Plus, he shares a tip on how to root boxwood cuttings. Question of the Week: Some sort of blight is ruining my potted dwarf Alberta spruces. The natals turn yellow and then brown. What’s going on? People typically will put one in a pot on each side of their front door. And spider mites love Alberta spruces, unfortunately. And they’re very hard to see. Spider mites can be a number of different colors....
Plus, Grumpy shares his tip of the week on preventing blossom-end rot. What can she do to stop this? Carpenter bees to most people look exactly like a bumblebee. Carpenter Bee.Credit: Photo by Bob Peterson from North Palm Beach Florida They’re black, they’re about the same size. The abdomen on a carpenter bee is black and shiny. And they can bore into any wood imaginable, doesn’t matter if it’s pressure-treated or not....
Plus, Grumpys tipof the week to beat the Southern heat. Question Of The Week I live in Snyder, Texas, and have six gardenias. Grumpy Gardener Answer:This is a very common problem that we see with gardenias.Gardeniasare like azaleas and camellias. They need acid soil. This means that the soil has to have a pH no higher than around 6.0. So that means you have alkaline soil. So if you want togrow gardeniasin Snyder, you have to fix the soil....
What are they, and what should I do? Grumpy Gardener Answer:This is a very common problem. These worms, they hatch out from eggs laid on the plant by moths. In the beginning, you hardly ever see them because they grow into these big, green caterpillars. But don’t worry about that, makes no difference how you treat them. So you probably don’t want that to happen. Now here’s a couple things you’ve got the option to do....
Will they bloom again? Should I trim them back? Grumpy Gardener Answer:Okay. Credit: Ralph Lee Anderson This is very common, happens, usually late winter, early spring. Happens to lots and lots of people. you could’t control the weather. Credit: Ralph Lee Anderson But that doesn’t mean it’s the end for yourhydrangea.It will bud out again. and they will still form new flower buds and new flowers, and you’ll get more blooms....
Plus, his pick for butterfly-loving Plant of the Week. Question Of The Week Evildoers have taken over my azaleas. Weird looking black and yellow caterpillars with red heads are eating all the leaves. Why did they pick my azaleas here in Georgia? How can I send them packing? Grumpy Gardener Answer:Now, what you have on yourazaleasare pests. They are caterpillars and surprisingly enough, they’re called azalea caterpillars. And they eat azaleas and they also eat blueberries....
Plus, theAmerican Beauty berry, Grumpys favorite plant this time of year. Question Of The Week Any suggestions for controlling murder hornets? Our neighbors have them in their Chinese privet bush. Grumpy Gardener Answer:All my listeners know I hate privet. Get rid of ‘em. Now, having said that, let’s talk a little bit about murder hornets. The term murder hornet, is something that was created on social media purely for click bait....
She wonders if you know why. Grumpy Gardener Answer:Yes, Grumpy knows all. The other key in is a species called mountain hydrangea, and its botanical name is hydrangea serrata. Two things could have happened. My solution is going to help you get around both of those situations. And come spring, they’ll shoot right back up again and bloom. I know it’s happened in my garden. So, if it gets killed to the ground, it’ll still bloom....
Plus, Grumpys tip for prepping your fall garden. Question Of The Week What is it with the squirrels this year? Grumpy Gardener Answer:Squirrels go nuts for that stuff. And it’s not funny. but actually, there’s some good news to this. So you’re going have to put up with it. And one of the easiest to do, and most fruitful, is to divide your perennials. And so they don’t mind having their roots disturbed at this time....
Plus, Grumpys Gripe of the Week on fall color. They are three to four years old and five feet tall. Do they need to be cut back before moving them? Credit: Robbie Caponetto Grumpy Gardener Answer:Okay, the answer is no. You want to check that that the plants are fully dormant before you prune them. After you’ve transplanted them, I would probably wait until late winter to prune. Now,blueberry bushesneed a certain jot down of pruning....
Plus, Grumpys plant of the week. Are voles eating the bulbs? Grumpy Gardener:I guess my first question is are youplantingthem in soil? Daffodils are associated with luck and unrequited love.Credit: Photo Credit: Nicolette Wells/Moment/Getty Images Now that’s essential. You must plant them in soil. So if you haven’t been doing that, check that one off this next fall. Well, you’re asking another question. Are voles eating the bulbs? Voles are likelittle rodent creaturesthat look a lot like moles but they eat plants instead of worms and stuff....
Plus, Grumpy warns listeners about the treacherous Bradford Pear. What can I do to stop this? Grumpy Gardener Answer:Okay, this is another very common problem that people have. you could’t keep this fungus out of your yard. So it doesn’t really hurt the plant, it just makes it look ugly. And they look kind of like cauliflower and they get real thick, and then they turn light green. Now, the easiest way to control this, it’s real simple....
Plus, Grumpys tip of the week. Most of the Meyer lemons are half yellow and half green. How can I ripen my Meyer lemons here in Zone Eight before a frost? Credit:Hector Sanchez One’s called a citrin and another one’s just called a mandarin. And it’s very popular. In regards to your situation, Meyer lemons, the fruit takes a long time to ripen. It can take months and months before it changes to green, from green to yellow....
