Q: This spring I would like to plant some blueberry bushes. The soil in this area is mostly clay, with a heavy limestone content. I have dug several holes about 2 feet deep, 3 feet in diameter, and 5 feet apart. The soil from the holes has been mixed with a generous amount of decayed organic matter and replaced. I would like to add an amendment to the mixture to acidify it. However, I have […]
Q: I have several hills of rhubarb. For the past three years, the rhubarb has had skinny stalks despite fertilizer, etc. Knowing this probably means I need to divide and re-plant the roots, I need to know when is the best time to do this. Also, I have red seedless grapes that are young and have only been harvested for two years. The grapes are sweet, but extremely small. How does one produce larger fruit? […]
Q: I have hardy kiwi vines that have been planted for six or seven years. Last year they bloomed, but the blooms dropped off. This year they bloomed, and it looked as if little fruit set on. Then those fell off. What could the problem be? I was supposed to have both male and female plants. — Aldona Short, Valparaiso, Ind. A: Several cultural factors can contribute to premature fruit drop. Unseasonable spring frosts often […]
Q: HELP!! The bagworms are killing my trees. How can I stop them? What importance are bagworms to the environment? Do they do any good? If stripping the tree of all its nutrients is their only purpose, I’m for trying to get rid of them! Besides killing my trees, they form a strong web that allows them to cling to the side of my house, my lawn furniture, the outside grill, etc. Hope you can […]
B. Rosie Lerner, Consumer Horticulture Extension Specialist Herb gardeners can snip fresh herbs throughout the winter by propagating their garden plants now. There are several approaches to overwintering plants. One easy method is to dig up a plant, or a portion of one, and pot it up. Plants such as chives, lemon balm, mint, burnet and sweet woodruff can be lifted and divided into sections to create more plants. Dividing is a fairly foolproof method […]
B. Rosie Lerner, Consumer Horticulture Extension Specialist Peanuts have long been a popular backyard garden crop in the southern United States, much to the envy of northern gardeners. But since some garden seed catalogs make peanuts available all over the county, peanuts &emdash; also known as goober peas &emdash; are making their way north. Peanuts do require a long, warm growing season of about 120 days. Bright yellow flowers begin to form about seven weeks […]
Q: I would like to plant some “surprise lilies,” the pink ones that seem to pop out of the ground late in the summer. I’ve looked through all the nursery catalogs and garden stores, but cannot find any. Do you know where I could purchase some? – Anne Bodine, Covington, Ind. A: They can be hard to find because they aren’t carried by many companies and because they have so many common names! The foliage […]