Good Question! Answers to Frequently Asked Gardening Questions

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Our team of gardeners answers your questions on the Ask A Gardener page. Your questions inspire new articles, products, and discussions. Here are answers to some of the most common queries.

How do I plant bareroot strawberries?

Plant 12–18" apart with the crown (where roots meet shoots) level with the soil surface. See Planting and Growing Strawberries for details.

When can I put tomato plants outside?

After danger of frost passes and weather settles. Use your average last frost date as a guide (e.g., mid-May in Burlington, VT → Memorial Day planting). Harden off for a week: place in protected outdoor spot a few hours daily, increasing exposure. Cover with row cover (GardenQuilt) if late frost threatens. For earlier starts, use Tomato Teepees.

How do I start an asparagus patch?

Start now—even with best care, it takes years to hit full production, but then yields for 20–30 years. See How to Grow Asparagus.

Can I grow lettuce on a sunny windowsill?

Yes, with a south-facing window (~12 hrs light). Or use a light garden anywhere—even an office cubicle. See Growing Lettuce Indoors.

Can I grow bougainvillea indoors?

Yes, in a sunny south window at ~65°F. Let dry between waterings until leaves slightly wilt. Can be messy when bracts drop. See Growing Bougainvillea Indoors.

Do I need crop rotation in a 3x6 raised bed?

Rotation minimizes pests and nutrient depletion, but you don't need to replace soil. At season's end, remove all plant material (compost healthy, trash diseased). Plant a cover crop (winter rye/wheat) to nurture beneficial microbes. Before replanting, add organic matter: Worm Power, Container Booster Mix, compost, and slow-release fertilizer (All-Purpose or crop-specific). Monitor for recurring soil-borne pests.

How do I store 40 lbs of potatoes?

Rub off large dirt clumps (don't wash). Cull damaged tubers. Store gently in ventilated bins/baskets/Root Storage Bin, completely covered with newspaper/cardboard to exclude light (light turns potatoes green and inedible). Ideal temp: 35–40°F; keeps months at 45–50°F. See "keeper crops" article.

How do I tell when melons are ripe?

• Cantaloupe/Muskmelon: Stem slips from fruit, leaving dish-shaped scar; sweet musky aroma.
• Honeydew: Rind turns creamy yellow, smooth/waxy; blossom end slightly soft/springy.
• Watermelon: Tendril and leaf near stem turn brown/dry; ground spot turns yellow; hollow sound when thumped.

What mulch for my vegetable garden?

Match mulch to crop: heat-lovers (peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, melons) → black plastic (warms soil). Add soaker hose underneath. Cool-season crops (broccoli, greens) → straw, shredded leaves, paper mulch (cools soil 20–25°F). See Choosing the Right Mulch.

How do I control Japanese beetles?

• Defense: Pyrethrin/neem sprays.
• Hand-pick: Effective for small infestations.
• Prevent: Nematodes/Milky Spore for grubs.
• Trap: Japanese beetle traps (large yards only).

See Solutions for Japanese Beetle Control.

Are old seeds worth planting?

Test: 10 seeds in damp paper towel in plastic bag at 70°F+. Check at "days to germination." >50% sprouting = worth trying (plant 2–3/cell). Nothing? Only lost 5 minutes. Some seeds last 4–5 years; others perish sooner.

Should I bury tomato stems when planting?

Yes. Bury ~6" of stem, removing lower leaves. Buried stems sprout roots → sturdier plant. See Growing Tomatoes from Seed to Harvest slideshow.

What soil for a new raised bed?

60% topsoil, 30% compost, 10% soilless mix (peat/perlite/vermiculite). Use Soil Calculator; round up. See Soil Calculator.

Why are my seedlings spindly?

Inadequate light (intensity/duration). Use grow lights 2–3" above plants, 14–16 hrs/day. See How to Start Seeds.

Onion sets or seeds?

Sets = good for scallions. Seeds/seedlings = larger bulbs. See Onions 101.

Can I compost coffee grounds?

Yes. Despite brown color, they're "green" (nitrogen). Mix 3 parts brown (carbon) to 1 part green. Great winter nitrogen source. See Compost Your Coffee Grounds.

Can I start perennials from seed?

Yes. Easy ones: coreopsis, dianthus, blanket flower (Gaillardia). Some bloom first year if started early indoors. See Grow Perennials from Seed.

Can I plant grocery store garlic?

Not recommended—may be treated with anti-sprouting agent, less flavorful. Buy planting garlic: hardneck (hardy, produces scapes) or softneck (milder climates, matures faster). Save largest cloves for replanting. See Planting and Harvesting Garlic.

How long should I water?

Depends on soil, rain, weather. Check with your finger: soil should feel cool/moist at root zone. Use a timer, adjust for weather. See When to Water.

Why do I have fruit flies with no fruit out?

Check for spilled juice, cover compost pail, rinse recyclables, cover ripening bananas, get a fruit fly trap. See Fighting Fruit Flies.

Can peonies be divided?

Yes, but rarely needed. Fall is best. Divide into sections with 3–5 eyes. Water well. Divisions may not bloom for 2–3 years. See Peony Care.

How to care for rhubarb off-season?

Fertilize early spring. Remove flower stalks. Pick yellowing leaves in summer dormancy. After fall frost, compost mushy leaves, add compost/manure. See Vegetable Encyclopedia: Rhubarb.

How to get blue hydrangeas?

Soil pH 5.2–5.5. Apply Soil Acidifier per package, or mulch with pine needles/bark. High pH locks up aluminum—blue may be impossible; grow pink instead. Not all hydrangea types can turn blue. See How to Grow Blue Hydrangeas.

What about Colorado potato beetles?

Hand-pick adults into soapy water. Check leaf undersides for yellow eggs; rub off. Preempt with garden fabric/Pop-Up Covers. See Controlling Colorado Potato Beetles.