Plant

Question: What plant will grow in dappled shade in a side-passage? I live in a mediterranean sort of climate - wet, low frost winter - hot and dry summer. Soil is clay, but I have a compost heap which I will dig through into the soil before planting. I want to plant something (like a hedge) that will grow about 2 metres high and that has a dense habit. MUST be a plant that will happily grow in dappled shade - this area gets about 1-2 hours of direct sunlight a day only. No strong winds here. A house has been built next door and I have the unfortunate situation of their laundry, toilet and garage being right next to my bedroom windows. I need something that will provide a bit of a sound-cushion effect if possible. I am happy to love and care for my plant but I don't want anything TOO fussy to look after. Prefer no flowers or low-pollen flowers. Must not be poisonous to dogs!! Want to plant in the next week or so - must be readily available and able to be planted in Autumn. Thank you so much for answering this question!

Answer: Whoa -- you gave a GREAT description of your yard and conditions!! It really helps!! Shade shrubs: Acuba japonica (Japanese aucuba) grows to 6' to 10' (sometimes 15') and almost as wide. I think that this is very attractive!! This would be my first choice! Euonymus fortunei very cold hardy There may be others that are good for your area. Be sure that the person advising you knows that the area will only get very limited sun. Good Luck!!

Question: How is plant life related to animal life? And Did animal life evolve from plant life? Also I'd like to know things like, Which came first, plant or animal life? (or did they come about at the same rate?) Are organisms like bacteria more closely related to plant or animal life? How did plant life begin? Intuitively, we sense there is something different about plant life from animal life - but what exactly is that difference? There are plants that can move quickly, like a Venus Flytrap, and animals that act more the way we think plants would act, like a sea anemone. Thanks for your answers!

Answer: Animal life did not evolve from plant life. Both plant life and animal life evolved on parallel paths from common ancestors. That is why you see the overlap in structures that you mentioned. At one time there were only single celled life forms. At that point it would have been difficult to call them either plants or animals. From there several different lines evolved specializing in different ways which eventualy lead to all the plants and animals we know today. Some biologists have even said there are not clear distinctions between plants and animals, but that plants are really nothing but very slow moving animals.

Question: What species of plants have life cycles that include more than one type of plant growth in the same species? I remember reading years ago about some plants where the plant grows and makes seeds, then the seeds grow and a plant that looks unrelated grows from the seeds. Then the new plant will grow and make seeds which grow into the plant that you started with. Can anyone please tell me what these plants are called, and where could I find information about them?

Answer: Ferns have this life cycle a protothallus a sexual phase of reproduction that looks nothing like the adult fern. Think the term applied is alteration of generations

Question: How do I keep my chilli plant alive? This plant is driving me crazy. I keep it on the kitchen table so it gets plenty of light, but not direct light. I water it thoroughly once a week with a few drops of plant food in the water. And the thing is still looking droopy and about to die. I am having this problem with all my plants. The red chilli plant, my pin coushin plant and my other plant (I don't know what it is called but it has small oval leaves that are dark green with white veins that is supposed to be a trailing plant. It has fuzzy branches.) All my plants get the same treatment. I water them all on Sunday, let them dryout through the week and water them again on Sunday. All with a few drops of plant food. Just normal in door liquid plant food in the water. They all get light, but it's just my kitchen light and no direct sunlight. I don't get sunlight into my house any where.

Answer: If this is a true pepper plant, it's not going to do well in a container inside on a table. Pepper plants don't usually last longer than one season, although in warmer climates they might winter over. They don't need a lot of water or food, so on your schedule the roots might be drowning in water at the bottom of the pot. I would suggest buying a deep pot and repotting. Be careful not to lose the soil around the root ball. Keep the pot in the sunniest location you have. Put a plastic pot dish underneath the pot and water from the bottom only. Don't overwater, and don't feed more than four times a year. Even then, it might not do too well. But, that should improve things a bit.

Question: What plant or plants can grow and be mature from January to April? I'll be doing a plant project and I need to have the plant ready by April and I'm just wondering what plant(s) will be mature by April. Another thing, I live in southern Texas will that have any affect on the plant. Any help is appreciate.

Answer: The Cauliflower Matures in a 5 month period and is best blooming from January to April(what a coincidence:-)) The following site contains a vivid description of the plant and what it requires: Even though you live in Texas, I'm sure it gets cold there right?

Question: What plant or plants use the most CO2 and produce the most Oxygen? Are there any good websites or books that discuss plants that use the most CO2? And is there a significant difference from plant to plant? I'm looking for planting options for my property.

Answer: Trees would produce the most I would assume. Try posting your question in science or botanty.

Question: when to plant seeds for different plants? Is there an online resource with profiles on plants like this? I would like to plant some plants but I'm new and would like to respect the plants by at least taking care of them correctly. Thank you!

Answer: Good for you! The best general rule of thumb is to plant the seeds when they would naturally be planted. For example a plant pokes itself up through the last of the snow in early spring. Then it grows through the summer and drops its seeds in the fall.

Question: What type of plant can I grow in the house this time of year and then plant it outside and it survive? My daughter can earn some brownie patches over the summer. One is planting some seeds in a pot and starting them and then planting it outside when it gets big enough. It is fairly late in the growing season. What can I grow that we can plant and it will survive this late. We live in Indiana. Any ideas? She really wanted to do a flower, but I cannot think of any that we can plant late and them not die after the summer is over. Another one we are doing is planting herbs and making an indoor herb garden. I know the basil will not grow indoors for long, but it is not a perennial. Is that right? Any ideas would be very much appreciated.

Answer: Borage reseeds all summer so it would be happy being started later. It's a herb, leaves taste cucumber-ish flowers taste sweet, but it's quite hairy so interesting/weird to chew on. It's an annual but seeds itself into most gardens for next year. Some other plants that 'pop up' in my garden later in the year are; radishes (would work best if you had a cool spot outside for the first bit) they flower if you let them and i find their flowers are great pollinator attractors for my other veggies. Morning glories and nasturtiums (nasturtiums are edible taste kinda peppery) have been popping up aswell. my mom usually does a second pea planting at this time so you could do peas or possibly sweet peas. i don't have experience with an indoor herb garden; for basil seek out compact varieties cause common varieties get big -my lemon basil is 3feet tall right now. Garlic grows well inside (and it's easy to find). Other plants to consider are rosemary, mint, thyme, dill, oregano. Sun will be essential for good growth and flavour be carefull not too water to much aswell.

Question: What plants do you suggest for a 1 month plant experiment? I'm doing an experiment on plant growth at school. I need the experiment results within a month or so, and I'm trying to find a plant that is small and can grow quickly. Do you have any ideas for plants that can grow fairly quickly, but is easy to take care of and is fairly small?

Answer: Beans are the best. Soak some seeds in wet cotton wool and water regularly. If you can't find bean seeds then go for Mung beans.

Question: How do I plant strawberry plants that are not a plant yet? I bought a bag of 10 strawberry plants, that look like roots. It says on the bag to plant covering all roots, and to be careful not to cover the crown. What does the crown on the strawberry plant look like (so I don't cover it)? And what is a good way to grow strawberries in containers?

Answer: http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/facts/hgstrawb.htm The crown is the part of the plant that is at soil level just above the roots.Don't plant to deep, this site shows a picture of how deep, just scroll down http://www.montana.edu/wwwpb/pubs/mt9320.html

Question: My plant soil has little flys in it. I just got it to replant my plants. How can i get rid of the flys? The same thing happened last year when I bought new soil. I kept spraying the soil and the plants with soapy water, but some of my plants couldn't stand the solution too well. what plant friendly remedy can I use to eliminate this annoying problem? Thank you SOOOOO much!

Answer: It sounds like you have fungus gnats. In houseplants, usually this is caused by overwatering. Depending on the type of plant, you might need to let it dry out inbetween waterings. To deal with the problem, go to a local garden centre and buy sticky traps to stick in the pot. This will catch the adults. To get the eggs, take a pencil and use it to take out the soil just around the rim of the pot around the top. That's where they like to lay their eggs. After you do this, stick the sticky trap in. Then, let the plant dry out before you water it again. Check google for the plant's watering needs. Never use soil from your garden to repot, always get sterile soil from a garden centre. Make sure you are getting the right type of soil. Good luck!

Question: How do you plant and take care of a spaghetti squash plant? If I just take the seeds out of a spaghetti squash and plant them in the ground, will they grow to a mature plant? Is there a special way to plant these seeds and are there any special tricks to taking care of these plants? Thanks

Answer: You're better of drying the seeds out rather than planting them directly. When dried they can be planted and the moisture expands them to allow the plant to germinate. Then look after them as you would any squash/marrow (cucurbits) until they are ready to harvest.

Question: If a house plants has causes bugs to fly around wouldnt they be on the plant too? Bought a houseplant for a friends office. Since then there have been little bugs flying in the office. It is a Peace Lily or closet plant. There are not bugs on the plant, but the two seem to be related! If it is because of the plant, what can I do? Especially since I do not see bugs on the plant.

Answer: The little bugs you're seeing flying around are almost undoubtedly soil gnats. They do no harm but sometimes end up in your wine glass or coffee mug which is unappetizing. Letting the soil dry out to a depth of an inch or two before a deep watering will help keep them under control. For immediate results, spray the top of the soil with an organic insecticide.

Question: What plant can I put inside my house that can provide me with lots of oxygen? There is this plant that people claim converts carbon dioxide into oxygen than any other plant, which plant is it? Are there plant that you know of that I can put inside my house so that I can have lots of oxygen inside my house?

Answer: Air furns create alot of oxygen and will grow indoors with minimal light...They take very little care to maintain as well..here is a link http://www.airfern.com/air%20ferns%20and%20bonsai.htm

Question: What plant is easy to maintain and can grow quickly? Also, what kind of light bulb is best for growing plants? I have a biology project where I have to grow a plant in a month under artificial light, but the plant has to be easy to maintain and have a woody stem. I also don't know what kind of artificial light fixture to use and what kind of wattage would be best. I don't want it to get to hot for the plants. The light fixture needs to be inexpensive and easy to find. Thanks for any help!

Answer: Have you considered a bonsai tree? There are several tropical trees that will grow nicely indoors under a grow lamp or simply near a window. Based on your "woody stem" requirement, I would recommend something like a Chinese Elm or a Ficus trees. Most Ficus Bonsai Trees will lose their leaves when they are moved to a different growing conditions (indoors, under a light), but that will also give you a chance to see the trees branch structure. To answer your light question. Ask your local home improvement store guy for a plant bulb (Fluorescent bulb). But remember, most plants, including the Ficus needs some darkness. You also want to purchase an inexpensive timer for your light. Good luck

Question: What is the best plant to put in your bettas tank? I have seen lots of bettas with pretty fowers and plants in their tank.Well i just want to know what flower/plants can you put in the tank.AS long as the plant is exspensive and huge list the plants i can put in its tank ALSO i have this plant at home called a opical its a purpleish pink and green plant.I just wanted to know if i wash all the dirt of could it survive in the water without killing my crown tailed betta.

Answer: The only thing I've seen are surprise lillies, and they're really inexpensive.