Home Gardening Struggles (collection)
Umbrella collection of general home-gardening friction that doesn't form a single buildable pain: extreme-heat stress, soil quality complaints, beginner overwhelm, overwintering questions, weed battles, plus community showcase chatter. Specific panes split out 2026-08-25: sick-plant diagnosis, harvest ripeness, backyard orchard care.
SOURCES (60)
“Pc for tax Is sodium carbonate safe to use for plants, as in to raise fertilizer solution ph? Or is a liquid ph up an easier option with no ratios to mess with? submitted by /u/AcanthisittaLeft7869 [link] [comments]”
“If you get your hands on the big Jim Chile seeds from Ripley's can I please please please also buy seeds if they germinate? My daughter and I love growing peppers right now and she is obsessed with Ripley's Believe it or Not”
“Im talking like the size of your thumb small, I dont even know how im gonna eat the tomatoes.”
“There was a program that was running a few years ago to save the bees and attract pollinators to your garden. You could give your email and then mailing address to them and they would send you free packets of wildflower seed mix. The assortment of flowers that grew looked almost like this, lovely”
“Zone 4A. I’ll be planting some seed over an area that is mostly dirt and is on a bit of a decline. Is a straw roll the best way to prevent erosion? Or does peat moss work well for erosion too? Any other recommendations? submitted by /u/Superb-Bandicoot-683 [link] [comments]”
“Cut them free the next morning. These melons are completely covering the garden. submitted by /u/rtothewin [link] [comments]”
“So I planted a mixture of wildflowers and garden annuals. Everything was going well but I started noticing this “thing.” Could someone help me figure out what’s going on and what should I do moving forward. submitted by /u/Mysterious_111 [link] [comments]”
“First time growing cantaloupes. A while back, I noticed a lot of ants were gathering in the planter. Checked the leaves, and they had an aphid farm going. They are still there but have calmed down a bit. The leaves have been looking really weird for a while since then, and many are turning brown (partially because I keep forgetting to water them and the heat is insane). Is there anything I can do? Looking for non expensive and non chemical options. submitted by /u/Ok_View_7190 [link]”
“Are these over ripe? First time growing artichoke and I read once they start to open it’s too late submitted by /u/ohyuppp [link] [comments]”
“My French thyme has overwhelmed my English thyme. However, my battle against all the weeds is still ongoing. submitted by /u/lemon1226 [link] [comments]”
“Pretty much last of my squash, peppers are still going, tomato plants getting thin.... Just waiting on a few more things and my sweet potatoes and the main garden is done.. Weeds are doing great though.. submitted by /u/EnrichedUranium235 [link] [comments]”
“I frequently see customers as nurseries pick up the identification tag out of a veggie start to look at, and then put the tag back in the wrong pot!! So this could happen because of other customers as well. When people do this it’s impossible to tell because starts of the same type of veggie often look the same between varieties. Sometimes it’s also the fault of the seed supplier, before the grower gets the seeds. But of course it could also happen at all the other steps along the growing proces”
“Leaving a comment here because as a regular thrifter, if I find seeds now I’ll know who to send them to! Love the passion and commitment to cause.”
“Same with my basil. I even built a full jail of chicken wire for my raised bed but something is still getting in.”
“Instead of lowering the lights, what if you put books or smthng under the trays to bring the plants closer to the light next time”
“Are some of those cosmos flowers? Either way, looks great and adds color until those big beautiful red tomatoes come in!”
“Looks like a good setup. Hope you have a great fall harvest! I have a few plants (6) that I hope will produce some fall tomatoes. The plants are tall and generally healthy, but it is still too hot for them to set fruit even though they are flowering. The night-time temps in particular need to get a little bit lower. NE Texas. Our first frost is usually about 10 November. I never can count on fall tomatoes; sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. https://preview.redd.it/pjgd1ibglenh1.jpe”
“I planted this Texas Mountain Laurel in April. There were a few caterpillars I tried to get rid of. This obviously did not work. Does anyone know how I should deal with these? I don’t want any further damage to the tree submitted by /u/PPF_Elite [link] [comments]”
“I’ll try that. I think it was a combo of planting too late and not hilling them enough”
“Kind of the same thing, summer squash usually more yellow or White, my guess is it's going to change into a beautiful Orange pumpkin 🎃”
That’s still better than any watermelon I’ve ever grown haha!
“Morning glories thrive on neglect. I had this same problem the first year I grew them. They didn't flower until it started getting colder (I'm in Canada). The next year they didn't get any fertilizer and I barely watered them and got flowers sooner, although they still made the most blooms at the end of the season. Sometimes they need the fear of death put into them to bloom, if they're too happy they just go on making leaves.”
“I had a similar experience with tomatoes last year but this year they came back on their own and produced so much more. I hope you have a huge bounty next year.”
“Shit Costco has some fat ones (30 pounds plus) for $3 I grew 25 this year (first time) it took maybe 3-4 sacrifices before I think I got a good idea when I can harvest . Had 3 successful ones so far”
“My 6 potato plants only gave me like 1-2 potatoes each. Is there a way to yield a better harvest? I did plant late in the season (mid June) so I’m thinking I’ll plant them way earlier next year. Is there a better variety to grow? These were yukon gold. submitted by /u/FOB_joefan54 [link] [comments]”
“Have had no luck with spinach in ky. Really like the thick large leaves that are kind of rippled(wavy?) Does this crop need that northern cool to get it started or? Thnx guys and gals. submitted by /u/Initial-Relation-696 [link] [comments]”
“So im just doing this for fun not for a harvest and I don't think it has to be perfect but I also don't want to ruin it completely lol. Can I plant a pole bean witu my radishes? I currently have one in a jar that hasn't sprouted yet but I want to grow one 6 feet tall at least and don't want to use another pot atm due to space. I mean if I have to I will but figured I'd see if its a good idea or not. submitted by /u/sertanmeth [link] [comments]”
“Cheers yall, this is my first attempt at tomatoes. Built a trellis last night. Hope this all works, started these from seed in the greenhouse. Any suggestions or something I should fix and do now? Location South East Texas. 4 Chadwick cherries and 4 Cherokee Purple. I also have 2 Anna Russians not big enough to come out yet. The ckn wire is to keep ckns and turkeys out. submitted by /u/Old300Joe [link] [comments]”
“First year ever growing okra never really ate it before. Now it's amazing but it is very prolific! submitted by /u/Matt_M92PaP [link] [comments]”
“Hi! I live in NYC and moved into a place with a backyard. This hydrangea didn’t bloom this summer-it’s my first summer here so I’m not sure how old or what type it is. I’m not sure how to best care for it to ensure it flowers next summer. Any tips would be appreciated! Last photo is woody growth at base. submitted by /u/cosmicdysentery [link] [comments]”
“This is the first year I decided to grow vegetables and I’m really excited that I actually managed to grow something. My spaghetti squash plant only made one squash throughout the entire summer and I thought it was about to die so I can harvest. Now this thing decides to make another squash even though the summer is almost over and the plant is losing some leaves. I’m not sure if I should let it grow just to see what will happen or chop it off so the energy goes to the big squash. I think I coul”
“Just grew some squash for fun but I don't remember what kind it is. It has big yellow flowers. submitted by /u/peri_dot [link] [comments]”
“As shown, it appears a couple of my pumpkin vines are clearly on their way out. In addition to losing the long term battle with powdery mildew, I suspect a squash vine borer may have gotten in there? This guess is based mostly off of leaf die-back starting at the crown end and slowly progressing towards the vining ends. I also have another healthier vine growing nearby (about 15ft away). Would you recommend harvesting these pumpkins now *see various stages of ripeness in photos* and discarding t”
“So I put this trellis in our garden box and planted a morning glory on each end. The plants have thrived beautifully, but it’s now September and they’ve never produced a single flower. Can someone explain to me why? (Also planted a cucumber plant on each end. They’ve been largely crowded out by the morning glories.) We’re in northern Colorado and have had record-breaking heat for much of the summer. I hand water every morning. submitted by /u/Olbap55 [link] [comments]”
“I’ve been watering it, but I don’t think I’m overwatering it. It does seem to spring back to life at night time. I’ve heard of plants doing a “mid day droop” but this seems a little excessive and it hasn’t always done this. This is the second day in a row it’s been wilting this bad. There’s nothing I can really do to limit its sun exposure or lower the temperature for it. submitted by /u/ThatDamnedDawg [link] [comments]”
“I've got a lot of swiss chard growing and I'm not sure what to do with the plants to optimize it and keep them going into winter. We've been harvesting a bunch every couple days and freezing it, but I want to make sure it stays alive into the winter. Should I thin out the plants to just 4-6 and keep them going, just get rid of a few to give everything a bit more space, or leave it as is and just keep harvesting as much as possible early. submitted by /u/BrewBoys92 [link]”
“I have a 22 inch sweet potato 🍠 shoot with leaves and all. I'm memorized by it, but don't have a clue of what to do. I live in an apartment. And I'm a terrible 😔 house plant owner 😭😞😭. This shoot is my most striving plant in many years. submitted by /u/Suppa_Cute [link] [comments]”
“I am looking for some opinions on what to plant (and when) to have a perennial garden. I am in zone 6b, I would love to have plants with long blooms and a lot of flowers coming out of the plant. I do not like black eyed Susan’s lol. But hanks for the help submitted by /u/Ghost_Potato39 [link] [comments]”
“I bought this basil plant but I didn’t pay attention to the variety. After some research I thought it was Thai basil. Now I’m thinking it might be anise or licorice basil due to the strong smell of licorice when I crush it and the fact that the stems are green. Plant snap says it’s holy basil but I don’t think it’s that based on the flavor profile. Yes, I let it go too long and it’s flowering. I have no clue what to do with this kind of basil. Anyone have any thoughts? Thinking of pulling it all”
“I’m new to gardening and the very first thing I want to start growing are raspberries. I’m in Connecticut btw (I think that’s zone 6a?) I ordered a 6 qubit feet large raised garden bed and I plan on getting promix soil to fill it all. Aside from growing cilantro, tomatoes, and basil, I wanted to save a spot for raspberries. Do you guys have any advice? I’d like to know if I’m thinking correctly about this or if this is not possible. submitted by /u/MoveZneedle [link] [comments]”
“Would love to plant some tough naturalizing daffs to confound our gophers and deer. Looking for recommendations of cultivars that do well here and best bulb sources. Thanks! submitted by /u/SnooTomatoes1796 [link] [comments]”
“Some of the white packets were open, dont know if that makes a difference. submitted by /u/mydadcankillyourdad [link] [comments]”
“Hi, I'm new to growing pumpkins and I don't fully know what I'm doing. I have a bunch of very large pumpkins growing in my garden, but its been so wet and rainy this year that the ground is soaked and some of them are turning white on the bottom. I few have rotted and I cut them off, but I'm hoping I can salvage the ones that are turning white but I don't think are getting soft yet. It seems to be the ones that are still light orange/yellow that are turning white, but the gre”
“took a pepper plant that wasn’t doing well out of its little pot and transferred to a rly big one . There were hundreds of these everywhere . Good or bad for my garden ? I always hear about “living soil“ so hopefully it good . Hopefully seeing how I put all that soil back into the bigger pot LOL lmk pls edit: everyone saying termites LOL I thought they were just springtails . if you don’t know what those look like to me they look the exact same as these . sry for bad quality , I thought I could”