TLC Home Gardening Questions

These basic gardening questions and answers will have Rosetta Stone Languages you successfully planting in no time. Become familiar with the language of gardening, and learn how to select plants that are appropriate for your gardening style and that will thrive in your environment. If you're a beginning gardener, reading up on these questions and answers is a good place to start building the landscape of your dreams.Good shears will last a long time and ensure proper plant growth. Q: Which type of pruning shears is best?A: There are basically two types of pruning shears: anvil and scissors. A goodquality pair of shears should last many years. An advantage the scissors typehas over the anvil is that it won't crush the stem while cutting. Good shearscan be taken apart for sharpening, and replacement parts can be easily obtainedfor high quality models. Long-handled lopping shears are helpful when thinningshrubs and cutting larger stock than hand pruners can cut.Q: Although I understand the benefits of using compost in the garden, I willprobably never be disciplined enough to build and maintain a pile. What can Iuse instead?A: Many municipalities have old piles of leaf mold -- from autumncollection -- that is free for the taking. Arm yourself with a few plastic bagsand a shovel and head for the lot. Another option is purchasing compostedmanure from a stable or barnyard. You can also buy dehydrated manure or compostand incorporate it into the soil as you would with fresh compost.Q: My neighbors have no problem growing a beautiful camellia, but after manyfailures, I've stopped planting them. Their soil seems the same as mine.A: The successful camellia is probably growing in a microclimate that may notexist on your property. A protected microclimate is a good Rosetta Stone V3 situation to trymarginally hardy plant species, since it's protected from extreme dailytemperature changes and winter winds. Visit your neighbors' site and try to determinethe origin of the unique location -- you may have a site that is equallysuitable.Q: I'm looking for a particular cultivar that I can only find through mailorder. Is it safe to buy plants from another temperature zone?A: If you know the type of plant will grow in your climate, you should have noproblem -- if it's a spring purchase. If the nursery's zone is warmer than yours,specify a safe ship date for your area. The newly installed plant will have allsummer to acclimate to your seasons, and should survive the upcoming winter.Q: There are a bewildering number of varieties available of the kind of plant I'm looking for. How do I make a wise decision as to which variety to purchase?A: Sometimes the color of the bloom is the only difference in variety, makingthe choice one of personal preference. Other times the differences are moredrastic, such as a resistance to a disease that may be prevalent in your area;and still other times the difference may be in the ultimate height, width, orform of the plant. Read nursery catalogs and talk to garden center salespeopleto determine which varieties interest you and best suit your conditions. Q: What does it mean to have well-drained soil?A: Although it's necessary for your soil to have water available for yourplants, too much water held for long periods of time will disturb the balanceof air that is necessary for healthy root growth of most plant species. Withoutair in the soil, many plants will likely drown. Loam, a balance of sand, clay,and organic matter, is usually well-drained. Heavily compacted clay soils areoften poorly drained.Q: Being a weekend gardener, I'm not sure I want to spend the energy necessaryto double-dig my new perennial bed. What are the advantages?A: Double-digging provides Rosetta Stone French a better quality soil for the deep roots that manyperennials develop. Remember, perennials are long-lived plants, and the timeand effort you use to develop a perfect growing environment is well spent.Imagine your investment withering up a few years after planting because thesoil 12 inches under the surface is too compact for the roots to developproperly!Q: How can proper site and plant selection make insect management easier?A: There are many types of landscape plants that are virtually pest free (or atleast pest resistant). Find out which pests are a problem in your area, andsteer clear of plants that attract such pests. Additionally, a plant that isgrowing out of its optimal environment -- full sun as opposed to partialshade -- may not be able to support the beneficial insect predators that normallykeep the pests at bay.Q: I have seen collections of perennials, trees, and bulbs advertised so inexpensively that it's hard to resist purchase. Are such bargains worth the price?A: Beware of such bargains -- you get what you pay for. The trees, shrubs, andperennials are often no more than rooted cuttings, six inches tall -- andsometimes they're species that won't thrive in your climatic conditions. Bulbcollections are often an inferior quality of small size or outdated cultivars;they may take several years to become large enough to bloom.Q: How do I select which shade tree is the right one for our property?A: Determine the height, width, and density of shade needed for the site. Alsodecide how important the rate of growth is to your plan. Consider theenvironmental conditions -- temperature zone, soil type, light exposure of yourproposed tree site, and how much pest control you are willing to use. Take thisinformation and compile a list of possibilities -- with help from catalogs or bytalking to local gardeners. Then go to a local garden center or botanicalgarden to see your choices.On the next page, discover the answers to many commonly asked gardening questions, and learn about optimal planting conditions.