Hello Home and Garden Info, I planted Virginia Bluebell (Mertensia virginica) bare roots in pots this month, but I am wondering which site would be better to keep the pots during the winter: 1) In my unheated garage, which averages about 35 - 45 degrees (F) during the winter and has several small windows for light. However it never goes below freezing in the garage. 2) On my outdoor deck, either tucked up against the house or further out along the deck railing. Obviously, the pots would experience ambient outdoor temperatures on the deck. My questions and concerns are whether Virginia Bluebells need freezing temperatures during winter to stay dormant and whether they need light (and naturally lengthening daylight of late winter and spring) in order to break dormancy. I would be worried about stretches of warmer than normal temperatures in the garage (which could get up to 50 degrees or more) causing premature sprouting. But alternatively I would want to know if the Virginia Bluebell roots could survive temperatures down in the teens, that can occur during winter cold snaps around here.

Can I spray blackberries this time of year (November 2024). Do cold temperatures make a difference ? They still have leaves.

We need to have our garden soil tested. What is the best way to accomplish this? thanks for any tips Kathy Olheiser

How do I store geraniums for the winter. I brought them inside last night and want to put them away

At the garden symposium a session on edibles in containers said you could grow blueberries in pots. She said they need to be put in the garage in the winter. I have a jellybean and a top hat bushes in five gallon pots. My question is when to put them in the garage, and do they need any light or water during the winter? Thank you. Karen Romano <personal data hidden>

We have an Allegheny Serviceberry that we planted 2 years ago. We want it to be a tree and not a bush. While it is growing somewhat straight the trunk is very thin and the canopy is sparse. Is there a way to prune it to both increase the number of branches in the canopy and have the trunk become more substantial? If that can be done where and when should it be pruned? Thank you in advance for your support.

Greetings: I'm writing for guidance on my fruit trees and on our blueberries: Fruit Trees: Please see S24-01389, attached. I have seven (remaining) fruit trees in my back field, from an original planting of 14 trees in 2012. They are on somewhat higher ground in a characteristically wet field. I think the mortality has been mostly from too wet Soils, and certainly in part from neglect! This is the first time I have tested the Soils, and no surprise, they are acid and low in nutrients. I plan to add three more trees to this orchard. I have a scheme to surface apply dolomitic limestone beneath the seven trees and in the three areas where I will add new trees. These are dwarf trees, so I'm considering only applying the lime to a 10-foot radius at each of the 10 locations (3200 sf). At an application rate of 400lb/1000sf, my calcs indicate that I will need about 3,200 pounds of dolomitic limestone in total. Please let me know if this makes sense. The P, K and Mg levels are low to very low. Should I amend the soils for these chemicals or wait to see if the increased pH will take care of things? If my approach is right, I'll need 26 - 50lb bags of lime. I could borrow a trailer and pick this up in bulk, which I would think would be cheaper. If you know of a source, I'd appreciate guidance. Blueberries: Please see S24-01388. Note that the sulfur level is high. My wife has applied sulfur to these 10 bushes in the past. I've also added sawdust a few times. I need to lower the pH, and my big question is how to do that without adding more sulfur. The soils appear to be low in K and high in P. I'm not sure whether I should add amendments for potassium. This area is well away from streams and surrounded with grass, so the high P should not migrate to surface waters. Many thanks for your assistance!, Dean Grover

Hello, We live in west Eugene, and we'd like help identifying the disease/mildew that has been affecting our chard this year. Chard was grown from seeds from Territorial purchased in 2023. Photos attached and taken last week (Nov 11 2024). Is there a solution for this issue? Thank you for your help.

Hello, We have a large back yard that is fenced in. I would like to plant some native climbing vines that are good for birds either because they provide a good habitat or as a food source. Related question: Will Ampelaster carolinianus grow here or is it too far north? Any comments would be welcome Thank you so much. Vivian Wang

I have cut off a lot of dead wood on my lilac bushes, including some "trunks" that are 2-3 inches in diameter. Is it okay to burn that wood in an outside fire pit? Just wondering wether the smoke might have any toxicity?