WEBVTT 1 00:00:02.560 --> 00:00:08.119 Greetings gardeners, and welcome to a Gardening Simplified extra. We have been getting 2 00:00:08.160 --> 00:00:12.160 so many questions from listeners and we thank everyone who has written in, and 3 00:00:12.599 --> 00:00:17.600 we want to take the time to devote an entire episode just to answering questions. 4 00:00:17.640 --> 00:00:20.760 So this is only going to appear, of course, on YouTube and 5 00:00:20.960 --> 00:00:24.519 our podcast, and we're going to be covering questions from listeners over the past 6 00:00:24.559 --> 00:00:28.399 couple of months. If you have a question for the Gardening Simplified Show, 7 00:00:28.440 --> 00:00:32.039 we are always happy to help. You can email us at help HLP at 8 00:00:32.039 --> 00:00:35.799 Gardening Simplified on air dot com, or just visit Gardenings Simplified on air dot 9 00:00:35.799 --> 00:00:39.840 com. There's a contact form either way it will reach us. You can 10 00:00:39.880 --> 00:00:44.079 attach a photo so you can give us some more context, which is always 11 00:00:44.079 --> 00:00:47.600 important, even though those questions are a little difficult to answer of course on 12 00:00:47.679 --> 00:00:52.240 air. And so we've put together some questions that we think are timely and 13 00:00:52.399 --> 00:00:58.719 interesting and without further ado, let's get started with a first question, which 14 00:00:58.759 --> 00:01:02.479 is from Steve and Mary. They say, after listening to your show on 15 00:01:02.560 --> 00:01:06.200 center Stage, red Crape Myrtle, we'd like to get one. However, 16 00:01:06.319 --> 00:01:08.640 we see that they do better in zone seventh through nine, which in Michigan 17 00:01:08.799 --> 00:01:12.400 we are in zone five. Let us know if this myrtle would work for 18 00:01:12.480 --> 00:01:18.920 us. It is beautiful. I feel Stephen and Mary's pain having lived in 19 00:01:19.040 --> 00:01:22.680 zone five Michigan for years. Yeah, zone five is you know, at 20 00:01:22.719 --> 00:01:26.159 least it's none zone four, because zone four is a lot of stuff drops 21 00:01:26.200 --> 00:01:30.200 off after zone five, Like you're that's kind of like, I don't want 22 00:01:30.239 --> 00:01:33.799 to say you can't grow anything interesting in zone four, but if much blow 23 00:01:33.879 --> 00:01:37.680 zone five, your options get limited, you know, it makes it brings 24 00:01:37.760 --> 00:01:41.640 up a good point though, and that is living in that zone. March 25 00:01:41.799 --> 00:01:46.680 April, what a great time to wander out in the landscape. Start to 26 00:01:46.719 --> 00:01:51.760 look for some swelling buds on the hydranges, the lilacs, crape myrtle, 27 00:01:51.840 --> 00:01:56.280 whatever it may be, and try to determine the amount of die back that 28 00:01:56.359 --> 00:02:00.840 you've had the past winter, because every year is different. It's true, 29 00:02:00.840 --> 00:02:02.439 there's so many factors. You know, people think it's just a matter of 30 00:02:02.879 --> 00:02:07.439 how cold the winter got, but the fact is there are many factors. 31 00:02:07.480 --> 00:02:12.400 It's it's how rainy was the fall, was the fall favorable to growth? 32 00:02:13.039 --> 00:02:15.280 And spring? Do spring come? So does spring come? Early to spring 33 00:02:15.319 --> 00:02:20.360 come late. But you know, overall, I always encourage and I'm sure 34 00:02:20.360 --> 00:02:23.479 you do too, Rick, taking an experimental approach to gardening. I think 35 00:02:23.479 --> 00:02:27.360 that's one of the most fun things that you can do, is to not 36 00:02:27.439 --> 00:02:30.280 necessarily take it so rigid and just say, Okay, this plant's beautiful, 37 00:02:30.280 --> 00:02:32.520 but I can't grow it. Now. There's certain things like, obviously I'm 38 00:02:32.520 --> 00:02:36.719 not going to be able to grow avocado in my yard here in Michigan. 39 00:02:36.719 --> 00:02:38.680 That would be pushing it too far. But the fact is, when it 40 00:02:38.680 --> 00:02:44.240 comes to crate myrtles, they are actually hardy than has hardier than has long 41 00:02:44.319 --> 00:02:49.240 been believed that they actually are. I agree, and I like to take 42 00:02:49.240 --> 00:02:53.400 the Alexander Hamilton approach and take my shot. I really do. I agree 43 00:02:53.439 --> 00:02:58.360 with what you just said. Why not? Yeah? So, I think 44 00:02:58.439 --> 00:03:01.560 for years, because crate did so well in the South, people just assumes 45 00:03:01.639 --> 00:03:05.000 they were Southern plants. And then people started saying, well you, oh 46 00:03:05.000 --> 00:03:07.439 what, hey, I like this, I'm going to give it a try, 47 00:03:07.520 --> 00:03:13.759 and it has really increased everybody's understanding or sort of assumptions about what a 48 00:03:13.759 --> 00:03:17.280 crape myrtle will do. So I don't know where in Michigan and you actually 49 00:03:17.319 --> 00:03:22.400 are. I can say without question. Here on the west side of Michigan 50 00:03:22.479 --> 00:03:25.400 around the lake shore, we can easily grow grape myrtle without a problem. 51 00:03:25.879 --> 00:03:30.080 It does very often die back to the ground, not every year, but 52 00:03:30.159 --> 00:03:32.240 it often does, but it will come right back from the roots and it 53 00:03:32.240 --> 00:03:37.039 will still flower. They flower on new wood, so they spend the season 54 00:03:37.080 --> 00:03:40.400 growing back and then those flowers start to appear in August. Now what you 55 00:03:40.560 --> 00:03:46.240 end up with, rather than the beautiful sculptural tree like crape myrtles that you 56 00:03:46.280 --> 00:03:49.000 see in the south, is something that's going to be more multi stemmed, 57 00:03:49.520 --> 00:03:53.599 shrubbier, smaller, but you are going to get that great color. So 58 00:03:53.120 --> 00:03:59.879 we have excellent success with overwintering center stage red crape myrtle here in Grand Haven. 59 00:04:00.800 --> 00:04:02.759 If you want to try it, I have a couple pieces of advice, 60 00:04:02.800 --> 00:04:06.199 and this is true for not just any for center stage read but anytime 61 00:04:06.599 --> 00:04:11.159 you're pushing the hardiness zone of something you want to experiment with it. That 62 00:04:11.319 --> 00:04:14.240 is, start planted in spring. These are not plants that you want to 63 00:04:14.240 --> 00:04:17.199 plant in fall because they're not going to have enough time to develop a good 64 00:04:17.279 --> 00:04:21.439 root system. Just like we were talking about in this week's show, Gardening 65 00:04:21.480 --> 00:04:27.240 Simplified Show. You want them to have as long as possible time to develop 66 00:04:27.240 --> 00:04:30.240 a good root system that's going to help them withstand all of the challenges that 67 00:04:30.279 --> 00:04:32.759 winter is going to throw at them. So these are definitely plants that you're 68 00:04:32.759 --> 00:04:38.839 going to want to plant in spring and not fall. And you want to 69 00:04:38.920 --> 00:04:42.160 choose a protected spot. Sure, So this is not going to be something 70 00:04:42.199 --> 00:04:44.800 that you're going to put, you know, in the middle of your yard 71 00:04:44.800 --> 00:04:47.439 where it's completely exposed. You're going to want to try to find something that 72 00:04:47.560 --> 00:04:51.319 is protected, especially from the west, where you know the direction of most 73 00:04:51.319 --> 00:04:56.480 of our coldest weather is moving in from. Like if you have a spot 74 00:04:56.480 --> 00:04:59.759 in your house where maybe two walls come together and create that little kind of 75 00:05:00.079 --> 00:05:02.240 nook, those are good locations. If you have a courtyard, sure that's 76 00:05:02.240 --> 00:05:11.079 a good location. And mulch mulch mulch very important establishing that foundation. Microclimates 77 00:05:11.120 --> 00:05:16.160 we often referred to them as microclimates. And what does microclimate mean here in 78 00:05:16.199 --> 00:05:19.759 Michigan. It means, like you said, Stacy, don't put that plant 79 00:05:19.879 --> 00:05:24.360 right out in the middle of the yard or plant it by the road right 80 00:05:24.600 --> 00:05:27.879 put it in a microclan in a more protected spot if you can snuggle it 81 00:05:27.959 --> 00:05:30.560 up against your house, and you know a lot of times too, if 82 00:05:30.600 --> 00:05:34.480 you're really concerned about it. They sell a variety of like frost blankets and 83 00:05:34.560 --> 00:05:39.279 plant protectors online sure that you can use for those first couple of years, 84 00:05:39.279 --> 00:05:45.120 because the more established a plant gets, the better it's able to withstand very 85 00:05:45.160 --> 00:05:49.120 often those challenges of the cold. So again, without knowing where exactly you 86 00:05:49.160 --> 00:05:51.439 are in Michigan, you know, I wouldn't even say, oh, if 87 00:05:51.439 --> 00:05:54.319 you're in the up, it's out, because I think if you're in the 88 00:05:54.360 --> 00:05:58.000 Marquette in Marquette or somewhere you know, along the coast of Michigan and you 89 00:05:58.120 --> 00:06:02.160 have that slightly milder climate because of the lake, you can almost certainly be 90 00:06:02.160 --> 00:06:05.519 successful. You're probably your least success would be like in Smeck in the middle 91 00:06:05.519 --> 00:06:09.519 of Michigan, where it's you know, you're far away from all of those 92 00:06:09.519 --> 00:06:13.279 metagating factors. But if you can find one, it's always worth a try 93 00:06:13.279 --> 00:06:15.600 because the worst it's going to happen is you're going to learn something. Stephen 94 00:06:15.600 --> 00:06:19.920 and Mary take your shot. And by the way, Stacy with the crape 95 00:06:19.920 --> 00:06:24.959 myrtle, what was the proven winner's color choy shrub variety. Again, that 96 00:06:25.040 --> 00:06:29.560 was center stage Red, which is a black leaf crape myrtle with red flowers, 97 00:06:29.560 --> 00:06:32.240 and it is absolutely gorgeous. So I can't blame anyone for wanting to 98 00:06:32.240 --> 00:06:36.279 grow this. And if it turns out that you can't grow it, remember 99 00:06:36.360 --> 00:06:43.160 that you can actually get some similar color combinations from our native lobelia. Cultivars 100 00:06:43.160 --> 00:06:47.160 of our native lobelia have that dark blacky foliage with red flowers. So hopefully 101 00:06:47.199 --> 00:06:50.240 you'll be able to grow center Stage Red and enjoy it. But if not, 102 00:06:50.720 --> 00:06:56.279 see if you can find a lobelia, maybe a minarda something like that 103 00:06:56.279 --> 00:07:00.199 that you can try out instead. Go back through YouTube videos for gardening simplified 104 00:07:00.199 --> 00:07:05.399 show we took a summer garden tour and that was one of the plants you 105 00:07:05.439 --> 00:07:10.720 introduced to me, Stacy, and talk about gorgeous. That's just beautiful, 106 00:07:10.879 --> 00:07:15.360 all right. Grace wrote us back when the wildfires were a big issue in 107 00:07:15.560 --> 00:07:20.680 many areas. She says, I do all container gardening, have always tried 108 00:07:21.079 --> 00:07:26.079 very hard to water the soil and not the foliage, which is great water 109 00:07:26.199 --> 00:07:30.279 at the base. My question is with all the smoke residue from the Canadian 110 00:07:30.319 --> 00:07:35.399 wildfires and the lack of rain, should I wet the foliage to clean that 111 00:07:35.519 --> 00:07:39.639 residue off. I had to kind of chuckle when I read this question, 112 00:07:39.680 --> 00:07:45.360 because I have some friends who own a garden center in California, and when 113 00:07:45.439 --> 00:07:48.279 they visited here in Grand Rapids, they took them for a ride to the 114 00:07:48.319 --> 00:07:54.480 airport and they noticed the snowbrush in my car here in Michigan. They say, 115 00:07:54.480 --> 00:07:57.680 well, we have those in our cars in California too, but we 116 00:07:57.879 --> 00:08:03.560 use them to dust the ash off the car and we leave work take snow. 117 00:08:03.839 --> 00:08:07.600 When wildfires are taking place, I'll take snow. Also, So what 118 00:08:07.639 --> 00:08:13.399 do you think about residue on foliage? Does it really block the functionality of 119 00:08:13.439 --> 00:08:16.839 a plant? It really does, And I mean maybe not to the point 120 00:08:16.839 --> 00:08:20.720 where the plant's going to just straight up die, but absolutely. You know, 121 00:08:20.879 --> 00:08:26.759 the chloroplasts in the plant cells that photosynthesize dust, smoke particles, anything 122 00:08:26.800 --> 00:08:30.680 like that on the foliage mold, you know, sooty mold that happens from 123 00:08:30.720 --> 00:08:37.960 if it's anything that's obscuring those cells from direct contact with the sun will reduce 124 00:08:37.159 --> 00:08:41.360 the efficiency of photosynthesis, and in turn, the plant will make less energy 125 00:08:41.399 --> 00:08:46.600 because it's not as efficient or quick at photosynthesis. So again, it's not 126 00:08:46.639 --> 00:08:50.399 one of those things that you have to like stay up at night worrying about 127 00:08:50.440 --> 00:08:56.080 it. But it is absolutely a good idea to break habit. And I'm 128 00:08:56.080 --> 00:09:00.440 glad that Grace you're in the habit of not perpetually wetting your plants, as 129 00:09:00.519 --> 00:09:03.440 a lot of people are. But yeah, it's totally fine once in a 130 00:09:03.440 --> 00:09:07.679 while to just give it that shower, especially when we when there is wildflower 131 00:09:07.799 --> 00:09:11.639 or wildfire ash, especially when rain was very scarce as it was for us 132 00:09:11.679 --> 00:09:16.960 in May and June, you're doing that once in a while is absolutely no 133 00:09:16.039 --> 00:09:20.879 problem. It's it's basically like you're simulating rain. Yeah, it's a great 134 00:09:20.960 --> 00:09:26.039 explanation, Stacy. I. The analogy that I'd put forth is it's similar 135 00:09:26.080 --> 00:09:31.200 to powdery mildew on plants, where when you get powdery mildew on the foliage, 136 00:09:31.279 --> 00:09:35.240 it's not going to kill the plant, but it certainly weakens the plant 137 00:09:35.360 --> 00:09:41.879 and does not allow that process of photosynthesis to take place as needed. Right, 138 00:09:41.919 --> 00:09:46.759 It's like trying to eat all your food through a straw or something like. 139 00:09:46.799 --> 00:09:50.240 Yeah, you're getting nutrition, but you're just not like exactly getting it. 140 00:09:50.399 --> 00:09:52.679 The best that you can. I wonder if you could clean them off 141 00:09:52.720 --> 00:09:56.080 with a leafblower. Didn't someone ask that and we said, don't do that. 142 00:09:56.360 --> 00:10:01.320 I think we actually feature that. Don't use a leaflow on your plants. 143 00:10:01.320 --> 00:10:05.000 You didn't want to air us alize all of those particles, and besides, 144 00:10:05.159 --> 00:10:07.480 water will do the job without annoying your neighbors. Very good, All 145 00:10:07.600 --> 00:10:11.200 right, thank you, very mulch And writes to us, I live in 146 00:10:11.360 --> 00:10:16.720 zone five B. Since holly berry is an evergreen, is it better to 147 00:10:16.759 --> 00:10:20.799 plant in spring or can they be planted in the fall? Stacey? Oh, 148 00:10:20.879 --> 00:10:22.039 you know, I am, and we've talked about this on the show, 149 00:10:22.480 --> 00:10:26.679 A huge fan of fall planting. It is so good for so many 150 00:10:26.720 --> 00:10:28.399 reasons, you know, as we were just talking about. The plant can 151 00:10:30.200 --> 00:10:35.159 establish itself without having to sustain a bunch of growth on topic and just put 152 00:10:35.200 --> 00:10:39.480 all of its energy into roots since it's growing dormant. The cooler temperature is, 153 00:10:39.480 --> 00:10:41.240 the more frequent rainfall. All of those things combined to make Fault a 154 00:10:41.279 --> 00:10:46.080 really good planting time with a couple of exceptions. And one of those exceptions 155 00:10:46.159 --> 00:10:52.080 is definitely evergreens, and particularly broadleaf evergreens like holly so a broad leaf evergreen 156 00:10:52.720 --> 00:10:56.399 as a plant that's evergreen but doesn't have like needle foliage like a pine or 157 00:10:56.399 --> 00:11:01.679 a spruce, or scale like foliage like an arbor vite or a juniper. 158 00:11:01.519 --> 00:11:09.279 So broadleaf evergreens are things like rhododendron, laurel pieris and of course holly, 159 00:11:09.399 --> 00:11:16.759 and so I absolutely do not recommend planting broadleaf evergreens in fall in cold climates. 160 00:11:16.679 --> 00:11:20.679 You know that what happens is that even if you do it in early 161 00:11:20.720 --> 00:11:26.799 September and they have what is in theory a long enough time to grow roots, 162 00:11:26.840 --> 00:11:28.639 because you usually want to have at least six weeks of good root growth 163 00:11:28.639 --> 00:11:35.720 before winter starts for ideal fall planting conditions. The difference is that broadleaf evergreens 164 00:11:35.759 --> 00:11:39.039 are going to lose water out of their foliage all winter long. The winter 165 00:11:39.159 --> 00:11:43.799 sun is going to be beating on them, winter winds and all of those 166 00:11:43.840 --> 00:11:48.200 things are causing the foliage to lose water all winter long. Now, if 167 00:11:48.240 --> 00:11:52.320 it does not have the benefit of a really good robust root system to help 168 00:11:52.360 --> 00:11:56.240 it replenish that water anytime the soil is not frozen, then it's going to 169 00:11:56.320 --> 00:12:01.919 desiccate and die. And a lot of times broad leaf evergreens are slower growing, 170 00:12:01.080 --> 00:12:05.679 you pay more for them, and you don't want to invest in something 171 00:12:05.879 --> 00:12:09.720 that is going to look genuinely awful. I'm sure anyone who's ever been to 172 00:12:09.759 --> 00:12:13.919 a city in say February, and has seen those cafes try to plant beautiful 173 00:12:13.960 --> 00:12:18.879 boxwood planters things like that, you've seen what can happen and it is not 174 00:12:18.960 --> 00:12:22.639 pretty. Yeah, I agree with you one hundred and one percent. Great 175 00:12:22.919 --> 00:12:26.559 explanation. I have done it. I have done it. I mean, 176 00:12:26.600 --> 00:12:30.879 when push comes to shovel, if you have to, you could move it, 177 00:12:30.919 --> 00:12:33.000 but you're going to have to coat it with an anti descant. You're 178 00:12:33.039 --> 00:12:37.200 going to have to mulch it well at the base. And yes, your 179 00:12:37.240 --> 00:12:41.399 odds are far lower than with a deciduous plant. So I agree with you, 180 00:12:41.559 --> 00:12:43.000 right, And you know the anti descan thing, it's it's you know, 181 00:12:43.200 --> 00:12:46.679 I'm glad that you mentioned that, because if you're at your garden center, 182 00:12:46.679 --> 00:12:48.200 they might say, oh yeah, i'll just spray it with this. 183 00:12:48.159 --> 00:12:50.840 And sure, if you could a smoke and hot deal on a plant and 184 00:12:50.879 --> 00:12:54.200 you want to mulch it and wiltproof it, then go for it. But 185 00:12:54.279 --> 00:13:01.519 just know that it definitely is much riskier than if you'd planted it in spring, 186 00:13:01.600 --> 00:13:05.000 and mulch, of course, as with most plantings, is very, 187 00:13:05.080 --> 00:13:09.679 very crucial. So similarly, Julie has a question. She asked during our 188 00:13:09.759 --> 00:13:13.759 unusually harsh winter in USDA's one four and Montana, both of my second season 189 00:13:13.840 --> 00:13:18.960 tater Tot arbor Viti died, I know what can I do in the future 190 00:13:18.039 --> 00:13:22.960 to winter protect tator Tot? Should I purchase and plant this fault or wait 191 00:13:22.039 --> 00:13:28.080 until spring? I love those little guys. They have really become one of 192 00:13:28.080 --> 00:13:31.960 our most popular plants. I don't know if it's the name or the plant 193 00:13:31.039 --> 00:13:35.039 or a combination of both. They're just so cute. They are very cute. 194 00:13:35.039 --> 00:13:39.200 They're just a little rounded evergreen. They aren't tater tot shaped, but 195 00:13:39.320 --> 00:13:43.039 they're they're scaled like a tater taught size. Like I guess you like tater 196 00:13:43.159 --> 00:13:46.360 tots. I mean they're okay, yeah, me too. It's kind of 197 00:13:46.399 --> 00:13:50.279 a filler thing, but the plants, but the plant is great. So 198 00:13:50.639 --> 00:13:54.399 as an arbor vity, that means that tater tot is a conifer, So 199 00:13:54.440 --> 00:13:58.039 that puts it in that needle like or scale like foliage that I was talking 200 00:13:58.080 --> 00:14:05.679 about. Now, these lines of evergreens are much better adapted to dealing with 201 00:14:05.799 --> 00:14:09.679 cold than broad leaf evergreens are broadleaf evergreens tend to come from milder climates, 202 00:14:09.679 --> 00:14:13.240 whereas the pine, the spruce, you know, they're basically made for a 203 00:14:13.279 --> 00:14:18.960 snowload. But that said again, you still want that good root system in 204 00:14:18.000 --> 00:14:22.039 place before they're going to be met, you know, or confront all of 205 00:14:22.039 --> 00:14:28.080 those challenges the winter sun, the winter wind, you know, frozen soil 206 00:14:28.120 --> 00:14:31.080 where they can't absorb any water. So the colder your climate, and certainly 207 00:14:31.159 --> 00:14:37.320 for Julie here in USC Zone four in Montana, I would recommend only spring 208 00:14:37.360 --> 00:14:43.600 planting of any evergreens. Definitely mulch very important in climates like Neva or like 209 00:14:43.720 --> 00:14:46.200 Montana where it's you know, it can be very exposed and have a lot 210 00:14:46.200 --> 00:14:52.679 of winter sun, and the sooner you can get those in the ground and 211 00:14:52.960 --> 00:14:56.360 create those ideal root conditions with water, you know, some regular fertilizer through 212 00:14:56.399 --> 00:15:01.279 maybe about late July. That's all going to go into developing that root system 213 00:15:01.279 --> 00:15:07.840 to help it better withstand winter. I'm thinking of those family holiday get togethers. 214 00:15:07.879 --> 00:15:13.120 You always see tater tots on top of casseroles, don't you don't they 215 00:15:13.240 --> 00:15:16.879 kind of dress you know that. It's that and those dried onions I love. 216 00:15:16.960 --> 00:15:20.240 I can never get green bean casserole. I love green bean cassero on. 217 00:15:20.279 --> 00:15:24.360 Then you gotta put a lot of those dried onions on. Well, 218 00:15:24.399 --> 00:15:28.080 I love onions any anyway I can get them. Must be I'm just hungry, 219 00:15:28.159 --> 00:15:33.240 right. I guess all that talking about tater tots really well, you 220 00:15:33.279 --> 00:15:37.440 know, the next question is also about eating rabbits eating, not you eating, 221 00:15:39.200 --> 00:15:43.080 so Mag's writes, I'm having quite a problem with rabbits which have been 222 00:15:43.080 --> 00:15:46.159 eating absolutely all of my plants. It seems other than grasses or evergreens. 223 00:15:46.679 --> 00:15:50.000 I spray, but it seems like it doesn't deter them for longer than a 224 00:15:50.039 --> 00:15:54.399 couple of days. Are there any plants you can recommend that are pretty rabbit 225 00:15:54.440 --> 00:16:00.240 resistant? Ah, that is so frustrating. Hey, you know, I'll 226 00:16:00.279 --> 00:16:03.759 build a little compound and somehow, some way they get in there, and 227 00:16:03.840 --> 00:16:06.360 I don't know how they get in there. No, they're very you know, 228 00:16:06.399 --> 00:16:08.120 they dig, They can do a lot of different things. They can 229 00:16:08.200 --> 00:16:12.840 squeeze through little fence holes, smoozes as I know your smoozes. If you 230 00:16:12.919 --> 00:16:17.600 have some eu se and you know, if they're a little baby bunny, 231 00:16:17.720 --> 00:16:19.720 they can probably hop right through the whole of a chain link fence. Does 232 00:16:19.840 --> 00:16:23.799 not make me happy, but they're so cute. Yeah, now you know, 233 00:16:23.960 --> 00:16:30.559 I'll tell you this past year in one of my compounds that I've built, 234 00:16:32.039 --> 00:16:36.200 they went just after the beans, like you wouldn't believe, the green 235 00:16:36.279 --> 00:16:40.519 beans, but they pretty much left everything else alone. Well, they had 236 00:16:40.519 --> 00:16:44.279 a favorite, yeah, so they just went for the beans. So I 237 00:16:44.320 --> 00:16:48.159 think that there's something to be said here for them not liking certain types of 238 00:16:48.200 --> 00:16:52.519 plants. But I think it'd probably be pretty similar to the deer that you 239 00:16:52.559 --> 00:17:00.279 know, things like allium they're not going to like, whereas tulips delicious, 240 00:17:00.279 --> 00:17:06.680 delicious right now. Alliums are often on lists of plants that rabbits don't eat, 241 00:17:07.000 --> 00:17:11.640 but I can tell you unequivocally rabbits eat my alliumspheracephalon every year, not 242 00:17:11.759 --> 00:17:15.519 all of them. AliOS Pharacephalon is the drumstick allium. So it comes up 243 00:17:15.559 --> 00:17:21.920 as just a single stem in about like early July, long straight stem with 244 00:17:21.960 --> 00:17:23.559 a purple head on the top. Does look a bit like a drumstick, 245 00:17:25.200 --> 00:17:27.680 and those rabbits It's like what they do. They come into the garden where 246 00:17:27.680 --> 00:17:33.079 they have them planted, they show them down at the base, they take 247 00:17:33.319 --> 00:17:34.400 one bite of it, they say, oh I forgot, I hate this. 248 00:17:34.519 --> 00:17:40.200 It tastes terrible, and then they leave the flower, you know, 249 00:17:40.319 --> 00:17:42.640 welting in the garden. Now, I didn't have a terrible year knock on 250 00:17:42.720 --> 00:17:45.960 wood this year, but in previous years they have eaten my allium. But 251 00:17:47.559 --> 00:17:53.319 my little guideline for choosing plants that rabbits will not eat without having to carry 252 00:17:53.359 --> 00:17:59.559 around a massive mental list in your head on your phone is fragrance. And 253 00:17:59.559 --> 00:18:02.559 we've talked about this a bit before. So plants that have any kind of 254 00:18:02.759 --> 00:18:08.519 resinous or strong aroma are generally avoided by rabbits. So that means things like 255 00:18:08.720 --> 00:18:12.319 lavender, any herbs, and you know, maybe people think like, oh, 256 00:18:12.319 --> 00:18:15.240 well, I don't want a bunch of herbs. I'm trying to grow 257 00:18:15.279 --> 00:18:18.039 an ornamental garden. But a lot of herbs are very ornamental. I love 258 00:18:18.200 --> 00:18:21.960 you know, you have with sage. You can have tricolor sage and have 259 00:18:22.039 --> 00:18:25.839 that variegation. You can have purple sage, which is really lovely. There's 260 00:18:25.880 --> 00:18:29.640 a bunch of course, as you know, ornamental oreganos that will be very 261 00:18:29.759 --> 00:18:34.279 rabbit resistant. So while you're shopping, you know, and you're wondering if 262 00:18:34.279 --> 00:18:37.039 something will be rabbit resistance. You know, rub a leaf or break a 263 00:18:37.119 --> 00:18:42.200 leaf, and if it gives off that kind of like resiny, herbal fragrance. 264 00:18:42.720 --> 00:18:48.799 Other examples napidal antanna, perennial geranium, agasaki, then you know it's 265 00:18:48.799 --> 00:18:52.920 pretty much a good choice because rabbits don't really like that that fragrance. And 266 00:18:52.960 --> 00:18:56.480 mix those plants in with your other plants and hopefully you can drive those rabbits 267 00:18:56.599 --> 00:19:00.200 over to your neighbor. But yeah, it is part of the mix. 268 00:19:00.240 --> 00:19:04.079 I mean, you know, you go back to that tatertot casserole example. 269 00:19:04.119 --> 00:19:07.960 I can't help it. I've got this on my mind now. But like 270 00:19:07.000 --> 00:19:11.000 when you go to a dinner and it's all casserole, what do they call 271 00:19:11.079 --> 00:19:12.319 that a pot luck? Right? Oh? Yeah, yeah, a pot 272 00:19:12.400 --> 00:19:17.519 luck. You know, I usually load up on the casseroll like the like 273 00:19:17.559 --> 00:19:21.720 the rabbit does, so that my plate is full and I'm not forced into 274 00:19:21.759 --> 00:19:26.799 taking some of that jello mold stuff because you feel guilty not taking a jello 275 00:19:26.880 --> 00:19:32.160 mold that somebody put the time into and I don't want it, all right, 276 00:19:32.160 --> 00:19:36.079 I just don't like it. And no one wants to a jello mold 277 00:19:36.119 --> 00:19:38.000 anyway, because it's so moldy. I don't know what's in that thing, 278 00:19:41.160 --> 00:19:45.880 which brings up the point there's always more room for jello and plants usually, 279 00:19:47.000 --> 00:19:48.319 yeah, you can, you can. I can usually find more room for 280 00:19:48.359 --> 00:19:52.640 plants, especially in spring before everything's grown in, and then you think, 281 00:19:52.640 --> 00:19:56.039 oh my gosh, what did I do. So, you know, rabbits 282 00:19:56.119 --> 00:19:59.599 are tricky and I've had a pet rabbit and I've observed them eat. And 283 00:19:59.599 --> 00:20:03.079 what they do is, like I was staying with the allium, they cut 284 00:20:03.119 --> 00:20:07.799 plants at the base and then they chow down the stem that they that they 285 00:20:07.799 --> 00:20:11.960 that they just remove. I have seen them stand on their hind legs to 286 00:20:11.960 --> 00:20:15.680 sample things that are a little bit higher. But generally that's how they work. 287 00:20:15.759 --> 00:20:18.319 So if they don't like something, they try it. They typically don't 288 00:20:18.359 --> 00:20:22.000 cause a lot of damage. But if they do like something, they'll just 289 00:20:22.079 --> 00:20:26.359 keep going until that that whole plant is gone, so you know, and 290 00:20:26.480 --> 00:20:29.680 start looking at pepper sprays and that sort. Yeah, And the trick about 291 00:20:29.680 --> 00:20:33.519 sprays is they are effective, but especially at the time where rabbits are most 292 00:20:33.519 --> 00:20:37.160 active in spring and summer. Plants are growing pretty vigorously, and so they're 293 00:20:37.160 --> 00:20:41.000 going to outgrow whatever you sprayed, and that new growth at the plant put 294 00:20:41.039 --> 00:20:45.400 on is going to be especially attractive to the rabbit because it's so tender and 295 00:20:45.480 --> 00:20:52.519 juicy and succulent. So rabbits are tough, but you can definitely outsmart them. 296 00:20:52.480 --> 00:20:56.200 Look for things again that are fragrant. Also things that are very hairy, 297 00:20:56.359 --> 00:21:00.079 like lamb's ear, pulmonaria lungwoart has its like those hairs on it, 298 00:21:00.680 --> 00:21:04.839 and foxglove, which of course is not only hairy but also very toxic. 299 00:21:06.519 --> 00:21:11.079 Hair Today Gone tomorrow. H R. I had to spell that one, 300 00:21:11.160 --> 00:21:14.759 but you got my points. I got your point. He thanks, it 301 00:21:14.880 --> 00:21:18.200 was a good one. Avelia. I hope I got your name right there. 302 00:21:18.319 --> 00:21:22.720 Avelia asks, I'm in Zone nine B and looking for a hydrangea that 303 00:21:22.759 --> 00:21:27.960 has a pink red bloom similar to quick fire or limelight, both of this. 304 00:21:30.160 --> 00:21:33.640 Both of this varieties are zone three to eight. Okay, if I 305 00:21:33.720 --> 00:21:38.079 were to put one of these in my garden, will these perform and bloom? 306 00:21:38.119 --> 00:21:41.759 Accordingly? I read that if they do not get enough cold time, 307 00:21:41.799 --> 00:21:45.960 they may not bloom. So it's a great question, Avelia, and I'm 308 00:21:45.000 --> 00:21:48.759 glad that you asked it. So you said that if they don't get enough 309 00:21:48.799 --> 00:21:52.759 cold time, they may not bloom. Now what you're talking about there is 310 00:21:52.920 --> 00:21:56.440 chilling hours, and there are plants that need a certain number of chilling hours 311 00:21:56.519 --> 00:22:03.039 or temperatures below forty degrees fahrenheit in order to properly develop their buds in bloom. 312 00:22:03.079 --> 00:22:07.680 So lilacs are the most famous examples, but apples, pears, all 313 00:22:07.680 --> 00:22:11.759 of those cold climate fruits are also similar examples. Now, chilling hours are 314 00:22:11.839 --> 00:22:18.079 not what make panicle hydrange is difficult to grow in hot climates. They actually 315 00:22:18.079 --> 00:22:22.759 don't necessarily need those chilling hours. But the trick is that your climate is 316 00:22:22.839 --> 00:22:27.200 just so hot that they really struggle to grow well and more importantly, to 317 00:22:27.319 --> 00:22:30.920 bloom well. So this is true if you live in a very humid climate, 318 00:22:32.039 --> 00:22:34.559 like in the south of Florida. They really struggle in that intense of 319 00:22:34.640 --> 00:22:38.279 humidity. And it's also true if you live in a desert climate, because 320 00:22:38.279 --> 00:22:41.839 they also struggle in that much aridity. So some plants, you know, 321 00:22:41.880 --> 00:22:45.960 they can grow in say you know, southern California where it's arid but not 322 00:22:47.119 --> 00:22:49.359 humid climates like Miami. Some plants like this one, if it gets too 323 00:22:49.359 --> 00:22:53.119 hot, whether it's arid or humid, they can't And one of the issues 324 00:22:53.160 --> 00:22:59.000 here is that the flower will develop and it will start to bloom. But 325 00:22:59.200 --> 00:23:02.839 in hot climates, first of all, this happens much earlier in the season. 326 00:23:02.920 --> 00:23:06.160 For us here in Michigan, panical hydranges are pretty much at peak through 327 00:23:06.200 --> 00:23:10.920 like mid to late July. That means by the time that bloom starts to 328 00:23:11.000 --> 00:23:15.200 fade an age to pink or red, our nights are already getting a lot 329 00:23:15.200 --> 00:23:18.240 longer, our temperatures are already starting to get cooler, and so we're able 330 00:23:18.319 --> 00:23:22.839 to see them undergo that really beautiful color change that makes people like panical hydranges 331 00:23:22.920 --> 00:23:27.559 so much. Whereas in warm climates, because the panical hydrange of blooms are 332 00:23:27.559 --> 00:23:32.880 opening based on how much heats they've experienced, they experienced that quantity of heat 333 00:23:33.000 --> 00:23:37.200 much earlier in the season, so say June in early June instead of mid 334 00:23:37.240 --> 00:23:41.720 to late July, and that means that as those plants are starting to age 335 00:23:41.720 --> 00:23:45.480 their blooms, it is the height of your summer. It's the absolute hottest 336 00:23:45.480 --> 00:23:49.920 part of the season. It's the longest possible nights. So what happens is 337 00:23:51.000 --> 00:23:57.160 the hydrange of can't metabolize the pigments that make that color change happen because the 338 00:23:57.240 --> 00:24:00.279 nights are so hot, because the days are so and so the flowers just 339 00:24:00.319 --> 00:24:04.799 turn brown. So very often you can grow them, but you just have 340 00:24:04.880 --> 00:24:08.440 to expect that that's not that they're not going to develop that color. And 341 00:24:08.519 --> 00:24:12.319 Avelia, it sounds like that's exactly what she wants, is those pink red 342 00:24:12.359 --> 00:24:18.960 blooms. So you know, I have to say you can try it, 343 00:24:18.000 --> 00:24:22.319 but you're just gonna have to have reasonable expectations about what's going to happen. 344 00:24:22.880 --> 00:24:27.039 You will probably have better luck with big leaf hydranges or hydrange of Macrophila and 345 00:24:27.359 --> 00:24:33.400 something like let's dance Big band, which has a really really bright pink flower, 346 00:24:33.000 --> 00:24:36.519 and that will be pink. That one pretty much stays a nice pink 347 00:24:36.599 --> 00:24:40.079 or maybe a little bit lavender. Now, those tend to do well in 348 00:24:40.440 --> 00:24:42.279 hot, humid climates. Those are not going to be good desert plants, 349 00:24:42.960 --> 00:24:45.279 but you'll still be able to get some of that color. They're going to 350 00:24:45.359 --> 00:24:48.240 need shade, you know, during the entire day they're not going to be 351 00:24:48.319 --> 00:24:51.799 able to take a much time, maybe a few hours in the morning, 352 00:24:52.519 --> 00:24:55.599 so you can't grow the panicle hydranges, but you should be okay with some 353 00:24:55.680 --> 00:24:59.880 of the big leafs. And you know, whenever I talk to someone who 354 00:25:00.119 --> 00:25:03.359 is telling me they live in a hot climate and they wish that they could 355 00:25:03.400 --> 00:25:06.640 grow a lilac or a panical hydrant or you know, fill in the blank, 356 00:25:07.319 --> 00:25:11.000 I always try to, you know, tell them that I really wish 357 00:25:11.039 --> 00:25:15.480 I could grow you know, citrus and avocados and a bunch of really cool 358 00:25:15.519 --> 00:25:21.640 Australian natives and bananas. So you know, I know it can be hard, 359 00:25:21.680 --> 00:25:23.920 and we always want when we don't have, But I think no matter 360 00:25:25.000 --> 00:25:27.960 what your climate is, there's always something you can be really excited about that 361 00:25:29.000 --> 00:25:33.079 you can grow that other people can't and really just feels at home in your 362 00:25:33.119 --> 00:25:37.119 climate and performs really well now in that climate. Also, our friend that 363 00:25:37.160 --> 00:25:42.599 we interviewed from Florida a few weeks ago on the Gardening Simplified show said that 364 00:25:44.160 --> 00:25:47.799 she this is a garden designer, Teresa, who said she had a lot 365 00:25:47.839 --> 00:25:53.920 of success with Ohso easy roses also budd lea in that zone. But Stacy, 366 00:25:55.000 --> 00:25:57.920 you know, I often say plants are like people, and people are 367 00:25:57.960 --> 00:26:03.160 like plants, and they're are our plants that really do like those seasons changes? 368 00:26:03.279 --> 00:26:06.240 Yeah, yeah, they You know, it all depends on where they're 369 00:26:06.240 --> 00:26:07.480 from. And we were talking about that not too long ago too. Is 370 00:26:07.559 --> 00:26:10.640 you know, where is a plant from? That's really going to tell you 371 00:26:10.680 --> 00:26:12.599 about where it grows. But like we said at the beginning of this show, 372 00:26:14.000 --> 00:26:18.319 you should always take an experimental attitude. Learn everything you can. Take 373 00:26:18.359 --> 00:26:21.400 that into account when you make your decision about where you're going to plant it, 374 00:26:21.480 --> 00:26:22.960 how you're going to care for it, and hey, you just might 375 00:26:23.039 --> 00:26:30.039 make a new discovery and up end everybody's expectations of that plant. Sounds good, 376 00:26:30.920 --> 00:26:36.039 all right. Paul is wondering is dietumacious earth safe for supertunias. I 377 00:26:36.119 --> 00:26:40.440 spray my supertunias with nemoil against bugs that eat the leaves. But it seems 378 00:26:40.440 --> 00:26:44.000 that the soil my petunias are in is infested with bugs. So would it 379 00:26:44.039 --> 00:26:48.640 be a good idea to put dietumacious earth around the base of the petunias? 380 00:26:48.720 --> 00:26:52.880 Interesting? Well, it's a great non toxic control. Yep, It's not 381 00:26:52.960 --> 00:26:57.759 going to work on all insects. But I think it's worth a shot if 382 00:26:57.759 --> 00:27:02.880 you're dealing with struggling with that right now. The great thing about dietomatous earth, 383 00:27:02.920 --> 00:27:06.039 like Rick said, is it is non toxic. So it is a 384 00:27:06.079 --> 00:27:12.640 powdery substance that is made of diatoms or prehistoric little creatures that have It doesn't 385 00:27:12.680 --> 00:27:17.680 feel like anything to you if you were to touch it doesn't feel like fiberglass. 386 00:27:17.720 --> 00:27:22.480 But to an insect crawling over it, it does lacerate their exoskeletons and 387 00:27:22.599 --> 00:27:26.759 they dry out and die. So when we talk to Bree Arthur, who 388 00:27:26.839 --> 00:27:30.400 has a big vegetable garden down in North Carolina, she was saying she uses 389 00:27:30.440 --> 00:27:33.519 this a lot as a pest control. But two things you need to know 390 00:27:33.519 --> 00:27:36.400 about dietametious earth. First of all, it's important to understand that it does 391 00:27:36.599 --> 00:27:41.559 kill beneficial insects as well as pest insects. It's non discriminating. Anything that 392 00:27:42.000 --> 00:27:47.599 crawls over it will get lacerated. And second of all, once it gets 393 00:27:47.599 --> 00:27:52.680 wet, all of its power to lacerate evaporates it goes away. That seems 394 00:27:52.720 --> 00:27:56.960 to be a big problem. Yes, yeah, so now it's fine. 395 00:27:56.079 --> 00:27:59.240 You know, it's one thing if it's on top of the plant, on 396 00:27:59.279 --> 00:28:02.640 the foliage, but especially on the soil. I don't think that it's going 397 00:28:02.680 --> 00:28:06.920 to last long enough if you're trying to control insects that are active in the 398 00:28:06.960 --> 00:28:11.119 soil. I don't think it's going to last long enough to actually be effective. 399 00:28:11.279 --> 00:28:12.480 But I think you could try it on the top of the plant. 400 00:28:12.480 --> 00:28:15.880 Be careful about how you're watering. It's inexpensive, so it's not like, 401 00:28:17.000 --> 00:28:18.960 you know, if it gets wet every couple of days or whatever, that 402 00:28:19.000 --> 00:28:23.039 you're going to have to remortgage your house to keep using dietematians earth. It's 403 00:28:23.079 --> 00:28:27.480 it's inexpensive, but you will have to keep applying it. And so I 404 00:28:27.480 --> 00:28:30.839 would say, if you want to go ahead and try a non toxic method, 405 00:28:32.519 --> 00:28:34.920 keep it on top. But you know, it's so important whether you're 406 00:28:34.920 --> 00:28:38.839 dealing with a pest or a disease issue, is you have to try to 407 00:28:38.880 --> 00:28:42.279 get a proper id so you can deal with it properly. And once you 408 00:28:42.359 --> 00:28:47.240 understand an animal's life cycle or a disease is life cycle, that gives you 409 00:28:47.279 --> 00:28:51.279 a lot more ammunition of to think about how you're going to actually deal with 410 00:28:51.319 --> 00:28:53.200 it. So I would say, first of all, do find out what 411 00:28:53.279 --> 00:28:56.759 pests they are if you can, and then make your strategy. And it 412 00:28:56.799 --> 00:29:00.119 can certainly involved dietematia's earth, but I'd keep it on the plant rather than 413 00:29:00.119 --> 00:29:03.880 in this well. You know, it's all part of IPM Integrated Pest Management, 414 00:29:03.920 --> 00:29:07.079 and I would agree, would you, Stacy. We've got to identify 415 00:29:07.200 --> 00:29:15.319 exactly what this insect is. I've I've bypassed dietomaceous earth and used roofing shingles 416 00:29:15.640 --> 00:29:21.359 to deal with slugs, the same kind of concept also. So oh, 417 00:29:21.400 --> 00:29:23.319 and one more thing. If you have a swimming pool, you are probably 418 00:29:23.359 --> 00:29:29.200 familiar with dietsmacious earth. It's often used in pool filters, but you cannot 419 00:29:29.200 --> 00:29:33.240 get the swimming pool grade dietsmacious earth to control insects. It's much finer, 420 00:29:33.759 --> 00:29:37.160 so it doesn't have the lacerating power as diets earth that sold specifically for best 421 00:29:37.160 --> 00:29:41.359 control. Great point, Kim writes to us. My son sent two star 422 00:29:41.599 --> 00:29:48.200 jasmine plants for my birthday. Happy birthday. What a great birthday present. 423 00:29:48.519 --> 00:29:52.759 I had admired the jasmine that he grows in Charleston. I'm in Zone seven, 424 00:29:52.799 --> 00:29:56.839 a Nashville area. Question. Should I go ahead and plant now or 425 00:29:56.880 --> 00:30:03.680 try to keep them in pots over winter. Is seven A too far north? 426 00:30:03.039 --> 00:30:06.680 Well? I can answer that, Oh yeah, what do you think 427 00:30:06.720 --> 00:30:10.359 I wouldn't plant them in seven AM? Now I don't think they're I don't 428 00:30:10.359 --> 00:30:12.240 think they're gonna make it, all right, What do you think I think 429 00:30:12.279 --> 00:30:18.440 they could make it? Now? Take your shot. She already has the 430 00:30:18.440 --> 00:30:22.680 plants. But obviously they're special because they were a gift. And I think, 431 00:30:22.920 --> 00:30:26.880 you know, obviously even though a new USDA harding a stone map came 432 00:30:26.880 --> 00:30:32.119 out about gosh, what is it now, about ten years ago, I 433 00:30:32.160 --> 00:30:36.440 think that a lot of their their conservative estimates right, And so typically I 434 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:41.279 think Nashville does not maybe get as cold as seven anxious that it could get 435 00:30:41.319 --> 00:30:47.519 as cold as zone seven A. And I think that if Kim has a 436 00:30:47.559 --> 00:30:51.279 protected spot, just like we were talking about earlier with the center stage crape 437 00:30:51.279 --> 00:30:53.920 myrtle here in Michigan, if you have a courtyard, you know, very 438 00:30:53.920 --> 00:31:00.920 often this star jasmine has grown up a wall, sure, and that really 439 00:31:00.960 --> 00:31:04.359 helps to provide some extra warmth of microclimate, like you were describing. So 440 00:31:04.480 --> 00:31:08.400 I would say base your decision on how good of a spot do you have 441 00:31:08.559 --> 00:31:12.680 outdoors to actually plant them in? And you may have like the perfect area. 442 00:31:12.759 --> 00:31:17.880 Say you have like an enclosed brick wall courtyard, that'd be perfect. 443 00:31:17.920 --> 00:31:21.599 They would probably do just fine. But if you don't want to risk it 444 00:31:21.640 --> 00:31:26.119 because they were a gift, you can certainly overwinter them in containers. I 445 00:31:26.160 --> 00:31:30.000 would say, do that in a protected but exposed area. That Okay, 446 00:31:30.039 --> 00:31:34.359 that's contradictory. That makes perfect sense to me. I agree. You know, 447 00:31:34.400 --> 00:31:40.599 like if you have a screened in porch or a glassed in porch they 448 00:31:40.720 --> 00:31:44.200 want, they're gonna need some some good sunlight, they're going to need good 449 00:31:44.319 --> 00:31:48.039 outdoor like air circulation, and of course you're going to need to monitor them 450 00:31:48.079 --> 00:31:52.640 for water. But that way they're not getting as exposed to, you know, 451 00:31:52.680 --> 00:31:57.240 the really harsh weather. But they're also kind of like the outdoors. 452 00:31:57.240 --> 00:32:00.559 The other thing you can do is keep them in their container and just keep 453 00:32:00.559 --> 00:32:02.960 a close eye on the weather and move those containers indoors when really bad weather 454 00:32:04.000 --> 00:32:07.880 threatens. Yeah, And the reason I mentioned what I did is having spent 455 00:32:07.000 --> 00:32:14.480 time in between Nashville and Atlanta. The big difference there from what we get 456 00:32:14.599 --> 00:32:20.279 Stacy, is that it can get very very cold in Atlanta or Nashville in 457 00:32:20.319 --> 00:32:23.079 the winter. There can be some extreme cold snaps. The big difference is 458 00:32:23.440 --> 00:32:29.960 up here we have snow insulating the plants. There it's just plain cold, 459 00:32:30.119 --> 00:32:34.079 right, and so you could lose a plant like that. I agree with 460 00:32:34.160 --> 00:32:39.279 you. Looking for some microclimates or maybe taking that enclosed porch approach would be 461 00:32:39.279 --> 00:32:43.799 a good idea. Yeah, or if they're not too big, moving them 462 00:32:43.920 --> 00:32:45.480 in and out as needed, as long as you keep a close eye on 463 00:32:45.559 --> 00:32:51.400 whether, which honestly most gardeners do. So. All right, here's a 464 00:32:51.480 --> 00:32:54.720 question for you, Stacy. Timothy's asking. I held my potatoes one time. 465 00:32:55.200 --> 00:32:59.680 I meant to do it again, but time got away from me. 466 00:33:00.440 --> 00:33:07.759 Oh he's a procrastinator, procrastitator procrast Yeah, boy, that was bad. 467 00:33:07.039 --> 00:33:10.559 I'm sorry, Timothy, h and I don't blame you. We get busy. 468 00:33:10.640 --> 00:33:15.680 What's the purpose of hilling? I've read so they don't burn, but 469 00:33:15.880 --> 00:33:20.519 thought it also promoted more potatoes on the vine that was above the ground. 470 00:33:20.599 --> 00:33:22.960 So what do you think, for Timothy? What do I think? I 471 00:33:23.039 --> 00:33:28.279 have tried hilling and it does not, in my experience, amount to a 472 00:33:28.319 --> 00:33:32.640 hill of beans. Okay, next question, So I know you know what 473 00:33:32.720 --> 00:33:37.240 you see this like on Pinterest and other places, and you see like something 474 00:33:37.319 --> 00:33:43.000 where they've put a bunch of like soft new soil and then they pull it 475 00:33:43.039 --> 00:33:46.559 away and there's just this bonanza of potatoes underneath. That has not been my 476 00:33:46.640 --> 00:33:51.759 experience now, perhaps because I garden in very sandy soil and so it's maybe 477 00:33:51.799 --> 00:33:55.960 it's not necessary now. Maybe if you have really clay soil you will benefit. 478 00:33:57.000 --> 00:33:59.720 But I don't know, what do you think. I think hilling is 479 00:33:59.759 --> 00:34:02.519 a good idea because as they grow, let's say you're growing them in a 480 00:34:02.559 --> 00:34:07.839 bucket. That's a fun thing to do too, but they continue to work 481 00:34:07.960 --> 00:34:13.119 their way up as they grow, and I think that's the primary purpose of 482 00:34:13.920 --> 00:34:17.599 hilling, is to keep just the proper cover over those potatoes so that those 483 00:34:17.599 --> 00:34:23.119 spuds can produce properly. So I think you can go either way. Probably 484 00:34:23.280 --> 00:34:29.559 technically, yes, hilling them as they grow is probably the best approach, 485 00:34:30.119 --> 00:34:34.400 But is it again a deal breaker? Right? Is it going to make 486 00:34:34.599 --> 00:34:37.840 such a huge difference? So, Timothy, I would say, don't beat 487 00:34:37.880 --> 00:34:40.400 yourself up over the lack of hilling this year, and if you are so 488 00:34:40.440 --> 00:34:46.320 inclined and perhaps have more time next season, you can maybe hill one potato, 489 00:34:46.719 --> 00:34:51.639 not hill another, and find out if it makes a difference. Yeah, 490 00:34:51.679 --> 00:34:53.519 there you go. No, you got to try it. Your question 491 00:34:53.639 --> 00:34:59.800 was spud tacul so Andrewa writes, I am reaching out because I think Stacy 492 00:35:00.000 --> 00:35:04.639 mentioned in a recent episode that she uses rose fertilizer on several of the perennials 493 00:35:04.679 --> 00:35:07.000 in her own garden. Assuming I heard correctly, can you give me a 494 00:35:07.039 --> 00:35:10.360 little more information. I have a big tub of rose fertilizer that I'd like 495 00:35:10.440 --> 00:35:14.679 to be able to use on my other perennials, but maybe there are some 496 00:35:14.800 --> 00:35:19.159 I should avoid. I love this question. Why is that? Because in 497 00:35:19.199 --> 00:35:22.199 the garden center or the greenhouse, anytime somebody would walk up to me and 498 00:35:22.239 --> 00:35:29.000 want to feed their macrophilla hydranges, I'd take them to the rose tone yep, 499 00:35:29.360 --> 00:35:30.559 And they're like, are you sure we can do this? I said, 500 00:35:30.639 --> 00:35:32.760 yeah, you have my permission. No, you're right, ranger will 501 00:35:32.760 --> 00:35:38.400 turn into a rose. Don't do it right. Roses are flowering shrubs, 502 00:35:38.960 --> 00:35:45.840 and as such, a rose fertilizer is the perfect flowering shrub fertilizer. But 503 00:35:45.960 --> 00:35:49.480 ultimately, I do think even though I love the aspoma line, and then 504 00:35:49.519 --> 00:35:52.239 a lot of them are very specific. You have, you know, palm 505 00:35:52.280 --> 00:35:53.639 tone and citrus tone, which of course we don't have here in Michigan. 506 00:35:53.639 --> 00:35:59.800 You have tree tone. Ultimately, you know, fertilizer is fertilizer. And 507 00:35:59.800 --> 00:36:05.079 if you're giving your plants nutrients and none of those numbers the NPK ratio, 508 00:36:05.280 --> 00:36:08.599 the three numbers that are on every fertilizer bagging container, if none of those 509 00:36:08.599 --> 00:36:13.320 are like way out of proportion to the other ones, I mean some of 510 00:36:13.519 --> 00:36:15.519 you'll have a balanced fertilizer where all the numbers are the same. Sometimes you 511 00:36:15.599 --> 00:36:20.119 might get a little variation in between them, but as long as any of 512 00:36:20.159 --> 00:36:22.599 those numbers are not like way out of balance, which would indicate it's got 513 00:36:22.599 --> 00:36:27.760 a very specific purpose. I think fertilizers for the most part, are pretty 514 00:36:27.800 --> 00:36:30.159 interchangeable when it comes to the garden. Well, I think you make a 515 00:36:30.199 --> 00:36:36.280 good point on the balance thing because in this case, also if you were 516 00:36:36.320 --> 00:36:40.400 Andrea, if you were to select a fertilizer that's high in that first number 517 00:36:40.599 --> 00:36:45.960 nitrogen, it will help stimulate a lot of green growth. But if you 518 00:36:45.039 --> 00:36:51.039 get something more balanced, and usually rose fertilizers are balanced, pretty balanced, 519 00:36:51.360 --> 00:36:54.000 I think with confidence you could proceed. Yeah, and that means you don't 520 00:36:54.039 --> 00:36:59.440 have to have you know, a whole pharmacy shelf of fertilizers in your garage, 521 00:37:00.039 --> 00:37:01.519 the inner, you know, and oh no, I gotta go get 522 00:37:01.559 --> 00:37:06.360 this one. Yeah. I find it's a good all purpose fertilizer for any 523 00:37:06.400 --> 00:37:09.639 shrub or perennial as is a Spema garden tone or as is a Spoma plant 524 00:37:09.679 --> 00:37:15.360 tone. And you know, if you have fertilizer, then the good thing 525 00:37:15.400 --> 00:37:17.719 is to use it rather than to go buy a bunch of fertilizers and have 526 00:37:17.760 --> 00:37:22.119 a bunch of half used fertilizers in your graphics. I think it brings up 527 00:37:22.159 --> 00:37:25.599 a good point. I've had that experience in the garden center and with potting 528 00:37:25.639 --> 00:37:30.519 soil, where they want a bag that has a picture. If they're growing 529 00:37:30.639 --> 00:37:34.639 vegetables, it's got to be vegetable soil and it has to say vegetable soil 530 00:37:34.760 --> 00:37:37.679 on the bag. And that's that's really not the not the case. It 531 00:37:37.760 --> 00:37:43.800 is a good marketing approach. And I'm sure that you know the intention is 532 00:37:43.840 --> 00:37:46.639 to make sure that the soil would be good and appropriate for your vegetables. 533 00:37:46.679 --> 00:37:51.360 But it doesn't mean you have to throw in the trowel if they happen to 534 00:37:51.400 --> 00:37:53.800 be out of vegetable soil. Right, And I just something that this off 535 00:37:53.880 --> 00:38:00.719 my chest, that plants are are as picky or as needy as people might 536 00:38:00.760 --> 00:38:05.199 think. And just because there are specialty products out there doesn't mean that something 537 00:38:05.239 --> 00:38:08.960 else isn't equally as appropriate. There you go, you rose to the occasion, 538 00:38:10.119 --> 00:38:15.000 Christina, asking last spring and summer, I bought many proven winter shrubs 539 00:38:15.119 --> 00:38:20.960 in the quart size. Some are still very small planted in the landscape. 540 00:38:21.119 --> 00:38:24.280 I'm wondering if I should trim or pinch them all back to encourage branching, 541 00:38:24.960 --> 00:38:30.559 or there are some that I should just let grow. And also now late 542 00:38:30.599 --> 00:38:36.800 August is it a good time for pinching? Okay, So this is such 543 00:38:36.840 --> 00:38:39.320 a good question, Christina, and it's one that we get a lot because 544 00:38:39.320 --> 00:38:44.320 there are a number of online You won't find these in garden centers, but 545 00:38:44.320 --> 00:38:49.760 there are a number of websites mail order garden centers that sell these quart sized 546 00:38:49.840 --> 00:38:53.639 plants. Now, these same quart sized plants that they're selling are actually plants 547 00:38:53.639 --> 00:38:57.960 that we sell here at Spring Meadow Nursery, the company behind proven Winners Color 548 00:38:58.039 --> 00:39:04.079 Choice Shrubs two wholesale growers to pot up into larger containers and grow on into 549 00:39:04.079 --> 00:39:07.280 the one to three gallon you buy at your garden center. So what they 550 00:39:07.280 --> 00:39:14.800 are really initially intended for is growing on in a container environment from a professional 551 00:39:14.800 --> 00:39:19.880 grower, where they will then be trims two to three, sometimes even more 552 00:39:19.920 --> 00:39:24.119 times as those growers raise them. So what happens is they get the liners 553 00:39:24.199 --> 00:39:29.760 or that one court plant, they pot it up, they water it, 554 00:39:29.760 --> 00:39:32.280 it starts to flush out. Once that growth flush is out, they will 555 00:39:32.320 --> 00:39:36.039 give it a trim all over, and what that's going to do is cause 556 00:39:36.079 --> 00:39:38.480 everything to branch, so you have twice as many branches. They're going to 557 00:39:38.559 --> 00:39:42.480 let that growth grow out. Then they're going to give it another trim, 558 00:39:42.519 --> 00:39:45.760 and now you've got four times as many branches, so usually two to three 559 00:39:45.760 --> 00:39:50.559 trims through a season, and that's how they develop that nice bushy look when 560 00:39:50.559 --> 00:39:53.199 you're actually in a garden center buying like a three gallon one. So with 561 00:39:53.280 --> 00:39:58.559 these little quarts, you have to be that grower exactly. You have to 562 00:39:58.599 --> 00:40:00.239 be the one to go in there and trim them. Now you don't have 563 00:40:00.320 --> 00:40:04.360 to, obviously the plant will grow, but the plant that you're going to 564 00:40:04.480 --> 00:40:07.599 get, if you don't trim it is going to look a lot different than 565 00:40:07.639 --> 00:40:10.159 if you'd gone to the garden center and bought that three out and so a 566 00:40:10.159 --> 00:40:13.960 couple tips for this. I wouldn't recommend that you prune them now. It's 567 00:40:14.000 --> 00:40:16.440 obviously it's late in the season. Wait to do this till next spring. 568 00:40:17.239 --> 00:40:21.800 But no worries. It's not too linked to work on developing that branching. 569 00:40:22.800 --> 00:40:27.800 But you want to keep the cuts onto that thin, soft new growth. 570 00:40:28.119 --> 00:40:31.719 You want to avoid cutting into the actual wood of the plant because that's not 571 00:40:31.760 --> 00:40:36.119 going to encourage that branching and that full lush growth. It's just going to 572 00:40:36.239 --> 00:40:39.360 leave a hole. So keep it too. You know when that new growth 573 00:40:39.400 --> 00:40:44.599 comes out and it's thin and easy to cut, and you know, do 574 00:40:44.679 --> 00:40:47.639 that two or three times next season through space throughout the year, depending on 575 00:40:47.679 --> 00:40:51.159 how much it grows, not throughout the year, but throughout the growing season. 576 00:40:52.559 --> 00:40:55.199 Base your timing and how much it's actually growing. And then after that 577 00:40:55.320 --> 00:41:00.159 you shouldn't have a much happier plant. You make a great point. You 578 00:41:00.159 --> 00:41:04.559 see, in the industry, we would always call that upsizing. So we 579 00:41:04.599 --> 00:41:07.960 would upsize in the container, and then we within the container itself, we 580 00:41:08.000 --> 00:41:15.320 would coat the soil with osma coats or fertilizer prills, and again the whole 581 00:41:15.400 --> 00:41:21.559 intention is to have a good presentable product on the sales floor that would cause 582 00:41:21.599 --> 00:41:25.280 people to sometimes buy impulsively. We would love that. But you're going to 583 00:41:25.320 --> 00:41:29.719 do the work now upsizing this plant, so right, that's great, So 584 00:41:29.760 --> 00:41:32.320 it's not difficult, but it is something that you need to bear in mind 585 00:41:32.360 --> 00:41:38.000 that you are by getting that smaller plant kind of you are you're taking the 586 00:41:38.079 --> 00:41:42.440 role of that of that professional grower a pinch to grow an inch, even 587 00:41:42.480 --> 00:41:46.880 if it isn't that plant's birthday. That's right, all right, So that 588 00:41:47.000 --> 00:41:50.280 was a lot, But I feel good that we've gotten caught up on some 589 00:41:50.320 --> 00:41:52.800 listener questions. Again, if you have a question for us, we'll probably 590 00:41:52.800 --> 00:41:58.000 be future of these because it is important to us that we help you answer 591 00:41:58.039 --> 00:42:01.039 your garden questions and resolve your garden issues. It's one of the ways that 592 00:42:01.079 --> 00:42:06.639 we simplify gardening here on The Gardening Simplified Show. So we want to thank 593 00:42:06.679 --> 00:42:09.159 you for watching or listening however you prefer it. Thanks to Rick, thanks 594 00:42:09.159 --> 00:42:10.559 to Adriana, and thanks to all of you.