Archive for the ‘Ask the Expert’ Category
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I want to reuse the soil from my 20+ window boxes instead of replacing it this year. How do I amend the soil so it can support plants for another year?
—Nancy Arneson
Hi Nancy,
I usually recommend customers replace the top few inches of soil in their containers to encourage and support the root systems of plants for the new season. Any effort you put into breaking up the existing soil will help too. Old soil tends to be lacking in nutrients, so you will benefit from the addition of a slow release fertilizer like Miracle Gro Shake and Feed or Osmocote!
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I have many mature arborvitae evergreen shrubs on my property. The bunnies had a field day on them this winter. They ate off lower branches & stripped alot of the bark leaving it exposed.
What can I do to save these shrubs? How can I prevent this next winter?
—jacque kempf
Hi Jacque,
This is a pretty common problem around town and to make things worse, I’m noticing the rabbits were able to do damage higher up on shrubs due to the high snow. Evergreens typically won’t regrow in bare damaged spaces, but the new growth on existing branches may help to fill in and make the bare spots less noticeable. For future care, you could consider spraying your shrubs in winter with a rabbit deterrent like Liquid Fence. Liquid Fence lasts for weeks, even in the cold. Fencing or wrapping the lower branches of the evergreens can be quite helpful as well.
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When is the last frost date for us in Minnesota, Minneapolis area? Should I start my seedlings indoors now?
—Mark
Hi Mark,
The average last frost date in the city is May 6-11, Mother’s Day. Last year proved to be a chilly one with a hard frost on the weekend of Mother’s Day, sending us in a flurry to get all the tender tropicals inside for protection.
The best time to start seed is about 6 weeks before the last frost date, so by the end of March here in Minneapolis.
Whatever you do, don’t rush to get your seedlings into the ground in early May.
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How to plant decorative urns for winter if soil is already frozen?
—kim
Hi Kim,
So, if you didn’t get a chance to do spruce top arrangements while the weather was above freezing, you’re going to run into a pot of solid soil. How we continue to work here in the garden center and out on site is by implementing a handy power drill with a rather large sized bit. Your tree tops will fit nicely into the holes and then stay put when you add water and let them freeze in place.
Another option would be to haul your containers into a warm/heated area to thaw over night (although this isn’t realistic for most folks).
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What are the very tall, green stems with fuzzy tops in the pots near your store?
—joyce swenson
Hi Joyce,
They fuzzy topped plants on green stems are King Tut Papyrus. An amazing, vigorous plant that prefers wet soil and can thrive in pots or in the ground.
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I have a vine growing on my fence.
Don’t know the name of it, but the leaves turn brilliant red in the fall.
Last year, some kind of beetle ate all the leaves.
It is growing back nicely this year, but I’d like to deter the beetles if they are looking for lunch again this year.
What product can I use to keep them away?
—bq
Hi B.Q.,
It sounds like you might have a problem with Japanese Beetles attacking your vines. We’re also guessing that the vine you have might be a Boston Ivy, since you mention the brilliant red color in the fall. The good news is that we carry a systemic insecticide product, developed by Rainbow TreeCare, called Xytect that may be just the solution for your problem. Although Xytect can be applied anytime during the growing season, now would be a great time to stop the Japanese Beetles while they are at their grub stage of life cycle.
Since Xytect is something you can mix and apply yourself, come on in and one of our sales experts would be happy to explain the application process of Xytect to you.
Look for our blog post that explains more about how Xytect can also be used to protect trees, shrubs, roses and flowers from invasive insects.
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Is there an organic product that will kill creeping charlie without harming our perennial garden?
—Caroline
Hi Caroline,
I’ve not come across an organic solution to keep creeping charlie at bay. In my experience, pulling by hand seems to be most effective. Please write back if you find something that works that I can recommend to the customers at Sunnyside.
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When will you be stocking all kinds of ornamental grasses...forester grass in particular.
Thanks.
—Jane
Hi Jane,
We will get most of our ornamental grasses about the first week of May. Otherwise, anything we could get sooner would be dormant. If you are looking to fill in large numbers, give us a call and we can special order a certain quantity to have ready for you when you are ready to plant! Thanks for your question.
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When can I seed lettuce and other cold loving vegetables directly into my garden?
—Tim
Hi Tim,
Good question! Lettuce seeds can germinate when the soil temperature is around 32F. If you’re looking to seed an early crop outdoors of lettuce, parsnips or spinach, now would be the time! Remember to stagger salad crops throughout the spring, summer and fall to ensure you’ll always have a leaf to harvest.
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March 23. Is it too early to remove hay/straw from my perennials, hydrangeas, and new trees? I just planted a new garden in the fall and am reluctant to chance it, but I see green sprouts in my established beds.
—Alice
Hi Alice,
Go ahead and clear the winter cover away! We’ve got warm temperatures here in the Metro and many perennials are starting to show their faces through the soil and mulch. Your cover was meant to protect the roots of your perennials from extreme freezes and thaws, but from what I see, the ground is nearer being thawed than frozen and you can safely let the perennials fend for themselves. Now would be a good time to apply a slow release fertilizer to those new garden plants!
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Are pansy flowers really edible? Also, how cold can they really take it? When will you have pansies available?
—Julie
Hi Julie,
Good Questions!
First of all, yes, pansies are edible, but like anything you put in your mouth, make sure they’ve been washed thoroughly before you add them to your dinner plate.
Next, pansies don’t like temps too much cooler than 35f, though they have been known to handle a light frost. For pansies, the best practice is to bring your plants in on the coldest nights, even if just into a garage. If you can’t lug your pots inside, a cotton or cloth sheet can act as a shield to protect the foliage and flowers from frost.
And finally, the most exciting news is that Sunnyside Gardens should have pansies available around the first week of April. We can’t wait for color to start hitting the neighborhood doorsteps!
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Can I start my seeds now?
—Dana
Hi Dana,
Early March is the time to start seeds for cold crop veggies and some more difficult to grow perennials. Wait until about April to start tomatoes or peppers (unless you are willing to transplant starts into a larger sized container). The safest time to transplant veggies outdoors is around Mother’s Day. Check out the blog for more information.
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I'm growing geraniums from seed indoors in a small pot. I've read conflicting pieces of advice on how often to water them. How often should I be watering them?
—Alison Barrett
Hi Alison,
Let the soil dry to the touch before watering and then soak thoroughly. The frequency of watering depends on the size of the container you have the geraniums in. New, fresh soil holds water the best and is full of nutrients, so be sure to change out old leached soil from last year’s pots. Good luck!
