Sandy's Garden Columns
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African Violets - Propagation from
cuttings
African
violets (Saintpaulia spp.) are easy to propagate by leaf cuttings. |
Aggressive
Perennials New!
Perennials that are 'garden bullies.' |
Almonds and Pecans
Are Almond and
Pecan trees hardy in Pennsylvania? |
Amaryllis - Starting Amaryllis from
seed
You can
start new amaryllis plants (Hippeastrum spp.) from the seeds
contained in the pods. |
Annual flower trial -
Outstanding performers
Annual flowers that perform well with minimal
maintenance. |
Annual flower trial - Flowers rated
'good' and 'poor'
Annual flowers that performed 'average' to 'poorly.' |
Azaleas and Rhododendrons
Rhododendrons and azaleas both are classified in the genus
Rhododendron, so they are very similar. |
Black spot
on roses - Control methods
Black spot is the most common and severe disease that
rose growers have to face. |
Blossom End Rot on Tomatoes
Blossom end rot appears as black leathery areas on the blossom end
of maturing tomatoes. |
Blueberries in containers
New!
Blueberry plants require an acidic, evenly moist yet
well-drained soil rich in organic matter. |
Clematis Care - Pruning Clematis Vines
It's advisable to prune all clematis annually. |
Clematis
Problems
Clematis wilt occurs most frequently on the large-flowered hybrid
clematis varieties. |
Common Stalk Borer
Common stalk borer feeds on over 175 types of plants. |
Compost - Composting for the garden
Compost that is thoroughly "done" has a fresh earthy
smell, and you cannot identify the original components. |
Corn Earworms
Corn earworms
cause damage by feeding on the fresh silk and boring into the tips
of the ears of corn. |
Cover Crops
Cover crops
such as winter rye are grown to protect the soil from erosion and
increase its nutrient content and organic matter. |
Crape Myrtle
Are Crape
Myrtles hardy enough for northern climates? |
Deer Rubs on Tree
Trunks
Preventing
and repairing deer damage to the trunk of a tree. |
Eggplant
Flea Beetle
Numerous tiny
holes on plant leaves are characteristic of Flea Beetle feeding. |
Fertilizing Daffodils - What to use
and when
Daffodils and other bulbs put on significant root
growth in the fall, so it's a good to time fertilize them. |
Ficus Leaf Drop - Houseplants dropping
leaves
Weeping figs (Ficus
benjamina) are famous for dropping leaves when moved from one
location to another. |
Fourlined Plant Bugs
Fourlined Plant
Bugs cause circular brown spots in flower foliage one-sixteenth of
an inch in diameter. |
Freeze Damage to
Outdoor Plants
Plants
damaged by a cold snap. |
Fungus Gnats - Those annoying little
household pests
These common houseplant pests are primarily nuisance insects. |
Gardenias as Houseplants *
Successfully growing a gardenia indoors requires special care |
Growing Boxwood
Plant boxwoods in areas with good drainage. It's alright to prune
them while dormant. |
Growing Rhubarb
Rhubarb is a cool season, perennial vegetable grown for its piquant
leaf stalks used in pies and other dishes. |
Hemlock insect
pest spreads
Hemlock woolly adelgid has devastated Canadian
hemlocks. |
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Hillside
Plantings
Hillside
plantings can replace difficult to mow lawn areas on slopes. |
Holly Leafminer - Control measures
There are several species of leaf mining flies that
attack holly foliage. |
Honeysuckle Aphids
Honeysuckle
aphid feeding spoils the flowers and the toxin they inject causes
curling of the leaves. |
Hostas and HVX
Hosta virus X
(HVX) was first reported in 1996. |
Impatiens Problems
Verticillium
wilt is a common problem when impatiens are planted in the same
place every year. |
Japanese
Knotweed
Japanese knotweed, also known as Mexican bamboo or Japanese bamboo,
is extremely difficult to eradicate. |
June Beetle or Emerald Ash Borer?
Distinguishing the difference between the two insects. |
Late-season Garden Vegetable Plants
What to plant in your vegetable garden after mid-July. |
Leucothoe
Leucothoe prefers a shaded location. |
Lilacs Not
Blooming
Lilacs (Syringa spp.) fail to bloom for a number of
reasons. |
Mail Order Plants New!
How to handle
your plant order upon arrival |
Mold on Peonies
Gray mold (botrytis) will cause black leaves and flower buds. |
Moving a
Holly bush
How to transplant a holly when it gets too big. |
Mulching
Rhododendrons
Leaves that are light green can indicate a nitrogen
deficiency. |
No Berries on Holly
Hollies (Ilex
spp.) are dioecious with male and female flowers produced on
separate plants. |
Norfolk Island Pine - Culture and care
Norfolk Island
pines (Araucaria heterophylla) can make attractive, durable
houseplants. |
Outstanding Perennials - Perennial
Plant of the Year
The selections for Perennial Plant of the Year. |
Peony care - How to get your peonies
blooming
Peonies fail to bloom for a number of reasons,
including lack of maturity. |
Pepper
Plant Problems
Pepper plants
in the vegetable garden can drop their leaves for a number of
reasons. |
Petunia Flowers Getting Eaten?
Tobacco budworm larva damages petunias and many other species of
flowers. |
Picking Flowers
List of flowers
that did well, and not so well, in our southwestern Pennsylvania
gardens. |
Planting
Annuals
Annual flowers can suffer from heat stress and sunburn when they are
suddenly exposed to full sun rather than given an opportunity to
acclimate gradually. |
Planting in the Shade
A list small trees, shrubs and perennial plants that flourish in
shady locations. |
Planting Potted
Tulips in the Garden
Potted tulips don't
usually move very well into the garden. |
Pruning
Hydrangeas
What you need to know about Hydrangeas flowering. |
Raspberry
Problems
Several varieties of raspberry cane borers can cause problems while
growing raspberries. |
Rubber Mulch
Rubber
mulches are touted as longer lasting than shredded bark. |
Scale Insects
Scale insects can be hard to detect if you are not
familiar with them. |
Slug Damage on Hostas
New!
There are
environmentally-friendly ways to prevent slug damage. |
Soluble Salts on Clay Pots
Accumulations of soluble salts from fertilizers and
minerals appear on clay pots. |
Starting
Seeds Indoors
Start your
cool-season vegetable crops indoors from mid-February to early
March. |
Storing Seeds from your Garden *
Seeds should be stored in a cool, dry place. |
Strawberry selection and culture
Strawberries
are one of the most commonly grown fruits in the home garden. |
Tomato Growing 101
Stick to
basics for tomato growing success. |
Transplanting
in Late Fall
Some plants tolerate late fall transplanting better than others. |
Transplanting Shrubs Before Home Construction
It's best to move woody plants while they are dormant. |
Vegetable Gardens - Mulches /
Weeds
Leaves that have been composted or shredded make a
good winter mulch for the vegetable garden. |
Vines for a
Shady Trellis
Nice perennial vines that perform
well on a shady trellis. |
When to Prune
Shrubs
Some shrubs need to be pruned at
the right time. |
Watering Houseplants
*
Drooping and leaf loss can be signs of drought
stress. |
Whitefly control with insecticidal soap or
oil *
These small flying insects are common pests on many
houseplants as well as on plants in the garden. |
Why roses won't bloom
Rose buds that turn brown and fail to produce flowers
are classic symptoms of a rose midge attack. |
Wild Onions
or Wild Garlic?
Wild garlic
and wild onion are closely related and similar in appearance. |
Wildflowers
Converting
your lawn into a wildflower meadow. |
Wood ashes
will affect the soil's pH
Wood ash reacts with soil much like lime, raising the
pH of the soil. |
| Sandy's Columns about Lawns and Trees: |
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Sandy's Lawn
Tips |
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Sandy's Tree
Tips |
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