Archive for the ‘Ask A Master Gardener’ Category

Hi, I have a Magnolia that is not blooming this year (I have noticed that other Magnolias have bloomed).  I’ve had the tree for 7 years, and this is the first year it didn’t bloom.  Do you know what my problem might be?  Thank you, Cathryn J.

Answer: Cathryn,

I do not know any specifics about the tree’s location, so it’s hard to guess the cause, but generally lack of blooms is environmental or pruning related. Did you perhaps do any pruning last fall? Any blooming shrub or tree should be pruned immediately after it has finished blooming, as it will start setting buds very shortly after it has finished blooming. These buds lie dormant over the winter, then early in the spring as the sap starts to flow within the tree, they begin their development again. If you have an early warming spell causing a slight acceleration of development, and then have a cold spell, this could cause harm to the developing buds and they will fail to flourish. It will not harm the developing leaf buds which are later in development. If you were affected by the droughts last summer, then the tree could be slightly under-nourished and just failed to develop flower buds, reserving its strength for the development of leaves.

If there are others around you that are blooming or you haven’t pruned it, then you might consider having it fertilized by an arborist who can provide the right balance of nutrients to aid in its development of bloom buds this summer. An arborist can also check to make sure it doesn’t have any insect infestation or disease.

Best of luck with your Magnolia. They are beautiful when they bloom.

Karen

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I’m starting with a small organic garden.  What are the best vegetable combinations for a small garden?  I have read that there are certain combinations of vegetables that will help keep insects away. Jennifer G

Answer: Jennifer, My first suggestion to you is to do some research, especially on the types of vegetables you want to grow. Some plants actually have companion insects that are vital to their production, so for each variety that you decide you would like to grow, research and find out what are the good bugs and what are the bad ones. Many novice gardeners often are confused by this and think all insects are bad. As you mentioned, companion planting can also be good but there are also some plants that should not be planted near each other. One of the best resources for this is a book we carry called Carrots Love Tomatoes, which discusses which fruits, vegetables and ornamentals are beneficial or detrimental to each other. Extension offices will usually have good print publications about Good Bugs/Bad Bugs.

Good luck with you new garden,

Karen

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Hi, I was wondering how long to soak seeds in Neptune’s Harvest fish/seaweed emulsion? Thanks.

Answer: How long to soak will depend on what type of seed.  Some seeds have a tougher outer shell and are definitely aided by soaking. Beet, corn and pea seeds are notorious for this. Smaller seeds like carrots or spinach can benefit from soaking, with expedited germination.

The length of time can be as few as 2 hours for smaller, softer seeds, or up to 12 hours for harder seeds. Never soak over 24 hours or until they begin to sprout. Smaller seeds will be tougher to plant after soaking. One method might be to soak them in a small squeeze bottle and to spread the seeds with the squeeze bottle.

Happy gardening,

Karen

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Where can I find a chart that will tell me what nutrients various varieties of plants like?

Frank H.

Answer: Depending on what plants you are looking for, some of this information is possibly available through your local county extension office or their website.

Common Macronutrients most plants require are: calcium, nitrogen, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and sulfur. Micronutrients would be: boron, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, and zinc. The levels required would vary with each plant and where it is planted. There are various charts that list deficiency symptoms available online, usually through an extension office.

Happy growing,

Karen

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Can you provide me info for a small backyard garden?  I have selected the plants that were reccommed for my size: 60 sq. ft. total. I have included an attachment of a layout from another vegetable grower. I am open to any rearrangement of layout, and if I can, I’d like to order all plants at one time for planting.  Thank you, Lawrence J.

Answer:

Lawrence,

This is a sizable space for a first garden. It looks like you have done some research but I would also like to make you aware of a couple of great options from our book section: Carrots Love Tomatoes, a resource book describing which plants are beneficial to each other, and The Vegetable Gardener’s Bible, a great reference for common sense directions, tips and ideas about vegetable gardening.

I would recommend you do research on companion planting either with the Carrots Love Tomatoes title or online. There are some very good references on companion planting and space planning. One thing you will find in companion planting is that there are Foes and Friends of many vegetable plants. For instance, foes of tomatoes are broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, corn, and kale. However, tomatoes and peppers are good companions, as are spinach and most herbs.

In your plan you show a single row of corn. Since I don’t know what your expectations of crop yield are, I would suggest substituting another vegetable that would allow a greater harvest in the limited area, as you would only get a few ears per plant. Corn does better with a larger planting.

We have many varieties of each of the vegetable plants you’ve listed, with the plant and row spacing required by each variety. When choosing tomatoes check the plant details as to whether the plant is determinate or indeterminate, which will let you know how much it spreads and when you’d harvest the tomatoes, either all at once, or throughout the growing season. We also carry many of your vegetable choices in certified seed form, if you prefer to start them yourself.

Happy gardening!

Karen

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I need to get some vibrant planting in for a late May showing in the garden. The soil is clay and acidic. My preferred shades are white and dark purples/blues. Any ideas would be very welcome.

Best, Anne H.

Answer: It appears you live in the UK, so I am going to assume your weather is a little more temperate than on this side of the pond.

You do not mention if you are looking for full sun (at least six hours) or shade, so please check the sun requirements for the suggested plants.

One of my favorite plants is Bougainvillea, which is available in several vibrant colors. It is considered a tropical, so it would need cold weather protection. There are several other options in our Flowering Plants category. Check out our Annuals: Calibrachoa, Osteospermum, Lophospermum, Bacopa, and Lobelia. In the Perennial section there are lots of options like: Agastache, Baptisia, Centaurea, Delphinium, Digitalis, Eupatorium, Echinacea, Liatris, Lupine, Nepeta, Penstemon, Perovskia, Phlox, Salvia, Geranium, and Veronica all have varieties in your color options.

Happy gardening,

Karen

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I’ll be ordering for a new black, white, and lime-green bed I’m planning (and super excited about it!) I’d love to hear your advice (if you’ve got the time) on plants you’d recommend for that color scheme, in my Zone 7, mostly sunny garden. Thanks again. Donna

Answer: Lime green and black plants are quickly becoming the most sought-after colors in the horticulture world. Hybridizers and growers are working diligently to create these relatively new flavors. The majority of these two colors are going to be found in foliage and not in blooms…especially the black, which is not really black but very dark versions of purples and reds. So for your garden design, you might consider using the lime green and black foliage as a background for white flowers, for which there are abundant choices. 

For foliage, the sweet potato vine ‘Marguerite’, several Heucheras like ‘Pistache’, ‘Electric Lime’ and ‘Citronelle’ are good choices, and their cousin Heucherella ‘Yellowstone Falls’.  Sedum ‘Angelina’; Centaurea ‘Gold Bullion’; Euphorbia ‘Polychroma’ all have bright green leaves. For a more shady area look for hostas with bright green leaves.  In annuals you might try, Alternanthera ‘True Yellow’; Plectranthus ‘Troy’s Gold’ and Tickseed ‘Cherry Lemonade’. 

Don’t forget that a number of Coleus offer both lime green leaves as well as some that would be close to black. You can also look to the many tropicals for these colors as well, colocasias which come in both chartreuse and black and a new blend of both; Hibiscus ‘Athens Select Panama Red‘.

Black will be the hardest to find in flowers. The only ones that comes to mind are Hollyhocks ‘Chater’s Maroon’  or Nigra Alcea, or the stunning Black Velvet Petunia. In shrubs Buddleia ‘Black Knight’, Sambucus ‘Black Lace’ and some of the Weigelas offer black or very dark foliage choices. Other dark foliage perennials are Actaea ‘Black Negligee‘; Heucheras ‘Amethyst Myst’, ‘Obsidian’, or ‘Stormy Seas’; and ‘Chocolate’ Eupatorium. In annuals check out: ‘Black Varnish’ Pseuderanthemum; Pennisetum setaceum ‘Rubrum’; and the Ipomoea batatas, the sweet potato vine, also has several offerings that are near black.

There are way too many choices for white blooms to cover and new ones are being introduced every year. However, one perennial that offers both dark foliage and abundant white blooms is the Chocalate Eupatorium. Check our website for the wide selection of perennials  and annuals that best fit the sunlight and soil needs of your area.

Have fun designing your themed garden. 

Karen
Master Gardener

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We have had a wet season and the carrots continue to grow.  Can a person cut the tops down on carrots, to slow their growth in the fall? Robert N

Answer: Carrots are cool season crops but in many areas of the country they can be grown through the summer. To have a continuous crop, plant seeds about 3-4 weeks apart. If you’re reseeding for a late season harvest, be sure to give the seedlings plenty of time before the first frost to mature.  Most varieties range from 65 to 75 days.

Carrots need space, so when you are growing them from seed, be sure to thin the seedlings when they are at least an inch tall, giving them at least an inch or more between plants. Covering seedlings with a layer of mulch will help keep them moist.

You don’t mention why you are concerned about the carrots continuing to grow.  As long as there is not an imminent frost, just let them keep growing. Cutting back the top would stop the carrots’ growth.  Since they are a root crop they need this top growth to continue to develop and send nutrients below the soil. It is important to harvest your carrots before the green growth goes to seed.

I hope this answers you question.  Happy Gardening! Karen

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We have 4 mulberry trees we planted several years ago. Each fall, after the trees go dormant, we trim the trees as per the recommendations. Each spring the trees literally grow 3-4 limbs in each place where we trimmed the previous fall. The end result over several years is that the trees have a sizable trunk but look very much like a wild bush with limbs growing everywhere in all directions but up. We just can’t get upward growth; it’s always outward. I’m sure we’re doing something wrong but am out of ideas. Please, do you have any suggestions to help us recover from the revenge of our mad mulberry bushes? Janet S.

Answer: Mulberry trees are loved by birds for their juicy fruits but these trees are such rapid growers and self-sowers that many consider them to be weeds. Any time you have trees or shrubs that are such aggressive growers, you usually have to implement some equally aggressive pruning to keep them looking good. When training a tree you want to ensure that you have a central leader or main trunk. Sometimes these get damaged when they are seedlings and that limits the plant’s ability to grow in a “normal” tree form and become more bush-like. A new leader can often be trained if this happens, but it takes some work with young branches and is almost impossible with older trees.  It’s a lot like training a tree into an espalier (flat, groomed) form.

For mature trees it’s important to know where to cut to limit that over-sprouting of new growth. Here are a few tips. All pruning does not need to be done in the winter. It does help to see branching structure but is not requisite. It is also not necessary to treat wounds with tree paint. If made correctly, the tree will heal these cuts and fend off any parasites. When trimming, it’s better to take branches back to either the main trunk or to a larger adjoining branch. This will help eliminate the dense growth at the ends of pruned branches. This growth is not only weak and subject to damage or disease, but it also gives the trees a leggy or wild appearance.

Do a search online for state extension colleges. Most all consumer horticulture offices have great publications about pruning, including detailed drawings or photos on exactly where to cut. Once you have read through these you will know exactly where to trim all your trees and shrubs.

Just remember, never ever top trees. It only creates weak and dangerous trees.

Good luck, Karen

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We just planted three Hardy Hibiscus that we purchaed from Garden Harvest Supply. The plants are thriving! We need a little help to know your recommendation for winterizing. Mulch…Burlap…Fertilizing? Thanks for helping with this.  Mark and Jacquie S.

Answer: Thank you for purchasing some of our wonderful Hardy Hibiscus plants. They are such a great way to create that tropical feel in our yards for those of us in the northern areas. Hibiscus need a dormancy period during the winter. As a broad category, these plants are hardy from Zones 4-9, but some varieties have lower tolerance for cold. Check the information for your specific variety and check your Zone.

For winter care, wait until there has been a killing frost, one that turns the leaves brown, and then trim the stems back. Hardy hibiscus are considered a perennial plant, not a shrub, so they will die down to the ground each winter. To help them survive the cold, cover the plants with a thick, 8- to 12-inch layer of mulch, chopped leaves or pine needles. This will help protect the root ball. 

Mark the placement of the plants since these are slow starters in the spring. It’s very easy to think you have lost them, so have patience. The soil temperatures need to reach the 70-degree range to bring them out of their winter sleep. Once you see their new sprouts emerge, give them a dose of a slow-release fertilizer, such as Neptune’s Harvest. Also watch, as some varieties like to self-sow, and you may have some new plants to share with your friends.

Happy Gardening,

Karen

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