it got no taller than 4 inches before getting scorched by the sun and dying. I will try it again but in a shadier area. Aside from Astilbe, are there any other plants on this list that you think may not be so successful in my climate? I would like to avoid the time and cost of failures, like I went through with the Astilbe. Thank you!
- Answered by
BushDoctor on
July 20, 2024
Certified ExpertA.You might try coneflower or sedum. I definitely would not recommend astilbe For warmer areas, or full, hot sun. Coneflower and sedum will be able to handle harsher conditions. These two articles will give you more information:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/coneflower/growing-purple-coneflowers.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/cacti-succulents/sedum/sedums-plants.htm
Was this answer useful?00 - Asked by
Olgida6812 on
May 6, 2025
БалашихаQ.Болезнь липы
Листья скручены, насекомых не видно. Обработка была в начале апреля би58. Что это может быть?
- Answered by
BushDoctor on
May 6, 2025
Certified ExpertA.Hey there! Your tree’s curled, yellowish leaves suggest a few possibilities—likely a reaction to the BI-58 insecticide you used in early April, which can stress plants if overapplied, or maybe a sneaky virus like leaf curl that pests spread before treatment. It’s also possible the tree’s just thirsty, nutrient-starved (maybe low on potassium), or dealing with tiny pests like spider mites you can’t spot without a magnifying glass. Water it consistently, add a balanced fertilizer, and check closely for mites or viral signs like mottling.
Testing your soil would be the first place that I'd start.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/testing-soil.htm
This will explain pesticide damage:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/pesticides/insecticide-plant-injury.htm
This will give you some more information on common plant diseases:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/disease/page/4
Was this answer useful?00 - Asked by
Anonymous on
June 27, 2025Q.Why Are My Zucchini And Cucumbers Leaves Drooping And How Can I Save Them?
I started my first garden this year. I picked a sunny spot along my side yard, killed the grass underneath with some grass and weed killer spray, then after about a week, I added short wooden planter boxes without bottoms. To create a safe bottom to lay the soil on top of, I first laid down garden fabric. Then, I poured a substantial amount of soil in my boxes. I planted zucchini, yellow squash, tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers. Everything was growing great but then we got a bunch of rain. It has been raining almost every day for the past month. Sometimes very harsh rain. Record amounts for my area. I noticed that the zucchini plants were overtaking their box/bed, so I had to transplant them to another box. I moved my pepper plants to accommodate for them. I also had transplant my cucumber plants so they had more room to grow (I originally planted them too close together). This was a week ago. For the last 3 days it hasn’t rained, and I didn’t water my plants until today because we had had so much rain. While doing this, I noticed that my zucchini and cucumber plants’ leaves are now drooping. Also, the soil in the box surrounding my zucchini looks more shallow than the other boxes. Is any of this due to the way I planted them, the rain, transplanting them, or all of the above? What, if anything, can I do to fix these issues?
- Answered by
GKH_Susan on
June 28, 2025
Certified ExpertA.Transplanting can cause shock, which takes time to recover. Also, going from too much rain to suddenly slowing down can cause some root dieback. Try to get the plants on a consistent watering system and also check for pests. Here is more:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/zucchini/growing-zucchini.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/cucumber/tips-for-growing-cucumbers.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/tomato/tips-for-growing-tomatoes.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/pepper/pepper-problems.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/squash/how-to-grow-summer-squash.htm
Was this answer useful?00 - Asked by
Anonymous on
June 28, 2025Q.Plants Keep Dying In One Area
Ive had several plants die the same way in the same bed/area. I've lost 2 x choysia's, 3 x viburnum, 1 large acer (trunk size about 5"). The bed is irrigated and it is in full sun,i fed npk in the Spring. They all seem to go the same way with the leaves going very brown. This camellia was doing well for 2 years, lovely flowers in Spring and now it looks like this.
- Answered by
GKH_Susan on
June 30, 2025
Certified ExpertA.I suggest you start with a soil test and see what the pH is and if any nutrients are lacking, particularly nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium. Camellias and choisyas need acidic soil to thrive and camellias need part shade. The camellia looks like it may have a pest. Spray the tops and bottoms of the leaves with Neem oil and that should take care of any mites or aphids.
When a plant dies, it is best not to plant the same type of plant in the area in case the disease is something that survives in the soil. Before you plant again, be sure to either solarize the soil first or add lots of organic matter to give the new plant a head start.
Here is more:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/environmental/planting-in-old-spaces.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/disease/anthracnose-disease.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/shrubs/choisya/choisya-shrub-care.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/camellia/caring-for-camellias.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/shrubs/viburnum/viburnum-shrub.htm
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