Sage Advice Archives - Gardenerd

Ask Gardenerd: Best Soil for Tomatoes

Christy — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 13:00:00 +0000

Ginger wrote into Ask Gardenerd this week to ask about the best soil for tomatoes in containers, and for pollinating tips.

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Ask Gardenerd: What Happened to Serenade

Christy — Wed, 20 May 2026 13:00:00 +0000

A great question came into Ask Gardenerd this week about a discontinued product: Serenade

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Ask Gardenerd: Heavy Metals in Soils

Christy — Tue, 13 Jan 2026 14:00:00 +0000

A thought-provoking question came into Ask Gardenerd from Bill Thompson in New Hampshire this week about heavy metals. Let's dive in.

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Ask Gardenerd: Saving Onion Seeds

Christy — Wed, 10 Sep 2025 13:00:00 +0000

A series of questions came in from Jaci this week about saving onion seeds. Her questions are really about growing onions for seed-saving.

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Spring Season Advice from Expert Guests

Christy — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 13:00:00 +0000

Look no further for spring season advice than the Gardenerd Tip of the Week Podcast. Our archives are chock-full of expert advice and great conversations about everything spring.

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Ask Gardenerd: What’s Wrong with My Cucumber Sprouts?

Christy — Wed, 26 Apr 2023 13:00:00 +0000

A great seasonal question about cucumber sprouts came in to Ask Gardenerd this week from Rosemary Stankey.

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Ask Gardenerd: Planting Tips for Squash and Melons

Christy — Tue, 04 Apr 2023 16:05:04 +0000

Ann wrote in to Ask Gardenerd this week with a question about growing squash and melons. We offer solutions to protect plants from her turtles

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Ask Gardenerd: Fertilizer Choice for New Gardener

Christy — Wed, 01 Mar 2023 14:00:00 +0000

A great question about a fertilizer choice came into Ask Gardenerd this week from Selena in Australia. We answer and provide tips about options.

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Ask Gardenerd: Shredder Advice

Christy — Tue, 29 Nov 2022 14:00:00 +0000

A great question came into Ask Gardenerd this week from Kati Thompson about the best shredder for compost prep.

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Ask Gardenerd: Citrus Overwatered – What to Do?

Christy — Wed, 03 Aug 2022 13:00:00 +0000

A question came into Ask Gardenerd this week from Marilyn Boone when her citrus was overwatered. We answered.

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Ask Gardenerd: Water Crisis – How to Conserve Water for Garden Plants

Christy — Wed, 27 Apr 2022 13:00:00 +0000

I've been hearing from clients about new water restrictions cities are implementing to deal with California's water crisis. In some cases, cities plan to cut homeowner's water supply by 50%.

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Ask Gardenerd: Asparagus – To Prune or Not to Prune?

Christy — Tue, 05 Apr 2022 19:23:01 +0000

A question came in to Ask Gardenerd about pruning asparagus. What dive into the answers.

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Ask Gardenerd: Lemon Tree Grown from Seed

Christy — Tue, 24 Aug 2021 13:00:00 +0000

A question came in to Ask Gardenerd about a lemon tree grown from seed. We explore whether that's a good idea or not.

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Ask Gardenerd – What’s a Spittlebug?

Christy — Wed, 04 Aug 2021 13:00:00 +0000

A fun question came into Ask Gardenerd this week from Janet Lally. She asks, "This morning I found my rosemary had blobs of white foam on the ends of some branches. I had pruned the rosemary yesterday. What is it? --Janet Lally"

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Ask Gardenerd: Holes in My Basil

Christy — Wed, 07 Jul 2021 13:00:00 +0000

We received this question from David Feldman came into Ask Gardenerd: “My basil has been doing great all spring and now that summer is here the leaves have lots of [holes] in them and some are half gone. What can I do about that?” Without a photo, David, it can be hard to tell what’s […]

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Ask Gardenerd: Rootstock Fruit on Citrus

Christy — Tue, 18 May 2021 15:37:25 +0000

Every once in awhile we get a question or comment from a fruit gardener that their citrus fruit tastes terrible. This week, Paul Marini wrote in to Ask Gardenerd with a different question that is related: "I know the Meyer lemon tree is a combination of lemon and mandarin orange. I am pretty sure there are orange branches growing out of the bottom half [of my tree]. Is it OK to leave them on, or should I cut them off?"

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Ask Gardenerd: Volunteers and Compost Volunteers

Christy — Tue, 04 May 2021 18:34:12 +0000

A question from Debra came into Ask Gardenerd this week about compost volunteers. To keep or not to keep? We answer that question.

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Ask Gardenerd: Solving Leaf Miner Issues

Christy — Tue, 26 Jan 2021 18:11:34 +0000

This week a question came in to Ask Gardenerd about controlling leaf miners and leaf rollers on citrus trees. We'll explore the options to solve the issue.

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Ask Gardenerd: Rats and Their Traps

Christy — Wed, 23 Dec 2020 14:00:00 +0000

Two questions came in to Ask Gardenerd this week about rats and their traps. Let's tackle them in order. The first is from Linda Smith:

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Ask Gardenerd: Where Do I Get Worms?

Christy — Wed, 30 Sep 2020 13:00:50 +0000

We get questions like this one from Esther Lumer a lot: "Where do I buy worms to revive my compost bins?" The answer varies depending on what kind of compost bin you have, and depending on your goals. Let's explore.

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Ask Gardenerd: Ash in the Garden

Christy — Wed, 16 Sep 2020 13:00:15 +0000

With fires raging here in California, the question keeps coming up: how do I deal with fallen ash in the garden? Does it contaminate the soil? Should I eat the plants? These are all good questions. Let's look at the answers.

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Ask Gardenerd: Tomato Blossoms Not Fruiting

Christy — Wed, 27 May 2020 13:00:03 +0000

A question came in from Paula about tomato blossoms not fruiting. We tackle the question with our favorite TomatoManiac, Scott Daigre.

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Ask Gardenerd: Soil Test Kits

Christy — Tue, 18 Feb 2020 15:44:57 +0000

Our question to Ask Gardenerd this week came from Vincent Basehart about doing a soil test, "Do you recommend soil testing, and if so, can you recommend a kit that is easy to use?"

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Ask Gardenerd: Where Should the Worms Go?

Christy — Thu, 06 Feb 2020 15:55:26 +0000

A question came into Ask Gardenerd that I hear often: "My standard compost bins have been populated with worms - I think red worms?

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Ask Gardenerd: Citrus Leaf Problems

Christy — Tue, 21 Jan 2020 16:47:59 +0000

We received a question about a sad lemon tree this week so it's time to revisit our advice for basic citrus care. The question came from Kim Van Buskirk:

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Ask Gardenerd: My Compost Is Too Wet!

Christy — Tue, 05 Nov 2019 14:00:57 +0000

Virendra writes in from India to ask about her compost bin. It's too wet! What can she do to solve the problem? Read to find the answers.

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Podcast: Fall Gardening Tips with Gardenerd

Christy — Thu, 17 Oct 2019 13:00:31 +0000

This week's podcast shakes things up a bit. We're answering your questions from Ask Gardenerd about soil prep techniques, and soil biology.

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Ask Gardenerd: Lumpy Tomato Roots, Root Nematodes

Christy — Tue, 10 Sep 2019 15:46:59 +0000

A timely question came in to Ask Gardenerd this week from Catherine: “My garden went gangbusters this year but I noticed…the roots of all plants (4 tomatoes and 2 cucumber plants) were bumpy, like they had grown lumps all over. I read something about ‘root nematodes’ but the link wasn’t very informative about what causes […]

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Ask Gardenerd: Can I Plant Broccoli After Corn and Beans? Let’s Talk Plant Families.

Christy — Wed, 28 Aug 2019 13:00:54 +0000

Lina wrote into Ask Gardenerd this week, "Can you plant broccoli in the same fabric pot where corn and beans were previously planted?"

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Ask Gardenerd: Pumpkin Fruits Dropping

Christy — Tue, 30 Jul 2019 13:00:03 +0000

David D. writes into Ask Gardenerd this week about his pumpkin fruits dropping before the flowers open to pollinate. What's wrong here? Let's explore the so

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Ask Gardenerd: Curling Leaves on Lemon Tree

Christy — Wed, 19 Jun 2019 13:00:35 +0000

Tee wrote in to Ask Gardenerd this week with a common problem. "Why are the leaves on my lemon tree/bush curling inward?"

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Ask Gardenerd: Green Worms on My Brassicas

Christy — Wed, 13 Mar 2019 13:00:49 +0000

We get questions like this one from Jody all the time: "Last year I ripped everything out of my garden, put fresh soil in and decided rather last minute to do an edible landscape. It was beyond anything I could have expected or hoped for, but what really was trouble was the white butterflies infesting/laying eggs/green worms in my cabbage, broccoli and kale.

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Ask Gardenerd: Guinea Pig Poop?

Christy — Tue, 12 Mar 2019 16:05:38 +0000

Eric K. writes Ask Gardenerd this week about using guinea pig poop in the garden: "Can I use guinea pig poop as fertilizer for tomatoes? And since we have a never-ending supply, can I keep dumping it into the soil all summer long, or is there a point at which it's just too much?

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Spindly Seedlings under Grow Lights?

Christy — Wed, 27 Feb 2019 14:00:29 +0000

This week we received two questions about the same problem: spindly or stunted seedlings under grow lights. One gardenerd said her seedlings were still leggy, even though she situated the grow light 2-3" above the leaves. The other gardenerd said her seedlings were just not growing.

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Ask Gardenerd: Corn is Falling Over

Christy — Tue, 12 Feb 2019 18:35:00 +0000

Steven Duke writes into Ask Gardenerd this week: "I have an issue with corn being blown over. This year I want to plant okra around my corn to see if it can help with keeping the corn from being blown over as bad. Is this possible??"

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Ask Gardenerd: Caterpillars on my Roses

Christy — Tue, 05 Feb 2019 14:00:01 +0000

A question from Bettina came in to Ask Gardenerd this week about green caterpillars on her roses: “My rose gets eaten by green caterpillar, I try to pick them off as well as I can but am wondering if there is something I can use that makes the moth stay away? The rose is in […]

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Ask Gardenerd: Cats in my Garden

Christy — Tue, 29 Jan 2019 17:11:04 +0000

A great question came in from Michele this week about trouble with cats in the garden: “My next door neighbor has several cats and she insists on letting them run loose. One of them has been digging in my raised beds, destroying some young seedlings – and what’s worse, defecating in them. Do you know […]

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Ask Gardenerd: Decreased Production in Planter Beds

Christy — Wed, 03 Oct 2018 13:00:01 +0000

Vidya writes in to Ask Gardenerd with a problem we’ve been dealing with for awhile: decreased production in raised beds. She writes, “For five years I have been growing flowers and vegetables in my garden. The first few years, I had amazing yields…Slowly, the plants became shorter and weaker, and this year, I barely had […]

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Ask Gardenerd: Saving Cucumber Seeds

Christy — Wed, 05 Sep 2018 13:00:37 +0000

Ann writes in to Ask Gardenerd this week: “Hi! Just came upon your site and LOVE it! A friend who lives up north from us just shared lemon cucumbers with us. We have never had them before and find them pretty neat. I haven’t even tasted them yet. They told us how they save the […]

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Ask Gardenerd: Green Ground Cherries

Christy — Tue, 21 Aug 2018 16:04:11 +0000

We received a question to Ask Gardenerd from Cheryl Dickson this week. She asks, “I have ground cherries that have fallen to the ground but a lot of them are still quite green. Should I leave the husk on them to ripen inside, or should I remove the husk to let them ripen? Thank you […]

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Ask Gardenerd: Can I Compost in the Garden Beds?

Christy — Tue, 07 Aug 2018 13:00:18 +0000

This is the perfect Ask Gardenerd question for those with no room for a compost bin. It came from Nancy Ross: “I have been putting my scraps for compost directly into my raised beds. Is this OK? Will this reduce the need for plant food? Thanks!” Great question, Nancy. The short answer is, yes, you […]

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Ask Gardenerd: Freezing Peppers

Christy — Tue, 31 Jul 2018 13:00:19 +0000

The most timely question came in to Ask Gardenerd from Corinne today. She asks, “Do I need to roast my chili and jalapeno peppers before freezing them or can I freeze them whole and roast them as I use them?” Great question, Corinne. The answer depends on how you plan to use them later on. […]

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Ask Gardenerd: Tomatoes with Heat Damage

Christy — Tue, 10 Jul 2018 14:52:45 +0000

Temperatures hit 116° F in some Southern California gardens this week, causing heat damage to many crops. This question from Mary is timely: “My tomatoes are getting heat stroke! I’m wondering if it’s too late to save all of them. I’ve installed a 50% sunblock shade, and I’ve thrown out any that have bleached. I […]

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Ask Gardenerd: Yellow Leaves on Citrus Trees

Christy — Tue, 12 Jun 2018 14:13:54 +0000

Here’s a question we see frequently when it comes to citrus trees: “Our orange tree has yellow leaves. What can we do? It is a dwarf tree. There are some oranges starting to grow. — Janette” Thanks for asking, Janette. There are several reason why your orange tree might be turning yellow. Let’s start with […]

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Ask Gardenerd: How to Use Kelp Emulsion?

Christy — Wed, 16 May 2018 13:00:53 +0000

David wrote in to Ask Gardenerd this week: “Hi Christy. Where do you recommend getting Kelp emulsion and how do you recommend using it? Thank you.” We use several different liquid kelp products, depending on what’s available. There are several available at nurseries (rather than big box warehouse nurseries). Here are a few to find: […]

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Ask Gardenerd: Squirrels Eating My Fruit!

Christy — Tue, 15 May 2018 13:00:26 +0000

“Help! The squirrels clean[ed] my 3 Loquat trees, not one piece of fruit left. Quite the surprise. Now I’m fretting over my tomatoes. How do I keep them away for my ripening fruit?”–Kim Sorry to hear about your squirrel issues, Kim. It’s devastating to foster trees to fruitful production only to have them stripped bare […]

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Ask Gardenerd: Onions Didn’t Bulb Up

Christy — Tue, 24 Apr 2018 15:11:15 +0000

We received a great question from Sue Payne regarding onions this week: “I planted yellow Spanish onions last September from seedlings that I picked up in a nursery (they were little, about 3″ tall, 1/16″ in diameter, in soil). I planted them in a garden bed with compost, about 6” apart. They grew nicely, but […]

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Ask Gardenerd: Preventing Compacted Soil in Pots

Christy — Tue, 06 Feb 2018 17:34:49 +0000

Here’s a cool question that came into Ask Gardenerd this week: “Hi Christy, When transplanting plants grown in pots, I usually find large sections of soil that are dry and hard, often near the bottom, but not always. I’ve tried pushing small sticks into the soil to create a channel for water to follow, but […]

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Ask Gardenerd: Grubs and Raccoons

Christy — Tue, 23 Jan 2018 17:30:15 +0000

A question came into Ask Gardenerd over the holidays: “How do I discourage the raccoons digging in my raised veggie beds?? They don’t dig on the hillside, where their efforts would be appreciated! 🙂 So far vinegar; cayenne pepper hasn’t worked! I know they are looking for grubs. I read that BT will kill the […]

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Ask Gardenerd: Pollinator Garden Density

Christy — Tue, 31 Oct 2017 16:35:10 +0000

A very cool question came in to Ask Gardenerd from Trevor Pratt this week: “How geographically dense does the distribution of pollinator gardens have to be in the LA area to support bees and other interesting threatened species of pollinating organisms? I am not sure what the problem is but it seems they need a […]

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Homegrown Goji Berries

Christy — Tue, 03 Oct 2017 15:52:49 +0000

Our first year of growing experimental goji berries comes to a close and we actually have something to show for it. Some readers may recall that we won two goji berry plants at the Garden Writers Association Symposium in 2015. It took a year for the plants to get established and 2017 was the first […]

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Ask Gardenerd: Saving Tomato Seeds and Blight

Christy — Tue, 05 Sep 2017 14:53:29 +0000

A question came in to Ask Gardenerd from Jeff Bremer this week: “This is a two-part question: 1. I save seeds from each year’s tomato crop to plant the following year. I can never get all the “meat” of the tomato off the seeds. How do you clean these seeds? 2. Can early blight be […]

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Ask Gardenerd: When to Water?

Christy — Wed, 19 Jul 2017 13:05:38 +0000

A question came in from Karen at Ask Gardenerd this week: “During these very hot summer days, what’s the best time of day to water my vegetable garden?” Irrigation is key during hot weather in climates where rain is scarce. Here in Los Angeles, where days are topping 108° in the Valley and other inland […]

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Tomato Worms, Flies, and Flower Drop – Oh, My!

Christy — Wed, 12 Jul 2017 13:00:08 +0000

Several questions came in all at once from David this week. He asks, “How do I get rid of flies that like to hang around in my back yard and bask in the sunlight? Also, why would my tomato plants not produce any fruit? The flowers just shrivel up and die. AND, what can I […]

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Ask Gardenerd: Squash Vine Borers

Christy — Wed, 21 Jun 2017 13:07:13 +0000

A troubling question came into Ask Gardenerd this week from Jennifer: “I’m a new gardener (4 years), and EVERY SINGLE YEAR, vine borers eat my zucchini plants. But I keep planting them because they are my favorite!! None of my friends have this problem. I don’t understand. I’ve moved them in the garden, planted marigolds, […]

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Ask Gardenerd: Protecting Blackberries

Christy — Wed, 17 May 2017 13:06:53 +0000

We got a good one from Ask Gardenerd this week: “Hello, our blackberries are thriving this year, probably because of all the rain we got in SoCal, but I am afraid the birds will get them before us, like they did with our blueberries. Do you have any tips and tricks for proper bird netting […]

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Ask Gardenerd: Pruning Blackberries

Christy — Tue, 06 Dec 2016 15:31:40 +0000

As we look into the corner of the Gardenerd Test Garden, we see the need for blackberry pruning. Someone else in the Gardenerd community did the same thing and asked: “I believe you mentioned it is time to prune blackberries, but what’s your method? My Seattle friends say they all cut the plants off at […]

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Ask Gardenerd: Tap Water Concerns

Christy — Tue, 29 Nov 2016 17:06:53 +0000

Here’s a question urban gardeners ask themselves at least once while standing next to a garden hose as the smell of chlorine wafts across the yard. George from Wisconsin proposed it this week on Ask Gardenerd (edited for length): “Hi, A few years ago I noticed that my garden never looked as good after I […]

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Ask Gardenerd: How to Get More Volunteer Tomatoes

Christy — Wed, 12 Oct 2016 13:36:16 +0000

I do believe my favorite question to date just came in to Ask Gardenerd from Jeff Bremer: “Hi Christy, How do I encourage volunteers? Over the years in my tomato garden, a few volunteers would appear each season. Last year, in hopes of getting a lot of volunteers (for this year) whenever a tomato was […]

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Ask Gardenerd: Saving Broccolini Seeds

Christy — Tue, 23 Aug 2016 15:16:03 +0000

This terrific question came in from an inquiring mind this week: “Last spring I had a very tasty crop of Broccolini. I was impressed enough to save seeds at the end of the season. I’ve since learned that Broccolini is a cross between Italian Broccoli and Chinese Broccoli (a form of Kale). Was my seed […]

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Ask Gardenerd: Citrus Fruit Tree Care

Christy — Tue, 28 Jun 2016 15:16:28 +0000

The questions keep flowing in this time of year. Here’s the latest from Jim: “How much water and fertilizer do I need for 2 y o blood orange tree. And do those minimums change in hot or cold weather? My leaves have 2-color leaves, green near midrib and yellowish towards outside Why?” Jim, you might […]

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Ask Gardenerd: Pruning Tomatoes

Christy — Wed, 22 Jun 2016 13:00:13 +0000

Summer is the perfect time for this question from Jeff Bremer: “Hi Christy, What’s your opinion on pinching-off the “branches” that sprout out of tomato plants? Some of my friends don’t pinch at all, but my neighbor pinches his plants back so he has only one “stem.” Thx, Jeff “ Ah yes, to pinch or […]

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Ask Gardenerd: What’s Eating My Cabbage and Spinach?

Christy — Wed, 08 Jun 2016 13:00:08 +0000

Ah, pests. Here at Gardenerd, we like to say that having a garden without pests is like having children and expecting them to be well behaved all the time. It’s unrealistic. Most garden pests are telling us something, and the rest we can usually deal with easily without chemicals or harmful pesticides. Here’s a question […]

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Ask Gardenerd: Frost Dates?

Christy — Tue, 07 Jun 2016 16:05:17 +0000

Here’s a question we get on occasion at Ask Gardenerd: “Many garden books and seed packets refer to timing in the garden in terms of the date of the last frost. For example: “Wait to plant until 3 weeks past the date of the last frost.” I recently purchased a great garden planner and all […]

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Ask Gardenerd: Maggots in My Compost

Christy — Wed, 25 May 2016 13:11:49 +0000

We get this one a lot at Ask Gardenerd, so we thought it would be good to answer it in print: “Help! I just opened my compost to little tan maggots?! I have never seen them before!!! Our compost is every kind of food we throw out. So, I assume it is unbalanced? Also, I […]

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Ask Gardenerd: How to Harvest and Store Red Onions

Christy — Tue, 03 May 2016 14:54:54 +0000

A timely question came in to Ask Gardenerd this week: “How do you harvest and store red onions? – Pete” Hi Pete, great question. It’s that time of year, if you planted bulb onions in the fall, to harvest them for storage. If you’re just planting them now, you’ll harvest in late summer or fall. […]

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Ask Gardenerd: Milkweed for New York?

Christy — Wed, 13 Apr 2016 13:08:38 +0000

A question came into Ask Gardenerd this week about milkweed plants and seeds: “Could you please recommend a reliable source to buy African milkweed? I would like to grow some in Rochester NY. Is this the correct kind for my area, by the way? Thank you, Julia Joshpe” Hi Julia, while African Milkweed is beautiful […]

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Ask Gardenerd: Home Made Fertilizers

Christy — Tue, 08 Mar 2016 14:05:42 +0000

We don’t get this kind of question very often, so we thought we’d feature it this week: “Hey there, I was wondering if you know any good homemade recipes of organic fertilizers used for vegetative and flowering growth? If you could also help me out with the dosage situation too… Thanks, this would be extremely […]

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Pruning Fruit Trees

Christy — Thu, 18 Feb 2016 14:49:18 +0000

We’ve got a new YouTube video for you on Pruning Fruit Trees. There are so many details about pruning specific trees, but before all of that, you need to know the basics. Watch our latest video with guest Jessika Mitchell to learn the proper way to prune a fruit tree. You’ll learn about best practices […]

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Ask Gardenerd: Big Cauliflower – No Head

Christy — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 14:03:15 +0000

We got a question at Ask Gardenerd this week from Jeff: “I’m having trouble with cauliflower – the plants are not flowering. Is there anything I can do to encourage flowering? By the way, I planted broccoli as well and it’s doing fine. Thanks, Jeff” You’re not alone, Jeff. This is typical of places that […]

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Ask Gardenerd: Growing Turmeric

Christy — Wed, 09 Dec 2015 14:49:53 +0000

An interesting question came in to Ask Gardenerd this week: “My friend and I both live in central South Carolina. Last year we planted turmeric plants in our yards. Now we realize that we need to know how and when to harvest these plants. What should they look like? Do they need to be stored […]

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Ask Gardenerd: Winter Care for Succulents

Christy — Wed, 11 Nov 2015 14:49:17 +0000

This week’s question is a good one: “Hi and thank you in advance for your help. I live in Texas and have a lot of succulents in pots (20) and other things in the ground like cannas. Question is: how to keep them alive through winter? Get some kind of tarps or bring them into […]

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Ask Gardenerd: Preventing Bugs Next Year

Christy — Wed, 07 Oct 2015 13:00:39 +0000

As we start over with a fall garden in warm-winter climates, or put the garden away in more temperate regions, the question arises once again: “How can I prevent bugs that were problematic this year in my fruit and vegetable garden ie. aphids, sawflies, stink bugs from overwintering and becoming a problem next year?” – […]

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Ask Gardenerd: Are Grasshoppers Bad?

Christy — Wed, 23 Sep 2015 13:20:21 +0000

We love it when people ask about bugs before killing them. Better safe than sorry. You may be killing a beneficial insect, so please ask before taking action. Like Dora here: “Are grasshoppers bad for my garden? If so how can I get rid of [them] naturally?” Dora, we used to let grasshoppers wander the […]

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Ask Gardenerd: Roly Poly Problems

Christy — Tue, 01 Sep 2015 14:49:48 +0000

Here’s a new question that came in this week: ” I have a ton of roly poly bugs in my raised beds right now… They at the roots/stems of my last round of cucumbers and I would like to get rid of them without hurting my worm population. Can I use Diatomaceous earth? – Tia” […]

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Ask Gardenerd: When to Spray to Avoid Bees

Christy — Wed, 29 Jul 2015 13:34:26 +0000

Another great question to share with you this week from Melody Girard: “Are there certain times of the day that bees and other pollinators in our area routinely forage? If so, when would that be? I’ve read that if you need to use an organic spray to control pest, that you should avoid using it […]

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Ask Gardenerd: Make my Hydrangea Blue

Christy — Wed, 15 Jul 2015 13:38:05 +0000

I think we’ve all asked this question at least once in our gardening lives: “What do I have to do to make our light pink hydrangea to blossom blue. Everyone has different opinion on this subject, your help is very much appreciated. Thank you, Ana” Good question, Ana, and there are several answers, all arriving […]

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Ask Gardenerd: Mildew on Grapes

Christy — Wed, 01 Jul 2015 13:19:26 +0000

This week we explore powdery mildew on grapes: “Every year we have a good crop of grapes, but they are covered by mold. What should we do? We sprayed our grapes with milk & water (equal parts) to no avail. Any suggestion? Thank you. Ana & Joe Liper” You’re not alone, Ana & Joe, molds […]

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Ask Gardenerd: Growing Chicken Feed

Christy — Wed, 24 Jun 2015 13:04:31 +0000

Heads-up homesteaders, this Ask Gardenerd question is for you: “I want to start having my chickens eat things from the earth, than from the store. They are were born in April. I saw your video on YouTube about making that grass cover for them. Do you recommend compost piles and the turf for the chickens? […]

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Ask Gardenerd: Using Rainwater

Christy — Tue, 09 Jun 2015 15:21:15 +0000

A great question came into Ask Gardenerd this week: “Is it safe to use rain barrel water on the organic vegetable garden? My first concern is that the plastic the rain barrels are made of. My second is that we have several of the barrels catching water from the composite roof. What are your thoughts […]

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Hand Pollinating Squash

Christy — Wed, 29 Apr 2015 13:12:11 +0000

Early-season gardeners in warm-weather climates are planting zucchini, yellow crookneck and winter squashes already. Flowers open, bees and other pollinators arrive, and soon there will be an abundance of squashes for eating and sharing. But with pollinator populations on the decline, we leave nothing to chance here at Gardenerd HQ. We hand pollinate. Perhaps you’ve […]

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Harvesting Basil

Christy — Tue, 28 Apr 2015 16:08:11 +0000

Every once in a while it’s time to return to basics here at Gardenerd. Our blog is filled with helpful hints for gardening, but we recently discovered that the basics for harvesting basil were not among those hints. So here they are. Basil is a fragrant staple of the spring and summer garden. There are […]

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Infograph: How to Store Food Right

Christy — Tue, 10 Mar 2015 14:46:19 +0000

The folks at Fix.com put together this nifty infograph on how to store food so it lasts longer in the fridge. I found a few tidbits of information that were new to me (especially the hacks at the end), so I thought I’d share it with my fellow Gardenerds. Take a gander and keep this […]

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Ask Gardenerd: What don’t Squirrels, Gophers and Rabbits Eat?

Christy — Tue, 24 Feb 2015 16:58:13 +0000

A question came into Ask Gardenerd last week: “What don’t gophers, squirrels, and rabbits like, as I have no veggie luck. Renee” Oh, Renee, I wish I could say there is a food in the garden that these creatures don’t like, but the truth is with very few exceptions they love them all. Some folks […]

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When to Harvest Broccoli?

Christy — Tue, 03 Feb 2015 18:46:30 +0000

I get this question all the time: how do you know when broccoli is ready to harvest? The answer is in your fingertips. You can tell when to harvest broccoli by touching the head, or bud (that’s what broccoli is, a cluster of flower buds), and squeezing. If the head is firm and tight, and […]

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Chill Hours: Choosing the Right Fruit Tree

Christy — Tue, 13 Jan 2015 16:39:29 +0000

A question came in to Ask Gardenerd this week about fruit trees: “What peaches grow best and are most flavorful in Mar Vista? Also what types of plums/pluots? I live in west Mar Vista, CA. Thanks for your help and for the emails. – Reeba” Before you decide which fruit trees you want in your […]

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Ask Gardenerd: When to Blanch Celery

Christy — Wed, 12 Nov 2014 14:20:50 +0000

We love this question that came in to Ask Gardenerd this week: “I planted celery about 6 weeks ago (from the chopped off part of market celery) and it is doing well. The stalks are now about 1/2 inch thick. When do I wrap it and how to make the stalks turn white.” – Audrey […]

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Ask Gardenerd: Root Knot Nematodes

Christy — Wed, 15 Oct 2014 13:56:40 +0000

A great question came into Ask Gardenerd this week: “Do you have any tips on getting rid of root rot nematodes? Thanks! – Max“ There are natural ways to rid or drastically reduce your soil of pesky nematodes, Max. But first a clarifying question: when you say “root rot nematodes” did you mean “root knot […]

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Ask Gardenerd: Pruning Back Milkweed?

Christy — Mon, 22 Sep 2014 16:09:41 +0000

A question came into Ask Gardenerd this week that I even asked myself last year: “First year planting swamp milkweed for Monarchs – just had two butterflies exit their cocoons this morning. Had five plants this year – going big next year. Question – lots of info on how to get plants started but nothing […]

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Ask Gardenerd: Low-Light Crops for Fall

Christy — Tue, 02 Sep 2014 18:36:51 +0000

An eager gardenerd wrote into Ask Gardenerd last week asking, “What crops can I grow in low-light conditions (5 hours of sunlight)?” Since not everyone has access to full sun, we’re guessing this question has come up at least a few times for our readers. Here’s the answer: You’re in luck! There are many low-light […]

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Ask Gardenerd: Tree Roots in my Garden

Christy — Wed, 13 Aug 2014 06:19:33 +0000

A great question came in this week to Ask Gardenerd: “It’s Yvette from Mar Vista!!! I have a BURNING QUESTION!!! We have a big big rainbow eucalyptus tree in our front yard that is causing big, big problems with our raised beds…the roots (mostly small tangly ones) keep invading and stealing all the water and […]

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YouTube: Storing Seeds the Best Way

Christy — Mon, 25 Nov 2013 09:00:57 +0000

It’s time for a new YouTube video, and this one is about storing seeds to keep them vital for years. It’s as simple as 1, 2, 3, and we’ll walk you through it. Seeds lose viability if stored improperly. By storing them in the right way, you’ll save money, and you’ll be ready for survival […]

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YouTube: Harvesting Compost

Christy — Mon, 28 Oct 2013 16:44:09 +0000

We’ve been busy making instructional videos, and the latest one is all about harvesting compost. Here you’ll learn simple tricks and tools to get your compost from the bin to the garden bed in an efficient way. We’ve event added a few tips on what to do with the grubs you find in there, and […]

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Harvesting and Storing Leeks

Christy — Tue, 22 Oct 2013 14:56:06 +0000

We’ve posted a new YouTube video about harvesting and storing leeks for winter. You’ll find a neat trick for keeping leeks on hand all winter long. Learn the best way to choose which leeks to pick and how to keep a continuous supply growing. Tune into YouTube each week for a new garden tip, and […]

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Green Tip Tuesday: Heirloom Seeds

Christy — Tue, 15 Oct 2013 15:27:40 +0000

I had the opportunity to provide a Green Tip for Jeff Davis’s Go Green America TV a short while ago, and today it’s live. It’s part of Jeff’s Green Tip Tuesday series, bringing helpful, environmentally-friendly tidbits to viewers every week. The Green Tip answers the question, “Why should I grow heirloom seeds?” Check it out […]

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YouTube: Bed Prep for Fall and Spring Gardening

Christy — Mon, 07 Oct 2013 18:53:44 +0000

Gardenerd is happy to announce the addition of video to our arsenal of way to deliver tips and tidbits to you, our wonderful readers. Over the next 10 weeks, we’ll be posting a new helpful video each week to get you growing this season. This week: Bed Prep for Fall and Spring Gardening. It’s simple […]

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Ask Gardenerd: Leaves for Compost?

Christy — Tue, 01 Oct 2013 16:26:04 +0000

A great question came in from a curious gardenerd this week: “Just started composting! I have a composting tumbler in my yard as there are many animals I would need to keep out of a pile eg. deer raccoons, etc. I have a separate bin where I plan to collect autumn leaves to have available […]

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Ask Gardenerd: What’s Eating My Seeds?

Christy — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 06:25:40 +0000

A great question came into Ask Gardenerd this week about plant protection: “It seems that every time I start seeds or plant out transplants in my raised bed, they get eaten overnight. It’s so frustrating. Help!” I have had the same problem over the years and I have found a few solutions that can help. […]

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Spring Planting: Gardeners, Start Your Engines!

Christy — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 14:30:31 +0000

It’s time to start planning and planting that spring garden. Most gardeners in climates with last frost dates in March can start seeds indoors now. If you live in a warmer, frost-free zone, you can still start seeds indoors, but you’ll soon be able to plant out in the ground next month. A question came […]

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Ask Gardenerd: Why Won’t My Plants Grow?

Christy — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 15:12:00 +0000

A familiar question arrived in the Ask Gardenerd Inbox this week:

"Hi Gardenerd! It's been slow getting started with my garden because my life has been chaotic for a while. Anyway, I started some seedlings
inside and potted them in small pots outside and some in a long box but they haven't grown, they still look like seedlings for two months now, and my broccoli raab, red kale, and red romaine wouldn't
grow past four or five inches. I'm so discouraged but my sister ...

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