Question: I grow vegetables in a field via direct seeding or transplants. I have noticed that when I try to plant I have a lot of clumps. When I squeeze the clumps, they break down easily into small granules. I need to add additional soil to to my growing area. My choices are loam, compost […]
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Question: I’m conditioning hay bales for planting. They have had three doses of Urea @ 1/2 C./bale, and 3 doses of Urea @ 1/4 C./bale. Bales are now on day ten. They are well watered. Today, I saw one source that recommended 2 C./lime/bale. So, I added that before checking to see what other sites […]
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Question: Is it safe to grow milkweed over a septic drain field? Answer: Jonathan Foster, Home Horticulture Outreach Professional As much as we love milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) for its attractiveness to pollinators (not to mention monarch butterflies), I believe I would hold off on growing it over your leach field. As you probably know from your question, […]
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Question: I am in charge of watering a newly established native bush and tree garden. I know that I should water if we do not receive 1 inch of rain per week. I have been trying to understand your native plant bulletins, but they are not all that easy. Many note that I should add […]
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Question: We have had a Flowering Crabapple tree (not fruit one) for three years. The first two years it was excellent. This year it’s not blooming. It is not 5′ high and has buds. It is alive but there are no blooms. Answer: Jonathan Foster, Home Horticulture Outreach Professional There are a few reasons your […]
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Question: I have Chocolate Chip Ajuga Bugleweed on my property. It’s very happy and I really like the look of it. I’m interested in converting most of my lawn to a native grass and perennial meadow, though it will not be 100% native. I wanted to check in with your expert gardeners to see if […]
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Question: I am a new homeowner and have found an infestation of Japanese Knotweed on my 1/2 acre lot. It is in the front and back lawn. lt has also spread over the fence to my neighbors yard. It is coming up in other places that should be mowed periodically over the summer. I am […]
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Question: I have an old farm with 200-year-old apple trees and some have been infected with fire blight. I am planting some new apple trees and want to know how to plant them so the fire blight doesn’t infect the new ones. Is there a distance recommendation or specifics about how the disease is spread […]
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Question: I have a lawn question. My front yard, approx. a 1/4 acre, creates a “bowl”, we have a drainage pipe that drains the bulk of rain runoff into the woods but half of the “bowl” is still always saturated to the point we can’t mow it and it gets sun almost all day. Is […]
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Question: I’m seeing yellow spots on my Lil’ Ditty Witherod Viburnum and the leaves are starting to curl. I cannot see any insects though a nearby different variety Viburnum has visible aphid activity & curling leaves. Answer: Jonathan Foster, Home Horticulture Outreach Professional I’m sorry to hear about the viburnum issues. The visible aphid activity […]
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