Send your gardening questions to:
Mitch@APFgarden.com

My houseplants have a white residue around the rim of the pot. Is this a fungus, is it harmful, and what should I do?

This is actually a build up of salts from water soluble synthetic fertilizers. These same salt residues are building up in the soil. I recommend using one of the liquid humate products like ‘Turf & Garden Pro’ to bind with and neutralize these salts. Also switching to an organic fertilizer will help. We recommend the ‘Organica Plant Nutrition Tabs’. These convenient, organic fertilizer tablets also contain beneficial microorganisms, so you address both soil health and plant nutrition at the same time.

I have a bag of grass seed that I bought over a year ago. It still looks OK, but is it still good?

After about nine months from the last test date, the germination rate begins to decline rapidly. Storing grass seed in a hot location, like the garage in summer, can also shorten the life of seed. Better to replace this seed with fresh, recently dated grass seed to maximize
germination rates.

After another disappointing year growing tomatoes, I’m about to give up. Every year about mid-summer the plants begin to yellow and wither. They still produce some tomatoes, but the plants eventually die. What is going on, and how can I prevent this?

Tomatoes are very susceptible to several fungal and viral diseases. Since most of these pathogenic microorganisms are found in the soil, it’s best not to plant in the same spot each year. Also, inoculating the soil with beneficial microorganisms by using Compost Tea, can help displace the pathogenic organisms, and prevent these problems from occurring. We offer Compost Tea every weekend May through October.

What is the best kind of mulch to use? This year I really want to keep the weeds down, so I’m planning on applying mulch six inches deep. Is this OK?

Shredded Hardwood Mulch still does the best job of retaining moisture, preventing erosion, suppressing weed growth, and moderating soil temperatures. As you can see, properly applied mulch provides many benefits. The key here is proper application- not too much. Six inches of mulch is far too much, and can actually cause harm, without any additional benefit. In other words, two inches of mulch provides all the benefits, with out causing any harm. So, save money on mulch, and put that towards more flowers for the garden.

When we bought our house 12 years ago, the previous owners had done some landscaping, but most of that looks tired and overgrown now. Does APF do landscape design and installation? Who should we contact?

Yes, our Home Services Division can design and install a new garden for you. A to-scale master plan can be created for you, and this can then be implemented over time, or all at once. Call our Home Services Division in Rockville at 301-770-7729.