Surviving Summer Heat By: Gary Garner Sr. Summer is officially here. If the summer is anything like the beginning, it is going to be extremely warm if not hot. So far, the number of 90-degree days is unusually high. The question now is how, when and how much do we water what we have planted and what else can we…
DIFFERENT TASTES IN VEGETABLES By: Gary Garner Sr. Do you ever wonder why you plant a certain variety of tomato one year, then plant the same one the next year, but the tastes don’t seem to be the same as the ones you grew the previous year? We’ll use tomatoes for our example but the same is true for all of your…
Transitioning from Spring to Summer By: Gary Garner Sr. Last weekend we were knocking at the door of record highs in the low to mid 90’s. As I write this it is supposed to be in the 60’s the next few days and back to the low 80’s for the weekend. That’s Virginia weather. Tough to…
Watering 101 “How often do I water my plant?” is undoubtedly the most frequently asked question about plants and also one of the hardest questions to answer! Here’s the simple answer: Water when the plant gets dry. 9 out of 10 times when we see a watering problem it is due to overwatering – for whatever reason people seem to…
HERBS DRYING & FREEZING Herbs have been around and in use for thousands of years. Their popularity has increased tremendously over the last few years. I think the push toward healthy eating and more natural remedies has helped to fuel the demand for herbs. Herbs are normally easy to grow. Plant them in proper lighting, a reasonably well…
COLD – GOOD OR BAD? Most of the plants we grow outside need a certain number of cold hours to grow and produce as they should. A cold hour is defined as an hour below 32 degrees. Even our best lawn grasses, turf type fescues, need a few cold hours to perform at their best during the summer. The real answer is…
Reflections on 2021 – Excitement for 2022 Happy New Year! We hope you and your family have a healthy, happy, and prosperous 2022! Coming into 2021 we had no idea what to expect but as we look back we can honestly say it was amazing ride that far exceeded our expectations. For that we say thank you very much to…
LICHEN… WHAT IT IS… WHAT IT ISN’T I receive questions from time to time that they have a tree or trees that are being killed by a grey substance growing on the tree or plant. What they are talking about is a combination plant that is part fungi and part algae. There are about 3600 known species of lichens in…
Winter Prep for Spring Success! I thought now might be a good time to look at preparing your garden, either flower or vegetable, for winter as well as getting ready for spring. What you do over the fall and winter months will determine the nutrient levels in the soil next spring and summer. The goal is to replenish the soil…
MULCH WHY-WHEN-HOW Mulch is often referred to as the gardener’s friend. Nothing adds to the looks of a well-cared for landscape more than properly mulched and edged beds and borders. Mulch protects plants and bare soil, also helps to prevent erosion over the winter. In spring it helps suppress weeds, locks in moisture and…