Master gardeners tackle questions about gardening and other problems; here are a few:
“I love flowers in a garden, but have no land. What can I do?”
How about installing a few flower boxes? There will be no kneeling or bending to pull the weeds and the drive-by traffic will easily see your beautiful flowers in bloom. Choose a box that is at least eight inches deep and wide, so the roots have plenty of room to grow.
For a balanced look, the flower box should be exactly as wide as the window frame. If there are shutters, you might extend the box up to six inches. Position the box just below the windowsill. Make sure the brackets are heavy-duty. Wet soil and plants can weigh up to 40 pounds.
The flower boxes are low maintenance and very reliable. Base your plant selection on sun exposure for six hours of direct sun each day. Use a high-quality potting soil, not dirt from your yard. Make sure your box has good drainage with holes in the bottom so roots willl not rot.
There is quite a variety of flowers both annuals and perennials to choose from. Some annual flowers might be snapdragons (antirrhinum), spider flower (cleome hassleriana), cosmos (cosmos bipinnatus), and zinnias (zinnia). A few perennials would be foxglove penstemon (penstemon digitalis), goldenrod (solidago), black-eyed Susan (rudbeckia), and blue sage (salvia azurea).
There are many more. Pack the flowers tightly for a lush, full appearance. Fertilize per package directions. Deadhead the flowers to encourage new growth and keep the box looking neat.
“Are eggshells good for the garden?”
If you are using fertilizer, check the package if it has added calcium. If not, then throw a few crushed eggshells around your plants. First, dry them, crush them and let them sit for a few days in a bowl before scattering them around your garden.
“My potatoes are not doing very well. I plant a whole potato in a raised bed about one foot deep. What should I do differently?”
Ok, I have never tried to grow potatoes. That seems strange because my father’s sister and her husband had a huge potato farm in Michigan. So, I will give you my research findings.
Plant a whole potato if it is smaller than an egg. Otherwise, cut the potato in pieces, making sure there is an eye in each section. I have been told to place the pieces in a sunny spot for at least three days. Hill the soil around the potato piece (piling soil, compost or straw around the base of the plant). Repeat this every two to three weeks.
Doing so will prevent the potato from turning green and tasting awful. Water them about one inch each week and mulch. By using a loose garden soil, compost, straw or shredded leaves, it makes harvesting easier. If growing in a container, leave it partially filled at first.
As the potato plant grows, keep adding soil or compost until you reach the top of the container. To have a good harvest, you will need disease-free potato pieces, a sunny, well-drained garden space, a sharp, clean knife for cutting the potato pieces, compost or balanced fertilizer, watering soaker hose, flat-tined potato fork (or similar) and an air/soil thermometer (optional).
If you have a gardening problem or a solution to one send it to me. I will be happy to post it.
Master gardeners will be at July 18 farmers market
The Sandusky Ottawa County Master Gardener Volunteer group will be at the Fremont farmers market from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. July 18 to meet with the public. Bring gardening questions or solution to a garden problem, pick up the group’s newsletter and give Susan La Fountaine your email address so you can receive our monthly newsletter to learn about the Master Gardener Volunteer class affiliated with Ohio State University.
Take home a milkweed with planting instructions (to save the monarch butterfly) and chocolate mint to plant in your yard that can be used in drinks or cooking.
Susan La Fountaine is a Master Gardener volunteer with Ohio State University Extension Offices in Sandusky and Ottawa counties.
This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: Expert tips for your home garden to thrive from the master gardener
Reporting by Susan La Fountaine, Special to The News-Messenger / Fremont News-Messenger
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Susan La Fountaine, Special to The News-Messenger | USA TODAY Network
