Common Problems & Fixes
Something in your garden, your soil, or your home is not right, and you want a clear answer from someone who understands the science behind it. That is what this section is for. I take the everyday problems people search for, a sick tree, a smelly compost bin, plants that keep dying, brown marks on leaves, and explain what is causing them and what to do, in plain language.
Written and reviewed by Serge (MSc), environmental biologist. Each guide explains the science underneath the problem, then gives practical steps, grounded in field measurement rather than lifestyle tips.
Tree & Garden Problems
Your tree looks sick, stopped growing, drops leaves at the wrong time, or your plants keep dying no matter what you do.
How to read the early signs of stress and tell a struggling plant from a dying one. Grounded in my field research measuring how trees respond to stress, not guesswork.
See the fixes →Soil & Compost Problems
Your compost smells terrible, nothing breaks down, or your soil has gone hard, grey and lifeless and nothing grows in it.
What is happening beneath the surface, from the microbes that drive decomposition to the balance that keeps soil alive. My core area: trained in biogeochemistry, so these guides explain the biology behind the fix.
See the fixes →Air Quality Problems
Brown marks appear on leaves after hot sunny days, your garden struggles near a busy road, or your eyes and throat sting when you garden in summer.
Ground-level ozone and other pollutants in plain terms, how to recognise their effects, and how to protect your plants and yourself. I ran an open-air ozone field experiment on trees, so I have measured this directly.
See the fixes →Wood Heating Problems
Your fire fills the room with smoke, your firewood burns through fast without much heat, or you are spending a fortune on wood and the house is still cold.
Why wet wood smokes and wastes the heat you paid for, and how to get more warmth from properly seasoned wood. My background in biogeochemistry covers how moisture governs the way wood dries and burns.
See the fixes →