Garden Q&A: More on tomato plants, pruning, plant sickness and soil tests
Q Why don’t my tomato plants set fruit? They have flowers that drop off.
A They are not being pollinated. That can happen with large-fruiting varieties when the temperature climbs above 90 degrees in the daytime. It can also happen when you grow tomatoes in areas where the plants are not blown by the wind. Tomatoes are self-pollinating, depending on the wind to shake the pollen loose. Thump your tomato flowers daily if protected from the wind.
Q I have a big beautiful tomato plant but no tomatoes. What’s up?
A Over-fertilizing prior to setting out your tomato plants or fertilizing before first fruit set will encourage vigorous foliage growth while inhibiting fruit set. Next time you plant tomatoes, use half the recommended rate of fertilizer or use a liquid root stimulator.
Q What is the best time to prune oakleaf hydrangeas. I have them in huge pots and they have to be trimmed from time to time.
A It is important to know if a plant blooms on the new season growth or last season growth. If you prune at the wrong time, you may not have any flowers that year. Oakleaf hydrangeas bloom on new season growth. Prune them in late winter or very early spring while they are still dormant. Prune only broken or dead limbs.
Q The leaves on my young red oak tree are twisted and puckered. Is the tree going to die?
A Maybe. What you have described is a classic case of herbicide damage to a shade tree. This is very common in the spring when people use weed killers on their lawns. It can be caused by drift from you or any of your neighbors spraying. Most commonly, it is the overuse or improper use of lawn food containing weed killer. All you can do is feed monthly and water the tree regularly and hope it outgrows the herbicide.
Q I keep hearing that I should have my soil tested. What will this tell me?
A A test will tell you what nutrients are most prevalent or what is lacking in your soil that can affect anything you grow. Once you know what your soil is lacking, you can improve plant growth by adding the appropriate nutrient. You can also learn if too much of something in the soil is bad for certain plants.
Send questions about your lawns and gardens to ask.mastergardeners @gmail.com. McLennan County Master Gardeners will provide answers every Friday. You can call Ask a Master Gardener Help Line at 254-757-5180, 1-4 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays.
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Ask a Master Gardener Help Line
Spring gardening brings many questions, such as when should I fertilize my lawn, or which are the best vegetables for Waco? Get answers to these and other questions by calling the Ask a Master Gardener Help Line at 254-757-5180, 1-4 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays.
