william sanchez wrote:
im having a hard time learning how often to water my garden…i live in north
florida…and i planted some onions and brocoli and radishes last november and
got absolutely no harvest…so im trying again..but i want to know , how often
should i warer my garden..thanks
Dear William,
How often to water depends upon a number of factors. How much organic matter is in the soil? This helps to hold water. It is one
of the reason most commercial soils have a good deal of organic matter, such as peat and/or compost mixed in with other elements
such as wood chips, bark and inert ingredients such as perlite. Small plants require more water than established plants. Remember,
the Horticultural rule: if a plant dries, it dies. Most gardens should be in an area with 6-8 hours of sunlight daily. Plant where the garden
will not be in direct competition with the roots from other plants, shrubs and trees.
My best,
Stan
Trish wrote:
Our Home is in Tarpon Springs and
– faces south, get full sun, heat, cold, wind. Nothing will grow there. Our pres
Tom Tucker ( ) states:
>Crotons are beautiful but not very cold tolerant. We had them at the Red Oak
entrance a few years ago but didn’t do well. Nothing seems to do well there. I
don’t know why. We add pete when planting and we spent money to get irrigation
there and we use mulch but nothing seems to do well. Aztec Grass won’t even grow
there. There used to be Indian Hawthorne there and they didn’t do well. We put
new sod and it didn’t grow. Nothing but weeds. I’m stumped..<
Any suggestions?
Dear Trish:
My next Home Show will be in June at the Tropicana Field, you could bring a soil sample. Consider growing junipers and/or dwarf hollies (cold hardy) which are very excepting of our Florida sand. Improving the soil with peat moss and Black Kow manure would also be a good first start. Make sure the mulch is a couple of inches thick and that water is being applied during the dry times.
My best,
MRGT
Thank you for your help
Trish
Rosalina wrote:
Hello my question is that i have a dieffenbachia house plant. I have seen gnats
around the top of the soil but just a few. I spray them with a garlic solution
or sometimes a soapy spray for plants because i though they were whiteflies. But
i started seeing them more on the bottom of my pot. I don’t know what to do to
get rid of them.. My other plants which are dracena or corn plants are ok. I see
maybe on or two in the top dirt but not like my other plant.
Dear Rosalina:
Try a Neem oil on houseplants, it’s low toxicity makes it friendly in the home setting. There are a number of pesticides labeled for indoor use. The fungus gnat often comes in some of our potting soils. Sometimes re-potting in fresh, new soil is a more simple solution than spraying the base of the plant repeatedly.
My best,
MRGT
For most parts of the country, spring has sprung and summer is just around the corner. Many of your favorite plants were injured by the cold. How do you know if these plants will survive? Use a pocket or paring knife to scrape along the outer bark of the stems working your way back from the tips to the base of the trunk. In some cases, it may be dark brown along the edges, keep working until you find a light green cambium layer; at this point, Mother Nature has made a decision for you. Trim off all dead plant material.
Question: I have about 25 different varieties of tomatoes in my Tarpon Springs garden. I have noticed that the leaves are getting these brown spots on top of them. I do not know what this is, can you help?
Wow, 25 different varieties! This is very impressive and I would like to say I am envious of your crop diversity. If you are or did experience brown spots on your leaves you have a fungus in my opinion. Not to worry you have options in helping your success for your next years crop, I would recommend getting some Dithane M45 or any other general fungicide and be certain to follow the label instructions to the letter.
Question: I have a small greenhouse business and this year I seem to have a problem with a green-like algae/ fungus that grows on the surface of my pots and flats. What is it and how do I get rid of it? Will Decree fungicide work?
You are correct it is green algae and your more than welcome to try “Decree” Fungicide, but my understanding of that product is that it is very specific in its inhibiting mode of action. One idea for you would be to be very careful in how you use this but you could use a diluted concentration of bleach and clean your planting beds, trays, and other equipment that the algae is growing on. Keep in mind algae has very little effect on plant growth and nearly every greenhouse has some algae growing within it.
When plants are trimmed, the diseased parts are removed, and pruning roses involves doing just this, as well as maintaining the shape of the plant. Keep the stem of a rose healthy with help from an urban horticulturist and gardening adviser in this free video on growing roses.
Temperature has a great effect on plants, as very hot and very cold weather can prevent a plant from setting blooms, and it can even cause the plant to start dropping foliage. Keep plants at their proper temperatures for the best results with plant advice from an urban horticulturist in this free video on gardening.
Question: I am a new rose planter and I’m not sure what is meant by cutting my roses back to the next bud?
A rose bush always has a dormant bud below the stem. Cut 1/8th of an inch above this bud. The rose plant will normally branch or bush out in this direction.
Rule of Thumb: The width of your pinky finger nail is about an eighth of an inch.
Mulch is used around the base of trees and plants to help conserve moisture so that the plant will grow better. Find out how mulch also helps prevent weeds with information from an experienced gardener and horticulturist in this free video on mulch.
