Gardening questions

My hostas have been shredded by hail. What should I do?

Hostas that are standing but have some shredded leaves will recover. Remove the leaves with the worst damage but keep most of the leaves for food production for the hosta. As new leaves appear, you can remove more of the damaged leaves.

I am planting strawberries. What is the crown?

The crown is where the roots and the stem or stems meet. When you are planting, it is usually best to set the crown at, or slightly above, the soil line. If you bury the crown too deep the plant may rot.

Where is the best place to put a compost pile – sun or shade?

Either location is fine. No matter where you put it, the pile will heat up and decompose. A pile in full sun will dry out faster and you may need to sprinkle the pile occasionally to keep the microbes working.

Can I reuse potting soil?

If your pots had lots of weeds or disease problems, it would be better to dump the old and use fresh potting soil. If you insist on reusing, use only at the bottom of a large pot and add fresh potting soil for the top six inches.

Is it safe to eat rhubarb if there has been a hard frost or spring freeze?

If rhubarb is hit by a hard frost or freeze in late spring, it still can be eaten provided the stalks are firm and upright. Leaf injury would appear as brown or black discoloration along the margins. If the stems are soft and mushy, don't eat them. Severe cold injury may cause the oxalic acid crystals in the leaves to move into the stalks, increasing the chance of poisoning. If in doubt about the safety of eating the stalks, don't. Cut the damaged stalks off and compost them. Allow new stalks to develop for eating.

My Irises have never bloomed. How do I get them to flower?

Shade and overcrowding are the most common problems when irises won't bloom. If your irises aren't in full sun, move them to a brighter spot in your garden. If this is not the problem, you may need to dig up and divide your plants. The best time to divide is six to eight weeks after they have finished blooming (or should have flowered). Replant healthy rhizomes either just below the surface or half buried. Transplanted irises may not bloom until the second spring, so be patient.

Last year I had a volunteer petunia, but its bloom color was different than I had the summer before. Is this possible?

The bloom was probably the offspring of seeds from your hybrid petunia. Hybrids combine the characteristics of one or more plants. As a result, the offspring don't always look like the parent plant they came from. The flowers may look like one of the parent plants or a combination of their traits.

My favorite rosebush won't bloom. The stems are growing like crazy, but no blooms. How do I get this rosebush to bloom again?

It sounds like the bud graft has died and the hardy rootstock sprouted to take its place. Many climbing, hybrid tea, grandiflora and some floribunda roses are grafted to a hardy rootstock. If disease, weather or other conditions kill the desirable portion of the plant, the rootstock will take over. You should replace the rosebush with a plant you would prefer.

When should I plant my fall bulbs?

Bulbs should be planted approximately six weeks before the ground freezes so that the roots can become established. Always water your bulbs after planting. Follow the planting depth recommendations on the package as different plants have different instructions. It is best to plant bulbs as soon as you get them (but not before cooler fall temperatures arrive). If you purchase and the temperatures are still too warm, you can store the bulbs in your refrigerator crisper for several weeks. Be sure to keep bulbs away from apples and other fruits as the gas emitted by ripening fruit is harmful to bulbs.