New England Gardener

Question:
Hello,
First off, thank you for being a New England sounding board for gardening. In my back yard the container garden has seen a slow, somewhat discouraging start. The tomatoes babies have been staying alive with little to no growth. All of the plants seem to have lower yellow leaf issues, not major but noticeable. I doubt it is lack of nitrogen as I used fresh bags of garden soil. I have been informed that garden soil may compact to much for root growth. Would a loose compost help? Would a sand or a type of soil that is “light” aid in recovery? I used the same containers and soil mixtures that I used last year with decent results.

Thank you
Tommy in southern NH

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Question:What can a summer camp of kids 15-18 yrs old plant in early July that they can harvest in 7 weeks?

Hope springs eternal!
Thanks!

Answer:
Dear Edith,
This question is right up my alley because I help run a garden summer camp in Maine that’s 8 weeks long.
Seven weeks is plenty of time for kids to see many vegetables through to maturity. Radishes are a must. Campers will get a spicy red pay off in about a month’s time. Lettuce and spinach also come up quickly. There are so many colorful and flavorful varieties on the market. They’ll have fun doing taste tests with red, purple and green varieties. Kids can start harvesting baby greens at 30 days and let the rest keep maturing.
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Sorry folks, we have been a little behind when it comes to answering questions to the blog. So even though I’m a tremendous garden slouch compared with some of the other folks on this site, let’s see what we can help with. (My garden is struggling a little, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.) More answers coming soon, too.

Teresa asks:

My peony has a tight ball that wants to bloom, but all of a sudden it looks like it’s going to die. Only one. I purchased it last year
and planted it last year. This year only one bud that turned into a ball that I could see petals and a yellow inside formed. But seems to not be able to get beyond that.

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Question:
From Vera
This year I got someone to create the boxes around last year’s newly dug beds, and after he left I notices this long light root with growth at top. Later it occured to me he had dug up my horseradish. Problem is the horseradish root is about 2′ long, and my beds are not dug that deep. Should I keep going down into the sand/clay soil below the better soil I have created in the boxes, or put it at an angle, and keep it in good soil?

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Question:
From Donna:
I Would like some ideas on how & what to plant in my front yard here on Cape cod. I have 2 ever green trees in my front yard, would like to know how & what to plant that would go will with these trees. My front yard is 30′ X 60′ gets fairy good sun.

Answer:
Hello Donna
The variety is endless. My basic Cape Cod Yard has Forsythia, Lilacs, and Hydrangea. The forsythia is yellow in april, lilac is violet and white in May, Hydrangea are blue and pink all summer long. Then you add tulips and other annuals like roses and black eyed Susans in the beds. You may want a small dogwood or two for early flowering on trees.
Best, Tim

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Question: I have many narcissus plants. but when its time to blossom the hood turn brown and never fully bloom. yet some of mine do fully bloom. this has been going on for two summers or spring..
Answer:
Dear Charlotte,
I’m intrigued by your narcissus problem because I’ve always them to be relatively trouble free bulbs. That, and the deer don’t like them! First, I want to make sure we’re on the same page. By narcissus, I’m assuming you mean a daffodil or jonquil, and not paper white. Sometimes narcissus won’t bloom well if they’re overcrowded, in too much shade, in a spot that’s too damp, or in poorly drained soil. What’s interesting about your problem is that the plants start to throw a blossom and can’t get the job done. Are they getting enough sunlight? If it were me, I’d dig them up, divide and fertilize them in the fall. If they still fail to perform next spring, I’d yank the underachievers and replace them with a narcissus that’s billed as “easy to grow.” Narcissus bulbs are cheap and life is short.

Still, I’m curious about your blossom wilt problem and would like to hear from anyone else who’s had this problem.
All the best,
Amy

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