I planted my garlic last summer. It’s up and looking good. When should I harvest it?
When the tops turn brown and fall down, which is usually in late summer or early fall.
I’ve noticed that some tiny apples are falling off my 3-year-old tree. Should I be worried? There are lots of them on there, but I don’t want them all to fall off.
You needn’t worry. It is common for young fruit to drop off. In fact, I’ve heard it called the “June Drop.” The ones that do fall off are usually the ones that didn’t get properly polarized and cannot mature as a result.
There are holes in some of my flower and vegetable leaves. I first thought it was slugs, but I cannot see any other trace of them. What ever it was, it’s not chewing on the plants now. Wouldn’t you think I’d see “slug slime” or something around them?
You bet. Slugs to come to mind, however. I have noticed my large-leafed plants such as hosta, crambe and others have suffered some hail damage. We have had some amazing spring storms with heavy hail in the last few weeks, and hail certainly does damage plants. I removed some of the leaves with the worst damage.
A friend thinks garter snakes are the most wonderful “garden helpers” that a gardener could have. I’m not sure if we have very many here. I hardly ever see them. What can I do to encourage them to come “help me”?
Your friend is right. They go after all kind of bugs, slugs and snails. Of course, like all predators, they eat the “good guys,” too, such as frogs and good bugs. But that’s the price we pay for helpers.
You could pile some bigger rocks in a sunny spot in you garden. They like to get warm in the sunshine. I don’t think I’ll be doing that in my garden, as my husband hates snakes and would sic our dogs on them.
Celeste Lindsay is a WSU-certified master gardener. Send questions to mslindsay8@gmail.com.
