Q: I need to repot my anthurium. Do I need to put a layer of stones in the new pot? A: There is no need to put stones in the bottom of a pot. In fact, you harm the plant a bit by doing this. Soil in a pot has thr
Q: This spring, after planting the garden, we heavily mulched with fresh shredded material the power line maintenance crew brought us. It has been a total bust. The tomato plants were dwarfed, the cukes were disf
Q: I have a mature Japanese maple that has generated lots of seed pods. How do I store and germinate the seeds into seedlings. A: Although maple seeds nominally require three months of moist, cold conditions, I&#
Q: We had a large oak tree removed and the area underneath sprayed to control English ivy. I would like to plant a vegetable garden in that area next summer. How long does it take weed killer to dissipate? A: Mos
Q: I have orange vines, about the size of spaghetti, wrapping itself around my coreopsis and vinca. It does not seem to have roots. Any ideas what it is? A: It’s the parasitic plant named dodder, also known as de
Q: I have three African violets that bloom often and seem to be very happy. However, they are each showing a long stem at the soil line. I know that can’t be right. A: It’s common for the lower leaves on an Afric
Q: I have two arborvitae that are getting so big they are obstructing the security lights and part of my garage door. I need to take one of them down at least 6 feet. Will it recover from such a severe pruning? A
Q: Every August, I hear a distinct buzzing sound when I go outside in the early morning. It sounds like bees of some sort, from the air above me. What could these critters be? A: I think the buzzing comes from Ma
Q: I have a hard time telling when my watermelons are ripe. They have been the size of a cantaloupe for several weeks. A: Watermelons can be slow to fully ripen because they depend so much on the right ratio of l
Q: I have bags of azalea fertilizer that are four years old. Would it harm my shrubs to apply the fertilizer this fall? A: My rule of thumb is to apply fertilizer to a plant when it is actively growing. Some plan
Q: I have been unsuccessful in finding rotenone, an organic insecticide I have used for many years. Where can I get some? A: Rotenone has been used as an insecticide for more than a hundred years and as a fish po
Q: My azalea had caterpillars clustered at the tip of the limb. They have red heads and red feet. A: Azalea caterpillar, Datana major, is an occasional autumn pest of azaleas. They defoliate random azalea limbs b
Q: What would you recommend as a fast growing ground cover in sunny and shady areas? A: For shade, I like Lenten rose or mondo grass. For sun, spreading juniper and purple euonymus are hard to beat. For more gro
Q: When is best time to plant camellias? A: My rule of thumb is that mid-September through mid-November is terrific for planting shrubs and trees. The soil is warm enough to encourage root growth but the air is c
Q: I started feeding birds several years ago. Then squirrels helped themselves to the sunflower seeds. After a while I began attracting an occasional raccoon. However, I recently saw six raccoons in my yard. Will
Q: To prevent tomato fusarium wilt, I am in the process of solarizing my garden. Do I need to do anything to my cages and red plastic mulch trays in order to keep this disease from returning? A: Fusarium wilt fun
Q: My hanging ferns have been invaded with small white moths. They have just about killed the ferns by eating the leaves. What should I do? A: Moths don't eat leaves, their offspring (caterpillars) do the d
Q: In Boy Scouts there is a requirement to identify ten kinds of native plants found in your community. Can you suggest ten native plants for me to teach the boys? A: Certainly poison ivy and Virginia creeper sho
Spinach – Getting Seeds to Sprout
Q: Can you tell me the best way to get spinach seeds to sprout? I have tried using seed starting pellets and sowing them directly in the ground. Nothing seems to work. A: Spinach is not the easiest vegetable to g
Q: What are the pros and cons of the Shademaster locust tree? Do you have suggestions for another shade tree that grows fast, won't uproot walkways, and is easy to clean up after? A: ‘Shademaster̵
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