Answers To Your Questions About Gardening Tips Advice

by Green Thumb on Monday, August 22nd, 2011 | No Comments

Charles asks…

Need advice or tips on growing spinach in my garden?

I am growing spinach in my garden this year for the first time and iis growing good but the leaves are all discolored and I dont why? Are’nt they supposed to be green? When can I harvest them and when I do, do I just pull off leaves to use or do I use the whole bunch???? Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated as I have no idea!

Green Thumb answers:

As mentioned they will not do well at all and eventually die or bolt to seed in the summer..Here in Northwest Florida we don’t even put our spinach out untill late December…To harvest you pull the outer leaves as you need them..do not pull the whole plant…

Daniel asks…

If you are from Maine or anywhere near, can you please give me some good flower gardening tips?

I have never attempted a flower garden before and I would like to start one in my yard.
When do you begin?
What flowers are the easiest to start with.
Any advice would be appreciated.

THANKS! : )

Green Thumb answers:

Well i worked at franks nursery and English gardens, so i would recommend some pansies or some other really hardy plants. Its going to be cold a little longer but not by much. Mostly cold at night. If they are hardy they can last the cold night. They can be under snow and still survive. Make sure that you have good soil though. Get some peat Moss (peat moss has other stuff that will make your soil the best it can be) and some more potting soil because the winter really messes up the soil. I would start as soon as possible because the sooner the better and that looks good for the other people walking by your place. It brightens everything up so much. When you go to by your plants ask for some other plants besides pansies (you want the pansies but you want to see some other choices). Never over load it with too many plants though because it will look ugly. Have fun and talk to you later, boothster

PS. Don’t get them from walmart becuase they buy the cheapest plant around and they don’t have deep roots. You want deep roots becuase they will die after a few weeks. There not worth it. The places i worked were good places to buy them (well not franks because they are out of business) they had deep roots and they lasted all summer. Well panisies get long and stringy in a bout 5-6 weeks, but they are great to start with. Get they smallest ones there. That way you have a long time to grow them. And if they havn’t budded yet, even better. All jokes aside, in the sence of plants, you get what you pay for. Ok talk to you later, bryson

Thomas asks…

Gardening Question about planting/fertilizing?

I recently began keeping a compost pile but I was wondering if I could start growing different things without the homemade fertilizer for example could I just get some dirt from my backyard (not the topsoil) and put apple seeds into that?
I don’t think I can use my fertilizer yet because it is still slimy and smelly which I learned that I need to add more carbon to and I have been adding a lot of shredded paper to it will simply adding the shredded paper help it balance out the nitrogen and carbon levels?
Any other gardening advice/tips would be appreciated.
Thanks!

Green Thumb answers:

Make sure you are turning your compost regularly. Sifting it will help mix it in and compost better.

As for planting the apple seeds. You should be able to take some good, rich dirt from your yard. Just dig down a little so it’s not too sandy and dusty. Avoid clay mixtures which can become hard. Keep it moist and continue.

Hope that helps!
Stephanie
Here are a few of my gardening blogs that may help you with gardening!

Gardening and Greenhouse