Q. I am a resident of Orange County, just outside of Paoli. I recently noticed that my red horse chestnut tree, which had previously lost all of its leaves due to drought, has sprouted several red flowers. Some leaves are coming out and MANY buds are swelling. Many buds are not swelling, and I hope they stay that way. The drought tricked the tree into early dormancy, and now the recent rains have awakened the tree […]
Q. We need your expert help concerning our Stanley plum tree. We planted the tree four years ago. The catalog said it is self-pollinating. One year we had two plums. Another year we had none. This year, I found 10 on the ground. All were green and small. What is wrong? The closest other tree is an old persimmon, and it is always loaded with fruit. Do we need fertilizer? If yes, what kind? Did we […]
Q. I love red geraniums. I would like to know how one might start plants, and when you would start them. Also, what is the best plant food to use to grow beautiful geraniums? — Tom Schmitt A. The two main methods of propagating geraniums are by cuttings or seeds. Cuttings usually are taken from outdoor geraniums in late summer or early fall. Cut off 3-4-inch shoots, and remove the leaves on the lower part of the […]
Q. An insect is killing my schefflera. It gets white, fuzzy-looking places on it that feel soft, and you cannot see the insect that is working on it. Finally, it will kill the leaf if not removed. I wash the leaves from time to time with soap and water, and last time a little bleach. It works for a while. I even tried a fungus product and worked it in the soil after giving the plant […]
Q. I gathered some bittersweet branches last fall. These are the decorative red berries gathered in the fall for winter arrangements in the home. I have saved some well-developed seed but can’t get them to grow. I stored some in the freezer for a time, yet neither did they sprout. I’m wondering if they must pass through a bird’s digestive process to sprout. The seed appears to be encased in a thick shell. If so, […]
Q. This year, I had problems with my tomatoes. They grew well and had lots of green and ripe tomatoes on them, when all at once the leaves turned yellow and fell off. Some plants had no leaves left. The tomatoes that were ripe didn’t taste good. This happened in just a week’s time. Other neighbors had the same problem. – Kathryn Gilbert Cory, Ind. A. Tomatoes are susceptible to a number of problems. One […]