Gardenia Yellowing and Dropping Leaves? Fix Soil pH and Check for Whiteflies

Your gardenia bush—pruned flat, planted in regular potting soil, watered every other day—is flowering but shedding yellow leaves. Classic gardenia distress: wrong soil pH, possible whiteflies, and drainage issues. The A

Mexican Petunia Leaves Curling and Thinning? Prune and Feed for a Comeback

Your Mexican petunias (Ruellia simplex) against the fence are leggy, curling, and pale while others thrive. The pines and oaks nearby arent stealing nutrients—the real issue is age and maintenance. Why They Decline Mexi

Aloe Vera Turning Brown and Withered? Here's How to Save It

Your aloe plants were thriving—then a move to a warmer, sunnier room turned them brown, soft, and curled. Classic sunburn compounded by probable overwatering. Heres the recovery plan. Diagnose the Damage Soft, brown, c

Persimmon Tree Losing Leaves After Planting? It's Likely Transplant Shock

Your newly planted persimmon in Houston is yellowing and dropping leaves while the pear tree thrives. Dont panic—this is classic transplant shock, especially in clay soil. Why Persimmons Struggle More Persimmons have a

Persistent Worms in Ravenea Palm? Here's How to Eliminate Them for Good

Youve repotted your Ravenea (majesty palm), changed the soil, swapped the container—yet those green worms keep coming back. Frustrating? Absolutely. But theres a reason they persist, and a solution that works. Why They

Why Is My Ixora Losing Leaves? Expert Advice for Thin Foliage

If your ixora looks sparse and leggy despite fertilizing in March, youre not alone. Many gardeners notice their ixora dropping leaves or looking thin, especially during heavy blooming periods. The good news? This is ofte

King Palm Split Trunk: Overwatering or Sheath Issue?

Split King Palm Trunk King palm (3 trunks) in garden. One trunk stopped growing leaves, split ~5 inches wide. Looks like too many leaves at once clogged top. Planted 6 months in well-fertilized dirt, watered 4–5x/week. H

Removing Moss & Plants from Cabbage Palm Trunk Safely

15-ft cabbage palm has small green plants and moss in trunk spaces. Want clean trunk. Can I spray weed killer without hurting tree? Picking off impractical. Expert Advice Dont spray herbicide—could stress palm, moss st

Planting Palms Over Sewer Pipes: Container Alternative

Original: Cut circular patio pattern for palm planting. Found 4 PVC sewer pipe 18–24 down. Can double-trunk foxtail/Christmas palm be safely planted above? Shallowest root system? Root barrier methods? Follow-up: Contai

Pleomele (Dracaena) Propagation from Woody Cuttings

newly potted cuttings woody, spindly Sisters plant (deceased). Cant figure watering—leaves brown and drop. Grew spindly, cut tops to re-root in starter mix. Stems woody, cut at green points hoping for roots. Leaves perki

Frost-Damaged Dwarf Banana: Wait Until Spring to Prune

Dwarf banana palm frost-bitten—all leaves black and droopy. Cut now or wait for spring? Two large trunks, 3–4 mature leaves each, ~5 ft tall. Expert Advice Wait until spring. Surface plant is toast, but underground cor

Rangoon Creeper & Passion Flower: Root Rot from Overwatering

passion flower leaf rangoon creeper leaves Zone 10A. Double-flowering Rangoon creeper in cocopeat, afternoon sun. Was growing/blooming, now stopped, leaves yellowing. Increased water, still yellowing. New growth stopped,

Storm-Damaged Queen Palm: Assessing Root Damage

15-ft queen palm leaning heavily after storm. Braced with pole, roots didnt lift—~30% broke just above soil level. Can it be saved? Expert Advice Queens are resilient but 30% root severance is serious. Without heavy eq

Repotting Madagascar Palm: Cactus Soil & Drainage

7-year-old Madagascar palm in original pot, roots visible on soil surface. Soil looks grainy with small gravel. What soil for repotting? Expert Advice Use cactus soil (any box store brand). Madagascar palms need very l

Transplanting Blooming Vinca: Minimizing Shock

Any way to move blooming vinca? Every time I try, it dies. Expert Advice Water well before digging. Dig deep and wide to lift with minimal root disturbance. Have new hole ready for quick transition. Water after plantin

Plumbago Pruning Timing: Avoid Winter Months

Can I trim plumbagos anytime, or wait until early spring? Expert Advice Trim now with no problems, but youll lose blue flowers for a month or so—worth it for shaping. Avoid trimming October through February. Nick

Passion Vine Caterpillars: Gulf Fritillary Symbiosis

Big orange and black caterpillars eating passion fruit plant—practically killed it. Dish soap/veg oil didnt work. Seven worked 10 days, now back with vengeance. Suggestions? Expert Advice Those are Gulf Fritillary butt

Pineapple Mango Leaf Browning & Winter Protection in NC

Two pineapple mango trees, 3 ft tall, planted in protected morning sun location (Durham, NC, zone 7b). Native sandy clay soil. New growth healthy, no yellowing/spots/insects. Didnt loosen root ball, amended soil 1 ft out

Stopping Queen Palm Date Production: Only Option Is Trimming

60 queen palms produce huge date stalks. Dogs eat them, vomit/poop on carpets. Too tall for pole saw. Cant reach dead fronds or date stalks. Queens beautiful but high maintenance! Expert Advice Queen palms set inflores

Blue Shrimp Plant (Honeywort) Seedling Legginess Fix

Blue shrimp plant seeds germinate perfectly, but stems become too long, bend, and die instantly. Last 2 seeds—help me keep them alive. Expert Advice You didnt mention germination method, but theyre stretching for light