Q: I have planted dahalias in pots. Some of them are growing but others I am worried about rotting. The soil is wet (I am sure I have lost a few to rot) and there appears to be a mold growing on top. How can I prevent this mold and prevent my dahlia bulbs from rotting? Lois - June 4, 2001
A: First of all make sure the mold is actually mold. If you look closely and see little legs underneath it is a mealy bug infestation and you need to get a remedy from the local garden center. However, if you are certain this is actual mold...stop watering your bulbs if you are still doing so. Ensure that the drainage in your pots is adequate. Next, remove the mold by hand and then mix some cinnamon in the top portion of the soil. Cinnamon is a natural fungicide (thank you to the person at CG who helped me with this one).
Q: I am trying to grow a rose garden (I have 6 going so far...), but I'm little confused when it comes to the rose bloom period description: recurrent, repeats, free flowering, etc. Can you clarify the difference for me? I want to be better informed when I make my purchases. Thanks a bunch. Diem - July 9, 2001
A: The terms: recurrent, repeats, and free flowering are just general terms all meaning the same thing and that is that the rose blooms more than once in a season. This is opposed to roses that bloom only once, in the spring.
Almost all roses produce their largest amount of blooms in their first cycle (being spring). The second and third cycles usually yield less. Some spread their production out over the rest of the summer - thereby giving hte appearance of being "continuous bloomers". The latter is more a marketing term than what happens.
The variation in bloom cycles is partially genetic, but also depends on weather conditions, food and water. The number of blooms on recurrent varieties can be increased by quickly deadheading (removing the old dead flowers) so that the plant doesn't produce hips. |
