7. (comment) We have an evergreen hedge that has become to large for the scale we want along the house. My question is how much pruning can they take?. The plants are over 15 years old and stand 45 inches high. The branches are maybe 1 inch around.

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(answer) Always be careful when you prune evergreens. If you prune too much you can end up with holes and bare spots. Here's what the Nebraska Extension Service advises:

Evergreens

Narrow-leaved evergreens require less training and pruning than deciduous plants. But just like a deciduous hedge, adequate density and the correct form is essential. Junipers and yews can be pruned throughout the growing season, although the more severe pruning should be done in early spring. Don't prune back to wood that lacks foliage, especially with Junipers, because new buds will not develop on this wood. For pines, cut only into new growth when new needles are the same size and color as old needles.

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8. (question) I am trying to find out what naturalizing means when referring to bulbs.

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(answer) Naturalizing means planting bulbs in your lawn or places other then the garden. The idea is to make it look as if they sprung up on their own the way they would in "nature."

One way to do this is to take the bulbs and throw them on the ground and then plant them where they fall. That way you won't be tempted to space them too evenly. For more information on spring bulbs, see my article.

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9. (question) My starter seeds are growing well, but every time I water them the next day, mold is all over the soil. I have been scraping it off but, as soon as I water it again it comes back. This has never happened to me before. What do I do? Will this continue after I finally plant the plants into the ground?

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(answer) MOLD on the surface of the soil is probably a saprophytic fungus, not a plant parasitic fungus. So no need for alarm. Sterilized soil is without any beneficial microbes so it is easily surface-colonized by fungi floating around in the air. You probably don't even need to scrape it off, it won't hurt the plants (unless it forms a hard crust which blocks water infiltration). Once the plants are transplanted into garden soil which contains a balance of beneficial microbes, this surface fungus will disappear. ( Jody Fetzer, IPM Specialist ).

For more tips on starting seeds, see my article.

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10. (question) I am buying a hobby farm and I have a question for you... The owner is leaving me about 7 very big plastic (clay look) planting containers. Five of the containers sit on the south side of the pool and they look very nice there. The previous owner says he had problems growing flowers there last year and he suspected the pots got too hot. Is this true? What precautions should I take before I plant in those pots? I would like to have some nice flowers, since the spot is viewed from nearly every room in the house.

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(answer) Without seeing the containers it's hard to say what may have gone wrong with the previous owner's plantings. One thing to check is that there are holes for drainage in the bottom.

Another problem might have been that it is a hot dry place and she or he didn't water them often enough.

Make sure you clean them out well with a scrubbing brush and 5 percent bleach solution and rinse well before you plant this season.

I have an article that might help.

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11. (question) How much should you prune a very mature clematis plant?

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(answer) It depends on what type of clematis you have (there are 3 groups). If it is all tangled in the center I would trim it back using the pruning guide at

Clematis are heavy feeders so make sure you use plenty of compost as mulch this spring and it should be just fine.

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12. (question) What can you grow under pine and spruce?

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(answer) I've had good luck under my pine growing the ground cover, sweet woodruff (Asperula odorata).

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13. (question) I bought my house in July of last year and didn't have time to get a "real" garden in, What would you start with in a new garden?

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(answer) Some of my favorite low maintenance perennials are Rudbeckia 'Goldsturm' (black-eyed Susan), 'Autumn Joy' sedum, monarda (bee balm) and, of course, daylilies. If you plant some spring-flowering bulbs this fall you should have color all season.

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14. (question) I am a novice gardener. Last year I planted a lot of perennials. What exactly do I do with the garden in the Spring? There are some wilted looking plants. Do I pull these? Also, is there a danger of hurting upcoming plants if I cultivate the soil?

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(answer) Don't try to work, cultivate, or walk on your gardens until they dry or you will disturb the structure of the soil. As far as the plants, most perennials should be cut down to the ground in the fall (see my article on fall cleanup).

Be very careful when cutting them in the spring because there will be new shoots coming up and you may damage them. You will have to cut the old stems from last season off--don't pull--cut with pruners. Make sure you clean all the old leaves and debris off your gardens so they won't harbor disease.

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15. (question) I am new at this gardening adventure. I am very interested in starting a garden indoors early, and transferring it outside when the winter permits, however; I need more assistance in when do I transplant?

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When to move plants outside changes every season. Here in Minnesota the rule of thumb is Memorial Day. Call your local extension service to find when the appropriate time to set plants out is in your area. If you aren't sure where the closest office is, try my Extension Service Page.

Victory Seeds also has an excellent table with last frost dates for any part of the county at.

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16. (question) Live in northern Ontario--zone 4-5. Would like to plan a circular, raised bed for vegetables. Is it best just to load top soil to the depth required or should the selected spot be worked prior to adding top soil?

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(answer) Found this factsheet on raised bed gardening at the Missouri Univ. site, but the info is pretty universal--even for our cold climate:

To take full advantage of the deep rooting potential with raised beds, the base soil should be worked up by rototilling or hand digging before bringing in additional soil. Many gardeners double dig beds.

The whole factsheet can be found at .

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17. (question) I am looking on the internet for information on a shrub or hedge type of plant that will work well in our climate. The catch is it will be planted near some Black Walnut trees. The previous owner of my home planted some type of shrub that did not do well, and we had to pull them up.

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(answer) Some you might try are arborvitae, forsythia, amur maple, and viburnums. I found lists of other plants that should "survive" under black walnut at:

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