Category Archives: Sage Advice

Feeding Fruit and Flowers

Posted on February 22, 2008 by Christy

A  question recently came through Ask Gardenerd:

“Is this the time[February/March] to fertilize – Roses, fruit trees (apple & orange) bushes, etc? Last year our roses didn’t produce much.  Right now our flowering shrubs look yellow and the
overall look of things looks spindly and not healthy. Help!”

In many parts of the country, fruit trees haven’t started to show buds yet.  I don’t know about you, but my fruit trees are all either in full bloom or already have buds fattening on
the branches.  So if you live in zone 10, yes, fertilize your fruit trees now.  (I worked some into …
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Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and …Time?

Posted on January 30, 2008 by Christy

A fellow Gardenerd recently wrote in:

“When is the best time to plant herbs? I planted basil last spring which slowly started to die in November. I planted another basil in October which is on its way out as well. Dill I planted
in the fall is brown and not growing!! HELP!”

That’s a very good question, and depending on your climate and growing options, I have an answer for you.  Before that though, I want to say you have really good luck with Basil!  Basil is
a summer plant, and it usually dies back when the first cold spell hits.  If …
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Stormwater Pollution and Gardening

Posted on January 6, 2008 by Christy

Since Gardenerd.com is a proponent
of organic gardening and environmentally friendly living practices, we are always looking for ways to spread the word about how to conserve energy, prevent pollution and give back to the
earth.  The LA Stormwater Program contacted us and asked if we could publish one of their articles that would help promote their
cause.  We are pleased to present this important message from the LA Stormwater program:

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Organic Gardening Classes

Posted on December 11, 2007 by Christy
A local gardenerd writes in:

“Where would you recommend that one take a good basic course in organic vegetable gardening in the SF Valley or LA areas?  Thanks in advance for any information or suggestions!”

I’m glad you asked!  I happen to be working on a 4-week Basic Organic Gardening 101 course for a couple of locations in Santa Monica as we speak.  It’s still in the works, but for all those
who are interested, just e-mail me at christy@gardenerd.com and you will be notified of upcoming classes when they get locked down.
 
Just out of curiosity I did a search of …

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Asparagus Fern Rescue

Posted on December 1, 2007 by Christy
A concerned gardenerd writes in, “I found a dying asparagus fern abandoned in the street. It was still alive, but yellowing badly. I suspected either over or
under-watering – obviously a challenge to determine which! When I looked more carefully I determined it was root-bound, so I trimmed the roots with a kitchen knife. Any more advice? More water or
less? Misting? How about sun or shade? There’s tons of sunlight here in Mexico, but maybe too much?

Also, the soil here is very bad and I can’t find potting soil to purchase. Any advice on supplementing what …

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Planting Bulbs: a primer

Posted on November 25, 2007 by Christy

As a companion piece to the Thanksgiving Tip of the
Week, it seems appropriate to dedicate a little bit of time to the subject of
planting bulbs.  When I first started gardening with flowers, I didn’t know
anything about inedible plants.  I loved color and fragrance, but was too
intimidated to try roses or climbing vines.  So I started with
bulbs.  

Growing bulbs really couldn’t be easier, or less
of a commitment.  Basically you dig a hole, you drop in a bulb and you bury
it.  Then you wait for spring.  There are more …
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Pruning Roses

Posted on November 7, 2007 by Christy

A gardener recently wrote in:

“When is the best time to prune
roses?”

The answer I’m providing is geared towards west coast
gardeners in mild winter climates.  According to a workshop
I attended several years ago with Nina Rumely, Ocean View Farms’
resident rose expert, we should stop cutting our roses in October and cut
watering to once a week.  This encourages your roses into
dormancy. 
…
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Dirty soil

Posted on September 25, 2007 by Christy
A new member of the Gardenerd community writes in:

“I just recently moved into a newly constructed house and would love to have a garden in the backyard. However, the soil around the house is filled with chemicals from the construction process. I
plan on removing about 2 and a half feet of dirt, covering it with organic compost, and letting the sun (heat) and oxygen do its thing so I can plant in march.  Is this enough? Should I be doing
something else?”

Firstly, congratulations on your new house!  I think a garden is a perfect choice (but then again, …

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Houseplant Killer – Qu’est que c’est?

Posted on September 21, 2007 by Christy
A concerned houseplant owns writes in:

…
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True Bug – Good Luck Charm or Messenger of Death?

Posted on September 15, 2007 by Christy
Another great question came in this week from a fellow Gardenerd:

” I’m pretty sure we have a variety of stinkbugs including harlequin bugs.  Any suggestions after destroying infested plants and accompanying bugs?”

First things first.  I just found a really great website featuring a insect photo catalog to help you identify your critters.  Simply hover over the diagrams on
the left hand side to find the right category of insect.  You will find Stinkbugs and Harlequin bugs under the category of “True Bugs”.  I’ve been looking for a complete
photo library of bugs for years and this one is the best I’ve seen yet.   Be sure to bookmark that …

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