Q. The last approximately six years have been disastrous for my two cherry trees. The first year, I thinned out the fruit and harvested a light crop. The second year, I had an abundance of fruit but, after a few weeks, all the leaves fell off. The fruit stayed, and I harvested a good crop. The next year, the trees lived a short time and then died. This same thing happened three years before —…Read more about Question and Answer[Read More]
Q. One of my neighbors recently peeled away a band of bark from his hickory, and I’m wondering if this is a preventative measure against insects or something? Should I be doing this to my hickories? A. Let me preface my reply with the recommendation that most of you should NOT try this at home! Though the most reliable way to understand why your neighbor peeled the band of bark is to ask him, there…Read more about Question and Answer[Read More]
Q. I enjoy reading your column every month in our Daviess-Martin County REMC Electric/Consumer Magazine. I have learned so much about flower gardening and share several articles with friends. My Amish friends in the Montgomery community have mentioned a “Busy Lizzy” plant that sounds similar to a pink begonia, since it was planted in shade and then taken in for the cold weather. They are no longer able to find any seeds or plants. It…Read more about Question and Answer[Read More]
Q. Can you please tell me the name of the flower that is in bloom in this photo? The flowers came back in bloom for around three years and died out. It grows around 4-5 feet tall. The stems are a reddish color. It starts blooming in June and blooms until frost. My brother gave me this flower. And there was no name on the pot. It is a beautiful flower. I hope you can…Read more about Question and Answer[Read More]
Q. Could you tell me what kind of weed is creeping through my lawn and flowerbeds? It has scalloped edges on the leaves and pretty blue flowers. The leaves have a strong smell. I have tried all kinds of weed killer on it; I think it makes it grow! A. You and most every gardener in Indiana are doing battle with the common perennial weed called ground ivy, aka creeping Charlie, a member of the…Read more about Question and Answer[Read More]
Many folks would love to grow their own fresh vegetables, but perhaps they are short on space and/or time. If you’ve got space for a pot of flowers on the patio or balcony, then you too can grow vegetables. Here are some tips for creating and stretching a small garden space. Preferably, you want to create a garden where conditions are ideal for growing vegetables: full sun, well-drained soil, away from trees and shrubs, close…Read more about Vegetable Gardening In A Small Space[Read More]
Q. I love to walk our farm woods looking to find some of our native wildflowers. I was excited two years ago when I came across a violet that had yellow flowers. Went back last year to look in the area, but never found them again. I found in several nature books that violets will bloom white, yellow and the blue we usually see in early spring (woolly blue violet). I’m curious to know if…Read more about Question and Answer[Read More]
Chances are that some dedicated gardeners have already tilled their gardens and planted their “seed” potatoes, their aim to plant on or around St. Patrick’s Day. But with all the recent rains and flooding, many of us will be lucky to have them planted by Mother’s Day! Because our weather can be so unpredictable, it’s hard to be very precise about planting time. Potatoes are considered to be a cool-season crop and can be planted…Read more about Patience for Planting Potatoes[Read More]
Q. Can you please help my friend to find out what the name of this plant on the picture is? She told me it smelled bad when flowered. I told her this is a kind of insect-eater plant but not sure what the name of it is. A. This is not necessarily a carnivorous (insect-eating) plant, but the photo is of a flower belonging to a large family of plants known as the Aroids. This…Read more about Question and Answer[Read More]
Q. I have been collecting red and orange Canna seeds this year from plants produced by bulbs at least 3 years old. Can these seeds be propagated? If so, what steps should I take? A. Canna is more typically propagated by dividing the rhizomes (thick, underground stems) so that each new section has at least one healthy bud that will become the new shoot. They can be propagated by seed, but keep in mind that…Read more about Question and Answer[Read More]