Trees and shrubs add beauty and value to a home’s landscape. But as few as 50% of planted trees do not survive beyond one or two years. Why? Improper installation is the leading cause of failure of newly planted trees. You can grow trees successfully if you are aware of a few important planting guidelines. Continue reading
Monthly Archives: June 2019
Plants for Tough Sites: Dry Shade
I grew up with a yard that had a slope facing east, shaded by a mature tree with miniscule amounts of good fertile soil to grow any type of plant. I have also inherited this site in my new garden. This area is too steep to mow easily and the grass is so thin it’s mostly weeds. I’m a gardener so I’m not opposed to removing the lawn in favor of perennials and shrubs. Continue reading
Selecting and Using Fertilizers
Looking at my lawn and landscape this week, the grass and most shrubs are green and healthy but, I realize that soon, warmer weather will be here bringing with it insect and disease. Good cultural practices will help minimize damage but when our plants are struggling, often our first thought is to feed it. It makes sense; when I am feeling ill, brownies always helps me. Continue reading
Good Cultural Habits Promote Pest-Free Plants
There is nothing worse than coming into your garden to discover that seemingly, overnight, an entire crop was eliminated by insects. And once done, months of hard work can be negated for an entire season. While it seems like pests appear and disappear at random, there is a pattern to their movement and subsequently a pattern for prevention. Continue reading
I Got 99 Problems but Tomatoes Ain’t One
Tomato Problems
For all the joy and satisfaction that growing tomatoes can give a gardener, the frustration and aggravation can be equally as great! Several issues can plague the tomato grower. Here are a few non-disease problems: Continue reading
Kentucky Hort News 