Master Gardener – Answers
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HT wood pallets for compost bin
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Date Posted: Thu, Jul 06 - 12:44 pm
- where can i find HT wood pallets to build my composting bin?
- This is a great question! I have not personally made a compost bin from pallets, but I love the ones we have at my community garden! Having not sourced heat treated wood pallets myself previously, I did a quick google search and found there are a couple of different companies in our area that do sell them. The two I found are Alpha Recycling and Hauling and BE Pallets. It sounds like you already have a good plan together for your compost bins, but just in case you or anyone searching these answers later is looking for more information, the Colorado State Master Gardeners have a really great publication with lots of good information about composting: https://cmg.extension.colostate.edu/Gardennotes/246.pdf Good luck and happy composting!
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Contact Information
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Date Posted: Fri, Jun 23 - 12:10 am
- Looking for Jim Kaeser, master gardener, contact to give presentation to my garden club over Gillette Gardens. Thank you
- Hello! Jim Kaeser is not an active member with the City of Richmond Master Gardeners. I was not familiar with Gillette Gardens, but looked it up and it looks beautiful! It also looks like it is in Chesterfield County. You may try reaching out to the Chesterfield County master gardeners to see if you can find the person you are looking for. Good luck!
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Philodendon with Root Rot
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Date Posted: Thu, Jun 15 - 11:35 am
- Hello, I have a Philodendron Deja Vu. It has shed all but one remaining leaf, which appears to be getting too dry. It has three root sections (not sure the proper word) the other too appear to have some root rot. Is it possible to repot the section with the one remaining leaf? Is there anything else I can do to help it survive and thrive again or is it a goner?
- Hello, I'm sorry to hear your philodendron is struggling. Based off of what you have said, I'm concerned the plant may be getting over watered leading to leaf spot and/or root rot. Leaf spot is common with philodendrons and starts with leaves turning yellow and then eventually brown. Typically, it is due to damp and soggy soil from over watering that allows bacteria and fungus to thrive. To treat this, stop watering the plant and apply two spoons of baking soda mixed with soap water on the affected parts and keep the plant out of direct sunlight. Soggy soil can also lead to root rot. The best way to treat root rot is to change the soil immediately and be sure to use a well draining soil mix (similar to what you would use for a cactus). Let the soil dry out some in between waterings, using the finger knuckle test to determine if the plant needs water or not. Most of our local plant nursery's also have extremely helpful staff members that will look at your plant if you bring it in and make more specific suggestions, or even repot it for you. Good luck!
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Poison Ivy
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Date Posted: Thu, Jun 08 - 1:23 am
- Is this poison ivy?
- I'm unable to see your picture, but this website has several good pictures of poison ivy at different stages that should help you compare to what you have: https://dof.virginia.gov/dont-pick-your-poison/
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Poison Ivy
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Date Posted: Thu, Jun 08 - 1:19 am
- I live in Richmond. I was weeding my garden two weeks ago and had a bad reaction to poison ivy. Do you all do consultations of yards to see if they have poison ivy for free or a price?
- I'm so sorry you are having a problem with poison ivy, I have poison ivy in the back of my yard too and I hate it. Poison ivy has leaves of three and the leaves generally have a waxy appearance. The most common way way this toxin gets on your skin is when you touch the plant, especially one that has been damaged in some way, like when weeding. Virginia Tech has a good publication on poison ivy with more information for you: https://digitalpubs.ext.vt.edu/vcedigitalpubs/6752556823539961/MobilePagedReplica.action?pm=2&folio=2#pg2 Good luck!! I hope you recover quickly from your reaction.
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Natives & Landscaping
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Date Posted: Mon, May 29 - 5:34 pm
- I have a wonderfully overgrown, half-wild backyard in the Northside that already attracts a great variety of birds ... but I'd like to start being more purposeful about planting natives and landscaping for birds and bugs. I'm having a hard time figuring out where to start, though, and am hoping a Master Gardener could help. Is there someone who could come look at my site and help me come up with a plan?
- Hello! How lovely to have a backyard that is already attracting a great variety of birds! It's wonderful that you want to provide more native plants for your backyard pollinators! A good place to start is by doing a soil test to see how healthy your soil currently is and if there is anything you should add to it before you begin planting. You can find soil test kits at your local libraries when the master gardeners are there, just call and ask your librarian. Next, you will want to think about how wet or dry your back yard typically is, as well as how much sun light you get. You could bring this information along with some pictures to talk with the master gardener at your library or to a local nursery for more guidance. I would also recommend looking over this really wonderful resource on native plants for our area https://www.plantvirginianatives.org/plant-rva-natives as the free downloadable guide has an amazing amount of information to help get you going in the right direction! Happy gardening!
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Allium Leaf Miner
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Date Posted: Sun, May 28 - 8:55 pm
- I think I might have allium leaf miner in a few of my overwintered leeks. I took pictures, video and saved a sample in a ziplock bag containing the reddish brown egg. I’m not particularly worried about the crop but wasn’t sure if I should contact you since it’s a relatively new invasive pest. It seemed like covering and exclusion measures will be my best bet going forward. Thanks!
- I'm sorry to hear your leeks have been hit by the allium leaf miner. There are a few prevention techniques to consider going forward. 1. Solarization. The garden bed can be covered with clear plastic for four weeks over the summer, being sure to bury the edges so heat is trapped. Solarization will kill allium leaf miner pupae, decrease soil pathogens, and increase beneficial microbes. 2. Rotation Planting. Refrain from planting members of the allium family in the same bed for one year or longer since the pupae will overwinter in the bed. 3. Cover crops. Consider planting members of the cabbage family in the bed prior to planting allium. The sulfur produced by the cabbage crops will transfer to your allium making them more pungent and less desirable to the fly. Another benefit is that brassica plants decrease the amount of nitrogen available in the soil which is beneficial as flies are more drawn to high levels of nitrogen in plants. 4. As you have already mentioned, row covers. Cover the plants at planting time in the fall (September/October) and remove for the winter. Plants will need to be covered again for the spring (March/April) before overwintering pupae emerge. Since the allium leaf miner is very small, it's important to be sure the edges of your covers are pinned down well or buried. Thank you for reporting this finding so the spread of allium leaf miner can be monitored and best of luck with your future plants!
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Lawn alternatives
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Date Posted: Wed, May 03 - 4:23 pm
- I want to find an easier alternative ground cover to grass that is native to Virginia. I was thinking clover, but I worry because in some cases it can be more invasive. Any low maintenance ground cover plants that help improve the soil would be welcome!
- Hello there, Of course, plant selection depends on many things, exposure (north, south, east, west and combinations of those), soil type and structure, hours of direct sun, etc. I'm guessing since you have a grass lawn you are getting a good amount of sunlight. There are really no plants that are low maintenance before they become established. I've had good luck with white clover though I use it in relatively small areas and I don't have a problem with it wanting to take over the garden. If you have a large area you might want to get more creative and use a variety of plants as your ground cover (which the birds and insects will appreciate). There are a couple of native violets you could use, also phlox subulata which is evergreen and mat forming. I'm attaching a link to a website that has good information on what native plants can function as ground cover locally. Here it is- https://www.plantvirginianatives.org/reduce-lawn-area-with-native-groundcovers. I think you'll find some nice options there. Happy gardening!
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Pests
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Date Posted: Wed, Apr 26 - 4:28 pm
- Hello. Poison ivy has started filling one of the beds in the front of my house, and it is coming up with the azalea bushes along the side back fence. Is there a reliable company that can remove this for me? Thank you for any advice that you can provide!
- Hello there, Poison ivy seems to be everywhere. However, there are some plants that look a bit like poison ivy. Virginia creeper is one of them and is not toxic, so it could be pulled or dug up easily. The are a couple others, Your best bet is to take good photos and go to the Help Desk that is manned by the Master Gardeners at your local library. Contact the library and find out what day and time the Help Desk session is held. Once you have a definite ID, then you can proceed with an appropriate method. I don't have any removal companies to recommend. You could also try one of the homemade sprays for killing the vine but, again, you need to know what you are dealing with first. Best of luck.
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Rhododendrons
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Date Posted: Wed, Apr 26 - 3:24 pm
- I have several rhododendron bushes in my front yard. They usually bloom once a year. I would like them to bloom more often. I don’t understand why one of the bushes leaves turned completely brown and died. Will this bush come back? Should I pull it up? What can I do?
- Hello there, Rhododendrons bloom once a year, in late winter into spring depending on variety. You could add other varieties with different bloom times to extend the show. You could also add some azaleas (which are in the same family). Some of those do bloom twice a year. The variety Encore comes to mind. As for the browning of the leaves and leaf drop, a number of issues could be causing that. Poor drainage, leaf burn from too much sun, winter burn, nutrient deficiency. It's difficult to diagnose in this manner. But you can try this practice - if you give the plant plenty of time to begin spring growth—waiting until late spring—you can then scratch the bark on dead-looking branches with your fingernail. If there is green wood underneath, the branch is still alive. Leave it be and it may very well leaf out. If it's brown underneath, the branch is dead and you can prune it off. Also, you can visit one of the Master Gardeners that man the desk at your local library. Call the library to see when the Help Desk is in session. Any information you have about the plants-photos, samples, will be helpful. But sometimes you need to assess the planting environment to narrow down the problem. You can also get a soil testing kit and the results will help you improve the nutrients and condition of your soil to ensure future plant health.