Q. I used to have two plum trees in my backyard, but both were struck by lightning and died. I would like to replace one of them, but I heard you have to have a male and female tree to bear fruit. Is this true, and if it is, how do you tell them apart when you buy them? – Deborah S. Wallace, Greensburg, Ind. A. Plums have perfect flowers with both male and female parts, but […]
Plants have names, just like people do. Sometimes two or more plants share the same name, or an individual plant may be known by several different names, depending on local and family traditions. So the everyday, common names we give plants can be confusing to gardeners. To make the naming of plants more precise and universal, an international system of naming plants is used by scientists and plant professionals. Known as the “International Code of […]
Q: In your April column you mentioned a decorative tall grass for slopes. I’m very interested, however, we like to entertain in our yard and make use of the area up to about 15 feet from the slope at the south end of our 1-acre lot. I would like to know what pests this plant might draw – especially if it’s mosquitoes. – Shelly McCoy, Ridgeville, Ind. A: Big bluestem does not attract any insect pests that […]
Q. I have a hillside that is now scarce with grass and weeds and would like to try little bluestem. Where can I find it? Can the seed be planted directly on the ground, or what kind of preparation is necessary? – Myrna Sowers, Crawfordsville, Ind. A. Prepare the site by killing all the existing weeds. Because you’re planting a hill, you don’t want to loosen the soil too much, so till lightly or hand rake a […]
Q.Can you give me the proper way to freeze corn on the cob so it doesn’t lose its firmness? – Edward Serfin, Demotte, Ind. A. Sorry, but this is outside my area of expertise, and I don’t want to give advice on food preparation since improperly stored foods could actually cause one of my readers harm! Please contact the consumer and family science educator at your county Cooperative Extension Service office. He or she is specially […]
Q. I’m moving into a new home where the previous owners had a small garden. What do I need to do this spring to prepare it for planting? Also, are the inexpensive seeds you buy at the department stores adequate, or should I go to a garden center? Is it better to plant seedlings than seeds? – Carrie Powell, West Lafayette, Ind. A. Start with a soil test of your new garden. Your Cooperative Extension Service office […]
1996 has been proclaimed ‘The Year of the Sunflower’ by the National Garden Bureau, an organization that promotes gardening throughout the United States. The sunflower is enjoying renewed popularity as an ornamental these days, but sunflower remnants found in its native North America have been estimated to be in existence as early as 3000 B.C. The sunflower has long been used as a source of food. Native American populations ground the seed into a flour […]
Q. This past summer, bugs ate the leaves off my turnips, squash, rutabagas, etc., in a short period of time while I was away from home. I had applied wood ashes mixed with water and dishwashing soap. What should I use rather than a toxic chemical? Also, should I transplant evergreens in the winter or early spring? When is the best time for transplanting? I also have several locust seedlings to move. I have a wood-burning […]
The Perennial Plant Association has selected Penstemon digitalis ‘Husker Red’ as its 1996 Perennial Plant of the Year. Members of the association, generally professional plant growers, select a perennial each year to educate the gardening public and promote planting of perennial flowers. The Penstemon, also known as beardtongue, is not widely known to the American public despite the fact that several species of this plant are native throughout the United States and Canada. Penstemon digitalis […]
Gardeners will find a wealth of information at their fingertips from the Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service. And the best part is, thanks to the Internet, this information is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including holidays! Several departments at Purdue have Web sites of interest to gardeners. Horticulture offers a broad range of information on the Consumer Horticulture Web site, including current news releases, Extension publications, upcoming events and a list […]