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 November Links
 When can I start pruning back
Lavendar?
 You can start now (Nov.).
Remember to stay within the green/gray leaves, as it is one plant that is
a little fussy about pruning.
I planted some marigolds and
snapdragons this summer. I saw on your site that these might reseed themselves
next spring. I would love for them to do that. What do I do with them now
(November)? Do I just leave them in the ground, and is there anything special
I should do for them?
You can pull up the dead
marigolds, but leave the snapdragons. The marigolds often reseed, if a few
of the spent flowers are left to go to seed (In fact, you may see the seeds
on the ground.). On the other hand the snapdragons are half hardy and they
may come back from the original plants, so do not pull them out.
This year for the first time
in years, we had no blooms on the Rhododendrons(bloom usually in may and
June) at the regular time, but now (November) they are beginning to bloom(most
unusual).
We had a cold spring and summer, and both seasons with more rain than ever
before(and continuous). Now when we expected a dormant stage with no blooms,
they are blossoming.
Should we leave them as is, or should we prune the flowers? We are confused.
Don't worry about it, they
are blooming in many gardens. It was the season! There should be enough flowers
that did not bloom this fall, so that you should have some blossoms in the
spring too! If it gets exceptionally cold this winter, you should cover these
plants with some type of cloth material, during the cold period only, removing
the cover as soon as the weather moderates after the cold spell. Burlap,
old blankets or moving blankets work good for this covering.
Are there any varieties of
flowering kale that are edible?
Yes, the ones we sell are
edible. The only thing you should watch out for, is that those that you buy
at the store are often sprayed in the greenhouse or fields to help control
aphid. So I do not recommend eating them. But, if you grow them yourself
and don't spray them it should be fine.
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