Common causes of crispy leaf margins: Over-watering Too much fertilizer Under-watering Fluorine in water Using species as a guideline to whether plants prefer full sun or not is very helpful, but plants still vary greatly within species & the amount of sunlight any given plant will tolerate/prefer is genetically determined. It is, of course, best to acclimate plants to full sun slowly in most cases. This increases the amount of the pigment chlorophyll in green tissues & helps prevent sunscald. Chlorophyll is natures sunscreen for plants. If, after gradual exposure to full sun, the leaves appear bleached or whitish, it is an indication that the plant is not capable of producing enough chlorophyll to protect itself from full sun & it should be moved to a shadier location. Al

It is related to stress, but stress is a very broad term used to describe a plant that is operating at or very near the limits it was genetically programmed to deal with. The burned leaf tips or margins indicate the plant cannot move water to its distal parts fast enough to prevent those tissues from dying. The usual suspects are over-watering, which compromises root function and inhibits the plant's ability to move water, and a high level of salts in the soil, which can make it difficult for the plant to take up water. Often a combination of these factors combine to make it difficult for the plant to move water efficiently enough to prevent the burned tips/margins. Sometimes, plants are sensitive to elements/compounds in water, like fluorine or chlorine, but studies show that in most cases, these influences are taking the rap for something that more rightly belongs at the feet of one of the issues mentioned previously. The condition can be exacerbated by low humidity, but the way you can do the most good is by making sure you provide a healthy root environment. Soils that allow you to water properly and will stay well aerated even after you flush the soil are going to have the most significant impact on correcting the problem, just as poor soils that do NOT allow you to water properly are the most significant contributors. Raising the humidity around the plant, preferably in the whole room, is also very helpful. Misting will NOT make any evident contribution toward eliminating the problem. If you want to look deeper into ways that will allow you to water correctly, just ask. Adopting a healthy soil is the best way, but short of that, there are still other things that can be done to help ameliorate these unwanted symptoms. Al

I have found neem oil is well tolerated on some plants, but damaging to others. Neem oil appears to work well on the broad tougher leaf plants. On the other hand, it burns my ferns and shrimp vines. It should be noted that shrimp vines do not like any foliar spray, even 💦 water. I use a cold pressed variety of neem oil that I must place in the microwave to transform the oil to a liquid state. I heat my water until it simmers. I then take the neem oil and heated water and place it in the blender at the highest possible speed. This will give you properly emulsified neem oil. I believe proper emulsification is critical to obtain an even application of the neem oil solution. If you are unwilling to take these steps, it is better to use the pre-emulsified mixture. if you are fighting fungus gnat, I prefer mosquito bits. However, if you are dealing with a whitefly infestation, mosquito bits will do nothing. In my view neem oil takes a while to work and is not tolerated well by all plants. I try to use it as a systemic poison, but this method takes time. For the broad leaf plants, I prefer to use a dormant oil as a wipe. Unfortunately, it has been my experience that no one thing is a solution for all manner of pest control. Some people swear by cinnamon. Some people swear by diatomaceous earth. And then there are others who prefer insecticidal soaps. Dormant oil has its fans, but like neem oil, can damage foliage. Whatever you do invest in some sticky traps. They are non-toxic and yummy tasting to your pest(s). They are attracted to the yellow color. I wouldn’t be without them since you may think an infestation is gone, but after a few days you will see if you’ve cured the problem. You will also be able to correctly identify your pests. After you’ve identified your pest call the best grower/greenhouse in town to determine their specie recommendation for the treatment of African violets. You may want to glean more than one opinion. I’d suggest your state’s extension agent, but there expertise is more towards commercial growers than indoor hobbyists such as myself.

Encouragingly the maple is putting out new shoots where the leaves were burned. I have this sited for early afternoon and evening shade but the tree is so tall that it takes longer for the top to get enough shade. I checked it out and the top doesn't get completely shaded until 2 pm sun time. This is probably the best place in the garden for it for shade so I am hoping it will acclimate. It got a little earlier shade at the other house. I agree bboy about the clay beds. However I had really good success with the last one I dug and amended 7 years ago. I sold the house this spring with that bed but the bed still has wonderful soft soil that the plants are loving. I added compost over the top of the bed almost yearly so I am sure that helps. And I will place compost on the top of this one. I top with about 3-6 inches of compost a year for weed control and soil structure. I had one clay bed at the same house that was impossible so I just raised it with one to one and a half feet of compost sitting on top of the clay. The plants loved that bed. Amy