Category: gardening

Missing Flowers? Inspect for Insects.

Q: I read your column and want to add to your answer to the question of why the rose plant hasn’t bloomed again despite new branches. You mentioned that it could be the variety of rose or the lack of fertilizer. I also had this problem in New England and found that I had a…


How to Regrow Scallions and Other Vegetables from Scraps

At our house, we’re getting much better with storing and using up produce. In fact, we’ve all but completely stopped throwing rotten produce into the garbage. Now, I’m taking it further by actually regrowing vegetables from scraps—in the kitchen window! It’s like my inner gardener has come out to play, and not a moment too…


Fairy Rings and Barn Spiders

Q: A circle of mushrooms suddenly appeared in my lawn, which has never happened before. The mushrooms are about six inches tall and almost orange in color. How do I get rid of them, and are they harming the grass? A: Your lawn has a fairy ring, also known as an elf ring or pixie…


How to Tell When Apples and Pears Are Ready to Harvest

Q: Our new house has a few apple and pear trees. They are older trees, but they don’t have a lot of fruit. How do we tell when they are ripe? Apples A: The first thing to know about apple trees is how many days it has been since the tree was in bloom. The…


Protecting Cypress Trees From Canker Diseases

Q: I lost all 12 of my Leyland cypress trees to seiridium canker. I was told by an arborist that the disease spread via the ground, and that there wasn’t anything I could have done to prevent it in the first place. He explained that once they were infected, there was nothing I could have…


Will Building a Treehouse Harm the Tree?

Q: Would it harm a tree if I built a simple treehouse in it? It would be nothing elaborate: a deck, three walls, and a roof. I was thinking of the nails that would have to be used to make firm steps for my grandchildren and for the support braces. A: A few nails or…


Rose Care: Commonly Asked Questions

Summer is rose time, so let’s answer some of your questions about roses. Q: My roses are dropping their leaves. They turn yellow and fall off. What can I do? A: Take a close look at the leaves. Are they just turning yellow, or do they have some black spots on the yellow leaves? If…


How to Divide Irises

Q: We have some bearded iris that have spread out from their original planted spot and now form a circle with an empty spot in the middle. Can we divide them and replant them back into the spot they came from? It’s the best location to see them from between some bushes. A: Yes, you…


How to Properly Water Your Lawn

Q: We built a new home, and sod was laid yesterday. I did a fair amount of watering yesterday. How much do I water from here on? I have heard all types of things … as much as six hours a day for the first two weeks. What do you recommend? A: It is only…


How to Get Rid of Sooty Mold

Q: I hope you can help. The leaves on my orange and lemon trees are turning black. The black material does not wash off easily, but it wipes off if I scrub the leaf with water and a paper towel, even though it comes back in a few weeks. The leaves seem to be producing…