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About Long Island Gardener
(Top Expert on this page)

Expertise
Growing Tulips? Dahlias? Daffodils? Gladiolus? It doesn't get easier than bulbs and tubers. Once in a while, something goes wrong: The dreaded Narcissus Bulb Fly, which resembles a honeybee. Mosaic virus, which can ignite a field of tulips in a single season. Nematodes, lurking underground. Here on the North Shore of Long Island, the garden is full of surprises. If you live in the Northeast/Atlantic Coast, I can help you pick the right bulb for every season, indoors and out, and help you fertilize, bloom and harvest for home or work. How: I have degrees in related fields, but my best understanding is all learned from trial and error. For most of my 53 years I have been gardening somewhere. No matter what the problem, I've learned the best answers are always Organic -- Earth friendly, less expensive, healthier for people and pets, easier and cleaner than toxic liquids and powders that big chemical companies sell so smoothly.

Experience
Besides degrees in related fields, and a few favorite horticultural societies, I work as a docent at our local botanical gardens -- but it's the years of work in the garden that's the real test.

   

You are here:  Experts > Style > Gardening > Bulbs

SubjectDate AskedExpert

planting bulbs3/28/2007Long Island Gardener
  Q: i would like to plant flowers but am unsure of what and when to plant them in Michigan. zone 6
  A: What a perfect name for a gardener: Sunnie. Must keep that in mind for my next born child. ...
Gladiola bulbs3/28/2007Long Island Gardener
  Q: I've have looked everywhere tonight about planting glads - please, can you tell me which side of the ...
  A: First things first: Don't worry about "up" or "down" so much. The bulbs always "right" themselves. ...
tuberose3/28/2007Long Island Gardener
  Q: I just received a group of tuberose. I can't plant until this weekend, do I put them in water or in ...
  A: Do not put them anywhere, Sandy. Keep them dry -- unless they are already sprouting. These bulbs ...
Stargazer Lilies3/27/2007Long Island Gardener
  Q: I live in Texas. Zipe code 79601. I recieved some already cut stargazer lilies in a floral ...
  A: Jenetta, you are so lucky -- flowers? Happy Birthday! Mine was March 25th. Aries! The best ...
Gladiola Bulbs3/26/2007Long Island Gardener
  Q: What time of year should I plant my Gladiola bulbs? I live in Washington state, zip code 98024?
  A: As soon as the ground can be worked, you can blow the whistle and start digging. But... Many ...
daffadils3/24/2007Long Island Gardener
  Q: when should i fertilize my old daffadils
  A: Assuming your Daffodils are growing in terrific soil, a little Superphosphate applied right until ...
Tulip Bulbs3/23/2007Long Island Gardener
  Q: I moved my tulip bulbs last Fall and yesterday I noticed that I must have missed about 6 of them and ...
  A: Move them now if you can work the ground, be careful with the roots and get them right back in the ...
cana lily bulb planting3/23/2007Long Island Gardener
  Q: in SE Wisconsin, when and how do I plant the bulbs I saved from last year
  A: As you know, Cannas can't handle a winter in your Zone 5 climate, so you are right on the money for ...
tet a tet's3/22/2007Long Island Gardener
  Q: my dear friend, im'e sorry i forgot you are on the other side of the pond, in England tet a tet's ...
  A: Ah ha! THOSE tete-a-tetes!!!! Yes, I know them well. It would not be spring without them. If ...
short flowering tulips3/20/2007Long Island Gardener
  Q: I am a passionate lover of tulips and have been planting successfully for the last five years. I ...
  A: You are on the right track when you wondered about the warm, wet winter, Pauline. Gardeners in the ...
bulb storage3/20/2007Long Island Gardener
  Q: I live in Columbia SC and am moving to Asheville NC. I have many bulbs planted in the yard that I ...
  A: Richele, Are you moving NOW? You're digging them, roots and all, pre-move? These are spring bulbs ...
Tulip bulbs in a pot3/9/2007Long Island Gardener
  Q: What do you do with them after they flower? Do you cut the stems off and keep them watered if you ...
  A: First, the good news: There is a chance you can re-bloom your Tulips. Bad news: Most Tulips, ...
keeping tulip bulbs3/7/2007Long Island Gardener
  Q: How do I (in Houston, Tx) preserve my tulip bulbs (from an arrangement) in order to plant them next ...
  A: Most Tulips, unfortunately, won't ever bloom again as beautifully as they did the first time you saw ...
digging up and storing bulbs3/5/2007Long Island Gardener
  Q: How long should you wait to dig up a bulb after it has bloomed and how do you store them? I mainly ...
  A: Don't dig up ANYTHING until the leaves have withered!!!!! Tulips are tricky and not reliably ...
tulip bulbs3/5/2007Long Island Gardener
  Q: a friend gave me a beautiful tulip for a gift. The flowers are now gone. I understand that ...
  A: This is unfortunately probably true, that you will not have much luck in the future with this one ...
Iris Cleaning?3/5/2007Long Island Gardener
  Q: I recently purchased several iris bulbs over the internet on EBAY, and when I received them they ...
  A: Soaking Iris in a dilute water-bleach solution is standard procedure, sometimes just as a ...
tulip bloom timing and rain concerns2/28/2007Long Island Gardener
  Q: yes i pre-chilled them for over a month, and i believe they were chilled before purchase. so too ...
  A: I am a little too fast sometimes, I get carried away. Sun is GREAT! Rain is GREAT! Drainage is ...
tulip bloom timing and rain concerns2/27/2007Long Island Gardener
  Q: i'm in the sf bay area (94610) and earlier this month i planted a few hundred tulip bulbs in pots ...
  A: The worst case scenario here, Vicki, would be that they "blasted" from heat. The temperature should ...
tulips2/24/2007Long Island Gardener
  Q: I am in San Antonio, TX - I received a tulip plant for Valentine's Day, and I do not know how to ...
  A: Melissa, I wish I had better news, but Tulips just won't grow in San Antonio. The good news of ...
tulips2/23/2007Long Island Gardener
  Q: I received a pot of already-blooming pink tulips for Valentines. I pray it was not a waste simply ...
  A: I'm guessing you want to keep your Tulips and get it to bloom again next year, Ptera? I don't blame ...
tulips2/20/2007Long Island Gardener
  Q: someone gave me a pot of tulips and now that the flowers are gone. what do i do with the bulbs? my ...
  A: So you want to grow Tulips in South Carolina? Tricky. Not guaranteed to grow - but worth a shot. ...
2-3yrsTuberoses not blooming2/17/2007Long Island Gardener
  Q: Can you suggest a brand name for the fertilizer best for tuberoses?I bought 5bulbs which probably ...
  A: Best fertilizer here is going to be good old American sunshine - as much as possible. If this was a ...
Stargazers2/17/2007Long Island Gardener
  Q: .. I do really appreciate it. :) Sorry if I'm too insistent in asking questions about my plant. I've ...
  A: Don't worry about asking too many questions about this, Frances. That's what we're here for! ...
2-3yrsTuberoses not blooming2/15/2007Long Island Gardener
  Q: I bought tuberoses from one of the popular shopping channels about 2-3yrs back. I've planted them in ...
  A: I had the same problem as you, Malabika, and I got so desperate I called Ralph Snodsmith on the ...
Stargazers2/15/2007Long Island Gardener
  Q: I'm Frances from Philippines. I bought a star gazer plant on a pot last december of 2006. The ...
  A: My father was there in WWII, I have his Navy photo taken on a front Porch by a Philippine ...
Amaryllis2/14/2007Long Island Gardener
  Q: My husband bought me a beautiful Amaryllis for Valentines Day. It still has 3 buds yet unopened, ...
  A: How sweet he is! These are gorgeous, aren't they? Put your dazzling Valentines Amaryllis in the ...
forcing tulip bulbs2/14/2007Long Island Gardener
  Q: I want tulips in pots outdoors, I have not yet planted any. Can I just plant them in the spring and ...
  A: Rachelle, If you want to "force" bulbs, which is what your project is called, you have missed the ...
Mold on Canna bulbs2/13/2007Long Island Gardener
  Q: To answer your questions: 1)The mold is mostly white or light grey. 2)After I dug them up I did let ...
  A: Any below-freezing exposure would probably do at least some injury to your Cannas. How much damage ...
Mold on Canna bulbs2/11/2007Long Island Gardener
  Q: For the first time ever I stored by cannas bulbs in a public storage unit instead of my basement. ...
  A: You didn't describe the color of the mold or your pre-storage measures. Were these stored without ...
storing amarillas bulb2/11/2007Long Island Gardener
  Q: It didn't bloom this year have 2 24" leaves now. Am moving and want to take it with me. HELP! ...
  A: No problem, Denise. Keep it in the pot and put it in a box with protection like you were moving your ...
deadheading tulips2/10/2007Long Island Gardener
  Q: i'm new at the whole gardening thing...i am just curious on how to deadhead tulips. do you have to ...
  A: Your plant? I have to guess here... this is in a pot? Or is there something growing in the ground ...
amaryllis bulb2/10/2007Long Island Gardener
  Q: After flowering, how do I store the bulb? In the soil or remove it from the soil>
  A: My friend, Amaryllis perform best when potted and left alone for 2-3 seasons or longer. Some bulbs ...
Planting Spring bulbs2/6/2007Long Island Gardener
  Q: I live in Idaho, zone 5-6. We just moved here and I would like to plant bulbs in containers on the ...
  A: Bulbs available now would be iffy - leftovers that have endured way too many months out of the ...
Amaryllis with distorted growth2/1/2007Long Island Gardener
  Q: Many of flower stalks that came up on my new amaryllis bulbs are not growing straight but curved. ...
  A: Fire Blotch, Red Spot, Scorch, Red Blotch... Read all about it at the Oregon State Extension website ...
growing bulbs in indoor terrariums1/31/2007Long Island Gardener
  Q: I have a large fish tank with charcoal, potting soil and gravel on the bottom, and I'm growing some ...
  A: Succulents such as the disturbingly beautiful Christmas Cactus need an experienced hand to grow ...
bulbs1/27/2007Long Island Gardener
  Q: I was given some tulip bulbs for Christmas that my parents had sent from a trip to Holland. The ...
  A: I have a feeling it is too late to plant these in NC - isn't the ground frozen solid down there? ...
Calla Lilly1/22/2007Long Island Gardener
  Q: Last May, I received a cala lilly for mothers day. I have ebeen keepignt he soil moist, but quite ...
  A: Mandy, beautiful leaves and exotic blooms have created a boom in Calla Lily sales in recent years. ...
Tulips1/19/2007Long Island Gardener
  Q: I live in coastal San Diego (Zone 10). Each year I plant several hundred tulip bulbs--mostly in ...
  A: Annette, I was in San Diego in February 1982 - trapped while the rest of the country was buried ...
Tulips Sprouting early1/18/2007Long Island Gardener
  Q: Will Mulch work instead of leaves? Unfortunately I live in one of those sprawling atrocities known ...
  A: Mulch is heavier, and you have to be VERY careful because of it. I hate the idea, but if that's all ...
Tulips Sprouting early1/17/2007Long Island Gardener
  Q: Ohio. Not sure what zone that is. I planted full grown tulip bulbs last summer (the kind that are ...
  A: Up and down the East Coast, desperate gardeners are watching the thermometer, checking signs of ...

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