Q: I have recently harvested a number of seed pods from a peony plant. Some pods were green, others blackish brown. I need advice on how and when to plant the seeds. — Richard Sharpe, email
A: It's better to harvest the pods from the plant when they have dried on their own to reveal the black seeds in fall. I'm not sure yours will be viable. You can try planting them anyway to see what happens. The easiest method is to find a spot in bright shade and shovel out a hole a couple of feet square and three inches deep. Save the soil and mix it 1:1 with potting soil. Fill the depression half-way, scatter seeds on top, then fill it completely. Moisten lightly and mark the area so you don't forget it. Check back next May to see if anything has sprouted. If not, you probably won't get anything, but peony seeds sometimes take two years to germinate. If you do get seedlings, transplant them to a holding bed for a couple of years to see if their blooms are interesting. If they are, name one after me!
Q: Between my house and my neighbor, we have a 20 feet by 300 feet tree-filled section we both blow leaves into. The leaves are perhaps a foot deep. Will the piling of leaves create a problem for the trees? — Bob Wheatley, email
A: It's tough to predict what will happen. One of my neighbors had a number of trees taken down before his house was built and the wood chips were piled at least a foot deep onto an area 50 feet by 50 feet. As the chips rotted, the area was so soft you would sink up to your ankles when walking on it. But the trees under which the chips were spread show no real signs of damage and it's been 15 years since this was done.The only problem I can really foresee is that, during dry weather, the thick layer of leaves will prevent rainwater from reaching the soil and your trees could be harmed by drought. If it were me, I'd stop blowing leaves into that area until they have decomposed down to 4 inches in depth.
Q: I have some large plum yews that are infested with scale. I have been spraying with neem oil and have not seen much improvement. Is there a remedy to eradicate this insect? — Valerie Carson, email
A: Oil insecticides are usually effective on scale insects, but plum yew has such dense foliage that I can understand why the neem didn't work well. I had the same scale problem on my plum yew and used a systemic drench that contained imidacloprid. I got excellent results.
Q: Have you heard of using pine tree rosin for cooking potatoes? Is there a local source to purchase the rosin? — Donna Nensel, email
A: At first I thought you were joking, but people do endorse this cooking method! An entrepreneurial family down in Pierce County (diamondgforestproducts.com) will happily sell you sacks of pine rosin or a complete potato cooking starter kit. Let me know how they taste!
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