Doug Oster: Been a great spring in the garden, but we need some rain. If you're watering remember to go out early in the morning and really soak those plants.

JohnB: Doug, I am new to gardening and to start off I planted cherry tomatoes. I have kept them watered and used the miracle grow tomato fertilizer and stuff they are growing really well. But I don't know when I should pick them.

Doug Oster: Wait until they turn red, unless you like fried green tomatoes. You'll be able to tell if they are ready by the taste. If they are a little bitter, wait a couple days. Usually tomatoes are ready in July and August.

Slr: what would a good/low maintenance flower be for my patio?

Doug Oster: Sun or shade?

Slr: both

Doug Oster: In the sun there are lots of choices, and it depends on what kind of flowers you love. You can't go wrong with the Wave series of petunias. If you're looking for something a little different, try doubles. They look really cool. In the shade, impatiens are easy to grow and there are some really wonderful varieties. go to your favorite nursery and look around a bit.

Slr: since i live in an apt and only have a patio, what are my options for growing herbs or small vegetables? do i have any?

Doug Oster: Yes, you can get a large pot and fill it with herbs. Almost all of them do well in containers, place it in full sun. Most vegetables have varieties that are bred to grow stocky. Tomatoes are probably the most popular. You can find them called patio or container tomatoes.

Jim_B: I tried growing Lillies of the Valley for my fiance this past spring and got nothing. I bought the roots from Sam's Club in one of those 40 packs. These are her favorite flowers and I have been told they are very hard to grow. You have any tips for me on how to get them growing? I know after 2 months that these ones aren't going to grow so I will probably have to wait until next year.

Doug Oster: Actually they are very easy to grow, but it might not be your fault. Find another gardener who grows them and they will dig some out for you. You can do that any time, but the sooner the better. They won't bloom until next spring, but will get established this summer.

Contadino: Doug: My wife would like fragrant pure yellow roses. How does one find the right one without having to try every nursery?

Doug Oster: I would take a look online at one of the catalogs. Show her the pictures and see what she likes. They will send you one through the mail that is a bareroot plant. If you don't like to get plants from the mail, find the variety and call around to see who has one. Edmonds has a nice catalog here - http://www.edmundsroses.com/

greenthumb: Hi Doug, what is a good companion plant with Purple Dome Aster? I want a low, mounded plant.

Doug Oster: Try something in white or silver like artimesia, or alyssum, dusty miller although the dusty miller is not mounding, the color works well with the foliage and flowers of the aster. What do you think?

charlie15323: My apple trees have small apples the size of marbles, is it too late to spray them for bugs and diseases, and what would you suggest to use?

Doug Oster: It's not too late to spray, and apples that size right now are normal. First you have to be sure you need to spray, has the tree produced good apples before? Here's a link to a place that has a whole line of fruit tree sprays and explanations on what to use. www.gardensalive.com

Sparkydoodle: I am growing corn for the first time this year. I've read it should be planted in a square, for pollination. Because of the shape of my garden, this wasn't possible. So mine is planted in a line. Think I'll get corn?

Doug Oster: Pollination is going to be a problem. Corn is wind pollinated, so you might have to help out a bit when the tops start to show.

Greenthumb: Artemesia sounds great! Are there any 'flowering' plants you could suggest? I have Stella D'Oro daylilies back of Aster, so I'd prefer the flowering type

Doug Oster: How about coreopsis, it comes in yellows, orange and pink. Gaillardia might work, it's not mounding, but it has a long bloom time and would like the same conditions the aster does.

charlie15323: My hosta plants have overgrown covering my sidewalk, can I transplant them now, or would it be better to wait until fall or spring?

Doug Oster: You can do it now. I like to move them in the spring, but they are tough. I have the same problem and I move mine all the time. Sooner is better than later.

Contadino: I used to grow it on my front lawn till the smut got it, but had good results hand pollinating with plastic bag

Doug Oster: How did that work?

Doug Oster: I've had the best luck with corn when it's planted in blocks and in good soil. They are heavy feeders and need good soil to produce full sized ears. Nothing is sweeter than homegrown sweet corn.

Contadino: very well candy corn was wonderfully

Doug Oster: How about popcorn?

Sparkydoodle: Thanks for the info on corn. I am keeping my expectations in check. :) My pride and joy (soybeans) are doing great--and as long as I get tons of them I'll be happy.

Doug Oster: Have you grown soybeans before? How do you use them in the kitchen.

charlie15323: BY the way, thank you for the advise relative to the bug infestation on my hollyhocks, daily inspection shows the bugs were eliminated.

Doug Oster: Fantastic, the sawfly larvae is really destructive on hollyhocks and other plants from the same family. What did you use to get rid of them?

Contadino: Masc Donald's uses the soybeans itits Asian chicken salad

Doug Oster: Can you eat them raw, or are they better cooked. I've seen that they are easy to grow.

Sparkydoodle: I grew them for the first time last year. I cook them whole in boiling, salted water. Then you eat them by pushing the beans out of the pod with your teeth. I had them like that at Sushi Tomo restaurant and my whole family fell in love with them. Now soybeans take up 50% of my garden.

Doug Oster: How many plants are you growing?

charlie15323: I didn't have any Neem, but since it appeared that they were eating the leaves, I used a systemic, Orthenex

Doug Oster: That will do it. The Neem is a natural control that works well against pests.

Sparkydoodle: I have about 20 soybeans plants in my garden, and another 10 plants in pots. I also am growing tomatoes, tomatillos, sweet peppers, jalapenos, round zucchini, cucumber, and butternut squash. Think i got them all in there.

Doug Oster: Wow, how big is your garden? Have you grown tomatillos before?

Contadino: Doug we got some bishops weed last year at the plant swap. It fills in bare areas very nicely; however, we learned that it likes to strangle the roots of the Holly plant. It doesn't seem to bother the galliarda or coreopsis. is this just an affinity or the root structures of these two plants more resistant to the bishops weed..

Doug Oster: Hmmm, what happens to the holly?

Contadino: It begins to turn orange and dry up

Doug Oster: I wouldn't imagine bishop's weed could do that to a holly. That's interesting, are you sure the problem is the bishop's weed?

Sparkydoodle: My garden is probably more packed than it should be, and I grow many plants in pots. I haven't grown tomatillos before, but heard they are great in salsa! If you have any tomatillo tips, pls let me know. I have to run and meet with your P-G gardening partner, Susan, to show her a garden she's covering for the paper. Thanks again for the chat!

Doug Oster: Tomatillos use the same culture as tomatoes. Thanks for chatting.

charlie15323: Speaking of holly, mine have grown a bit out of control and I would like to trim them back, should I follow the same principles of pruning or can I cut them back just like my hedges?

Doug Oster: They can be cut back like a hedge. I prune mine up until September, then leave them alone. You don't want them to put on green growth too late for fear of winterkill.

Doug Oster: Anybody growing something unusual out there?

Doug Oster: I'm growing out a bunch of weird heirloom tomatoes for a story, can't wait to taste them!

charlie15323: Thank you for all the great advise. I look forward to your radio talk show, and Thursdays on Pittsburgh Live. Now I'm off to cut grass.

Doug Oster: Somebody's got to do it. Thanks

Contadino: When we moved the bishop's weed and untangled the roots the Holly perked up

Doug Oster: Wow, that's good to know. I had never heard of that before. One of the great things about gardening, you're always learning. Today we learned keep bishop's weed away from the holly!

Contadino: I would like to grow San Marzano tomatoes but have there failing years in a row.

Doug Oster: San Marzano is a great variety, the soil should be improved with organic matter and the plants will go to town.

Contadino: Off to lunch, great program. sorry we missed the plant swap this year.

Doug Oster: Enjoy, thanks for chatting. We'll see you next year at the plant swap.

Contadino: we didn't realize it was somewhat invasive.

Doug Oster: We've still got 15 minutes, I'm all yours!

Mkfarlow:My rhododendron is looking sorry. It was newly planted last year and nearly died because it got dry during the summer. It seemed to be recovering and bloomed profusely--now leaves have brown edges and some growth is healthy but a branch died. Advice?

Doug Oster: Keep it watered, take off the dead wood and look for signs of borers. Little holes in the bark with some sawdust looking stuff down below are indicative of borers. Is there new growth?

Greenthumb: How can I prevent deer chewing on Hydrangea buds? They did last fall, and I'm left with no flowers this season

Doug Oster: You can either fence the plant or spray it with something the deer don't like. Liquid Fence works well. I've got a homemade recipe for a deer spray at the radio show web site-www.theorganicgardeners.com

BB: My fuschia leaves are getting round dark spots, the leaves turn yellow and fall off. I found a small green grasshopper type insect on a leaf. What can I do to get rid of the problem yet keep the plant safe for the Hummingbirds?

Doug Oster: I'm wondering about the soil it's planted in, or too much water. Tell me more.

Mkfarlow:yes a few of the shoots are bright green and healthy--that is encouraging. But there is also a mottled look to some of them.

Doug Oster: The older leaves sometimes will start to look that way usually from fungal issues, but they are rarely fatal. As long as the plant has new growth and bloomed well you should be in good shape. Last summers dry weather stressed lost of woody shrubs. Keep an eye on it, give it a little Hollytone, and water it when things get dry.

Mkfarlow:how about chipmunks? anything to keep them from tunneling everywhere? They like my rock garden.

Doug Oster: The only thing you can do is trap them either with a Havaheart or a rat trap. You'll never get them all, but you will make a dent in the population.

BB: I purchased the plant so I am not sure about the type of soil. I do water it everyday as it seems to dry out.

Doug Oster: Hummm, I'm thinking you should have it in a bigger pot, and fertilize it and grow it in part shade. How big is the pot?

Mkfarlow:someone suggested dried blood??

Doug Oster: People use it as a repellent, but I've never found it to work against chipmunks. Those holes are annoying, but the little guys usually don't go after our plants.

BB: Thank you

Doug Oster: Anybody else? We're just about to sign off, but I'd be glad to answer one or two more.

BB: Not sure about the pot size. It is one of those white regular hanging baskets sold in garden stores.

Doug Oster: I would get a bigger one, put some good planting mix in there and fertilize lightly every other week. It's a pretty hardy plant that can outgrow most problems with a good place to grow.

Doug Oster: Thanks everyone for all the great questions. Please join me next week at the same time. If you think of a question later just log onto www.post-gazette.com/garden and click on the Garden Forum button and post your question there.

Mkfarlow: thanks Doug