Looking for ways to make your garden the envy of your neighbors? Glenn Kopp, horticulture information manager at the Missouri Botanical Garden’s William T. Kemper Center for Home Gardening, is at your service. Kopp, a MoBOT employee of 30 years, tells how he and his team help everyone develop their green thumbs.
How do you decide what to plant in the demonstration gardens?
We’re selecting things of interest to home gardeners, so if there are new cultivars of roses that are more disease-resistant or a new color, we’ll try that. Also, we have an experimental garden. We’re always testing new things that might be appropriate to grow in our area.
What happens to produce grown at Kemper?
If we have overproduction, it goes to food banks. Some (produce) we give to staff and volunteers to get feedback. If the timing is right, we can use it at a cooking class.
What do you do to people who pilfer the produce?
Give a very stern look. There have been occasions where someone will come in with a shopping bag and start grabbing things. We have to say, “I’m sorry. There’s no picking allowed.” We are a display garden. If everyone took samples, it wouldn’t look very good. People would say, “What’s the matter with that plant?”
What are the biggest mistakes gardeners make in springtime?
People try to work the soil when it’s still wet. Some people plant warm season crops too early; you should wait until mid-May to plant tomatoes. Inadequate soil preparation; doing a soil test is worthwhile to find out the nutrients you need for the soil. Matching sun conditions with what you want to grow; most vegetables do not do well in shade. Watering: People water in the evening, which is not a good time. If you keep the plants wet overnight, there’s a greater chance they’ll get fungal diseases.
You’re a Master Gardener.
What is that? It’s a volunteer program that started in Washington State in 1973. People are trained and then do volunteer service. Here in St. Louis, our volunteers go to 16 weeks of classes once a week. Some come with gardening experience, though that’s not required. We match their skills to where they can work.
What does a Master Gardener wear for gardening?
An old T-shirt from the old Japanese festival or a Best of Missouri T-shirt. Those are good. Pants instead of shorts. Good shoes. A hat.
What oddball gardening questions have you fielded?
Recently, somebody wanted to grow edelweiss in their home. Edelweiss is an alpine plant known from The Sound of Music. It won’t grow in St. Louis. The volunteers at the answering service write down some of the unusual questions. Someone asked how would they use Miracle Whip on their strawberries. They meant Miracle-Gro.
Does talking to a plant help it grow?
Breathing minimally increases the carbon dioxide around the plant, some people say. There’s nothing conclusive.
This article appears in April 2015.