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 July Links
 I want to plant some peppermint
but want to contain it,how deep do the roots go.
 The best place to plant any
of the mints is in a container. If you must plant it in the open ground put
an 18 to 24 inch deep barrier of 32-mill polyethylene around the root system.
I have two Sarcoccoca, one
of which is the dwarf variety,Humilis and the other is Cofusa. Is it possible
to propagate them?
Yes, you can take cuttings
of them. Refer to my article on the web-site, 'taking
cuttings'.
We have a bed of 4 foot dahlias
in the San Jose, CA area with little frost and usually a wet January to mid
April. We haven't taken out the bulbs the last 2 years although they were
prior to that. We had a warm February and they sprouted to 6 inches. Then
a cold March and the foliage wilted and disapeared. Now, when we dug one
up to check, the bulbs looked OK but no sign of a sprout. We're afraid of
rot from our sprinkling system which covers other plants and is not selective.
Should we turn on the sprinkling system and see if they sprout? ( The soil
is still damp from a rain). Or should we dig them up and wait till next February
or so to plant.
No, I would leave them in the
ground. If possible let the soil dry a little, but not to the point where
it will affect any of your other plants. If the early sprouts are still attached
to the tubers, cut them off, so the die-back does not continue to spread.
I realize you're located in
the NW but maybe you could shed some light on my problem. I have a four-year
old weeping cherry that won't bloom. It was bought at our local New Hanover
County Extension sale here in Wilmington. It had maybe two blooms on it last
year, so I became hopeful, but again none this year. Any thoughts?
If the plant is growing OK,
it may simply need feeding. Use a rose type fertilizer. Be certain to select
a quality brand that includes the micro-nutrients (sometimes listed as minerals).
I call them the vitamins, zinc, iron, magnesium, etc. Read and follow label
instructions.
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