Marianne’s Responses
How and when to prune a weigela
Posted by mdumaine | February 8, 2014I live in Auburn, WA and have two Weigela's and not sure how to prune them or if I should.
If the water froze on a plant in my greenhouse, is it dead?
Posted by mdumaine | February 8, 2014I have two pitcher plants that I left in the greenhouse. Their water froze and now they are looking sorta dead. Am I suppose to trim them back in the winter? What can I do to help revive them?
When to plant spring fertilizer
Posted by Mary Lou McDonald | January 29, 2014I didn't fertilize my lawn in November, as I should have. Can I do it now?
Plant choices for shade in Zone 5 and 6
Posted by jansgarden | January 23, 2014I am having difficulty choosing appropriate plants for a Zone 5-6 location which faces south but is near the base of my neighbor's ash trees to the north of the planting site. The site is mostly shady from about late April to late July, but then, except for a few hours in the morning, is mostly sunny the rest of ...
Scales on philodendron leaves
Posted by DEE ODOIHC | January 23, 2014I have had a huge split-leafed philodendron (8ft around) for the past 15 years that does beautifully throughout the summer months (June-Aug) sitting outside on my front porch till early Fall (zone 6) when I drag it back inside. Once in my sunporch, it gets scale on its huge leaves. I try to pick off what I see, but I'd ...
How to organically get rid of aphids on a plum tree
Posted by DEE ODOIHC | January 23, 2014I have a peach, apple, pear, cherry and plum tree in my small city yard. Each year they all bare a decent amount of fruit, except for the plum. It starts out with many small fruits, then suddenly the bottoms of the leaves become covered with a silverish colored bug (aphid?) that eventually ruins the leaves and the fruit. I'm ...
Can I grow raspberry plants in a barrel?
Posted by lilaclady | January 22, 2014I have raspberries planted in whiskey barrels to contain the spread, but they have been there for 2-3 years and I'm wondering how crowded they are now. The berries on the earliest planted barrels were very small this year. Should I start over, or will fertilizer do the trick?
Pruning Shrubs in the Northwest
Posted by Joann Bittner | January 12, 2014I recently moved to Olympia from Dallas and need information regarding pruning of shrubs. I have two bushes in my front yard. I do not know the name but in the fall the leaves turn to red, and when the leaves fall off there are red berries on the branches. I also have a shrub/tree that has green leaves with ...
How to protect the roots of new fruit trees
Posted by elaine magree | January 10, 2014We have established lime, lemon, and apple trees. We are newly educated about permaculture principles and want to establish guilds around the trees. What can we do and not do to protect the root systems of these trees when planting around or near them.? Thanks for the help. Elaine
How to control fungus on plants in a greenhouse
Posted by mdumaine | January 8, 2014Plants in my greenhouse are getting fuzz growing on them. I live in Auburn, WA and the greenhouse is unheated. Not sure what to do.
Search the Ask the Gardening Expert library
Looking for a quick resolution to your problem? Marianne has answered thousands of gardening questions. One may be similar to yours. Try searching our library to get the answer you need -- fast!