Marianne’s Responses
Getting started with Verbena bonariensis
Posted by TomandLinda | July 17, 2014I recently saw beautiful plantings of Verbena bonariensis while traveling abroad. My understanding is they do reseed themselves, but to get them started in my garden next spring, would I need to purchase the plants from my local nursery or can I purchase seeds to plant?
When to harvest dill seed
Posted by Mary Jo MARTIN | July 17, 2014I have dill growing and want to save the seed for use in recipes. The seed is yellow right now. Should I wait until it is brown before harvesting it? What is the optimal time to harvest dill seed?
Amaranth, am I right?
Posted by Anita Anderson` | July 16, 2014Is the plant in the attached photo an Amaranth? The fuzzy blooms don't look as plump and full as your photo. If it isn't an Amaranth, what kind of plant do I have? And are the seeds in the white chaff under the red blossoms? Is it an annual or perennial plant?
Hand pollinating cucumbers and tomatoes
Posted by | July 16, 2014Last year I hand pollinated my squash as you recommended and it made a positive difference. I plan to do the same thing this year. Is it worthwhile to do the same thing with cucumbers and tomatoes, or shall I let nature take its course?
Dried up corn
Posted by Anita Anderson` | July 16, 2014I planted corn and it got a good start, but when the tassels started to grow, the leaves dried out and no cobs formed. What am I doing wrong? P.S. We have had four weeks of very high temperatures-usually low to high 90 degrees.
Mum buds
Posted by ABANDUKDA | July 16, 2014 | Marianne's Favoritei just came back from overseas and I notice that my mums have small buds. Should I pluck it out or let them stay to bloom? I recall your suggestion about pinching off buds so they can bloom in fall. Please advise.
Non-blooming azalea with brown leaves
Posted by Jacqueline Haddad | July 14, 2014I planted an azalea, probably 2 years of age, and I have not gotten a flower yet. The leaves on my rhododendron turn brown and I don't get flowers.
Keeping petunias alive
Posted by anthony giugliano | July 14, 2014 | Marianne's FavoriteI have a problem keeping petunias alive in my planting beds. Other annuals planted in the same area seem to do well. Is there a blight that is affecting petunias that I'm not aware of?
Rot-resistant Roma tomatoes?
Posted by Allen McFarland | July 14, 2014I have a tomato garden with Roma tomatoes, and they have blossom end rot. Is there a variety of Romas that are resistant to blossom end rot?
When will my cucumbers grow?
Posted by Anise | July 14, 2014How long will it take for my cucumbers start growing? There are a lot of yellow flowers and leaves. It has been about 45 days.
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