Q: I read your article about cat litter in the garden. Now I have a problem. We have had cat litter in the garden for years. Besides my throwing it out there, when my husband makes the garden in the spring, my cats are thrilled because they have a large, easy-digging, litter box. Now what can we do? Is there something we can do to neutralize all this? From now on, I can throw the […]
Q: We have had three English walnut trees for at least 20 years. In those years, we have had about 4 bushels of nuts from them, except for the last four years. Now, we have not had even one nut. I don’t know why. We also have pecan trees. In the last four years, they have had lots of nuts, but the nuts are dried out and no good. What is wrong with them? – […]
The National Garden Bureau wants to see everyone’s home blossom with geraniums. Each year the bureau selects a flower and a vegetable to promote, and in 1998 the geranium is the flower they will spotlight. Geraniums include a diverse array of garden flowers from the highly double-flowered hybrid annual types that give season-long color, to ivy geraniums noted for their cascading growth habit, and scented geraniums grown primarily for the remarkably fragrant oils contained in […]
Each year, the National Garden Bureau selects a flower and a vegetable to promote, and in 1998 the veggie spotlight will shine on the tomato. Tomatoes are native to the Americas, in the Andean mountain region of South America. The Aztecs of Central America are thought to be the first people to cultivate, eat and name the plant tomatl or xtomatl. The tomato was brought to North America by colonists as an ornamental plant, and […]
Amaryllis is a popular holiday gift plant but may have the lucky recipient wondering about its proper care. Amaryllis is a tender bulb that won’t survive outdoors even in the mildest of Indiana winters. But it can be grown indoors to provide a dramatic show of color during dreary winter months. The showy flowers range from crimson, scarlet, rose, lavender, white or bi-colored combinations. Although each plant may produce only one cluster of 2-4 blooms, […]
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 thought bagworms and webworms were two different worms. Your answer to the question about bagworms in your November column confused me. Please clarify. Also, I have been trying to grow sweet peas in my flower garden. They seem to germinate and come up OK. They grow to about 1 foot tall, then they die. Could you tell me what type of soil and location is best for growing sweet peas? I see them […]
The Perennial Plant Association has named the purple coneflower cultivar ‘Magnus’ as the perennial plant of the year for 1998. Known botanically as Echinacea purpurea ‘Magnus,’ this cultivar and species was selected for its outstanding performance as a sun-loving, long-flowering perennial that is easy to grow. Purple coneflower is native to the midwestern plains, though the cultivar ‘Magnus’ hails from a Swedish nursery and is named for the plant’s breeder. Purple coneflower as a species […]
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? […]
B. Rosie Lerner Purdue Extension Consumer Horticulture Specialist The recent Arctic blast that visited our area made for a rather dramatic leaf fall in many neighborhoods. With large quantities of leaves blowing around their yards, some people may be tempted to resort to the old-fashioned and effective method of burning. However, in addition to being illegal in many areas, leaf burning leads to air pollution and is a health and fire hazard. The smoke from […]