Q. Peter, I dug up irises from a bed over-run with grass, with a grand plan for making a raised bed lined with landscape cloth to keep the grass out, but what in the world should I do to keep the irises alive until hubby makes that bed for me? Keep them- not him- out…
Category: Northwest U.S. Gardeners
Gardening questions from WA, OR, ID, MT & WY
Soil Level Change Compromises Maple Tree
Q. We have an old, large maple tree in our yard. It does not have as many leaves as it used to. It appears to be slowly dying. Many years ago we put a raised rock bed around the tree and planted a few items. The dirt is about one foot high. Could that have…
Rooting Arborvitae Cuttings
Q. I would like to start some emerald green arborvitae from cuttings this fall. What steps should I take to ensure successful propagation? Thank you. Mark Bruser – Tacoma, WA A. Cuttings for Arborvitaes (Thuja) can be taken from summer to mid fall and should not be fully ripe but rather semi-ripe. Although you can…
Pruning Overgrown Camellias
Q. I have a 10-year-old camellia tree that is growing out of control. It is located in the West corner of the house and gets a lot of western sun. I trimmed just the top last year and this year cut back to the trunk some of the lower branches. It is located next to…
Rejuvinating neglected Fruit Trees
Q. We just moved into a new house. There are several existing fruit trees, most of them are damaged looking. I don’t think they had much water or care prior to us. Will simply watering and fertilizing bring them back or? Mick Davis – Tacoma Washington (Spanway area) A. Regular watering and fertilization will definitely…