Q. I have a pink lemonade honeysuckle vine. It has bloomed all summer, but the leaves are turning a powdery white and falling off. Is there a remedy to save my plant? — Sylvia R. Kline, Ferdinand, Ind. A. Powdery mildew is the name for the grayish-white powdery coating caused by a fungus growing on plant leaves, shoots and flowers. This disease is caused by a group of similar fungi that attacks a wide variety […]
Q. We have a forsythia bush that for the past three or four years has bloomed between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Is this a normal thing considering the warmer weather we have had over the past few years? If we trim the bush now, will it still bloom in the spring? Thanks. – Nancy Folger A. It’s fairly common for some plants to jump the gun and bloom in the fall, especially if the weather is […]
Q. Our tomatoes have had blight the last two years. Is there anything we can do to keep them from getting it again? — Mrs. George Bowen, Plymouth, Ind. A. There are three major blights that can attack your tomatoes: Septoria leaf spot, early blight and late blight. All are fungal diseases spread by spores, which require dew or rain to infect the plant. These are most severe in wet weather. Septoria leaf spot, sometimes […]
Q. I ordered a lot of spring-flowering daffodils and tulips and expect the shipment to arrive soon. Is there any trick to planting them? — Cindy Cunningham, Terre Haute, Ind. A. Start with a design first. I like working with large groups of plants, depending upon the size of your garden. For most residential sites, two dozen bulbs can make quite a show. If you plant three daffodils in one spot, three different ones in […]
Q. I have a lot of vines that grew up my two trees. I noticed that one of my large trees is now dying. Would those vines kill them by taking all of the water from the bark? Also, I have a patio tomato plant that is big and doing great. Would it hurt the plant if I cut off a lot of the lower branches? Thank you. — Jerry Maquet A. In the southern […]
Q. Last year, I put in a new lawn. It’s doing well, except, recently, it began leaving a rust-colored powder on my shoes. Is that something that will affect the health of my turf? — Jason Burks, West Lafayette, Ind. A. The powder is actually millions of microscopic spores produced by a fungus called rust. There are several different rust fungi that cause rust. The most common one on Kentucky bluegrass, annual bluegrass, fescues and […]
Q. I transplanted and divided some peonies last year. This year, the foliage looks good but some of the buds are small and black and have never fully developed. What’s wrong with them? — Cindy Polley, West Lafayette, Ind. A. Peonies have few pests or problems. The most frequently occurring pests are botrytis blight and leaf blotch, both fungal diseases. Especially prevalent during wet springs, botrytis affects leaves, stems and flowers. Spots appear on leaves, […]