“Crabgrass pre-emergent should be spread on the lawn every spring”

Jan 2, 2017 | Myth of the Week

RENEGADE GARDENER™ The lone voice of horticultural reason “Crabgrass pre-emergent should be spread on the lawn every spring”  Wrong. Crabgrass pre-emergent knocks out the seeds left over from last year’s crop of crabgrass and it should take no longer than a...

“The Renegade Gardener is Infallible”

Jan 2, 2017 | Myth of the Week

RENEGADE GARDENER™ The lone voice of horticultural reason “The Renegade Gardener is Infallible”  Someone on GardenWeb keeps spreading this ludicrous lie, and it ends now. As any regular reader knows, I’ve had my share of bald moments, such as the time I glibly...

“Trees roots can grow into a house foundation and cause damage.”

Jan 2, 2017 | Myth of the Week

RENEGADE GARDENER™ The lone voice of horticultural reason “Trees roots can grow into a house foundation and cause damage.” With some frequency I encounter homeowners concerned because a mature tree on their property was planted quite close to the house (usually...

“Trees should be watered every two days after planting”

Dec 29, 2016 | Myth of the Week

RENEGADE GARDENER™ The lone voice of horticultural reason “Trees should be watered every two days after planting” Or every day, or three times a week, or all sort of times that will, quite quickly, kill the tree. Just when I think I’ll run out of myths—there are...

“Annuals bloom all summer long”

Dec 29, 2016 | Myth of the Week

RENEGADE GARDENER™ The lone voice of horticultural reason “Annuals bloom all summer long” Raise your hand if you’ve ever read this line in a garden magazine article about planning and planting a perennial garden: “And don’t forget to include pockets of annuals,...

“Plants have a pre-programmed height that they grow to.”

Dec 29, 2016 | Myth of the Week

RENEGADE GARDENER™ The lone voice of horticultural reason  “Plants have a pre-programmed height that they grow to.” Not for one second. It’s surprising the number of encounters I have with gardeners who say something along the lines, “They told me at the nursery...