Comments on: Your questions here

By: Mary

Mary — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 00:18:20 +0000

Aneesha..I have had portulaca reseed on the south side of my house, which is a very hot and dry spot.

By: David

David — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 19:49:12 +0000

I am a newbie (less than five years gardening - flowers only) and looking for advice on eradicating canada thistle. My neighbors (Separated by a fence) let their yard go wild, so this is a problem. Is it over-the-line for me to suggest to neighbor that I could come over and remove all their thistle in exchange for a couple of the gorgeous white-flowering hosta they have buried beneath the towering thistle plants?

By: Candace

Candace — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 20:07:34 +0000

Does anyone know the garden center that is closing, it was mentioned last night, 10pm news, Kare 11 and I missed it.

Thank you!

By: shefali

shefali — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 15:09:21 +0000

Actually I just started gardening this year and I am not sure if the way I am lunching is right, maybe it prevents the water to reach the root-ball if it’s too tightly packed around the plant? Can that happen?

By: shefali

shefali — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 15:06:53 +0000

I have coneflowers in the front of my yard…I just planted it this year. It’s in full bloom right now but for some reason the leaves are burning out, I give it a lot of water but everyday the number of leaves burning goes on increasing. Any tips on how to stop this ?

By: Julia

Julia — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 21:09:27 +0000

We have problems with potato beetles too. We always hand pick them and dump them in a coke bottle filled with water. Now that we’re starting to find the babies, we usually take the whole leaf and put it in the water. We also had to pull up an entire plant that was infested and had to get rid of it and we ate the one little potato that had grown of it. I’m not sure of any other ways to get rid of those darn things. They have been so annoying that I am really tempted not to grow potatoes again.

By: Amelia Sprout

Amelia Sprout — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:04:55 +0000

Pruning it is. I have a square foot garden and the tomatoes were about to take over the jalapenos, so I’ve already done some pruning, time for more! Thanks!

By: Candy

Candy — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 05:51:36 +0000

Hummingbird, my hydrangea isn’t blooming at all this year. Anybody else having this problem? It’s growing well, the foliage is big and beautiful and it bloomed well last year…but no buds at all. Also, does anybody know what those bushes are that have red flowers on them? I see them all over - they have long branches and small dark red flowers.

By: J.

J. — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 23:53:42 +0000

To Laura,

I highly recommend Luscious if you’re looking at pear trees. If grown and ripened correctly, they’re simply fantastic.

Make sure you take stock of the trees around (particularly within 50 yards) your site for potential pollenators, but you’ll likely want to plant at least one pear cultivar that is not pollen-sterile.

Test ripeness by lifting directly opposite the hang. They’re ready if the stem base naturally starts to break free with little or no pulling. Tree-complete pears (not entirely ripe, but ready to pick) should require little effort to pick and should not cause the tree to ’snap back’.

Once you’ve picked, you _need_ to cold condition your pears or they won’t ripen correctly. Place them in the coldest part of your refrigerator for 3-7 days (if in doubt, longer is better.) Then, as ‘demand’ dictates, remove and allow to ripen at room temperature (usually 2-3 days). If they seem gritty or grainy after ripening, condition longer and/or colder. Do not put them in the freezer.

They’ll keep a long time in the refrigerator, but once you pull them, they’ll ripen in a hurry.

Good luck.

By: Jaime Chismar

Jaime Chismar — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 23:14:00 +0000

Christine,

Where have you planted your foxglove? It grows best in dappled shade. I’ve had rotten luck growing foxglove in sunnier spots.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/howtogrow/3300521/How-to-grow-Foxgloves.html

By: Jaime Chismar

Jaime Chismar — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 23:10:11 +0000

Amelia,

It is a best practice to remove suckers through out the growing season. However, I have been known to prune entire branches if they get unruly. Too much growth can inhibit fruit set. I’d try caging first, then get our a clean pair of pruning shears or kitchen knife and remove, small competing branches. Do not prune large support branches.

By: Christine Olson

Christine Olson — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 21:52:21 +0000

I have questions about foxglove. I buy them, they look really robust all the first year(but don’t flower) and then the next year when I’m expecting them to flower they don’t do anything, most don’t even come back. What do I need to do?

By: Deanna

Deanna — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 19:35:35 +0000

I have tomatoes although green yet. My coneflowers look the best in years, they are very weather particular! Not blooming yet but ready to pop. Herbs look good. Baby grasshoppers are starting to eat basil and peppers though. Potatoes, eggplant and all flowers look pretty good!

By: Amelia Sprout

Amelia Sprout — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 18:17:12 +0000

What do I do with my tomato plants that outgrew their stakes and are huge? It is too late to cage them, but I’m fraid with fruit they’re going to collapse even more. Should I resort to pruning?

By: Debw

Debw — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 17:31:33 +0000

The tree nursery that my mom got her new apple trees from says that the plastic bags that you get when you get groceries, fabric, whatever tied in the branches whole will scare off the deer as they can’t identify it as friend or foe. So far it is working better than the stinky soap bars. For the rabbits: new dryer sheets on sticks, they don’t smell april fresh to the rodents.

By: Jaime Chismar

Jaime Chismar — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 03:40:16 +0000

Donna,

Now is a great time to mulch. Newspaper works great — just don’t use the ads. They are printed with some pretty toxic inks on plastic coated paper.

And yes, cut the tops off those onions to encourage bigger growth.

By: Donna S.

Donna S. — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 06:16:04 +0000

When do I put mulch under my tomato plants? This year I plan to use shredded newspaper. Does it help to cut off the green tops of my onions? I’ve had some success.Wow mirical grow sure helps the plants get larger, will it help the fruit grow?

By: Jaime Chismar

Jaime Chismar — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 15:43:25 +0000

Laura - In Minnesota, your options for pears are pretty limited. I have heard that they are not the best for fresh eating but I have yet to taste any myself.

http://fruit.cfans.umn.edu/applespears.htm
http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/DG3195.html

By: Jaime Chismar

Jaime Chismar — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 15:38:25 +0000

Sharon - I love fish emulsion or coffee grounds as a side dressing. When did you plant your garden?

By: heather

heather — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 13:38:00 +0000

Has anyone actually tried human hair and ivory soap in the garden as a deer and rabbit repellant? the corn and sunflowers and high enough for them to snack one, and i always worry about a rabbit or mice or moles finding a way in. Any suggestions?