Q. My rhubarb has some type of bug. It’s planted at the edge of my garden. It’s not as hearty as it was in the past, and now it has brown spots. – Phyllis Clark A. Crown rot can cause brown, sunken, water-soaked spots on the base of the leaf stalks. Leaves yellow, and stalks collapse and die. The disease thrives in waterlogged, heavy soils and attacks the crown and base of the stems. In […]
Q. I have magic lilies that have not bloomed for two or three years. The foliage comes up in the spring, but there are no blooms in the summer. Do I need to move the bulbs? If so, when? – Marian Fouts, Walkerton, Ind. A. When bulbs (including daffodils) get crowded, they will cease flowering. If you have a thick mass of magic lilies (Lycoris &emdash; also called surprise lilies, naked ladies and resurrection lilies), […]
Q. I need to know when to trim clematis. I have tried for 10 years to grow them. I now have three growing. One is so tall, and I want to know how to keep it full and blooming. &emdash; Veneda Hoesel, Winamac, Ind. A. If you categorize clematis by their pruning needs, there are three different groups. Group one blooms in the spring on last year’s new wood. Little pruning is needed except for […]
Q. We’re novices to gardening but would like to grow statice and eucalyptus. We have lots of room for the plants. Our soil type is clayish. We live in Rising Sun, Ind. (Ohio County). When and how do we prepare the soil, location (sunny or shade), herbicides, pesticides, food (type and frequency of application), soil additives, etc.? Sheldon Boatright, Rising Sun, Ind. A. There is no way to give an accurate recommendation without having the […]
Q. Last season, I spread about 6 inches of hardwood sawdust on my pumpkin, squash and gourd garden to control weeds. The sawdust is still there and will act as a mulch for this season also. By using the sawdust, do I need to add any nutrients to my soil this season? If so, what should I add? – Myrna Sowers, Crawfordsville, Ind. A. Uncomposted sawdust ties up the available nitrogen in the soil, so […]
Q. I’ve been out in the backyard giving myself a backache chopping down ornamental grasses. We love them 363 days a year; every day except for the two that we spend chopping them down and getting rid of the debris! Any thoughts? – Amy Raley, West Lafayette, Ind. A. We buzz down our ornamental grasses with electric hedge shears and a chain saw. The task goes by quickly! We leave the dried grasses in place […]
Q: Enclosed are two pictures&emdash;one of my seemingly healthy primrose, the second one taken a few weeks later&emdash;not so healthy. Could you please diagnose this problem and suggest a cure or possible preventive treatment for later use? I enjoy your column very much. Thank you for helping. – Pat Ritter, Bloomfield, Ind. A: This is a direct result of our extremely wet weather this year. Oenothera species have many different names, including Ozark Sundrop or […]