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Gardening
Ask George Kaas your gardening questions here. George has been writing a regular gardening column since 1985. He received his formal training in horticulture at Cal-Poly, San Luis Obispo, California and his informal training over the last 30 years building gardens regionally and teaching horticulture to anyone who will listen, which is currently at Blaine High School.
Most Recently Answered Questions
Questions 1 - 10 of 21 (Page 1 of 3)Submitted by Jan from Bellingham
Q: Hi George I have two 3 yr old apple trees. They have produced flowers and some apples, but most of the blooms fall off in wind. Any help for that?
Answered 09/27/08 11:02:02 by George Kaas
A: Three year old trees are still developing and you should not expect a huge amount of production and strong wind may always be an issue, but having said that, a couple of things to check is the soil and compatibility of the varieties. Flowering is controlled and sustained by nutrition and light. Phosphorus and potassium are the elements in large quantities necessary for strong flower and fruit development. A soil test may help focus on those levels. Even a simple pH test will help. My hunch is the soil is too acidic and may not be draining properly. Pollination was a problem this year that many gardeners experienced and depending on your varieties that can also be an issue. Take a look at your soil and as the trees mature, production should improve.Submitted by Leslie Drury from Ferndale, WA
Q: I have several rose bushes that were here at our home when we moved in a few years ago. I've been pruning them way back in February and treating them a few times in spring and summer with systemic. The last two summers they were beautiful, but this year they all seemed to grow legs! The plants are very tall and spindly, and the canes lack support for the blooms. What might be the problem?
Answered 09/27/08 10:47:35 by George Kaas
A: My first thought is to blame the weather this season. With the late or non-existant spring and sudden summer with a wet August, growth and maturity of many plants has been thrown off this year. Your description sound alot like an abundance of nitrogen in the soil causing plenty of rapid, elongated growth and few flowers. Light quality is always a factor to consider as well and I would take a look around to see if elements of the surrounding garden have grown to block light. You should enjoy at least one more bloom cycle this season. Sometime between now and late November prune back partially, maintaining a balance of sturdy new growth and older canes. In February, finish the shaping and rejuvenation process as you normally would. This should help temper the plant's flush of long, non-flowering stems.Submitted by Gloria Blench from Bellingham
Q: What kind of top soil should I get for my new 6x6 veggie garden I am starting? I had my husband pull out all the flowers and scrubs along the walkway to the front door. I am turning the soil and getting out the larger rocks. It will need some more soil. In your article today you mentioned a cover crop to replenish the soil's organic material and nitrogen for next year. What cover crop do you recommend?
Answered 09/01/08 08:57:00 by George Kaas
A: There are several excellent topsoil blends available. Most of the straight "topsoils" are primarily silt which is easy to push around, but has little to no nutrient value. What you want is a mixture of topsoil, compost or mulch as well as sand. They are called nursery mix, 3-way or 5-way. They are worth the extra few dollars per yard for the amendments in terms of plant establishment and growth. In terms of a cover crop, legumes are best because of their capacity to fix nitrogen and store it in the roots so when you turn then back over, you are adding both organic matter and fertilizer. Vetch is a popular one for that as is white clover. Annual rye and buckwheat are also used.Submitted by Ardell from Ferndale
Q: How far back can I prune Wall Flowers? They are about 7 yrs old and they are bare about 18 inches to 2 ft from the ground.
Answered 08/22/08 09:22:55 by George Kaas
A: Wall Flowers are one of the most dependable and hardy perennials available and to have them thriving after 7 years is a testament to that. You may cut them back hard after flowering and while they will look pretty rough, you should have new breaks at the height you want. Wall flower plantings are often replaced every couple of years because they get stretched out. Another option is to collect some of the seed. They do reseed readily.Submitted by Kathleen Suit from Bellingham
Q: My oldest (6 years) blueberry bush, does not have many berries on it. Lots of green leaves but little berries. Yes there are two different kinds of bushes and the other 4 are loaded with berries. The first year the old bush had many berries and then nothing. Is there anythng I can do to get barries on the old one?
Answered 08/03/08 23:09:28 by George Kaas
A: The two biggest affects on flowering of any plant is light and food supply. Blueberries need an acid pH of 4.0 to 5.0 to grow well and that usually means generous applications of compost and elemental sulfur. Another characteristic of these plants is plenty of water throughout the growing season. You may consider an application of chelated iron if you are also noticing any chlorosis of the foliage. Now, since you have other species of blueberries growing in the same area producing I am assuming you are generally meeting the growing requirements. The next things I would check is pruning. You may be removing too much new growth for this particular variety. Are the other varieties good cross-pollinators for this variety? Another situation I have run into is with acid-loving plants that are too close to a concrete foundation. Many home foundations will leach calcium which is alkaline into the surrounding soil and raise the pH at that site enough to throw off the development of flowers and fruit.Submitted by Vera Haug from Bellinghaam, WA
Q: We have moles in our yard. What is the best and surest method of ridding our yard of them?
Answered 08/03/08 22:48:14 by George Kaas
A: The most efficient and effective is the mechanical mole trap. There are several variations available at local farm supply, nurseries and hardware stores. Be patient because it may take a few attempts. Runs are often only used once before being abandoned. Moles feed and are most active in the early morning. Being insectivores, one of the most sure-fire ways to rid the garden of moles is to make the soil environment more healthy.Submitted by Renee Graf from Bellingham, WA
Q: Our garden seems to have been invaded by a strange weed that a nurseryman identified as "liverwort". We were also told that there is no effective control for it. We are hoping that you have a better answer or solution for our problem. The stuff is spreading everywhere... Help!! Thank you for your help.
Answered 08/03/08 22:33:03 by George Kaas
A: This weed is encouraged by moisture, poor drainage and acidic soil conditions. I don't know what your conditions are like, but if you can cultivate regularly to loosen the soil and promote drainage and aeration that will be a big help. You may consider a topdressing of sharp sand and also an application of dolomite lime to balance the pH. Keep an eye on the pH so that the change to a more neutral condition does not affect your ornamentals.Submitted by Matt Brown from Bellingham, WA
Q: I have a few Elms on my property and the root system seems to be taking over the yard. I have Elm trees popping up all over. I've tried using RoundUp which seems to work only temporarily, but I haven't been aggressive with it. Any ideas?
Answered 07/09/08 09:28:54 by George Kaas
A: There might be some competition between the tree roots and lawn for moisture or simply the soil is shallow and compacted to the point that the tree roots are not able to establish deeply. Sometimes you are able to successfully remove the surface roots without compromising the integrity of the tree. You can try using a watering probe to deeply water the elms and send the roots deeper. Possibly bringing in topsoil and leveling the area out will help. I would also suggest having an arborist take a look at your trees to see if the surface roots may be removed.Submitted by Mark Owings from Bellingham WA
Q: We put in some apple trees this year. We want to grow them organically, but were told we would need to spray for mildew and scab the first couple of years. Do we use different products for those? Any suggestions you might have as to what and how to spray would be very much appreciated. Thank you!
Answered 07/09/08 09:21:49 by George Kaas
A: One of the best recommendations besides keeping your new trees watered and the soil mulched generously with compost is an application of dormant oil in the late winter or early spring. That will clean up plenty of overwintering spore activity before they germinate. If you do have problems in later in the spring or the varieties of apples are especially prone to disease, then you may want to follow-up with superior oil or one of the several sulfur-based fungecides on the market.Submitted by Debbie Silva from Ferndale, WA
Q: I was recently given a Daphne Odora which I know little about. When is the best time to prune it?
Answered 07/09/08 09:11:36 by George Kaas
A: The best time to prune this plant is after it has finished blooming, but be sure to trim it back lightly. It does not respond well to heavy shearing.