# I need gardening questions! **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 16, 2006, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-gardening-questions/368899 "2006-08-16T01:26:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2006, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-gardening-questions/368899/41 "2006-08-16T12:11:27Z")
[QUOTE=jimbeam] Okay **twickster** since you asked. Stop me when you get enough. Back in the day we used to raise BIG GARDENS. Peas and deer… they go together like bread and butter. Especially the old timey cream peas. Damned deer just love’em. It’s hard to keep them out if you’ve got a healthy deer population. About the only thing I found that worked even half-ass was a radio playing constantly on a talk station. They’d get used to the music but talk shows seemed to keep them away. I also would put urine jars around the perimeter but that might not be practical for most people. They’ll get used to pretty much everything you can think of. We tried practically everything from timed explosives/random explosives, dogs, electric fences, game fences, flood lights, motion lights, human hair, scare crows, tin plates, and much more. Plus, combinations of the above. Anybody know a way to deer proof a large crop of peas? Besides a spotlight and a rifle. 😉 [/QUOTE] The only method that I’ve seen work is a fence about 10 to 12 feet high. The Christmas tree growers and a vegetable grower used them. The vegetable grower put the fence up along both side of a road, so you had to follow deer trapped on the road coridor for half a mile. the fence is now removed. ---
**Author:** ![robz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ac8455/32.png) [@robz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robz)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2006, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-gardening-questions/368899/42 "2006-08-16T13:37:25Z")
I transplanted a maple sapling (trunk about 1" in diameter) in the spring. I watered every day through May, June, July. About mid July we had some very hot temps and it lost all of its leaves. Is it dead? Is there a posibility it will come back? North East Pennsylvania. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2006, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-gardening-questions/368899/43 "2006-08-16T13:43:44Z")
[QUOTE=Harmonious Discord] Catapillers: The safest way is to spray Bacillus Thuringiensis. It came as a powder at one time, but now is a liquid sold under the name Thuricide. It’s a bacteria that stops the digestive tract of worms, when ingested, and they starve in about a day. Spray the grass in the drip line so ones that fall to the ground don’t get missed. Ground Hogs: This doesn’t stop ground hogs completely. To prevent damage try mesh wire laid on the ground or covered with a mulch. To save bulbs from tunneling animals, make a wire box about 12 inches deep. Burry the wire box so it’s even with the top of the soil and plant all bulbs inside the mesh box. The mesh needs to be smaller than the rodent. Some of the smellier plants like marigolds are a deterrent. The surest method is a trap or poison, but you may not want to go that route, or your state may ban it. I hope you don’t feel gypped by my answering instead of twickster. \*\*He \*\* may still use it anyway. I started posting to the Evil Nazi Groundhogs, when the thread started, and it was a serious question then as well. [/QUOTE] Thank you, especially for the spray Bacillus Thuringiensis. Can we do it now that they are cocooned or do we need to wait for the spring? Concerning the Bolded HE above, \*\*twickster \*\* is a very nice lady for future reference. [QUOTE=PaperBlob] We have caught many a groundhog with our Have-a-Heart trap - they work great. We’ve caught a bunch of other critters too. The problem is what do you do with a trapped groundhog? We’ve relocated a lot of them to the Pine Barrens, though lately I’m warming up to the idea of just killing them. They’re lucky I don’t ever want to own or handle a gun! Can you tell they’ve devastated our gardens this year? :mad: I’m not positive about any of this, but…I think it’s not the trapping that’s illegal, but the relocation part. Also, I’ve heard that you’re not doing groundhogs any favors when you relocate them, because they’ll just wind up in some other groundhog’s territory, which can be a problem for them. …SNIP… [/QUOTE] Thank you very much, I am really leaning towards the traps, I guess I’ll call the local police and see if they can tell me the legality of trap use and release. Jim ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2006, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-gardening-questions/368899/44 "2006-08-16T13:47:41Z")
[QUOTE=What Exit?] Thank you, especially for the spray Bacillus Thuringiensis. Can we do it now that they are cocooned or do we need to wait for the spring? [/QUOTE] You can start now. [Here](http://www.gardensalive.com/product.asp?pn=8797&ss=%20Bacillus%20Thuringiensis) is some product info. ---
**Author:** ![jimbeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/858c86/32.png) [@jimbeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimbeam)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2006, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-gardening-questions/368899/45 "2006-08-16T13:47:52Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout] Hypothetical question: My garden is very shady; only receiving a couple of hours of dappled sunlight per day; it’s not barren though, as the weeds seem to be doing fine. What can I grow in my shady garden that will be attractive and interesting? [/QUOTE] mushrooms? oh wait you said “attractive AND interesting” :smack: Try “four o’clocks” if you want flowers that are attractive and easy as pie to grow. There’s plenty of flowers and plants that thrive in low light. Vegetables, not so many. ☹ Also, **Harmonious** I’ve seen deer jump game fences that high. There’s a game reserve nearby and they cross it everywhere there’s a dip in the fence or a nearby hill. Plus, have you ever priced that crap. The materials alone would cost a fortune. I’ve built a LOT of fence and I promise you that’d get expensive quick. When I say put in a crop of peas I’m talking several acres. I don’t farm that way anymore. However I think you may be right, that is probably the most reliable way to keep them out. But lord help you if they ever got in. 😮 ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2006, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-gardening-questions/368899/46 "2006-08-16T14:22:00Z")
What do you do about squirrels digging stuff up? I finally had to go with netting over the vegetable garden. Mothballs only kept them away for a little bit. Is it worth trapping, or will new squirrels just move in? How do you know when to plant bulbs if you don’t live in a place where the ground freezes? How on earth does a squash borer find your squash? Nobody had gardened in my yard for at least five years, I plant possibly the first zucchini it’s ever seen - how do the bugs know? (Honestly, though, I was grateful - don’t know why I planted it in the first place. It’s not like it’s hard to find zucchini, when it comes time.) Is there an easy way to get a bunch of grass out of your flower beds, say, if you accidentally hit the beds with some grass seed? Pulling it is killing me. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2006, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-gardening-questions/368899/47 "2006-08-16T16:55:24Z")
> [@](#): > > Thank you, especially for the spray Bacillus Thuringiensis. Can we do it now that they are cocooned or do we need to wait for the spring? The sooner the better. Spray when ever you see leaves getting nibbled. > [@](#): > > Also, Harmonious I’ve seen deer jump game fences that high. There’s a game reserve nearby and they cross it everywhere there’s a dip in the fence or a nearby hill. > Plus, have you ever priced that crap. The materials alone would cost a fortune. I’ve built a LOT of fence and I promise you that’d get expensive quick. > When I say put in a crop of peas I’m talking several acres. I don’t farm that way anymore. It’s very expensive and only a good cash crop makes it afordable. These people are encasing large acreage. I know that a deer can get in there sometimes, but that is a height they don’t jump over if food is somewhere else. > [@](#): > > I transplanted a maple sapling (trunk about 1" in diameter) in the spring. I watered every day through May, June, July. About mid July we had some very hot temps and it lost all of its leaves. Is it dead? Is there a posibility it will come back? > North East Pennsylvania. You can give the tree a couple testes to judge. Push you thumbnail into the bark and look for greem live wood. You can snip back branches a little and look for green live inner bark. It’s dead if you can’t find any live tissue as you cut back a little more more each time dead wood in found. On a long dead branch a slight bending will snap off the branch. Dead trees can also get wrinkled bark, that is caused by the desicated wood under it shrinking. > [@](#): > > “What do you do about squirrels digging stuff up? I finally had to go with netting over the vegetable garden. Mothballs only kept them away for a little bit. Is it worth trapping, or will new squirrels just move in?” You can bait them to other areas with sacrafical food offerings away from what you want to discourage them from eating. > [@](#): > > How do you know when to plant bulbs if you don’t live in a place where the ground freezes? Spring bulbs should be planted from October through December at the latest, if they are to bloom correctly in the spring. Always water them good after planting so they root and take up moisture in the fall. You do need a miniumum cold tempurature over about six weeks to have tulips and the like bloom reliably. You don’t need the ground to freeze. You won’t have problems if the neighbors can grow them already. You can prechill the bulbs in the refridgerater for four to six weeks prior to planting to insure blooming in warm climates. You would have to do it yearly in that case. Don’t forget to include bone meal in the soil beneath the blubs. It will give you better plants for a number of years. It encourages root growth. Don’t use nitrogen on the bulbs, if you want flowers, instead of foliage. Lay out all the bulbs on top of the bed before you start to plant. > [@](#): > > How on earth does a squash borer find your squash? Nobody had gardened in my yard for at least five years, I plant possibly the first zucchini it’s ever seen - how do the bugs know? (Honestly, though, I was grateful - don’t know why I planted it in the first place. It’s not like it’s hard to find zucchini, when it comes time.) They have many food sources and they get around as moths, so travel isn’t a problem. They will home in on stressed vines more than healthy ones. Squash will reroot at leaf nodes on bare soil. You can pile a couple of inches of soil over the vines at the leaf vine node to encourge the root growth. The best hedge against loosing the vine is to encourage root grow at these points, and the plant will be more vigorous when rooted in multiple spots. Watch for excavated plant material, by the stem root juncture. You can use a flexable wire inserted in the entrance hole to kill bores. I can spot a slight color difference in vines that are being attacked, so after can you after looking for it over time. Plant nasturtiums in the hill with the squash, to discourge moths from laying eggs on the base. The nasturtiums hide the root area from the moths and you can eat them as a peppery green. I also think there very pretty. > [@](#): > > Is there an easy way to get a bunch of grass out of your flower beds, say, if you accidentally hit the beds with some grass seed? Pulling it is killing me. It’s better prevented by using intensive gardening. There simply isn’t room for it to grow. I find a very shape hoe can do wonders. A sharp one glides trough the soil and slices plants off without resistance. A dull one drags the plants until the roots pull up with the soil. Use one that has the blade about 1.5 x 5 inches in size. The other’s are for trenching in plants. During hot weather you can lay down black plastic on large areas to kill weeds. The sides need to be secured down. The heat on a sunny day will quickly sterilize the soil. You can’t do this over the root zone of plants you want to grow, because their roots will bake too. Large areas may have herbicide applied by a paint roller to prevent it getting on your flowers. You can apply it precisely without wind drift. All righty. It’s been fun folks. I need a break. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2006, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-gardening-questions/368899/48 "2006-08-16T17:06:00Z")
Excusy Engrish please. I still can’t get my words right after multiple checks and rereads. ---
**Author:** ![phall0106](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/phall0106/32/5934_2.png) [@phall0106](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phall0106)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2006, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-gardening-questions/368899/49 "2006-08-16T17:08:41Z")
[QUOTE=Harmonious Discord] Has the zuchinni flowered this year? Did any flowers have a bulge at the base that looks like a baby fruit? The ones with the bulge are female flowers, the ones without are the male. Bees have to have both types available at the same time or no fruit will set. The closed flowers with bulge at the base will drop off in a week and leave a barren plant. It’s always a good idea to plant multiple plants when dealing with squash to ensure flowers of both sex are available at the same time. You can try hand pollination by aplying a cotton swab to the pollen and touching it to the stamen. You’ll see the pollen on the stamen, if it was done correctly. [/QUOTE] I think I saw something like this on Dirty Jobs last night, only it involved a horse, a really big plastic glove and lots of lube. Darn good thing lube isn’t involved here… ---
**Author:** ![Cemetery\_Savior](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/439d5e/32.png) [@Cemetery\_Savior](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cemetery_Savior)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2006, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-gardening-questions/368899/50 "2006-08-16T17:10:15Z")
[QUOTE=tomndebb] How does one keep a praying mantis **that I paid for** in **my** garden when it keeps wanting to go munch on the grasshoppers next door? [/QUOTE] Geez…you’re a Moderator? I’ll save Twickster the effort and mail you a spool of Dental Floss for Mantis leash-making. -Cem ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2006, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-gardening-questions/368899/51 "2006-08-16T17:16:53Z")
[QUOTE=Cemetery Savior] Geez…you’re a Moderator? I’ll save Twickster the effort and mail you a spool of Dental Floss for Mantis leash-making. -Cem [/QUOTE] I was thinking more of sending him one of those cartoons where Bugs Bunny wears drag, but whatever. ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2006, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-gardening-questions/368899/52 "2006-08-16T17:18:18Z")
I planted some dwarf spruces two years ago. Each winter, the south side of the trees get scorched somehow – all of the needles turn brown and fall off. The trees do put out new growth on those branches in the spring, but the south side of the trees never fill out the way the others do. How can I avoid this? Is there something I could wrap them in, or something? ---
**Author:** ![Belrix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed655f/32.png) [@Belrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Belrix)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2006, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-gardening-questions/368899/53 "2006-08-16T17:36:10Z")
Psycho squirrel (our fearless neighborhood rodent) has eaten half of my suculent groundcover. How to prevent? How 'come my entire pot garden of herbs kicked off? AKA, the proper methods to use to grow and indoor herb garden. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2006, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-gardening-questions/368899/54 "2006-08-16T17:48:11Z")
This year I planted kiwis. Sunset seems to want me to cut them back fairly severely. Is this merely aesthetic, or will it ultimately increase fruit production? I’m growing the kiwis both for fruit and as a screen. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2006, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-gardening-questions/368899/55 "2006-08-16T19:08:59Z")
Dear **Twixtergardeningrag** , - I frequently hear you’re not supposed to plant certain closely related plants which can easily hybridize close to each other. For instance, they say you shouldn’t plant green bell peppers too close to hot peppers. Or for instance, dahlias easily “mix” so they shouldn’t be too close, right? But no one ever really specifies exactly how close is too close. Which common garden plants should I worry about planting too close to each other? Does it matter whether they’re wind pollinated or insect pollinated or self-pollinating? - Can you tell me about allelopathy? Sometimes I hear it called alleopathic. It’s when a plant produces compounds that inhibit the germination or growth of other plants. Has any research been done on this with regard to common garden plants? - I heard honeybees are becoming extinct in North America, but a friend said they’re making a come-back. Is this true? How important are honeybees anyway? I got stung once and it hurt, and I heard some people are allergic and could die. Does it matter if they go extinct? - What’s the difference between oxalis & clover? Seems like lots of people really have oxalis all over their yards but they call it clover. How do I tell the difference? I’ve heard clover “fixes” nitrogen in the soil and that’s good for the garden. Does oxalis do the same thing? (of course it doesn’t) - Is global warming going to affect my garden? Will our current USDA zones have to be updated? I live in USDA zone 8. I can’t grow many plants I’m supposed to be able to grow in zone 8. I think it’s because my daytime temperatures don’t get warm enough. It’s frequently only in the 60’s during the day. Is this what they call a micro-climate? So what zone should I really be? Feel free to edit the questions so they’re more/less ignorant sounding. **tomndebb** , the answer to your praying mantis problem is simple. Since bugs like praying mantises & lady bugs like to disperse, just sneak into your neighbors’ yards and place the egg cases there. They’ll all disperse back into your yard! Well, it’s worth a try. ---
**Author:** ![burundi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3ec8ea/32.png) [@burundi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burundi)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2006, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-gardening-questions/368899/56 "2006-08-16T19:17:09Z")
The instructions on my fungicide say not to apply it during hot and sunny weather. Why not? How hot is too hot? ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2006, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-gardening-questions/368899/57 "2006-08-16T19:30:54Z")
Why has my entire garden thrived except for my cabbages? What do cabbages need that other plants don’t? ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2006, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-gardening-questions/368899/58 "2006-08-16T19:52:12Z")
OK here is one for you. I have a backyard in Southern California that has been mainly (mostly?) weeds for the past 20 years or so. What wan’t weeds was bare dirt. We are going to landscape it this fall. Lawn, flower beds, herb garden, and hedge. I have a rototiller, but what admendments do you suggest I rototill into the ground before planting? ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2006, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-gardening-questions/368899/59 "2006-08-16T19:53:03Z")
Another area where I need ideas – we’re doing a column on folk myths, true or false. I did a thread specifically about this a couple of months ago and got a bunch of good ideas, but if anyone has some suggestions about this. For instance, using (hair/urine/blood) to repel deer; using (mothballs/red pepper) to repel rodents; using epsom salts to feed your roses, etc. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2006, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-gardening-questions/368899/60 "2006-08-16T19:54:15Z")
[QUOTE=Rick] OK here is one for you. I have a backyard in Southern California that has been mainly (mostly?) weeds for the past 20 years or so. What wan’t weeds was bare dirt. We are going to landscape it this fall. Lawn, flower beds, herb garden, and hedge. I have a rototiller, but what admendments do you suggest I rototill into the ground before planting? [/QUOTE] Easy one: compost, compost, and more compost. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-gardening-questions/368899.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-gardening-questions/368899.md?page=4)