Welcome to Ask a Garden Question

Best Ways to Remove Moles in Lawns

By Ellen Wells | Published: May 19, 2009

Two answers for this one! Twice as nice!

Q. Do any of the “sonic” type devices help with chasing moles away; do you have any recommendations?
-Omaha, Nebraska

A. My customers have had mixed results from using the sonic mole repellent. I have several customers who have had great luck. They had tried all kinds of things to get rid of moles and the sonic device was the only thing that worked for them. Other have had mixed results. It is definitely worth a try. You can also spray your lawn and flower gardens with a product that contains castor oil. The smell of it does work. Hope this helps!
Tim Lamprey, Harbor Garden Center
Salisbury, Massachusetts

A. Here are a couple of ideas for chasing moles away. I don’t have any personal experience with these devices, but some people have reported good success using them:

The Scarecrow Motion Activated Sprinkler, available from Nixalite (www.nixalite.com), is an updated version of a cornfield scarecrow, but instead of remaining static on a fence, this scarecrow uses a combination of noise, movement and water to shoo away unwanted animals. Birds, deer, pets and other small animals quickly scatter when they activate the Scarecrow. The unit waits quietly until alerted by any movement up to 35 feet away. Then it unleashes a three-second blast of water before automatically resetting itself for the next activation. The Scarecrow can be on duty 24 hours a day because it detects heat as well as motion. The unit is battery operated and uses only two to three cups of water per activation.

Another environmentally responsible way to get rid of nuisance wildlife is the Mole Chaser Windmill. This inexpensive fan, available from Northern Tool (www.northerntool.com), is a safe way to get rid of moles by tapping into the power of the wind. When the wind blows, the fan begins to spin and creates a vibration that causes moles to pack up and move away. Many users say they were surprised that the windmill worked so quickly to rid their yards of these pests. The rustproof windmill covers an area of 100-feet in diameter when attached to an 8- or 10-foot-tall galvanized pipe (not included).

-Jodi Torpey
Garden Writer; Colorado Master Gardener

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Posted in lawn, pest control | Tagged lawn, moles | 1 Comment

Algae Problems in Washington

By Ellen Wells | Published: May 18, 2009

Q. We have had a pond and water system for two full years now. It is a gorgeous 12-pluse foot drop into a pond. We plan to extend the pond this summer and add a stream as well. But, our problem seems to be in not being able to grow plants other than string algae. We do really well with string algae. The water hyacinths arrive green and gorgeous and within weeks they are turning brown. The lilies seem to be anemic. There is a fair amount of water movement in the pond and lots of sun. To counter the sun, I add blue dye which has helped some. Do you have any suggestions on the types of plants to add to my pond to assist with the ecosystem? And any suggestions on how to maintain the hyacinths and lilies? I would truly appreciate any help you can offer.
-Chelan, Washington

A. You don’t mention whether you have any fish in your pond and they’re key to maintaining a natural balance in the pond’s ecosystem. String algae is always heaviest in the spring because the bacteria that helps to keep it at bay are still dormant. There are a few remedies to help with algae and you can visit http://www.aquascapeinc.com/ownermanualmaintenance for a few solutions (scroll down to the section entitled Algae Control).
As far as your water lilies are concerned, do you fertilize them? Water lilies should be fertilized generously according to the fertilizer directions. Fertilizer comes in either tablets or granular form, consisting of an instant or readily available formulation, and a time-release formula, releasing nutrients at a fairly consistent rate over a given rate of time varying from 30 to 360 days. A combination of both works the best. You can fertilize your water hyacinth too. Place them in a bucket of water that has had water soluble fertilizer added to it. Leave the plants in the bucket until they begin to turn green and healthy. Before you return the plants to your pond, rinse the roots so you don’t add any unnecessary nutrients to the water.
There are a number of aquatic plants you can add to your pond, however you should include a mix of submerged, marginals, and floaters. Floaters like water lettuce and water hyacinth will help to shade your pond from the sun and feed on nutrients that would otherwise feed algae. Submerged plants also compete for free nutrients in the pond and help to “starve” algae (recommended stocking rate in the pond is one bunch per square foot). Marginals are placed near the pond’s edge and help transition your pond to its surrounding landscape. These range in size and many produce beautiful flowers. Pickerel, Rush, and Iris are just a few. A local aquatic plant retailer can help you make a good decision.
-Jennifer Zuri
Aquascape, Inc.
www.aquascapeinc.com

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Posted in plant maintenance, water gardening | Tagged algae, algae control, aquatic plants, water hyacinths, water lilies | Leave a comment

Groundhogs Eating Vegetables!

By Ellen Wells | Published: May 17, 2009

Q. Grondhogs ate my pea vine and most of the leaves from 12 inches down to 4 inches will they grow and produce peas?
-Spring City, Pennsylvania

A. Oooh, I can feel your pain. I have successfully fed the local woodchuck community with my pea and bean plants as well.

Having been in your spot, I can tell you that your 4-inch plants will grow and produce peas. You will find your first harvest will be 7-10 days or so later than in past years, but your peas will be just fine. Give them an extra shot, per week, of Miracle-Gro soluble fertilizer (I like the Tomato Formulation for all my veggies) for the next two weeks.

Also, consider building a wire hoop type arrangement to go over you pea crop to keep the critters out.

-Todd A. Efing, Van Putte Gardens
Rochester, New York

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Windowsill Gardening in NYC

By Ellen Wells | Published: May 17, 2009

Q. I am looking for best tips for organic gardening in NYC windowsills. I am growing tomatoes, peppers, baby greens/mesclun, basil and mint in my windowsills for first time ever. Most are from seeds, but I bought couple of small tomato plants when I thought my seeds didn’t sprout ..and then they did. (I actually grew seedlings from small green, watermelonish cherry tomatoes we ate on 4/18).
-New York, New York

A. Sounds like you are growing indoors. If so, you may have to set up a light system… vegetables need lots of sun and today’s modern windows block important rays they need. Your lettuce should do fine. If there is any chance you can find a friend with a sunny deck or terrace (6-8 hours a day), you will have lots more success.

A note on the seeds from the tomatoes you ate. If they are a hybrid variety, they may not grow up to produce the same tomato. What a great experiment though!!!

-Barbara Emerson, Have Green Thumb
Manchester, Massachusetts

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Growing Vegetables & Flowers on a Shady Porch

By Ellen Wells | Published: May 17, 2009

Q. I get virtually no sun on my side of the street nor on my deck. What would be good flowers and herbs to grow?
-South Boston, Massachusetts

A. Herbs + Zero sun can equal an unhappy herb gardener. Perhaps try some cilantro, sage and mint. They all require a fair amount of sun, but will reliably produce edible growth. As for flowers, I would recommend a combination of interesting textured and flowering plants. Some easy-to-find and hardy varieties include: impatiens, coleus, lamium, maiden hair fern, sweet potato vine, fuchsia, European ginger, torenia and begonia. Be mindful to keep trimming them, as they tend to get a bit leggy in deep shade.

Ben Brown, B H Brown Landscape Design
Boston, Massachusetts

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Posted in flowers, shade, vegetables | Tagged container gardening, flowers, shade, shady porches, vegetables | Leave a comment

String Algae in a Small Pond

By Ellen Wells | Published: May 13, 2009

Q. I was wondering what causes string algae and what is good to get rid of it. I have had a pond for over 10 years. I had this problem a few years ago for the first time and have not had it for about four to five years. Any help is appreciated. My pond is small, only about 12 ft. x 10 ft. and 3 ft. deep.
-Windsor, Ontario

A. String algae is the most common problem in ornamental ponds. If you keep a balanced water ecosystem with Microbe-Lift Spring/Summer Cleaner and Healthy Ponds bacteria, that will help greatly. Liquid barley straw extract, applied early in the season and regularly throughout, helps reduce or eliminate the string algae problem.

Even so, occasionally you may have algae blooms. Use AlgaeFix to clear up these blooms.

Happy Ponding!
-Dan Eskelson, Clearwater Landscapes, Inc.,
Priest River, Idaho

And another answer!
A. Algae is typically caused by an imbalance of bacteria in the pond and string algae is quite common in the spring when the weather starts to warm but the bacteria are still dormant. I’m giving you a link to a web page that talks about algae and includes different ways to handle it. Log onto http://www.aquascapeinc.com/ownermanualmaintenance and then scroll down to the section entitled “Algae Control.” This should give you the information you need.

-Jennifer Zuri
Aquascape, Inc.

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Posted in pest control, water gardening, weed control | Tagged maintenance, ponds, string algae | Leave a comment

Dealing with Maggots on Veggies

By Ellen Wells | Published: May 12, 2009

Q. We can’t use the good stuff any more. What do I use to kill Maggot worms in my onions? I try different place every year but those come back. I lose a few onions every year. What natural products can I use for killing them? My carrots are full of holes, too. My friend lives four block from me and he has the same problem.
-North Bay, Ontario

A. Thank you for this question. Not good news because without using chemicals, there is not an easy fix for this problem. Likely your carrots and onions are affected by the maggots. Recommendations are disposing of affected plants quickly, plowing immediately post harvest to discourage over wintering in the pupal stage, crop rotation (but it has to be quite far away), and using crop covers during the most vulnerable periods.

-Barbara Emerson, Have Green Thumb
Manchester, Massachusetts

A. I have found that once onion maggots are in the onions, there isn’t much you can do. The best cure is prevention. I’ve found a couple of sites that might help you.

For the carrots, it’s probably wireworm, and again, once it’s in the carrot, there is not much you can do.

You can add diatomaceous earth liberally and work into the soil before you plant. That may keep the worms from getting a foothold. They seem to thrive best in very moist soil, so planting on raised beds, or providing some other sort of drainage will help.

Deborah Aldridge
Green Lasagna, North Port, Florida

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Posted in carrots, green gardening, onions, pest control, vegetables | Tagged carrots, maggots, onions, pest control | Leave a comment

Shrubs for Shade

By Ellen Wells | Published: May 12, 2009

Shrubs for shade, it’s always a problem. Here are some suggestions.

Q. What kind of light little do little lamb hydrangeas and rhododendrons need…the area I have in mind is relatively shaded.
-Brighton, Massachusetts

A. Both the Hydrangea and the Rhododendron can be grown in conditions from full sun to about half shade, and still bloom. In dense shade, growth will be long, lanky and weak, and the blooms very sparse. If I was locked into that site and had to have these plants, I’d clear a few trees or do some high limbing to increase the light.

-Denny Blew, CenterPeace Plants
Bridgeton, New Jersey

A. Both rhododendrons and the Little Lamb Hydrangea will grow in shade. Depending on how much shade, the plant characteristics can vary. For example, a Little Lamb Hydrangea in deep shade will grow and have leaves, but will most likely not flower as strong and be as full as a plant in morning sun/afternoon shade.

Rhododendrons can vary on blooming characteristics in shade depending on the actual variety.

-Todd A. Efing, Van Putte Gardens
Rochester, New York

And yet another answer!
A. Rhododendrons can take a lot of shade but will become leggy. After a few years, prune them to make them bush out. Because winter sun and wind dries them out, plant on the east side of the house if possible.

Little Lamb hydrangeas need at least half a day of sun. For shade, you would do better to plants Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’ which blooms very well in shade. They can become quite tall so cut back to the base each spring.

-Bobbie Schwartz, Bobbie’s Green Thumb
Shaker Heights, Ohio

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Posted in shade, shrubs | Tagged hydrangeas, Little Lamb hydrangea, rhododendron, rhododendrons, shade, shrubs | Leave a comment

Repotting Water Lilies

By Ellen Wells | Published: May 12, 2009

We have two answers for this one!

Q. I have a water lily plant that is hanging over the pot in the water and I have never transplanted one of these. Do I cut it off somewhere? Repot it in small pea-rock like I did the others (to eliminate the dirty water)?
-Lakeville, Minnesota

A. Water lilies should be planted in poor, clay soil. Keep it in a shallow pot unless you have created a plant pocket in your pond liner. You may want to transplant your lily into a larger pot.

To keep the soil from floating away into the pond, cover with one inch layer of cat litter plus one or two inch layer of gravel.

Happy Ponding!
Dan Eskelson, Clearwater Landscapes, Inc., Idaho

A. You generally want water lilies to hang over the pot, but it sounds like yours is getting over-grown. I assume this is a hardy type lily you’ve let overwinter in your pond. Remove it from the pot and with a sharp knife divide the roots in half. I like to use calcined clay (Oil Dry) as my rooting media for aquatics and I prefer clay pots containers. Just like planting a terrestrial perennial put the roots in the pot and backfill with the calcined to about 3/4 from the top. Then top off the pot with gravel to give it weight and to keep the clay in place. You may also use a fertilizer tab in the clay, but mine do fine without. Submerge the pot in the pond slowly to get the air out. You might want to wedge the pot between some rocks to keep it in place.

Drew Effron, Ball Horticultural Company
www.ballhort.com

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Posted in plant maintenance, water gardening | Tagged repotting, water gardening, water lilies | Leave a comment

Answers for All Your Garden Questions

Best Ways to Remove Moles in Lawns

Algae Problems in Washington

Groundhogs Eating Vegetables!

Windowsill Gardening in NYC

Growing Vegetables & Flowers on a Shady Porch

More Pond Algae Problems

String Algae in a Small Pond

Dealing with Maggots on Veggies

Shrubs for Shade

Repotting Water Lilies

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