Photos of what I think is young goldenrod in among the overcrowded daffodil greenery and assorted weeds. These stinkers definitely have the horizontal rhizomes, not a tap root.
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Looks like ragweed to me, I canât touch it without breaking out in a rash.
As requested, the tree in full bloom (thatâs my neighborâs house is behind it):
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Such a beautiful tree!
Fairly sure itâs horse weed/mares tail. I did find a bunch of goldenrod growing elsewhere in the yard 
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I heard something on the most recent episode of Gardenerâs World, and Iâve also heard other references, but I thought Iâd ask here, because it doesnât seem to make senseâŚ
Repotting a plant in a much larger pot is more detrimental than gradually increasing the pot size over multiple repottings.
How does the plant know how big the pot itâs in is, and why would it care if itâs got more than enough room to grow?
When I buy a plant at the garden center and plant it in my backyard, does the plant freak out because itâs now planted in the biggest pot in the world, the actual world?
(unrelated recent photo.)
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wow, that is a great question! i know that many of my seed starts donât like it if they are transplanted into the garden beds too soon, but i have always written that off to sunburn and too hot soil temps at time af transplant. being in a subtropical zone (zone11) it is guesswork as to what will actually grow here, plus time of year that our season starts vs. what time it is just too goddamn hot to start anything.
i would like to hear more from our community here.
my squash starts have been eaten every time i put them into the beds, even after treating the soil (organically) to fight the buggy vermin.
anybody?
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Iâve never heard that. but I also donât do much container gardening. Just a lemon tree.
But what Iâm reading on the internet it seems to be about root rot. Too much excess soil retaining too much water. Plus a few questionable assertions that a too big pot means the roots grow too thin and are, thus, more susceptible to rot. Iâm not sure I believe either. The soil being too damp seems to be more about adequate drainage and appropriate soil. The bit about thin roots doesnât make any sense to me.
Also reading that a large pot temporarily inhibits above-soil growth, cause the plant is busy making roots. That I believe.
Edit to add: extra room outside wouldnât contribute to water retention because there is always more down for it to drain (unless you scooped out some clay and created a bathtub effect)
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Yes, Iâve heard the same, and seen the evidence that slow & steady wins the race.
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I wonder if the advice for successive repottings includes an assumption that fresh soil with more nutrients will be used, replacing depleted soil? (but people could always give the plant some plant food, though, so maybe notâŚ)
Or an assumption that compacted soil will be replaced with looser soil, enabling the roots to breathe better, so that repotting regularly is better than leaving it in the same soil for years, even if you were giving it plant food?
I mean, maybe itâs not so much the size, but a way to get you to update and freshen up the soil situation?
(Obviously I donât know the answer. Just throwing out some guesses.)
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Unintended consequences
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My money would be on some species of goldenrod. There are so many species, they get a whole separate section in my wildflower ID book.
If not them, my second guess would be some species of evening primrose. Another lovely yellow wildflower.
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Any tips for growing cilantro inside?
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IMO, all of the above.
Some things in the soil will break down over the course of a year even if a plant isnât big enough to use all the nutrients that are released. Theyâll just end up being washed out in the watering.
But also, regarding moisture - if you have too much soil for a plant, water management is a bear. If you water as appropriate for the pot size and get the soil as damp as youâd like for that plant, thereâs less plant to use that water up, so it sits longer. That encourages rot and fungus gnats.
And if you under-water to compensate for that, the dry soil away from your plant wicks the moisture away, so the plant actually has less than it needs. In a bigger pot, it can also be harder to know where the roots are, and therefore where to check the moisture to see if itâs appropriate.
Better, IMO, to use a smaller pot and repot more often. I try to repot yearly; I heard recently than every six months lets you skip fertilizing most plants. Caveat: Iâm not great at indoor plants yet.
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The Texas Prairie Parsley has a beautiful growth habit. I want this one to go to seed so I can plant a few in a garden bed instead of the middle of the yard. Weâre going to have to get the yard under control soon. Or at least part of it
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Pretty! It reminded me a bit of Queen Anneâs Lace so I looked it up, and theyâre both in the carrot family.
Cool to meet the southern cousin of our common âweedâ up here.
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Was at a big box store yesterday, and they were throwing away plants by the dumpster full due to the unseasonably cold weather weâve been having.
The roses donât seem to mind.
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The broccoli is ready. There are three like this. It is hard to tell, but the heads are 7 inches across
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Good, good⌠I shall dispatch my myrmidons forthwith.
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Itâs a fast growing plant, and wants a lot of light, basically you want your lights as close as you can get them, but not touching. A good window with morning sunlight can also help them not stretch too much.
Other than that, keep them in smaller pots, and repot regularly. AFAIK, they like good quality soil, and well drained I imagine.
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