Rosie Lerner

rosie@purdue.edu

716 articles by this author

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Orchids, Tomato Plants, & White Oak

Q. I would like to know how to care for a potted orchid I received on Mother’s Day. I don’t know anything about them or what to expect. A. Orchids belong to a large family of plants – there are over 20,000 species and more than 100,000 cultivars! There are four basic types of orchids. The proper temperature, watering and fertilizing schedules vary, depending on the type. Most orchids sold as houseplants are classified as…Read more about Orchids, Tomato Plants, & White Oak[Read More]

Tomato Troubles

Despite the endless list of potential problems, tomatoes continue to be the most popular plant in Midwest vegetable gardens. Many tomato problems are related to environmental factors such as temperature and moisture, rather than insects or disease. The most common tomato affliction is blossom-end rot, so named for the black, leathery scar that occurs on the blossom end, instead of the stem end, of the fruit. Blossom-end rot most frequently occurs when there are extremes…Read more about Tomato Troubles[Read More]

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Off with their heads!

Removing spent blossoms from your shrubs and garden flowers can be tedious work, but often pays big dividends. The removal of spent flowers is often referred to as “deadheading.” Pinching or pruning off dead flowers is not just a matter of aesthetics – it can also encourage additional blooming. Many plants – petunia, geranium, marigold, speedwell, and coreopsis, among them – will re-bloom after deadheading. For these plants, the formation of fruit and seed signals…Read more about Off with their heads![Read More]

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Aphids, Indigobush Amorpha, & Peonies

Q. I have discovered an infestation of what I believe to be aphids of some sort on the stems of my Victoria Salvia and Chamomile plants. They are dark and tear-shaped of various sizes, and the ants are attracted to the “honey-dew” that the insects are making. I have sprayed them with liquid Sevin, but it does not seem to have knocked them out completely. What do you recommend to fight these? – JG A….Read more about Aphids, Indigobush Amorpha, & Peonies[Read More]

Frost a Bit Late but Little Harm Done

Much of northern and central Indiana – and even patchy, low-lying areas of southern Indiana – experienced frost early this week, causing concern among backyard gardeners. On Monday morning (May 13), the recorded low air temperatures at Purdue Agricultural Centers were 33 degrees F at the northwest Indiana center; 36 degrees at the northeast, north central, and south central centers; 38 degrees at the southeast center; and 42 degrees at the southwest center. Low spots…Read more about Frost a Bit Late but Little Harm Done[Read More]

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Question and Answer

Q. My question is, can pine needles be used to mulch rhubarb? I’ve heard that rhubarb and walnut trees don’t mix, but would pine needles hurt rhubarb? I’m afraid to let anyone put bark mulch around my rhubarb because the companies providing the bark do not know if there is walnut in the mix. – M.S. A. Pine needles should be fine to use around rhubarb, a 2-3 inch layer would do nicely. Stick with…Read more about Question and Answer[Read More]

Mayapple, Royal Paulownia Tree

Q. I have quite a few of these plants coming up in the wooded area behind my house. They seem to grow around trees, and there are large clusters of them. The clusters seem larger than I remember last year. What are these and are they poisonous and/or invasive? Should I try to control them? A. This is the mayapple, aka mandrake, known botanically asPodophyllum peltatum. Mayapple is a lovely native woodland plant – no…Read more about Mayapple, Royal Paulownia Tree[Read More]

Seed Versus Transplant

Some vegetables are best started from seed directly in the garden, while others are best planted as young plants (transplants). Fast-growing, cool season crops such as lettuce, radish and spinach are really best suited to direct seeding into the garden. Some that have really fine seed, or particularly long taproots such as carrots, do not transition well as transplants and perform best if seeded in place. Sweet corn and beans are also usually direct seeded…Read more about Seed Versus Transplant[Read More]

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Question and Answer

Q. Lightning struck my maple tree early this morning. The tree has no visible damage on any of the outside bark, but as you can see from the picture, the ground above the root system was blown away in ruts in every direction. Do you have any opinion about the likely survival of this tree? Thanks for any input. A. That is quite the “striking” photo! I wish I could be more specific, but there…Read more about Question and Answer[Read More]

Question and Answer

Q. The ornamental kale in my flowerbed developed small yellow flowers this past December. I’ve never seen it do that before. Any idea why this happened? A. So-called flowering kale and flowering cabbage are ornamental types of the edible crops, grown for their colorful foliage. Cabbage and kale have a biennial growth habit, producing foliage only the first growing season, then flowering and setting seed the second growing season. Both the ornamental and edible types…Read more about Question and Answer[Read More]