{"id":374,"date":"2011-04-11T12:01:00","date_gmt":"2011-04-11T16:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mymontys.com\/wordpress\/?p=374"},"modified":"2011-04-11T12:01:54","modified_gmt":"2011-04-11T16:01:54","slug":"ask-montys-41111-successful-petunias-organic-lining-for-terracotta-pots-and-fungus-on-redbuds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wordpress.mymontys.com\/?p=374","title":{"rendered":"Ask Monty’s 4\/11\/11: Successful Petunias, Organic Lining for Terracotta Pots, and Fungus on Redbuds"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ask Monty\u2019s:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cEvery year I plant petunias and they never seem to do more than just make it through the summer.\u00a0 How can you fail at growing petunias?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Alyce
\nDetroit, Michigan<\/p>\n

Alyce:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Annuals need lots of water with being outside and braving the elements.\u00a0 Petunias love the sun and appreciate a little shade, but watering them daily is what they need the most.\u00a0 They should also be routinely deadheaded to keep them lush and healthy looking.\u00a0 By doing it before they get leggy, they seem to respond better.\u00a0 Don\u2019t forget a little fertilizer every couple of weeks or so too.\u00a0 Make your petunias part of your daily garden maintenance walk and you\u2019ll get much better results.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>Ask Monty\u2019s:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cYou often talk about lining clay and porous pots with plastic bags to retain moisture for outside potted plants.\u00a0 Do you think newspapers would work too?\u201d<\/p>\n

Greg, Pete and Scott
\nMorton, Washington<\/p>\n

Greg, Pete and Scott:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Excellent, more natural idea gentlemen!\u00a0 Newspapers may dry out a little faster than plastic, but will definitely serve the same purpose.\u00a0 When cleaning your pots out in the fall you can dump everything into your compost pile and not have to worry about taking the plastic bags out too.\u00a0 And, your newspaper liners may well be on their way to decomposing by that time.\u00a0 Make sure you\u2019re using the actual newspaper and not those colored enameled sheets that are often inserted into newspapers for advertising and such. They do not break down the same way newspapers do.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ask Monty\u2019s:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThere is a greenish, flakey growth showing up on my redbud trees.\u00a0 What could it be and how do I get rid of it?\u201d<\/p>\n

Iris
\nGladston, New Jersey<\/strong><\/p>\n

Iris:<\/strong><\/p>\n

There is a type of combination of fungus and algae that physically intertwines to become an entirely new growth called lichen.\u00a0 It can also grow on stones or shrubs too.\u00a0 It\u2019s a very primitive plant species, absorbing water and nutrients from the air.\u00a0 There is nothing harmful about it as they are not a parasite and do not cause disease, so don\u2019t worry about it being part of your redbud tree.<\/p>\n

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Ask Monty\u2019s: \u201cEvery year I plant petunias and they never seem to do more than just make it through the summer.\u00a0 How can you fail at growing petunias?\u201d Alyce Detroit, Michigan Alyce: Annuals need lots of water with being outside and braving the elements.\u00a0 Petunias love the sun and appreciate a little shade, but watering […]<\/p>\n

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