FAQ: Powdery mildew
- On July 25, 2009
- By Meleah
- In FAQ
0
Q: Every year my phlox and bee balm get powdery mildew. Is there anything I can do to prevent that?
A: Powdery mildew really is an ugly thing. If you’re not familiar with the term, powdery mildew is a fungal disease that makes a plant’s leaves look as if they’re coated with dusty, white powder. Some plants, like phlox, bee balm, zinnias and roses are more susceptible to it that other plants, so one thing you can do to avoid it is look for varieties that have been bred to be more resistant to the disease. Keep powdery mildew at bay, at least for the most part, by providing susceptible plants with full sun and good air circulation. Try to avoid getting the leaves of these plants wet whenever possible. There are fungicides you can buy to control the disease, but use these with caution because they may do more harm in your garden than good. As a last resort, you may just want to rip the mildewy plants out and get something else.
Growing Veggies in Containers
- On June 19, 2009
- By Meleah
- In Container Gardening, Veggies
- 0
You don’t have to have a plot of land to grow veggies. I’m happy to say that there are plenty of edibles that can be grown in containers right on a patio, front stoop or even a balcony. But there are a few good tips to know if you want to be successful.
Because these pots will be part of your outdoor living space for the whole season, you may want to take some time to choose some you’d really enjoy looking at every day. As you shop, keep in mind that small pots will dry out very quickly in the hot summer sun. Even if you are home and can water a couple of times a day, your plants are likely to wind up stressed out if they’re constantly drying out and being water over and over again. That’s why I’d recommend going with pots no smaller than 14–16 inches in diameter and at least a foot deep. Bigger is even better, but they’ll be hard to move — even with one of those rolling plants stands from IKEA that I mentioned last month. (Don’t use any container that doesn’t have a good drainage hole.)
Read More»A dog-friendly garden (sort of)
- On June 10, 2009
- By Meleah
- In Annuals, Organic Gardening, Perennials
- 0
In June, we got Lily, a nine-week-old puppy that the Humane Society described as a lab/spaniel mix but is very likely turning out to be a border collie. She, of course, is the inspiration for this column.
There are so many articles out there about creating dog-friendly gardens and, honestly, up until now I haven’t read many of them because I never needed to think about the subject. Now, though, I have a dog who has rapidly gone from 11 pounds to 20 and may well reach 60 come spring. So lately I’ve been trying to separate these articles into two categories: (1) Complete hooey that will never work (2) Things that sound reasonable enough for me and, perhaps, some of you everyday gardeners out there who have dogs, to try.
Read More»FAQ: Determinate or indeterminate tomatoes
- On May 06, 2009
- By Meleah
- In FAQ
- 0
Q: What’s the difference between “determinate” and “indeterminate” tomatoes?
A: Good question. When you buy tomatoes, you’ll notice that most labels offer one of these terms. Determinate varieties or “bush” tomatoes grow to about four feet with fruit setting on the top bud and ripening about the same time. For this reason, you don’t need to go to great lengths to cage these guys, and you don’t want to do a lot of pruning or you’ll wind up losing a lot of your crop. Indeterminate tomatoes are considered vining tomatoes because they can grow more than six feet in a season and will produce fruit right up until the cold kills them off. For these, you need to provide ample cages and/or stakes.
Creating an Indoor Garden
- On April 12, 2009
- By Meleah
- In Indoor Gardening
- 0
This month’s column idea came from Southwest Journal editor, Sarah McKenzie, who’s been wondering for a while now how to create some kind of indoor garden in a sunny spot in her condo. Being a mostly outdoor gardener, myself, I called botanical artist and all-around passionate plant person, Shauna Moore for help, after seeing an ad announcing a talk she would soon be giving at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum on this very subject.
The beauty of growing houseplants is they aren’t Minnesota specific, says Moore, who earned her horticulture degree from the University of Minnesota, where she currently works as a campus gardener. “Since you don’t have to worry about climate, you can use fabulous tropicals like jasmine, bougainvillea, gardenias and orchids,” she explains.
Read More»Starting Seeds Indoors
- On March 16, 2009
- By Meleah
- In Annuals, Indoor Gardening
- 0
Summer is still a dream, I know, but I sure am glad to be starting up my column again and, at least, beginning to think about gardening. Last year, about this same time, I devoted half of my column to starting seeds and I got so many questions from readers on how to tackle specific things, I’ve decided to write on the subject again. This time, though, I’ll go into more detail. (Of course, you’re still welcome to e-mail questions if something seems confusing, or you want to know more.)
If you’re looking to save some money on plants, growing at least a few from seed is the way to go. While perennials can sometimes be a little finicky, annuals are usually easy to grow — even if you’ve never started seeds before. One thing I really appreciate about growing my own plants is that it allows me to have some things in my garden that I just can’t find in stores, such as love-lies-bleeding (Amaranthus caudatus), sea holly (Eryngium spp.) and Chinese lanterns (Physalis alkekengi).
Read More»
