About Juicy

City People's Garden Store

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  I want to install drip irrigation for my home garden.

  0 0 Hello, I've set up several drip irrigation systems, as well as teaching a drip irrigation at City people's Garden Store, where I work. There are way too many choices and I've narrowed it down to the essentials. I'd be happy to show you what I consider the best method. I work at City peeps (in Madison valley) Mon, Fri, and Sat. Ask for Jose, I'd be happy to help you! Juicy answered in Other Gardening about 1 year ago Answer, comment & read 3 more answers »

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  What can I grow on my low-sun patio?

  2 0 Hi there! Even though you won't be able to grow tomatoes, basil, and other sun loving herbs and veggies, I do have a few suggestions for you. For herbs, mint does well in part shade...it might get a little leggy as it reaches for the light, but it does pretty well, especially big leafed varieties (kentucky colonel mint is a good one). Parsley can also take some shade. Try to plant these in a place that gets the most light in your dim patio. You've got more choices with flowers. Impatiens, both the standard types and the more specialty types (rosebud, fusion, new guinea, firefly are a few different forms of impatiens), Begonias (big, bold splashy color in reds, oranges, yellows, white, pinks), Fucshias (hummingbirds love 'em), Bacopa (trailing white flowered beauty), Coleus for their leaf shape and colors, Browallia. Those are all colorful annuals that perform well in our area. Feeding, watering and deadheading will be your main jobs. For perennials look to the Fern family, Hellebores, hardy Fuchsias, 'Wilma Goldcrest' Cypress is a bold shot of chartreuse foliage throughout the year (you can get them small, too, for container planting!), Hostas. That's a few to get you going. There are plenty more. Many of the annuals I mentioned are almost ready to be planted out. The growers are just starting to release them. By April, I'll have many of these plants in our nursery. Come on down, and we'll help you pick the right plant for the right place! Happy planting!!!~ Juicy Juicy answered in Edibles & Herbs about 1 year ago Answer, comment & read 2 more answers »

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  What is wrong with my jasmine?

  1 0 That's actually a Daphne odora. The smell on them is amazing, and they'll even bloom when they're leaves look scorched. Many Daphnes were hit hard this year by our winter. The final cold snap really torched the leaves of many of them, especially if they were out in the open- not protected by a canopy of trees or near a house to provide some shelter. I would remove the worst of the foliage and wait to see how it leafs out after flowering. I might give it a dose of some liquid kelp meal (sold as maxi-crop...it's organic) to encourage some new growth, but don't overdo the fertilizer. They like a free draining soil- if your soil is wet or waterlogged, they'll show signs of stress and won't thrive. They're naturally slow to grow, taking many years to get up to a respectable size. They like filtered light in a protected spot. North or eastern exposure is the best. Good luck!~ Juicy Juicy answered in Flowers about 1 year ago Answer, comment & read 2 more answers »

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  Is it too late to plant Dahlias?

  2 0 Hello! Dahlia bulbs (they're actually called tubers) like warm soil temperatures. The are should be well draining. They are native to Central America and Mexico. Given that bit of info, it is actually too early to plant them. I usually plant my tubers in mid April, even though air temps may be above 60 degrees. My soil is clay and takes a while to warm up in spring. A tuber sitting in wet spring soil will be more likely to rot in the ground or just have a very weak start. But sometimes you have to plant earlier, or it's just too tempting not to put them in the ground. One trick to warm up the soil faster is putting clear plastic or a tarp over the area a week or two before planting. This will dry the area out, and also warm the soil up a bit. Remove the covering before planting. Another trick is mounding the area- an area of soil that is raised above the rest of the garden, what we call a raised bed. This has some great advantages- warmer soil earlier in the season, easier to upkeep and weed, and it looks nice... Here's a good rule of thumb that will help guide you with dahlias: Dahlias and tomatoes need similar conditions to do their best. Good luck with your tubers!!!!~ Juicy Juicy answered in Flowers about 1 year ago Answer, comment & read 2 more answers »

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  Where's a good place to get a push mower sharpened?

  1 0 Here's a contact for you. He comes in to sharpen shears, knives etc for our customers and will most likely have a contact for you if he cannot do the work himself on your old fashioned reel: www.northwestsharpening.com 425-895-8408 Juicy answered in Other Gardening about 1 year ago Answer, comment & read 4 more answers »

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  When should I plant herbs in Seattle?

  1 0 We can grow almost every herb here in the PNW. What guides us when to plant is our SOIL temperature. End of March and April is a great time to plant herbs: Thyme, Mint, Chamomile, Lavender, Rosemary, Parsley, Chives, Dill, Fennel, Oregano, Sage- these can all be planted now. Wait to plant Basil and Cilantro and Lemon Verbena until soil temperatures are above 45 degrees. Notice I said SOIL temp and not AIR temp. We can be tricked into thinking it's safe to plant warm weather loving herbs because it's 60 degrees out- while the soil may still be around 40 degrees- and that's a little chilly for basil and cilantro... Containers work well for herbs- and can give you a head start because the soil in containers warm up faster than the open ground. Lavender and sage and rosemary and thyme tolerate and prefer poor fast draining soil. If you have heavy clay soil, choose your spot carefully when planting these herbs. Most of the rest of the herbs can take some wet soil. Herbs are fun, easy, and rewarding. Enjoy them! Juicy answered in Edibles & Herbs about 1 year ago Answer and comment »

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  Where can I take all the rocks from my garden?

  2 0 You can try calling Bedrock Industries, a recycling place in Seattle: http://www.bedrockindustries.com/ They may have a good suggestion for you. or: Use them for mosaics. Use for edges on your beds. Juicy answered in Other Gardening about 1 year ago Answer, comment & read 2 more answers »

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  My garden soil is over fertilized. What can I do to it to make it less dense?

  2 0 Hi! Many early spring food crops (lettuces, cabbages, kale) have a fairly shallow root system, and will love your garden soil you described. For crops that require more root room (carrots, beets, asparagus- most 'root' crops), you may need to dig a little deeper to break up and sometimes even remove some of that heavy clay buried underneath- use compost to amend the garden soil- I'll even use fine shredded bark when planting shrubs and trees in my clay soil. Consider applying Gypsum- it's an amendment that helps loosen and break up the clay particles. It takes a couple seasons for it to start to work it's magic, so the sooner you apply it the better. Use recommended rates. For summer crops- tomatoes, peppers, squash, beans, etc, you may have to mound the soil. these summer crops don't like cold soils and clay soils take a lot of time to warm up in the spring. By mounding the soil, you help by creating an environment that allows the soil to heat up quicker. Other tricks to warm up clay soils in spring: use a plastic tarp or covering over an area you want to plant a week or so before you plant. Not only does this dry out the area, it warms it up too Clay soil is made up of platelets that have been smashed and 'glued' together- your job is to encourage the break up of those platelets. One of the ways is by consistent application of compost as a mulch to help replace the organic material that breaks down in every garden. As the compost breaks down, it releases and encourages beneficial microbes to enliven and literally break up the soil. Clay soil has a high nutrient content, but these nutrients are locked up in the soil structure. Diligent amending and mulching will help unlock those nutrients so they are available to your plants. In the long run, you will have to use less fertilizer! Happy gardening!!! Juicy answered in Other Gardening about 1 year ago Answer and comment »

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