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Jessica Walliser Columns category, Page 3

Pope Francis, first Latin American pontiff, dies at 88
Keep your compost pile cooking all winter long
Compost is often referred to as “gardener’s gold” and rightfully so. Its ability to add organic matter, nutrients, and beneficial microbes to the soil, along with improving the soil’s over all structure, is unparalleled. Adding compost to our clay-based soils opens up pores within the soil to allow easier passage...
Learn how to propagate bleeding hearts
Question: I have a bleeding heart that was given to me by my mother-in-law. My daughter would like to have a piece of the plant, but I’m not sure how to divide it since it has died back for the season. What is the best time to divide a bleeding...
Spittlebugs are common finds in the spring garden
Have you ever come across what looks like a blob of spit clinging to a plant in your garden? If so, then you’ve had the “pleasure” of meeting a spittlebug. While finding the white, bubbly blobs of spittlebugs clinging to the stems of your precious plants is pretty disgusting, there...
Why’s the daylily looking so brown?
Question: This is a photo of our daylily. The flowers are beautiful, but the leaves are striped with brown. Do you know what’s wrong with it and what we can do to keep it from happening in the future? Answer: Daylilies (Hemerocallis species) are popular perennials for sunny areas of...
7 compact plants perfect for small pollinator gardens
Gardens can be really beautiful places, full of color and interest, that bring peace and joy to those who tend and visit them. But, gardens can also serve purposes far beyond their beauty. Gardens can foster and support pollinators and other insects, increase local biodiversity and provide food and shelter...
Remedies for fungus gnats on philodendrons
Question: I was given a Philodedron scandens oxycardium. The original plant was around 20 years old, was divided, and I was given 1/3 of it. The plant is in a container and weighs about 150 lbs. It is outside on a screen in porch that gets the morning sun. It...
The culprit to blame for missing flower buds
I’ve heard from a few gardeners this season, asking about what’s happening to their flower buds. The damage, at first, seems like it may be rabbits, deer or groundhogs nibbling off the flower buds before they can open, but after a bit of investigation, it’s often discovered that a small...
When is the right time to dig potatoes?
Question: We have a few raised beds in our backyard. We’ve grown zucchini, tomatoes, peppers and basil for the last few years, and we planted seed potatoes in one of the beds earlier this spring. The plants are green and very big, but we aren’t sure when to dig the...
Overcome these 4 nagging zucchini problems
There’s a joke among gardeners who grow zucchini. During good years, we tease about leaving a few baseball bat-sized zucchini on the neighbor’s stoop and doing the old ding-dong-dash just to get rid of them. But, the truth is that it always seems to be feast or famine when it...
Why kohlrabi split and how to grow them
Question: I grew kohlrabi in my garden this year. Most of them split. What causes them to split and are they still safe to eat? Answer: For those not familiar with this delicious and crunchy vegetable, let me sing the praises of the kohlrabi before I dive into what likely...
When and how to harvest winter squash
Winter squash varieties are a staple in many gardens, thanks to their prolific fruiting, their ease of growth, and the long shelf life of the fruits. Whether you grow acorn, butternut, delicata, Turk’s cap or any one of the other dozens of types of winter squash, the most important part...
7 succession planting tips for extending the season’s harvest
Question: I’ve pulled out the spring crops I had in my garden, such as the peas, lettuce and spinach. I now have lots of room to grow some new things, but I’m not sure what to plant. There’s not enough time to add more tomatoes and peppers. What do you...
6 summer garden maintenance tasks to tackle now
Summer garden maintenance typically involves a lot of watering. But this season, we’ve had more than our share of rainfall. Since watering chores are off our plates, at least for now, gardeners would be wise to spend their time focusing on a handful of other important summer gardening chores. Deadhead:...
How to limit damage from slugs
Question: Something is eating the leaves of many of my flowers, including my zinnias, hostas, dahlias and petunias. I don’t see any Japanese beetles or other bugs on them, but there are holes in the leaves or the leaves are eaten in from the sides. Do you know what might...
Tips for getting more blooms from your dahlias
Dahlias are a beautiful addition to summer gardens. Grown from tuberous roots planted in the spring, dahlia blooms come in a near endless array of colors and forms. From spiky-petaled cactus-types to round and tight pom-pom dahlias, this tender plant brings some serious bloom power to the garden. Planting dahlias...
How to control viburnum leaf beetles
Question: Help! We have some little slug-like creature eating one of our shrubs. I don’t know the name of the shrub, but it gets white flowers in the spring and then clusters of red berries in the fall. We’ve always called it a cranberry bush, but I don’t think it’s...
Why you should leave aphids alone
I often hear from gardeners who are worried when they discover a few aphids on their favorite rose. While aphids can be troublesome garden pests, especially when their population numbers more than about 12 aphids per square inch, more often than not, aphids aren’t anything to worry about. In fact,...
The best ground covers for slopes
Question: I have a fairly steep bank in my backyard that is very difficult to mow. It is partly sunny. What would be a good ground cover to plant that would look nice and solve my problem? Thanks so much! Answer: The slopes of Western Pennsylvania certainly cause issues for...
How to use cover crops in a home garden
Cover crops are a useful (and inexpensive!) way for vegetable gardeners to manage weeds, improve the soil, and help control erosion. Not intended for harvest, cover crops are planted either before or after the harvest of a vegetable crop, or in fallow gardens. Many gardeners think cover crops only have...
Purge the peach trees of pests
Question: We have two peach trees in our backyard and we have two different issues going on that keep us from seeing any ripe fruit. Can you advise us on what’s going on and how to handle it? First, there are holes in the growing peaches. When you crack one...
4 common fungal diseases and how to manage them
We’ve certainly had our share of rain this spring, and as a result, I’ve been hearing from gardeners about various fungal issues appearing in their landscapes. Fungal diseases tend to be exacerbated in wet weather due to the spores easily germinating on wet plant foliage. While there are dozens of...
How to grow and harvest shallots
Question: My husband planted some shallot starts in the garden last fall. They sprouted this spring and they seem to be growing pretty well. This is our first time growing shallots, and we both just realized we have no idea how and when to harvest them! Advice would be appreciated....
Common yarrow is a great addition to Pa. gardens
Common yarrow (Achillea millefolium ) is one of my favorite garden perennials. It’s a North American native plant that’s quite commonly found in the wild in its straight species form, which produces white, flat-topped clusters of flowers atop feathery foliage. In fact, the straight species is so common that in...
Pinching back plants keeps them compact, increases blooms
Question: A friend was telling me how she pinches back a lot of her perennials this time of year because it keeps them shorter and then she doesn’t have to stake them. She says it doesn’t hurt their flowers, but I don’t understand how that can be. I know you...
4 bio-pesticides useful in the vegetable garden
For many gardeners, the arrival of summer also means the arrival of insect pests. While most pests don’t cause significant harm to ornamental plants, certain leaf-munching insects can be quite destructive to vegetable gardens. It’s particularly important to pay attention to the products you use to control pests on food...


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