Q. I have this smoketree that is about 10 years old. It will get to the seedy stage, but then it won’t completely bloom out. There might be two or three that will completely bloom out. Do I need more than one tree? Is there such a thing as a male and a female? Please help me get that tree to bloom. — Shirley Sitek, Knox, Ind. A. Smokebush has a rather ineffective flower, but […]
Q. It looks like moss. It is killing out the grass and taking over my lawn. It started in the shade but keeps spreading. Can you tell me what it is, and what to do about it? – Janice Alward, Kingman, Ind. A. “It” is probably moss, but you could take a sample to your county Extension office to be sure. Moss takes over when conditions aren’t suitable for turf. Infestations are associated with low […]
Q: For the last two years, in the fall, we have had an invasion of ladybugs. They covered the south and west sides of our house. It’s now winter, and we still have ladybugs flying around inside our home. I don’t want to use insecticides, as ladybugs are beneficial, but when there are so many they become a nuisance. Any suggestions or ideas to help us would be greatly appreciated. – Susan Healton, Kokomo, Ind. […]
Q. I would like to know why my garden phlox gets this white flaky substance on the stems and leaves. I’ve put different dusts and sprays on them. Nothing helps. I keep thinking every year it will go away, but it always comes back. Should I dig them up and plant new plants? They are only 3 or 4 years old, so I don’t want to do that if I don’t need to. The flowers are […]
(Released: 03 October 1996) By B. Rosie Lerner Extension Consumer Horticulture Specialist Six new garden plants have been awarded the prestigious honor of being an All America Selection (AAS) for 1997. These new cultivars have been judged as superior in their class based on their performance in test gardens all over the country. Zinnia angustifolia ‘Crystal White’ is not your ordinary everyday zinnia! Crystal White has a daintier texture, with small, pure-white, daisy-like flowers that […]
Q: For the last three years, my husband and I have had a problem with our zucchini plants. After one or two pickings, the plants are plagued with a gray-brown bug that looks like a stink bug. Soon, the plant dies. We have put Sevin on the plant as soon as we see the insects, but the plant still dies. We destroy the plant correctly and put diazinon in the ground to prevent further infestation but […]
Q. We would like to establish tiger lilies along a 50-foot portion of a bank on a farm pond where grass and weeds now grow. We have lilies growing wild along our field. My questions are: Is transplanting from these wild lilies a good bet, or should we buy bulbs? When is the best time to do that? Thanks. – Steven A. Cain, Brookston, Ind. A. I think you may mean daylilies instead of tiger lilies, since […]
Q. I’m moving into a new home where the previous owners had a small garden. What do I need to do this spring to prepare it for planting? Also, are the inexpensive seeds you buy at the department stores adequate, or should I go to a garden center? Is it better to plant seedlings than seeds? – Carrie Powell, West Lafayette, Ind. A. Start with a soil test of your new garden. Your Cooperative Extension Service office […]
(Released: 05 October 1995) By B. Rosie Lerner Extension Consumer Horticulture Specialist Although most people think of spring as the time to fertilize, fall feeding can give trees and shrubs a boost. Not all landscape plants need fertilizer, but young plants and those that are recovering from stress can benefit. Timing fall fertilizer application is important because feeding too early can promote late fall growth. Young tissue will not have a chance to harden off […]
Q: I have a couple of very large tulip beds (700 to 1,000 bulbs), and I usually keep them weeded by hand after the tulips have died down in the spring. Would it be all right to spray the grass and weeds that come up in the beds with Roundup in July or August? It would be a lot easier than hand-weeding the beds all summer. But would this harm the tulip bulbs in the ground? […]