Garden Plot
Watercooler
- Driver says he was speeding so he could dry car
- Minn. mother, son accused of stealing gopher feet
- Ed Koch's tombstone engraved with wrong birth date
- Hitchhiking cat 'Mata Hairi' headed home to Oregon
- Bear with head stuck in jar is rescued in Pa.
- 19-year-old catches ride on shark (Video)
- Hop-heavy beers remain America's favorite
- NJ Transit probes bizarre bus trip into New York
- Charlie Trotter accused of selling bogus $46K wine
- Boston woman pays $560,000 for 2 parking spots
Mike McGrath
WTOP's Garden Editor Mike McGrath is:
* Host of the nationally syndicated Public Radio show, You Bet Your Garden
* Contributing Editor and columnist for Greenprints magazine
* Former Editor-in-Chief of ORGANIC GARDENING magazine
* Author of books on Tomatoes, Compost, Seed saving and Kitchen Gardening
* Mike makes several appearances around town. Click for more.
* Do you have a question for Mike? Email him at mikemcg@ptd.net. (Please include your name, location and the topic in the subject line)
Garden Plot: Of leaves and lawns
Save those leaves: They're a gardener's best friend.
Growing fruits and nuts not for the faint of heart
All you need to know about edible plants, and getting ready for the region's cold weather with these gardening tips - but watch out for acorns.
Tips to keep squirrels from destroying pumpkins
WTOP Garden Editor Mike McGrath recommends using everything from hot peppers, to deer repellent and dog hair.
Garden Plot: The best trees, the worst trees
Not all trees are created equal. WTOP's Garden Editor Mike McGrath tells you which are which and answers your gardening questions.
Garden Plot: Bamboo lawyers and bare spots
Wayne in Charlotte Hall has a question that's frequently asked this time of year over how low to trim his lawn before winter.
Don't prune anything now - especially spring bloomers
This is the worst time of year to prune anything. Doing so will stimulate new growth and interfere with the plants successfully going dormant for the winter.
How dog urine can kill city trees
The next time a dog is tugging on its leash, headed for a solid-looking pine to "water," WTOP's Garden Editor Mike McGrath says that small territorial claim could kill the tree.
Garden Plot: Thatch, new lawn, bamboo
Tips for taking care of a neglected lawn and dealing with bamboo.
Fall lawn care, the order of the chores
Without a doubt the No. 1 chore for those of you with cool season lawns is a big fall feeding. Cool season lawns like fescue, rye and bluegrass need their biggest feeding of the season right now to help them recover from that brutal summer we all endured.
Garden Plot: Keeping dogs from damaging outdoor decor
Jim in Alexandria has an all-too common problem. He writes, "I have several Boxwoods along the walkway at the front of my house, and neighborhood dogs love to urinate on them (and it doesn't appear that their owners care.) This is slowly killing the Boxwoods. Almost half of the leaves are brown and dying. Any recommendations on how to keep the dogs away?"
Garden Plot: To stave off stink bugs, act now
Now that the nasty bugs are getting bored with violating our late season tomatoes, the stinkers are looking for ways to get into our houses to hibernate for the winter. But as we told you last year, Jody Williams, an amateur inventor from New Jersey, created a simple way to intercept them.
Garden Plot: Perfect time to plant a good lawn
This is the time to take a bad yard and turn it into the yard you want.
Save on spring bulbs
Find out how to save by buying now for next spring.
Get ready to sow grass seed and feed your poor lawn
When is the best time to apply corn gluten for fall weed prevention?
Plants behaving badly? Rethink your technique
Hastings in Woodbridge writes: "My squash and cucumber plants have developed a white mold on the leaves. It's so bad that my squash plants have all died. What causes this and is there anything I can do to save my cucumber plants?"
Garden Plot: Saving tomatoes, avoiding white bugs and what to harvest now
What's the silky material showing up on azaleas and roses? And tips to help tomato growers.
Moles, voles, squirrels and groundhogs ... be gone!
Evil squirrels (sorry, that's redundant) would laugh at cat hair the way they laugh at my actual cats.
Heat wave warnings and dog day dos and don'ts
Hang in there, cats and kittens, this heat wave should break by Monday. In the meantime, and during future heat waves, remember the following tips.
Tips for heat wave grass care, fending off wasps and rabbits
WTOP's Garden Editor Mike McGrath has tips for what not to do when it's really hot.
Garden Plot: Hot weather lawn care rules
The first heat wave of the season was pretty brutal. And it won't be the last, so let's review hot weather turfgrass rules.
Hi: 77 °F | Lo: 64 °F
