There are no hard and fast rules and it's never just one thing. Seedlings grow just fine for me with natural light in a south facing room. There are plenty of windows. A small ficus calls this room home and is very happy. I've grown aquarium plants in this room with no artificial lighting as well. Along with lighting considerations, care must also be given to avoid over watering. Keep the sterile seed starting mix moist but not soggy. Also, apply dilute liquid fertilizer only after the second set of true leaves are formed. Some other things that are frequently overlooked -- seedlings tend to be less leggy if there's some natural breezes and good air circulation. My winters aren't too harsh so I set seedlings out on a bench in bright partial shade to keep them pre-hardened during daylight hours. Wind hardening is part of the overall picture. If I didn't have this well lit room, I would use cheap shop light fixtures with full spectrum (natural sunlight) bulbs (5500-6500 Kelvin). I'd run them on a timer for 12 hours on and 12 hours off to simulate a normal day at the equator. And I'd run an indoor fan periodically.

The whole thing is the leaf, The parts are the rachis, petiolule and the leaflet. The rachis is the stem, what you are referring to as the "leaf" is a leaflet and the tiny stem holding them together is the petiolule. Two things come to mind, one is that it is too dry, ZZ plants in nature come from moist environments not dry ones and the other is there is not enough light so the rachis elongate (referred to as "etiolated")They do not need full sun but still need light. These, for some reason are often sold as impervious to neglect or abuse but they are not. The shorties look ok, maybe it was just the change in location that messed with it.

Hello, janellw. Can you post pictures of the black leaves on the shrub and a close up of the leaves (front and back)? Then post another picture of the brown spots on the stems? Root rot can produce brown spots on the stems although more obvious symptoms would include continuous wilting regardless of how much water you provide. Excessive watering and-or soil that drains poorly can help develop this problem. There are other types of fungal infections -in addition to root rot- that could cause black-ish leaves such as anthracnose. It could also be a case of powdery mildew where the leaves do not turn exactly black but maybe dark gray or purple-ish sometimes. The pictures may help us see what you see. When you have fungal issues, the best thing you can do is make the environment difficult for the fungi to continue spreading. Sometimes Mother Nature does that when high summer temperatures and low humidity arrive. Other times, you need to control soil moisture better. The best way to proceed is to use the finger method so you know when it is ok to water. On a daily basis, insert a finger into the soil to a depth of 4" every morning. If the soil feels dry or almost dry then add 1 gallon of water. If the soil feels moist, do not water. If the soil feels wet, determine why and take appropriate steps to prevent that if necessary. Do this every morning for two weeks. Every time that you water, make a note on a wall calendar. After two weeks, revisit the information on the wall calendar and determine how often you had to water. Say, every 2 days? every 3 days? Etc. Then set your sprinkler to give the hydrangea 1 gallon of water on that same frequency. If the temperatures change 10-15 degrees and stay there, recheck for two more weeks using the finger method. Good sanitation techniques can also help. These are things like never watering the leaves but watering the soil only. Water the plants early in the morning. Discard in the trash all plant debris under the hydrangeas. Because this is an ongoing multi-year problem, replace the mulch with new mulch (3-4") and -in the fall- throw the dried out blooms and leaves in the trash. Allow some separation between shrubs to improve air flow. In large plants, open up areas (by pruning) so sun and air get deeper into the shrub. See the link below for additional information on hydrangea diseases. If you cannot post pictures, feel free to take leaf samples to a plant nursery or Agric Extension Service for analysis (place the leaves in a sealed transparent bag). Does that help you? Luis Here is a link that might be useful: Hydrangea Diseases

"cucamelon"- Melothria scabra, also known as the cucamelon, is a vine grown for its edible fruit. Fruits are about the size of grapes and taste like cucumbers with a tinge of sourness. Vernacular names include mouse melon, Mexican sour gherkin, cucamelon, Mexican miniature watermelon, Mexican sour cucumber and pepquinos. Cucamelons are small but pack a healthful punch. They are full of vitamins and minerals, antioxidants and fiber, and are also low in calories. The nutrients they provide can help lower the risk of heart disease, stroke, and cancer. Genus: Melothria I'd love to get some seeds (hard to find where I am= Canada); if you - or somebody reading this post- can mail them in an envelope pls email me at nkguw7piodi9@opayq.com; thx.