Ed Hume Answers Your Gardening Questions
Ed Hume cannot answer all of the garden questions he receives, but questions
of general interest will be answered here every month. Email your questions
to HumeSeeds@aol.com. Please
note: we do not accept attachments.
Before submitting a question, be sure to check the index
of previous questions and answers or search our
site using key words. Many questions have already been answered
here on the site.
Other December Links
 I live in Oregon where the
temperature rarely gets below freezing. Is it necessary to dig up my mini
dahlias this time of the year or can they stay in the ground year round with
our climate.
 That's a tough question
to answer. I leave my tubers in every winter, but I have raised beds with
very good drainage. In addition, I mulch the tubers over winter with compost
or leaves. But, if your soil tends to be moist or wet all winter, then you
may find it necessary to winter the tubers indoors.
I have recently moved to a
small farm that has a raspberry patch which has not been maintained. I would
like to move the raspberries to an area on the farm, which is to be our garden
area. I live in an area north of Toronto which has cold winters. The soil
here is almost pure sand. I have no idea how to transplant raspberries. How
do I know what to transplant? Do I cut them back now (November) in preparation
for the spring?
You may be too late to move
them this fall. If the temperature have already dipped below freezing you
may want to wait until after the last frost in spring. Keep the new young
canes. They can be cut at 4 to 5 feet now. Completely cut out the old canes.
They will be or look as if they are aged or dead. Raspberries do best in
full sun in soil that is well drained. Add organic humus when transplanting
them. Peat moss, compost and similar forms of organic humus are the ideal
soil additives, mixing them with your existing soil about one third to fifty
percent.
What is the growth rate of
sagina moss?
I have found that 4 inch pot
plants will about double the first year. If given good soil and liquid
fertilizer, that growth rate of about 4 or 5 inches per year should continue.
If you're asking how far to plant them apart I would suggest you plant 1"
divisions every 6 to 9 inches apart. Hope this information helps.
I have a Fuji Apple
Tree that has on its branch just below where it had been cut last year some
bright orange dots all in a cluster and it appears to be spreading to other
branches. It did not appear until the wet weather and rain. Do you know what
it is? How and what do a treat it with. And when can I treat it.
You might want to take a little
of it into a Certified Professional Horticulturist or Certified Nursery-person
at your local independent Garden Center. They can make an on-the-spot diagnosis.
It sounds a bit like copper spot, which is a secondary disease, often an
indicator that the plant is not doing well at that point of growth. But,
I cannot tell you without seeing it. That's why the CPH or WCN person can
help you better.
Return to Library - Back
to Home Page |
