Gardening FAQ #11 – What You Need To Know
In this article, In this article, we reveal what is bagworm moths, how to rescue Lady’s finger plant, what is this plant with white flowers and more. Let’s go through the common gardening FAQ, problems and solutions you need when growing your plants indoor and outdoor.
Pest is the young of bagworm moths
I have bushy plants bordering my home unit. Recently, I noticed a number of small leafy bags where I discovered worm-like insects living in them. I picked them off, but over a few days, they multiplied. What are they and how should I eradicate them? Are they are dangerous and will they kill the plants? How should I prevent such infestations in future?
The pests are likely caterpillars of the bagworm moth. The larvae are enclosed in a bag constructed from plant material. In large numbers, they can cause mostly aesthetic damage to plants, but rarely setting back or killing the host plant.
Broad-spectrum pesticides like abamectin may also be used as they are more persistent, but are toxic to non-targeted organisms in the garden.
For suggestions on how to control another plant worst enemy, head over to our section on Weed & Moss Control.
Gymnocalycium cactus thrives in tropical climate – a common question in our gardening FAQ
I have had this pot of cactus for more than 10 years. What is its name?
The cactus is known via its botanical name, Gymnocalycium anisitsii ssp. damsii.
This particular cactus species is quite easy to grow and adapts well to hot and tropical climate. It needs to be watered regularly and does well under filtered sunlight.
This grows in open areas in semi-shade under the protection of low bushes that have no or very few leaves where light filters through. It grow best in soil which are rich sandy loam. It often form large groups once you start.
One of the way to control the sunlight is to use growing lights. You can read up my post on growing lights fixture where I show you the top 4 things you need to know.Planting a cactus whenever you want
In the video below, it listed down the top 5 common mistakes that you need to avoid in Cactus care:
- Planting a cactus whenever you want
- Planting a cactus in a too large container
- Using wrong soil mixtures for planting a cactus
- Watering a cactus whenever you want
- The more light and higher temp. – the better it is for the plant
Turn-in-the-wind plant a short-lived tree
This plant grew in my garden pot. What is it and should I keep or discard it? Does it flower or fruit?
The plant is commonly called turn-in-the-wind and its botanical name is Mallotus paniculatus. It is a short-lived tree that features leaves with a bronzy-white underside.
It is a very common tree at the secondary forest edges in some of the tropical countries.
Turn-in-the-wind is native to East Asia, Southeast Asia to North Australia. In Singapore, it is a common plant which can be found in multiple habitats including secondary forest reserve, wastelands. hill parks and gardens.
Turn-in-the-wind proves to be a useful plant to human in various parts of the world. For examples, the root and leaves have medicinal uses while the bark and wood have been used in construction, making strings, matches, packing cases and paper pulp.
Turn-in-the-wind is an evergreen plant which appears in shrub to small tree form up to 15m tall. The leaves are simple and tripli-veined (where the lowest pair of veinlets are much more conspicuous than others above them) and are arranged in alternate to apically subopposite manner. The petioles are greenish tawny and rather long. The young leaves are initially reddish brown.
To protect this against a common plant enemy, head over to our section on Weed & Moss Control.
Plant with white flowers likely a chilli plant
I sowed the seeds of different plants in my pot and now, I do not know what this plant is. Its flowers are white. Can you help identify my plant?
The plant that grew in your pot is likely a chilli plant.
It is a good habit as a gardener to document what you have sown so that you are able to keep track of the seedlings that germinate.
If you want to grow this indoors under a controlled environment, read our post on Guide to Growing Tents.
Lady’s finger plant may have downy mildew
I have a lady’s finger plant and, recently, it stopped growing. On closer inspection, I noticed these white spots. What should I do with the plant?
The leaves of your lady’s finger plant are likely to have been infected by a disease called downy mildew.
It is a common disease in this plant that occurs during rainy weather, where sunlight is lacking and the environment is moist and humid. A lack of air circulation and plants being put close together also increase the incidence of disease.
Prevention is better than cure. Prune badly infected leaves. Organic fungicides such as Bordeaux mixture – a copper-based compound – can provide some control as it can be sprayed on leaves for a layer of protection.
Test these fungicides on a small part of a leaf before spraying the entire plant to ensure it does not react adversely to the treatment.
If you want to grow this under a well-controlled environment, read our post on Guide to Growing Tents.