Crest Hardware & Urban Garden Center

maxxrenn asked: HI. I think my peonies have botrytis blight: the buds started to grow, but then stopped early and are now brown. No other signs of disease. Do you have anything to help?

   Have you found patches of fuzzy mold on any growth? That is a common symptom of Botrytis. I hesitate to recommend a fungicide without knowing for sure that disease is present. There might be another, more common issue preventing blooms. 

   Peony bulbs like to be planted very close to the surface of the soil, and can be planted close enough to the surface that they are visible. Often, when they are planted too deeply, they won’t bloom. If this is the case, you should wait until fall, dig them up, and plant them higher. I hope that helps! 

wantsapuppy asked: What do I need to add to my soil before I plant my vegetables?

   We’d need some more information before we can give you an answer. Are you planting in the ground or in containers? If you are planting in the ground: Has the area been planted before, or has the soil been worked? Have you done a soil test? 

   If your soil has been worked before, but you just need a boost, or  to build your beds up, Compost or Biochar and Dehydrated Manure are excellent, nutritious amendments. If you are lucky enough to have gotten some excellent soil to work with, a slow release fertilizer might be all you need.

   We carry topsoil, manure and humus, and dehydrated manure-great for building new raised beds. You can add any of the above amendments to enrich the soil.

   If you are gardening in a container, we carry Fox Farm Ocean Forest Soil and Pro Mix Potting Soil. Both are organic. 

  If you’re local, and planting in the ground, you should consider having your soil tested, since several areas of Brooklyn are known for having toxins and contaminants in the soil. Click over to this site for soil testing info http://cnal.cals.cornell.edu/index.html We recommend creating raised beds or planting in containers, if you’re not sure .

   I hope that helps! Feel free to call us at the store with any other questions (718) 388-9521.

phaysone asked: My window faces North and gets whatever sunlight that provides and I have a tendency to kill everything I love (long story). Without resorting to succulents or other cacti, is there a way to green up my living space on a budget?

Absolutely! There are several plants that would be quite happy in a north facing window. Ferns, Chinese evergreens (aglaonemas), various types of philodendrons, flowering begonias, sansevierias, African violets, zz plants and many more plants than we can name, will provide everything from lush green foliage, to bloom, with northern exposure. By all means, come on in and tell us your long, sad story about plants loved and lost. We’ll try to get to the bottom of it and see which plant suits your light conditions, schedule and fancy. Lots of small, and budget friendly plants are available. I’ll leave you with one of my favorite quotes from the great plantsman, J.C. Raulston: “If you are not killing plants, you are not really stretching yourself as a gardener.” 

Some of the tools on exhibit date back to the 1500’s. http://nyti.ms/JRe2fi  See them at http://www.bartowpellmansionmuseum.org/

 to have been paid such a great compliment by Garden Designer, Tyler Horsley, in Brownstoner’s new column, The Outsider. Take a tour through his gorgeous Williamsburg garden. Really looking forward to seeing more beautiful, outdoor Brooklyn spaces in this column!

http://www.brownstoner.com/blog/2012/04/the-outsider-gardening-on-concrete-in-williamsburg/