Sharon asks…
What would be the best time to start gardening?
My fiance and I are buying a house, we are just waiting to find out out the closing date right now, but we have a huge yard and i’m wanting to start a garden.I haven’t had much experience with gardening, so I would need some good hardy plants or flowers. We live in Tahlequah, OK which is about an hr or so southeast of Tulsa OK, so I think zone 6? The house also faces the south I believe if that helps any
thanks 
GardenersCardiff answers:
May 24 weekend is a rough guide. Depends on the last frost.
Ken asks…
How to prepare soil for gardening?
I’m very new to gardening, and I want to start one in my backyard. The problem is, the soil out there is very dry and I’m sure that nothing could grow in it if I tried now. I’m in zone 7b and I don’t know if I should replace the soil altogether or just add a bunch of fertilizer and compost. Any ideas?
Also, what I want to grow is small berries, tomatoes and other edibles.
GardenersCardiff answers:
Compost, and mulch mixed into soil use 1 cubic yard each per 5 foot by 5 foot area of garden, losen up soil well and mix into it, Also buy a couple 1 gallon bags of WORM CASTINGS
and mix into soil as well. Worm castings are excellent for plant growth. After you have palnted and your garden is coming up use SUPER THRIVE Root growth hormone, 1 cap full per gallon of water, use it every other time you water.
If you wish to control pests with out useing poisons, Go to the grocery store, buy 5 to 10 garlic bulbs, break them apart in a flat pan and roast them at 200 degrees for 10 minutes, let them cool, scatter them in the garden, keeps most bugs out, you can also buy ladybugs YES ladybugs at most garden centers, they are live, just sprinkle them around in the garden, they only eat other bugs, and will not hurt plants.
Best of luck Happy growing, . You can go ahead and amend your soil now for spring planting or fall planting depending on what you are growing.
Ruth asks…
zone 5 plants gardening question?
I live in Missouri and I think its zone 5
We have successfully planted elephant ears (thye were beautiful last summer) and extra large….well its that time a year again and we are looking to trim our property line Well I found some tropical palms that I absolutely would love to plant but im unsure if they will withstand the weather here. We are beginners at this gardening so we need advice before we start buying plants. We would like to plant them in the ground in the spring and then remove themm before winter but Im concerned that eventually we wont be able to get them in to the house here is a link to the one’s I would like to have.
http://cgi.ebay.com/3-GOLDEN-Cane-Palm-Plant-INDOOR-OUTDOOR-12-18-in-Tree_W0QQitemZ230077435928QQcategoryZ42219QQcmdZViewItem
Would someone with knowledge in gardening please advice if this is not a good idea to use these palms, also does anyone know of a site that I can search for the plants I can use in Missouri
Thank you
GardenersCardiff answers:
Here is the link the USDA zone map to find the correct zone for your area :
http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/ushzmap.html
Once you are sure that you have the correct zone, check the temperatures given against what you know yours are. If you are in an especially warm or cold spot for your area, you need to take that into account. Another consideration is soil type. What I remember of my short visit, passing through Missouri, the state has good loam, by and large and it is acidic, which is good for hardwood, deciduous trees. Is that how your area is? I do not know about tropical palms. I would guess from what I have seen is that they need good
drainage, lots of sand, for instance.
Here is a page with the requirements for this palm, also called “butterfly palm”:
http://www.ornamentalworld.com/Guide2.asp?PLANTID=0005700-0000
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