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
-
Do Lilies Have Bulbs?
Yes, true lilies unequivocally grow from bulbs. These bulbs are the plant's underground storage organs, containing all the necessary genetic material and stored food to produce the stem, leaves, and those stunning flowers we adore. Understanding that lilies are indeed bulbous plants is key to successful planting and care.
-
Can You Grow Avocados in Your Backyard?
Yes, you can grow avocados in your backyard, provided you live in a suitable climate and meet their specific growing requirements. Avocados thrive in warm, subtropical regions and are highly sensitive to frost. While starting from a pit is a fun experiment, for reliable fruit production, it's best to plant a grafted tree.
-
Are Alder Trees Evergreen?
No, alder trees are not evergreen. All species of alder (genus Alnus) are deciduous trees or shrubs, meaning they shed all their leaves annually, typically in the fall, and grow new ones in the spring. While some deciduous trees hold their leaves longer into the season, alders definitively do not retain green foliage year-round.
-
Do Plants Absorb Formaldehyde?
Yes, plants do absorb formaldehyde, along with other common indoor air pollutants. Research, notably the groundbreaking NASA Clean Air Study, has shown that certain houseplants can effectively remove formaldehyde from the air. This absorption happens primarily through their leaves, which then metabolize the chemical.
-
Do All Cottonwood Trees Produce Cotton?
No, not all cottonwood trees produce cotton. Only female cottonwood trees produce the fluffy, cotton-like seed dispersal material. Male cottonwood trees produce pollen but do not produce the "cotton" or seeds. This difference is due to cottonwoods being dioecious, meaning individual trees are either male or female.
-
How do You Germinate Coreopsis Seeds?
To germinate Coreopsis seeds, you generally need to provide them with light, warmth, and consistent moisture. While many varieties don't strictly require cold stratification, some perennial types benefit from a chilling period to break dormancy. Most Coreopsis seeds sprout readily when surface-sown or lightly covered, making them a satisfying flower to start from scratch.
-
Can You Still Get Poison Ivy in the Fall?
Yes, you can absolutely still get poison ivy in the fall, and in many ways, the risk can even increase. The plant's irritating oil, urushiol, remains active on all parts of the plant, including leaves, stems, and roots, even after the leaves change color and drop. Many people lower their guard in autumn, mistakenly believing the plant is no longer a threat.
-
Do Nematodes Kill Sod Webworms?
Yes, beneficial nematodes can kill sod webworms and are a highly effective, eco-friendly biological control option for managing these destructive lawn pests. Specifically, entomopathogenic nematodes, which are microscopic roundworms that naturally occur in soil, actively seek out and parasitize sod webworm larvae, leading to their death within a few days. They offer a non-chemical alternative to traditional pesticides.
-
Do Tulip Bulbs Bloom More Than Once?
Yes, tulip bulbs can bloom more than once, but their reblooming success largely depends on the specific tulip variety, proper post-bloom care, and suitable growing conditions. Many popular hybrid tulips, particularly the larger, showier types, tend to be short-lived perennials that gradually decline in vigor after their first stunning display. However, certain "species" tulips and some Darwin Hybrid tulips are much more reliable at returning and blooming year after year.
-
Does Asparagus Grow?
Yes, asparagus absolutely grows, and once established, an asparagus patch can be one of the most productive and long-lasting perennial vegetables in your garden, yielding delicious spears for 15-30 years or even longer. It grows from an underground crown that sends up edible spears in the spring, which then develop into fern-like foliage during the summer months.
