Phil The Gardener’s reply:
1.      If your tomato plants are growing too large for their allocated area you can prune them with sharp, clean shears.

2.      To encourage your tomato plants to grow bushy and full you should pinch the branch tips all during the growing season. Remove the last set of two leaves, including the stem, each time you pinch a branch.

3.      Cut out entire branches that are not blooming to keep plants contained. Leave some foliage above developing fruit to shade it and prevent sun scald.

4.      Remove dead or fading foliage from tomato plants. Keep only the growth that is green and healthy. Try not to cut away branches that are flowering.

5.      Train your tomatoes to grow on a trellis. This will save precious garden space. Growing vertically also makes it easier to locate and harvest the crop. Tie stray branches back to the trellis, or remove them completely if they are not bearing flowers.

Happy Gardening

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Phil The Gardener’s reply:
I generally cut the stem down as close as I can into the greenery so no dead stem is showing.

If you want to save the seeds you should let them mature on the plant, this way you have healthy mature seeds.

Seriously the best way to propogate your aggies is to kill 2 birds with one stone. Dividing them is healthy for the plant, it gives it room to grow and it gives you more plants to place in other beds.

Happy Gardening

http://www.philthegardener.com

Phil The Gardeners reply:
You don’t say where you are located but in most areas of the country you can keep your ilex hedge in formal shape by keeping it pruned. I wouldn’t prune if the days are too hot you may stress the plant.
Another thing to keep in mind is if it is overgrown you really should bring it back into shape in stages allowing some new growth in between. If you prune it completely back to where it was or should be you may have some bare areas or woody areas. They should fill in it may look ugly in the meantime.

Happy Gardening

http://www.philthegardener.com

1. Before you even take the tree in the house, dig a hole for the tree where you expect to plant it after the holidays. Put the soil in a wheelbarrow and park it in the garage. You’ll need loose soil to backfill the hole, and the ground might be frozen after the holidays.

2. Keep your live tree in the house for as short a time as is possible.

3. Keep the ball plenty moist while in the house, but not in a tub full of water. You don’t want the ball to dry out completely, but by the same token it shouldn’t be soggy all the time either. Just moist. You can wet it thoroughly, but then don’t water again until the water is almost gone.

4. After Christmas move the tree outdoors as soon as possible and plant it immediately. If you were not able to dig the hole earlier, the ground is frozen, and the tree cannot be planted, leave it outside and pack bags of leaves or bales of straw around the ball. Find a way to heel it in in such a way that the amount of sun and wind the root ball receives is minimal.

5. Try and plant the tree immediately if you can. You do not want to store the tree on top of the ground during the winter if you can avoid it. Putting it in your garage is not a good idea either, it is likely to dry out in there. The absolute best place for the ball is in the ground, even if the ground has frozen after you dug the hole.  Just set the tree in the hole and backfill with loose soil. Make sure there are no air pockets around the ball. Backfill only with small particles of soil. If this cannot be done because the soil is frozen, just set the tree in the hole and backfill as soon as the weather permits.

6. Check the ball for nylon string. Cut and remove any nylon string. Sometimes the diggers wrap the string around the stem of the tree. If the string is a cotton type, like sisal twine, you can leave it on the ball but remove it from the stem. If the burlap is nylon it should be cut in many places or removed. If the ball is wrapped with a wire basket I recommend leaving it on. It will help to secure the tree and keep it from rocking back and forth with the wind. The roots will find their way through the wire and the burlap. Just cut the burlap where you can.

7. Do not plant the tree too deep. This is the number one reason for plants that do not survive. They should not be planted any deeper than they were in the nursery. The top of the ball should be one to two inches above the ground level. If you have heavy, wet, clay soil, you should plant it even higher and build a bed up around the ball. When you plant them too deep the plants literally suffocate.

8. Do not fertilize the tree at the time of planting. You can fertilize it in the spring, but only with an organic fertilizer. If you have compost available, mix some in while planting. Fertilizer can do more harm than it can good. I always recommend organic fertilizers. It’s hard to make a mistake with organics. It’s always a good idea to stake trees when you plant them. If the wind is constantly rocking them back and forth they will have a difficult time establishing new roots in their new home.

http://www.philthegardener.com