I plant tomatoes every year. I have heard that if you pinch the leaves/flowers (or something), the plant will grow more horizontally than vertical and may yield more tomatoes.

Could you expand on this practice, and is it beneficial?

Thanks,
Old Salt

yep they will grow more tomatoes

Old Salt,
I have had mixed results with that practice. My experience shows the plant becomes much thicker. I did not find a real difference in yield.

Staking or caging will help the plants grow more vertical than horizontal.

Hey, Shep. My Mom has a couple of plants in her backyard that I’d like to take cuttings from and root in my own yard as heirlooms. One is a mock orange and the other is a wisteria. Any tips on how to successfully do this?

Thanks!

MonroeMom,
The Wisteria should be very easy. Wisteria can be rooted from a cutting and it sends up shoots from it’s roots as as well.

Dig out a shoot growing from the established plant or where a vine may have rooted itself into the soil.

The other option is to put the end of a shoot in a pot of soil. Keep the soil moist. The shoot will root. When you can tell the shoot has rooted, you can cut it free from the mother plant.

The Mock Orange will need to be started from a shoot of this season’s growth. It will be best to use a rooting solution [found at many garden centers]. Dip the cut end in the solution per its directions. Put the cutting in a pot of soil. Keep it moist and out of direct sunlight. If the cutting remains alive it is rooting.

Some plants can be rooted without using a rooting solution. I don’t know how successful you would be with a Mock Orange though.

Good luck!

Where’s the best place in Monroe to get plants? I’m looking for a wide variety of petunias, specifically. But I’d also like to look for some unusual plants, too. Any suggestions? Thanks!

I would recommend checking at the Farmer’s Market. I also have good luck at Parran’s. Clark’s in Ida and LA Greenhouse in Carleton have good selections as well.

Hey Shep,

I am not sure where to post this question, so I am putting it in the Uncategorized section.

First, what is the short answer as to how/why lawns came about?

Second, what are your recommendations regarding reel mowers? I used to use one years ago when we lived Downriver and had a small lot. Seems like a great way to get cut the lawn and get exercise at the same time. What size lawn would be best for this type of mower? What should be taken into consideration as well as your recommended brands?

Thank you.

Lawns were considered a status symbol for the wealthy. It showed that their ground could be used for something other than a crop. They could afford to plant something other than crops on their land.

You had also asked me a question on lawn alternatives. Ground cover can be used to some extent.It will still need some basic maintenance. Vinca is the first to come to mind. Ground cover will not tolerate traffic as well as grass. That needs to be kept in mind.

Reel mowers are best suited to smaller lawns. The actual size would best be determined by the user. How much do you feel you can comfortably cut?

The biggest drawback I have ever heard of with a reel mower is getting through tall, thick grass. Such as when it gets rainy for a few days and the grass grows a lot before you can cut it.

I can’t recommend any particular brand without a little more research. But one thing I can say with some confidence is this: You’ll find better quality going trough a specialty store than a big box store. I’ll try and post some actual brands soon.

I’ll see you in the backyard!

Kaz,

I found the Brill brand to be an impressive reel mower. I’m sure there are others as well.

I’ll see you in the backyard!

Thanks Shep for the feedback on the background for lawns and reel mowers info/recommendations.

I got to thinking on the lawn part and I believe I recall reading somewhere that lawns also came into play when cities started developing neighborhoods. Specifically, grass/lawns kept the dust/dirt down and from tracking into the home. Don’t know if that is true, but it makes sense.

On reel mowers : I’m going to check out the Brill brand/model. Makes sense about going to a specialty store. Yep - size of the lawn and high grass may pose a problem. Also , I read that reel mowers don’t do well cutting weeds. Still, I think it’s worth looking into and I bet it would be a good ( quiet ) workout and won’t disturb the neighbors.

Thanks again for sharing your knowledge.

So, I somehow lost track of time and didn’t get the tomatoes and green peppers planted that I wanted to. Is it too late to plant them?

Kelly,

No. It’s not too late. Varieties and selection may be reduced some though. It would be beneficial to get them as soon as you can. You will still be able to get them in the ground and have a good harvest. Good luck.

I’ll see you in the backyard!

I recently trimmed a barberry bush that was growing wildly and out of proportion with the rest of my landscape. Much to my surprise, I trimmed the rosey red right off the shrub! It’s now a fully green bush! Will it get it’s burgandy color back? I’ve searched online and couldn’t find any information about this. I guess I will find out eventually.

Two Questions :

1) What are your thoughts on treated human waste (”biosolids”) being legally spread on farmers’ fields as fertilizer.

Here is a link to th article :
http://www.mlive.com/flintjournal/index.ssf/2008/06/forest_township_residents_say.html

2)I just read an interesting article about tractor/mower training or kids 13-16 yrs old. I am wondering if you know if something similar is done in Monroe County.

Here is a link to the article :

http://www.thenews-messenger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080618/NEWS01/806180304&referrer=FRONTPAGECAROUSEL

Thank you,
Kazimer

The red will come back to the barberry. The reason the inside is green is because it is shaded. If the plant were situated in a shady area, it would turn green all the way to the outermost of it’s branches.

This same thing will happen to other red foliage as well. Red leaf Japanese Maples come to mind. I even see that happen to my red leaf lettuce in a lot of shade.

Give it time.It will come back to red.

I’ll see you in the backyard!

Kaz,

The biosolids article was interesting. The one thing I can agree with is that it needs to be deposited underground. The article says that the waste is first treated. Is it treated and truly safe? Sometimes it is scary to take another’s word for such things.

I think such practices need to be very open to the public. It can be of great benefit to farmers to have these options. Prices are rising everywhere. Everyone is looking for cheaper alternatives. They just need to be safe, healthy ones in this case. Odors that are involved with any type of farming operation will always be there to some extent. That just seems to go with the territory. Odors can be managed to an extent, but that is a part of farming.

Yes. There are tractor courses in the county. They are a good way to instill safety procedures. And it is a requirement for those younger kids working off the family farm. If I remember correctly a certification is only needed for those working and operating machinery for a non family farm.

I’ll see you in the backyard!

Thanks for the reassurance and informationabout the barberry. That makes sense! It’s good to know I didn’t ruin the shrub.