Category Archives: Sage Advice

Flowers for Fall

Posted on October 9, 2009 by Christy

I used to think that there were flower gardeners and there were vegetable gardeners.  Now, I don’t like to appear biased against flowers (even though veggies are my preferred garden variety), so I was happy to get this question in at Ask Gardenerd this week:

“Just got done reading your newsletter for recommended Fall veggies and
herbs. What kinds of annual flowers do you recommend for warmer
climates in the Fall (I am in zone 8/9, Rancho Cucamonga) that can be
companion planted with these crops? Thanks!”

My favorite flowers to recommend are also beneficial insectaries, meaning they attract beneficial …
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Sweet Carrots – how to get ’em

Posted on October 1, 2009 by Christy

A great question came in this week to Ask Gardenerd:

“This year, I planted carrots and beets, but success was marginal. Some of the carrots turned out OK, but many were stunted or very small. Also, many were very bitter. Any suggestions for next time?
Can you do anything with the carrot tops…I hate to throw them away…I am putting them into the compost pile.

All the beets were very stunted and small. Any suggestions for next time? Also, some of my lettuce is bitter. Could my …
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Even Pumpkins

Posted on September 23, 2009 by Christy

We got a fine question at Ask Gardenerd this week:

“I just harvested my pumpkins. They all are a very beautiful orange
color.  However, after rolling them over, all are flat on the bottom side
that was next to the ground, and a white color is on that side.  What can I do
next year to prevent this?”

Yea for pumpkins!  It’s so satisfying to harvest them after all that time and space (they get so big and sprawl everywhere) over the summer.  Here’s a very easy thing that you can do to solve both the white color …
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Growing Horseradish

Posted on September 23, 2009 by Christy

Here’s one I hadn’t encountered before:

“We have a horseradish root that we bought at the store and on a whim
we put the top part of the root into some potting soil, we now
have growth. Our question is what type of soil does it require and how
much sun will it need to grow properly. Dave Garman & Karen Blessington”

Good for you for being adventurous!  And lucky for you, you’ve chosen a really easy plant to grow.  Horseradish has no particular soil requirements and basically likes to be ignored.  It prefers full sun, but can handle …
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How to Grow Shallots

Posted on September 16, 2009 by Christy

We received a question this week on Ask Gardenerd that we wanted to share:

“Hi Christy, I’m wondering when the best time to plant shallots is in
SoCal?  Also, do you have a good source for sets or is the farmer’s
market a good place to start? Thanks!”

Your timing is perfect!  Fall is the best time to plant shallots in Southern California.  They, like garlic, will overwinter and be harvested in springtime.  They require similar care to garlic, with some exceptions.  Here is a blurb from Peaceful Valley Farms, where you can order shallots for growing:

PLANTING SHALLOTS, …
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Sprout Struggles

Posted on September 11, 2009 by Christy

A curious question came in this week to Ask Gardenerd:

“Hello-I’m starting some cool season plants from seed inside my house. I
planted some De Cicco Broccoli seeds in seed starting mix, and placed
in a window sill. The seeds sprouted in 3 days, which was definitely
exciting! But now a few days later, the little sprouts’ stems are about
2 inches tall and they are falling over. What may cause the sprouts to
grow too fast and become top heavy??”

First of all, congratulations on starting broccoli from seed!  It isn’t always the easiest thing to …
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Moldy Soil

Posted on September 2, 2009 by Christy

A great question came in this week to Ask Gardenerd:

“My garden soil has this yucky whitish hue to it. I am assuming it is a
type of mold (I do think I have been overwatering). When I took it out
of the bags (10 bags)a few months ago, it did have a few “moldy”
looking spots (I took back some of the bags but they told me it was
“normal”). Is there any way I can salvage this soil?“

I understand your concern, but the folks at the nursery are correct.  The mold in your soil is totally normal.  Most good …
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Raccoon Troubles

Posted on July 22, 2009 by Christy

A great question came in this week:

“Hi Christy, I live in Santa Monica and I have Raccoons!  We caught a
giant one rustling through our soon to be bountiful garden a few nights
ago and now know who has been munching on our strawberries and also
took a bite of a green Serrano (I think one bite was enough for him).
The last straw for me was that he got his hands on an heirloom tomato
that was just nearing ripeness and ripped it off the plant!  Considering
the amount of tomatoes I have planted, he must …
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Artichoke Care

Posted on June 25, 2009 by Christy

A question came in this week:

“I have some lovely modest artichokes on one plant that I planted this
spring. I can’t decide if I should cut ’em and eat ’em, or let them go
to flower!  I’m not sure what would be best for the future life of the
plant… and what is the life cycle of the artichoke, anyway?  What do I
need to do to keep it healthy and happy in my garden, year after year?
Thanks. I love the being a gardenerd!! Liza”

Well, those are all good questions, Liza.  Artichokes can be intimidating, I think, …
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What Wood Would You Use?

Posted on June 19, 2009 by Christy

A gardener wrote in this week:

“Hi there – I SO enjoy your newsletters and info! I have a question – we
are making containers to grow vegetables. At first my dad thought
pressure treated because it will last longer on the island where we live –
but I said no way!  They use pesticides to treat the wood and that
defeats the whole purpose!!  Do you have any suggestions?  Would cedar be
good?  Do you know anyplace that has pre-fab ones?  Also – what should we
use for soil and fertilizer?  I want our veggies to be …
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