Some gardeners shy away from growing plants in containers because of endless "failure" stories buzzing in their heads. Container plantings are not difficult, but you do need to keep a few things in mind--including selection of container, type of planting mix, feeding and watering needs. These are the variables differentiating growing plants in the ground from growing them in containers.

First of all, different types of containers will lead to different types of watering needs. For example, terracotta pots are probably the most porous of the clay pots. This porosity allows the soil to dry out more quickly. Glazed pots are next in line. The glaze on the outside of the pot actually helps to keep moisture in more than a non-glazed clay pot would. Thick cement containers probably fall in line together with the glazed pots. Finally, there are plastic and some of the new composite material containers. These containers will hold the moisture far longer than the other pots.

The soil mix itself should breathe and should be light and airy. We recommend using an all organic potting soil for most plants. But be sure to use the right type of potting soil for your plant. Most plants do fine in normal potting soil, but the reason you'll see things like "cactus mix" on the shelves is that some plants have special needs.

Because plants in containers have a limited amount of soil area, they will need to be fed more often than plants in the ground. We recommend feeding most plants every two weeks with a liquid or water-soluble plant food or every two months with a dry fertilizer. Again, some plants have different needs, so adjust as necessary for your own container garden.

Plants in containers can often suffer from dehydration, especially in the summer months of the year. Water those that need moist soil frequently, especially if your container is made of a more porous material. Drought-tolerant plants will like a pot that dries out quickly, but a water-needy plant will want to have consistently moist (but not wet) conditions.

If you let your potting soil dry out too much, the root ball will shrink and the water will run straight down the sides and out of the bottom of your container. If this happens, you will need to leave the water dripping into your container for a long enough time to rehydrate the potting soil. If the container is small enough, dunk it into a big bucket of water and let it sit there for a few minutes until the root ball expands again and properly fills the pot.

Container gardening is a wonderful way to add splashes of plants and color in all areas of your outdoor rooms, and for those with only small patios, container gardening is the only way to go. Just remember not to treat container plants exactly like in-ground plantings, and you'll be fine.

We all have been thrilled by the Queen of the Garden this spring; the first rose bloom has been absolutely fabulous. If you haven't been by the garden center and wandered through the rows of hybrid teas, floribundas, English, Romantica, tree roses and climbers, we invite you to do so. The color palette and fragrant bouquet is out of this world.

First, a note on summer planting: there are those that think rose planting season is over by now. After all, it's past the first of June; aren't they supposed to be planted in cold weather at bare root season? Nonsense. You can plant roses in the summer!

Almost everyone loves roses but many people don't grow them because they think roses are difficult to care for. Not so. They do require some care, but new resistant varieties are much easier to care for than the roses our grandparents grew. Following are the basic care tips for growing this Queen of the Garden.

Here are a few tips for hot weather planting: Always make sure the rose is well watered before planting; never plant (or fertilize) a dry or wilted plant. Provide lots of water after planting. It's a good idea to trim back some of the top growth so the roots don't have to work so hard. You can safely take off about 1/3 of the top growth. Use lots of planting mix and save some for a top dressing of mulch to help keep the roots cool.

Roses perform best in bright sunny areas. Choose a location where access for pruning and maintenance is easy and where the plant is not likely to be exposed to too much overhead watering, (such as lawn sprinklers) which could result in continual mildew problems. 
 
Planting: Once you have chosen a location, plant your rose carefully to ensure a healthy start. Use a quality soil mix to blend 50/50 with your existing soil. Dig a hole 1.5 times as big as the container size you are planting. Use your soil blend in the bottom and handle the root ball carefully, using two hands to place it inside the hole. Next, using your soil blend, fill in around the sides of the root ball. Water the root ball thoroughly and let the soil settle naturally. Remember to water daily, as the rose gets established. You can begin fertilizing in 2-3 weeks.

Once the first blooms fade, what is your next step? Deadhead, water, fertilize and mulch. Pretty darn simple.  
 
Deadhead: This encourages your rose to grow more secondary canes that will give you the next bloom cycle.  Make your cuts just above (1/4") an outward facing 5-leaflet. How far down the cane? That is your choice. During the bud/bloom time, some cut long stems to take into the house. Others cut back to shape and maintain a certain size to the rose bush throughout the season. Cut off cross canes and any canes coming up from below the graft union (those are suckers from the root stock). 
 
Water: Roses love water. Keep the soil moist but not with standing water. 
 
Fertilize: Roses love to eat; wouldn't you after all the work of producing these blooms? (Just a quick product note: If you use a systemic food with pesticides, it will not only kill rose pests, but beneficial insects as well.) 
 
Mulch: Cover the soil with 2-3 inches of mulch (cocoa mulch, small or shredded bark) surrounding the rose bush. Keep mulch away from the main stem/graft area. Mulch will keep weeds down, moisture in the soil, and increase the health of your soil.

Keep an eye out for the following pests:

Aphids: Tiny insects found on the tips of new growth and buds.

Bristly rose slug: This larva of the sawfly is found on the underside of the leaves. It eats leaf tissue, leaving a lace effect. It's not hard to control, but will do a lot of damage if ignored.

Thrips: Tiny insects found on the inside of flowers, thrips cause distorted and stunted blossoms. They usually show up at the end of summer.

Powdery mildew: A fungal disease that looks like white dust on the leaves.

Rust: A fungal disease that looks like orange powder on the backs of the leaves. Avoid watering late in the day to help prevent fungal problems.

Neem oil and narrow range oil will take care of most problems. It's good to have some on hand to catch problems early.

There is a wealth of information available on rose care. By following the simple basics discussed here, even the beginning gardener should be able to enjoy roses. Just remember: lots of sunshine, lots of water and regular feeding.

We look forward to strolling with you through the rose section of our garden center and helping you with the best selection of roses for your garden. 

* First off, consider converting your overhead irrigation to drip irrigation for all non-lawn areas if you haven’t already done so. This concentrates the water where it needs to be (around the plant root ball) while eliminating excess runoff and evaporation.

* Water early in the morning when the temperatures are cooler and the sun isn’t as intense. Thus, more water will penetrate your plants instead of evaporating into the air. The best time is between 4:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m.

* When hand watering, make sure to place your nozzle near the base of the plant instead of above the plant where water is wasted wetting the foliage.

* Water lawns deeper instead of more frequently when it gets hotter. You should have your timers set to water only until your lawn reaches the point of runoff. After that no additional water can be absorbed. Most lawns can get by on 20-30 minutes of water every three days. They may not look as good but they will survive. Deeper watering encourages the roots to go down further to chase the water which results in less heat stress on the roots.

* Raise the mowing height on your mower. Taller grass cools and shelters the roots below helping to reduce the need for more frequent watering.

* Add a granulated soil conditioner to the lawn to help break up compacted soil particles and aerate your soil, allowing roots to penetrate deeper into the soil. This also helps the lawn become more resistant to pests, disease and weeds.

* Cover open areas around plants and trees with a two-inch layer of mulch to reduce evaporation, keep the soil moist and cool, and to help prevent weeds.

*Make sure to pull weeds as needed to reduce competition for water and feed your garden at least quarterly to help your plants stay healthy and strong. Use a plant food with lower, slow release nitrogen to prevent rampant, soft, fleshy new growth that uses lots of water.

* Add a granulated soil polymer to potting soil when planting in containers. It expands when watered, holding water in the soil longer.

* Leave a two-inch space between the top of the soil and the rim of your container so that there is enough room for holding water without flowing down the sides of your pot. Place a layer of mulch or bark on top of the soil to help retain moisture.

By incorporating these garden tips every year, year-round and not just in a drought year; your garden will not only survive a drought situation, but also use less water, thereby helping to prevent future water shortages.

We spend thousands of dollars on our lawns, and hundreds of hours of work to make them beautiful, but sometimes there just is no protection against a common lawn fungus, and it can take months to bring our lawns back from an attack.  So be proactive; mow and water regularly, and learn to recognize the signs of a fungal attack so that applications of a fungicide can save your lawn and help your wallet.

Common fungus types are the following:

Fairy Ring: 
Bright green circular areas that appear to be growing more rapidly than the rest of your lawn are probably fairy rings, a fungus that often occurs after an extremely rainy period.  If the fairy ring consists only of mushrooms or puffballs, with no stimulated grass growth, simply rake off and dispose of these fungal fruiting structures. If handling the mushrooms, wash your hands when done. 

As serious injury to the turf does not occur often with fairy rings, the most practical method of dealing with them in lawns is through a cosmetic approach. Disguise the symptoms by providing adequate water deep into the root zone, and by applying moderate rates of fertilizers. This will increase the vigor of the surrounding grass to the level more like that of the grass in the fairy ring. Excessive application of water or fertilizer should be avoided as either may contribute to other turf diseases or stimulate fairy ring development. More frequent mowing may make the difference in height between the grass of the fairy ring and adjacent grass less conspicuous.

In rare cases where complete eradication of a fairy ring is necessary, the sod and underlying soil in a band 40 to 55 cm (app. 15-20 in) in front of and in back of the ring can be removed to a depth of 20 to 90 cm (app. 8-35 in.), depending on the extent of the development of the ring. The resulting hole should be replaced with clean, preferably sterilized, topsoil or soil mix. New sod or seed can then be established where the fairy ring was removed. Soil fumigants are sometimes effective for eliminating fairy rings, but this treatment must only be done by a licensed pest control applicator who is qualified to safely use toxic fumigants.

Dollar Spot:
That straw-colored spot the size of a silver dollar in your lawn is a fungus that thrives on dry, undernourished lawns.  Small, white, cobwebby spots in the morning that turn brown later in the day, is best treated by application of a sulfur fungicide to the affected areas every 3 to 5 days until the spots are gone.  After treatment, apply frequent, light applications of nitrogen to aid your lawn in its recovery, and regular mowing to cut off the tips of the infected grass, eventually eliminating the fungus.

Pythium Blight:
This particular fungus presents as a blackened, water-soaked appearance of patches of grass in your lawn.  During humid weather, you may also see a cottony growth also known as cottony blight or grease spot. Prevention is your best method of avoiding it; water your lawn in the early morning instead of the late evening.

Rhizoctonia blight:
Also called brown patch or summer patch, this is a fungus that kills circular patches of the grass up to 2 feet in diameter.  It flourishes in warm temperatures, especially with damp conditions caused by thatch, and St. Augustine grass is particularly vulnerable.  Apply a sulfur fungicide to the infected areas every 3 to 5 days until the symptoms improve.  To avoid reoccurrence, remove underlying thatch with a rake or a dethatcher, avoid applying heavy doses of nitrogen fertilizers, and improve drainage.

This is by no means a complete list of lawn fungals, but the common themes of over-watered lawns, dry lawns, and poorly maintained lawns can lead to unwanted fungus.  If you see what you think may be a problem, identify the condition, and treat accordingly.  Our garden center experts are here to help you grow and maintain a beautiful and healthy lawn. 

What does the term "systemic" mean on a chemical label?

Answer:
"Systemic" is a term that refers to a chemical that can be absorbed by a plant through the foliage or root system.

• Systemic insecticides not only kill insects and disease on contact but also remain in the plant and kill insects when they feed on the foliage.
• Systemic fungicides remain in and on the plant longer to not only kill disease on contact put provide a layer of protection to prevent future attacks for some time.
• With weed control sprays, the chemical is absorbed by the plant all the way down to the roots, completely killing the weed.

Systemic products should never be used on any edible plants or crops.