The following question and answer columns are currently written by B. Rosie Lerner, Purdue Consumer Horticulture Extension Specialist and are distributed to news media around the state by the Purdue University Agricultural Communications. Columns from June 1995 - January 2006 were authored by Bev Shaw, Advanced Master Gardener.
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 […]
Q: I hear about taking cuttings from different plants, but it has not worked for me. Please give us amateurs some pointers on when to take them and what type of soil or other medium to use. Do we keep them indoors or outdoors? – W.J. Harber, Ossian, Ind. A: This is a great time of year to take cuttings of tender plants so you can enjoy them again next growing season without having to purchase them […]
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 used to have two plum trees in my backyard, but both were struck by lightning and died. I would like to replace one of them, but I heard you have to have a male and female tree to bear fruit. Is this true, and if it is, how do you tell them apart when you buy them? – Deborah S. Wallace, Greensburg, Ind. A. Plums have perfect flowers with both male and female parts, but […]
Q: In your April column you mentioned a decorative tall grass for slopes. I’m very interested, however, we like to entertain in our yard and make use of the area up to about 15 feet from the slope at the south end of our 1-acre lot. I would like to know what pests this plant might draw – especially if it’s mosquitoes. – Shelly McCoy, Ridgeville, Ind. A: Big bluestem does not attract any insect pests that […]
Q. I have a hillside that is now scarce with grass and weeds and would like to try little bluestem. Where can I find it? Can the seed be planted directly on the ground, or what kind of preparation is necessary? – Myrna Sowers, Crawfordsville, Ind. A. Prepare the site by killing all the existing weeds. Because you’re planting a hill, you don’t want to loosen the soil too much, so till lightly or hand rake a […]
Q.Can you give me the proper way to freeze corn on the cob so it doesn’t lose its firmness? – Edward Serfin, Demotte, Ind. A. Sorry, but this is outside my area of expertise, and I don’t want to give advice on food preparation since improperly stored foods could actually cause one of my readers harm! Please contact the consumer and family science educator at your county Cooperative Extension Service office. He or she is specially […]
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 […]
Q. This past summer, bugs ate the leaves off my turnips, squash, rutabagas, etc., in a short period of time while I was away from home. I had applied wood ashes mixed with water and dishwashing soap. What should I use rather than a toxic chemical? Also, should I transplant evergreens in the winter or early spring? When is the best time for transplanting? I also have several locust seedlings to move. I have a wood-burning […]