MIRAGE-Benchmark/MIRAGE huggingface dataset:
Browning needles

Question: I’m wondering why my newly planted blue spruce is browning. Is it lack of water? I’m being careful not to overwater because I have clay soil. So I want to make sure I do the best thing for the tree.

responder: MaryKay, Master Gardener, Tree Care Advisor Replied July 04, 2023, 9:55 PM EDT
response: This is most likely transplant stress coupled with heat.  I am including a website on watering newly planted shrubs because people tend to underestimate the need for watering. https://extension.umn.edu/planting-and-growing-guides/watering-newly-planted-trees-and-shrubs  Diseases such as  rhizosphaera needle cast usually start on the needles closest to the trunk not the branch ends. I am including a website that describes other disease only because stressed trees are more vulnerable to diseases.  You will then know what to look for.  Also note that brown branch tips can be a sign of winter injury.  https://apps.extension.umn.edu/garden/diagnose/plant/evergreen/spruce/needlesdiscolored.html  Also pull back the mulch about 6-8 inches if it is touching the tree trunk. Mulch touching the trunk can dehydrate trees, create a place for pests and promote disease.  It is also not good for the branches to be touching the mulch. It may just be the angle of the photo but it looks like the branches are on the ground.  Hope this is helpful.

responder: The Question Asker Replied July 04, 2023, 10:20 PM EDT
response: Yes it’s a weeping blue spruce so lots of branches touch the ground. Yes, it’s been in the ground only since may and it’s been hot. Thank you! On Tue, Jul 4, 2023 at 8:55 PM Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:

responder: MaryKay, Master Gardener, Tree Care Advisor Replied July 05, 2023, 8:30 AM EDT
response: Transplant plant shock happens to many trees even in the best of weather and watering. Keep watering until the ground freezes this fall.  Good luck.

responder: The Question Asker Replied July 05, 2023, 9:12 AM EDT
response: Thanks for the tip! How often would you recommend watering? I was doing every 3 days about during first month. Then I went to 2x/weekish. On Wed, Jul 5, 2023 at 7:30 AM Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:

responder: MaryKay, Master Gardener, Tree Care Advisor Replied July 05, 2023, 3:39 PM EDT
response: Everyday is recommended for the first month.  Since it’s been so hot I would continue to water everyday or every other day for this month.  Then switch to 2-3 days a week.  From out website above:1-2 weeks after planting, water daily.3-12 weeks after planting, water every 2 to 3 days. The website also has formulas for watering based on tree size. For example, it is much more effective to use a trickle at ground level than spraying the entire plant.  The goal is to get water to the roots.  I would gauge the need based on when then the shrub stops browning and appears healthy.  Hope this helpful.
What is this worn eating my garden

Question: I would like to Know what this worm that is eating my garden and how to get rid of them.

responder: Rhonda Frick-Wright  Replied July 05, 2023, 1:52 PM EDT
response: Hi Bruce and thanks for your picture of what is probably the larva of a cutworm. The simple way, unless your garden is very large, is to hand pick them off the plants. Drop them in a cup of soapy water and problem solved.  You don't mention what plants are having problems but most lepidoptera larvae will respond to a spray containing Bt, a bacteria that is toxic when eaten by the worms. It does not affect humans but can be toxic to bees, so follow the directions carefully.  http://npic.orst.edu/ingred/bt.html

responder: The Question Asker Replied July 06, 2023, 6:02 PM EDT
response: Hello  Could these be ear worms  I have  about 100 petunia plants and lots of begonias. And they are eating the blums.

responder: Rhonda Frick-Wright  Replied July 09, 2023, 4:20 PM EDT
response: Hi again Bruce- You said the magic words... blooms and petunias! I believe you are looking at a tobacco budworm. They come up from California and are becoming earlier and earlier pests due to our warming climate.   I'll attach an article about them and you can see how many different colors there are. The article recommends hand picking them off which is always fun... drop them into a cup of soapy water if you decide to do this. It's also a great job for kids if you have any available.   The other option is a spray containing bifenthrin, esfenvalerate or permethrin. Be sure to follow the directions exactly so you don't kill other beneficial insects or come in contact with the chemical yourself. The Bt, which I recommended earlier, does not work on these critters as they don't eat enough of it to kill them.  https://extension.umn.edu/yard-and-garden-insects/tobacco-budworms  Good luck with your flowers,
mystery plant - mutant astilbe ?

Question: I planted some volunteer astilbe a couple of years ago
and they have been slowly growing, but this year they (or something
else) took off.  See photos.  It is almost like the astilbe mutated, because
there was nothing else planted in that location...I think

???

responder: Taffy Replied July 05, 2023, 4:14 PM EDT
response: Thomas - not quite sure what you mean by "I planted volunteer Astilbe".  'Volunteer' means the plants just pop up in a space on their own, probably by seed from nearby plants .  Did you actually dig holes and plant them?  And if so, did you get them as small plants? Or did they just appear one day?   There are Astilbe varieties of all sizes - short, medium, tall, etc. Your picture shows a tall Astilbe variety, of which there are many. If these plants did actually volunteer, it could be that they needed a couple of years to come back as their actual size.

responder: The Question Asker Replied July 05, 2023, 4:45 PM EDT
response: Taffy

Now that I think of it they may not have been volunteers.
(My definition of a volunteer is something that pops
up in one's yard, likely from seed, rather than obtained from a nursery
or known packaged seeds, etc).  We get volunteer hollies, nandina, juniper,
tomatoes (we grow tomatoes), and other things, usually
from plants in our yard but sometimes from who knows where.
It was a while ago so I forgot but I think we got some astilbe from a neighbor,
planted them, but then transplanted them as tiny plants to the current location.
I will see if my wife remembers !

For a couple of years they have been growing slowly,
and the leaves and habit seemed to the same as other astilbe
we have in our yard, which may be the medium variety (about a foot or so high).
But this year they took off and look different.
So perhaps they were originally the tall type and took a while to get going,
or perhaps they were the medium type and decided to make a change.

In any case you told me what I needed to know, ie they are astilbe
even if different from our others, and not some invasive weed I should kill !

Thanks
Tom

responder: Taffy Replied July 05, 2023, 10:07 PM EDT
response: No, definitely not a weed.  They are lovely - I particularly like that color.

responder: The Question Asker Replied July 06, 2023, 7:56 AM EDT
response: Taffy

Thanks. Yes it is a nice color.
My wife agrees that the astilbe originally came from a neighbor a few years ago.
I will have to ask him, but my guess is that they were "volunteers"
from his plants because they were very small.
I will ask him what the growth habit of his original plant was.

Tom

On 7/5/23, Ask Extension <ask> wrote:
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Flower petals eaten

Question: My flowers are being eaten by something.  I can not see any pests on them. Images of Shasta Daisy (some centers have some little black in them) Pansy flowers eaten, Violas have no flowers, disappeared. My moss rose are also flowerless and clemistis flowers have holes.. Any ideas on what it might be and any solution suggestions?

responder: An Ask Extension Expert Replied July 05, 2023, 1:26 PM EDT
response: There are many insects and arthropods that can cause this kind of damage at night. One idea would be to go out with a flashlight in the evening and see if you can catch one of them in the act. Some of the more common culprits are slugs, snails, sowbugs, cutworms, flea beetles, and asiatic garden beetle.

responder: The Question Asker Replied July 05, 2023, 4:07 PM EDT
response: I noticed really small black dots on daisy flower and vinca, are those bugs? I took a close up. Hopefully you can zoom in a see them.

responder: An Ask Extension Expert Replied July 12, 2023, 2:16 PM EDT
response: Whatever is feeding on the flowers is larger. I suspect it is something that comes out at night or something that drops off or flies away when you approach. I would say the good news is that the damage does not look very severe. I realize it affects the appearance of the plant, which is undesirable. However, the long-term health of the plants is not under threat.
Tomato disease


responder: The Question Asker Replied July 03, 2023, 9:08 PM EDT
response: Hello I was wondering if you could help me determine if the yellowing of the leaves on my tomato plant is bacterial, viral, or fungal? I'm sure it's hard to tell but it's only affecting one of the 5 varieties of tomatoes I have planted so I don't think it's a nutrient issue...since it seems specific to the type of plant maybe this cultivar particularly susceptible. It's lower leaves that are affected, and if you can't tell from the picture, 1/2 of the leaf is yellow and the other half is still green. That is, it's split right and left, rather than starting at the tip and working its way back or vice versa. I have removed the affected leaves but would very much appreciate if you had any input as to what the most likely culprit would be, and if you have advice on treatments, preferably organic but I'll break the rules to save my tomatoes from microorganisms!Thank you so much in advance for any input.

responder: Ed Olsen  Replied July 05, 2023, 10:24 AM EDT
response: I don't see any spots on the yellowing leaves.  So I don't think this is any of the tomato blights. It looks to be nutritional.  Yellow lower leaves is typically an indication of low nitrogen.  And different varieties can have different nutritional needs.  So while it may not be affecting other varieties, it could affect this one. Also we had lots of rain recently, which could have leached out the Nitrogen (Nitrogen is very water soluble.)  I would apply an organic slow-release fertilizer to the plants per label directions (don't try to over-correct by overapplying...too much Nitrogen can result in just foliage growth at the expense of flowers.)
Hi, I’ll include some photos to illustrate, but could you help me figure out what’s eating my Coneflower’s petals, please? I live in a wooded area. There’s a lot of butterflies, & lizards.  Thanks for any help!  Renee

Question: Hi, I’ll include some photos to illustrate, but could you help me figure out what’s eating my Coneflower’s petals, please? I live in a wooded area. There’s a lot of butterflies, moths,  & lizards. Thanks for any help! Renee

responder: David Shetlar (the BugDoc)  Replied July 04, 2023, 2:45 PM EDT
response: In Oklahoma, there could be any number of insects that could be eating the petals. Grasshoppers, spotted cucumber beetles and several flea beetles are known to eat the flower petals of a number of perennials, including coneflowers. While your images are a bit fuzzy, you may also be dealing with what is called the coneflower rosette mite. This tiny mite turns the flower cones into spiky balls with only a hint of the petals poking out of the cones at irregular places.   The problem with treating these flowers with insecticides is that you can also kill the butterflies and bees that like to gather nectar (and pollen). The plants look quite thin which suggests that they are not getting sufficient fertility (fertilizer) and the typical red clay soils of Oklahoma often needs considerable amounts of compost added in order for perennials to thrive.   You might be able to use a natural pyrethrum insecticide to discourage any grasshoppers of beetles that might be munching the petals. Natural pyrethrum has a short life and would pose minimal risk to the pollinators. You may also consider using a product that contains azadirachtin (a botanical insecticide extracted from the neem tree) that is known to have minimal impact on pollinators. (Avoid purchasing neem oil as these products only have the plant oil, not the azadirachtin!).   If you have the rosette mites, be sure to cut all flower stalks at the ground in the fall and get them out of the landscape. The mites appear to overwinter on the stems of these old flower stalks. You might have some success reducing the problem by cutting out any flower heads that exhibit the spiky symptoms of the mites. Be sure to dispose of any infested flower heads.

responder: The Question Asker Replied July 05, 2023, 3:56 PM EDT
response: Thanks so much! I’ll at least get some better soil and fertilizer on the garden. I’m disabled &  watching the butterflies & bees brings me so much joy. I never use chemicals. As you suggested, I’ll embrace my ‘bald coneflowers” for now, follow your suggestions for fall!Thanks much,ReneeSent from my iPhone On Jul 4, 2023, at 1:45 PM, Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:﻿

responder: David Shetlar (the BugDoc)  Replied July 05, 2023, 6:50 PM EDT
response: Glad to try and help.
Rot in young squash

Question: My squash plant has young fruit that is rotting at the end.

responder: Regards and happy gardening!  Replied July 05, 2023, 6:09 PM EDT
response: Hi, thank you for using AaE.  Apparently cucubits (this is the family) can develop blossom end-rot just like tomatoes.  this isn't a disease, but a calcium deficiency.  It's important to water 'regularly' which doesn't necessarily mean daily.  If you water 1, 2, or 3 times weekly just remember to maintain that schedule and not switch from 1 per week to daily then miss a couple of days (if it's really hot you may need to supplement)  If you have been watering regularly, then you may have an issue with calcium that could be a lack of calcium in the soil or the pH of your soil is making it hard for the plant to get what it needs  I found this OSU extension article for tips on growing squash https://extension.oregonstate.edu/sites/default/files/documents/54611/five-tips-growing-great-squash.pdf  Regards and happy gardening!

responder: The Question Asker Replied July 06, 2023, 12:58 PM EDT
response: Thank you Sara. Any recommended product that is available to add Calcium to the soil?Sent from my iPhone On Jul 5, 2023, at 3:09 PM, Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:﻿

responder: Regards and happy gardening!  Replied July 06, 2023, 2:37 PM EDT
response: Hi.  As master gardeners, we really aren't allowed to promote products, focusing on the 'active ingredient'.  The most common sources of calcium are lime and bone meal, but it's usually not a good idea to just add it without a soil test.  If you have a dog, beware of bone meal because they love it and could dig up your plants!  My method is to mix the lime or bonemeal into the soil at time of transplant but I realize that isn't practical at this point in the season.   You can scratch it in and then water well, but do so based on your watering schedule to maintain consistency.  There are 'foliar' types that you spray on the leaves.  if you do a web search for foliar calcium spray you can find several products and read up on how best to use them.

responder: The Question Asker Replied July 06, 2023, 5:19 PM EDT
response: Thank you Sara!Sent from my iPhone On Jul 6, 2023, at 11:38 AM, Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:﻿
What bug is this that took down a fir tree?

Question: A fir tree on my property fell down.  It got eaten out by the bug I show in the picture.  Unfortunately the fir tree (decent sized) fell directly on a small pump house!  Luckily my well head and pipes were not damaged.  I'd like to identify this bug/insect so I can better understand the risk to other trees on or near my property.  The photo attached shows the insect that I suspect damaged the tree.  The tree that feel seemed rotted out around the outer sections nearest the bark.  The center heart wood was the least damaged.

responder: An Ask Extension Expert Replied July 07, 2023, 10:51 PM EDT
response: Ken: The insect you have here is a dampwood termite. I would recommend that you have a qualified pest control company check out your other trees in case there are problems there as well.  Let me know if you have any additional questions. Thank you for contacting us. Rich

responder: The Question Asker Replied July 10, 2023, 4:23 PM EDT
response: Rich or exte4nsion service.,    Thanks for the bug ID.  re: dampwood termite.       What can I expect when a "qualified pest control" company looks at my situation?Now that I know what I am looking for, I see one other fir tree that looks infested/damaged.Alternatively is there an arborist or someone working with the extension service that isknowledgeable about forest practices, as opposed to residential home concerns?  Thereare lots of trees (Oak & Fir) on my property.     Thanks,       ken bronsteinOn Fri, Jul 7, 2023 at 7:51 PM Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:

responder: An Ask Extension Expert Replied July 12, 2023, 5:02 PM EDT
response: These trees would most likely need to be removed for safety reasons. Tree removal in not my area of expertise so I would ask the company what experience the company has in doing this type of work. You can also start a new "Ask Extension" question so they can redirect it to the best person. Rich
Splotchy Turf - small hills of dirt with quarter inch holes

Question: Our turf grass appears to be struggling.  Grass looks stressed and is splotchy.  We have small mounds all over our yard that almost look like worm castings.  Once lifted ther is always a 1/4 inch hole under it.  In some areas of my garden it almost appears like something has swept tiny twigs and attempted to pull them down and are stuck with the castings.

responder: Hania Oleszak  Replied July 05, 2023, 3:30 PM EDT
response: Hi Janette, The mounds in your turf are likely just earthworm mounds, which are a sign of healthy soil actually! If you're okay with some lumps in your lawn, I would leave them as is. Here is some more information on the earthworm mounds in lawns: https://planttalk.colostate.edu/topics/lawns/1508-lumpy-lawn/. In regards to the spotting of your lawn, I believe there's a different culprit. To me, the grass looks like it might be a bit drought-stressed, although all the recent rains should have resolved that problem. Can you tell me a bit more about your watering practices, whether you aerate the lawn and how often, and how long you've been noticing this splotchiness/stress? Thanks, Hania

responder: The Question Asker Replied July 06, 2023, 9:25 PM EDT
response: We water 3 times a week for about half an hour each zone.  I feel confident that lack of water is not the issue.  We usually aerate once a year and have treated the lawn with Revive and fertilizer at the prescribed rate in April.  It looks terrible.  What do you think the issue is?  Thanks, Janette

responder: The Question Asker Replied July 06, 2023, 9:27 PM EDT
response: Additionally, lawn has looked splotchy since it started to green up this Spring.  It normally looks like one of the best yards on the block.  We are completely confused about its condition.

responder: Hania Oleszak  Replied July 10, 2023, 2:24 PM EDT
response: Hi Janette,  Water stress is often an issue in our area, even when it looks like the irrigation system is running correctly and like the grass is getting enough water. Small strips of lawn, like the one you sent over, can be particularly difficult to water thoroughly and uniformly. I would recommend doing an irrigation audit, just to rule out (or in) water stress. This can be done easily on your own using these instructions: https://extension.colostate.edu/docs/pubs/garden/irr-audit-tutorial.pdf. Some water providers will also do irrigation audits for free.  To rule out other issues, I have some additional questions: 1. Did the splotchiness subside at all with the recent spring rains? 2. Did you have any splotchiness at the end of last season? 3. Do dogs or rabbits frequent your lawn? 4. Is all of your lawn like this, or just this strip? Thanks, Hania
Houseplant Id

Question: Sorry to bother you with such a trivial matter, but I've been having a senior moment (lasting about 3 months) as to what this plant is.  I didn't have it labeled.  It was dormant during winter in basement, so assume bulb or similar, then emerged in late spring.  I hope you will recognize so I will know what culture it needs.  I've had it on a sunny deck which seems to be working.  Thanks.

responder: Answered by the Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC), University of Maryland Extension. For timely gardening information and tips, subscribe to our Maryland Grows blog and quarterly newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Replied July 06, 2023, 2:38 PM EDT
response: This resembles Pineapple Lily (botanical name Eucomis), though we're not positive; Mangave (a hybrid between Agave and Manfreda) can look similar but would probably have stiffer leaves arranged in more of a symmetrical layout. If/when it flowers, the ID will be easier to determine as bloom characteristics are key in plant ID. Clemson and Missouri Botanical Garden (among others) have some information online about the cultivation of Eucomis.  Miri

responder: The Question Asker Replied July 06, 2023, 3:44 PM EDT
response: That's it, tnx so much.  I had (have) a eucomis but always kept inside.  This yr outside the foliage is spectacular in comparison so didn't recognize.  Obviously it is now where it belongs, and will be each yr - with a label! On Thu, Jul 6, 2023 at 2:38 PM Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:

responder: Answered by the Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC), University of Maryland Extension. For timely gardening information and tips, subscribe to our Maryland Grows blog and quarterly newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Replied July 06, 2023, 3:50 PM EDT
response: You're welcome!