Q: For the past two holiday seasons I've received amaryllis bulbs. After the two bloomed last January, I cut off the stems and placed them in a metal cabinet in the garage. I brought them back inside about early November and have seen very long green leaves grow but no flowers. Peg Montgomery, email
A: Keeping them all summer in the cabinet is the problem. All blooming plants have to absorb light energy through their leaves after blooming, to prepare for the next year's bloom cycle. For success with this year's bulbs, when all of the blooms have faded, cut the bloom stalk off at soil level. Allow the leaves to remain on the plant and keep it in a sunny window until May. An amaryllis can be planted outdoors in the ground or in a pot for the summer. Plant so that an inch of the bulb neck is above the soil. Next September, dig the bulb, cut off the foliage, and keep it dry until November. With a bit of water and warmth added then, you may be rewarded with spectacular blooms next Christmas.
Q: I read that dried tobacco is good to keep pests away from various other plants. I assumed the articles were referring to regular tobacco but I have discovered that there is a flowering tobacco grown as a decorative and fragrant plant. Would its dried leaves have the same properties as the regular kind? Katherine Kennedy, Gwinnett County
A: The two plants are indeed kin. Smoking tobacco is Nicotiana tabacum. There are several garden plants known as flowering tobacco, chiefly Nicotiana alata, Nicotiana mutabilis and Nicotiana sylvestris. All four have fragrant flowers on tall stems and all four contain nicotine. I don't know about using dried tobacco leaves for pest control but my grandfather used concentrated nicotine sulfate (Black Leaf 40) to kill garden insects. The product is no longer available because it is so toxic. Be careful when working with nicotine.
Q: I'm interested in growing ginseng in our very shady back yard garden. I understand it's a lot of work, but I'm willing to try. Do you have any advice? Ruth Tamasi, email
A: Ginseng has been used as a herbal medicine for hundreds of years. It was once harvested easily from shady hardwood forests but the wild patches are hard to find now. You can grow from seed or roots but the most important step is to make your soil loose, organic and well-draining. It may take three to five years for seed-grown plants to reach a size that the roots can be harvested. You can buy roots and seed online. Have at it and report back!
Q: I have collected paper egg cartons to use for seed starters. Will the paper biodegrade or will I need to 'pull' the seedling and soil to transplant it? Diane Holt, Deepstep
A: In my experience, you can crumble the carton pocket in your hand just before planting. This breaks up the paper pulp and allows roots to escape. Be sure to cover the top edge of the planter with a thin layer of soil after planting so it doesn't wick moisture away from roots. Slicing the pulp pocket in a few places with scissors before initially filling it with soil also creates escape routes for roots.
About the Author
