Hey Randy...EasyBloom does adjust for cloudy days or unusually sunny days in areas that have been historically cloudy. I will tell you that the longer you let the sensor take measurements the better the results will be. I also want to point out that even "sunny" windows that are south- or west- facing can have deceivingly low light. Full sun is defined by 6 or more hours of direct sunlight. I wouldn't be surprised if you found that your south- or west- facing windows were receiving less than that. My recommendation would be to give it another go, but keep in mind that even the sunniest spots indoors will never receive as much light as a sunny outdoor location. I hope this is helpful. Let me know if you have any further questions. Cheers...Dr. Robby

I hope this information is helpful. Let me know if you have any other questions. Cheers...Dr. Robby

When rooting any plant, you will come across a fundamental problem: the cutting does not start off with roots and therefore cannot sufficiently supply water to the leaf and/or stem. To stymie this problem, I would try to create a little microclimate around the cuttings that was high in humidity. (High humidity decreases the rate of water loss from the leaves. Unfortunately, it can also increase the rate of fungal infection. In my experience though, decreasing the loss of water from the leaves is more important.) Creating a high humidity microclimate around some cuttings is actually easier than you might think. What I've done in the past is root cuttings in small plastic cups that are filled with loose soil. The cups should have holes in the bottom. Remember to pre-moisten that soil. Place the cup in a zip lock bag with about 1 inch of water in the bottom. The water will seep through the holes in the plastic cup and wick up to the leaf cutting. It's important not to seal the bag. The cuttings will still need to breathe. Oxygen is very important for rooting, which is partly why loose soil is necessary for rooting. The loose soil not only allows the roots to easily penetrate the soil, but it also allows oxygen to get to the plant tissue that needs it.

Hey Brett...Where did you cut the leaf? Did you cut right through the blade? Or did you cut the stem-like part of the leaf (aka the petiole)? If you did the latter, your chances are better for propagation. What I have done in the past is cut the petiole and then stick the petiole into pre-moistened soil. I will usually use my pinky finger to make a hole for the petiole to slide into as well. Then I would compress some soil around the petiole (just enough to give it support; like you said, the soil needs to be loose). Normally, you wouldn't have to use any type of rooting hormone, but if you think that your leaf cutting just isn't forming any roots, you could try that out. I would recommend using a low concentration rooting hormone. Root Tone is probably the most popular brand of rooting hormone available. You can purchase this at most nurseries. It comes in a powder form. You would dip the freshly cut petiole into the powder and then place the dipped leaf into the soil. If you're using rooting compound, it is important to use that pinky to form a hole before putting the leaf in the soil. You wouldn't want the rooting compound to rub off by shoving it through the soil.

I do know of a perennial flower that is tough as nails, beautiful when it blooms, fragrant, tolerant to humidity, heat and frost. The only thing is that it blooms from spring to summer, but not through fall. It's called the Lady Banks Rose. It's a climbing rose with little yellow flowers that will completely cover the plant when it blooms. (Some cultivars have white flowers, but it has been my experience that the yellow flowered Lady Banks Roses are more fragrant.) They are practically thornless (or prickleless to be more scientifically correct). They are resistant to insect infestation and disease infection. I really love this rose. The only thing is, you would have to either have a large area to let it mound as it grows, or have a trellis or arbor to let it climb up. They can get rather large if you don't prune them. This is fine though. I think they are quite beautiful when they mound. You would probably need 20 feet of space to let it grow in that manner though. I hope this is helpful. Let me know if you have any further questions. Cheers...Dr. Robby

I hope this is helpful. Let me know if you have anymore questions. Cheers...Dr. Robby

Now...as for the that sticky stuff you are seeing on the leaves, that is called honeydew. Honeydew is, to use the scientific nomenclature, these pests' poop. :) They suck the sugars from the plant, but cannot digest all of the sugar so they excrete the excess out. It can simply be washed away with water. One thing you should keep in mind is that since honeydew is basically sugar, honeydew can promote fungal growth on your leaves. If you already have fungal growth on the leaves, not to worry. The fungus is not attacking your plant as much as it is eating that sugar.

As for the whitefly, you can use the same exact homemade spray for the whitefly. Unfortunately, the pest that you see is only the adult stage of this insect. The larval stage is found in the soil. You can either let the soil dry out a bit more often (this may reduce the population of larvae slightly), or you can get a pesticide drench. A drench works by including it into the water you would normally use when you water your Aralia. You can either find a strictly chemical pesticide for the drench or you can purchase a microbial "pesticide". You can purchase a bacterial slurry of Bacillus thuringensis (more commonly known as BT) to drench the soil with. BT produces a protein that it will exude, which when eaten by some insects will bind to proteins inside their midguts and essentially prevents the insect from absorbing any nutrients. This protein that is produced by BT does not have a toxic effect on humans or pets. In fact BT is used as an organic pesticide.

Hey Elayna...Sounds to me like you have aphids and possibly white flies. When I see the words "green bumps" put together, I think aphids, but it could also be scale. Anyhoo, if you do have aphids you can make your pesticide that won't be too harmful to you or the plant. You can mix 3 ingredients that you likely have at home already: rubbing alcohol, dishwasher soap and warm water. There are many recipes that call for different amounts of each ingredient, and I don't have one preference over the other really. I would do an internet search to find the correct concentrations. Sometimes you will see a 50:50 dilution of the alcohol with a couple of teaspoons of dishwasher soap, but many may say that is too strong. In reality, I think you can come up with a fine mixture following a standard recipe online.

Very cool! I like to see you getting involved in horticulture. But is there no way you know for sure which hazelnut you want? We currently have 3 species of hazelnut (genus name: Corylus) in the database. Let me know if you find any more information about these hybrids. Cheers...Dr. Robby