While I was gone, a fellow Gardenerd wrote in with a very good question: "Does organic material have a shelf life? I have some of my home-"baked" compost that's been sitting in a ventilated plastic container in my yard for about 11 months and some Uni-Grow organic perlite stored in my garage in the original plastic bag. Are they okay to use?" My first response would have to be yes, they are okay to use. I always do some fact…
With the little bit of spring that is left, a curious gardener writes in: "WHERE CAN I GET A BOOK THAT VERY SIMPLY LISTS THE FLOWERING TIMES OF VARIOUS PLANTS, AND WHEN THEY NEED TO BE PLANTED?" Now if we were talking about vegetables, I could have told you without blinking an eye that my favorite source for that kind of information is, without a doubt, Geoff Hamilton's Organic Gardening. But, since we're not talking about vegetables, I had to…
A gardener writes in: My Iris are just about finished blooming. The plants are very crowded and overgrown. What's the best way to prune/thin this area of my garden.Thanks! The short answer is this: First - find a friend who wants some of your bulbs. Second - start ripping. The longer answer includes a few tips: Irises are like bunnies, if you're not careful, you'll have a yard full of them in no time. I should know, I started my garden…
Nature seems to be busting out all over this time of year, not only with flora, but fauna as well. I was over at my parents' house for Memorial Day and, while looking up on the hillside, witnessed a Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom style smack-down between a hawk and a little woodland creature who undoubtedly met his maker that afternoon. My mom has all of her citrus trees covered with strawberry netting in order to fend off the squirrels who…
When asked, "What is your greatest gardening challenge?", someone wrote in recently: "Getting started! Right now, gardening is ALL THEORY and it's been over 10 years since I've even had a houseplant... At some point I'd like to try tomatoes in a container... because fresh tomatoes on a hot summer day have to got to be one of God's first gifts... YUMMY!" I can't think of a better way to start small-scale gardening than with tomatoes in a container. They grow…
We're closer to Christmas in July than December right now, so a gardener asked: "I have a living Christmas tree: 3ft Monterey Pine in a pot. I've been watering, but all the needles are crispy. Afraid I've killed it but don't want to bury unless I know for sure if it's truly dead. Can you help or point me in a direction? Yours, Pink Thumb in Mar Vista" I've haven't done a lot of research on this one, but honey,…
A great question came in this week: "What about Grasshoppers? I don't see them in the early part of the day, but last weekend I was watering near the end of the day and they seemed to be everywhere. Large ones are brown, little young ones are bright green, like a new blade of grass. They are definitely eating my leafy greens - and there's not enough for the both of us!" We had a wave of grasshopper infestations two…
Hydrangeas are one of the most beautiful, abundant perennials you could have in your garden. They seem happy all the time with their big, plentiful green leaves and the fluffy flowers that bring sunshine to any corner. They can also be allusive and difficult at times, when they don't get what they need. One gardener asks: "My question concerns Hydrangeas. I love the blue color, however, soon after I plant them, they are no longer blue but green to pink. What…
While Spring is just around the corner, many people are itching to have fresh herbs at the ready. In places where temperatures remain chilly at least until April, what's a NYC foodie to do? Her question reads: "What do you suggest for those of us who love to cook with fresh herbs, but are stuck living in charming, yet space challenged studios in NYC?! It's really winter out here, so I would plant indoors. I get lovely even, but indirect sunlight all…
There have been some good questions rolling in this week in the Ask Gardenerd department. One gardener asks, "Oh, the SNAILS!! They're everywhere! What to do about them? How do I safely get rid of this pain in the *#%!, icky, dual-gender, critter? Last spring I bought some of those cannibal snails that are supposed to eat garden snails... didn't really work. Any suggestions?" I had a neighbor who also bought decollate snails and did have success with them, but I haven't tried…