Master Gardener – Search
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Testing
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Date Posted: Thu, Nov 04 - 7:44 pm
- Just testing to see what I get when I submit a question!
- Hello there!!!! This is what you get when you test. When you ask a real question, you get A LOT more. Thanks for checking in! Janice btw, I have no idea who submitted this testing question, but I have some idea.
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Spider Sac on plant
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Date Posted: Sun, Oct 10 - 2:59 pm
- I have several long white strings of balls that looks like a moth cocoon or something from a plant in my backyard. Any idea what it is and if I should take it down? I wanted to submit a photo but it doesn't look like there's an option to do that. But they're about 2 in long and the balls look to be about the size of a very small pea and there's probably 8 or 10 of them hanging vertically in a string.
- Good morning! Thank you for your question. You have provided a very good description, and without actually seeing a picture, I'm guessing what you are seeing is a spider sac. Spider sacs can come in a variety of sizes and can range in color from white to yellowish to brown, and the individual sacs will be about the size of the spider which produced it. They typically appear as a thick netting of spider silk with multiple eggs inside, and can be found on plants. Some spiders make just one egg sac and others will make several small ones. You don't want to directly disturb a spider egg sac which has potentially viable eggs, or you risk releasing hundreds of small spiders. The best way to get rid of it is to first spray it with a mixture of 1/2 bleach and 1/2 water to kill the spiders/eggs. Use protective gloves and long sleeves. Once you spray it, you can then use an elongated tool to remove the sac (or you could cut that branch or leaves to which the sac is appended), and place in a plastic bag, tie it tightly, and throw it in the trash. Or you may choose to just leave the spider sac since it is outdoors, as it will not directly harm the plant, and may have some beneficial use in the garden (of course this depends on the type of spider). While spiders will not directly harm the plant, they do feed on both harmful as well as beneficial insects in the garden (including bees, butterflies, ladybugs). If what you have is in fact a spider sac, I would recommend getting rid of it to be on the safe side. Hope this helps, and happy gardening!
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Master Gardener Demo Gardens
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Date Posted: Thu, Sep 30 - 2:42 pm
- Hi, Does RVA have any demo gardens like MGNV has in Arlington and Alexandra? Is there anyway to volunteer? Thank you, sue
- Good morning! Unfortunately, the Richmond Master Gardener Program does not have any demo gardens. I am aware of demo gardens in other parts of the state, as well as some in other states, but at this time we do not operate one here in Richmond. That's not to say we won't develop one in the future! We have had discussions in our Master Gardener group, but as this time no specific plans are in the works. As far as volunteering, are you currently a Master Gardener? If you are, you can contact any of the local Virginia Cooperative Extension offices (Richmond City's VCE number is 804.786.4150; or you could contact the VCE programs in Chesterfield, Henrico, or Hanover) to find out about volunteer opportunities available to Master Gardeners. If you are not a trained Master Gardener, you may want to reach out to one of the public gardens in Richmond (i.e. Maymont, or Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden) who have organized volunteer programs for individuals who are passionate about gardening. Thanks again for your question, Sue, and good luck!
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Fall Planting
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Date Posted: Thu, Sep 23 - 6:46 pm
- We are looking for advice on planning for the front of the house as we just took out a bunch of old bushes. I saw where Chesterfield, Hanover and Henrico have a master gardener that comes to your house. Is there anyone who can help us out in Richmond? Thanks, Andrea
- Good afternoon, and thanks for your question! At this time, we are not providing onsite garden consultations due to the pandemic, but I would be happy to provide some advice over the phone. We can talk about your space size where you'd like to do your planting, direction orientation (i.e. north facing, or other), plant type preferences, and other details that would help me provide some recommendations and advice on planting. If you'd like to take this approach, feel free to email me at dcmoorerva@gmail.com and I'll respond and we can set a time to discuss over the phone. Thanks again for your question, and I hope to hear from you!
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Recyling Plants
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Date Posted: Wed, Sep 15 - 12:39 am
- Hello, Where can I recycle live plants in good condition?
- Hello there, What a good question, thanks for bringing this to our attention! I reached out to some other master gardeners and we've come up with a few options. The first one would be to post your available plants on Facebook Marketplace (I realize that not everyone is on FB so this may not work), a second option might be Craigslist, a third is Lewis Ginter-they will take plant donations but I believe it will depend on what plants you have available. I would also encourage you to ask your neighbors, some neighborhoods have informal plant swaps and that would be a great way to find a new home for your plants and maybe meet some new neighbors. Your question got us all thinking about ways to organize plant exchanges, so stay tuned for new developments. I hope your generosity is duly rewarded!
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Transplanting an English boxwood
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Date Posted: Mon, Sep 13 - 6:56 pm
- Instructions for moving English boxwood
- Hello there, This is the right time to be thinking about moving plants though I wouldn't actually move it until we hit a spell of cooler weather. I happened upon a useful link that describes the process better than I could. The link is from the magazine Southern Living and includes photos. https://www.southernliving.com/garden/grumpy-gardener/transplanting-b It looks like a good guide. Best of luck.
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Master plan-ADA compliant gardens
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Date Posted: Sun, Sep 05 - 9:31 pm
- Hello, I am moving from London to Richmond. While I have won awards for garden design, now, I am a handicapped senior. I want a parterre, which is ADA compliant, and am looking for a master gardener to help create. Whole property is 4 acres, 2 lawn, full sun. Where would I find master gardeners around Richmond who know best plants/roses/ilex for the region. Also, any other ADA gardens? Thank you.
- Hello there and welcome to Richmond! Your project sounds intriguing though outside of the work typically done by Master Gardeners in Richmond. It seems you are looking for a master plan of your new property to include hardscape and gardens for a 4 acre property. Master Gardeners work to educate and work with the public on community projects. You may want to check in with the Virginia Society of Landscape Designers--www.vsld.org. Their website will connect you with designers and there are lots of photos from various designers to aid in making a choice. I can't say I know of any ADA compliant gardens myself but I have reached out to another organization to see if they have information that would be useful for you. I will let you know what I find. In the meantime it would be helpful to research the zone you will be living in to see if the plants you have in mind will thrive in your new landscape. The zones for Richmond are 6b to 7a. And sometimes micro-climates provide a situation for plants outside these zones. Please send me another message as a check in so I will be able to give you an update. Allow some time for the other organization to get back to me. Best of luck with this project, It's very exciting!
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Squash Vine Borers
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Date Posted: Tue, Aug 24 - 1:57 am
- Hi there! Thank you so much for doing this! I have a couple questions on squash vine borers, which have been a HUGE issue in my garden this year. I have been surgically removing the larvae from my curcurbit vines every few days for over two months now (along the way losing both of my zucchini plants and one patty pan squash plant; now I have one patty pan and 4 pumpkin plants remaining). My questions are: How much longer should I expect new larvae to bore into my plants? And is there anything I can do next season to organically prevent these pests (or perhaps control them in a less laborious fashion!)?
- Hello! Thank you for your question. It sounds like you have had a challenging season with this difficult pest. Your surgical removal of the larvae is one part of the solution, and it sounds like you have mastered that particular process. There are other things you can do as well. To answer your first question, it is important to understand the lifecycle of the squash vine borer. Eggs will first appear in our area in May, will hatch in early summer, and then the larvae will bore into the squash stem to feed for up to 4 weeks. When the larvae are mature at 4-6 weeks, they will leave the vine and the dig 1-2 inches in the soil to pupate. In our climate, we can sometimes have 2 generations of larvae in a season. So unfortunately, once infested, this pest can present a problem for most of the growing season. In addition to the surgical removal process of the larvae in the stems, you can also use an organically approved insecticide such as Spinosad or Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). Apply the product on the leaf stems and the main stem of the plant - do not spray the flowers. Apply one of these insecticides once per week during the growing season. It will kill the borer's eggs and larvae quickly. Again, these are organically approved products, and we recommend staying away from any synthetic, non-organic insecticides. Another method for prevention early in the season is to cover the young plants with a floating row cover until flowering occurs. The row cover will keep out the insect in the critical early part of the season, and will still allow sun, water, and air to get to the plant. Once flowering begins, remove the cover to ensure pollination is not disrupted. If or when you do have an infected vine(s), seal them in a plastic bag before the larvae pupate. This will break the lifecycle of the squash vine borer. And finally, the other important practice is to till under all crop debris after harvest, which also disrupts larvae in the soil, and prevents buildup of the squash borer population. Implementation of these practices should minimize the need for constant surgical removal of the larvae, and yield healthier plants and better crop. Good luck, and please reach out with any other questions!
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Squash Bug Control
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Date Posted: Sun, Aug 22 - 3:10 pm
- I have been having a hard year with squash bugs taking over my zucchini plants. I am wondering if you have any tips on how to prepare the soil this winter to decrease their activity next season. Thank you!
- Good morning! Thank you for your question. You are certainly a step ahead in that you have identified the pest, and have probably read about effective means to control and hopefully rid many of the insects during the growing season. Nevertheless, they are difficult to eradicate. You are smart to be thinking about ways to overwinter the garden to minimize the problem next spring. Do you use mulch around your zucchini plants? Mulches give adult squash bugs a place to overwinter, and you want to remove that mulch if you have used it. Straw is a better alternative to use around these plants in the growing season. As fall/winter approaches, you want to be sure and clean your garden of old vines, crop, and leaf debris where adult bugs will hide over the winter. Squash bugs will rarely survive cold winters without places to hide. However, Richmond has been known to have very mild winters, and you surely don't want to give these bugs a place to hide. Once you have removed all debris (and mulch, if you have it), till the soil. This also helps eliminate the pests. If you have the room in your garden (which most city properties do not), it is also helpful to rotate your crops year to year to keep down insect population. But the best thing to do is completely clear the garden of all debris for the winter, and till the soil. One tip for next spring/summer, is to place boards or old shingles on the ground next to the garden (especially at night time). Squash bugs love to hide under these, and they make excellent traps for collecting the bugs in the morning, and then placing the bugs in a bucket of soapy water. And of course, regular inspection during the early growing season to collect these bugs from your plants helps as well. But definitely follow the guidelines for garden cleanup and tilling to properly overwinter, and that will certainly get you off to a clean start in the spring!
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Sod died-alternative
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Date Posted: Wed, Aug 18 - 2:07 pm
- We have a very small 200sf area in the front of the house that was previously sod. That grass has died this summer (we think from a fungus) and we are thinking about doing something lower maintenance like a moss. Any recommendations or thoughts on that? The yard is am sun, north east facing, good drainage. Thanks!
- Hello there! Since your sod failed it would be worthwhile to have your soil tested. You can request a soil testing kit from the local extension office-the phone number for Richmond City is (804) 786-4150. You can check this link for the process: https://www.soiltest.vt.edu/sampling-insttructions.html. Also ask about the whether the demise of your sod was most likely due to incorrect ph or a fungus. Once you've established your soil's ph (whether it's an alkaline or acidic soil) you'll be able to make informed decisions about what plants to use. If you want to use moss, you'll need soil on the acidic side-5.5. I've included a link about mosses in lawns and how to grow a moss garden. Skip to the section entitled "Moss Gardens" for pertinent information. Here's the link: https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/430/430-536/430-536.html You'll have to judge how much sun your space receives and whether or not that might be too much for mosses. In lieu of mosses, there are many alternative ground covers. I mentioned a number of them in the post Dog proof ground covers. Often a combination of them can be very pleasing and generally low maintenance. The addition of shrubs with some good mulch can also add interest with minimal upkeep. Enjoy the project!