Your Questions
Ask any gardening question — you'll get answers from Johnson County Extension Master Gardeners and other area gardeners. And feel free to answer some questions yourself.
Tip of the Week
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Remove tomato blooms?
The tomatoes I planted two weeks ago already have blooms. They are only about 10-12 inches tall. Should I remove these blooms? - Thanks, Carolyn - Continues »
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How to fertilize vegetables this month
So… how are your vegetables growing? With the cool April and May they probably got off to a slow start. But recent rains and warmer temperatures have kicked their growth into high gear. For Dennis Patton’s tips on what you should do next… Continues »
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Safe lawn control for pets?
Like many in our community we have weeds in our lawn that need to be controlled. I have yet to put down a granular weed and feed due to the weather, however, we have dogs that enjoy being outdoors in our backyard on a nice days (who wouldn’t be!). What is a safe herbicide or application that will not harm my dogs? -Thanks, Chuck - Continues »
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Transplanting hydrangeas now
I am wanting to transplant some hydrangeas today, would you recommend it? - Andy - Continues »
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Old pasture = New yard?
We have 5 acres of spent farmland/pasture as our “yard”. We live in a subdivision where the HOA expects acres of dandelion free/weed free bluegrass, as if we live in Kentucky. With only a few inches of not so great topsoil on top of feet of heavy clay, how do we get to some semblance of a green, weed free lawn, in an ecofriendly way? We are opposed to using chemicals if at all possible. The big pressure right now is to get rid of the dandelions to make the HOA happy. Sod was laid around the perimeter of the house 15 years ago and I am not sure with which type of grass the rest was seeded. - Sharon - Continues »
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Massive dieback on ornamental pears
Two of our Chanticleer(?) ornamental pear trees bloomed, leafed out and then died back as shown in this photo. The wood is still flexible and green. Is it safe to assume they might leaf out again? They are in our front lawn, so theywere pretty well watered last year. To be honest, I really dislike these trees, and the only thing I would regret about losing them would be paying to have them removed. But my husband likes them. He wants me to DO something for them, but I keep saying all we can do is wait and see what they do. Thoughts? - Tina - Continues »
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Plants for areas with little rainwater?
What would you suggest for an area that gets very little water. the overhang on the house keeps the area from getting much rain. thanks - cowgirl - Continues »
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Can I still plant veggies?
I was wondering what vegetables would we still be able to plant this year? We planted much earlier last year so I wasn’t sure how they would do. Just a beginner here so thank you for some direction! - Angela - Continues »
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Plant annual flowers by soil temperatures
What a wild and crazy year it has been, especially if you compare it to last year. Last year the season was ahead by about a month. This year we are behind average by a couple of weeks. Dr. Alan Stevens, our K-State Extension specialist and lead for the Prairie Star Annual Flowers research, offers some very good advice. Unfortunately it may come too late, as many of us have probably rushed to plant the annuals. To read more… Continues »
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Box elder bugs and silver maple
I have a silver maple tree on the east side of my home and haven’t had any issues for the 3 years I’ve lived here (other than the constant litter from it) until now. In the past week it appears I’ve gotten an infestation of box elder bugs, they often are congregating on the siding/windows/front door of the house and are quite the nuisance. I’m assuming the wet spring (relative to the last couple years) has been the cause. Any suggestions for controlling and eliminating the infestation? I’d prefer not to remove the tree as it is the only mature tree in the front yard. Any help would be greatly appreciated before it gets worse! - Greg - Continues »
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Where to find Prairie Dropseed?
I want to get more native plants, but am having a hard time finding where to buy them. Do you know of any nurseries in the Kansas City area that sell Prairie Dropseed plants? I don’t want the seeds because they take so long to mature. There’s other native plants also that I’ll probably have to order over the Web. I first heard of you when I got the Kansas Gardener in the library and have enjoyed reading your many articles. I really appreciate your wisdom and plain-talk about what will grow in KC and what won’t. Keep up the good work and maybe more local nurseries will start carrying more plants that actually survive in KC!! - Deborah - Continues »
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Heritage River Birch question
Maybe you can give some advice, I have 2 Heritage River Birch trees that I planted 12 years ago, they are around 45 feet tall. The trees were doing great, with no signs of any problems. As of today, there are no leaves on either tree, a third heritage river birch about 60 feet away looks great with plenty of leaves. I scraped a few branches and found green, which makes me think the trees are alive, but the lack of leaves has me wondering. A lace bark elm thats close by and all the ground cover around the birch trees is doing well. Any advice would be appreciated, is it possible that the trees could suddenly be dead? I am in Cincinnati Ohio. - Mark - Continues »
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Rieger begonias in Minnesota
So i live in mn and bought some rieger begonias and im getting mixed info as to whether or not they survive winter or if they should be potted and kept inside for winter? Just wondering what i should do with them come fall? Thanks, bonnie - Continues »
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Hibiscus in full sun?
I received a hibiscus plant. Can you give me information on the care of it? Can it be placed out in full sun? - Marilyn - Continues »
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Roses, Cane Borers, Elmer’s Glue
For as long as I have been growing roses, I understood to seal pruning with “White Glue”. I has some notable damage due to cane borers last year. Speaking with the JC Rose Society, they said to be sure to get “waterproof” glue. I cannot seem to find a white waterproof glue and am a little concerned about possibly adding something damaging. Most of the WEB sites do not make this “waterproof” distinguishment, but it seems to make sense. Any recommendations … Elmer’s Wood Glue Max? - Tim - Continues »
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Crepe myrtle pruning?
I have a Crepe Myrtle bush. I usually prune it back close to the ground but there are a few buds on some branches. Should I leave it alone? - Marilyn - Continues »
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Dealing with water-logged soil
After a dry 2012, it’s great to have this much rain. But now what do we do about our drenched soil? It matters, Dennis Patton says this week, and he offers some tips for planting in this rainy time. Continues »
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Where to find wheatgrass?
I wanted to know where can you get fresh non mold wheatgrass from in Kansas City I’m trying to do a detox on my body? - Jarmeilah - Continues »
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New Guinea impatiens diseases?
Are New Guinea impatiens susceptible to the same diseases as regular impatiens this year? - George - Continues »
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Garden dolomite anywhere?
Is garden dolomite available anywhere in the KC area? - Rich - Continues »