Cincinnati Gardening made simple. This week, we are answering your Cincinnati garden questions:

“When is the best time to plant trees in Cincinnati?”

I love this question!  The best time was 25 years ago. The next best time is right now! With pre-dug and container-grown trees, you can plant trees all season.  You need to get water to them on a regular basis.  Visit our tree experts to help you find the right tree for the area you will be planting or take a look at the over 200 kinds trees growing on the Natorp’s Nursery on Natorp’s Online Store .

“Do you have a fig you would recommend for the Cincinnati area?”.

Chicago Hardy Fig is actually listed for our Zone (6), but technically, through proper winterization or container growing and overwintering in an unheated garage or shed, you can grow any selection you’d like! Take a look at our Fig Collection.

“Are there plants we could put in this area to reduce a standing water problem?”

DO NOT CONSIDER PLANTS AS SUMP PUMPS OR DRAINAGE CORRECTIVE SOLUTIONS!  There are plants that will tolerate or manage to grow in wet areas and some that enjoy the extra moisture. Some are the Dawn Redwood, Blue Zinger Sedge, and the Bald Cypress.  But they will not cure the problem, nor soak up the water for you.  Correct the drainage issues first, and then plant.

“What is the name of the product you recommend to help control the suckers growing out of the base of our crabapple tree?”

There’s a new kid on the block, and it’s called ‘Sucker Punch’; it prohibits re-growth for about 3 months or more, which usually gets you through the season.  It’s not cheap, but it lasts for years in the bottle. It certainly saves you a lot of time and bending over!

“How can I prevent the powdery mildew on my peonies?”.

Powdery mildew appearances are determined by the weather, but if you’d like to prevent it this year, either start a fungicidal spraying every 14 days after the foliage appears, or as soon as you notice the smallest spec of p.m.  Once it covers the foliage, you can’t get rid of it, so it’s a preventative spraying.  Most will wait until they first see a little and then start spraying.

“If I need to spot treat a few weeds in my lawn, including wild onions, which weed killer do you recommend?

I will be feeding the lawn late April.”  – First, thank you for what you’re doing.  Feed the lawn when it needs to be fed, spot treat the weeds when they need to be treated.  I like Bonide’s Weed Beater Ultra.  Covers a lot of different types of weeds in the lawn, including those wild onions, works at cooler temperatures for earlier or fall spot treating, and you can reseed 2-3 weeks after using it!

“In spite of rotating crops, we continue to have problems with our tomato plants with the leaves turning brown.  Is there something we can put into the soil to stop this?”

We need to determine what exactly “this” is, and then go after it.  But in the meantime, Actinovate helps control some soil diseases, keep up with the crop rotation, mulch around the plants to keep splashing down, remove the bottom 12 inches of leaves (same reason), reduce overhead watering, and use a foliar fungicidal spray program to help prevent or suppress leaf diseases.  Also, keep adding compost / organic matter to the garden each fall.  And look for plants that seem to show to most resistance to many of these diseases/viruses.  If it shows up again, get samples to someone to try and determine what it is that’s happening.

“Is it okay to put weeds in my compost pile?”

Yes and no; use some caution.  First, make sure your pile is really cooking so you cook the weeds.  Try to not put weed seeds in the pile, and if the weeds are invasive weeds (spread from stems, roots, rhizomes, etc.) you may want to let them dry out on the driveway or walk first, then add them to the compost pile.  But make sure you cook them.  If not sure, don’t add them.  That’s your safest bet.

Have a plant question? Ask the plant experts!