Q. Last year, my gladiolus got a blight. They would get about 2 feet high and then turn yellow and start to die. Some of them did bloom, but blossoms were small with blotches. Is this a ground problem or a plant disease? What is the treatment? – Clyde Dawson, Urbana, Ind. A. Several diseases can attack gladiolus leaves. It’s most important to remove and destroy diseased plants. Plant glads in locations with good drainage and air […]
Q. I have a Japanese maple that I planted last spring. Since then, it has turned from the rich, deep maroon color to a green color on the leaves. There is still a hint of the red color, but it is very faint. What would have caused this and what can I do to bring the maroon color back? Thanks! – David J. Schafer, New Albany, Ind. A. There are hundreds of cultivars of Japanese […]
Q. I have one persimmon tree that hasn’t produced any fruit yet. How old does a tree have to be before doing so? Do I need to have more than one tree in order to produce persimmons? – Dennis Stutler, Batesville, Ind. A. Persimmons are dioecious, which means male and female flowers are on separate plants. You need a male and female plant to produce fruit. You really can’t tell a male from a female […]
Q. This is the second year for my humming bird vines. They are supposed to have trumpet-shaped flowers but did not have any last year or this year. What could be wrong? The vines are hardy and really vine out. We do have a lot of walnut trees on our property, but none are close to the vines. Could this be a problem? Also, I need to know what flowers and vegetables will grow around […]
Q. I need to know when to trim clematis. I have tried for 10 years to grow them. I now have three growing. One is so tall, and I want to know how to keep it full and blooming. &emdash; Veneda Hoesel, Winamac, Ind. A. If you categorize clematis by their pruning needs, there are three different groups. Group one blooms in the spring on last year’s new wood. Little pruning is needed except for […]