Author: Doug Hackbarth

During the fall months your Christmas cactus will set its buds for flowering around Thanksgiving (sometimes sooner) and this is the crucial time for getting blooms and keeping them from falling off just after you see them form. . . Read More

Getting Amaryllis into bloom usually takes about six to eight weeks from the time you plant the bulb and get it growing, so late October, early November is a good time to start. . . Read More

Walnut trees are planted for several good reasons such as their appearance, shade and of course, their fruit. But there are many factors to consider when you incorporate a walnut tree into your landscape; first they can be considered a very messy plant . . . Read More

Truly the best time to plant garden perennials is in the fall. The reasons are many such as when you walk around your yard, you can see where you have “holes”. . . Read More

Probably the most asked question right now is, “Can I cut back my rose bushes at this time?” and the answer is, “No!” In fact from now until Thanksgiving nothing should be cut back with the exception of your lawn. . . Read More

AERATING YOUR LAWN If your lawn is hard and very compacted, it is probably time to aerate your lawn. Aerating is described as drilling small holes in your grass in order to allow for moisture, air and nutrients to penetrate your yard and in return, . . . Read More

Watering your plants, especially those that are containerized need to be kept watered and fertilized several times during the week unless it happens to rain. But don’t be fooled by a quick downpour as potted plants rarely get enough water into . . . Read More

I was recently asked how to keep raccoons out of the corn patch and really only knew of one sure way to accomplish that task…an electric wire. As a grower of thousands of vegetable plants, hosta and garden mums, as well as many other “tasty” . . . Read More

This is one of those hot/dry summers that makes you wish that you had chosen garden plants that can really tolerate a good hot and dry summer. The selection of perennials is quite extensive. . . Read More

Garden mums, chyrsanthemums are easily fooled into thinking that every time the temperatures outside at night cool down just a little, it must be fall so they immediately want to set bud and flower. . . Read More

This has been the most unusual winter/spring, going into summer that I have ever seen. Winter was warm and dry… spring was early, warm and dry… and now we have summer coming up again, warm and dry. . . Read More

Sweet potatoes, unlike regular potatoes cannot tolerate cold weather and therefore are never available until around the Mother’s Day season. Sweet potatoes are easy to grow as they prefer “bad” soil, compact and dry, are just fine. . . . Read More

The weather forecast is finally what we have all been waiting for. The lows are high and the highs are perfect. The recent warm/hot weather of early March was simply ridiculous. . . Read More

It seems like I keep harping about the same old thing, must you need to prune your flowering shrubs just as soon as they are finished blooming. Forsythia, magnolia, azaleas and some early rhododendron have already bloomed and now is the only time of . . . Read More

Most of the questions that are coming my way are about weeds growing in the yard and how to get rid of them. Pulling and digging is maybe alright for a small area but getting down to the root, literally is another matter. . . Read More

It is agreed that buying certified seed potatoes is best to help avoid any potato diseases or viruses that could be present in regular store-bought potatoes. These viral problems can get established in your garden soil and cause problems to re-occur . . . Read More

St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner so many of you will be looking to buy a shamrock plant, i.e. oxalis plant. Oxalis is grown from tiny bulbuls, which rapidly re-develop underground and continue to grow year after year, making it a perennial. . . . Read More

Ever since December, I have been telling folks not to worry about the warm winter weather. It will get cold soon and all of your plants will be fine. That is still true, we will get extreme cold weather at some point but in the meanwhile, it may be . . . Read More

Growing herbs on the kitchen windowsill is like a dream come true…but can it be done successfully? Recently I had Master Gardener Louise Rennecker, the “Herb Lady” on my radio program, WBOI 89.1 FM who simply says, “No.” . . . Read More

Orchids make an easy and popular blooming houseplant as they take very little care and really thrive under normal household conditions. The only condition that needs to be increased is the humidity levels, as orchids not only need plenty of heat but . . . Read More

Growing plants inside the home is always difficult but there are many plants that are easier to grow than others. Ones that tolerate little water and little light include Aglaonema (Chinese Evergreen Plant), Aspidistra (Cast Iron Plant), Sanseveria . . . Read More

Nothing says Christmas more than the fresh, aromatic smells of live evergreens that decorate your doors and windows, the light post and over-hang roofs as well as inside around the fireplace and on the tables. . . Read More

While raking up the leaves and other debris this fall, you might want to consider harvesting any nuts that may have fallen from your nut trees. Obviously we don’t all have nut trees, but for those of you who do, it’s not that difficult. . . . Read More