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 January Links
 I live in the Seattle area
and my lawn has turned pale green. Should I use a low nitrogen fertilizer
now, or wait until spring?
 Research specialists have stated
that the best time of the entire year to feed the lawn is December 1st. The
reasoning is that it helps develop a deep rooting system and improve color
at the same time. So, I would suggest that you go ahead and use a fall or
winter type of lawn fertilizer, now.
See Also: Winter Lawn Care
I am looking for plants I
can grow indoors that can supply me with lettuce that I can snip and they
reproduce in the pot. Also for fruits in hanging baskets. At the present
I am growing "Pickle" cucumbers inside, Cherry Tomatoes, Green Peppers, and
herbs. The cucumbers have baby pickles on them. The tomato plant (1) and
green pepper plants (2) have no flowers yet. Also, this may sound strange,
but can I put radish leaves on my salad. I would appreciate your input.
Lettuce are cold tolerant
plants, so a cool room in a bright spot would be the best place to grow them.
Salad Bowl would be a good variety to grow indoors.
The best fruit to grow would be dwarf Meyeri lemons or some type of dwarf
orange, however, they do not have the flavor or sweetness of the varieties
grown in the south.
I checked with our staff, and none of us have ever heard of a person using
radish leaves in salads. It seems as if they would be pretty rough textured.
Incidently, lettuce is a great crop to grow in a cold frame or hot bed, along
with spinach, during the winter.
I have an old hydrangea, at
least 20 years old. My husband never pruned it when he purchased his home
(before we married). I started pruning about ten years ago, but the shape
leaves much to be desired since I started pruning. It was more shapely and
full when my husband just left it, but it was too large for our small side
yard. What am I doing wrong and can I still correct my errors?
Hydrangeas are probably one
of the most misunderstood plants, when it comes to pruning. Most often, they
are pruned severly, which causes the plants to send out long spindly growth,
which often doesn't bloom. Here's my suggestion: Never prune them more than
50% and then only if they need pruning. Otherwise, leave them alone. (Example:
only prune a 5 foot plant back to 2 1/2 feet maximum) The best time to prune
is mid-February.
I have a weeping French
Pussywillow that has been in the ground for about three years. I would like
to move it to an area about 30 feet from where it is now that stays very
damp in the winter. Can I expect to get this thing out of the ground
(root system seems to be massive in relation to the size of the plant which
is 5 x 4). I will have to cut many roots--can I expect it to survive?
Now is the best time to move
it. This is one plant that can take quite a bit of abuse, so your chances
of successfully moving it are quite good.
Try to get as much of the fiberous root system as possible. Now, during the
dormant season, the plant can be moved bare-root.
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