Please note:
These following questions are typical of those most frequently posed to me, and I hope that you find them helpful.  I regret that I do not have the time to answer personal gardening questions by e-mail, but if you come back to this page now and then you might find some  information that is useful.

Growing plants from seed

Q. Every spring I buy seeds from the seed catalogs, but when I plant them in the garden I get very poor results. What am I doing wrong?

A. Some plants are easy to grow from seed, some are more tricky, and many have very specific requirements for germination. Before you buy the seeds you might want to do some research about the plant. (If you're growing flowers, "The Gardener's A-Z Guide to Growing Flowers from Seed to Bloom" by Eileen Powell would be a good reference book to have on hand.) In addition, most seed packets include information about germination temperatures, or other special requirements.

I'd guess that your main problem is that at some point in the process the seeds dry up. This is often a problem when small seeds are being started. (Most people have better luck with vegetable seeds, for example, and these are often larger.) It's difficult to keep the surface of the outdoor soil damp enough so that tiny emerging roots do not dry up. If the soil is in full sun, it's even more difficult to keep the seed-bed moist. It's also common for gardeners to water seeded areas with a garden hose, and the strong stream of water washes the seeds away. Too much water can also keep soil so wet that the new plants rot.

You might find that it works better to start your seeds in flats using a soil-less potting mix that's made for seed starting. Such mixes are high in vermiculite and peat, so they hold onto moisture. Wet the potting mix before filling the flats, sow the seeds according to the directions on the package; then cover the flat with clear plastic wrap. Check on the flat every day, and remove the plastic when the seeds have sprouted. You shouldn't have to water the flats before germination.

Once the plants have three sets of leaves you can get them used to the outdoors gradually; place them in a part-shade location for a short time and steadily increase their time in the sun over several days. Once they are accustomed to the natural light and wind, plant them in their permanent location.

If you can't start your seeds indoors, you can use the flats to start your seeds outside. Fill the flats with moist starting medium as described, sow the seeds, and then cover with floating row cover and place them in the shade. Check for germination frequently. The floating row cover will keep out squirrels, birds and weed seeds. If a hard rain is forecast you should cover the flats with something solid, or bring them indoors until the storm passes. Driving rain can splash small seeds and seedlings right out of their tray.

Repairing damaged shrubs

Q. My shrub split in half in a recent storm - if I tie it up and bind the wound, will it heal?

A. Basically, you don't have much to lose by trying. Some shrubs and trees do alright with this treatment, and some are forever weak at the point of the break. Sometimes there is so little tissue still attached that the split branches die. Stems of woody plants don't knit together like bones, but if enough tissue connects the split area to the plant, it will often recover and grow over a wound.

Be careful about how long you leave the binding in place, however. No matter how soft it is (old nylon stockings are good) the plant will need it removed after a season or two. Frequently, if the plant seems to be doing well, the gardener forgets that the binding is there. Then as the plant grows, the ties begin to cut into the tissue and literally strangle the plant. The plant was saved only to be killed by what saved it!

Plants that have been split in the past may be more prone to splitting in future storms, so use your judgment about whether it's worth taking that chance. Perhaps it would be more prudent to replace the split shrub or tree right away.

How early can I plant annuals?

Q. I live in the Northern United States.  How early can I plant my summer flowering annuals?  I would like to get them in early so that they will have grown by early summer.

 A. When we start puttering in the garden on a warm spring day it is tempting to think that early summer is right around the corner, and that anything we plant will start to grow.  In colder climates, however, it may be possible to plant shrubs, trees, or perennials early in the season, but the summer annuals will need to wait.  Although the daytime temperatures might be above 60 degrees, the mercury often drops at night, and the soil temperatures are still cold.  Tender annuals may have their foliage and new flower buds damaged or killed by frost, and many plants rely on warm soils to signal them that it is time to grow.

In many northern areas it is possible to have below freezing temperatures at the end of May or even into June.  Like it or not, it is safest to wait until the "last frost date" in your area before planting.  Because this date varies from region to region (and even from town to town!) you will need to call your Cooperative Extension office, ask someone at your local garden center, or talk to another experienced gardener about when it's safe in your area.  The last frost date does not mean that you will have a frost on or near that day just that it could happen.  Sometimes gardeners are able to plant two or three weeks before that last frost date but I would advise you only to do so if you are willing to cover or replace the plants should it get cold. 

As many over-anxious gardeners find out, "pushing the spring" can be expensive.  One of my neighbors plants lovely beds of impatiens around his house every summer, and he often speaks about the year when he spent all Saturday of Memorial Day weekend putting in the plants, only to have them all wiped out by a frost on Sunday night.  If you just have to get your hands in the dirt, plant some pansies, alyssum, or lettuce for fresh spring color, and keep the geraniums on the inside of the sliding glass door until it is reliably warm.

The basics of growing tomatoes

Q.  I have never planted tomatoes before, but I want to try growing some this year.  Is there anything I need to know before I put the plants in the ground?

A.  Every gardener who grows tomatoes has his or her own 'tricks of the trade', and learning about other gardeners' methods can be both informative and entertaining.  Although the details might vary from person to person, the basics of tomato growing remain the same.

1. Tomatoes need to grow in full sun.  You can probably get away with a site that gets only five hours of sun, provided that those five hours are through the middle part of the day when the sun is the strongest.  Tomato plants grown in too much shade will be weaker, thinner, and will bear less fruit.

2.  Tomatoes need good, fertile soil that is rich in organics.  Dig homemade compost, composted manure, peat-moss, or rotted leaves into the area before planting.  Don't be stingy!  Turn lots of organic matter into the soil dig it in deeply, and over a 3 foot-wide area.  At this time I usually dig in a few handfuls of an organic fertilizer.  Organics are good because they will release their nutrients slowly over the summer.  If you use a liquid feed as well (organic or chemical) be careful not to overdue it in your eagerness to help the plants grow your goal is to have healthy, productive plants, not a Jack-and-the-Beanstalk style vine!

3.  Buy a variety that is disease resistant and known for doing well in your region.  "Celebrity" is a popular tomato in most areas, but you might ask some experienced gardeners for other recommendations.  If you have the space, planting three or more varieties is a good idea; one type of tomato might do better than another should the summer be unusually wet or hot. 

4.  Don't plant your tomatoes too early for your area.  Tomatoes need warm soil, and they dislike night-time temperatures that fall below 50 degrees.  Unless they are protected, tomatoes planted too early will just sit there until the soil and air warms up.

5.   Keep the plants deeply watered if it does not rain.  Remember the cardinal rule of garden watering: a deep soaking less often is better than a little every day.  You want to water the plants deeply so that they develop deep, strong roots that will feed all of that yummy fruit.  Tomato plants that get very dry between watering are prone to "blossom end rot", a condition that produces tomatoes with large black spots on the bottom of the fruit.  Water in the early morning so that the foliage will dry off in the sun. 

6.  Using soaker hoses will help prevent fungal diseases from being carried from the soil to the plant along with splashing water, and a layer of mulch around the plants will help in this effort while it keeps the soil moisture from evaporating. Vegetable gardens can be mulched with organic materials such as chopped leaves, aged manure, hay or straw, or dried grass clippings.  Some gardeners use sheets of cardboard or newspapers covered with wood chips, and others favor black or red plastic, or even strips of old carpet. 

7. Supporting the growing plants keeps the fruit out of the dirt and away from small animals, and is easier to put supports in place before the plants need them. Remember that many varieties of tomato plants will grow 4 or 5 feet high the stakes or tomato cages that you buy in the spring might look sturdy enough when the plant is only a few inches tall.  But before you buy any type of support materials, ask yourself if they would support a five foot plant weighted with fruit.

About Pinching Annuals

Q.  I have often seen instructions to pinch annuals to keep them bushy.  What does this mean? I have grown impatiens for years and never pinched the plants.

A.  One of the reasons that people love impatiens is that they are so low-maintenance you don't have to pinch them, or remove the spent flowers! Other annuals, however, will be fuller, bushier, and have more flowers if their growing tips are occasionally pinched off.  With some exceptions, this is more important when the plants are small than it is when they are larger and more fully developed.  (Petunias are the most important exception they should be pinched throughout the summer.)

The growing tips are the newest, smallest leaves; if these are removed the plant will grow two or more branches to replace the single branch that was pinched.  If one flower was going to grow at the end of one branch, you can see that by encouraging two or more shoots to grow that you will have more flowers.  Some annuals that respond well to pinching are geraniums, ageratum, and petunias.  Zinnias, cosmos, cleome, and marigolds will branch-out well when they are pinched once, when they are young plants.

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