Lawn and Garden FAQ's
Archived questions & answers and tips
African Violet
Arborvitae
Aruncus Diocius (Goat's Beard)
Azaleas
- I want to plant Azaleas in front of my house. What kind do I get, how many I would need for the front of the house. Also, when is the best time to plant them and what is proper care?
- Each year about this time, my azaleas become afflicted with a fungus growth. It is whitish or grayish in color. They measure in size from thumb nail size to thumb size. Can you tell me how I might prevent this growth and/or how to cure it?
- My azaleas have yellow leaves with black specks on the back. Why is this and what can I do about it?
Butterfly Bush
Caladium
Christmas Cactus
Crape Myrtle
Dahlias
Day Lilies
English Boxwoods
Evergreens
Fungus
General Gardening
- Can I trim all my flowering plants back now and how much should I trim them?
- I want plants that can last through all types of weather. Are there any? I want to plant outdoors with low maintenance throughout the year.
- When cutting the grass, is it better to bag the clippings or blow them out?
- What do I do about weeds in my mulch?
- We have a small front yard with seven pine trees. Our soil is very acidic and the lawn gets very little sunshine. What type of grass should we purchase?
- Every year, beginning in June, fungus attacks our fescue lawn. The brown patches are in the same spots each year and the problem progressively worsens. Given the cost of fungicide, is a fungus-free lawn just a dream?
Gladiolus bulbs
Grape vines
Gum tree
Hibiscus
Hydrangeas
- When is the best time to transplant a small hydrangea plant?
- When is the proper time to prune hydrangeas?
Impatiens
Insects
- What are aphids?
- How do I de-bug plants brought inside for the winter?
- How do you prevent ladybugs from entering your house? Are there any methods of ridding oneself of these critters? Is it true that they are "seeded" by our local government?
- How do you get rid of gnats? We have them flying around inside the house?
- Our cat has killed all our moles, but now the grubs are going wild! I've heard that Nematodes would get them. How and when do I use them?
Iron Chlorosis
Leyland Cyprus
Lilacs
Magnolias
- What is an Elizabeth Magnolia?
- If I trim the ends of the limbs of my Magnolia, will the whole limb die?
Moles and Voles
Mulch
Mums
Otto Lyuken Laurel
Peace lily
Photina (Red Tips)
- What is the best time to prune Red Tips?
- How do I treat the black spots that are appearing on my Photina (Red Tips)? What causes this fungus?
Roses
- Do you know of any reason why a yellow rose bush, that I cut down all the way (I left the root), would grow back with red roses?
- Why do my rose bushes lose their leaves? I mulch them and we've certainly had enough rain.
- While visiting a garden in N.C. I saw a plant called a "tube rose". Is this a plant that can be grown outside in Richmond?
- When do I prune back roses and winterize them for winter?
Shrubs
Tent caterpillars
Thundercloud plum trees
Tomato plants
- Is it too late to put out tomato plants? If not, how long does it usually take for them to bear fruit?
- I purchased a tomato plant. Can I leave it to grow in the container it came in? How do I take care of it?
Tulips
TIPS
- Azalea leaf gall
- Pruning Azaleas, Dogwoods & Rhododendrons
- Perennials gardens
- Avoid applying fertilizers, fungicides, insecticides and weed killers when temperatures rise above 85 degrees.
- Never remove more than one third of the grass blade in a single cutting.
- To pinch is to promote stronger, bushier plants with more flower power.
- Mulch around new plants.
- Yellow leaves
- How to plant annuals
- When picking flowers
- Select native plants
- Stevia
- Roses prefer a full day of sun
- Blackspots on roses
- Pruning tomato plants
- Feeding tomatoes
- Crape Myrtle tips
- Keeping your Crape Myrtle compact and shrublike
- Training your Crape Myrtle into a tree
- Thinning Fruit
- Pollination for fruiting
- Propagating Hydrangeas
- Changing the color of Hydrangeas
- Botanical spray you can make for aphids
- Attract beneficial insects to your garden
- Now is the time to "deadhead" your spent rhododendron blossoms.
- Soil testing
- Soil types make a difference

