Question: I can get ground corn cobs free. Would you advise putting some of these on the ground around the rose bushes? If so, about how thick? Are cobs better to use than saw dust? WS, Michigan. Answer: Ground corn cobs are an excellent soil conditioner and mulch. They are, I think, superior to sawdust, […]

Question: Our tomatoes and beans make excellent growth for a short time in the season, then turn brown and curl up their toes. The roots have bulges in them. Our soil is a sandy loam. What can we do? QC, Kansas. Answer: Organisms of root rot form lesions or cankers on the root system of […]

Question: Should I plant red raspberries beside black raspberries? Do boysenberries and blackberries mix? LC, Ohio. Answer: It is all right to plant red raspberries beside black ones and boysenberries beside blackberries. They will not mix. Since the plants are produced mostly by tip layers, if they are left uncared for they might become a […]

Question: Why do all the leaves drop off my rose bushes, early in the summer? BH, New York Answer: Black spot, a fungus disease, is probably the worst enemy of roses. Black spots appear on the leaf, spread in size, and the leaf finally drops. Defoliated plants lose their vigor and, though they send out […]

[ad#promo-content-atf-250-left] Question: I have planted several kinds of ivy to climb on our brick home. All of them ramble on the ground instead of climbing. Would you tell me how to make them climb? CS, Tennessee. Answer: The ivy suitable for climbing a brick wall is Boston ivy. The English ivies are unable to cling […]

Question: I have a healthy grape vine in my back yard that produces flower clusters but no fruit. Can something simple be done to correct this, or should I buy a new plant? PM, Illinois. Answer: Grape vines planted in the yard or garden are often shy of fruit but vigorous in vine growth due […]

Question: Can Paper White Narcissus that bloomed in the house be treated so that they will bloom again? LW, Pa. Answer: It is not worth while trying to keep bulbs of Paper White Narcissus after they have flowered. I have seen it tried but only leaves resulted.

Question: I have some seed ripening on yellow calla lilies and would like to know if new plants can be grown from these. Will maturing seed affect the bloom next year? A.L., Mo. Answer: Yellow callas can be raised from seed. Sow as soon as ripe in a flat of porous soil and space or […]

Question: Chinese Hibiscus bloom nicely in my small greenhouse… but please tell me why the leaves turn yellow and drop of while the plant continues to flower. I feed with liquid fertilizer in the water and keep the temperature about 60 degrees most of the winter. O.A., Neb. Answer: Your temperature may be a little […]

Question: Where can I get seed of sea-lavender and how should I grow it? Is it annual or perennial? I want to grow it for drying. Can it be grown like celosias? What colors are the flowers? E.L., Ark. Answer: Sea-lavender, botanically Limonium latifolium, is usually listed under Statice in seed catalogues. This one is […]