Dear Helen: In my garden there is a small woodland area. Among the plantings are trilliums, which are a beautiful highlight of the area in spring. Do you recommend cutting the plants back in summer, when the leaf stems flop over and the foliage is no longer attractive?
N.B.
I leave the foliage on my trilliums until the leaves have fully died back. As long as the leaves are green, leaving them intact will help to ensure the best possible growth and bloom next year, as the leaves feed nutrients to the root systems.
Once top growth has died down, clear it away, clean the area and mulch lightly with compost.
Dear Helen: I’ve been concerned over the weak, spindly stems on some of our rose bushes. They are so lank they are unable to support the weight of the blooms. Also, the cucumbers and tomatoes are lush with greenery but sparse of fruit. What do you think is the cause of these problems?
W.F.
Abundant leafy growth that is weak or, on fruiting plants, unproductive commonly indicates an excess of nitrogen or/and moisture in the soil. Ideal is a consistently adequate moistened soil. Overwatering can lead to a variety of problems.
Soils prepared or mulched with compost or composted manures, or fertilized with a preponderance of blood, fish, or seed meal, will be overloaded with nitrogen, which promotes green leafy growth. A counter to nitrogen is potassium, which hardens plant cells. The other major nutrient is phosphorus, which fosters good root growth, flowering and fruiting.
These three nutrients are represented on fertilizer labels in the order of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (N-P-K).
Monitor the balance in fertilizers you use, and if you suspect an overload of nitrogen consider watering with Alaska MorBloom (0-10-10), which contains no nitrogen but supplies both phosphorus and potassium.
Pollination issues could be involved in poor fruiting in tomatoes and cucumbers. This could be a lack of pollinating insects or extreme weather damage to the flowers.
Dear Helen: My shelling pea pods have some mildew on them. Is it safe to shell and eat the peas? They look fine.
A.A.
In a very severe infection, with all parts of the plants covered in a heavy dusting of powdery mildew, it is best to remove and destroy all parts of the plants, but if the infection is light and the peas inside the pods are clear of disease, it should be safe to eat them.
Some people have adverse reactions to different kinds of moulds. Keep this in mind as you handle the pods. I would rinse the peas well before processing and consuming them.
The earliest possible seedings often produce plants that escape powdery midew infections.
Dear Helen: Ninety per cent of my peaches were marred by stink bug feeding. The damage left the fruits partly useable. Our raspberries were also full of stink bugs at various stages of their development into adults. I crushed all that I could. Will dormant sprays be useful in controlling this pest?
L.D.
I don’t think dormant sprays would be helpful. Stink bugs overwinter as adults in protected places, including buildings, to emerge in the spring. There won’t be any of them, or their eggs, on the plants during the dormant season.
Egg laying happens June to August, with nymphs (developing stages of the insect) present for most of the growing season. There is usually one generation. Exclusion bags for tree fruit, and insecticidal soap sprays, are some possible controls.
Dormant oil and lime sulphur sprays applied to deciduous woody plants after leaf fall in autumn and in late winter or early spring, before growth buds swell, help to control overwintering pest eggs. The lime sulphur element in the spray helps to control fungus diseases, mites and scales.
GARDEN EVENT
Plant sale. The Victoria Compost Education Centre is hosting their annual August Plant Sale and Celebration on Saturday, Aug. 12, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Haegert Park, 1202 Yukon St., one block from the Centre’s site on North Park St. Local farmers will be offering a wide variety of organically grown overwintering vegetables and perennials. The event will also feature music, a raffle, artisan vendors, a parent-child Garden Arts & Crafts workshop, and an opportunity to learn about composting. Entry by donation. Funds raised support CED educational programming.
