Q. I am hoping that you can help me understand why our poppy flowers never fully bloom. We moved to this house at Lake Bruce 6 years ago, and the poppies were already here. Each year there are numerous buds that never open fully. They just seem to mold and wither. What can the problem be? Thanks so much for your advice as I am envious when I see others in this area have beautiful…Read more about Question and Answer[Read More]
We continue to receive numerous inquiries about bagworms on landscape plants, especially evergreens. Since we’ve addressed this issue several times over the last few years, I won’t take the time to repeat the information here, but you can find the answers to most of your questions from the Purdue Extension entomology specialists online at http://www.ppdl.purdue.edu/PPDL/weeklypics/7-29-02-1.html and http://extension.entm.purdue.edu/publications/E-27.pdf. Q. I have learned about this dreadful stuff called artillery or shotgun fungus the hard way — namely by having it…Read more about Question and Answer[Read More]
Q. Three years ago I planted several white pine trees about 6-feet tall. They were doing very well. Then, a short time after a disagreement with one of my neighbors, my pine trees started to die. I planted six trees and every OTHER ONE died. Now I have another maple tree that is dead. I strongly suspect that someone has sprayed some of these trees with Roundup or some other kind of poison. Is there…Read more about Question and Answer[Read More]
Perhaps the only thing vegetable gardeners enjoy more than harvesting their crops is making plans for the coming growing season. Garden catalogs fill the mailbox and online seed houses come alive with tempting photos of luscious ripe harvests, which makes this a perfect time to plan the spring garden! Here’s a look at what’s new for vegetable gardeners in 2008. Bean ‘Gold Dust’ bears butter-yellow wax pods set high on upright bush plants. Good disease…Read more about New Garden Vegetables for 2008[Read More]
Q. We plant sweet potatoes in a raised bed the length of our garden. We have had an animal go underground and eat one-third of it. This year, some grew 10 inches long and 8 inches around. I’ve read that an animal–“a vole”–could be the problem. What can we do about it? A. There are several species of voles (field mice). Voles are active day and night, year-round. Their territory is usually one-fourth acre or…Read more about Question and Answer[Read More]
Q. I have a question about persimmon trees. I bought three pairs over the past several years from a well-known mail-order company. They were supposed to be one male and one female. All of the trees have little bell-shaped blooms, but don’t develop fruit. Have I received all females? How can you tell the difference? The oldest trees are over 10 years old. How old do they have to be to bear fruit? A. While it can…Read more about Persimmon Tree Pollination, Potato Fruits, and Hydrangea Blooming Tips[Read More]
Q. I have two hydrangeas. One is a small bush (Annabelle) about 6 years old. It is on the south side of the house but is in deep shade in summer due to large trees growing south and east of it. The other is a climbing hydrangea on the east side and is in the sun in the morning. The climber grows luxuriantly. The bush isn’t really that happy. Neither has ever bloomed. I have…Read more about Question and Answer[Read More]
Q. I purchased many unusual gourds from a local vegetable stand. How is the best way to dry them? How do I save the seeds for next year? A. First, let me address the issue that, due to potential cross-pollination with other compatible plants, saving seed from gourds is rather unpredictable. The offspring may include some plants that will produce similar to the parent gourd, but, then again, you can get some really diverse results!…Read more about Question and Answer[Read More]
If you’ve noticed that your cucumbers are a little (or a lot) bitter lately, don’t give up hope. A little water, mulch and patience will provide relief. Most cucumber plants contain a bitter compound called cucurbitacin, which can be present in the fruit as well as the foliage. Bitterness in cucumbers tends to be more prominent when plants are under stress from low moisture, high temperatures or poor nutrition. For some cucumber eaters,…Read more about Bitter Cucumbers A Temporary Problem[Read More]
If your tomatoes dropped their blossoms instead of setting eagerly awaited fruits, you’re not alone. The weather for the last month or so has been quite inhospitable for tomato fruit set. Most plants have experienced colder temperatures than what is needed for pollination to be successful. In stark contrast, we had a brief period of unseasonably warm weather. Warm-season crops, which include tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash, cucumbers and melons, require temperatures above 55…Read more about Spring Weather Unkind to Tomatoes[Read More]