Happy Garden News - September 21, 2006

Hello,

We have some timely article about Preparing Plants for a Winter Indoors this week, be sure to check it out. We also have more answers to your questions by Ellen as well a Garden Insect Guides at the bottom of the newsletter.

Happy Gardening!

Susan

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Today's newsletter contains:

Today's Photos:

• Hummingbird on the Swing

Today's Tips and Articles:

• Ants on My Fruit
• Buying a Snipper for Sweet Gum Tree Balls
• Saving Vegetable Seeds
• Getting Rid of Kikuyu Grass
• Growing a Mango Tree
• Keeping Grass From Growing In a Flower Bed
• Asiatic Lily Not Growing
• Growing a Daylily in a Pot
• Tomatoes Are Not Getting Ripe
• Good Grass for Rocky Soil
• Getting Rid of Monkey Grass
• Mending a Split Tree
• Green Bug Eating My Tomatoes
• Growing a Sweet Gum Tree
• Getting Rid of Russian Olive Bush
• Preparing Plants for a Winter Indoors

New Requests:

• Mosquito Repellent Recipes
• What is This Plant?
• Hydrangea Won't Bloom
• Is there something wrong with this apple tree?
• Orange Tree Cut Down, Will The Fruit Ripen?
• Starting a Crepe Myrtle from a Cutting
• How do you get rid of blackberry vines naturally?
• Growing and Harvesting Ginger
• Pruning a Cherry Tree
• Squirrels Eating From Bird Feeders
• Growing Black Violets

Growing Guides:

• Garden Insects: Armyworms (Beet & Fall Armyworms)
• Garden Insects: Gypsy Moths
• Garden Insects: Harlequin Bugs
• Garden Insects: Imported Cabbage Worms
• Garden Insects: Bagworms
• Garden Insects: Grasshoppers

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Today's Photos

Hummingbird on the Swing A little hummingbird guarding my back porch swing. : ) By Pat from Sweetwater, TX Post Feedback: Click Here

Today's Tips and Articles

Ants on My Fruit Question: I have honeydew, cantaloupe and watermelons growing in my small garden. They are doing great except there are ants and little white gnats all over them! What can I use to get rid of these pests? Any suggestions as long as they aren't toxic. Hardiness Zone: 9b Thanks, Gayle from Queen Creek, AZ Answer: Gayle, Are you sure the gnats are really gnats, or are they aphids? Ants are often attracted to the honeydew secreted by feeding aphids, so they are often seen together. Aphids come in many colors and there are both winged and wingless varieties so they are easily mistaken for gnats. The Melon aphid is a common pest in the southeastern and southwestern parts of the United States. It can be a serious pest on watermelons, cucumbers, and cantaloupes. Other vegetable crops seriously affected are asparagus, pepper, eggplant, pumpkin, squash and okra. Melon aphids feed on the underside of leaves, or on growing tips of vines, sucking nutrients from the plant. With severe infestations, the foliage may become chlorotic (low chlorophyll levels) and die prematurely. Their feeding also causes leaf curling and distortion that ultimately hinders the photosynthetic capacity of the plant. As aphids feed, they secrete honeydew, a sweet sticky substance that is a favorite food of ants. The honeydew also attracts the growth of sooty mold, which blocks out light and further impairs the photosynthetic capacity of the plant. The easiest and most effective way to treat aphids is to spray them off your plants with a strong jet of water from the garden hose. Make sure you get the undersides of the leaves. Ellen Post Feedback: Click Here

Buying a Snipper for Sweet Gum Tree Balls Question: Where can I purchase Snipper for Sweet Gum tree seed balls on the internet? Turman from Broaddus, TX Answer: Turman, You'll need to contact a local arborist or your county extension agency to verify this, but I'm fairly certain that Snipper® is regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This means that it can only be sold to and used by commercial arborists (or other professionals) licensed to apply restricted pesticides. The active ingredient in Snipper® is indole-3-butyric. Snipper® is manufactured by a company called Florida Silvics, Inc. Here is a toll-free number for contacting them: 1-800-622-2831. Another company, Tree Tech, sells a microinjection unit designed specifically for use with this product. Their website contains some information on Snipper® that you may find useful, as well as contact information if you have further questions. (http://www.treetech.net/snipper.htm). Laws on pesticide use can vary somewhat from state to state, so I urge you to contact the Texas Department of Agriculture for specific regulations regarding use in your area. http://www.agr.state.tx.us/agr/index/0,1911,1848_5539_5837_0,00.html There is another commercial product called Floral Brand Fruit Eliminator® that acts as a defruiting agent to control sweet gum balls. It is sprayed on, which makes me wonder if it would be more economical for arborists (and therefore you) to apply. Its active ingredient is ethephon, another chemical that I believe may be regulated. Both of these products require precise timing to be effective. Not all arborists have the equipment or expertise to apply these products, so you may have to do some searching. If you ever lose your Sweet Gum Tree, there are now sterile cultivars available as replacements (e.g. Rotundiloba). Ellen Post Feedback: Click Here

Saving Vegetable Seeds By Ellen Brown Collecting seeds from vegetables is all a matter of timing. If you pick your seeds too early, before they've had time to mature, they'll be thin and unsubstantial and lack the necessary food stores to survive winter storage, let alone start healthy new seedlings. On the other hand, if you wait too long to collect seeds, you risk losing them to the elements or you end up with seeds predisposed to producing late in the season. Here are a few tips for collecting and saving various vegetable seeds. View Full Article: Click Here

Getting Rid of Kikuyu Grass Question: I live in the North Island of New Zealand and have a very large vegetable garden which, with our winter becomes overrun with kikuyu grass and weed. I DO NOT want to use chemicals to rid myself of these ghastly weeds and would love suggestions as to how to kill a lot of weeds at one time and one spray. Kikuyu is an extremely hardy weed and very difficult to kill. As I do not like chemicals because of the residual factor in my vegetables I would be very grateful for any tips. Thank you for your suggestions. Ang from New Zealand Answer: Ang, I'm not sure you can ever be completely rid of Kikuyu Grass, but you can certainly control it. The two best non-chemical ways to control it in large areas are to smother it or to dig in physical barriers (like landscape edging) between the grass and your garden. Covering the grass with black plastic sheeting will bake it with the sun's heat and make pulling up the plant debris a breeze in the spring. You could also use thick layers of newspaper, cardboard, etc. You didn't say whether or not you grow crops during the winter, or exactly how big you "very big" vegetable garden is. If covering your entire garden with plastic or mulch isn't economically feasible, perhaps you could plant a cover crop and that would crowd out the grass. Constructing a physical "root" barrier around all or parts of your garden may also help. For this to be effective, you need to dig the barrier in the ground so that the top slopes away from the side of the Kikuyu Grass. This will prevent the runners from diving under the barrier or climbing over the top when they start to butt up against it. If you don't want to dig in a physical barrier, you can try digging a trench 8 inches (20 cm) deep. Mound the sides of the trench up to make the barrier even taller. As the runners try to cross your "moat" they will be easy to see and whack off with a spade. Ellen Post Feedback: Click Here

Growing a Mango Tree Question: Is it possible to grow a Mango Tree in South Georgia. I'm in Zone 8a. Sherry from Valdosta, GA Answer: Sherry, If you want to grow it as a houseplant, yes. If you're interested in home fruit production, probably not. Mangos are adapted to tropical and subtropical areas, meaning consistent summer-like temperatures are a major factor in determining their success. This fruit tree is extremely sensitive to cold. At temperatures below 40ºF, a mango tree's ability to flower and produce fruit becomes seriously compromised. When temperatures drop below 30ºF, the tree's leaves and branches will almost certainly suffer damage. Exposure to temperatures below 20ºF, even for a short time, can kill the tree. At the moment, I'm afraid there are not any varieties of mango trees that are considered cold-resistant. If you want to grow an exotic house plant, mango trees are an excellent choice. They develop large, beautiful leathery leaves. You can start your own by extracting the hairy husk from within the flesh of a mango you buy at the grocery store. This husk contains the seed. Clean the husk by removing any remaining fruit and cure it (leave it out to dry) overnight. After the husk is dry, gently pry it open with a knife and carefully remove the seed and place it into a plastic bag filled with damp moss or moist paper towels. Keep it in a warm place, preferably with temperatures as close to 80ºF as possible. You can also plant the seed, round side up, directly into a pot filled with compost or a soil-less seed starting mix. Plant it about _ inch deep so the seed is just peeking out from the compost. Cover the pot with plastic wrap or a 2-liter soda bottle and keep the pot in a warm place until the seed germinates (a week or so). Leave germinating seeds in the pot (or bag) long enough to develop some good roots before transplanting them into soil and keep your eye out for developing mold. Good luck! Ellen Question: I would like to grow a mango tree in my yard. If an apple tree can survive the cold, why not my mango tree? How hard would it be? Any suggestions would be helpful. Hardiness Zone: 6a Susie from Celina, Ohio Answer: Susie, To flower and set fruit, Mangos need a frost-free climate. There are no cold-resistant varieties. Any temperatures below 40ºF, even if only for a short time, are likely to kill the flowers and the fruit. Young trees can be seriously damaged at temperatures below 30° F and most mature trees will only take temperatures in the twenties for a short period of time. That said, if you have a sunny room indoors you may consider growing a mango tree as a houseplant. To start one from a fruit, remove the hairy husk from inside the fruit (the seed is inside the husk), clean off any pulp and let it dry 24 hours. After it dries overnight, use a dull knife to pry open the husk and remove the seed. Place the seed in a plastic bag filled with damp moss or newspaper and keep in in a warm place until it germinates (2-3 weeks). You can transplant the sprouted seed into a pot filled with well-drained, nutrient-rich soil. Keep the soil damp (not wet). Your seed will eventually grow into an attractive houseplant, but it is extremely unlikely it will ever flower or bear fruit indoors. Ellen Post Feedback: Click Here

Keeping Grass From Growing In a Flower Bed Question: I have already put down paper under my flower bed then planted some bulbs which are now flowering, however, grass is still managing to come through. Any advice on how to get rid of the grass without damaging my flowers would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance. Simon Answer: Simon, Putting down paper to control weeds is a good start. However, I'm afraid that short of concrete (and I'm not even sure that would work), there is nothing you can put down or cover your garden with that will permanently keep weeds or grass from encroaching on your flower beds. Chemicals (even the seemingly benign household chemicals), will not provide a permanent solution either. Grass leaves are usually covered with a waxy cuticle to preserve moisture, which means harsher chemicals are needed to kill them. Needless to say, I'm not a fan. It's helpful to remember that grass seed gets started in a number of ways. Some of it may push its way through layers of your paper or mulch, but in other cases, seeds are carried by the wind or dropped by birds or insects onto the top of your soil. This is why the war on weeds will always rage on. From my own experience, I've been surprised to find that grass and weed seeds have landed on top of my newspaper and grown down through it, rather than pushing their way up from underneath like I would have expected. To keep your beds as free from grass and weeds as possible, first remove any emerging grass. You can do this in any one of several ways, but digging it up is probably going to be the most effective, because you need to get the roots. You could try pouring hot water on it, but you'll risk damaging the roots of nearby plants. Once the grass is dug out you can add additional layers of paper or cover your beds with at least three inches of mulch. I wish I had a magic solution for you, but the best way to keep grass under control is to keep digging it out or pulling it by hand. Ellen Post Feedback: Click Here

Asiatic Lily Not Growing Question: I planted an Asiatic Lily from a 6" pot in full sun in April. I have a few new leaves coming out of the ground but the original stalks are doing nothing. I have fertilized and the plant is in full sun. I don't see any growth on the plant after the original flowers dropped. What am I doing wrong? Hardiness Zone: 6a Paul from Detroit, MI Answer: Paul, Don't worry about your lilies. It sounds like your lilies are in a good sunny spot, and hopefully you provided them with some good well-drained soil. As long as you see some green foliage now, they will probably be just fine. As you mentioned, your lilies did flower after you planted them this first year. Right now they are settling in and trying to adjust to their new location. When lilies are planted in the early spring, they usually produce shorter, later-flowering stems. This is especially true if warm summer weather arrives early. Your lilies will need to pass through another winter in order to get back on schedule and "reset their clocks" to their new growing conditions. Don't give them any more fertilizer. It's best not to over do it-especially during this first year. Too much will promote weak stems by diverting too much of the lily's energy into above ground growth. If your original stalks formed seed pods, you can go ahead and cut them off. Leave as much of the leafy stem as possible though, so the plant's energy goes toward building up bulb reserves for next year. Once the stems turn brown and die this fall, you can clip them back to the soil level in order to tidy up your beds. Over the next two year they will establish themselves and you should see lots of gorgeous blooms. Ellen Post Feedback: Click Here

Growing a Daylily in a Pot Question: Can I grow a Daylily plant in pot to be kept indoors? Hardiness Zone: 5b Jenny from Milwaukee Answer: Jenny, Daylilies can be grown in pots quite easily, but growing them in pots indoors requires a lot of extra work. In an outdoor environment, these perennials are almost bomb proof. They are not particularly fussy about soil conditions, most will tolerate at least some shade, and they are very drought tolerant and resistant to damage from insects and disease. On the other hand, it you want to grow daylilies indoors and get them to bloom, they will need A LOT of extra (artificial) light, and regular fertilizing and you'll need to maintain control of their humidity. Insects, especially spider mites and white flies, are also more problematic in lilies grown indoors. Like other perennials, daylilies will go through a natural period of rest. Then, if in the spring you decide you want to move them outdoors, you'll need to gradually harden them off and let them adjust to the intensity of natural sunlight. All this effort will not guarantee flowers, but it is possible. If you're going to give it a try, look for dwarf varieties (miniatures), which have blooms less than 3 inches across and only grow to a height of around 12 inches. Daylily seedlings can be started indoors and daylilies grown in outdoor containers can be brought indoors and over-wintered in a garage or basement after they die back in the fall. Ellen Post Feedback: Click Here

Tomatoes Are Not Getting Ripe Question: Our tomato plants have luxuriant growth and lots of green tomatoes but they are taking forever to ripen, and when they do, they're blotchy. They are growing in silty soil but I've put lots of compost into it, and I've been feeding them with Miracle Gro every two weeks. Does anyone have any ideas? Thanks! Hardiness Zone: 6a Peter from Silver Spring, MD Answer: Peter, You could be seeing Graywall (also called Blotchy Ripening) on your tomatoes. This tomato malady usually develops on green tomatoes located near the interior of plants with a lot of dense foliage. Classic symptoms include a grayish appearance present on the outer skin of the tomato that is caused by a collapse of the inner wall tissue. If you cut the tomatoes open, you will also see greenish or brownish tissue internally, usually near the outer walls of the fruit. The tomatoes are slow to ripen, and when they do, they develop a blotchy appearance. Graywall is a bit of a mystery. Plant scientists are unsure exactly what causes this disease, but several theories abound. Graywall seems to occur more frequently during cloudy, cool, wet weather. It's also thought that high amounts of nitrogen can contribute to the problem, and soil containing adequate amounts of potassium may help reduce the likelihood of its occurrence. The best way to prevent it is to try to create the best growing conditions possible. Tomato plants should receive plenty of sun (including sunlight to their interior foliage). They also need to receive consistent water and fertilizer, meaning not too much, and not too little. Try reducing the amount of fertilizer you're using. If your soil is full of nutrient-rich compost, fertilizing them as often as every two weeks with Miracle Grow shouldn't be necessary. Next year you also might try growing cultivars known to be resistant to tobacco or tomato mosaic virus, both of which have been implicated in some cases of Graywall. Ellen Post Feedback: Click Here

Good Grass for Rocky Soil Question: I would like to know of a good hearty grass to plant in bad soil with lots of rocks in it. We live in the country. Hardiness Zone: 4b Thanks, Barb from Fairview, MI Answer: Barb, Are you looking to try and establish a lawn (turfgrass)? When choosing grass seed, it's important to select cultivars that are well adapted to your area and specific site (e.g. full sun, partial shade, well-drained, clay, etc.) are able to perform well and are suited to the amount of management you are willing to provide. The best seed mix for a rocky site with poor quality soil will be one made up of grasses that are native to your area. These grasses will establish most easily and will be more resistant to damage from insects, disease and drought. They will also adapt to poor soil conditions and need little in the way of fertilizing. I would recommend seeking out native plant nurseries in your area and consult with them on which types of native grass seed will work well for your conditions. If you want to follow the more traditional route, you might try tall fescue. It has a medium-coarse texture and tolerates low soil fertility. It also requires little in the way of maintenance, other than occasional fertilizing (2 to 3 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 ft. per growing season) and mowing. Once established, tall fescue is drought tolerant and will hold up well to your harsh winter weather. Top-performing tall fescue cultivars in Michigan: Avenger Focus Plantation Barlexas Forte Proseeds Biltmore Grande II Rebel Exeda Bingo Inferno 2nd Millennium Blackwatch Justice SR 8550 Falcon IV (F-4) Kalahari Good Luck! Ellen Post Feedback: Click Here

Getting Rid of Monkey Grass Question: I have a natural area in my front yard that I have planted with hundreds of tulips. It also has a border of monkey grass. the monkey grass is invading the entire natural area. I have sprayed it several times but the monkey grass has a wax coating and the spray has no effect. I want to kill the monkey grass inside the area with killing my border or the dormant tulip bulbs. Please advise me how to do this. Thank you. Joe from Harrisburg, NC Answer: Joe, Monkey Grass (also called mondo grass, lily turf or snake beard) often expands farther into beds and borders than gardeners and landscapers anticipate. Like you've discovered, sprays don't work well as a practical means of control due to the waxy coating on grass leaves and the fact that the grass is usually planted close to desirable ornamentals, making it difficult to isolate for spraying. The best way to get a handle on a Monkey Grass invasion is to dig it up and divide it. If left unattended, old growth will result in a tangle of large clumps that eventually spurs a round of vigorous growth, causing the grass to spread. This grass is popular with gardeners, so you might want to pot up the extra clumps of grass into plastic containers and either sell it or give it away. Just make sure that you warn folks to plant the entire pot of grass in the ground to keep it from spreading out of control. After dividing out some of your grass, create an underground barrier between your grass and the tulips using bricks or plastic. Bury it at least 8 to 12 inches deep if you want to keep growth in check, and plan on dividing the grass on an annual basis if necessary. Ellen Post Feedback: Click Here

Mending a Split Tree Question: I have a three year old Crape Myrtle (Tonto) that has a fork at it's base. The tree split and fell to the ground due to the weight of the water from sprinkling. I staked the split back together with heavy duty wire. Is there a type of wrap that I can use to possibly save my tree? There are three main branches that go into the ground. The tree is approximately four feet high. Although the tree is split, the main branch is still intact. I desperately want to save this tree. Thanks. Hardiness Zone: 7a Larry from Princess Anne, MD Answer: Hi Larry, Sorry to hear about your tree. I'm not aware of any wraps for repairing splits. It impossible to say whether or not your tree can be saved, but from your description, the damage sounds quite extensive. By "main branch is still intact" do you mean the trunk? I hope so, because if the main trunk of your tree is split, the odds of it surviving are minimal at best. If over 30 to 50 percent of the main branches or trunk are severely split, broken, or mutilated, it's probably a lost cause. Your tree is small, so even the smallest damage can have a large effect. Still, if you're really attached to the tree, get some advice from a tree expert. Ellen's awful tree story: When I moved into my current home, there was a gorgeous towering silver maple in the front yard. The tree was probably near the end of its 130 year lifespan and the trunk was split and being held together by cables. Despite that, it appeared to be healthy and beautiful in every way. The tree seemed like a guardian to our new home and it quickly became our favorite. Before we moved in our Home Inspector said the tree might be a safety hazard (especially to our neighbor's garage) and suggested that we have it removed. We called for an onsite assessment from a tree expert, who ultimately concluded there was no way of knowing just how long it would hold up to high winds or Midwest winters. We love this tree so much, we decided to take our chances. One year later we lost a "healthy" tree in our backyard to an ice storm. It fell on our neighbor's house (the other neighbors). A year after that, it happened again (same house, another "healthy" tree). I'm not kidding. After that ordeal (thank goodness for gracious neighbors), we decided that we better take down the maple with the cables. To our horror, while taking it down we discovered that the trunk was in fact, healthy. It probably would have lived for another decade or two (I cried for two days). Meanwhile, we discovered that the trunks of our two "healthy" trees had been diseased. My advice? Call a tree expert. Before you agree to any heroic efforts, read this article entitled, "Can These Trees Be Saved?" by the National Arbor Day Foundation. http://www.arborday.org/media/stormrecovery/2_canthesetreesbesaved.cfm It will help you determine whether or not it's worth it. Ellen Post Feedback: Click Here

Green Bug Eating My Tomatoes Question: I couldn't figure out what was eating my tomatoes plants. I was looking close one day and I found a bug. I will attach a pic of it. What is it? Please let me know and how too keep them off of my plants. Hardiness Zone: 5a Thank You, Joyce from WI Answer: Joyce, There are one or two "green" bugs that are common tomato pests. By "bug" I'm going to assume that you're not describing a caterpillar or worm-like insect. The most common green colored bug affecting tomato plants is the Stink Bug. These bugs are shaped like a shield and usually have green or brown (and sometimes red, pink or yellow) markings. They get their name from the unpleasant odor they emit when handled. Symptoms of Stink Bug damage are tiny, dark, pin-prick-sized holes surrounded by lighter, discolored areas on green tomatoes. As the tomatoes ripen, the spots either remain green or turn a yellow-gold color and the tomato flesh appears white and spongy. Lygus is another green insect that feeds on the fruit and seeds of flowering vegetables like tomatoes. As adults, these insects are often green in color with a distinctive brown colored triangle in the center of the wing covers on their back. As nymphs, they are uniformly green in color, but lack wings. Both types of bugs can be controlled by handpicking them from plants or spraying them with a mild solution of water and liquid dish soap. Stink Bugs are attracted to light, so reducing your use of outdoor lights will also help keep their numbers down. The Department of Entomology at Texas A & M University has a wonderful site to help gardeners identify common insect pests. http://vegipm.tamu.edu/imageindex.html You can click on color photos of each insect to read about what type of damage they do to garden plants. Ellen Post Feedback: Click Here

Growing a Sweet Gum Tree Question: Today I took some sweet gum balls from a tree that my late father had planted some 40-50 years ago. I thought it would be neat to have a tree that was a direct descendant of a tree planted by him. The gum balls are green. Can you tell me what I need to do to produce a sweet gum tree including getting the seeds from the gum ball to when and where to plant? Thanks so much! Hardiness Zone: 6a G. Brent from St. Louis, MO Answer: Brent, In my opinion, planting trees is one of the few ways to create lasting positive change in the world. When you pause to consider how significant a tree is, you realize that just one tree offers food and refuge to hundreds of insects, animals and birds; offers beauty, shade and clean air to human beings; and gives the entire planet another carbon sink. It does all this for 100's of years, and that doesn't even include the tree's potential offspring! I think this is a great idea-and a wonderful way to honor your father. Sweet Gum Trees make beautiful shade trees. You can propagate them from seeds or cuttings. Starting seeds will take a lot longer, but since you've already collected the gumballs, let's start there. Later, if you can't get the gumballs to germinate, try starting a new tree using a cutting and a little rooting hormone. It will take 60-100 days to root, but once it gets going, these trees grow fairly fast. Gumballs turn brown with age. As they turn color on the tree, the heads pop open to disperse the seed. The gumballs can be taken from the tree safely for a few weeks before they turn color without hurting the seed. If the gumballs you collected are green, you can continue to let them dry and pop open, or try to gently pry them open yourself to access the seeds. Inside each prickly point are 1 or 2 winged seeds (usually dispersed by the wind). The entire gumball can contain as many as 50 seeds in a good year, and as few as 5 in a bad year (it runs in 3-year cycles). The amount of seeds found in the gumballs tends to correlate with how viable they are. The more seeds the ball has, the more likely it is that those seeds are of good quality. I'm no authority on Sweet Gum Trees, but my understanding is that the seeds need to be cold treated in order to get them to germinate (approximately 12 weeks at 40F). Steps in cold stratification are: Soak the seeds overnight or from 12 to 24 hours in water. Place the seeds in a plastic bag, tray or pot filled with a moistened soil-less mix of some kind. This can include sand, peat moss, etc. Whatever medium you choose, it will need to stay moist. Place the seeds in your refrigerator (37-40°F) for 3 months and check on them occasionally to make sure the medium is still moist. After 3 months, plant the seeds immediately before they return to a dormant state. You may want to start them in pots indoors to avoid losing them to animals and birds. Move the seeds to a pot for germination. Generally, seeds should not be planted deeper than 1 to 2 times their diameter. Moisten the medium before sowing seeds. After sowing the seeds, water with a fine mist to avoid disturbing the soil and covering the seeds. Try to keep both the soil and the air humid throughout the germination process. If you prefer, cover the pot with plastic or the top half of a 2-liter bottle (cap on) to keep it moist. Place the seeds in a location that receives bright light. Direct sunlight should be avoided. Be patient, the seeds of trees and shrubs sometimes take FOREVER to germinate. Transplant seedlings into larger containers as soon as the first 2 to 4 true leaves appear (not the cotyledonary leaves). Retain as much of the medium around the roots as possible while transplanting to minimize shock. Before transplanting outdoors (full sun), take time to harden off seedlings and gradually adjust them to outdoor conditions. Good Luck! Ellen Post Feedback: Click Here

Getting Rid of Russian Olive Bush Question: Does anyone know how to get rid of the Russian Olive bush, it is very invasive. I hope someone knows of something easy. Hardiness Zone: 4a Thanks for you help. Barb from Michigan Answer: Barb, This is a difficult species to control. I suppose "easy" is a relative term, but total removal is your best bet. The Russian Olive Bush is able to outcompete native vegetation due to its ability to fix nitrogen in its roots. This enables it to establish itself and grow successfully in areas where native trees and shrubs simply cannot survive. Eventually, the Russian Olive Bush will take over the surrounding environment, beating out the native plants in the competition for water and nutrients. Because the Russian Olive Bush doesn't succumb easily to natural controls (e.g. grazing herbivores or insect damage), most sources I have researched suggest mowing down the bushes with a brush mower and then digging out the roots. This should be done in the early spring, when wet soil makes it easier to remove the roots completely. It's important to dig out all of the roots, because trying to control these bushes by burning or mowing alone will just result in the roots sending up dozens of more sprouts. Chemical controls like Roundup can be applied to cut stumps, but they will only be temporarily effective if the roots are not completely removed. Good Luck! Ellen Post Feedback: Click Here

Preparing Plants for a Winter Indoors By Ellen Brown Summer break is almost over for tender perennials and houseplants that have been vacationing on the patio. With cooler weather starting to move in, it's time to start preparing them for the big move back indoors. From a plant's perspective, a move of only a few feet can be potentially stressful-in some cases, even deadly. To keep your plants healthy going into winter, you need to reintroduce them to indoor conditions in the same way you introduced them to the conditions outdoors-gradually. View Full Article: Click Here

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New Requests

Mosquito Repellent Recipes I would like to know what type of plants I can grow that will stop the mosquitos and also if some one has a recipe that works on them. We bought a home in Tennessee and went to see it and were eaten alive my the mosquitos. I know there has to be something that can be grown to keep them at bay! Hardiness Zone: 7a Thanks for all your help, Deb from TN Post Feedback: Click Here

What is This Plant? Does anyone know what this plant is? I planted a package of seeds of mixed peppers. This grew. It is a beautiful plant but has not produced any peppers? Hardiness Zone: 7b Christine from Sanremo, Italy Post Feedback: Click Here

Hydrangea Won't Bloom I bought and planted two Hydrangeas of the same type side by side 3 or 4 years ago. One has beautiful blooms every year and the other has never made a flower. I do not understand as they get the same sun, shade, rain, etc. Any idea what is happening here? Hardiness Zone: 6a Thanks, Betty from Slate Hill, NY Post Feedback: Click Here

Is there something wrong with this apple tree? This is my first apple tree. This is the first fruit that it is growing. I don't know if it is one apple or many together? Any ideas? Hardiness Zone: 7b Christine from Sanremo, Italy Post Feedback: Click Here

Orange Tree Cut Down, Will The Fruit Ripen? My neighbor cut his orange tree down. Will the oranges ripen still? Midge from Palm Harbor, FL Post Feedback: Click Here

Starting a Crepe Myrtle from a Cutting I have a crepe myrtle. I am moving and wanted to get a start of the tree. I am wondering when is a good time to take a cutting? Hardiness Zone: 8a Thanks, Rita from Dallas, TX Post Feedback: Click Here

How do you get rid of blackberry vines naturally? How do you get rid of blackberry vines naturally? Hardiness Zone: 9a Pam from Anderson, CA Post Feedback: Click Here

Growing and Harvesting Ginger Please give me information on how to grow Ginger how long will it take for it to be ready to harvest. Hardiness Zone: 11 Regards, Micah Post Feedback: Click Here

Pruning a Cherry Tree When is the best time to trim a sweet cherry tree? Hardiness Zone: 7b Jim Post Feedback: Click Here

Squirrels Eating From Bird Feeders How do I keep squirrels from climbing my patio door screen to reach bird feeders? I know we could move the feeders, but then we wouldn't be able to watch the birds. These maddening little rodents are urinating on my glass door! Hardiness Zone: 7b Sue from Yorktown, VA Post Feedback: Click Here

Growing Black Violets Does anyone else grow these beautiful black violets? Hardiness Zone: 7b Christine from Sanremo, Italy Post Feedback: Click Here

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Garden Insect Guides

Garden Insects: Armyworms (Beet & Fall Armyworms) Identification Although there are many species of this pest, beet and fall armyworms are the most common species in the backyard garden. Beet armyworms are usually pale green in color with yellow stripes down the center of their backs and along their sides. Their heads have a distinct honeycomb pattern. Fall armyworms come in many colors, usually gray to yellow-green with stripes down their sides, and have a distinct inverted "Y" marking on their head. Both types of armyworms grow to a length of about 1 1/2 to 2 inches. The adult moths are a pale gray-brown color and usually lay their eggs in grasses and corn. Newly- hatched caterpillars have a looping or inchworm-like movement. Armyworms are common to the U.S. and Canada east of the Rocky Mountains. Read More: Click Here

Garden Insects: Gypsy Moths Identification Gypsy Moths are usually only seen around mid-summer. The male moths are a grayish brown color and can fly. The female moths cannot fly, are larger in size and have a whitish color with black markings. Females lay egg masses on tree trunks, outdoor furniture and the sides of buildings, which appear as tan or buff-colored hairs. The larvae hatch in the spring. Gypsy Moth caterpillars are 2-inches long with tufts of brown and yellow hair extending from their sides. At the head end of their bodies, they have 10 blues spots on their back, followed by red spots. As a group, caterpillars do not spin tents, but individuals will climb down trees to spin a loose, leathery cocoon to pupate. The gypsy moth population explodes about every four years due to natural predator cycles. Read More: Click Here

Garden Insects: Harlequin Bugs Identification Look for black and red or black and yellow winged beetles that are 1/2 inch long and shaped like a shield. Adults lay tiny eggs in rows or masses on the undersides of leaves that hatch into nymphs. These look like miniature versions of the adult beetles. Both adults and nymphs may overwinter in leaves or yard waste. Read More: Click Here

Garden Insects: Imported Cabbage Worms Identification Look for 1-inch long, velvety green caterpillars with a yellow stripe down their back. The Imported Cabbage Worm butterfly is white with dark wing spots and A 1 1/4 inch wingspan. The female butterflies are very active during the day and lay hundreds of yellow-colored eggs on the undersides of leaves. Read More: Click Here

Garden Insects: Bagworms Identification Bagworms are small, dirt-brown colored caterpillars, which are sometimes difficult to see. They disguise themselves with parts of the shrubs and foliage they eat by forming a spindle-shaped bag that measures 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 inches in length. The bag is formed by gluing parts of leaves together with silk, and carried along with the caterpillar as it feeds. As the larvae grow, the bag grows with it and when disturbed, the larvae will hide inside. In autumn, the bags reach their maximum size of 1-1/2 to 2 inches. At this time the larvae permanently suspend their bags downward from twigs, and transform into the pupa or resting stage before becoming an adult. The females stay in a larva-like stage, never emerging from the bag. The males transform into bee-like adults with clear wings and fur-covered bodies. Read More: Click Here

Garden Insects: Grasshoppers By Ellen Brown Identification There are several hundred species of grasshoppers, but only a handful that cause Damage to crops and ornamental plants. Many common garden species are 1-2 inches in length and gray, green or brown in color. All grasshoppers have large eyes and large hind legs specially developed for jumping. Adult females dig holes in the soil with their abdomen and lay eggs. One year later, wingless nymphs hatch in the spring. By summer, they have developed into mature winged adults. Read More: Click Here

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