Garden Questions Answered

75. How can I stop insects from biting while I’m weeding?

I probably don’t have an answer you haven’t already thought of and many suggestions have drawbacks.

Your question isn’t specifically about mosquitoes but that’s something I have to think about because I get allergic reactions to the bites.

Last year mosquitoes were so prolific in my region that I resorted to wearing head-to-toe protective clothing including a mosquito head net. It wasn’t really convenient but it did help.

If you are thinking about other tactics, there are plenty of myths about repellents. This article has some details on what does and does not work.

Ultimately, if for some reason some insects are really pesky, I just wait it out. All things must pass. And it’s not worth trying anything that could harm the ecosystem in the process.

I wish there were more (safe for all) solutions.

74. Where can I get seeds in small quantities?

This article on 10 Easy Ways to Cut Costs on Garden Seeds has lots of tips. Whether you want to save on costs or simply don’t want surplus, the tips are the same.

73. Can you propagate boxwood from cuttings?

Yes. See answer 14 (below) for details.

72. Why are my Brussels sprouts only growing leaves and stems?

Check your seed packet to see the typical days to maturity. Some are very slow growing. If growing conditions are optimal, that’s the most likely reason.

I sometimes grow them in a part of my garden that is almost always shady. That really slows things down, taking many months longer than expected in addition to a winter growing hiatus.

71. What can I plant during warm spells during the winter?

This is a bit tricky because a warm spell followed by more frosts (sleet, rain, snow) isn’t going to jump start the garden.

An exception could be seeds that need cold moist stratification, assuming there will be an adequate number of cold days between sowing and last frost (to suit that particular plant).

If spring fever is severe (I feel it every single year!), you could experiment with sowing in pots so you can control their weather exposure in the weeks ahead (by covering them or moving them around). Just be sure to choose seeds recommended for direct sowing outdoors before last frost.

70. Can I overwinter ferns indoors?

Every so often I receive a question that sends me down a giant rabbit hole and this is one! There are so many different ferns—from all over the world—with different tolerances and needs—which means the answer is it depends.

The first step is to find out what type of fern you have. Once you know the name and its natural climate, you’re set. I have ferns here in my cold climate garden that won’t even tolerate transplanting. Others commonly grown as houseplants or potted plants may tolerate a transition to indoor life for the winter. The trick with all overwintering is to do it when outdoor and indoor conditions are most similar (so the plant barely notices).

See if you can identify your fern (or maybe you already know it’s botanical name). From there you should be able to find overwinter recommendations online.

69. When and how should I prune my raspberry plants?

For any woody plant, it’s fine to remove dead, damaged, diseased, or crowded branches at any time.

For raspberry plants, pruning is often preferable but still optional. This can happen in spring or fall.

If you know the variety name, look up the recommendations for your specific plant or check the plant tag.

If you don’t know which variety you are growing, it’s fine to leave it alone for the next two growing seasons and learn through observation. Take photos and make notes.

New plants may not produce flowers or fruit until year two.

Here are a few tips:

Canes start out pliable and green (= new growth) and over time become brown and woodier (= old growth).

Pay attention to see where flowers and fruit form — on which branches, when, and how often.

The goal is to avoid cutting anything that is yet to flower and fruit other than trimming back canes that are too long to manage. A length of around 1.5 meters (or yards) is fine.

Pruning (cutting back down to 6″ above ground) should wait until after the cane has produced fruit.

If you live in a snowy area, it can be advantageous to hold off pruning old growth until after winter. Those canes can be good at supporting snow for insulation.

I don’t have a full guide on pruning raspberries but I do have this information on transplanting along with some care tips.

68. How long will leaves preserved in beeswax keep their color?

I’ve wondered this myself. It seems to depend on the condition of the original leaves and heat or light exposure they have once preserved.

I’ve got some that have lasted years with no sign of fading while others have seen better days.

Read more: How To Preserve Leaves With Beeswax

67. Can you overwinter coleus in a cold garage?

Coleus are not very cold tolerant. If you can keep the soil and air at 60°F (15°C) or warmer, it may work. I’ve done it by putting the pot in a plastic bag and packing it with straw but there are no guarantees, of course.

Besides bringing them indoors as houseplants, you could instead root cuttings indoors for planting next year.

66. How can I mitigate a (insert any insect name here) infestation?

I realize this is not what some want to hear or how they want to do things but I garden ecologically and that means—for the long-term greater good—accepting that every gardening season will have hits and misses, highs and lows, bounties and disappointments.

That is all to say, all things must pass. I just accept what each year brings and let nature sort itself out without any collateral damage.

65. My plants are not liking this excessive summer heat. What are some ways to provide shade?

I have the same issue—recent summers have been intense. You could gain shade by blocking the sun with other tall plants, fencing, trellis, arbors, or hanging shade cloths.

64. My (insert any plant name) has yellowing leaves. What might it need?

That’s not something I can judge from afar. Leaves can yellow for countless reasons—some expected, others due to stress: it’s time to shed leaves, overwatering, underwatering, poor nutrient uptake, plant needs repotting, too much light, low humidity, too much heat near the plant. Hopefully you’ll look at this list and determine what resonates with your growing conditions.

63. How do you overwinter Mandevilla?

There are two options: move it indoors and care for it as a houseplant for the winter or keep it dormant in cool—not cold—(50°F/10°C) storage.

Read more:
How & When to Bring Plants Inside: Timing & Debugging Tips

61. Something keeps eating my freshly-sown peas. What is it?

If the damage happens below the ground, it could be mice or voles.

To get around the issue, plant in containers and use hardware cloth screens and cloches to keep animals out. My garden is a wild kingdom so I have to grow just about everything this way.

60. Can you store coleus indoors for the winter?

Yes but act early because they are tender plants. The article below explains how to prepare your plants for life indoors as houseplants.

Read more: How & When to Bring Plants Inside: Timing & Debugging Tips

59. Can I keep gravel weed-free without using pesticides?

Your best bet would be to improve what’s below the gravel either with industrial strength weed barrier cloth (like the ones used in professional greenhouses) or compressed layers of different sizes of crushed gravel (below the “good” layer) the way pros do it.

I have brick walkways and I remove the weeds using a steam cleaner. Perhaps that’s an option too.

Read more: How to Remove Weeds with a Steam Machine (Video & Photos)

57. Do canna lilies need a frost before digging them up?

Yes. Let them die off from a frost before winter store. It’s the same preparation and storage that dahlias like.

56. I tried rooting a pineapple top but it rotted. What went wrong?

I wish I could troubleshoot from afar but there’s too many possibilities. It could be that the fruit the top came from was too ripe, or any number of indoor conditions were not right in the moment. I suggest comparing your growing conditions to the ones recommended in the article to see if you can find something to tweak. From there, try again. Try several. Keep going. If you do not give up, you will eventually succeed.

Read more: How To Plant a Pineapple Top (Tutorial With Pictures)

Begonias you can grow as houseplants:

• Rhizomatous begonias
• Cane type & bedding begonias
• Rex begonias (like high humidity)

54. Can you get rid of soil gnats with hydrogen peroxide?

The research is iffy. One thing that can stop adult gnats is these yellow sticky traps (Amazon). The article discusses more tips.

Read more: How To Deal With Fungus Gnats On Houseplants (What Works)

53. My squash plants were large but didn’t fruit. What happened?

I had a few questions like this one—some mentioned there were flowers but no fruit, others said they never flowered.

There can be one or several of these reasons: too much heat, something ate or removed the flowers, too much fertilizer—specifically the nitrogen, and/or no pollination.

52. Can you grow marigolds from cuttings?

Yes, 12 Flowering Annuals You Can Grow From Cuttings has a list of popular annuals that can grow from stem cuttings and marigolds are on the list.

If you’re like me, it’s always hard to remember or tell which plants can grow from cuttings so it’s helpful to keep these lists handy.

51. I have an oversized cardboard cylinder. I want to add stones and glass on it. What’s the best glue or do I need to use something else?

I think success will depend on how tough the cardboard is. It’s possible the weight of the stones and glass may gradually tear away the cardboard—or it might succumb to water exposure.

My go-to adhesive is always GE II Silicone Sealant -Amazon (clear, waterproof, suitable for outdoor use).

If it’s a project for indoors, you may be ok. Outdoors, I’d be tempted to first protect the cylinder with an outdoor primer (Amazon) first. Then sand it and use the sealant as glue.

Please let me know what you do and how it goes.

50. My tomato plant has flowers but no tomatoes? It is very healthy but it’s been hot.

Your hunch is correct—it can be too hot for tomatoes to produce fruit. Other reasons include failure to pollinate or too much nitrogen (typically from too much fertilizer) in the soil.

If heat from direct sun is the issue, see if you can create shade around the plant. Sometimes it’s too late, other times the plant rebounds and produces fruit.

I grow all my tomatoes in large containers for this reason—I often need to move them around when there are heat waves or too much rain (which causes the fruit to split open).

49. How do you overwinter cannas (canna lilies)?

You can store them in a cool, dark place just like dahlias using these instructions:

48. I need recommendations for planting around headstones at a cemetery.

First, if you haven’t already, check if the cemetery has guidelines for plant choices. Some will have specific plant recommendations or restrictions or at minimum describe how much space is available for the full-grown plants.

If you have free choice, I’d think about what’s suited to the climate and growing conditions (including sun exposure, soil type, and water), whether you want annuals or perennials, and how much maintenance is required.

Ideally you find plants that tick all those boxes and bring welcome memories of your loved ones.

47. Can you grow lilies from cuttings?

No. The best way to propagate a favorite lily is to divide the original plant (specifically the bulbs which are underground) and transplant it.

Read more: 10 Popular Perennials to Divide and Transplant in Fall

This lists 12 Flowering Annuals You Can Grow From Cuttings.

46. I’m looking for screens for sorting seeds.

I assume you mean you want to sort and clean seeds you have collected? It’s something I’ve never written about because it gets complicated. Depending on the seed type, different screens or other equipment work best.

It’s not a solution but this article at seedalliance.org describes the process in more detail.

Personally, I keep each type of seed in paper bags and basically remove the debris by hand. For this reason, I do not have screen sources to recommend.

45. Do you have any information on sprouting pineapple?

Yes, this explains how to grow a new pineapple plant from a pineapple top.

This explains how to grow a pineapple plant from seed. The catch is, it’s very difficult to get viable seeds.

44. How and when do I clean out my birdhouses?

I know some of this is obvious… The time to clean out a nesting box is when it is not in use. It’s very helpful to determine which species is using the box and read up on their habits—how many broods might they raise per year and will they reuse the same nest?

I have wren nesting boxes and they will raise several broods back-to-back in the same box. By late summer they are done. I double check by opening the hatch where it’s obvious that the remaining nesting materials have not been used in a while.

If you have an automated wildlife camera, you can also use that to monitor the box over a few days to be certain the birds have moved on.

This is all to say, generally by late summer or early fall, mating is done for the season and you’re free to clean out debris (old nesting material) and clean the container.

Some birds like to use nesting boxes in winter as a sheltered resting spot so be sure to keep it available.

Read more: Nesting Boxes Versus Birdhouses: What’s Best For Birds

43. I use straw mulch. Should I dig it into my hard soil at the end of the season?

I wouldn’t dig it in. Depending on conditions, it could take years for the straw to break down.

Instead, because the soil is hard, I’d rake off the straw, add an inch or two of compost, and put the straw back in place. By doing this year after year, you’ll gradually build better soil.

The idea is, when the soil is not great, instead of trying to change it, build up over time.

Read more: All About Mulch

42. How can I stop squash vine borers?

There are no simple solutions once they have invaded but, moving forward, physical barriers may prevent damage.

At planting time, cover with a lightweight floating row cover. When several leaves have formed, uncover the plant, and wrap the base of the stem in a band of aluminum foil. I use blue painter’s tape to hold it in place. Expand the foil as needed so the stem can grow.

You’ve probably noticed I don’t like to sugar coat answers to common garden problems. Every garden year will favor some plants and not others and bring its own set of struggles and successes.

40. How do you grow milkweed from seed?

There are several options including starting the seeds indoors or outdoors. I’ve described the methods in the article.

Read more: Milkweed Seed Sowing Tips

39. My Brussels sprouts are not producing sprouts. I planted them 2 months ago. Should I give up?

Not yet! Brussels sprouts are slow growers and may stall during hot spells. I have Brussels sprouts where the seed packet says 110 days to harvest but it’s really more like 150 days or more. Plus, second sets of sprouts are also possible. These plants sweeten with frost so keep going if the plant looks healthy. Perhaps you’ll have sprouts in autumn.

38. My hydrangeas don’t always flower. What can I do?

This can be due to several things —not enough sun, water issues, fertilizer problems, or incorrect pruning. Lots of gardeners get snipper happy and trim off what would be the next year’s blooms when “tidying” up in fall or early spring. The FAQ section of the article explains more.

Read more: Hydrangea Care Tips

37. When should I prune my raspberries?

When you prune depends on which type you are growing. You never want to remove canes that are forming fruit but you can remove dead, damaged, or diseased canes any time. The article explains the types and care tips.

Read more: Raspberry Plant Care

36. My indoor avocado plant gets new leaves that dry and shrivel up. What can I do?

They can be sensitive! Unfortunately, this is common with indoor avocado plants and tends to happen a few weeks after the plant has experienced a change of conditions. This could be some combination of seasonal temperature, light, or humidity changes that we don’t really notice but the plant does.

I recommend reading the growing tips in the article and seeing if there are any modifications you can make.

Read more: Avocado Growing Tips

33. What’s the best way to deal with cucumber beetles?

This one does not have a good solution! Ironically, those beetles are actually pollinating the plants but may be spreading wilt at the same time—and that can be a huge issue.

Some gardeners use sticky traps to try and catch the beetles. Personally, I don’t like them because they do not discriminate—any bug passing by can be trapped. It’s one thing to catch the beetles, quite another to accidentally trap a butterfly or bee.

When examining your plants, have some duct tape handy to catch some by hand.

Preventatively, there are somewhat beetle-resistant varieties of cucumber to try growing in the future—check your favorite seed catalogs to see what’s available.

It’s probably not said enough—in gardening there are not solutions for every problem without causing unjustified collateral damage. Personally, I (try to) accept this and move on.

32. How do you get rid of invasive plants? Examples: creeping bellflower and creeping jenny.

The best way—if there is one—to deal with invasive plant species depends on which species it is and how it spreads. Once you know how it spreads or reproduces, you can focus on stopping it prior to that point in the lifecycle.

I highly recommend finding your local conservation authority to learn their recommendations. Also look for native plant discussion groups in Facebook. I too have lots of invasive species in my garden and it’s an ongoing battle….

31. My elderberry berries are green and then disappear before ripening. What is happening?

My guess is animals are eating them. I have numerous berry trees and shrubs and many birds and other animals will eat the fruit before it ever has a chance to ripen. If this might be the case for you, look into getting a bird-safe, netted bag to put over the whole thing next time. Also, if you can manage it, I like having an automated wildlife camera in the garden to help figure out these mysteries.

30. Why aren’t my tomatoes ripening?

There are a few reasons why tomato fruits will not ripen as expected on the vine including wrong timing, temperature issues (too low or high), overfertilizing (too much nitrogen), low humidity or underwatering. The article has more details.

Read more: How to Ripen Tomatoes After Picking

29. How can I keep flowers blooming in unusually hot conditions?

That’s the million dollar question these days. I’m sure you’ve thought of everything possible: provide shade, keep up with watering, deadhead old flowers to encourage new blooms. Moving forward, it may mean sourcing flowers more tolerant of extreme heat and growing more trees for shade.

28. What do you use to hang plates on a fence?

There are a few options including these adhesive hangers (Amazon) or make your own.

27. I love my irises but what do you do with the beds once they’re done flowering?

These are plants that look lovely in bloom but can be an eyesore afterward. To keep them looking good and promote plant health, you can trim off the old flower stalks when blooming is done since they won’t rebloom in the same season. Strategically, to keep things looking good, it helps to grow other plants around them that bloom when the irises are done. As the season progresses, you can cut away any dead, damaged, or diseased parts. By late summer or early fall you can trim back everything leaving just a few inches of growth. I hope that’s what you were asking. If not, let me know. And be prepared to divide them as needed every few years.

26. Is there a way to get rid of starlings?

Oy! They are tenacious birds. I had many issues with them over the years where they were doing substantial damage to our house. I was finally able to stop them by filling in every single little hole they were using to enter our attic. But, when they are staying around to harass or harm other birds, I do not know of a remedy. I suspect I’d be very rich if I did.

25. My geraniums look ragged for a few weeks when I move them from indoors to outdoors. Is there anything I can do?

It’s perfectly normal for the plant to react when growing conditions change. And also normal for the plant to need time to adjust. While the plant may still sulk from change, to replenish resources you can use an all-purpose fertilizer (often sold as 10-10-10) leading up to flowering. . Out of interest, you might want to experiment to see what works best: no fertilizer, some, or the recommended dose, in side-by-side tests during the same growing season.

24. Which fertilizer should I use for my (dwarf) Limelight hydrangea?
Y a t il un nutriment pour l Hydrangée (Limelight Dwarf)?

The need for fertilizer depends on your particular soil and whether it may be deficient in any needed nutrients. This is why it’s helpful to get your soil tested at least once to learn about its composition. Limelight hydrangeas are well-loved not only for their beauty but the fact that they may never need any fertilizer. I personally do not use any products in my soil but instead top dress with homemade compost. If you do wish to go ahead, this is an organic, slow-release product to add once a year in spring: Holly-tone by Espoma.

Read more: Hydrangea Growing Tips

23. Do I need to remove or destroy rust infected hollyhocks and seeds??

The rust appears as teliospores that embed within the plant leaves. It is recommended to remove the infected leaves immediately. To destroy the spores, “rapid” hot composting is recommended. Seeds are not known to carry rust. The link has further information on disposal methods.

Read more: What should I do with rust-infected hollyhocks?

2. Are you supposed to feed the birds in the summer months?

Great question. Truly, wild birds should never require feeding—bird feeders are for our enjoyment (bird watching).

Big picture, the best things we can do for wild birds is to grow a diverse selection of plants that naturally provide the (pesticide-free) food and habitat they need.

If opting to feed birds (and assuming it’s legal where you are), wintertime is best when natural resources are limited. Summer is totally optional. While I used to be a feeder enthusiast, I now put the bird seed budget toward plants instead.

1. Why do you only list West Coast Seeds as a Canadian seed source?

Yes, that’s the Canadian source I recommend in the newsletter. Why? I buy a lot of West Coast Seeds because they suit my Ontario climate just fine plus I am an affiliate which helps cover the cost of the newsletter. And they ship to both Canada and the United States.

There are many seed companies across Canada (see Canadian Seed Sources) but they do tend to go out of business far too quickly so it’s hard to keep the listings up to date. If you find a local favorite, use them! I have locals I also purchase from.

For United States only shipping, I link to SeedsNow and Botanical Interests where I am also an affiliate. I also have a list of United States Seed Sources though they too come and go.