Question Answer Gardening Tips and Plant Care
Got a question about growing vegetables, caring for houseplants, or fixing lawn problems? This Q&A section shares quick, practical answers from real gardening experiences. Learn how to keep roses blooming, stop pests from eating your lettuce, and choose the right soil for potted herbs. Whether you’re curious about composting tips or need help reviving drooping leaves, you’ll find simple, step-by-step advice here. Each answer is designed to save you time, prevent mistakes, and make gardening more enjoyable. Explore topics for every season, from spring planting to winter plant care, so you can grow healthier, more beautiful plants all year long.
Recent Question Answer - Plant Care Tips
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Can You Grow Ginseng in Georgia?
Yes, you can grow ginseng in Georgia, particularly the American ginseng variety (Panax quinquefolius), but it requires very specific conditions that mimic its native woodland habitat. Successful cultivation in Georgia depends heavily on finding suitable shaded areas, managing soil conditions, and adhering to specific planting and care techniques that account for the state's climate. It's a challenging but potentially rewarding endeavor, often suited for "woodsgrown" or "wild simulated" methods rather than open-field cultivation.
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How do I Prepare Soil for Garden Seating?
To prepare soil for garden seating, the primary goal is to create a stable, level, and well-draining base that can support the weight of your seating area without shifting or settling. This process typically involves clearing the area, excavating to the appropriate depth, installing a robust base of compacted gravel and sand, and ensuring proper drainage. Whether you're building a patio, a stone bench, or a simple gravel seating spot, a well-prepared foundation is key to longevity and safety.
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Can I Grow Bougainvillea in a Greenhouse Kit?
Yes, you absolutely can grow bougainvillea in a greenhouse kit, and for many gardeners outside tropical or subtropical climates, it's the ideal way to cultivate these stunning, colorful plants. A greenhouse provides the controlled environment necessary to meet bougainvillea's specific needs for warmth, sunlight, and protection from frost, allowing them to thrive and bloom prolifically year-round or through colder seasons.
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How do You Fertilize Boxwood Hedges?
To fertilize boxwood hedges effectively, begin with a soil test to understand specific nutrient needs, then apply a slow-release, balanced granular fertilizer or a high-nitrogen evergreen formula in late fall or early spring. Ensure the product is specifically designed for trees and shrubs and follow application rates carefully to prevent over-fertilization. Proper fertilization supports dense, vibrant green foliage and robust hedge health.
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Are Seed Ferns Extinct?
Yes, seed ferns are extinct. These fascinating ancient plants disappeared millions of years ago, with most lineages vanishing by the end of the Permian period and the very last ones dying out in the Early Cretaceous. They are known exclusively from their fossilized remains, offering a remarkable glimpse into Earth's past plant life.
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How do You Get Pineapple Seeds?
You typically do not get pineapple seeds from the pineapples you buy at the grocery store. Most commercial pineapples, especially the 'Smooth Cayenne' and 'MD-2' (Del Monte Gold) varieties, are cultivated specifically to be seedless through a process called parthenocarpy. Finding viable pineapple seeds requires either seeking out rare, open-pollinated varieties that have been cross-pollinated, or purchasing them from specialized seed suppliers. Propagation is almost always done vegetatively through crowns, slips, or suckers, not from seed.
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Do Citronella Plants Come Back?
Whether citronella plants come back depends entirely on the specific species you're referring to and your USDA Hardiness Zone. The term "citronella plant" commonly refers to a scented geranium (Pelargonium citrosum) which is a tender perennial. This means it will only reliably return year after year in warm, frost-free climates (typically USDA Zones 9-11). In colder zones, it is treated as an annual unless brought indoors for winter. True citronella grass (Cymbopogon nardus or Cymbopogon winterianus) is also a tender perennial, hardy in similarly warm climates.
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Can You Eat the Stems of Green Onions?
Yes, you absolutely can eat the stems of green onions, and in fact, the entire plant is typically consumed, including both the white bulbous base and the green leafy stems. The green stems of green onions (also known as scallions or spring onions) are highly prized for their fresh, mild onion flavor and vibrant color, making them a staple in countless cuisines worldwide. There's no need to discard any part of a healthy green onion stem.
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Can You Underplant Fruit Trees?
Yes, you can absolutely underplant fruit trees, and it's a practice gaining popularity in sustainable gardening known as guild planting or companion planting. Underplanting involves growing smaller, beneficial plants around the base of a fruit tree to create a mutually supportive ecosystem. When done thoughtfully, underplanting can improve soil health, suppress weeds, deter pests, and even attract pollinators, ultimately benefiting the health and productivity of your fruit trees.
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Can Termites Eat a Live Tree?
Yes, termites can eat a live tree, but typically they target trees that are already stressed, weakened, diseased, or decaying rather than perfectly healthy, vigorous ones. While termites primarily feed on dead wood, a compromised live tree provides the soft, moist, and less-defended woody tissue that subterranean and dampwood termites prefer for both food and shelter. Drywood termites, on the other hand, rarely infest live trees.
