Question: Can you help me explain why native plants from a nursery are better than native plants from box stores? The buy local topic is already understandable. I’m thinking more of quality of plants or other possible factors. Answer: Rebecca Long, Sustainable Agriculture and Horticulture Professional We want to encourage people to use whatever is […]
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Question: We are working to transform our yard to a native plant meadow. Several large patches of hawkweed are growing well. My reading says these are not native and invasive. Are they beneficial to pollinators? Do the benefits outweigh any harm? Answer: Rebecca Long, Sustainable Agriculture and Horticulture Professional Sounds like a wonderful project! There […]
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Question: I have a beautiful and healthy Quince flowering plant, but the flowers only appear to blossom half way up the branches. How can I fix this? Answer: Viña Lindley, Food Systems & Home Horticulture Professional The flowers of quince are born on old growth (last year’s branches) which is why you’d only see flowers on […]
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Question: Our young Chestnut Crabapple has been hit by two things at once. At the base, the trunk looks and feels rotted out when you scratch it a bit as if a fungus or borer has gotten in and is damaging it. And up in the foliage, I noticed one or two of the leaves […]
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Question: I just planted asparagus beds. Instead of backfilling only 2-3 inches, I mistakenly backfilled fully, about 6 inches. Is it critical that I remove some of the soil? Answer: Pamela Hargest, Horticulture Professional Asparagus can be planted in furrows that are 6-8 deep as long as you don’t have heavy clay soil, so the […]
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Question: Are oak catkins good for mulch in vegetable or flower beds? Answer: Katherine Garland, Horticulturist The catkins (a collection of inconspicuous flowers) produced by oaks are fine to use in your garden as a mulch. They’re quite fascinating to look at up close. Here’s a website with some fantastic pictures and helpful descriptions that explain the function and […]
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Question: I have a lilac, that I purchased last year, that has grown and has many blooms, but almost no leaves. It looks like flowering sticks. Is there anything you recommend that might help? Answer: Rebecca Long, Sustainable Agriculture and Horticulture Professional Rather than a disease or insect issue, it seems more likely the plant […]
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Question: Why are my purple lilacs turning white? Answer: Rebecca Long, Sustainable Agriculture and Horticulture Professional There are a couple possibilities: one is that the plant is “reverting.” Many of our interesting horticultural cultivars come from genetic mutations. These are not always stable and parts of a plant (like a whole branch or part of […]
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Question: I have an Arborvitae bush, about five feet tall, that was planted last fall. Since the snow has melted, I’ve noticed that it is drying out. The most notable area is at the bottom of the bush, but it seems to be creeping up. I want to save it and need to know what […]
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Question: I observed Peach Leaf Curl on Nectar, White Lady, Peregrin, and Indian Free peach trees. I have had this disease for the last several years. Last December, I sprayed these trees with a solution of Liqui-Cop at a rate of 6 tsp/gal of water. I needed to wait this late to get the 90% […]
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