Q. I have a blue prince and princess holly, and I think they are doing fine, but I want to plant another female species (Blue Girl), since it doesn’t grow quite as big. Will the blue prince pollinate the Blue Girl, or do I need the Blue Boy also? Thank you for your advice. A. In order for a female plant to bear fruit, she must be in bloom at the same time as a […]
Q. I have a lilac bush that I started from a “slip” from my sister several years ago that has never bloomed. It is growing leaves and is beautiful, but no blooms. What do I need to do? A. There are a number of reasons why a plant might fail to bloom. The most common factors are plant age, sunlight, plant nutrition, winter temperatures and improper pruning. You didn’t indicate how many years ago you […]
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! […]
Q. Could you please tell me what I can do for my concord grapes? When they start ripening, they rot, or something like that. A. I’d place my bets on a fungal disease called “black rot.” There are some grape cultivars that are resistant to grape rot, but, unfortunately, ‘ Concord ‘ is highly susceptible. According to Purdue Plant Pathology publication BP-36 “Grape Black Rot” http://www.ces.purdue.edu/extmedia/BP/BP-36.html , this is one of the most common and serious diseases […]
Q. We planted new blackberry and raspberry plants this spring. We would like to know what has to be done to prepare them before cold weather moves in. A. There should not be much to do for these plants, assuming you planted hardy cultivars. You do want the plants to be well watered before going into winter, but that doesn’t seem to be a problem for most areas of Indiana this fall. Both blackberry and raspberry […]
Q. I am hoping that you can give me some advice on my yard. I think I may have a fungus. Nothing grows very well. Last year I planted bell peppers and tomatoes, and they were inedible. They were full of white veins. All of my trees have small holes in the leaves. And my grass has small pale patches all over the yard. My income is limited. Can you suggest a treatment that is […]