| Subject | Date Asked | Expert |
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| REPLANTING | 11/20/2009 | Mike Mascio |
Q: IT IS NOVEMBER 20TH AND ABOUT 60 DEGREES. IT WILL BE IN THE 60s FOR THE NEXT 7 DAYS. I WOULD LIKE ...
A: There is a risk in moving it now. The plant would need at least 4 weeks before a hard frost in order ...
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| Transplanting a mature Flowering Quince | 11/7/2009 | Mike Mascio |
Q: It is the beginning of November, and a flowering quince with a diameter of 5 feet has been offered ...
A: As long as you plant it two weeks before a hard freeze, the tree should do fine. Just be sure to ...
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| Sunflower leaves | 10/27/2009 | C.L. Fornari |
Q: The leaves of my sunflower plants are turning brown and are translucent. I am a novice, south ...
A: Gretchen, Fungal problems might turn leaves brown, but they usually do this in a spotty manner, not ...
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| impatiens | 10/23/2009 | C.L. Fornari |
Q: Do you think that I would get better knowledge on how impatiens grow if I grow them outside or ...
A: Dean, Like many plants we grow as annuals in the northern states, Impatiens is prone to whitefly and ...
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| Habanero Pepper Plants | 10/21/2009 | C.L. Fornari |
Q: Why does my Habanero plant; which is in a pot indoors, after being outside in ground, only have one ...
A: Shawn, It's pretty hard for peppers to bear fruit indoors, and if it was in the ground first, then ...
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| Bogenvia blossom drop? | 10/19/2009 | Mike Mascio |
Q: It seems just when the plant is full with blossoms and looking awesome, it starts to drop its ...
A: When blossoms fall off prematurely, it is usually an indication of one of two problems. Either your ...
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| Geranium Frostbite | 10/19/2009 | Long Island Gardener |
Q: I left my geraniums out last night and we had a frost. I heard you could spray with water and it ...
A: It's that time of year again, gardeners (like me) head out for a game of Russian Roulette with their ...
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| Growing impatiens from seed | 10/15/2009 | Mike Mascio |
Q: Do you think if I plant some impatiens in clay pots and put different tempatured stakes in the pots ...
A: Dean, it will make no difference in the growth habit. The only advantage of warming the soil is when ...
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| dahlia flowers | 10/13/2009 | Long Island Gardener |
Q: i am planning to plant some big dahlia flowers this winter , what care should i take . 1.fertiliser ...
A: Dahlias need heat and sun. Above 88 degrees, and the Chlorophyll A stops working. Below 48 degrees ...
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| Gerbera | 10/13/2009 | Mike Mascio |
Q: 1.I am having gerbera plants in my garden.I brought them from nursery , they actually dig them out , ...
A: It is important to amend the soil with organic matter such as compost and peat. The fact that you're ...
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| Geraniums | 10/12/2009 | Mike Mascio |
Q: I have a beautiful Geranium planted in my flower bed outside and I wanted to know that if I were ...
A: I always transplant geraniums into pots and allow them to go dormant for the winter. When ...
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| New Guinea impatiens | 10/8/2009 | Long Island Gardener |
Q: Can you suggest any way to save this poor New Guinea impatiens? A photo is attached; it was taken ...
A: I agree, Earth Juice sounds like fertilizer. The Messenger is patent-protected. You won't find it ...
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| New Guinea impatiens | 10/5/2009 | Long Island Gardener |
Q: Can you suggest any way to save this poor New Guinea impatiens? A photo is attached; it was taken ...
A: Fertilizer companies have programmed plantlovers to fertilizer at the drop of a hat. Fertilizer is ...
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| Injured impatiens | 10/5/2009 | C.L. Fornari |
Q: Can you suggest any way to save this poor New Guinea impatiens? A photo is attached; it was taken ...
A: Jean, First of all, you aren't a real gardener until you've killed plants. Secondly, since you're ...
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| gerbera pruning | 10/4/2009 | C.L. Fornari |
Q: I had 2 gerbera daisy plants given to me in spring, planted outside for summer, they did very well. ...
A: Vicki, You must have a green thumb - not everyone can keep these plants alive! As long as the ...
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| insects in soil of potted impatients | 10/3/2009 | C.L. Fornari |
Q: There are loads of tiny insects, (they look like brown ants, some with wings) in the soil of my ...
A: Marilyn, They might be termites... check out this website to see a drawing of an ant and a termite, ...
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| Persian shield in zone 6 | 10/3/2009 | Long Island Gardener |
Q: I bought a persian shield this summer and it is beautiful. Then I realized it will not withstand ...
A: Yes, it is true - there is no such thing as a true gardener who believes there is such as a thing as ...
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| Impatients | 10/1/2009 | C.L. Fornari |
Q: I love impatients and live in Temecula, CA = can I plant them now in full sun and will they survive ...
A: Betty, Impatiens don't do well when the temps dip below 50 degrees, so even if your temperatures ...
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| Saving Annuals From Winter | 10/1/2009 | C.L. Fornari |
Q: I have several annuals that I do not want to lose this winter. How can I save my impatiens, Moss ...
A: Shirley, You don't say where you live, but I assume that you, like me, garden where the frost will ...
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| reseeding sunflowers from plants | 9/28/2009 | Long Island Gardener |
Q: should you dead head sunflowers before or after a frost if you want to use the seeds for growing?? ...
A: Sunflowers are Burpee posts harvesting tips on its website: ...
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| Persian shield in zone 6 | 9/27/2009 | Long Island Gardener |
Q: I bought a persian shield this summer and it is beautiful. Then I realized it will not withstand ...
A: Be the first on your block to grow the tender, tropical, exotic Persian Shield ('Strobilanthes ...
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| Verbena | 9/24/2009 | Mike Mascio |
Q: My verbena is in a hanging basket in the sun, has great long stems and looks very healthy, but will ...
A: Jill, your soil is probably lacking phosphorus, the nutrient needed for blooming. I would purchase a ...
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| Coleus | 9/23/2009 | Mike Mascio |
Q: How do coleus do in the winter months in central Florida(not the larger tropical variety). I was ...
A: Suzanne, coleus are classified as a hardy annual, meaning they will withstand a light frost, but ...
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| getting seeds from annuals | 9/21/2009 | C.L. Fornari |
Q: i would like to get seeds from the bachelor button plant but am not sure how. can i just take the ...
A: Carol, You can collect seeds from your bachelor button plant by waiting till the seed pod turns sort ...
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| lunaria plants | 9/21/2009 | C.L. Fornari |
Q: was wondering if you would be able to tell me when is the best time to plant lunaria seeds. Its also ...
A: Carol, You can scatter Lunaria seeds any time, even now. Know that they will germinate in the ...
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| cuttings | 9/21/2009 | Long Island Gardener |
Q: What part of the geranium plant are cuttings taken from? I don't know where to take the cut and the ...
A: Two Geranium problems here: (1) How to take cuttings and (2) How to get branches. First, let's go ...
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| colius cuttings | 9/20/2009 | Long Island Gardener |
Q: I've started pinching off my coleus leaves now to root them for next spring plantings. I've put ...
A: Coleus are incredibly easy to root, ranking with Impatiens as the cuttings champions. Good thing, ...
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| marigolds | 9/20/2009 | C.L. Fornari |
Q: I have a Marigold Border Mix box that I bought at the store I planted it earlier in the summer I ...
A: Shannon, Yes, it's too late in the season to plant seeds - you don't say if it's a box of seeds or ...
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| Iris dying back after blooming | 9/20/2009 | C.L. Fornari |
Q: We bought a home a few years ago, and I've been trying to identify the few plants in the yard. At ...
A: Dana, I think what you are describing is Neomarica gracilis, commonly called walking iris. Check ...
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| Bulbs | 9/16/2009 | C.L. Fornari |
Q: L., I am planting a few bulbs outside now, daffodils, tulips and a few others. Could you advise me ...
A: Kenneth, You'll want to water them right after planting, partly to settle them in, and partly to ...
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| UNKNOWN PLANT IN MY YARD | 9/15/2009 | C.L. Fornari |
Q: I HAVE WOODS IN MY BACK YARD AND I HAVE SOMETHING GROWING THAT LOOKS LIKE A KIWI WITH THORNS..BUT ...
A: Jodie, There are two plants it could be. You can "google image" these and see if this is what you ...
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| Mandevilla Diplandenia | 9/14/2009 | C.L. Fornari |
Q: My friend in San Diego has a mandevilla dipladenia growning on a trellis - it's beautiful. I live ...
A: Linda, Mandevilla vine is very heat tolerant but needs regular watering in hot temperatures - I'd ...
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| Snapdragons | 9/8/2009 | Mike Mascio |
Q: do they die off in the winter frost and not come back in the falling summer?
A: Snapdragons are hardy annuals and will survive a mild frost. However, they do perish once there is a ...
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| Getting a euphoria "Diamond to bloom" | 9/7/2009 | C.L. Fornari |
Q: Whaaa! I need your help! I can NOT get my Diamond frost plant to bloom. I have been growing it in ...
A: Barb, I haven't seen this problem before - all I can suggest is the following: This plant likes it ...
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| Need help identifying/caring for plant! | 9/6/2009 | C.L. Fornari |
Q: I feel really silly for this, but I've been having what I think is a problem with these two plants ...
A: First of all, you have a Polka Dot plant (Hypoestes phyllostachya). This plant does best in bright ...
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| sweet potato plants | 9/6/2009 | C.L. Fornari |
Q: Is there any way you can use these as a housplant and bring them outdoors next summer?
A: Martha, They don't make great house plants (white fly!) but you can dig up the tubers and store them ...
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| overwintering | 9/6/2009 | C.L. Fornari |
Q: I heard that you can dig up your sweet potato plants put them in a dry dark area in your home and ...
A: Susan, Those SPV's are looking pretty darn nice now, aren't they? Yes, you can dig up the tubers and ...
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| green "fungus" on tree | 9/4/2009 | Long Island Gardener |
Q: I have a dogwood tree that doesn't look very good this year...I had some firewood that had what ...
A: Sounds to me like you're looking at Lichens -- exotic, harmless organisms considered hypersensitive ...
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| Insects destroying annuals | 9/2/2009 | C.L. Fornari |
Q: My hanging baskets were blooming beautifully, until the middle of August, when they all at the same ...
A: Elizabeth, Sorry for the delay in answering this - I just got back from being away. Usually small ...
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| wave petunias | 8/30/2009 | C.L. Fornari |
Q: In your answer to Donna in June of 08: http://en.allexperts.com/q/Annuals-706/2008/6/PETUNIA.htm you ...
A: Joe, Wave petunias occasionally make seeds but you can't grow new Wave petunias from those - they ...
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