The Garden Show with Charlie Dobbin

Paul Oliver (UrbanNatureStore.ca) joins in again to share tips and tricks to feeding and caring for all your favourite birds. Callers are interested in plants that support birds in autumn, birdseed that won't grow in the lawn. Plus we get a great trick for storing garlic over the winter! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Using eggshells to control slugs, pruning Butterfly bush, grubs in the lawn and topping up raised bed gardens. Not to mention rascally rabbits! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Cool, wintery weather is hanging on. However, we talk about planting seeds (Charlie is all over peppers and annual flowers). Callers want to understand how long to use a heat mat, when to cut back Sedum (without damaging overwintering insects), moving daffodils, rotating tomatoes, and of course - when to start tomato seeds. Marilyn's mom always claimed, "plant tomatoes the Friday before Good Friday". Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Growing peas with beans, maintaining ornamental grasses, sprayers for different pests and girdled roses (those rascally rabbits!). More about worm castings too. Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Tech can be so challenging - Charlie (CR) is ok; Dean (Port Hope, ON) is glitchy. Sorry to everyone for issues. Meanwhile Amaryllis continues to engage many, companion planting, pre-emergent herbicides, wild strawberries, and emerging Calla lilies are on the agenda. Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Charlie reports on flora and fauna seen this past week in Playa Portrero, Costa Rica. Including sea turtles, crocodiles, and a mangrove estuary at Marino las Baulas National Park. Callers are wondering about fertilizer: seedlings, young peppers and leeks, and whether banana peels are good for tomatoes? Forcing spring branches (Forsythia, fruit trees, Magnolia etc) also a fun way to bring colourful blooms indoors now. Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Charlie is in Costa Rica, soaking up sun and surf, plus reporting on flora and fauna. Meanwhile winter continues unabated in southern Ontario. Callers are feeling spring, and want to re-pot all kinds of houseplants. Orchids require attention and robins are showing up! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Our phone lines are back, and the callers are thrilled! We talk: orchid care, plants for pollinators, saving poinsettia and starting seeds. Next week Charlie will be hosting from Costa Rica! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Frigid, fallow and friable just about sums up today's show. Super cold has gardeners worried about plant survival. A caller wants to know about the benefits of leaving the vegetable garden fallow for a season. And Charlie gets into what is a great soil - friable you say?!? Plus dormant cyclamen, clematis propagation, white pine in a pot and root crops struggling. Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Transplanting indoor pathos, amaryllis care, and starting nasturtiums seeds. But, days are getting longer and we're thinking outdoors too: moving rhubarb, pruning Rose of Sharon and more! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Now for something completely different - live communication with text and email! Questions from listeners include: winter seed sowing (both indoors and out), Gardenia with spider mites, lemon trees that don't flower and leaving orchids for an extended holiday. Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Niki Jabbour joins us from Nova Scotia to chat about gardening under cover, some exotic varieties, making soil blocks and more! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Lots going on in the cyberverse for gardeners! Zoom with a horticultural society, or learn Bird Identification at birdscanada.org in preparation for The Great Backyard Bird Count Feb 13-16th. Paul Oliver (Urban Nature Store) joins the show once more to explain birdfeeder care, and how to help our feathered friends avoid predators! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Terry Kennedy (and her husband) of 'Orchids in Our Tropics' have been growing orchids in Ontario for over 50 years! She talks about exotic travel, tropical orchids and some best practices for the home orchid grower. Plus we get insider info about the Southern Ontario Orchid Society 'Orchid Show & Sale' coming Feb 14 & 15 to the Toronto Botanical Garden. Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Steven Biggs (foodgardenlife.com) joins the show. He's teaching courses, has just published the latest 'Canada Gardener's Journal' and is very engaged in using his "garage" for just about everything except cars! We chat about herbs, crop rotation, leaf mulch and more. Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

No phone calls means Dean & Charlie chat about all things gardening. Gifts for gardeners, emails about pomegranates & Amaryllis, and caring for your Christmas tree, now and after Christmas! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Paul Oliver (urbannaturestore.ca) joins Charlie & Dean in a pre-recorded episode. We chat about winter challenges for all wildlife, great gifts for nature lovers and best Poinsettia/Amaryllis care. Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Carol (in Orangeville) has a bumper crop of walnuts. Squirrels are leaving shells everywhere. Is this an issue for other plants growth? Meanwhile, Monica called to remind us wildlife refuges like https://www.shadesofhope.ca would love excess bounty like walnuts! Composting, transplanting houseplants, watering cacti - what a show! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Today Sean James, horticulturist, naturalist, eco-warrior and communications expert joins the show! We talk about native plants, sustainable design and the importance of beauty in our gardens. Plus callers ask about: organic fertilizers for houseplants, controlling Pulmonaria and birdseed that's not working. Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Early cold and snow frustrates most gardeners. What to do with all those leaves? And can roses still be pruned? What about Magnolias? And lilacs? Perennials? Bottom line - can we re-use potting soil in our pots next year? Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Paul Oliver (UrbanNatureStore.ca) joins Charlie in studio to share tips on wild bird support this winter. Callers want to: eliminate invasive zebra grass, prune overgrown Ficus benjamina, care for Bromeliads, grow milkweed from seed and get peonies to flower. Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Steven Biggs (foodgardenlife.com) shares tips and tricks for growing and harvesting tender plants. Like figs, olives and lemons! Plus we discuss storing dried herbs, pruning roses and growing a money tree! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Lawn care rules this week. Seeding, fertilizing, weeds (including crab grass) and tips about the final mow of the season. Also are apples and/or leaves left on lawns overwinter a problem? Japanese beetles, pear rust and more! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

When to plant garlic? Drought effects on rhubarb, Cosmos and Gladiolus'. When to cut back Hydrangea, Iris' and transplanting daylilies, Christmas cactus and more! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Figs, rosemary and other plants want to come indoors before winter. How to be successful? Fertilizing outdoors now? Rejuvenation of an older perennial garden and what to do with Dahlias? Lots of good info this week on the Garden Show! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Re-using tomato plant soil from pots in our gardens. More about mycorrhizae for growing great plants. Pruning lilacs, rose of Sharon and silver lace vine at the right time! Bare root planting and more. Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

For the best consistent harvest every year means changing planting locations for plants from the same family. Tomatoes, peppers and eggplants MUST shift with beans, carrots, kale, lettuce etc. I know, not always easy! Plus lawn care now, Amaryllis (again), apples, cedars and overwintering an ancient Easter cactus! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Overwintering canna lilies and peonies. Mushrooms growing in a lawn, transplanting Clematis and propagating Dipladenia. Plus tar spot on maples and pruning Hydrangeas. Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Paul Oliver from the Urban Nature Store joins again to share tips on birds and wildlife. Best food to support migration and ideas to control raccoons included. Callers have issues with Hibiscus, garlic, spots on maple leaves and more! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Can waxed Amaryllis be re-grown? What about severely overgrown cedars? Transplanting, managing invasive species and encouraging morning glory blooms. Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Paul Oliver (Urban Nature Store) joins us from the Oliver Farm in Napanee. It's so dry the passing trains are causing grass fires due to sparks from the rails! His tips include: water and food (suet is a good choice) to support fattening up birds for long migrations south. Flowerbulbsrus.com is offering a 10% discount for purchases now towards beautiful spring blooms. And callers want to fix lawns, kill caterpillars, trim silverlace vine and figure out non-blooming Hydrangeas. Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Charlie & Dean reminisce about Blooming Onions for breakfast at the Ex last year. Plus growing kale indoors during winter, pesky squirrels, and how much the high temps have affected plant growth this summer. Tips for watering and more! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Mycorrhiza is big this episode due to Rob, a garlic grower in Stirling. We (briefly) discuss the benefits, symbiotic relationship with fungi/plant roots plus the importance of organic matter to support it all. Huge topic - more to come! Plum drop, trumpet vine invasion, dehumidifier water and stinging nettles. Just another garden show! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Callers share: garlic ideas to deter insects, garlic infested with onion maggots, and when is it best to harvest garlic? Redbud tree shedding seeds, burning bush defoliating for no apparent reason and roses Japanese beetles don't eat!

Charlie rants about quality soil - better to provide a $5 hole for a 50 cent plant than the other way around! Plus transplanting maple trees and roses. Protecting roses overwinter, lawn grubs, black mulch that stinks and more...

We discuss clover as a wonderful groundcover. Plus non-flowering lilacs, lilies and immature tomatoes. Are Lupin seeds from PEI in 2016 still viable? All this on the Garden Show. Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Pruning Forsythia (now?), propagating pussy willow, when to harvest garlic (now?), and encouraging forget-me-nots to flower in the future. We're all over the garden this week on the Garden Show! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

We cover rose sawflies, an overwatered Peace lily, maples with splitting bark and lavender with grey buds. Even suggestions for a graveyard in northern Ontario. What a show! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Hot weather means no growth for plants. Flowering stops, leaves get scorched, and even limbs drop with high winds. Challenges include pruning overgrown Japanese maples, northern Catalpa, and everbearing raspberries. Even bean seeds won't sprout! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Boxwood tree moth annihilating so many boxwood plants! Harvesting garlic, using horticultural vinegar to kill weeds between pavers, Clematis wilt and much more! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

How often to fertilize lawn? Something is eating my peppers - pillbugs?!? Growing apples from seeds, and floppy Amaryllis. Suckers on ornamental pear trees - what a show! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

In studio with Paul Oliver (Urbannaturestore.ca) wildlife expert! Lots of great questions about Baltimore orioles, hummingbirds and their migration patterns, and best food for finches. Plus growing blueberries, harvesting garlic and best soil amendments. Very eclectic show! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Boxwood tree moth continues to frustrate, keeping tender plants alive during unseasonable weather, peach leaf curl (clearly all the rain is contributing to this problem), and replacing an old, unhealthy Crimson King maple. Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Cool, wet weather has slowed everyone down to a snail's pace (no pun intended) in the garden. Pruning overgrown evergreens, Japanese maples and re-potting mature Clivia and snake plants are top of mind this week. Even Christmas cactus is a topic! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

From an old friend wanting to know about planting between flagstones, to lily of the valley taking over (came from the neighbour's yard), and what best plants attract hummingbirds - it's an active show! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

We're all over the garden this week. Including: when to mulch, growing Clematis in a pot, Epsom salts for tomatoes, fertilizing with sandy soil, harvesting newly planted rhubarb, and what to do with a waxed Amaryllis? Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio