Q. Are Oakleaf hydrangeas always brittle? I have had two episodes of severe breakage, once when the entire plant broke off at the soil line as I was planting it, and I am not a careless or inexperienced gardener. Please give me a description of the durability of this shrub. Otherwise it sounds like a…
Apple Maggot Redux
Q. As you suggested in The News Tribune in February, instead of spraying my apple tree for apple maggot this year, I ordered and used nematodes. What a beautiful LOOKING crop of apples I have, but have not been able to salvage even one apple from the apple maggot (compared to only 5 apples infected…
Coffee Grounds and Rhodie disease
Q. Dear Peter, 1. the local Starbucks store saves coffee grounds for gardeners like us. I know that Blueberries and Roses like acidic soil. What other fruits, vegetables and flowers thrive in soil made acidic with coffee grounds? 2. One of our Rhodies died due to a disease of some sort. Is it a bad…
Soil building compost
Q. Peter, we live at Harvest Gate in Puyallup in the Summit area where the underlying soil is clay and very rocky. I believe you recommended as an excellent soil builder a compost mixture that will sit over the winter months. My question: when, how much and is there a product that you could recommend?…
Christmas cactus rarely blooming?
Q. We have a Christmas cactus that continues to grow but rarely blooms. We have it in a garden window but it is still quite shaded. Do I need to put it in a dark room and water it for a certain period to get it to bloom? Gerri Wilson – Bonney Lake, WA A….