Ask The Gardener: Hydrangeas, planting tomatoes with pallets and more

Everybody Gardens editor Doug Oster gets asked a lot of questions. A lot. And he doesn’t mind offering gardening advice. But rather than just limiting those answers to the person who asked, we thought it might be a good idea to share that wealth of knowledge with everybody.

There are three ways to send in your questions:

Email askdoug@535mediallc.com
Submit your question on our “Your Garden” section of our site
Send us a message on Facebook.

(The questions may be lightly edited for grammar/clarity/etc.)

hydrangeas

Question 1: Hydrangea flowers

Becky: My hydrangeas are looking fabulous so far this season! Can I cut some off to put in a vase for my mom? If so, what’s the best way and place to cut some off? I don’t want to hurt anything on them going forward.

Doug: Don’t worry about cutting some of the flowers for a vase. Follow the flowerhead back a ways to where it is attached to the plant and cut there. The plant will put on buds as soon as it’s done blooming, so enjoy the the flowers.

Becky: She loved them!

Question 2: Planting tomatoes with pallets

Kandy: I spoke with you at the Master Gardener Plant Sale in West Kittanning. My question to you was whether to cage my tomatoes or leave them lay. You told me, if possible, I could use pallets and just put mulch on top of the pallet. My question is, are the tomatoes going to grow up through the slats in the pallets? Some of the spacing between the slats is small. Do I need to cut out a larger opening? I would appreciate more information on how to do this.

Doug: Yes, the plants grow through the slots. Usually the plants are small enough to be planted that way, but if they are bigger or the slots in the pallet are too small, then a little area will need to be cut out. I’ve always been able to get mine planted between the existing slats. Be sure the pallets weren’t used to bring in some kind of chemical. I used pallets from my local nursery and asked them what they were used for. The vines will ramble over the pallets, and the wood keeps the fruit off the ground and away from slugs.

Question 3: Crushed herb garden

Tina: I have an herb garden under a huge maple tree. Most of what’s in it comes up every year. I had the tree cut down several weeks ago. I wasn’t there and most of the logs were left in a pile on my herb garden. The logs were too huge for me to move on my own. They were finally moved, and there’s nothing there now. Tarragon, oregano, chives, and I just planted comfrey and horse radish. Should I just assume everything is gone and won’t come back or should I wait a while and see?

Doug: I would wait and see what comes up. Give it a couple of weeks. Then you can decide what needs to be planted. Horseradish will outlive us all.

Question 4: Avenger

Thomas: Do you recommend Avenger weed killer? What’s the other 87 percent? Is there a true organic weed killer?

Doug: Yes, this is good stuff. As long as it’s OMRI-certified, we know that it’s safe. It’s also very effective. Most of the product is water. Check out the Material Safety Data Sheet for Avenger here.