Ask a Master Gardener
Raised Beds
I am wondering if the flowers in my garden will survive the deep-freeze we just endured. Should my perennials survive or am I looking at having to replace a lot of plants. PF
Oftentimes the term perennial can be confusing so let’s talk a bit about plant classifications and growing zones.
When we go shopping for flowers, we tend to find them grouped into two categories: annuals and perennials. But annuals can be perennials and perennials can be annuals - depending on their growing zone...
Growing Potatoes
I want to try my hand at growing potatoes this year. Where do I get them and how do I take care of them? SJ
I love growing potatoes. They are pretty easy to grow and potatoes will keep for quite a while in the refrigerator.
The first thing you will need to do is find some seed potatoes. We recommend seed potatoes because oftentimes potatoes in the grocery store have been treated to keep them from sprouting. Apparently, potatoes with sprouts don’t sell as well as non-sprouted potatoes....
Master Gardener Plant Sale
I really want to expand my flower and vegetable gardens this year but I’m not sure where to start. What do you suggest? CS
Congratulations on wanting to add more flowers and vegetables to your garden. I agree, there are so many options it’s often hard to decide, let alone make an educated decision. Fortunately, the Tulsa Master Gardeners have you covered.
As many of you know, each year we have a plant sale. Last year about 3 weeks in to the online plant sale we had to pull the plug due...
Fertilizer Basics
All the numbers on bags of fertilizer are confusing. Can you explain what they mean? MR
Understanding the numbers on the fertilizer bags is essential before you can properly use the fertilizer. So, let’s dig in.
Soil nutrient management can be a little intimidating. I gave a Zoom presentation a few months back to a group of employees at a company about soil science and my friend who scheduled the lesson said: I have to admit, I didn’t know there was this much math in gardening. I thought...
Rose Rosette
It seems like I see so many posts on social media about rose rosette disease, how can I tell if my roses are infected? GM
Diagnosis is critical because there is no cure for rose rosette disease (RRD). Since roses will start to leaf out in a few weeks, let’s talk about how to identify RRD and what to do about it if your roses become infected.
Rose rosette can be identified from a variety of symptoms, but there are a couple that will really help you narrow in on a diagnosis.
Witches’...
Growing Strawberries
I’ve always wanted strawberries in my garden. What do I need to know? DK
Strawberries are the number one fruit crop in Oklahoma home gardens. It’s easy to see why. They are delicious and nutritious with one cup of strawberries providing you with more than the daily requirement for Vitamin C. So that’s a win-win in my book.
When planning your new strawberry garden, you need to plant them in an area that receives full sun. Plants located in areas with less than full sun will produce foliage,...
Pollination
I remember that my squash plants last year had a lot of blooms but produced very little squash. What do you think caused that? MW
We receive quite a few questions like this during the growing season and one of the keys to getting fruits and vegetables is good pollination. Before we answer your question, let’s talk about pollination.
In its most basic definition, pollination occurs when the pollen from the male part of the plant (the anther) moves to the female part of the plant (the pistil)....
Water Conservation Basics
I love my lawn and garden, but in the summer my water bill is painful. Any suggestions on how I can reduce my water usage while having a beautiful yard and garden at the same time? JM
Unfortunately, water usage rarely comes into consideration in most gardens because we tend to choose plants from an emotional level rather than a practical level. To underscore my point: have you ever purchased a plant or plants having no idea where you were going to put them? We all have, and I almost guarantee...
Starting Your Vegetable Garden
One of my New Year’s Resolutions is to start a vegetable garden. When can I start to plant? AG
Even though we just recently crossed over into 2021, we are a little over a month away from beginning to start some of our cool season vegetables. Some of these can be started from seed while you’ll have better success with others if you start them outdoors as plants. Let’s break it down a bit.
There are several plants you can start outside around mid-March: broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, lettuce,...