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 May Links
 What kind of lumber do you
use in the garden boxes? Treated or not treated? Does it matter?
 Some types of treated lumber
can be used in raised vegetable beds, others cannot. Check with your local
lumber yard or home center to see if they have the right one. Some of them
are treated with chemicals that you would not want leaching into the soil
and eventually into your vegetables.
We live in Colbert,WA just
north of Spokane. We have azeleas and hydrangeas we would like to plant outside.
We are not sure of what kind they are. How do we take care of them in the
summer and winter? It is now April, will they bloom again before next spring?
How do we know if they "take" to replanting outdoors?
The potted azaleas are not
hardy, so they should not be set outdoors until after all danger of frost
is over. Then they should be brought back in before the fall frosts. The
Hydrangeas are somewhat hardy in the Spokane area, but once you get further
north (out of the city) they are too tender and would need to be protected
by covering during winter cold spells. Like the azaleas, do not set them
out until all danger of frost has passed this spring. They have been forced
in a greenhouse and are still too tender.
We are having problems with
Fairy Ring Mushrooms can you tell us a way to get rid of them.
This is a tough problem to
cure. The Canadians have had pretty good success by perforating the lawn
within the fairy ring and one foot beyond. Next, they treat the entire area
with water and detergent soap. (Use the soap at the rate of 1 tablespoon
per gallon of water.) Use liquid detergent soap. Then, keep the area soaking
wet for 30 days. That drowns the fungal root growth.
What is the best formula (type
of seed, soil additives, etc.etc) for growing grass under large pine trees,
where there is little sunlight exposure? Here in Lacey Wa?
First, thanks for letting
me know where you live, it really helps when answering garden questions.
The best type of grass to use would be fescues. Second best would be turf
type rye grasses. My experience has been to fertilize the grasses under tall
trees with a liquid fertilizer. The grass blades absorb the fertilizer more
quickly, and there is less competition with tree roots.
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