Expert Advice for your Lawn & Garden TV Host of Today's Homeowner^® and home expert for The Weather Channel

Tomatoes are one the most popular fruits grown by homeowners, but many of us aren’t really sure what the best method is to insure we have healthy plants and good fruit. First, protect the plants from cutworms.

Strange as it may seem, shaking your fruit trees will help them produce more fruit. This is because it loosens the vessels that carry sap to the leaves and buds. Some people even opt to “whip” their fruit trees with a rolled up newspaper.

Raised vegetable beds are an excellent way to manage your produce patch, especially if your home is on a hilly lot. Here are a few tips if you’re considering building one.

If you look hard enough you can find solutions to many of your lawn and garden problems “naturally.” The pungent aroma of many herbs acts as a natural insect repellent. Planting herbs like parsley or basil among your vegetables will offer them some protection from bugs and simplify harvesting a salad.

Roses love banana peels. They rot quickly, releasing minerals roses need such as calcium, sulfur, magnesium, and phosphates. Just cut them up and mix them in the soil at planting time or anytime you want to give your roses a boost. You can also make a banana peel tonic for use after the plants are established.

Strawberry pots may be attractive, but they’re inefficient for the growth and health of the plants. To make sure the plant is properly watered, take a section of PVC pipe and put it in the center of the planter.

A child’s wagon makes an easy-to move base for off-season tomatoes. Two tomato plants in separate 10-gallon containers can easily fit in such a wagon. Let the plants grow outdoors as long as the warm weather lasts; as temperatures begin to fall, wheel the plants indoors overnight and back outdoors during the day.