Monthly Archives: May 2009

Planting Potatoes!

By Ellen Wells | Published: May 6, 2009

As a potato farmer’s daughter, this topic is something near and dear to my heart. Here’s the Q&A!
Q. I am planting potatoes for the first time this year! I have read that I should dust them with agricultural sulfur before planting. How important is this? I’ve also read that some people ‘hill’ them with soil [...]

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Fungus Attacking a Lilac?

By Ellen Wells | Published: May 4, 2009

Q. Hi! In trimming our lilac tree, we noticed what appears to be a fungus growing on some of the limbs down to part of the tree trunk. It is white in color and looks like small mushrooms. Could you please let me know what you think could be the problem and how to correct [...]

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Climbing Vine for Roof Decks

By Ellen Wells | Published: May 4, 2009

Q. I have a roof deck in Boston with a sizable arbor on it. I would like to find a flowering vine of some sort to cover it. The previous owner grew Virginia Creeper on the arbor, which grew well but looked too much like a weed for my tastes. I tried Clematis last year [...]

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Earwigs in the Veggie Garden

By Ellen Wells | Published: May 1, 2009

Q. I’m having a problem with earwigs. They seem to love my garden vegetables, but don’t leave much for me. I garden organically, so I don’t want to use any pesticides. Is there anything I can do to get rid of the little buggers?
-San Jose, California
A. I found what I hope is good information in [...]

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