| Subject | Date Asked |
|
| What's eating my tomato plants?? | 11/17/2009 |
Q: I have another problem with my poor plants! Re my photo; I noticed that the bottom leaves of 2 of ...
A: Kay: I can't identify the pest, if it's in the picture I can't see it. But you are panicking for ...
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| planting tomatos too late? | 11/9/2009 |
Q: I am currently in the process of planting tomatos which I bought as seedlings at a shop, as it's ...
A: Dom: Just pinch the flowers off. It won't be any problem. You may need to continue to pick off the ...
|
| Leaves | 10/30/2009 |
Q: My community allows small backyard gardens but not composting.I know its dumb but one neighbor has a ...
A: Bud: Do you have a lawn mower with a catcher bag? If so, that's the best way to pick up the leaves. ...
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| When to transplant tomatos | 10/22/2009 |
Q: I live in Australia, and it's mid-spring and getting a lot warmer now! I bought some little tomato ...
A: Kay: Yes, I always dampen the potting mixture before I transplant - in fact, I usually do it before ...
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| When to transplant tomatos | 10/22/2009 |
Q: I live in Australia, and it's mid-spring and getting a lot warmer now! I bought some little tomato ...
A: Kay: There is no height requirement for transplanting. If the roots are outgrowing the pot, it is ...
|
| frost vs. peppers | 10/17/2009 |
Q: I live in northern AL and tonights low is for 37 and tomorrow 34.(a possible freeze?) I am still ...
A: Yes, covering the plants will probably help. Those temperatures are still above freezing (32 ...
|
| green spaghetti squash | 10/16/2009 |
Q: I don't know what to do with my green spaghetti squash it is beautiful. It is a bright green color ...
A: You can try them, but unripe winter squash are usually pretty tasteless. Leave them on the vine for ...
|
| mushroom growth | 10/15/2009 |
Q: What are the best climates for growing mushrooms in? Are you supposed to use soil to ...
A: Abby: Different mushrooms grow on different substrates. They are not grown in the garden, or in ...
|
| habanero peppers | 10/13/2009 |
Q: my habanero's are late turning from green to orange and we have had a frost if i pick them green ...
A: Tom: If the frost didn't kill the plant, the better way to do it would be to pull up the entire ...
|
| storing vegetables | 10/9/2009 |
Q: Greetings: We are about to have our first freeze and I have harvested many of the remaining ...
A: Jill: Beets and carrots can be stored in the refrigerator in plastic bags. Beets will keep for about ...
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| jalapeno pepper plants | 10/6/2009 |
Q: My name is Lana and I live in Northern British Columbia Canada. This summer I decided to grow ...
A: Lana: Peppers are tropical plants, and as such are grown as annuals in northern climates. I'm ...
|
| carrots growing weird | 9/30/2009 |
Q: Do you have any idea why all my carrots are growing weird? They look like aliens. I have never had ...
A: No, I don't really have any other clues, except maybe planting too close together. It doesn't ...
|
| Leeks | 9/30/2009 |
Q: This year %26 last year I had a major problem with leeks on my allotment, and so did all the other ...
A: Brian: What you saw could have been an onion maggot, they attack the plants at the base of the ...
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| Bell Peppers | 9/28/2009 |
Q: I planted green bell peppers for the first time last spring. There was little to no growth until ...
A: Dayna: Are you sure it is black that they are turning? All bell peppers are green when they are ...
|
| geography | 9/24/2009 |
Q: what are some of the problems found in vegetablemarketing espcially in rural areas.
A: Bwalya: I assume you mean direct-to-consumer marketing? The biggest problems I've seen are ...
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| Harvesting Potatoes | 9/22/2009 |
Q: I just need how to know when I should harvest potatoes. Thanks.
A: Tony: You really can harvest them anytime, but if you are planning on storing them, wait until the ...
|
| Putting tomatoes to bed in the fall | 9/22/2009 |
Q: I am a first-time tomato grower in the upper Midwest. I had a great crop this summer, and still ...
A: Amby: Tomatoes are annuals, they will be killed with the first frost. So there is no "putting the ...
|
| Butternut Squash | 9/21/2009 |
Q: I have never grown Butternut Squash before and I saw your comment about when to pick it. My ...
A: Teresa: If the squash is tan in color it is probably ripe. they won't ripen off the vine, so I ...
|
| red pepper shrivel....? | 9/21/2009 |
Q: We have 2 red pepper plants that have been very disappointing this year - the plants are ...
A: Randy: The fungus would be an external problem. Sunscald can sometimes cause the walls to thin, ...
|
| red pepper shrivel....? | 9/20/2009 |
Q: We have 2 red pepper plants that have been very disappointing this year - the plants are ...
A: Randy: From the photo it looks like something is eating it, leaving it vulnerable to fungus, which ...
|
| buttercup squash | 9/15/2009 |
Q: In cleaning up some of the garden the squash vine broke, it had quite a few squash on it. Will they ...
A: Kris: No, they will not ripen once the vine is cut. Go ahead and cut one though, they may be ripe ...
|
| Cayenne pepper plant | 9/7/2009 |
Q: Elyse, I have a cayenne pepper plant growing in a patio pot. It has done very well with lots of ...
A: Gail: Cayenne peppers are harvested when red. You don't need to pull the plant until frost, and if ...
|
| deformed leaves vegetables and fruit trees | 9/6/2009 |
Q: What causes the foliage on my fruit trees and garden veggies to be deformed, shriveled and turn ...
A: I don't really have an answer for you, just some possibilities. aphids can cause deformed and ...
|
| cantalope | 9/6/2009 |
Q: how can I tell if a cantalope is ripe?
A: Gary: If it is a true cantaloupe, it will slip right off the vine when it is ripe. Other muskmelons ...
|
| Pumpkins/Gourds | 9/2/2009 |
Q: I have planted pumpkins and gourds with little success in our new backyard. This year I have lots ...
A: Carol: Well, I'm not sure. If you had plenty of flowers, it could be a lack of pollination. ...
|
| Pumpkins/Gourds | 9/1/2009 |
Q: I have planted pumpkins and gourds with little success in our new backyard. This year I have lots ...
A: Carol: It's hard to say what the problem might be without more information. What part of the country ...
|
| buplesscucumbers | 8/31/2009 |
Q: About how big dose the cucumber normally get? And dose the leafs turn brown and die? The cucumbers ...
A: Kathy: Sorry. If all the leaves are turning brown then the plant is probably dying and it is too ...
|
| buplesscucumbers | 8/31/2009 |
Q: About how big dose the cucumber normally get? And dose the leafs turn brown and die? The cucumbers ...
A: Kathy: The yellow cucumber is overripe and will not be any good. You can pick them anytime they are ...
|
| mystery squash | 8/31/2009 |
Q: I transplanted a small plant which began growing in my vegetable garden to a new location during the ...
A: Lisa: Looks like the Hasta la Pasta spaghetti squash, but if it was a "volunteer" it is most likely ...
|
| Pumpkin harvested too soon? | 8/30/2009 |
Q: Elyse, I harvested a pumpkin a couple of weeks ago (northern Indiana), washed it off and ...
A: Yes, you picked it too soon. Winter squash ripen in the fall. Refer to your seed packet or catalog ...
|
| Pickle Plant | 8/24/2009 |
Q: Discovered a flurishing pickle plant amongst the cucumbers. Harvested 8, yellow/green pickles so ...
A: I see, I didn't understand your question. Pickles are cucumbers which have been soaked in a brine or ...
|
| Cucumbers | 8/24/2009 |
Q: I have been successfully growing cucumbers for several years. Last year and this year the cucumbers ...
A: Jim: Changing fertilizer will not ripen fruits, but there is always the possibility that you have ...
|
| Butternut squash | 8/23/2009 |
Q: I am growing butternut squash for the first time this year, and I'm not sure when they are ...
A: Amy: You could have searched past answers to find the answer to this question. It seems to be a ...
|
| Garden | 8/22/2009 |
Q: This is my first year gardening. I am growing zucchini, yellow squash, beans, tomatoes, eggplant ...
A: Teresa: Sounds like you're doing great. It is perfectly normal for any plants to develop some brown ...
|
| pumpkins | 8/22/2009 |
Q: My pumpkins are turning orange and looking great. But it is late august will they last until ...
A: Tim: They may be turning orange, but that does not mean they are ready to be picked. I expect it ...
|
| Sqush | 8/19/2009 |
Q: I live in Utah. I planted spaghetti squash this year. For some reason some of them look like ...
A: They do start out green, I looked at mine and could see where they might look a little like ...
|
| growing corn | 8/18/2009 |
Q: The growing season is so short, what is the best variety of corn I could grow in the garden? ...
A: Debbie: Corn is a heavy feeder and so likes a high-nitrogen fertilizer. What you use depends on what ...
|
| growing corn | 8/18/2009 |
Q: The growing season is so short, what is the best variety of corn I could grow in the garden?
A: Debbie: I presume you are thinking about next year? Look for the earliest maturing variety you can ...
|
| Sqush | 8/17/2009 |
Q: I live in Utah. I planted spaghetti squash this year. For some reason some of them look like ...
A: Jackie: I'm not exactly sure what you mean when you say they look like watermelons. Are they the ...
|
| Tomatoes | 8/17/2009 |
Q: I few months back I bought a pack of Jelly Bean Tomatoes from the store. The front of the package ...
A: Amanda: I'm not familiar with this variety. There is no description on the package? From the name, I ...
|
| Pepper Plants won't Flower | 8/16/2009 |
Q: ! I grew several different kinds of peppers(cayane, jalapeno,and others)from seed. Had a great ...
A: Scott: You didn't say how you fertilized, but yes, it is possible it was too much nitrogen. Peppers ...
|
| zucchini squash | 8/16/2009 |
Q: My other squash has flowers and is baring, but the zucchini has only flowers. Where do i look for ...
A: Genea: It seems a little late for the zucchini to not have set any fruit yet, it is possible that ...
|
| Cantaloupe Picking | 8/14/2009 |
Q: Athena cantaloupes which I grew from Gurney's seed are growing in my garden. They are about the size ...
A: Mike: As I have said here many times before, true cantaloupes when ripe will slip from the stem. You ...
|
| asparagus | 8/14/2009 |
Q: I live in nc how do I take care of my asparagus this winter it's very pretty now with lots of fern. ...
A: Sandra: Right now you needn't do anything other that occasional water. Once the ferns die back, you ...
|
| Habanero Problems | 8/13/2009 |
Q: I have three beautiful habanero plants, loaded with peppers. Two turned their perfect orange, but ...
A: Jay- It is likely blossom end rot. It's partly a nutrient problem. It's caused by calcium ...
|
| Habanero Peppers | 8/11/2009 |
Q: My husband is growing a great crop of habanero peppers in containers on our back deck, however, ...
A: Sherry: Check the soil around the plant to be sure it is not harboring any creatures. I'm not sure ...
|
| spaghetti squash | 8/11/2009 |
Q: I have quite a few spaghetti squash on my plants. I got seeds from two different places, the plants ...
A: Chesnea: I'm not sure about the colors. I've grown two varieties, both are yellow when ripe, ...
|
| Rotting tomato stems | 8/11/2009 |
Q: I have several different tomato plants growing in containers. I live in No. CA about 1 mile from ...
A: Yes, it can spread. The ones that do not have it will benefit from an anti-fungal spray. I don't ...
|
| cantalope | 8/10/2009 |
Q: I have a mistery fruit in my garden. I thought I planted cucumbers in my garden from a local High ...
A: It's hard to say, not knowing what they are. Funny, I have a similar "mystery" in my garden - I ...
|
| Rotting tomato stems | 8/9/2009 |
Q: I have several different tomato plants growing in containers. I live in No. CA about 1 mile from ...
A: Jennifer: Sounds like you might have blight. It is a problem in warm, damp weather. Try spraying ...
|
| tomatoes & bell peppers. | 8/6/2009 |
Q: My friend has tomatoes & bell peppers in the same pot. There are some "pepper shaped" tomatoes on ...
A: Sharolyn, While it is possible for the tomatoes and peppers to cross pollinate, even if they did, ...
|
| mystery vegetable | 8/5/2009 |
Q: I have been watching a plant that came from no where(other wise I did not plant it)It looks like a ...
A: Carol: It could be a squash or it might be a gourd. Are the leaves big, serrated, hairy things, and ...
|
| rotting of squash while on vine | 8/4/2009 |
Q: I live in northern minnesota and have grown butternut squash for years. Last year and this most of ...
A: Gertrude: It could be nothing more than lack of pollination. If a fruit is not fully pollinated it ...
|
| butternut squash | 8/3/2009 |
Q: Finally picked a 7#, 15" butternut squash, but it's pale green. Don't want it bigger. All of them ...
A: Susan: You can't pick a squash by size. You must let them fully mature. They will turn pale yellow ...
|
| sweet potatoe | 8/3/2009 |
Q: can you grow sweet potatoe in the u.k if so is it grown from seed or tuber.? ...
A: James: According to Botanica's Organic Gardening you can, but you may need to use a cold frame. They ...
|
| Watermelon/sugar baby | 8/3/2009 |
Q: This year I planted sugar baby watermelon for the first time. Rather than cutting one open, is there ...
A: Patrick: I've answered this question a few times before, but here goes: There are two ways to ...
|
| Cantelope | 8/2/2009 |
Q: How can you tell when a cantalope is ready to pick. I have picked to early and have not picked in ...
A: Dean: If it is a true cantaloupe, it will slip right off the vine when it is ripe. Other muskmelons ...
|
| Tomatoes | 8/2/2009 |
Q: I planted tomatoes a few months ago and they are coming up nicely. However, I did not put the ...
A: Jake: I suggest you just let the plant sprawl. If necessary, put a cage on its side, or a pile of ...
|
| tomato (disease?) | 7/30/2009 |
Q: I have been growing tomatoes for 30 years and have never seen the condition I now have. I have 12 ...
A: Carl: It is possible that the soil has become a bit waterlogged due to the recent rains. I would ...
|
| HELP MY TOMATO PLANT HAS BET | 7/26/2009 |
Q: This is my first tomato growing experience, so please forgive my niavete when I thought it would so ...
A: I think you mean BER - blossom-end rot. All you can do now is keep the plants from drying out, as it ...
|
| tabasco plants no peppers | 7/24/2009 |
Q: I have two Tabasco plants that I planted next to each other, about 18inches apart in April. I live ...
A: Daniel - I'm not familiar with this variety, it is possible that you don't have the right growing ...
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| banana squash | 7/24/2009 |
Q: when do you pick how ?how big will they grow?
A: Michelle: Banana squash can get quite huge, depending on your growing conditions. Winter squash ...
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| zucchini | 7/23/2009 |
Q: I have three zucchini plants, all seem very healthy until the zucchinis start growing. They grow an ...
A: Nicole: It could be one of two things. Either the flowers are poorly pollinated (or not at all), or ...
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| Jalepeno pepper plants | 7/21/2009 |
Q: My husband and I planted about 5 jalepeno plants. They have really grown and the peppers are ...
A: Carla: You didn't say where you live. Location makes a difference with chilies. The hotter and drier ...
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| cilantro died | 7/21/2009 |
Q: i was growing cilantro in a large rectangle container on my back porch when i came home one day to ...
A: Christina: I don't know. Was it hot out? When was the last time you watered it? Young plants need ...
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| growing berries indoors | 7/20/2009 |
Q: I would like to grow bug free berries, preferably strawberries, indoors. Is there a simple, not too ...
A: Sharon: I've never heard of this being done. You would have to provide adequate light and heat, and ...
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| zucchini | 7/19/2009 |
Q: we have gotten some zucchini from our plants, now the female flowers are not even opening before ...
A: Vern: Are you sure they are the female flowers? Something could be eating them. I often have some of ...
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| lime trees | 7/19/2009 |
Q: I have been given a lime tree as a gift. The information that I have found says to put the tree in a ...
A: Matt: I really don't have any experience with citrus indoors. I can tell you that 3 hours under the ...
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| pole green beans | 7/18/2009 |
Q: We live in Kingman AZ. Planted romano pole beans, they are beautiful and healthy, but no blossoms ...
A: Karen: Why don't you try cutting out the growing tips? Maybe this will force them to set flowers ...
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| pole green beans | 7/18/2009 |
Q: We live in Kingman AZ. Planted romano pole beans, they are beautiful and healthy, but no blossoms ...
A: Karen: They may simply be later beans. Check your seed packet or catalog, if you used one, and ...
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| sweet banana peppers | 7/16/2009 |
Q: I have my sweet banana peppers in pots outside and they seem to be growing good but on 2 of the ...
A: Betty: The cool damp weather may have caused some fungus rot on those peppers. I would pick them. ...
|
| Pumpkins and aphid control | 7/14/2009 |
Q: I am new to gardening, I live in Mesa Arizona and have a small pumpkin patch. I have found that I ...
A: Katie: Aphids can be very hard to control once they get established. In addition to what you are ...
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| Green Bell Peppers | 7/13/2009 |
Q: I have been growing green bell peppers and have noticed some of them have large brown spots on them. ...
A: Denyel: Where are the spots? Do they look moist and rotted, or are they thin and sunken? If the ...
|
| zucchini | 7/12/2009 |
Q: I have been growing zucchini for 2 years. After I start getting zucchini, the leaves start to turn ...
A: Elisa: Sounds like you might have squash vine borers. When you first notice the leaves turning ...
|
| cucumbers | 7/11/2009 |
Q: I am in zone 7 in North Carolina. I am trying to grow cucumbers and prepared this clay soil with ...
A: Sharon: I don't think you have done anything wrong. It might be the variety. sometimes they just ...
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| Tomatoes | 7/9/2009 |
Q: Growing tomatoes in a pot on my deck, vine is loaded some of the tomatoes are turning red, but all ...
A: John: That is called blossom end rot. It is caused by a calcium deficiency, and inconsistent ...
|
| lettuce | 7/8/2009 |
Q: I am growing lettuce in 4 foot raised beds. They are coming good. When can you start eating lettuce? ...
A: Jerome: If you are growing loose-leaf lettuce you can eat it any time. And yes, you can cut the ...
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| mildew on vegetable leafs | 7/7/2009 |
Q: I looks like I have a problem with mildew in my garden. Last 2 years it showed up on some cucumber ...
A: Mirek: Mildew is not a soil-borne disease. It is a fungus. Spores can live on plant material left ...
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| Watermelons | 7/6/2009 |
Q: I have a ton of vines but no watermelons. I planted the same time as other people in my area and ...
A: John: I'm sorry, I haven't a clue. Since your cukes are doing fine, it doesn't sound like a nitrogen ...
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| Tomato | 7/5/2009 |
Q: Why does the bottom part of a young tomato's leaves turn yellow?
A: Wendy: Do you mean the bottom leaves of the plant, or the undersides or tips of all the leaves? If ...
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| squash problem | 7/4/2009 |
Q: My yellow summer squash plant leaves are all whitish/gray. Should I worry? This happened last yr. ...
A: Kris. You've got powdery mildew, the scourge of curcubits everywhere. It sounds like it is probably ...
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| growing spaghetti squash | 7/1/2009 |
Q: I planted some spaghett squash plants and I get nice flowers but then they die off. What am I doing ...
A: Cathy: I'm sure you are not doing anything wrong. It is still early in the season, at least in some ...
|
| tomatoes | 6/27/2009 |
Q: I have 3 tomato plants and 2 of them are droopy. They are in 12" pots. I feed them a tablespoon of ...
A: Nina: Sounds like they might not be getting enough sun, which is making them "leggy". Can you move ...
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| Jalapeno pepper plant | 6/26/2009 |
Q: I have a question. I have had the same jalapeno plant for 3 seasons now. I just bring it inside ...
A: Jeremy: Plants are living things, and like people don't always look alike. Sometimes one gets odd ...
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| Starting seeds | 6/25/2009 |
Q: Kinda new on gardening. for the last 5 years though i have been buying 18 corn plants, 18 tomato, ...
A: Jim: I know what you mean - the cost of both seed and plants has skyrocketed, like everything else. ...
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| ONE OF FIFTEEN TOMATO PLANTS DRYING UP | 6/25/2009 |
Q: I have 15 tomatoes plants growing in topsey turvee planters and one of the plants is drying up it ...
A: Rod: Are they all in separate planters? Check the top of the planter and see if the roots are ...
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| tomatoes | 6/25/2009 |
Q: I have 3 tomato plants and 2 of them are droopy. They are in 12" pots. I feed them a tablespoon of ...
A: Nina: Are the plants in the sun? what kind of food are you giving them? Is there a lot of stem ...
|
| Miracle Gro | 6/24/2009 |
Q: A friend of mine gave me some Miracle Gro for my flowers and vegetables. How often do I use the ...
A: Jen: What are the numbers on the Miracle Gro? Does it say for vegetables? Are you needing to feed ...
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| Cauliflower | 6/23/2009 |
Q: This is my first year trying to grow veg, my cauliflower have been doing really well, in pots as i ...
A: Well, maybe that plant was started to early and set fruit too soon to support it. They don't usually ...
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| green pepper problem | 6/23/2009 |
Q: I have a couple green pepper plants in my garden and recently have been watching one of them produce ...
A: Galen: The pepper probably fell from the plant either due to cold weather or incomplete ...
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| bell peppers shriveling | 6/23/2009 |
Q: I have three nice and healthy bell pepper plants-Yellow,orange,&red.The yellow&orange peppers have ...
A: Rick: Hmm. Sometimes it's hard to tell from a brief description. They could be dry, perhaps they are ...
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| Beans | 6/22/2009 |
Q: I live in S. New Hampshire. Something is eating the leaves on my young yellow & green beans. (About ...
A: Phil: By cultivate I mean turn it up or rake it up so you can bring overwintering insects to the ...
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| Cool weather= small tomato plants | 6/22/2009 |
Q: Our tomato plants are not very big right now and I am thinking it's because of the cool summer days ...
A: Tami: You don't say what the nighttime temperatures have been, that is actually more important than ...
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| Beans6wdjf | 6/22/2009 |
Q: I live in S. New Hampshire. Something is eating the leaves on my young yellow & green beans. (About ...
A: Phil: That is a common problem. It could be slugs, birds, wasps, cutworms, etc. You might try a hot ...
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| beans/rhubarb | 6/20/2009 |
Q: 1) We live in n.w. Mt. When my beans come up something chews off the leaves with just a 2" stem ...
A: C.A. that is a common problem with beans. could be cutworms, sometimes birds, even slugs. If you ...
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| Asparagus | 6/19/2009 |
Q: "Can I Grow Asparagus In 5 Gallon Buckets And If Not What Size If Possible Does The Bucket Have To ...
A: Oscar: Asparagus will not do well in containers. It needs room for the roots to grow horizontally. ...
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| rhubarb problems | 6/19/2009 |
Q: Two years ago I transplanted two rhubarb plants and, even now, they don't seem to be making much ...
A: Bob: I've never grown rhubarb, so I can't speak from experience. However, it is a perennial, and a ...
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| summer squash | 6/18/2009 |
Q: I have planted summer crooked necked squash. I have 2 plants. The small squash (1/4 inch or less) ...
A: Jeff: Actually Jeff, it is a pollination issue, but not necessarily a problem. The squash (fruit) ...
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| Cantalope | 6/18/2009 |
Q: My 3 Cantalope plants have gone wild, they are taking over my garden. Is there a way to trim them ...
A: Tamara: Congratulations! Hope you have lots of melons, not just vine. You can head the vines back ...
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| vegetable garden | 6/14/2009 |
Q: Do you leave the suckers on the tomatoes; the white blooms on the peppers. I have planted squash, ...
A: Sandra: You can leave the suckers on the tomatoes, removing them produces a stronger center stem and ...
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| Acorn Squash | 6/14/2009 |
Q: How big should a acorn squash be before picking it?
A: Carolyn: It is not a matter of size, but maturity. Acorn is a winter squash. It is usually mature ...
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| veg | 6/14/2009 |
Q: i have very large leaves on my brussels sprouts is it safe to eat those leaves if i cut those leaves ...
A: Alexander: It is safe to eat the leaves - I've never done so, so I don't know how they taste. I ...
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| onions | 6/13/2009 |
Q: Is there a specific name for the paper thin outside of an onion? I want to learn more about that ...
A: Deborah: No, I don't know of any name for it, other than skin. And actually, it is the last layer, ...
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| tomato plants leafs turning yellow | 6/12/2009 |
Q: My granddaughter is 4 and we started growing tomato's this year and the leaves are turning yellow ...
A: Joan: OK, I am assuming the weather there is warm enough, so that is not the problem. The problem ...
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| Stunted vegetables | 6/10/2009 |
Q: I live in the northeast (NY)..I planted eggplant and tomato,peppers. one of my tomato plant the stem ...
A: What is the weather like by you? My guess is that it is just not yet warm enough for these ...
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| cantaloupe | 6/9/2009 |
Q: I am new at gardening. I planted the seeds for my cantaloupe the end of May,I have not seen anything ...
A: Kim: May is too early for cantaloupe in the Midwest. Try replanting them now. If the soil is not yet ...
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| potatoes | 6/9/2009 |
Q: I am trying to grow potatoes in large half-barrels because the chipmunks eat the seed potatoes if I ...
A: Mary: You won't see any potato tubers until after blossoming. As long as the plant is growing and ...
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| tomato's | 6/9/2009 |
Q: I planted my tomato's about 1 1/2 month's ago i noticed that they were not growing. I went out and ...
A: Where do you live? Mid-April is a little early for tomatoes, unless you live in the south. I don't ...
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| Squash plants | 6/8/2009 |
Q: My plants are not growing very well. Some of them are straight up about 10 inches and have lost ...
A: Ok, sounds like it is warm enough and light is not a problem. They could be waterlogged though, you ...
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| Problem with pepper plants dying/grass clippings in veg. garden | 6/5/2009 |
Q: 3 wks ago we planted pepper plants in the veg garden - banana peppers (2), swwet red, orange, and ...
A: KerryLynn- It's possible it was from the grass, but I can't say for sure. You don't say how much ...
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| Zuccini | 6/3/2009 |
Q: This is my first veggie garden. Most I started from seed in a greenhouse.The Zucchini I purchased ...
A: JoAnne: I wouldn't be concerned about the small zucchini. Sometimes they are not completely ...
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| tomatoes | 6/3/2009 |
Q: I saw on a web site about growing tomatoes that you should pick all the leaves off so the sun and ...
A: Peggy: I'm glad you didn't spend the money. I've never heard anything so ridiculous. The leaves are ...
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| Garden Pests/Disease | 6/2/2009 |
Q: My husband and I put in a square foot garden in the Spring. The plants were doing very well, but we ...
A: Sounds like the corn and peppers may need some water. It may be the heat or lack of water. Try ...
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| Asparagus | 6/2/2009 |
Q: At time, early in the season some of our asparagus plants turn down shortly after they appear. Is ...
A: Most likely it is the asparagus beetle. Look for long, red beetles on the ferns - I think there is ...
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| Growing in San Diego | 5/31/2009 |
Q: .. ps i live in San Diego.
A: Charley- Lettuce would probably work in June in your area, as would spinach. Parsley will take some ...
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| Strawberries | 5/30/2009 |
Q: I recently planted strawberries with my granddaughter. I realize that they produce runners that ...
A: Yes. To both questions. Depending on what you used as mulch, they may root directly in that. But you ...
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| Growing cantaloup in Denver | 5/29/2009 |
Q: I am an avid gardner who has raised vegetables in the Denver area for 20 years. I have decided to ...
A: Ken: Good luck with that. I think we are about the same latitude, and I do grow cantaloupe, but have ...
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| ants eating veg. garden from bottom | 5/29/2009 |
Q: How do you get rid of ants from your garden? They are laying eggs and eating the plants under neath ...
A: Pamela: Ants are hard to get rid of, but there is really no need to. They don't harm plants. If ...
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| twisted tomato leaves | 5/28/2009 |
Q: my parents planted healthy tomato plants, but after few weeks they started to look weird. The ...
A: Svetlana: You don't say where you live - temperatures could be a part of this. It is not flea ...
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| slugs | 5/27/2009 |
Q: I am growing a garden for the first time in a few years. I forget what plants are food for "slugs" I ...
A: Jerome; EVERYTHING is food for slugs! Except maybe the onions, I don't think I've ever seen any ...
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| Vegetable fungus | 5/25/2009 |
Q: The leaves on my tomatoes, cucumbers, and beans are turning Yellow wight brown spots on them and ...
A: Gena: It sounds like you could have a number of problems. Fungus, powdery mildew, aphids, even over- ...
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| pepper plants | 5/25/2009 |
Q: i got pepper plants and they looked so healthy until i planted them. the leaves are turned upside ...
A: Bob: Can you give me more to go on? How soon after planting did they start to look poorly. What do ...
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| green peppers | 5/24/2009 |
Q: I live in ohio, and I just set out 8 tomato plants, 2 bannana plants, and 3 green pepper plants . ...
A: Chris: If you know that you have rabbits or other animals in your area, then it is a distinct ...
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| Tomatoe | 5/19/2009 |
Q: I have planted some seedlings in a medium size pot. Now after almost a week i can see some stems ...
A: The white marks could be a number of things. What kind of plant are we talking about? Where do you ...
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| Conditions for growing dill weed? | 5/19/2009 |
Q: When I try it, I get small, stingy plants. What does it take to get the abundant kind one sees at ...
A: Dick: Herbs are usually better off in less rich soil. As long as it has good drainage, it's probably ...
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| Fertalizing my Tomatoes | 5/17/2009 |
Q: i have bought some fertilizer from a hardware store and it's 20-20-20. i was wondering before using ...
A: Matt: That's way too much nitrogen for tomatoes. If you want to use it dilute it 2-4 times what the ...
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| container tomatoes | 5/16/2009 |
Q: I'm growing bush variety tomatoes in a container. I just transplanted to the container and. the ...
A: Roland: It is normal for the plants to look a little droopy when they are first transplanted. the ...
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| vegtable plant compatibility and proximity | 5/15/2009 |
Q: Is it possible to plant straightneck yellow squash or zucchini in the same bed as cucumber? If not, ...
A: Connie: Yes, you may plant the squash and cucumber together, as long as you have enough room. Any ...
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| tomatoes | 5/15/2009 |
Q: I am about to plant my garden for the year here in upstate ny.Is there anything I can add to my soil ...
A: Will- No, there is nothing you can add to the soil to extend the season. It is all weather related. ...
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| pruning tomatos | 5/15/2009 |
Q: This year is my first seriously trying to grow tomatos. Last year my plants grew very, very tall and ...
A: Lynda: There is no need to prune you tomatoes. Some people do, but it is not necessary. Did you by ...
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| Windburned/Sunburned my tomatoes | 5/13/2009 |
Q: I live in upstate NY. I bought tomato plants a few weeks ago, planted them in whiskey barrels and ...
A: Tammi- I'd make sure there is some new growth first. Once you know they are going to recover I ...
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| Windburned/Sunburned my tomatoes | 5/12/2009 |
Q: I live in upstate NY. I bought tomato plants a few weeks ago, planted them in whiskey barrels and ...
A: Tammi- I a little bit confused at what your problem really is. It sounds like you have been ...
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| Organic Fertilizer | 5/12/2009 |
Q: My community is planning a garden. I plan to grow about 4 types of veggies & 3 fruits. I'm ...
A: Jani- there are many types/brands of organic fertilizer available. I would get what is available ...
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| vegetable garden | 5/7/2009 |
Q: I have a fairly large garden which I inherited and am learning to garden. one section is 23x57 feet ...
A: Rebecca: Dandelions are hard to get rid of, one, because they have large taproots which makes them ...
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| Tomatoe | 5/7/2009 |
Q: I have planted some seedlings in a medium size pot. Now after almost a week i can see some stems ...
A: You only want one plant per pot. If you have planted all your seedlings in one pot and want more ...
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| Pepper growing in WA State | 5/7/2009 |
Q: I am moving from Glaveston TX to Spokane Washington. I like to grow peppers and I understand June ...
A: Gabe- You may be disappointed coming from a warm state like Texas, especially if you plan on growing ...
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| peppers again | 5/6/2009 |
Q: elyse the peppers are all dying the stems are sucking in. allthe leaves fell not just some all nice ...
A: Sandy- I'd say the peppers are goners. Did you say these were in pots? They may be more sensitive ...
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| tomato plants | 5/5/2009 |
Q: I live in the northeast, and I'm trying to grow my own tomato plants this year. I planted the seeds ...
A: Is there a lot of space between the leaves? If so, the problem is not enough light. Have you ...
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| pepper plants | 5/5/2009 |
Q: I have beautiful healthly pepper plants then I noticed my leaves were wrinkling. So I though I had a ...
A: Sue: I doubt that over-watering is the cause, the leaves usually turn yellow from that. It is ...
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| Tomatoes -light leaves | 5/4/2009 |
Q: live in Near Milwaukee, WI. I have planted a variety of tomatoes, started in the house in January, ...
A: Theodore: I still think the plants will be OK. It may be from transplanting, it may be the weather. ...
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| Green Bell Peppers | 5/4/2009 |
Q: How do I tell weather my green bell peppers have caught a disease and I need to pull them and start ...
A: Tonya- I'm not quite sure why you are asking this question, but I assume that your peppers look ...
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| Tomatoes -light leaves | 5/4/2009 |
Q: live in Near Milwaukee, WI. I have planted a variety of tomatoes, started in the house in January, ...
A: Theodore: It's not unusual for the bottom leaves of various plants to turn yellow. It could be from ...
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| Wild Onions-Leeks or Shallots? | 5/3/2009 |
Q: I have something growing wild in my garden that I'm pretty sure is of the onion variety, and it does ...
A: Linda- You don't say where you live, but they sound like ramps - wild leeks. Could also be wild ...
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| summer squash | 5/1/2009 |
Q: My squash has been producing fine.In the past week some the fruit started looking like a chickens ...
A: David: Is it all of the squash or just one plant? It could just be a "birth defect", some quirk ...
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| watermelons and cucumbers | 4/28/2009 |
Q: Can watermelons and cucumbers be planted close together? Thanks
A: Gerald- As long as you are not planning on saving seed from either, there is no reason watermelons ...
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| RE: Help My tomatoes are dying | 4/24/2009 |
Q: I sought help for my tomatoes. This is thatHi, I have been growing tomatoes for over 15 years. This ...
A: Teresa: It's unlikely that either of the problems Mike suggested would have hit your indoor plants. ...
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| Maximizing quantity | 4/21/2009 |
Q: I'd like to know what plants could be planted together to max the output per sq ft of space?I'm in ...
A: Jim: When interplanting crops you should consider both root growth and top growth. So planting ...
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| yellow squash | 4/21/2009 |
Q: My yellow squash seedlings are not thriving. The lower leaves are yellowing. I am in the South East ...
A: Cindy: It is possible that the acidic soil is part of the problem, but if only the lower leaves are ...
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| Growing tomatoes | 4/20/2009 |
Q: I am growing tomatoes indoors this year and my plants are very healthy; beginning to blossom. My ...
A: Bob: It wouldn't hurt to give the plants some help with pollination - all you need to do is shake ...
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| best soil mixture for established vegetable gardens | 4/19/2009 |
Q: What is the best soil mixture for an established vegetable garden?
A: Sally- The best soil is known as loam. It is the perfect balance of clay, silt and sand - 40-40-20. ...
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| tomatoe plant leaves | 4/17/2009 |
Q: i started my plants from seed better,best and cherries all at the same time on the 18 of march i ...
A: Water your plants when they feel dry 1" from the top, don't let them totally dry out. They should be ...
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| planted tomatoes | 4/16/2009 |
Q: okay so i have planted a couple of tomato plants i got from a store.. i put them in potting soil in ...
A: Maire: Give them a little high-phosphorus fertilizer once a month. Water them regularly, and give ...
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| How to protect vegetables? | 4/10/2009 |
Q: I live in CT and own over 2 acres. The property is on a wooded area with a clearing for a house. But ...
A: Heather: Sounds just lovely! Most likely you will have to fence the area. If you have deer, you ...
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| onions | 4/2/2009 |
Q: I'm planting onions this year using onion sets. I am in the northwest (Fortuna Calif.) I plan on ...
A: Karen: How many you can get in your bed depends on the size of the mature onion. For large onions ...
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| mildew | 3/23/2009 |
Q: I'm doing a school project for Agriculture. I'd like to know if there are any companion plants to ...
A: Mitchell: No, there are no companion plants for mildew. Companions mostly work against insect ...
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| Head lettuce development | 3/18/2009 |
Q: we live in SW Florida. We had planted iceberg head lettuce about two months ago. The plants are ...
A: Tammi: I'm having a hard time picturing 2 foot tall lettuce. Are you seeing stalks? What has your ...
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| Leeks & Spring Onions | 3/17/2009 |
Q: i live in Australia so have just enjoyed a prosperous summer vegetable garden. but I am unsure about ...
A: Kym: Leeks and onions can be frozen, the leeks will fare better than the onions. They will be fine ...
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| Planting garden | 3/16/2009 |
Q: I live in Fresno Ca and the weather is in the mid 60's right now. I tried planting Squash, Tomatoes, ...
A: Joshua: Your soil temperature is more important than your air temps, and nighttime temperatures ...
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| Tomatoes | 3/14/2009 |
Q: My plants start off very good and healthy. I get a lot of tomatoes on each plant but by mid season ...
A: Nancy- Sounds like it could be Verticillum wilt, a vascular disease? Do you plant your tomatoes in ...
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| corn plant experiment | 3/13/2009 |
Q: my name is Sierra My cousin and I are doing an experiment with corn seeds. Our question that we have ...
A: Sierra: Well, that's why you're doing the experiment, right? You have discovered that plants do ...
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| Cold Spell | 3/12/2009 |
Q: I have just planted my veggie garden and last night the cold spell hit us unexspectedly, my plants ...
A: OK, that helps. If your tomatoes/peppers didn't turn black and mushy, it was probably above 32. A ...
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| Cold Spell | 3/11/2009 |
Q: I have just planted my veggie garden and last night the cold spell hit us unexspectedly, my plants ...
A: Andrew: It depends... I'll need more information. You may be able to save some things, if not all. ...
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| growing vegetables near the ocean | 3/8/2009 |
Q: We live on the long island sound in stamford ct and want to have a vegetable garden. The spray ...
A: Gary: First of all, I don't have any experience growing in your environment, so I can't really get ...
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| green pepper diseases | 3/7/2009 |
Q: We have grown green pepper successfully for 20 years. Last year, though, our pepper plants didn't ...
A: Joan: It's hard to know from a limited description what disease your plants might have had. there ...
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| growing peppers | 2/21/2009 |
Q: I want to try growing bell peppers, tomatoes, in container pots-no transplanting to a larger garden. ...
A: La Donna: You could use the seeds from a purchased pepper, but you may not get what you expect. ...
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| seeds | 2/21/2009 |
Q: i want to start my seeds indoors and then put them outside.when is a good time to start tomatoes ...
A: Mikki: Start your lettuce now. You can set it out when it is large enough and danger of frost has ...
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| Soil bell peppers | 2/15/2009 |
Q: I live in the northwest part of Oregon and I want to grow some bell peppers in 5 gallon containers ...
A: David: You can buy any kind of potting soil for your peppers, which may be more economical if you ...
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| 3rd graders school project | 2/7/2009 |
Q: My 3rd grader came home with a lima bean and told me we had to plant it. So I did. Now I have a ...
A: Denine: You didn't say where you live, so I don't know if it is too early to plant it outside. Lima ...
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| potato | 2/1/2009 |
Q: I would like any info on potato plant propagation you can give. i.e. A) best method B) ...
A: John: First I should say that most "experts" do not recommend trying to grow potatoes from those ...
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| hierloom Amish Paste tomatos | 1/30/2009 |
Q: we had a bumper crop, but during canning and sauce making I found them excessivly juicy, we water ...
A: Daphne: I'm sorry - I don't know what happened to my first answer to this question, it doesn't seem ...
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| Potato crop | 1/16/2009 |
Q: I wonder how big a potatocrop will be if you grow a potato seedling from: 1) One true seed. 2) One ...
A: The size of your crop is going to depend more on your soil and the potato variety than how you start ...
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| Growing Okra in Seattle | 1/13/2009 |
Q: I am new at gardening. We bought a house in Seattle 6 months back and I would like to plant some ...
A: Nehal: First I would research the varieties, and try to find one that might be more cold tolerant ...
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