Q. I have a few gravel areas around my house and part of my driveway is gravel as well. Every year I need to apply some sort of vegetation killer to prevent the grass, dandelions, etc. from going crazy. I seem to remember reading in your column about some sort of organic herbicide that was…
Lichen On Stonework
Q. I believe I have crustose growing on my rock pillar columns (white crytal like hairs) how do I kill it? Terry Johnson – Lacey, WA A. I believe you are describing crustose lichen. Lichens are a symbiotic organism that pairs up a species of algae (or cyanobacteria) and a species of fungus. The various…
Hard Pruning of Conifers
Q. My friend Dave has three yew shrubs alongside his porch. They are over 4 feet tall and almost as wide. I have offered to help him get them under control but I want to be sure that if I prune them back hard they will come back. I understand that conifers may not get…
Pruning Lacecap Hydrangeas
Q. When is it time to prune our lacecap hydrandeas? It’s hard to find information on the proper pruning techniques. Thank You Jan Cook – Lakewood, WA A. I just had the same question about hydrangeas this past week from my friend Rosel at the Lakewood YMCA so it looks like the sun this past…
Moles and Beetles
Q. Every couple of years or so I get attacked by moles. None of the surrounding yards get any but they love my place. They have stayed away the past two to three years but they are returning with a vengeance. In the past I have tried various things to rid my yard of them….