Q. The home we moved into a few years ago backs up to a creek running through our subdivision. On both sides of the creek is a thicket of ferns, bushes, briars, poison ivy, spindly trees and wild woody vines. The vines grow into the tops of a number of the trees, including cedars. We’ve cleared out a portion of the thicket closest to our home, put up a picket fence and now have a…Read more about Question and Answer[Read More]
While it is too early to plant tomatoes, now is the perfect time to plant lettuce. The key to growing a successful crop is to plant and mature the lettuce in cool weather. Lettuce is an annual plant that will bolt (produce a flower stalk) and become bitter when temperatures stay above 70 F. Iceberg, or more correctly called crisp head type lettuce, used to predominate produce shelves at most grocery stores. Crisp head cultivars…Read more about Lettuce – Cool Crop for Indiana Gardens[Read More]
Q. We have a new home, which we built three years ago on Lake Shafer, and we have lady bug problems. The first summer, they seemed to be all over the houses out, and we are always finding them inside, sometimes on one side of the house more than the other. Do you know how to get rid of them? Thanks.– Jeanne Garofalo, Chicago, Ill. A. The Asian lady beetle is considered a beneficial insect…Read more about Question and Answer[Read More]
For many gardeners, pruning seems to be the most daunting chore in the home orchard. In an effort to avoid cutting off too much, many of us end up not cutting at all and end up with overgrown trees. Too little pruning can result in overcrowded, unhealthy branches that produce small fruit and/or few of them. On the other hand, severe pruning also can remove much of the crop potential. Not all fruit species grow…Read more about Pruning The Home Orchard[Read More]
Q. I live in an older home with established bushes and trees. Last year, they started getting a bit wild and unruly. I don’t want to use hedge shears to trim plants into tight shapes. I’d rather have a natural look but don’t want to trim all summer. Do you have any suggestions? — Larry Osborne, Fort Wayne, Ind. A. The dormant season is a great time to prune many shrubs. Landscape plants should be…Read more about Question and Answer[Read More]
The fresh crop of garden catalogs brings me hope for the coming spring gardening season. Once again, plant breeders are tempting us with new, better and unique looks to our old, familiar crops. Carrot ‘Romeo’ blends a petite ball shape with smooth skin that needs no peeling. Harvest for peak flavor when they reach about an inch or so in diameter, about 60 days from seed. (Renee’s Garden Seeds) Cucumber ‘Yellow Submarine’ bears large, 8-inch-long…Read more about New Garden Vegetables for 2004[Read More]
Q. I used to have many kinds of peonies with excellent large blooms. But they no longer have many blooms, and the foliage seems to have some kind of disease. I am almost ready to kill them off. What can I do, or should I destroy them? — Diane H. Jungels, Rensselaer, Ind. A. Cladosporium leaf blotch of peony, also known as red spot or measles, is a common disease in Indiana. Look for distinct,…Read more about February 2004[Read More]
Q. We are building a new home and in the side yard are two, huge 16-year-old blue spruce. We are trying to save them so we designed a retaining wall to include these trees, but huge concrete trucks have had to go rather close to them. I’m worried they have damaged the roots. The trees have dead tips hanging from some of the branches. What can I do to help save these beautiful old trees?…Read more about January 2004[Read More]
The winter landscape may seem a bit bland at first glance. But if you look closely, you’ll find that quite a few plants have interesting bark that is actually easier to appreciate without the distraction of leaves and flowers. Bark often changes over time, so that a species that starts out with thin, smooth bark on twigs and young branches may become thick and flaky or change in color as the plant matures. Beautiful bark…Read more about In Appreciation of Bark[Read More]
Q. Are there any other varieties of lilies that bloom for more than just one day, besides the Stella D’Oro? Also, why is it necessary to dig up the Canna variety but not others? Is it naturally tropical? I love lilies! Thank you. — Josie Kramer, Clear Lake, Ind. A. The range of color, shape and size of daylilies is wonderful, but breeders are working hard to create more reblooming daylilies. Most daylilies bloom for…Read more about December 2003[Read More]