| Ask Donna |
| Donna Strehle recently retired after years in the nursery business. Now she is available to give her expert advice and answer all your gardening questions! |
Dear Donna,
I planted a lemon tree two years ago and it is still almost as small as
it was when I first planted it, and it never bears any fruit. What am I
doing wrong?
Buy a 10-15 pound bag of sulfate of amonia. This should cost you about
$2.00. Once a month sprinkle 1 cup of it around the base of the tree and
then soak it really well with water. This will give the tree the nitrogen it needs.
I did this to my own lemon tree. I hadn't had any fruit in the 3 years I had it
and once I started doing this, it became so full of fruit that the limbs droop
toward the ground!
I planted a lemon tree two years ago and it is still almost as small as
it was when I first planted it, and it never bears any fruit. What am I
doing wrong?
Buy a 10-15 pound bag of sulfate of amonia. This should cost you about
$2.00. Once a month sprinkle 1 cup of it around the base of the tree and
then soak it really well with water. This will give the tree the nitrogen it needs.
I did this to my own lemon tree. I hadn't had any fruit in the 3 years I had it
and once I started doing this, it became so full of fruit that the limbs droop
toward the ground!
Dear Donna,
One side of my house is shady most of the time. I have two azaleas
that do great there. I have a trellis there and I have no idea what I
should plant to grow up the trellis. Any suggestions?
Without knowing your exact zone, it is hard to make a specific suggestion.
Clematis can do well in partial shade, but it does enjoy being exposed to at
least 5 to 6 hours of sunlight daily. Plant a bright pink variety as they tend
to fade if they are exposed to too much direct sunlight. The shaded side of
your house might help them keep their color nicely.
One side of my house is shady most of the time. I have two azaleas
that do great there. I have a trellis there and I have no idea what I
should plant to grow up the trellis. Any suggestions?
Without knowing your exact zone, it is hard to make a specific suggestion.
Clematis can do well in partial shade, but it does enjoy being exposed to at
least 5 to 6 hours of sunlight daily. Plant a bright pink variety as they tend
to fade if they are exposed to too much direct sunlight. The shaded side of
your house might help them keep their color nicely.
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Dear Donna,
I am about to put in my first ever vegetable garden. Should I plant
my tomatoes directly in the ground from seed?
This late in the game, your best bet is to visit your local nursery. Buy a
few varieties of tomatoes that are already started. One advantage to this,
is that you can sample several varieties in your garden. If you want to
start your tomatoes from seed next year, start them early in the new year
inside and transplant them into your garden in the spring.
I am about to put in my first ever vegetable garden. Should I plant
my tomatoes directly in the ground from seed?
This late in the game, your best bet is to visit your local nursery. Buy a
few varieties of tomatoes that are already started. One advantage to this,
is that you can sample several varieties in your garden. If you want to
start your tomatoes from seed next year, start them early in the new year
inside and transplant them into your garden in the spring.