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Garden Questions of the Week
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Timely Gardening Information Customer service staff at Hole's regularly post up the most commonly asked questions. |
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There are black, nut-like clusters on my mayday. What are they and how do I cure them?
The Science Behind it: Your tree has likely been stricken with a serious plant disease called black knot of cherry. At the fruiting stage, the disease seems to billow out of the branch or trunk. The only solution is to prune out the affected branches well below the knot. Be sure to seal the pruned branches in a plastic garbage bag and to clean your pruning tools between cuts with a bleach or ethyl alcohol solution to prevent spreading this disease. It affects all members of the genus Prunus—cherry, mayday, plum, etc.
How should I clean my pruners after trimming black knot or fireblight off my trees?
Practical Answer: Cleaning your pruners between cuts is a good all-around practice. Two products work well: bleach (sodium hypochlorite) and ethyl alcohol (ethanol). Dip the pruners in the solution after each cut to avoid spreading disease. The Science Behind it: Bleach eats into metal, so don’t leave your pruners in the bleach solution for any length of time. After the job is done, apply a lightweight oil to the blades to prevent rust damage. Use a ten-percent bleach solution (one part household bleach to nine parts water) or a seventy-percent ethanol solution.
In general, when should I prune my trees?
Practical Answer: Pruning is a general term that we use to describe everything from deadheading to removing large limbs. It’s best to prune large branches late in the dormant season. Prune in the late winter, just before spring growth starts. Of course, if a branch is broken or hazardous, it should be removed promptly, regardless of the time of year. The Science Behind it: Pruning in the summer, or while the tree is actively growing, can lead to several problems: • Exposed cut ends are more vulnerable to disease and insect injury. • If you remove too many leaves, you’ll reduce your tree’s ability to generate energy. • It’s harder to visualize the ultimate shape of your tree with leaves obscuring the view. • In some regions, it is illegal to prune trees in the spring or summer due to insect problems. There are, of course, exceptions to the rule. We recommend that birch and maple be pruned in late spring or early summer when they are fully leafed out, and most evergreens are best pruned in late spring, while the new growth is still soft.
Why can I buy some bulbs only in the fall, and others only in the spring?
Practical Answer: Bulbs are normally sold based on when they should be planted. The Science Behind it: Bulbs purchased and planted in the spring are naturally tender, unable to endure the cold of winter; they need warm soil and sustained heat (and in some cases moisture) to bloom. Bulbs purchased and planted in the late summer and fall, on the other hand, are hardy. Not only can they withstand the cold, most require an extended period of cold to produce flowers the following spring. Garden centres tend to carry products that suit the local climate. For example, while a canna lily may be available for fall planting in Zone 8, where it will survive the winter with protection, it is sold as a spring-planted bulb in the chillier Zone 3.
Where is the best place to buy bulbs, at the garden centre or through a catalogue?
Practical Answer: You can purchase high-quality bulbs at garden centres or through mail-order and Internet catalogues. At the garden centre you can examine the stock (a very important advantage if you aren’t sure of the company’s quality, or if you don’t trust online or mail-order shopping), and you can choose your own substitutions if something is unavailable and ask for advice about planting or varieties. You can purchase fall-planted stock early and plant it immediately, giving your bulbs the best possible start. These businesses also offer bulbs suited to your local zone, whereas mail-order and Internet companies provide bulbs with a broad range of hardiness that may include all the zones in which their customers reside—this means you may have to do a little research to determine whether particular bulbs are suitable for your garden. Either outlet may also offer exclusive varieties or unusual selections. Experience and word-of-mouth recommendations are your best friends in this regard. There’s a wide variation in bulb quality from retailer to retailer; some companies sell small, immature bulbs that have little chance of blooming, and if they do bloom they may produce only a small number of flowers. Until someone you trust recommends a retailer, caveat emptor!
When I’m buying bulbs at a garden centre, what should I look for to ensure the best quality?
Practical Answer: There are five factors to keep in mind: firmness, weight, size, overall condition and timing. Healthy bulbs feel plump, firm and fairly solid, not squishy, soft or loose. They should be relatively heavy for their size. The outer skin should be relatively blemish-free and free of mould. Avoid bulbs that have visible cuts or bruises or that feel very light and dry. And of course, a healthy big bulb (within the limits of the species) beats a healthy little bulb. The most important tip is to buy early. Some bulbs, like fritillaries, dry out very quickly, so for best results purchase your bulbs as soon as they are available for sale and plant them immediately.
Should I fertilize fall-flowering bulbs in the fall or in the spring?
Practical Answer: Two principles come into play here: demand and convenience. Fertilizing at planting is easiest, but bulbs demand fertilizer most during the spring and summer. So why not do both? Fertilize bulbs like autumn-flowering crocus and colchicum when you plant (in the fall) and again the following spring or summer when the foliage is growing actively. This plan provides nutrients as the bulbs burst into bloom and develop roots, and again after dormancy when the bulbs are gathering energy to rebloom the following fall.
Do seeds keep indefinitely? How should I store them?
Practical Answer: Some seeds last longer than others, but none will last indefinitely. The Science Behind it: The better the storage conditions (cool, dark and dry) the longer the period that seeds can be stored viably.
What is the expected viability of stored vegetable seeds?
The Science Behind it: One year: onion, parsnip. Two years: leek, corn, okra, pepper. Three years: asparagus, bean, kohlrabi, broccoli, carrots, celeriac, Chinese cabbage, pea, spinach. Four years: beet, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, eggplant, fennel, kale, pumpkin, rutabaga, squash, Swiss chard, tomato, turnip. Five years: cucumber, endive, radish. Six years: lettuce.
How do I determine how far apart to set my plants?
Practical Answer: Check your plant’s tag (or the seed packet, if you’re growing from seed) to find how big the mature plants will be. Use that as a guideline when transplanting. Give each plant enough space so that a mature plant’s leaves won’t overlap with the plant beside it. Tightly crowded plants won’t thrive and are more vulnerable to pests and disease.
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