with Teri Knight
Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Friendly fences and hedges
I gave a shout out to all those who follow my Garden Bite facebook page and asked folks what topic they’d like more information on. A friend asked what would make a great hedge for a fence. Friendly fences are awesome!
Years ago I planted a friendly fence of Alpine Currant. It’s a hardy mounded shrub that can be kept at about 3 feet or, do like I did and let it grow … [Continue reading]
Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Planting vegetables in containers
Lots of folks will be growing vegetables and herbs in containers. What size container should you use? What TYPE of container? Certain containers create issues for your plants.
Tomatoes are super popular and grow well in containers but they need size! University based information says use AT LEAST a 12 inch diameter container, but honestly, bigger is better. The larger pots provide more soil and hold more water which minimizes wilting and stress as … [Continue reading]
Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Mother’s Day and flowers
Mother’s Day is one of those traditions that is all American. A woman named Anna Jarvis trademarked the phrases “second Sunday in May” and “Mother’s Day” in 1912 being very specific that the apostrophe for mothers day was in there so that people would celebrate their own mother not just all moms.
Two years after her own mom died Anna embarked on a campaign to get people to celebrate their … [Continue reading]
Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Fertilizing annuals and perennials
Fertilizing annuals and perennials
Yes, there’s a difference. Because annuals live their entire life cycle in one season, they do well with more fertilizer treatments. Also, if they’re in containers, the fertilizer runs out much quicker. Perennials have the advantage of establishing their roots deeper in the soil and the fertilizer lingers longer.
Always follow package directions OR use less! Never use more. For great blooms, use a 10-20-10 fertilizer. The middle number is … [Continue reading]
Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Coffee grounds deter slugs
There have been a number of claims about using coffee grounds in the garden. Do they really work? Well, as with most home remedies, they are still being studied! Claims of disease control to enhanced growth and more, generally, means that success varies. There are some who say don’t use them at all. I generally offer university based information but sometimes you’ll find nuggets of knowledge that science just doesn’t … [Continue reading]
Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Lilac love is in the air
Oh the lilacs have budded out and soon that wonderful fragrance will waft through, I hope, open windows! Here’s to a sunny day with a warm breeze!
A LONG time ago I lived on a hobby farm where the lilacs were about 12 feet thick, about 12 feet tall and surrounded the house. Truth is, they CAN get out of hand as many of us know … [Continue reading]
Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Lawn care – weed killing
Does forsythia bloom foretell the coming of crabgrass? Actually… sorta. This year is a bit wonky with cold weather which means we have some time, but not much. Generally speaking…
Preemergent herbicides affect germinating seeds. That means, to be effective, the herbicide should be applied two to three weeks before weed seeds germinate.
Some researchers say that’s about the time when forsythia starts to drop its blooms. The … [Continue reading]
Fertilizing your lawn – why wait?
This is a yearly ponderable by the lawn faithful. According to research, Spring is NOT the best time to fertilize your lawn. I know, I can hear many of you gasping, but the BEST times to fertilize your lawn are Late summer and fall.
This is contrary to the traditional springtime application. Early spring applications of nitrogen cause a surge of top growth in the plants, which makes the lawn look nice in the spring but depletes the plants’ energy reserves. Consequently, when … [Continue reading]
Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Some zucchini love
Years ago, while out tending to my garden, I came across a 2 foot monster! It was long, thick and green… it was an enormous zucchini squash. I had so many, I was begging people to take them.
So then I just quit planting that prolific producer. The issue being their sprawl!
But, this winter in particular, I kept yearning for my chinese 5-spice zucchini bread, alas, I could find NO zucchini in my local … [Continue reading]
Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: Palmer Amaranth
All above and below ground parts of the plant must be destroyed. Additionally, no transportation, propagation, or sale of these plants is allowed. Failure to comply may result in enforcement action by the county or local municipality. YIKES! They are not kidding around!
The dreaded Palmer amaranth, a runaway weed threatening ecological systems has found a new pathway. In September of 2016, Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri) was initially discovered and confirmed in Minnesota.
First … [Continue reading]