15 votes
Accepted

How do I plant potatoes that sprouted in my pantry?

First, if the potatoes are big, you should cut them into smaller pieces so that you have one or two eyes (the bit that's sprouting) on each piece. Leave the cut pieces out for a day or so to allow the ...
Niall C.'s user avatar
  • 7,199
14 votes
Accepted

Should trees be staked when they are planted?

Should all trees be staked when they are planted? First, you have to find out Why people stake trees. What benefits are there to staking young trees? In nature, trees can germinate, grow, and mature ...
J. Musser's user avatar
  • 51.8k
14 votes
Accepted

What is the difference between male and female asparagus plants, and is it important for growing?

Male asparagus plants don't produce seeds; female plants do. With asparagus, you need to allow some stalks to grow fully over the growing season in order to provide energy for next year's growth. ...
Niall C.'s user avatar
  • 7,199
12 votes
Accepted

What is a good method for planting Ball and Burlap trees?

Time of year: Any time of year works, as long as the ground is not frozen, or the air very hot and dry. Obviously frozen ground will be 'hard to work with', and you will not be able to plant the tree ...
J. Musser's user avatar
  • 51.8k
11 votes
Accepted

Planting magnolia tree a little 'high'

There are a couple of problems with your description of how you're going to plant this tree. First, no plant should be planted less than a foot (as a minimum) away from a fence or wall, so if you ...
Bamboo's user avatar
  • 132k
10 votes
Accepted

Dwarf Apple tree in heavy clay

Apple trees do well in clay. There are a few things you could do different next time: do not put stones or other soil amendments in the bottom of the hole. If the planting hole has reached the clay ...
kevinskio's user avatar
  • 58.8k
10 votes
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What to do with 250 seeds!

Seed lasts quite a while. It is said at least 30 percent of your seed is non viable the next year but I've seen maybe 10 percent or really normal germination. Keep your excess seed in the dark, ...
stormy's user avatar
  • 40.2k
10 votes

I need to grow one radish plant per pot, for a science experiment. How many seeds do I plant?

If you really need one plant growing in the center of the pot, then get 3 or 4 pots, mark them with numbers (so you don't bias your experiment by choosing the one that is "growing the best" or ...
alephzero's user avatar
  • 11.4k
9 votes

Does the garlic clove need to grow pointed end up?

You don't plant the whole bulb, but split them into cloves, and plant each of the cloves separately. Each clove will develop a new bulb that will be oriented correctly. I doubt it matters if the ...
Graham Chiu's user avatar
  • 23.1k
9 votes

Are all plants able to be cloned?

The term you need is actually 'vegetatively propagated' rather than 'cloned'. The answer is, essentially, yes, by and large, almost all plants can be vegetatively propagated, though different parts of ...
Bamboo's user avatar
  • 132k
8 votes

How do I plant potatoes that sprouted in my pantry?

Staring with the basics, potatoes will take about 12 weeks from planting to cropping, and the plants will be killed by the first frost. (The actual potatoes will be fine since they are underground, ...
alephzero's user avatar
  • 11.4k
7 votes

Should dead-looking sections be removed from bulbs before planting?

Plant them as is, do not try to mend the bulbs. At best the bulb just needs some moisture from the surrounding soil. At worst, the bulb simply won't grow. If you are concerned about disease, you can ...
Escoce's user avatar
  • 6,356
7 votes
Accepted

Should dead-looking sections be removed from bulbs before planting?

The outer layers are thick, dry and dark brown. Should I peel them away, or is there reason to believe they may be protecting the healthy part of the bulb? Only remove them if they are hanging ...
J. Musser's user avatar
  • 51.8k
7 votes
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Growing hot peppers indoors on the West Coast

Read all you can about indoor growing & seek out varieties that are know to do well in containers. (Example 1: Datil Pepper) (Example 2: Pineapple Rocoto) (Example 3: Bhut Jolokia / Ghost) The ...
renesis's user avatar
  • 1,760
7 votes
Accepted

Does the garlic clove need to grow pointed end up?

It matters. Not in the "critical and you won't get garlic" sense, but you will get weird misshapen garlic if they are not base down, tip up. Not my picture, but I've grown these, and it's due to mis-...
Ecnerwal's user avatar
  • 23.2k
7 votes
Accepted

What part of a blackberry bush do I plant to make a new bush

If we're talking about commonly referred to Rubus, most plants in the genus can be propagated 3 ways, by cuttings, by sectioning off suckers - the easiest if there are suckers present already, or by ...
Ben Cannon's user avatar
7 votes

Reforestation in my town

You need to contact whatever your town's version of a city planner is. If you go around planting random trees, they're liable to poison them or cut them down. They don't want them growing into peoples ...
Dalton's user avatar
  • 5,102
7 votes

What is the proper way to plant a bush under an established fruit tree?

You can't - if you want to plant close to a tree, it has to be done when you first plant the tree, at the same time, in other words. You could plant near the apple tree, but not under the canopy.
Bamboo's user avatar
  • 132k
7 votes

Should I try planting my plant in soil?

I've grown basil hydroponically using aquarium water for the nutrients and it looked a lot better than yours which needs a lot more sunlight. In fact most of the basil I see in the supermarket seems ...
Graham Chiu's user avatar
  • 23.1k
7 votes

A webapp that enables gardeners to create planting calendars for their region. How can I improve it?

That's cool. I was impressed at some of the options you had, and the level of detail. Here are some things I think you could do to improve the site (take this with a grain of salt, since I didn't ...
Brōtsyorfuzthrāx's user avatar
6 votes

Does the garlic clove need to grow pointed end up?

Well it depends on what you want. If you are going to harvest it later on then you probably want to plant them mostly straight up and down. If you aren't harvesting, it'll probably grow just fine and ...
Escoce's user avatar
  • 6,356
6 votes

Will Sunchoke grow from "fingers"?

It will grow from wherever it has the means to sprout, as with potatoes. It is also almost impossible to eradicate once you establish a bed, so pick your location carefully, thinking about the long ...
Ecnerwal's user avatar
  • 23.2k
6 votes

How close to space sweet basil?

6" tall and droopy sounds like insufficient light... Spacing depends on your intended use/harvest strategy, IME. Last year I did mine 9"x9" (23cm) with intention to harvest them younger than my ...
Ecnerwal's user avatar
  • 23.2k
6 votes

Can I mulch a plant bed before planting in it?

Yes you can. I've had to do that numerous times in order to help suppress weeds until I can get the shrubs in. I would, however, recommend against it. It can be pretty annoying to have to move all ...
Tyler K.'s user avatar
  • 1,719
6 votes
Accepted

First time gardener using a small raised planter - how to plant seeds?

Welcome to Vegetable Gardening! To start off, you want to prepare your soil. Mix some soil, compost and fertilizer in the planter. I prefer organic material but that is optional. In terms of ...
JStorage's user avatar
  • 7,894
6 votes

I need to grow one radish plant per pot, for a science experiment. How many seeds do I plant?

If its radishes, and only one small pot, plant 3 or 4 seeds - thin out later after germination, when they've developed two true leaves each (the first 'leaves' are the cotyledons, and don't count) to ...
Bamboo's user avatar
  • 132k
6 votes

Is there a difference between seeds that are for planting vs sprouting? If so, what are they?

There is a difference, which is that typically the vegetable garden planting packet variety of seeds are selection is controlled. Plant vendors grow specific varieties of plants to be sold in food ...
CloneZero's user avatar
  • 1,430
6 votes
Accepted

Planting yucca seed sprouts

They look fine. Roots will find its way down automatically via gravity, let nature take its course. The cotyledons (first leaves) will open soon. Nice that you have seeds from Yucca, most people use ...
benn's user avatar
  • 13.1k
6 votes
Accepted

How should I grow Cornus sanguinea with respect to surrounding ground covering?

Cornus sanguinea usually provides dense shade when its leaves are out. It also gets woody fast. As the flowers and fruit are insignificant most people only plant it for the stem colour. As the stems ...
kevinskio's user avatar
  • 58.8k
6 votes
Accepted

Pinus pinea close to the house

I don't know that I'd consider it dangerous to plant the tree that close, but from a design perspective I wouldn't do it with any large tree - the tree will eventually dwarf the house and the effect ...
Jurp's user avatar
  • 18.6k

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