Ask Gardenerd Archives - Page 4 of 7

Tree roots can be small like this.

Ask Gardenerd: Decreased Production in Planter Beds

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 any fruit...I believe that we attracted all of the neighboring trees to send roots into our garden. After scouring the internet for solutions, I found…

Post author:Christy
Post published:October 3, 2018
Post category:Blog Sage Advice
Post comments:0 Comments

Lemon Cucumbers light up the garden. They taste like regular cucumbers but are more interesting to look at.

Ask Gardenerd: Saving Cucumber Seeds

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 seeds year to year for planting. Do you have any insight on saving the seeds? Would truly appreciate it. Lemon Cucumbers will definitely be part…

Post author:Christy
Post published:September 5, 2018
Post category:Blog Sage Advice
Post comments:4 Comments

Ground cherries drop to the ground when ready to pick. Easy peasy.

Ask Gardenerd: Green Ground Cherries

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 in advance for your answer!" Great question, Cheryl. As you may know, ground cherries drop to the ground when they are ripe. Occasionally they will…

Post author:Christy
Post published:August 21, 2018
Post category:Blog Sage Advice
Post comments:5 Comments

Ask Gardenerd: Can I Compost in the Garden Beds?

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 can do that. Let's explore the details. A lot of people who don't have room for a compost bin, or who don't have the energy…

Post author:Christy
Post published:August 7, 2018
Post category:Blog Sage Advice
Post comments:0 Comments

Bright red, our fish peppers aren't too hot.

Ask Gardenerd: Freezing Peppers

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. Freezing Peppers To Roast... If you plan to roast the peppers before using them, you should roast them before freezing. Then peel the skins off,…

Post author:Christy
Post published:July 31, 2018
Post category:Blog Sage Advice
Post comments:3 Comments

Navel orange

Ask Gardenerd: Yellow Leaves on Citrus Trees

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 the most common reason. Too Much Water Most people water their citrus trees too often. Citrus trees, like most fruit trees, like deep but infrequent…

Post author:Christy
Post published:June 12, 2018
Post category:Blog Sage Advice
Post comments:52 Comments

We soaked our plants in kelp emulsion for a few minutes to hydrate and feed.

Ask Gardenerd: How to Use Kelp Emulsion?

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: Liquid Kelps GrowMore is one brand that we've seen at nurseries, and of course you can get most things on the interwebs. We've used this…

Post author:Christy
Post published:May 16, 2018
Post category:Blog Sage Advice
Post comments:0 Comments

Loquats ripen on a small tree. We try to pick them before the squirrels get them.

Ask Gardenerd: Squirrels Eating My Fruit!

"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 by furry beasts. Let's look at some options for deterring squirrels: Squirrel Solutions First - read up on proposed solutions (like pet hair, predator urine…

Post author:Christy
Post published:May 15, 2018
Post category:Blog Sage Advice
Post comments:3 Comments

Nature gives us answers if you know where to look.

Ask Gardenerd: Onions Didn’t Bulb Up

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 have never "bulbed". I just noticed that many are starting seed heads, so I don't think I'm going to get onions. I'm guessing I planted…

Post author:Christy
Post published:April 24, 2018
Post category:Blog Sage Advice
Post comments:13 Comments

Ask Gardenerd: Preventing Compacted Soil in Pots

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 it hasn't helped significantly. Do you have any suggestions on how to keep soil in pots watered evenly? Thanks, Jeff Bremer" Solutions for Compacted Soil…

Post author:Christy
Post published:February 6, 2018
Post category:Blog Sage Advice
Post comments:7 Comments