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