Q: I have an avocado seed in water with several roots on it. I’d like to plant it in a pot. Should I bury the seed completely? — Ruth Caswell, Flowery Branch
A: Lift the plant from the water and get a helper to hold it in place in the center of a 10-inch pot. Carefully sift small handfuls of high quality (peat based) potting soil below and between the roots, spreading them outward in the soil as you work. The height of the seed should be such that it protrudes halfway from the top of the soil when you finish. Fertilize with half-strength houseplant fertilizer. When night temperatures are above 60 degrees, you can put the potted plant outdoors in a spot that gets light shade throughout the day.
Q: I received a Valentine card that had a photo of a heart-shaped potato on the cover. I’ve found pictures of similar potatoes on the Internet. What causes potatoes to grow this way? — Miriam Karp, Atlanta
A: White potatoes arise at the end of an underground modified stem. When a stem begins swelling in clay soil, sometimes it will divide in two and continue distending. The lower "point" of a heart-shaped potato is the place where it was attached to the parent plant. The two "lobes" are the ends of the stem.
Q: I have a large backyard with a creek that merges into the Chattahoochee. It is full of large and small trees. I would like to cut down all the trees to make it usable for my daughters. Can I cut them down? — Rao Manekar, Fulton County
A: I hope you will reconsider cutting down all of the trees. Even though you own your property, Fulton County and the state of Georgia have environmental regulations that affect homeowners. The county has an ordinance regulating what you can and cannot cut, covering any tree larger than 2 inches in diameter. To protect the quality of water in the Chattahoochee, the county and the state require you to leave an undisturbed 50-foot buffer, measured from the stream bank. With the advice of a landscape architect, I feel sure you can make a nice place for your children without removing all the trees. Get details on the law at www.fultonecd.org.
Listen to Walter Reeves from 6 to 10 Saturday mornings on WSB-AM (750). Visit his Web site, www.walterreeves.com, for detailed advice on Georgia gardening.
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