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 September Links
 We have an Italian prune tree,
and every year about this time, it seems an excessive amount of fruit drops
off. Could you tell me what the problem might be? The tree is about 10 years
old.
 It's not unusual for prunes
to drop some fruit. Sometimes this is 'Mother Natures' way of thinning, because
the tree is not capable of supporting all of the fruit that has formed. Lack
of boron can make the condition a little worse. Feeding the tree in mid-February
with a low nitrogen fertilizer that contains boron is advisable.
How do you care for lilies,
gladiolas, and irises after they have flowered, and is it the same as for
tulips and daffodils?
Immediately after flower,
I think it is a good idea to feed the foliage of all bulbs with 0-10-10
fertilizer. This helps build strength back into the bulbs, roots and tubers
for the following year. If you live in the NW or other moderate climate areas,
these bulbs can be left in the ground year-round. All you need to do is dig
and divide them every few years, then replant them immediately if you wish.
Iris and gladiolas need full sun, while lilies need a little shade for best
and longest flowering.
See Also: Spring Flowering Bulbs
I have been having a problem
with my squash plants. When they finish blooming, the bloom itself falls
off without producing a squash. I have taken care of the aphids and ants;
however I am still having a problem with all three plants.
Squash vines have male and
female flowers. Only the female flowers produce squash. The male flowers
will just die and fall away. If neither are producing fruit, that is a
pollination problem. Take a small paint brush or feather and go from flower
to flower spreading the pollen.
The corn that I planted this
year has not done well because of the late start we got here in the Northwest.
But my biggest problem is that it keeps falling over and I have to stake
it up. Any answers as to why this keeps happening would be appreciated.
Sometimes corn will fall over
if the soil is too rich in nitrogen, forcing quick top growth. Also, if the
corn is planted in a location where the wind tunnels through the garden it
would tend to fall over. This kind of situation occurs because of the location
of buildings, fences and/or surrounding plants. The most likely reason your
corn is falling over is due to insufficient root development from shallow
soil or too much nitrogen.
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