Q. Mr. Punzi, My pink azaleas are blossoming, but for two years now the white ones don’t bloom. And for years they did. What’s wrong? Thanks, Phil Whittenberg – Lakewood, WA A. There are many situations that can occur that will prevent azaleas from blooming. The problem can arise from their culture (which you are…
Category: Northwest U.S. Gardeners
Gardening questions from WA, OR, ID, MT & WY
Asian Pear Pollination Compatibility
Q. Hi Peter, I have two Asian pear trees. One is a Shinseiki and the other is a Hosui. Both have been in the ground in full sun for going on 5 years. They are 8-9′ tall now and healthy but the Hosui has never set more than a few fruit although it blooms profusely….
Pear alternate bearing years
Q. I have two Japanese pear trees, don’t know the particular variety, but they have borne fruit over past years in abundance. However, last year I only find, that together, they only bore four pears. Are others having the same thing happening in this area or is my experience a rare or odd event? Oscar…
Impervious Mulch Layer
Q. Our back yard is landscaped with mostly rhodies, azaleas, Japanese maples and a variety of other acid loving plants. The whole area is covered with bark. The problem is that water seems to have a hard time penetrating the bark. Often after watering I will check the moisture and the soil beneath the bark…
Shredded Fir Trees for Mulch
Q. We recently purchased a chipper/shredder and have disposed of many branches from fir trees this way. I noticed that leaving it in a pile, it gets very hot and turns to like ash within a week, in the center of the pile. If I spread it over my garden, it turns to like a…