Tag Archives: garden

Gardening question: Thistle removal

Posted on by

What is the best way to get rid of thistles?

The thistle is one of the most difficult perennial weeds to control because its underground stems can travel up to 20 feet a season. After chopping them down, use a plastic mulch to cover the entire area. A straw mulch, laid at least three inches thick, also will smother thistles. (Do not use a leaf mulch.) Your weed-control program must be long-lasting because the roots can lie dormant for several years. In addition to mulching, plowing the garden deeply in the fall will bring the rhizomes (stems) to the surface. But avoid rototilling, because this will cut the rhizomes, and each piece will become a new plant.

From The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

Gardening question: Cucumbers

Posted on by

Why won’t my cucumber plants produce fruits?

You may just need to be patient. Cucumbers, like squash, pumpkins, watermelons, cantaloupes, and many other plants, produce male and female flowers separately on the same plant. They often begin producing male flowers several weeks before the females appear. The males make pollen and are necessary, but they do not produce fruits. Look to see if there is a little cucumber behind the flower. If you see a baby cucumber, you have a female flower. If you just see a slender stem going right up to the back of the flower, you have a male flower. If your plants have female flowers and the fruits still aren’t setting, be sure that the plants are not excessively dry. The leaves may wilt on hot days, but they should recover as the temperature drops in the evening. If they are still wilted by morning, you are not watering them enough, or you are watering too shallowly and too often. Excessive nitrogen fertilization also could be a problem. If the nutrients are unbalanced, the flowers will drop. Also, if there are no bees to pollinate your cucumber flowers, you will have to transfer pollen from the male flowers to the female flowers by hand. Use a cotton swab or soft-bristle paintbrush to transfer pollen.

From The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

Gardening Question: Fruit tree production

Posted on by

Why does my cherry tree bear wonderful fruit one year and nothing the next?

As a general rule, a fruit tree’s production depends on the overall health of the tree, its environment, its fruiting habit, the variety, the rootstock, adequate pollination, and good cultural practices. If just one of these conditions is off, the annual yield can be reduced or nonexistent. Apples are notorious for this kind of behavior. You may increase your chances of a good yield by early thinning of heavy fruit.

From The Old Farmer’s Almanac.