Q. I have a question about persimmon trees. I bought three pairs over the past several years from a well-known mail-order company. They were supposed to be one male and one female. All of the trees have little bell-shaped blooms, but don’t develop fruit. Have I received all females? How can you tell the difference? The oldest trees are over 10 years old. How old do they have to be to bear fruit? A. While it can […]
Q. I have a lilac bush that I started from a “slip” from my sister several years ago that has never bloomed. It is growing leaves and is beautiful, but no blooms. What do I need to do? A. There are a number of reasons why a plant might fail to bloom. The most common factors are plant age, sunlight, plant nutrition, winter temperatures and improper pruning. You didn’t indicate how many years ago you […]
Q. I purchased many unusual gourds from a local vegetable stand. How is the best way to dry them? How do I save the seeds for next year? A. First, let me address the issue that, due to potential cross-pollination with other compatible plants, saving seed from gourds is rather unpredictable. The offspring may include some plants that will produce similar to the parent gourd, but, then again, you can get some really diverse results! […]
Q. Could you please tell me what I can do for my concord grapes? When they start ripening, they rot, or something like that. A. I’d place my bets on a fungal disease called “black rot.” There are some grape cultivars that are resistant to grape rot, but, unfortunately, ‘ Concord ‘ is highly susceptible. According to Purdue Plant Pathology publication BP-36 “Grape Black Rot” http://www.ces.purdue.edu/extmedia/BP/BP-36.html , this is one of the most common and serious diseases […]
Q. Concerning the question about deer and other wild animals eating plants, bushes, and young tree growth, etc.: We were told (and experienced) to tie (a particular brand of deodorant) soap to all trees and bushes to keep deer from eating our landscaping. It works for us. We have seen as many as 40 head in our area in Steuben County. They are here! And before, we tried everything. A. Your soapy landscape plants are […]
Q. I would like to cover several parts of my yard with shredded bark mulch. My concern is we have some wood roaches in this area, and I do not want to attract them to my yard. We have had some in the house in the past and still get one or two occasionally. This is not a problem, but I’m afraid if we put down mulch this may be a big problem. What are your thoughts […]
Q. We planted new blackberry and raspberry plants this spring. We would like to know what has to be done to prepare them before cold weather moves in. A. There should not be much to do for these plants, assuming you planted hardy cultivars. You do want the plants to be well watered before going into winter, but that doesn’t seem to be a problem for most areas of Indiana this fall. Both blackberry and raspberry […]
Q. I have had Japanese beetles in my yard for the past several years — and each year the infestation increases. This year, they are really profuse — everything in the garden is under attack! If I bump a branch when mowing, I am showered by them. I have about one acre surrounded by farmland. This year it is corn; but I see no sign of infestation on the corn stalks. I have been shaking […]
Q. We have a yellow peach tree and a white peach tree. Both have had great fruit in the past. The yellow one was loaded this year, and usually the fruit ripens around the first week in July. Toward the end of June, the fruit started rotting before it was ripe! The white peach tree has several peaches on it, but they don’t seem to mature. The fruit is the size of a small walnut […]