The Garden Show with Charlie Dobbin

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

Charlie fields questions from great callers that run the gamut: transplanting shrubs & bulbs, fertilizing apples, a scruffy lawn with a wedding on the horizon, plus pruning lilacs, plums, holly and lots more! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Paul Oliver from the Urban Nature Store joins Charlie in-studio to share tips for supporting birds and discouraging critters like squirrels. We also discuss when to plant Canna lilies, planting in shade and fungus gnats on a large indoor palm tree. Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Replacing an old apple tree, growing beneath an old blue spruce tree, and trees that grow well in moisture. That's the beginning of the show. Voles, pruning butterfly bush + rose of Sharon, not to mention rabbit damage on serviceberry. It's a very big show! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Things are hopping on the Garden Show today - to till or not an ancient asparagus patch? Soil preparation and composition - again, to till? Coffee grounds in the garden, boxwood replacements, Irish Spring soap to deter squirrels and more! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Today's show covers overwatered African violets, pruning Clematis, repelling cats from the garden and a search for Edelweiss. Plus lots more! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Paul Oliver (urbannaturestore.ca) joins the show to share his expertise with wildlife. Attracting bluebirds, best plantings to support birds, how and when to clean birdhouses, and the annual arrival of the bully grackles are all discussed today. Plus what to do with excess fireplace ashes? Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Many native insects use the hollow stems of herbaceous perennials for overwintering. Plants like Sedum and ornamental grasses. Don't rush to remove this material until the insects have moved on - likely early to mid May. Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Callers are interested in taking geranium cuttings, caring for 'mother-in-laws tongue, starting seeds and filling raised gardens. Spring is on its way! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Fully grown Bridal Wreath Spirea in an allotment garden, Rhubarb in a raised garden and dwarf Hydrangea along a foundation. All this and more on the Garden Show this week! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Colin Campbell joins show from the 'hood' to share tips on apple tree care, Maple madness and more. Meanwhile callers have cut tulips falling over, weeds in vegetable gardens, squirrels stripping lilac bushes and English ivy taking over. Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Plants are thriving with the longer days and callers need advice. To re-pot or not very overgrown Amaryllis? What about orchids that have formed "pips" (baby plants) on flower stems? Dean and Charlie weigh in on the power of a heated bird bath. And Sue has been saving wood ashes and eggshells all winter. What to do with them? Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

60 years ago the red & white maple leaf flag was raised over Parliament Hill. Proud to be a Canadian during turbulent times! Meanwhile, it's time to prune Forsythia for indoor forcing. How to propagate African violets, Virginia creeper and let's talk succession planting in preparation for summer! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Fireplace ash for the garden (how much?), thistle infestation in raised garden beds (how eradicate?), super-long English ivy stems (how propagate?) and Amaryllis still dormant! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Keeping Amaryllis healthy and blooming for many years is easy - fertilizing, re-potting and more. We discuss soggy orchid care plus a caller is searching for specific Chrysanthemums. Another caller has a good suggestion! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

We chat about Robbie Burns Day and Scottish thistles. Watering orchids, Christmas cactus failing, box tree moths, and a caller from Uruguay tells us about Lady of the Night (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) blooming recently. The fragrance is magnificent! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Rick Gray, co-author of The Gardener's Guide to Native Plants of the Southern Great Lakes Region, joins us on the show. We discuss milkweed tussock moths, the region this book is relevant to, promoting insects and birds in our gardens, and when volume 2 & 3 will be published to include native trees. NativePlantGardener.ca for more info. Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

We talk orchids with Terry Kennedy, orchid expert and co-owner of Orchids in Our Tropics. Callers are interested in best media, best fertilizer and how the heck do you know when to water an orchid?!? Shrub suggestions for a bay window, geranium propagation, and more about Amaryllis. Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Orchids, Amaryllis, Dahlias and palms. All need attention now! Plus how to find OMAFRA factsheets on the web. Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Marked down Amaryllis, winter mulch on roses and lavender, potted spruce on the 9th floor, and raspberries that don't provide fruit. We discuss OMAFRA factsheets, and frankly, just how hard they are to access! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Old roses, Poinsettia defoliation, propagating Christmas cactus, and saving eggshells for the garden. All this and more! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Callers are few; so Charlie & Dean chat about growing sprouts and microgreens, frozen jade plants and birds. Superhero caller Jean uses this opportunity to call twice in one show! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Propagating figs, moving old roses and droopy Poinsettias. It doesn't get more fun than this! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

More about leaving the leaves on the lawn, overwintering tropical Agapanthus and Dipladenia, fall mums, Poinsettia care and of course, Amaryllis. Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Paul Oliver from the Urban Nature Store joins the show to share tips and information about caring for our feathered friends. Callers need how to overwinter water lilies, force bulbs indoors, and care for tropical Hibiscus. Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Can there be too many leaves on the garden beds? What about storing calla lilies overwinter? Will roses survive after being stripped by Japanese beetles earlier in the season? And lots more... Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Pruning Rose of Sharon, Bougainvillea, a cedar hedge, and Clematis. Great tip to repel squirrels, and should we put small rocks in the bottom of pots when planting? Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Callers have tips for controlling cats indoors and squirrels outdoors. Roots growing into raised gardens, storing tender bulbs overwinter and indoor tropical plants defoliating. Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Caring for Dipladenia, Lisianthus, and Dahlia tubers over the winter is topical. Keeping a plant-eating cat under control, and Hydrangeas with no flowers are also covered this week on the Garden Show. Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

This week it's all about fall lawn fertilizer, pruning Holly and Dogwood, transplanting and insects on plants coming indoors for the winter. Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Brussels sprouts with no sprouts! Overwintering Dahlias, Canna lilies, strawberries and more. Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Boxwood and tomato blight, pruning lilacs and honeysuckle shrubs, and burying pots of hostas and redbud plants are all covered this week on the Garden Show. Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Lots about pruning: rose of Sharon, Limelight Hydrangea and more. Listeners call about the joy of Hummingbird moths and the sorrow of mealy bugs! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Jonas Spring (Ecoman.ca) joins us to talk about recent flooding and how to ameliorate it's effects in our gardens. We speak of condos as cliff gardens, and all those little sprigs of growth popping up in between sidewalk slabs. He refers to these areas as Alvar Ecosystems. Callers are starting to think about bringing the tropical plants inside for winter! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Callers have lawn issues: grubs, overseeding etc. Beets are being eaten, dead boxwood needs a replacement and when to prune Weigela and rose of Sharon (Hibiscus) are topical. Meanwhile, Charlie shares some great plant tips to support late season pollinators! Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio

Listeners ask about roses: super tall this year, early defoliation and how to avoid disease in the future? Lawns: when & what order to apply (1) nematodes, (2) fall fertilizer, (3) topdressing and seed? When to prune Magnolia and 'Bloomerang' lilac also topical this week. Listen live every Saturday at 9am on Zoomer Radio