Posts Tagged ‘Winter’
Termites – Inspection
Q: My termite inspector has asked to come in winter. He said the yearly inspection can be done any time of the year but I have my doubts. A: Termite expert Dan Suiter says there’s no law that says when...
Termites – Inspection time
Q: My termite inspector has asked to come in winter. He said the yearly inspection can be done any time of the year but I have my doubts. A: Termite expert Dan Suiter says there’s no law that says when...
Nellie Stevens’ holly – Pruning
Q: In spring, our ‘Nellie Stevens’ holly suffers from a blight. The new growth and branch tips blacken and wither. Later growth isn’t as badly affected and it continues to flourish. However, the unintended pruning is affecting the tree’s shape,...
Tilling – Soil
Q: I have a vegetable garden area which I’ve improved by adding compost, dead grass and leaves every fall and spring. This fall I sowed ryegrass and it is now five inches tall. How tall should it grow before I...
Ryegrass – Garden soil
Q: I have a vegetable garden area which I’ve improved by adding compost, dead grass and leaves every fall and spring. This fall I sowed ryegrass and it is now five inches tall. How tall should it grow before I...
Ginger and Turmeric – Cultivation
Q: What is the best way to cultivate ginger and turmeric in a home garden? Can we simply break off the little conical ends and plant them with the pointed ends up in loose soil? Do they need much watering...
Crapemyrtle – Losing Branches
Q: Can you tell me what is wrong with this crepe myrtle? It is losing its branches. A: One of the results of chopping off the top of a crapemyrtle in winter is lots of lush growth the following spring....
Cat’s Claw Vine – Identification
Q: We found this vine in Lake Charles, Louisiana over the 2009 Easter holidays. The resident at the home and the most popular garden nursery in the city could not identify it. So we brought it back to Marietta ....
“Nellie Stevens” holly – Blight
Q: In spring, our ‘Nellie Stevens’ holly suffers from a blight. The new growth and branch tips blacken and wither. Later growth isn’t as badly affected and it continues to flourish. However, the unintended pruning is affecting the tree’s shape,...
Chinda doll – Growth
Q: I have a four-foot tall China Doll plant. It flourished outside but indoors the leaves are yellow and falling off. A: Although China Doll plant, Radermachera sinica, is sold as a house plant, it can eventually grow to 30...
Bulk corn meal – Purchase
Q: Where can I buy bulk corn gluten meal? I want to do an organic care program on my 5000 square foot lawn. A: Hastings Garden Center in Brookhaven has small bags of the meal but you can also order...
Watering – Yellow leaves
Q: My family has been “showering with buckets” to collect bathwater for months now. We pour the water around plants in our full sun beds. I’ve begun to notice some plants showing yellowish leaves. A: My guess is that the...
Cherry Tree – Pruning
Q: I have a ‘Snow Fountain’ weeping cherry tree. I’ve noticed a lot of the limbs reach the ground; some even stretch out on the ground. How should it be pruned? A: ‘Snow Fountain’ cherry is a beautiful small tree...
Indoor palm – Spider mites
Q: I received an indoor palm as a housewarming gift. The leaves have started browning and it appears to have cobwebs in between some of the fronds. Could this be spider mites? A: Palms are famous for getting spider mites...
Drought – Supplemental watering
Q: You recently wrote that even with our drought, supplemental watering isn’t generally needed in the winter. What are some guidelines as to when I should re-start watering my camellias and azaleas? A: Water loss from the soil is caused...
Bathwater – Plant coloring
Q: My family has been “showering with buckets” to collect bathwater for months now. We pour the water around plants in our full sun beds. I’ve begun to notice some plants showing yellowish leaves. A: My guess is that the...
David viburnum – Brown spotsI
Q: I have a beautiful David viburnum and it has several branches with all the leaves brown and more with brown spots. What’s happening? A: Although I once recommended it, I have lost confidence in this shrub, Viburnum davidii, for...
Compost tumbler – Instructions
Q: I bought a compost tumbler last summer. I balanced the amount of green and brown matter I put in and I turn the tumbler a couple times a week. Now it is three-quarters full but nothing seems to be...
