You are here:
- Home
- Food/Drink
- Vegetarian Cuisine
- Growing Vegetables
Growing Vegetables/Questions Answered by Expert Elyse Grau
| Subject | Date Asked |
| Gardening Resources | 1/25/2011 |
| Q: I have recently become intrigued by vegetable/herb gardening. I was wondering what your favorite ... A: William: Welcome to the world of gardening! I'm sure you'll enjoy it once you get started. I have a ... | |
| shallots being invaded! | 1/17/2011 |
| Q: My lovely thick growing shallots have been invaded by a cluster of tiny (too small to take a photo ... A: My first choice for attack is always spraying with water, as you have done. If the damage gets too ... | |
| shallots being invaded! | 1/17/2011 |
| Q: My lovely thick growing shallots have been invaded by a cluster of tiny (too small to take a photo ... A: Sherry: I really can't think of what the insects might be. Perhaps black aphids. Since you won't be ... | |
| Annoying slugs | 12/23/2010 |
| Q: Elyse, I live in Hawaii and I thought it'd make sense to grow some vegetables/herbs since it's ... A: Sean: Good luck. What I'd heard about gardening in Hawaii is that the number of insects there make ... | |
| Tomatoes - crawly things in the soil | 12/3/2010 |
| Q: I have a problem with my tomatoes. Its growing in a container and the top of the soil has shiny ... A: Harisee: Nematodes are not visible to the naked eye. The shiny things might be slug or snail tracks. ... | |
| new disease on tomato? | 11/22/2010 |
| Q: your mildew mix did wonders for my container tomatoes; it's halted the mildew on all the plants! I ... A: Wen: The fungus is found in the soil. It can affect other plants in the same family, which would ... | |
| new disease on tomato? | 11/20/2010 |
| Q: your mildew mix did wonders for my container tomatoes; it's halted the mildew on all the plants! I ... A: Wen: Sounds like fusarium wilt or another fungal disease. There isn't anything you can do about it, ... | |
| what's wrong with my tomato - photo attached | 11/15/2010 |
| Q: what are these fuzzy white patches that appeared on my bottom leaves (after a few days of rain and ... A: Yes, it could be powdery mildew. You can spray the leaves with a mixture of 1 tablespoon baking soda ... | |
| habaneros/chili's | 11/3/2010 |
| Q: I live in Northern VA; I have a beutiful habanero and super chili plant, with about 15 green ... A: If the frost hit the plant, forget trying to ripen them on or off the plant. Just harvest and use ... | |
| habaneros/chili's | 11/3/2010 |
| Q: I live in Northern VA; I have a beutiful habanero and super chili plant, with about 15 green ... A: Janice: They may turn red after harvesting, but they will also shrivel as they start to dry out. ... | |
| greens | 11/1/2010 |
| Q: can you grow mustard kale collards and turpins outside in the winter in wv 25628 is zip code A: Toni: I'm not sure about the "turpins". I assume you mean turnips. If they're already growing, they ... | |
| foliar fertilizer | 10/28/2010 |
| Q: no water needed) is very effective as an 'instant boost' for growing plants. He also advised me ... A: I've never seen a reason to use foliar fertilizers on tomatoes. It's good for a boost, as the ... | |
| little jumping insects on tomatoes | 10/13/2010 |
| Q: It's been very cloudy, wet and generally humid here for the last few days. I've just noticed some ... A: Mostly, follow the directions on the product you buy. Insecticides are designed to kill insects ... | |
| little jumping insects on tomatoes | 10/13/2010 |
| Q: It's been very cloudy, wet and generally humid here for the last few days. I've just noticed some ... A: Dom: If they are on the soil, they are probably fungus gnats. You can get a yellow sticky-trap and ... | |
| Yellow top leaves | 10/11/2010 |
| Q: Within a few days of transplanting my tomato seedlings, the tops of the new leaves are turning ... A: OK, so it's probably not cold temperatures. Did you move them from indoors to outside? If there was ... | |
| suddenly cool nights | 10/10/2010 |
| Q: However, we are having a sudden cool spell - according to the weather forecast, there will be ... A: Wattlegal: It won't be too cold for the seedlings. Cooler temperatures actually will product hardier ... | |
| Winter Preparation for Asparagus | 10/8/2010 |
| Q: This past spring 2010 I planted asparagus plants for the first time. I live in Pittsburgh PA. How do ... A: Yes, you should mulch them. You can wait until the ground freezes, or at least is cold, because the ... | |
| organic potting mix + fertilizer | 10/7/2010 |
| Q: I've got a more technical qu about soil in general: I bought some organic potting mix to plant my ... A: Dom: a)No, I wouldn't fertilize with the potting mix you bought. Too much nitrogen would not be good ... | |
| self-watering pots? | 10/6/2010 |
| Q: I've been hearing wonderful things about a self-watering pot and how they can help regulate watering ... A: OK, now I see your confusion. I don't know exactly what you mean by a barrier, but there are many ... | |
| self-watering pots? | 10/6/2010 |
| Q: I've been hearing wonderful things about a self-watering pot and how they can help regulate watering ... A: The best way to understand it is probably with a demonstration. If you have a small pot, like the ... | |
| self-watering pots? | 10/6/2010 |
| Q: I've been hearing wonderful things about a self-watering pot and how they can help regulate watering ... A: Dom: The plant roots get their water from the soil. The soil takes up water from the reservoir. You ... | |
| west-facing balcony | 10/5/2010 |
| Q: I'm just wondering about how to keep my container vegetables on my west-facing balcony as cool as ... A: Yes, if the pots are dry by the end of the day then twice-a-day watering might be necessary. ... | |
| west-facing balcony | 10/4/2010 |
| Q: I'm just wondering about how to keep my container vegetables on my west-facing balcony as cool as ... A: Wattlegal: You really don't want to keep those vegetables and berries cool - just keep the tomatoes ... | |
| Potatoes | 9/29/2010 |
| Q: When growing potatoes and you add soil on the plant as it's growing then you let it grow I think ... A: Oscar: You can stop adding soil when the plant stops growing. Sometimes it will flower at that ... | |
| Hubbard Squash | 9/19/2010 |
| Q: How do we know when a hubbard is ready how big do they usually get. We live in Oregon and have ... A: Vicki: This has been a tough year for cucurbits in Oregon. You can't determine readiness by size, ... | |
| tomato preparation | 9/13/2010 |
| Q: it's hit spring in Australia and I'm about to start growing tomatoes. I ended up with a bit of ... A: Wattlegal: Re: blossom end rot, add lime to the bed or even to each planting hole. Also, be sure ... | |
| Something eating my tomatoes | 9/11/2010 |
| Q: I believe it is probably a possum. It is eating 1/2 or so of a tomato, than it takes another & eats ... A: Squirrels have also been known to eat tomatoes. Why is it that the wildlife always seems to take a ... | |
| Delicatas? | 9/8/2010 |
| Q: I was given two delicata plants by a nice woman who (somewhat) frequents my work. Unfortunately, I ... A: Manda: I'm glad to hear your plants are still going. I assume your weather is still warm there, so ... | |
| Seasons | 8/31/2010 |
| Q: What determines what a produce item's season will be? Where I live we had a lot of rain and our ... A: Some plants need to go though a period of dormancy. Cane berries produce on second-year growth. Even ... | |
| Seasons | 8/31/2010 |
| Q: What determines what a produce item's season will be? Where I live we had a lot of rain and our ... A: Sorry, I didn't understand. No, there is no way to get seasonal berries to produce all year. They ... | |
| Seasons | 8/31/2010 |
| Q: What determines what a produce item's season will be? Where I live we had a lot of rain and our ... A: Are you by any chance in Oregon? One determining factor in production is the weather (amount of ... | |
| acorn squash | 8/27/2010 |
| Q: I was wondering when I know my acorn squash plant was done producing? I have gotten 4 huge squash ... A: Barbara: It's hard to say, this has been such a funny year for farmers and gardeners here in the ... | |
| Delicatas? | 8/10/2010 |
| Q: I was given two delicata plants by a nice woman who (somewhat) frequents my work. Unfortunately, I ... A: Yes, I think it could be because the plants were rootbound. Did you break up the roots before ... | |
| Tomato Plant | 8/9/2010 |
| Q: I planted a single plant about 2 mths ago. Within a few days, a bud and susequent fruit began to ... A: Ron: First of all, repot the plant in a 1 gallon pot. The tomato sounds like it had blossom-end rot, ... | |
| Delicatas? | 8/1/2010 |
| Q: I was given two delicata plants by a nice woman who (somewhat) frequents my work. Unfortunately, I ... A: Manda: I'm sorry to say I don't have an answer for you. In high heat, it is a good idea to keep the ... | |
| Butternut Squash | 8/1/2010 |
| Q: My butternut squash plant is producing flowers and fruit, the problem is once the flower blooms and ... A: Dee: The most likely reason is poor pollination. You could try pollinating some blossoms by hand and ... | |
| Butternut Squash plant | 7/29/2010 |
| Q: I have a beautiful Italian brand butternut squash plant that has many flowers but not setting fruit. ... A: Jane: Yes, it's possible that you will still get fruit. It may not have produced female flowers yet, ... | |
| Pitty Pat Squash | 7/27/2010 |
| Q: Bought from farm stand last year they are approx golf ball size. I bought plants and grew own this ... A: Kathie: Is "Pitty Pat" the variety name? I don't know what kind this is, so I can't answer for ... | |
| Planting potatoes | 7/25/2010 |
| Q: If you plant a whole potato and at the appropriate distance you plant just the "eye" from the same ... A: Ken: I haven't found there to be much difference in production between using a whole or a piece, but ... | |
| spaghetti squash | 7/23/2010 |
| Q: i have a bumper crop of squash. it started out from the beginning being pale yellow, now i am ... A: Some varieties have green striping, yours is probably one of them. They're really quite lovely when ... | |
| replanting tomato plants | 7/19/2010 |
| Q: I planted 2 cherry tomato plants and one slightly larger variety in a window-type box. For the last ... A: Lauren; You can still transplant them if you protect them from the sun and water them often, but ... | |
| jalapeno peppers | 7/19/2010 |
| Q: My plants have produced peppers that are bland and have no hot taste at all. In fact, they taste ... A: Cool weather for one. Difference in soil, too much water, even just a genetic difference in the ... | |
| Green Bell Pepper Plants | 7/17/2010 |
| Q: I've been growing these green bell pepper plants from seeds (of green bell pepper I bought at the ... A: I think your plants look good and healthy. I wouldn't use either fertilizer that you have, I'd get a ... | |
| zucchini | 7/17/2010 |
| Q: I have 2 zucchini plants and both seem to be producing only femaie flowers. The fruit grows to ... A: There's nothing you can do to change that. It's unusual, but you are not the first person to have ... | |
| Rhubarb leaves have curled inward | 7/17/2010 |
| Q: I live in Washington, DC, where the summer is quite hot and humid. I always thought I couldn't grow ... A: Brenda: I don't know much about rhubarb, but some plants will curl their leaves in the heat of the ... | |
| tomato plants | 7/14/2010 |
| Q: I have 4 boxes of tomatoes with 4 tomatoes in each box 4 feet long by 5 inches deep and 6 inches ... A: Morris: First of all, the box is way too shallow for a tomato plant. Their roots go down 18" or ... | |
| cantelopes | 7/13/2010 |
| Q: how do I know by looking that a cantelope needs to be picked? How any days does it take it to ... A: Karen: You can read my answer on picking cantaloupes here: ... | |
| sick tomato plants | 7/12/2010 |
| Q: I have this seedless plant going and it grew real big,but when a tomato turns pumpkin color,then I ... A: Yes. This is blossom-end rot, a very common problem. The root cause is lack of calcium, but what ... | |
| Zucchini | 7/11/2010 |
| Q: I'm an American living in the Netherlands so we have a cooler climate.I have these beautiful ... A: Pat: I've heard that milk works, too, but have never tried it myself. If the water penetrates the ... | |
| Potted plants | 7/10/2010 |
| Q: I bought a bunch of perennials such as Foxglove, Johnny Jump Ups, Cone Flowers, Lupine, Red Hot ... A: Frank: The problem is that you are trying to pull the plant out of the pot. Of course it will come ... | |
| Tomatoes | 7/10/2010 |
| Q: I am growing tomato plant in containers for the first time (I usually have them in the garden). The ... A: Vinny: My inclination is to say that the plants have been severely over-watered, it sounds like they ... | |
| Basil Insects | 7/9/2010 |
| Q: For the last two years my basil starts off great then I start seeing leaves being eaten so much I ... A: Pat: It probably is a beetle of some kind, but I cannot tell you what from your limited description. ... | |
| Zucchini | 7/7/2010 |
| Q: I'm an American living in the Netherlands so we have a cooler climate.I have these beautiful ... A: Pat: I don't know what might be common in the Netherlands, but if you were here I'd say the white ... | |
| how to know when to pick a cantalope | 7/5/2010 |
| Q: How do i know when its time to pick my cantalopes so they will be ripe, also watermelons? A: If they are true cantaloupes, they will tell you when they are ready by coming off the vine easily. ... | |
| Zucchini without male flowers | 7/2/2010 |
| Q: My zucchini produces all kinds of female flowers with zuchini that are little finger-sized. I see no ... A: John: That's unusual, it's usually the other way around - at least squash commonly starts out with ... | |
| melons | 7/1/2010 |
| Q: For the past two years I have been having trouble with my watermelons and cantaloupes rotting on the ... A: Renee: Two suggestions. If you can get some straw, put that under the melons (you can cover the ... | |
| Trimming diseased squash leaves | 6/30/2010 |
| Q: I transplanted several yellow and zucchini squash plants and within hours they and plants I had NOT ... A: Jazzpianist: It is not necessary to trim the leaves, but if they bother you go ahead and cut them ... | |
| Cantalopes | 6/30/2010 |
| Q: When is it time to harvest cantalopes, and how will you be able to tell there ready? Thanks! A: Randy: If they are true cantaloupes, they will tell you when they are ready by coming off the vine ... | |
| tomatoes | 6/28/2010 |
| Q: I have a large container that I planted 5 vines, there are allot of tomatoes but they don't seem to ... A: John: Are the tomatoes falling off the plant without ripening? If not, then they simply haven't ... | |
| Butternut Squash Wilt | 6/26/2010 |
| Q: I have 6 plants that were growing as expected and suddenly all have wilted. The leaves are green and ... A: It's hard to say what it is from your description. The leaves are green, but they are wilted? Do you ... | |
| Tomatoes and Peppers | 6/25/2010 |
| Q: I have tomatoes and peppers in an Earth box. This worked very well for me last year. But I was ... A: Barb: It is not necessary, but there are some benefits. I've got an article about the subject on my ... | |
| Pumpkins, Butternut Squash, and Cantaloupes | 6/23/2010 |
| Q: I just discovered that all of my butternut squash, pumpkin, mini pumpkin, and cantaloupe plants are ... A: Kimberly: It's up to you, and how much space you have, if you want to dig up your current plants. ... | |
| Pumpkins, Butternut Squash, and Cantaloupes | 6/23/2010 |
| Q: I just discovered that all of my butternut squash, pumpkin, mini pumpkin, and cantaloupe plants are ... A: I'm sorry to tell you that the fruits will not ripen off the vine. The squash and pumpkin may still ... | |
| container veggie problem | 6/23/2010 |
| Q: I have planted several tomato plants,several are heirloom, but the plant is getting very tall, not ... A: Pat: Have you been feeding your tomato plants? Too much nitrogen will give you a lot of leafy growth ... | |
| Tomatoe | 6/20/2010 |
| Q: My tomatoe plants seem to be wilting. I have 12 planted in 2 rows and the one row has wilted to the ... A: Gene: There are a number of diseases that can effect tomatoes, viruses and fungi. since the entire ... | |
| !st time cantelope/watermelon grower | 6/16/2010 |
| Q: This is my first time growing cantelope and watermelon. I started them from seed and I am not sure ... A: It would be easier to answer if you could send me a picture, but it sounds like you may just be ... | |
| yellow squash | 6/15/2010 |
| Q: My yellow squash were shriveling before maturing. i began pollinating by hand, but now they are ... A: Buster: If the female flowers hadn't yet opened, you wouldn't have squash. (I assume you mean the ... | |
| cherry tomato plant | 6/15/2010 |
| Q: I'm live near Chicago, IL and I'm growing a cherry tomato plant indoors. It's growing very nicely. ... A: Hasan: It is very difficult to grow tomatoes indoors. What temperature are you keeping them at. What ... | |
| Green Peppers/Radishes | 6/13/2010 |
| Q: I have heard of fertilizing green peppers with match sticks Coal ash and with straight Metrical ... A: Jeff: I don't know what match sticks would possibly do for peppers. Coal ash is toxic. Do you mean ... | |
| non growing veggies | 6/11/2010 |
| Q: I have a garden that is showing signs of the same struggles I had last year even after fresh manure ... A: Will: There is little you can do to encourage growth, things take time. It's possible that the ... | |
| squash | 6/9/2010 |
| Q: my yellow squash is rotting before it is big enough to pick what's wrong? A: It could be a fungus or mold, especially if the weather has been damp. Pick them off and see if you ... | |
| East vs. South garden | 6/8/2010 |
| Q: I live in Raleigh, NC, and currently have an east facing in-ground garden directly in the back of ... A: I think your peppers and tomatoes would do much better on the south side of the house. The herbs ... | |
| growing tomatoes | 6/8/2010 |
| Q: I am a first time grower of pretty much anything, so my husband built me a raised garden its 4 feet ... A: Jamie: as long as the plants perked up when you watered them, and are still alive at this point, you ... | |
| Baking Soda mix for tomato spraying | 6/8/2010 |
| Q: My old Italian Grandfather tells me that he used a mix in warm water (1qt) tablespoon of Baking soda ... A: Mike: This is an efficient spray for mildew or aphids. I'm not sure if it would be useful against ... | |
| tomato problems | 6/7/2010 |
| Q: I have 2 tomato plants - one cherry and one champion plant. I live in Washington state and have had ... A: Wendy: It is probably blight, a common occurrence in your area. There isn't much you can do, other ... | |
| tomatoe and pepper diseases | 6/5/2010 |
| Q: I live in Atlanta Georgia. every year I plant a garden in container pots because I have a small yard ... A: Joyce: You say it is very hot there, that could be the problem. If the temperatures are over 90 ... | |
| bell peppers | 5/31/2010 |
| Q: I have a bell pepper plant and though it looks to be doing great with peppers. The leaves are ... A: Sounds like a bacterial or fungal disease. Have you had a lot or rainy weather? If it's not the ... | |
| tomato problem | 5/29/2010 |
| Q: I planted 4 tomato plants one day and by the next day the leaves on the 2 closest to our fence had ... A: Well, planting them in the morning on a sunny day was your biggest mistake. They shouldn't have ... | |
| tomato problem | 5/28/2010 |
| Q: I planted 4 tomato plants one day and by the next day the leaves on the 2 closest to our fence had ... A: Jill: Did you water the plant well after transplanting? Was it sunny? What time of day did you ... | |
| POWDERY MILDEW | 5/27/2010 |
| Q: POWDERY MILDEW ON SQUASH LEAVES & STEMS. WILL NEEM OIL GET RID OF IT OR SHOULD I JUST RETURN THE ... A: Kathryn: Sorry I can't answer this via email - AllExperts does not pass that information on to me. ... | |
| tomatoe blight | 5/25/2010 |
| Q: Last summer we grew tomatoes in pots.We had 5 big pots we used miracle grow garden soil with peat ... A: Edward: Do not reuse the soil from last year. Sterilize the pots with a 5% bleach solution before ... | |
| Cherry seeds | 5/25/2010 |
| Q: Several years ago as a kid, I saved the seed pits of cherries I had eaten and recently, I went ahead ... A: William: Yes, you will get a cherry tree from the pits, but the cherries will be nothing like the ... | |
| zuccini | 5/22/2010 |
| Q: I get lots of flowers but no produce I have used blossom set I live Phx Az what can I do to get the ... A: Debra: Do you know how to differentiate between the male and female blossoms? If not, below are ... | |
| Corn | 5/21/2010 |
| Q: I am trying to grow corn. I am having a different issue this year vs. last year. Last years crop ... A: Craig: Corn earworms are usually found in the ears of the corn, not the stalk. Is that what you ... | |
| green peppers | 5/20/2010 |
| Q: I gave my neighbor 6 pepper plants I started. He planted them 2 days ago and this morning the end ... A: Dorothy, Without knowing where you live or what kinds of critters might be in your area, I can't ... | |
| Fertilizer | 5/10/2010 |
| Q: In a hurry to plant my "topsy turvy" tomatoes, I find that I have only houseplant fertilizer spikes ... A: The houseplant fertilizer may be too high in nitrogen, and it depends on the soil whether or not the ... | |
| onions | 5/9/2010 |
| Q: I purchased some brown onions purchased from a local supermarket and planted a few (whole) not ... A: Jules: I'm sorry to tell you this, but you can't grow new onions from a mature bulb. Onions are ... | |
| Asparagus care | 4/22/2010 |
| Q: On a vacant lot that I purchased is an asparagus patch. The neighbor that would pick the asparagus ... A: Jim: If the patch is producing well, then I guess your neighbor's method has been working. The salt ... | |
| peppers/tomatoes | 4/22/2010 |
| Q: I have a couple of questions... the first, my peppers always are thin walled; what do I need to do ... A: Loretta: Thin/thick walls are a characteristic of the variety. Do you buy plants or seeds? No, ... | |
| vegetables | 4/22/2010 |
| Q: We live in western Canada which I believe is zone 2A. My husband brought in some soil for a small ... A: I'm not familiar with your weather patterns, so there may be other things you can grow, but for ... | |
| basil | 4/21/2010 |
| Q: I know it's an herb but just thought I would ask. I have my herbs in cntainers and something is ... A: Tammi: Oddly enough, what you have is probably whitefly. I've never heard of basil having any insect ... | |
| Gardening | 4/16/2010 |
| Q: I bought a bunch of perennials such as Foxglove, Johnny Jump Ups, Cone Flowers, Lupine, Red Hot ... A: Frank: Re: fruit trees, you may need to water them once a week, depending on how warm it is and if ... | |
| My garden | 4/16/2010 |
| Q: I bought a bunch of perennials such as Foxglove, Johnny Jump Ups, Cone Flowers, Lupine, Red Hot ... A: Frank: I don't think I have any changes, except that if your nights are already warm, you probably ... | |
| spaghetti squash | 4/15/2010 |
| Q: this will be my first year growing spaghetti squash I need to know how close to plant how big the ... A: Tammi: I suggest unless you really LOVE spaghetti squash that you grow only 1 or 2 plants. You can ... | |
| Garden rotation | 4/14/2010 |
| Q: I recently read about the benefits of garden rotation. I am intrigued by this. Are there certain ... A: Erin: I have seen sample rotations in various books and articles, but there is no set order. One way ... | |
| Garden rotation | 4/13/2010 |
| Q: I recently read about the benefits of garden rotation. I am intrigued by this. Are there certain ... A: Erin: I'm glad you're thinking about this - I believe it is important to the health of your garden. ... | |
| Gardening | 4/11/2010 |
| Q: I bought a bunch of perennials such as Foxglove, Johnny Jump Ups, Cone Flowers, Lupine, Red Hot ... A: Frank: Your flowers should be moved outside when all danger of frost has past. You didn't say where ... | |
| Growing indoors | 4/10/2010 |
| Q: Is it possible to grow tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, green peppers, and onions year round in my ... A: SK: It is theoretically possible to grow plants indoors under artificial light, but I don't think ... | |
| saving seeds | 4/10/2010 |
| Q: I am going to invest in some normal old fashioned seeds that can be saved year to year. How do I ... A: Deri: First of all, do you mean saving the seeds from the original packet (I assume you won't need ... | |
| Mold on top of soil | 4/8/2010 |
| Q: I am growing tomato plants from seed in the house and I see a white mold or fungus on top of the ... A: Nellie: Yes and yes. It is probably "damping off" fungus, from too much moisture. It can quickly ... | |
| Wet Soil Conditions | 4/7/2010 |
| Q: We have a sloping backyard that levels out and then slightly raises again towards the house. In ... A: I think the tomatoes would be fine, as long as the soil is moist and not soggy. Depending on what ... | |
| Wet Soil Conditions | 4/6/2010 |
| Q: We have a sloping backyard that levels out and then slightly raises again towards the house. In ... A: Chris: The only vegetable that I can think of that really likes wet soil is asparagus. Lettuce and ... | |
| Spinach | 4/4/2010 |
| Q: I live in central Maine. This was a fairly mild winter. Most of the snow was gone by the end of ... A: Jerry: Have you grown spinach before? It does slightly resemble grass when it emerges, just two ... | |
| alaskan peas in flo. | 3/31/2010 |
| Q: i am 12 years old and have made a vegetable garden last year. I really enjoyed it so i have made one ... A: Nathan: ALL peas are sensitive to heat. They won't produce if the temperature gets above about 80 ... | |
| Green Pepper Seedlings | 3/29/2010 |
| Q: I have a question about my green pepper seedlings. They come from seeds of sweet green peppers I got ... A: Ok, first of all, I want to warn you that you're peppers might not be like the ones you saved the ... | |
| composted cow manuer | 3/20/2010 |
| Q: my name is Joe and I would like to know if I can (just) use composted cow manure and some horse ... A: Joe: I wouldn't suggest it. Straight manure could contain too much nitrogen, you would get huge ... | |
| worms in vegetables and fruit trees | 3/15/2010 |
| Q: I just cannot get rid of worms mainly in peppers and fruit trees. Peppers are my worst nightmare, ... A: Danny: I sympathize. Sounds like fruit flies. Different ones on each, but same problem. You need to ... | |
| Flowers falling off of vegetables? | 3/3/2010 |
| Q: I live in Florida and am trying to grow vegetables in containers on my porch since growing them in ... A: Incandescent lights will not be enough light for the plants. Since they are doing OK, I'd leave ... | |
| Flowers falling off of vegetables? | 3/3/2010 |
| Q: I live in Florida and am trying to grow vegetables in containers on my porch since growing them in ... A: Thomas: Blossoms will fall from tomatoes and peppers if the nighttime temperatures fall below 50 ... | |
| Habenero pepper clone problem | 2/21/2010 |
| Q: I live in south eastern British Columbia. Last summer I grew several pepper plants of different ... A: It sounds like a fungus of some kind, the environment they are in is probably too moist. Try cutting ... | |
| Onion white root rot | 12/28/2009 |
| Q: Are there any solutions for onion white root rot? Will H2O2 as a foliar drench help, if so, at what ... A: Rod: I couldn't find any solution other than to destroy infected plants and then solarize the soil ... | |
| frozen vegetables on the vine | 12/10/2009 |
| Q: Howdy! We just had a freeze and our chili piquin plants froze before we picked the peppers off. ... A: Mary: The foods are safe, if that is what you mean, but may not be very good. The tomatoes will ... | |
| Tomato plantation | 12/3/2009 |
| Q: Peace b on u i m living in New Bombay, India and i want to start plantation at my home so how ... A: Aasim: There are many, many, many varieties of tomatoes. You may want to plant a few different ones ... | |
| watering tomatoes | 11/25/2009 |
| Q: Just wondering how to water tomatoes when the weather's schizophrenic - we had at least 3 weeks of ... A: Sorry, I forgot that you were growing in containers. Yes, you are right to water daily in that case. ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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. ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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. ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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. ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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) ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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, ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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- ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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. ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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. ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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. ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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. ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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. ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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. ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
| 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 ... | |
Growing Vegetables
Answers by Expert:
Elyse Grau
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
I can answer most questions on vegetable and fruit growing, in particular those that pertain to the Northwest, Midwest and other cool areas of the country. I prefer to use only organic/natural methods and materials.
Experience
I have Master Gardener training and have been gardening for over 25 years. I use organic and natural methods only. I live on 5 acres and have a large vegetable garden, as well as orchard, grapevines and berries.
Publications
Creswell Chronicle
Gardening How-to
Hobby Farms Home
BackHome
Education/Credentials
Master Gardener
©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.