This time of year everyone has a different question for me. Here are 3 quick facts that everyone should know about summertime gardening, thanks to your questions.
Q: Why are my plants nice and bushy but no flowers?
A: Use a fertilizer with a high middle number, like 20-52-20. The middle number promotes flowering.
Q: Why is my tree growing from the base of its trunk?
A: Those are suckers and they need to be removed. It doesn’t hurt the tree, just is a bit unsightly.
Q: What is wrong with my white snow ball tree? It flowers beautifully then it is covered in bugs eating its leaves.
A: That is a Viburnum and they are susceptible to Viburnum leaf beetle. While a lovely flower it is worth removing and replacing with a less susceptible variety or another spring flowering shrub like a Serviceberry or Flowering Dogwood.