You asked a pro—he answered. Citytv's gardening specialist Frank Ferragine has solutions for our readers' green-thumb conundrums. Have a question that you don't see below? Don't worry; Frank will take more questions each month. Submit yours today!
Hi Frank, a question for you. Looking forward for your answer. Elaine.
I live in Goulburn and my stone fruit and apple trees are now denude of leaves. Would it be a good time to prune them? The local birds are proving to be a problem and next summer I will need to cover these trees with nets. How much canopy can I remove and for what shape should I aim?
Elaine Yeomans Goulburn, Australia
Hello there all in Australia,
Residing in North America, I'm not totally familiar with your climate; however, I would suggest referring to a great book-an oldie by DT Kilpatrick called Pruning For The Australian Gardener . Plenty of pictures of buds and twigs so you don't cut off the wrong stuff! In terms of the netting, I would suggest to do so - so you can enjoy some of the fruits of your labour.
Happy Gardening,
Frank
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Hi Frank,
My question is: We have a weeping Norway spruce approx. 4 feet tall. What can I do so that it will grow taller; new shoots only appear on the weeping branches?
Any advice would be much appreciated.
Yvonne Kjeldsen Willowdale, Ontario
Weeping Norway Spruce is an excellent specimen; however, they are very slow in terms of their growing speed. To stimulate growth, I would suggest fertilizing with a water-soluble fertilizer that is high in nitrogen (30-12-12). Water infrequently and deeply, and place a thick layer of mulch to shade roots and retain moisture.
Keep Growing!!!!
Frankie
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Hi Frank! I'm having a problem with ants in my garden and my lawn. I would like to know what would be an effective way of getting rid of the little pests without using chemicals. Are there any products on the market that I can purchase? Thank you, Hanna Morgan Angus, Ontario
Hanna, there is a tone of non-toxic solutions - including using beneficial bugs like nematodes. I suggest checking out this website for more information: www.nic.ca.
Here's to nothing bugging you!!! Frankie
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Hi Frank, One of our trees in the backyard has white little worm-like insects that weave webs and have caused all the leaves on the tree to curl. The problem is now spreading to other trees in the yard. What can we do? Thank you very much.
Elaheh Ghoreshi Edmonton, Alberta
Hi Elaheh, this sounds like a classic example of tent caterpillar damage. In terms of control, here is some advice from Environment Canada:
Tent Caterpillar Control Suggestions:
PHYSICAL Begin control at night when groups of caterpillars will be gathered together inside a tent. Cut the tent open and hand pick the caterpillars. The removed caterpillars can be placed in a bucket of soapy water or crushed. This is most effective because large numbers can be removed at once. Remove egg masses by scraping the clusters with a knife. Prune trees in late fall or early spring to keep populations low.
BIOLOGICAL Some natural enemies of tent caterpillars are birds and rodents.
CHEMICAL If physical and biological measures are not effective, use a pesticide that will have a minimal impact on both you and the environment. Apply dormant oil in late winter to kill the eggs before they hatch. An insecticidal soap is another option for control of the eastern tent caterpillar.
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Dear Frank,
Can you tell me why my garlic is miniature in size? It has a powerful flavour but I am tired of trying to peel those tiny cloves.
Kathy Gillis Ottawa, Ontario
The key is in sniping off the blooms. The garlic top is called a scape, and garlic flower or top set, and contains a bulge where bulbils will form. If you want all the plant's energy to go into producing a large bulb, snip the scape off after it has made one or two loops. If you want to use the bulbils to propagate more garlic, leave them in place until harvest time and then dry them separately from the bulbs.
Frankie
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Hi, Frank. Can you let me know how to get rid of the white grub from my lawn without using any chemical or pesticides?
Gordon Lo Toronto, Ontario
No problem. Check out a product called Lawn Guardian from Natural Insect Control or www.nic.ca. If your wondering what it's made of, to put it simply it's a beneficial bug know as nematodes that infects grubs and prevents them from eating.
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Hi, Frank:
I live in a Townhome, with a balcony that faces west. There are some high trees around the complex and not much sunshine before noon, what kind of flowers would be good for my small garden?
Jun Li Burnaby, British Columbia
As long as you get six hours of direct sunlight, I would suggest the following:
Excellent Annuals: Wave Petunias, Ivy Geraniums especially balcon Ivy Geraniums, Gaziania, Rocky Mountain Zonal Geraniums, Cleome, Sunlover Coleus, Pursulane or Portulaca.
Excellent Perennials: Autumn Joy Sedum, Stella D'oro Daylilies, Purple Coneflower, Coreopsis
Remember the bigger the container; the better it is for the plant. Use potting or planter soil and fertilize every other week with a good fertilizer like 20-20-20 or an organic alternative like Muskie Fertilizer.
Happy Gardening!!!!
Frankie
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Watch for Frank Ferragine's Q&A column in The Epoch Times on the last Thursday of every month, and watch "Frankie Flowers" every Friday at 12:30 p.m. on Citytv Toronto and CP24 for more great gardening tips . Submit your questions today to AskFrank@epochtimes.com, or by Fax: 416-298-1299 Attention: Frank Ferragine, or mail to: Frank Ferragine c/o The Epoch Times, 103-201 Consumers Road, Toronto, Ontario M2J 4G8. Happy Gardening!!
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