Problem Solving

Nine out of ten gardeners grow tomatoes, and that number would rise to 10 out of 10 if the holdouts tried a fresh garden tomato and compared it to a grocery store purchase. Nothing beats the taste of a fresh, homegrown tomato! However, many gardeners who grow tomatoes encounter growth problems. As the summer gets warmer, some tomatoes have trouble bearing fruit. Be patient, and you'll start seeing little green tomatoes again when the nights start getting cooler. In the meantime, harvest ripe tomatoes in time to relieve stressed plants of their heavy load. This list of common tomato plant problems and their solutions will help you identify a problem-whether it's just starting or already full-blown-and show you how to fix it so you can save your tomato plants and harvest delicious tomatoes this year.

Yellow jackets, paper wasps and hornets are the most common species of wasps that build their nests right where you don't want them - in and around your lawn and garden. While these insects are often considered pests because of their nasty stings, they are actually important to the garden as predatory insects and pollinators. However, when their nests get a little too close, such as in the garden, it is sometimes necessary to get rid of wasps to avoid future problems that could arise. If you need to control wasps, however, for the safety of your pets and family, there are ways to do so without chemicals. Discover some of the most effective ways to remove wasps from your garden.

Trees contribute mightily to a landscape's value, so it's important to keep them healthy. Like people, trees can succumb to various diseases. But since trees don’t cry out in pain, they can’t tell humans when something is wrong. It’s up to you to spot and treat a disease before it causes irreparable damage. If a tree becomes diseased, it can be a potential hazard. Diseased trees can become weak and more vulnerable to severe weather. With the proper knowledge, it’s possible to rescue ailing trees. Discover 7 Common Tree Diseases and what to do about them before it is too late.

Roses are undoubtedly one of the most beautiful plants in the home landscape. Although roses are attractive, they require the best of care. Discover the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about rose care and maintenance.

Dealing with weeds in the garden is a task that most gardeners have come to dread. Pulling them by hand is time-consuming and repetitive, but many gardeners also want to avoid using commercially available chemical herbicides as they pose both environmental and health risks.
There are some non-toxic herbicides that can be used to effectively control weeds in the garden—namely, table salt. While no herbicide can ever be labeled as truly ‘harmless’ in the garden (their main purpose is to kill unwanted plants after all!), salt (or sodium chloride) is a natural solution that works well on pesky weeds. Discover how to use it in your garden in the most effective way.

This is the second part of Q&A section, aimed to provide answers with good advice based on gardening experience. Knowing the answers to common soil problem solving questions can help you grow a healthier garden with less effort.

Most gardeners know that the key to successful gardens normally begins with healthy soil. Healthy garden soil is the basis of healthy plants and a healthy environment. Here I have collected the most common questions about garden soil. This Q&A section is aimed to provide answers with good advice based on gardening experience. Knowing the answers to common soil problem solving questions can help you grow a healthier garden with less effort.

We all know June bugs, those annoying, buzzing beetles that despite centuries of evolution still haven’t quite figured out how to yet. But did you know the term “June bug” actually includes a wide variety of plant-eating beetles, including the infamously damaging Japanese beetle? Harmless though the beetles are to people, it's a different matter when it comes to a lawn or landscape. Regardless of the species you experience in your region, these scarab beetles and their larval grub form can cause serious damage to your lawn & garden—and fast! While the adult flying beetles do cause some damage to plants by feeding on the leaves and stems, the real problem lies in the immature larval phase of these insects. Known as white grubs, these larvae can wreak serious damage on the roots of lawn turfgrasses and other plants. However, to successfully control these pests, you’ll need to take action at various points throughout the year, not just summer. Don’t worry, it’s not complicated, doesn’t take that much time, and you don’t have to resort to poisonous pesticides to get the job done. Here’s how to get rid of June bugs naturally. Discover the best ways to get rid of June bugs easy and fast.

Watering plants in containers can be a time-consuming chore, particularly in the heat and wind of summer. Making your own self-watering containers is a great way to hack a watering system. There are many commercially available versions of self-watering containers, also known as self-watering grow boxes, self-watering pots, and self-watering planters, but you can make them yourself for a fraction of the cost out of some easy to find items. Learn how you can make a self-watering container at home.

Backyard gardeners often do not have experienced gardeners around who are willing to answer all of the questions that come up throughout the year. Sure, you can get answers to some common gardening questions at your local nursery, and you may be able to swap tips with friends who also have backyard gardens. But overall, it often feels like you are on your own as you spend hours flipping through gardening guides and scouring online forums to find answers to your basic questions. Gardeners are a lot like cooks. Some follow the ‘recipe’ exactly, they read all the instructions carefully, and never fail to stick to their watering and feeding schedule. Others just like to scatter a few seeds here and there, chuck on a layer of compost, and hope for the best.
The truth is that when it comes to gardening you can never guarantee complete success – so when gardeners stand aghast at their wilting wildflowers their drooping daisies and their failed fruit plants despite having done everything ‘right’ they can feel more than a little hard done by. However, there are some pieces of practical, functional gardening advice that have stood the test of time. Discover some useful answers to some of the most common gardening questions – ones that you won’t find on the back of a seed packet.