Kimee from Chesapeake asks...
I have a gardenia bush in my pot. Can I put it in my yard?

John Marra:
"Yes. You can put a gardenia out in a yard only for summertime. Gardenias can not survive our winters this far north. North Carolina: Yes. West Virginia: No."
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Cynthia from St. Albans asks...
I know you’re not supposed to use treated timber around veggies. But what if they have been outside for 25 years? Safe to use now?

John Marra:
"Any pressure treated lumber with copper arsenate can not be used at any time for any vegetable production in a raised bed. However, some lumber companies sell treated lumber without arsenic."
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Paul asks...
I have a big healthy tomato plant. Looks good. But there are very few tomatoes on them. What should I do?

John Marra:
"The main problem with giant tomato plants with no tomatoes is overfertilizing them. Back off the fertilizer until you see small clusters of tomatoes. Then fertilize every three weeks unless you have a recipe for tomato leaves. Don't overfertilize."
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Victoria asks...
I’d like to know about a lavender tree or lilac tree bush. Can I trim it all down to the base, take the base out of the ground and transplant it?

John Marra:
"You can not prune back your lilac bush and expect a floral display or even for it to survive. Lilacs like many other shrubs need green leaves to make food for itself."
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Angela says...
My mother has Mexican roses. I need to know when to separate them.

John Marra:
"The best time to transplant roses is around October and April one. Make sure to work the hole up and add one quarter soil amenities to it."
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I have Japanese beetles eating the blooms on my roses. What is the best way to get them off and deter them next year.

John Marra:
"The best way to eliminate a Japanese beetle is to use a product called Sevin. Spray every seven days. If it rains, spray right after the train. Beetle traps are less effective."
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I have a hosta. We planted one this year and it has several places that looks like holes in the leaves. Have bugs eaten it?

John Marra:
"The main enemy for the hosta plant is slugs. If you have hostas, you'll have slugs. They sell snail and slug bait at most lawn and garden centers. Slugs feed at night. That's the reason why you can't see what makes them."
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Melissa from Willowood, Ohio asks...
I am interested in grapes. How do you start them? When do you start them?

John Marra:
"The best way to start grapes is to order them from a catalog or from a local nursery. Grapes should be put on a trellace or need to be put on wire. Plant them 8 feet apart with sufficient three strands of wire to keep them off the ground."
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Jim in Athens says...
I have trouble with my tomatoes. On the very top of the plant in the new growth they turn yellow and stop growing. I don’t know why.

John Marra:
"Tomatoes this year I have seen are experiencing over water conditions. I feel the tomatoes will come out of that once we get into the hotter parts of the summer."
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Joe from Worthington, KY asks...
With the rain not coming so often, I have my first garden ever with a lot of tomatoes and peppers. How often should I water them?

John Marra:
"In watering your fruits and vegetables, it's much better to water one time a week then to water several times a week. Water once a week about one inch of water."