Search results for: jeff rugg
A Greener View: Trees for wet-then-dry soil – Jeff Rugg
By Jeff Rugg, contributing writer Q: There is a surface storm drain in the back corner of our property. Water comes from several neighbors’ yards, so this area near the drain gets flooded and the soil is soggy. Later in summer, the same area will be dried out and cracked. A willow tree planted at…
Read MoreA Greener View: Summer Gardening To-Do List – Jeff Rugg
By Jeff Rugg, contributing writer With the hot weather of summer, there may not be much to do in your landscape, but there are a few things that need to be watched for so that the landscape stays healthy. Rain in summer across North America usually comes in a few heavy thunderstorms with many hot,…
Read MoreA Greener View: Top fruit, veggies to grow on a trellis – Jeff Rugg
by Jeff Rugg, contributing writer Q: We moved into a home that has a vegetable garden. There are a ton of wires, trellises and whatnot that look like the previous owner grew everything vertically. What can be grown on trellises? A: This sounds like one of those clickbait headlines. “The Top Ten Vegetables to Grow…
Read MoreA Greener View: Waterlogged Barrel Planters – Jeff Rugg
by Jeff Rugg, contributing writer Q: I bought a half-barrel to use as a planter. It does not have drainage holes. Besides the regular watering I do for the plants, we have had more rain than usual. Now the barrel is at least half full of water. The plants are starting to drown. I don’t…
Read MoreThe Greener View: Peony Problems – Jeff Rugg
by Jeff Rugg, contributing writer Question: My peony has bloomed wonderfully for many years but this year the buds are turning black and are not growing. What can I do? Answer: It is too late this year to get flowers, but it is not too late to help prevent problems next year. The symptom you…
Read MoreA Greener View: Using straw to prevent weeds – Jeff Rugg
By Jeff Rugg, contributing writer Q: I added straw to my vegetable garden as a mulch and now there are hundreds of weeds coming up. Does the shade and watering help the weeds seeds grow? I thought the straw was supposed to prevent weeds and keep the soil damp. A: I wonder if you added…
Read MoreThe Greener View: Buy a tree in a pot, or balled and burlapped? – Jeff Rugg
by Jeff Rugg, contributing writer Q: We have been looking at some shade trees at a few nurseries and have a question. Is it better to buy a tree in a large pot or one that is already dug up and is what they call “balled and burlapped”? A: As a general rule, I would…
Read MoreThe Greener View: Azalea Care – Jeff Rugg
by Jeff Rugg, contributing writer Q: What do you need to do to prepare a flower bed to plant azaleas? A: Azaleas are members of the rhododendron family. There are over 900 species and hundreds more natural and man-made varieties. Some are native to swamps and some to dry woodlands. Others are naturally found and…
Read MoreA Greener View: Blue Hydrangea magic – Jeff Rugg
By Jeff Rugg, contributing writer Question: I received a pretty blue flowering hydrangea for Mother’s Day. I already have white-flowering hydrangeas that I would like to turn blue. I was told I could put nails in the soil around the roots to turn them blue. Is that true, and if so, what kind of nails…
Read MoreIntroducing… A Greener View: Tips from Earth Day with Jeff Rugg
A Greener View
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