Are you ready for a misting system malfunction?

No, well it doesn’t really take much to be prepared in the event that a piece of your misting system decides to stop working. Of course, this is more likely to happen at the worst possible time, like when you have a ton of cuttings under mist and it is during the hottest time of [...]

Read the rest »

Why I pruned my lilac right to the ground

I didn’t actually mean to prune it to the ground, but that is what happened when I lost control of the lawn mower. Of course, I assumed I had killed it but left the stump anyway. A week or so later I noticed that the stump had sprouted some leaves. I was thrilled to think [...]

Read the rest »

Rooting cuttings with Adam Wheeler of Broken Arrow Nursery

I recently took a plant propagation class at the Berkshires Botanical Garden in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Although I am a member of a private plant propagation group, have been propagating plants for a few years now, own a company I started that designs, assembles and sells misting systems and misting components for homeowners and startup nurseries, [...]

Read the rest »

Trees, shrubs, and other plants over your septic system

I get quite a bit of traffic from people searching for answers about what can be planted over septic tanks and septic systems. Questions such as: Can I plant ornamental grass over my septic tank? Is it safe to plant trees or shrubs near my septic system? Can potatoes harm my septic system? Is it [...]

Read the rest »

Do you have a memory garden?

A local paper just published a story about a garden club president’s memory garden. She started gardening 33 years ago with her husband and they both enjoyed working on creating flower gardens. She would make the mess, and he would follow behind cleaning it up. Sound like a perfect match! The president’s husband passed away [...]

Read the rest »

37 shrubs that are easy to propagate from softwood cuttings

Softwood cuttings are taken in summer of the following plants are quite easy to root and should be a saleable plant in a short amount of time. Beautyberry (Callicarpa japonica) Beautybush (Kolkwitzia amabilis) Blue mist shrub (Caryopteris x clandonensis) Burning bush (Euonymus alatus) Butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii) Chinese stranvaesia (Stranvaesia davidiana) Crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica) [...]

Read the rest »

What effect does salt have on ornamental plants and groundcovers?

I recently wrote an E-book on the effects salt has on ornamental plants and groundcovers. It explains how soil becomes saline (salty), the effects salt has on plants, as well as how to reduce the salinity of your soil. Download it by using this link: Salt injury to ornamental shrubs and groundcovers For more info [...]

Read the rest »

Invasive species of New York state

Here is a video from the American Wildlife Conservation Foundation about invasive species that can be found in New York state. Of course, some of these invasives can be found outside New York, so this video may help you identify invasives in your state. Forest Invasive Species – the threat to New York from Mike [...]

Read the rest »

4 links on protecting your plants from freezing by spraying them with water

I recently mentioned writing an article on exactly how spraying water on your tender plants during a frost or freeze protects them. Well, I am feeling a bit lazy and decided to give you a few links instead to articles that have already been written. Along with the articles is a link to a video [...]

Read the rest »

Customize Google news with plant propagation stories

For those of you that are not aware that you can customize the news you receive from Google News, I have a great tip for you. First, you must have a Google account to be able to use this feature. It’s free and takes just a few minutes to complete. First, log in to your [...]

Read the rest »