Tomato and pepper seed start time


Thu. Apr. 9, 2020

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Tomato and pepper seed start time

Nothing’s better than a homegrown tomato.  You can make that experience even better by starting your own from seed.  The best barometer for planting tomatoes and peppers outside is when the soil temperature is 60 to 70 degrees.  Usually that’s Memorial weekend in zone 4 and a week or so later in zone 3.   Planting early usually means stunted growth.  I’m going to start some seeds within the next week or so.   … [Continue reading]

Planting slopes


Wed. Apr. 8, 2020

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Planting slopes

Oh boy… can’t wait to push the mower up that!

There’s got to be a better way! And there is…but it ain’t easy.

You’re looking for plants to prevent soil erosion and yet the site is usually difficult to work on for anything including maintenance.  Adding a mix of shrubs, grasses, perennials and hardscape items is work, but worth it.  Think about your budget too!

This is a great article from Midwest Gardens on planting slopes.  … [Continue reading]

Frost dates and the Year of the Hydrangea


Tue. Apr. 7, 2020

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Frost dates and the Year of the Hydrangea

 Throwing seeds of lettuce and radishes on your soil right now is fine, they germinate in soil temps of about 35.

Most cool season crops germinate when soil and air temperatures are at least 40 degrees and above.  Those crops include carrots, beets and cole crops like broccoli and cauliflower.

 The AVERAGE last official frost date for Zones 3 and 4 is May 15th while zones 5 and 6  … [Continue reading]

Lasagna gardening or “sheet” gardening


Mon. Apr. 6, 2020

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Lasagna gardening or “sheet” gardening

Oh we had some wonderful days last week. I hope you had a chance to move about your gardens and start clean up!

I saved the grasses to use as mulch on my vegetable garden. Since we ARE headed into a time when we can start to really do some things outdoors, keep in mind, we still have to be aware of soggy soil and frost still in the ground. (Although not much) … [Continue reading]

Best planting practices for trees and shrubs


Fri. Apr. 3, 2020

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Best planting practices for trees and shrubs

We used to tell you to plant trees and shrubs at the same level they came in in their container. The great part about horticulture is that we are continually learning!!  NOW, the best advice is to take a look at those plants.  Turns out that some of those plants come with too much soil on top of their graft of trunk flare.

So, what does that mean?  It means you  … [Continue reading]

Rain gardens


Thu. Apr. 2, 2020

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Rain gardens

Last year I was supposed to get a rain garden installed by the City as they redid my streets… however, they pushed out to this year. Alas, I wait. BUT the great thing is they WILL being doing it and that means that other cities do too! If YOUR street will be redone, be sure to ask your city streets department if they have an option for you to get one installed too.  I’ll share pictures  … [Continue reading]

April Fools Day and garden myth busting


Wed. Apr. 1, 2020

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: April Fools Day and garden myth busting

Pulling tall tales out of the myth bucket!

Wound dressing is one of the top myths. We used to think that trees, like humans, needed some sort of “bandaid” after they’ve been cut.

Not so, in fact, there are times that those wound dressings may even inhibit the plant’s ability to heal itself. Tars, emulsions and waxes can dry and crack.

If water gets behind the crack, it can promote disease  … [Continue reading]

Hydroponic growing and why those tomatoes are kinda bland!


Tue. Mar. 31, 2020

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Hydroponic growing and why those tomatoes are kinda bland!

Last week I was doing a radio interview and the question came up as to why hydroponically grown tomatoes taste so bland. Honestly, I wasn’t sure.

I had to do a little digging and found a couple of possible explanations, though these are not science based but rather, hypotheses.

First, Hydroponic environments are often warm and humid, just the kind of conditions tomatoes like. They produce lots of big,  … [Continue reading]

The Victory Garden in a strange new land


Mon. Mar. 30, 2020

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: The Victory Garden in a strange new land

As we deal with a global pandemic, gardening is the one thing we can still do to maintain sanity and safe distancing. As I said last week, the garden is my peace and I hope it brings you the same.

 

There’s been a resurgence of folks asking about Victory Gardens. 

Early in World War II, before the US stepped in with our military, the United States government appealed to  … [Continue reading]

Lawn spots – Fido, Fifi or snow mold


Fri. Mar. 27, 2020

Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Lawn spots – Fido, Fifi or snow mold

We love our dogs but not so much what they do to our lawns over the winter.  Fido or Fifi (or Gigi)  may have left some dead spots around the yard.

Urine and your lawn don’t get along. You can buy a lawn repair kit at most garden centers or you can mix your own. The best grass seed is a mix of Kentucky blue grass with fine fescues and  … [Continue reading]