Here to say hi and help out

Hi everyone, my name is Jim, and I have quite a bit of gardening experience. I’ve been the manager of both wholesale and retail nurseries, Assistant Professor of Ornamental Horticulture at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, the head gardener for several private estates, a plant breeder, and I'm listed in Who’s Who in America. I've got a rose pruning video out and am almost done with my first book

I'd like to help answer questions if I may. I'm glad to be a part of the Dave's Garden forums!

Welcome Jim we need all the help we can get for sure by people that know. You may want to respond to the hydrangia question as I advised as an amiteur would. Get in there and help make the world a more beautiful place. Your expertise will be welcome and you will meet some pretty intelligent folks and then some dummies like me that still like to learn.

Welcome Jim/Gnome....glad to have you aboard....we get some really interesting plants from around the world here and on the Plant ID forum....should be fun.

Welcome Jim, you're going to LOVE DG.

I really like your username Jim...Hello :)

Hi Jim! We never turn down help :)

This message was edited Aug 4, 2010 6:52 PM

Hey Jim...........welcome aboard. How would you approach Mealyworms or an insect that appears to be wrapped in cotton and shows up as tiny white specks on violets, coleus and actually killed a couple of citrus trees. This is all an indoor problem I have never seen to this time in my brief indoor growing experience? I have BT, Neem Oil, Warrior D and Spectricide in stock. I would make a one pot test to know any effort would not be the wrong application for violets.

Let me know by D mail the book you are into. I enjoy a good read in the arena of "how to" of almost any gardening interest. I hope you will consider writing as a Dave's Garden article writer. We have some really good writers here but there is always room for excellence within our site.

My major interest and experience is best stated as one who has practiced 98% organic principles. The other two percent I save for the occasions when a small spot cries for immediate attention outside of organic principles. I profess to be a pretty darn good soil builder. I love counting worms. LOL

This site will take as much of your time as you are willing to share. Thank you for your presence.

Welcome Jim. It's good to have you aboard.

Welcome Jim. I can probelably keep you busy ans. ? all by my self .I haven`t been gardening very long my self so I am one for the dummies.. welcome mincey1

I don't think Jim loves us anymore lol

Hello..my name is Katrina and although not a newbie to gardening I'm definately not the brightest flower in the garden...I can grow just about anything...I just don't know what most of it is called!

Welcome Jim!

Hello everyone, I'm sorry I didn't reply, but I didn't realize I had replies! I'm still learning about how the forum works (and how computers work, really). Now that I'll have more time, I will come back and answer questions shortly. Thanks, and sorry about disappearing!

I don't have any questions YET; sure glad you are here though. I am 43 and have never really gardened before so.... And as long as I don't have to sit through any long, boring lectures, I will listen to what you have to say. LOL Never really minded any of the lectures except math; all math not just algebra!

Nothing like having a professor around to harrass! How fun is that? I am really glad I saw your post, I am certain you have tons of valuable info stored in your head; quicker to search you and the net I bet. LOL - I made a funny.

We've see 'em come. We've seen 'em go. This one came in advertising....gave it a second shot and just flat out evaporated. LOL

Ya all gave a nice welcome. That was nice.

Hello again! Thanks for your patience with me. Part of the problem is that I have a dial-up connection and the layout is confusing, plus I'm only online about once a week. I didn't mean to break forum rules earlier, thanks to the admin for fixing that.

Docgipe, I think you have mealybugs. The best solution is to put rubbing alcohol on a cotton swab and dot them one at a time with it. Go after them little buggers!

Thanks for the suggestion about writing articles. As I said, I'm still learning about the forum and the internet. I will check out the articles and try to be here more frequently to help out!

- Jim

Hey Jim, Hope you have as much fun here as i do. I can already tell you. You will learn things about gardening you never thought of.
For instance...Ever thought of using a womans purse for a hanging planter?
Vickie

Hi Jim,

I want to thank you for any time and advice you are able to offer. I think most realize that you have many other things going on as well. We'll see you when you are able to get here. Glad to have you.

Tracey

Hi Jim maybe you are the one that can help me .I need a tall growing plant ,that do not need much sun It will be in the shade of some trees morning and eveving.It will most likely get about 4 hr of mid day sun.any suggestion think uou

I'm ordering a couple plants from Bluestone Perennials. That answer that description.
Aruncus-Goatsbeard,Dioicus,Finely cut foliage with white plumes of tight flowers, grows to 5ft.Semishade.Z-3 TO 7

Astilbe- Perenial Spirea-Airy plumes in summer-rich soil and partial shade,med to tall,various colors and sizes Z 4 to 8
www.bluestoneperennials.com
I've ordered shrubs from them and am happy with their service and plants.
Have fun
Vickie

Mincey, you need to look into plants that can grow in full sun to part shade. The time that the plant will be in the sun is the hottest brightest part of the day. Anything that requires shade will burn up in that kind of sun.

Mincey, how big is the area that you're trying to fill? Do you want to fill it with one plant or a combination? Shrubs or trees okay? Or are you thinking more along the lines of tall perennials? Is this dry shade or a moist woodland type site? Sorry for all the questions but the answers will help others to make better suggestions. :)

Based on what you've said so far: I had a small spot at the end of my front garden that needed height to balance out the rest of that area. I tried something new (new to me!) that I learned about here at Dave's Garden - Sky Pencil Holly. Growth habit is up and narrow. It is listed for "Full Sun" but will tolerate shade. Mine is on the NW corner of the house so it only catches 3-4 hours of sun late afternoon. If you want to check it out:

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/53332/

Good luck!
~Sharon

Hi Mincey, I'm not a landscape designer, but you might try a columnar yew, of which there are several varieties. You could also put in a post or tall trellis to give a vine the tall shape you want, and try something like clematis or Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus) there.

Hi Jim. Would you be able to help me with determining if I have a problem with some of my plants. I have Blueberries and Jalapenos and occasionally the left get brown on the ends and start to die. I can get a digital photo if needed.

Bob

From a newbie to another newbie, WiseOldGnome, and everyone else: Hi from New Zealand! Hope someone can help me to save my precious and only lemon tree (not sure what type; it has relatively sweet fruit)! Last summer (December 2008 to March 2009 in the Southern Hemisphere), the tree was heavily infested with what seems to have been white fly. When I went near it, a great cloud of tiny white insects rose from the tree, but soon settled back again. Winter saw them disappear. Since then, nearly a year ago, I have watered and fed the tree lovingly, using proper citrus food. Alas, in that time, nearly all the leaves have fallen off. It managed to flower and has set some fruit, but the growth of the fruit seems to have stalled. The fruit don't really bother me, at this stage, but I will be very upset to lose the tree, as it has supplied my kitchen so generously.
Auckland, the city where I live, has a variety of soils -- I have horrible clay -- and a climate on the cusp between temperate and sub-tropical. Citrus grows really well here.

Greetings to a fellow Californian (grew up in OC, use to visit SLO often, now reside in CT) and thank you for joining DG! I posted a question earlier and reposting to see if you might be able to assist....

......can outdoor Snowbelle Mockorange be moved indoor and grown in a (large) container or can I root / grow fresh cut stems? Relocating soon, hoping to take the Snowbelle or a rooted stem with me.

Thank you!

Here is a bit of info on Citrus whitefly. The wooly whitefly can spread viral diseases to citrus.I hope this is of some use to you.

http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/r107300711.html

http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s1397350.htm

http://www.infonet-biovision.org/default/ct/77/pests

http://www.citrus-tree-care.com/care-insects-and-disease.html

Cleo, some info on propagating mock orange.

http://www.ehow.com/how_5650072_propagate-mock-orange-shrubs.html

Thank you, themoonhowl.

You are very welcome, Fannyfarny. I hope the info is of help to you.

Does anyone else have any ideas about saving my lemon tree? I've thought about pruning it (it's fall here), but I don't want to if that will be the final, killing blow!

hello Jim, I am also a newbie here. I was hoping you or any one else could help me , the last three years I have planted red cabbage and regular cabbage and about the time they get nice heads in come the little green worms. any way to prevent them ?

Hi again, everyone.

Bob: Blueberries and jalapenos are very different plants. Blueberries like it cool and moist with an acid soil, and jalapenos like it more hot and dry with a more alkali soil. It could be uneven watering, or not enough in the summer when it's really hot. If it's a disease, you can see the progression of the disease as the edge of the plant dies back. It could also be a pH problem. In any case, I would recommend taking samples of your leaves to your local Master Gardeners, who are part of the University of California and can help identify the problem in person.

Fanny: It does sound like whitefly, but I think something else is going on there too. If all the leaves are gone, there is nothing feeding the plant with photosynthesis, but a citrus food should help with that because they tend to be high in nitrogen and should promote leaf growth. The only pruning I would do is to remove any dead wood, otherwise I wouldn't do any pruning.

Cleo: The Philadelphius mock orange, which is probably the one grown in your area, is relatively easy to propagate from cuttings. The cutting should be no larger than pencil-sized, because anything larger will not root well, and semi-hardwood (not soft). If the root ball will fit in a pot, it can't hurt to try potting it and cutting back the stems. This type of plant can actually be divided at the roots, so perhaps taking sections would work. Another thing to try is ground layering, where rooting is done by pinning branches down and covering the bases with earth to try and stimulate root growth in situ.

Tammy: Sounds like cabbage loopers. If you see white or yellow butterflies around your cabbages, look on the undersides of the leaves for little clusters of white eggs and destroy them. If they've already hatched, simply pick off the worms. You can use Bt, but you will also kill off any other butterfly larvae that might be in your garden. A mild soapy water solution can be sprayed on the eggs and small larvae to suffocate them, as well. You can purchase insecticidal soaps that do this if you don't want to make your own.

Thank you, WiseOldGnome. I appreciate your time.

thanks WiseOldGnome I will try to just pick them off, I wonder if you can help with another problem, I have a strawberry patch I love to work in my problem is that I have a snake that likes it too . I know they say garder snakes aren,t poisinous but believe me this one is deadly he about gave me a heart attack. Is there any way to discourage him from being there in my patch? I dont want to kill it.

THANK YOU to themoonhowl and WiseOldGnome - THANK YOU for the info. on the Mock Orange. Themoonhowl, the e-how site was VERY informative, thank you so much sharing! I look forward to trying the suggestions and (hopefully) report positive results - will keep you posted :-)

Glad to be of help Cleo. Mockorange is a delightful shrub. Glad you have the info to propagate yours.

Hi Jim welcome, I'm new this great and awesome site as well. Do you make house calls... we need help here in NY!!!!
I have about 3 big flower gardens and 1 large vegie gardenall are about 5 years old that I have and my landscaper has helped me with and I'm overwhelmed and need advice? and I'm a lover of container gardening as well, and I have have 2 young kids!! yikes!!

The slugs in the Pacific Northwest are really a challenge to new seedlings - especially the zinnias of my cutting garden. Sluggo ineffective - deadline works but could harm my dog. Wide strips of copper (1" wide) - different than ones sold in garden center - to place around perimiter of plant? Has anyone experience with this? Since it actually doesn't kill the slug would that lead to an invasion of other parts of my garden which the slugs previously ignored? Oh and the idea of getting out of bed at night with a flashlight and gloves - not an option - though I have cought some in the act early in the morning.

august2003...try Sluggo :)