When you click for the answer, you may have to scroll down because there is more than one answer per page.

Q. What is the difference between a mulch, a soil amendment and an organic fertilizer?  Click here for answer.

Q. How do I control oystershell scale on my aspen and lilac?  Click here for answer.

Q. How do I care for my daffodils and tulips when they are finished blooming?  Click here for answer.

Q: What do I look for when buying bedding plants?  Click here for answer.  Click here for answer.

Q: When is the best time to plant a perennial or annual flower garden?  Click here for answer.

Q. My bluegrass lawn has some clumpy grass growing in it. It has wider, coarser blades than the bluegrass and seems to grow faster. What is it and how should I control it?  Click here for answer.

Q. My silver maple was damaged in one of last winter's snowstorms. I had it pruned to remove damaged limbs. Recently, it has been dripping sap from wounds and pruning cuts. Is there anything I can do to prevent this dripping sap?  Click here for answer.

Q: The leaves of my Oregon Grape Holly are brown around the edges. Is this some kind of disease?  Click here for answer.

Q: What makes lettuce taste bitter?  Click here for answer.

Q: I have some house plants that I want to move outside. How soon can I do that?  Click here for answer.

Q. I saw a TV news story about how Pfitzer junipers planted near a home can make a home more prone to fire. What should I plant instead?  Click here for answer.

Q. I hear a lot about mulching. Is it really important to use mulch around my plants?  Click here for answer.

Q. When shopping for plants, I see instructions that say "plant in full sun," "part sun" or "part shade." What do these terms really mean?  Click here for answer.

Q. How should I care for my spring bulbs in the garden after they have finished blooming?  Click here for answer.

Q. What care should I give to my daylily (Hemerocallis) to assure that I get plenty of blooms?  Click here for answer.

Q. My forsythia shrub had exceptional flowers this year. When should I prune this plant?  Click here for answer.

Q: I am confused by the many different types of fertilizers I find in stores. I don't know what the numbers mean and how to use them. Can you help?  Click here for answer.

Q. We would like to add a bird and butterfly garden to our yard. What kinds of plants should we use?  Click here for answer.

Q. I'm new to Colorado. Can I grow roses here? If so, which ones do best?  Click here for answer.

Q. I saw an ad recently for something called an "Empress Tree." It sounded pretty good and grows fast. What can you tell me about it?  Click here for answer.

Q. Grass will not grow under my large spruce tree. My neighbor suggested this is because the spruce's dropped needles have made the soil too acid. Should I get the soil tested?  Click here for answer.

Q. My husband and I have just moved into a new home and we are getting ready to landscape. We want to put in several trees, but we need advice about selecting and planting them. Can you help?  Click here for answer.

Q: While checking my rose bushes, I noticed that the bottoms of the leaves were covered with small insects. Some of the leaves are curled and there is a shiny, sticky substance on the leaves. What is causing this and what can I do about it?  Click here for answer.

Q. I'm having trouble getting anything to grow in the sandy soil in my yard. Do you have any suggestions as to what will grow well in my soil? Click here for answer.

Q. What hedges I can buy that will retain their green leaves over the winter?  Click here for answer.

Q. Even though we recently had a few days of rain, it seems my garden is drying out fast. I've been adding compost, but wondered if there is anything else I can do other than to water frequently?  Click here for answer.

Q. I purchased a 40 year-old home in January. Spring revealed flowerbeds overgrown with weeds, grasses and small tree seedlings. Is it worthwhile to salvage plants, including iris, peonies and a variety of bulbs or should I start over from scratch?  Click here for answer.

Q. I planted old-fashioned lilacs last year. They are about two feet tall and aren't growing very fast. Only one of the three plants bloomed this year. What can I do to encourage growth and blooming?  Click here for answer.

Q. A friend was dividing her lily-of-the-valley and brought some to me. I have always admired them but others have warned me that they can become an invasive nuisance. What can I do to minimize this problem?  Click here for answer.

Q. Do I need to spray my trees every growing season?  Click here for answer.

Q. I want to control mosquitoes in my back yard and am looking at different bug-zappers. How do I choose the best type?  Click here for answer.

Q. Are there fireflies in Colorado? I thought I saw one the other night.  Click here for answer.

Q. In the past few years my geraniums seem to have been chewed on by something so that the color just isn't the same in summer. What is doing this?  Click here for answer.

Q. The leaves on my hackberry tree this year emerged full of small holes with brown edges. I couldn't find any insects and it doesn't seem to be getting worse. Is this some kind of disease? And will I get any intact leaves this year?  Click here for answer.

Q. Is it OK to prune out the flowering stalks of peonies?  Click here for answer.

Q. Will the removal of spent rose blossoms promote new flowering?  Click here for answer.

Q. My aspen has brownish spots on the leaves. What is this?  Click here for answer.

Q. I keep hearing about Bt. What, exactly, is that?  Click here for answer.

Q: The spinach in my garden is going to seed. I've kept it picked and watered well. What is the problem? Click here for answer.

Q: My ivy geraniums are in a wire, moss-lined basket facing south. I water them once and sometimes twice a day if they wilt. Their foliage is a lighter green now and they aren't flowering as they did. What should I do? Click here for answer.

Q: My rosemary and parsley are dead or almost dead. The plants were smaller than usual this spring and slow in growing, but I've taken care of them as usual. What is wrong?  Click here for answer.

Q: I have a small flower bed on the west side of my house that dries out quickly and requires a lot more water than other areas. What do you suggest? Click here for answer.

Q: Do polymer crystals work as well as advertised? What do they do? Click here for answer.

Q: With all the recent violent weather my garden is looking pretty ragged. Is there anything I can do to make the garden more resistant to hard rains, hail and high winds?  Click for answer.

Q: I've been noticing a lot of hummingbirds around my yard, but they don't seem to stay very long. Is there anything I can do to encourage them?  Click for answer.

Q: Leaves throughout my ash tree are turning brown and falling off. Why is this happening?  Click here for answer.

Q: Some of the leaves on the lower part of my tomato plants are yellowing and falling off. The leaves that are yellow also have brown spots on them. What is happening? Click here for answer.

Q: I am finding a white, powdery substance on many of my landscape plants. What is it? Click here for answer.

Q: I have started a vegetable garden this year and have attracted a hungry family of ground squirrels. Can you recommend vegetables that ground squirrels will avoid? I live in Eagle at 6,600 feet elevation. Click here for answer.

Q: Is there anything I can do for my aspen trees whose trunks have been rubbed by elk? Click here for answer.

Q: Because I am not in favor of using herbicides, I am considering using bleach to kill my lawn and garden weeds next season. Will bleach kill weeds such as dandelion and clover? Click here for answer.

Q: All of my flowers are pleasing to the eye, but which ones are pleasing to the palate? Click here for answer.

Q: Dining on my garden patio has become a competition. The flies are winning. What can I do? Click here for answer.

Q: Anyone who has seen pictures of Monet's garden knows how stunning nasturtiums can be. But, is this a versatile plant? Click here for answer.

Q. When should I divide my bearded irises?  Click here for answer.

Q. Is there anyway I can make my chrysanthemums bloom earlier in the fall so that they don't get killed by an early freeze? Click here for answer.

Q. When and how should I divide my peonies? Click here for answer.

Q. My container gardens put on a glamorous display this spring but now they look peaked and over- the- hill. What could be the problem?  Click here for answer.

Q. Is there anything I can do now to prepare my shrubs and trees for winter? Click here for answer.

Q. Something is attacking my tomato plants with a vengeance! The leaves and whole parts of the plant are disappearing overnight! What can I do? Click here for answer.

Q: My pepper plant only has one pepper on it. What can I do?  Click here for answer.

Q: When and how should I harvest basil? Click here for answer.

Q: Small reddish-colored bugs with long black snouts are eating holes in my shrub rose flowers. What are they and how do I control them? Click here for answer.

Q. What is the best way to water my vegetable garden?  Click here for answer.

Q. We built an arbor this summer and would like to cover it with grapevines, but we have heard that some grape leaves are toxic. Which varieties can I plant that are safe? Click here for answer.

Q. Do lawn pesticides harm dogs and cats? My yellow lab gets a rash after the lawn service has been here. Click here for answer.

Q. All the tips of my backyard spruce tree in Lakewood have looked brown, dry and droopy for several weeks. The needles farther back on the branches are all fine. What can I do to help my tree?  Click here for answer.

Q. Do yellowjacket traps really work? Click here for answer.

Q. I heard someone refer to "fruiting crops" in the vegetable garden. What crops are these? Click here for answer.

Q. I was gone for a long weekend and, upon my return, I found my potato plants damaged by some black and yellow-striped beetle. What can I do to control these pests and will my plants still produce potatoes this year?  Click here for answer.

Q. My corn has small distorted ears, many of them covered with gray lobed growths. What could have caused this and what can I do to save my corn crop? Click here for answer.

Q. Should I fertilize my lawn now? Click here for answer.

Q. How soon should I plant tulip bulbs? And, is it safe to plant the perennials that now are on sale at garden centers?  Click here for answer.

Q. Help! When should I prune my clematis? Friends have given me confusing and conflicting advice. Click here for answer.

Q. Help! The lyme grass in my flower bed is taking over. I like the blue color of this grass but what can I do to keep it in check?  Click here for answer.

Q. I've become intrigued by the thought of a water garden but I want to start small. What can I do to get started and are algae and mosquitoes a problem?  Click here for answer.

Q: My pumpkins and winter squash seem to be maturing early this season. How can I tell if they are ready to be picked and what is the best way to store them?  Click here for answer.

Q: When should I stop fertilizing my roses? I want to enjoy the blooms as long as possible into fall.  Click here for answer.

Q: I really want to plant a tree this fall to shade my kitchen. What is a good choice and how late can I safely plant? Click here for answer.

Q: I have a large fairy ring of mushrooms in my back lawn. How can I eliminate this? Click here for answer.

Q. What are the tiny brown flies around the fruit I recently brought in from the garden? How do I get rid of them? Click here for answer.

Q. There is this huge silver and black spider in my garden sitting in the middle of a big web. Will it bite?  Click here for answer.

Q. What are the little brown worms I recently saw crawling around on the sidewalks and the foundation walls? Click here for answer.

Q. I have a "bee nest" in my sugar maple tree that is becoming as big as a basketball. What should I do to get rid of it? Click here for answer.

Q. I planted several young trees this year. What can I do to get them through the winter safely? Click here for answer.

Q. How do I keep squirrels away from my newly planted bulbs? Click here for answer.

Q. My peony's foliage is beginning to yellow. Can I cut it down or should I leave it on for winter protection? Click here for answer.

Q. How can I help my roses make it through the winter? Click here for answer.

Q. I keep hearing about "winter watering." Could you explain what this involves? Click here for answer.

Q. What should I do with leaves from Aspen and Poplar trees that have leaf spot? Click here for answer.

Q. What is winter watering and when shall I do it? Click here for answer.

Q. I see red and black bugs crawling around my house. What are they and will they do damage?  Click here for answer.

Q. I have just purchased a cord of firewood. How should I store it? Click here for answer.

Q: A number of pine trees in my neighborhood are showing yellow and brown needles. Does this mean they have a disease?  Click here for answer.

Q: The houseplants I brought inside earlier this fall are now dropping some of their leaves. Why is this happening? Click here for answer.

Q: I received a potted chrysanthemum for a gift. Can I plant it outdoors? Click here for answer.

Q: This summer aphids covered the leaves of my aspen and cottonwood trees and the honeydew was outrageous! The sticky leaves stuck to everything including my dog and my husband! Is there anything I can do now to prevent this from happening to my trees next year?  Click here for answer.

Q: I recently transplanted several perennials from the east side of my home to the south. The plants, including cone flower, blanket flower, scarlet gilia and penstemon, are more suitable for the hot, dry, sunny location on the south side. But, because they received more moisture when on the east side of my house, will they need added moisture in this warmer location? Click here for answer.

Q. What care should I give to my perennial border before winter? Click here for answer.

Q. What is the proper way to handle my dahlia tubers so they survive the winter? Click here for answer.

Q. I have had a Norfolk Island Pine for about four years. It is about 40 inches tall and the branches are beginning to droop. Can you suggest the reason? Click here for answer.

Q. I've recently moved to Colorado. What information can you give me about feeding the wild birds here?  Click here for answer.

Q. Don't wild birds need water in the winter too? Click here for answer.

Q. My roses have stayed green through Thanksgiving. When should I mulch them for winter?  Click here for answer.

Q. Should I mulch my other perennial flowers? Click here for answer.

Q. My roses have stayed green through Thanksgiving. When should I mulch them for winter?  Click here for answer.

Q. Should I mulch my other perennial flowers? Click here for answer.

Q: My neighbor said that I should be watering my trees and shrubs because it has been so dry this fall. Is she right or will the plants be fine until spring? Click here for answer.

Q: I live in the foothills and am having problems with large insects entering my house. They are large, brown and look like boxelder bugs but they're not red. What are they and how do I get rid of them? Click here for answer.

Q. Recently I have been seeing lady beetles in my home. Why are they there and should I worry?  Click here for answer.

Q. I saw large numbers of aphids on my trees this fall. What can I do now to prevent this from happening again? Click here for answer.

Q. I saw some praying mantids in my garden this fall. I've since noticed that they are sold in some of my garden catalogs. Should I purchase praying mantids? Click here for answer.

Q. I have a friend who is really into gardening. What kind of gift could you suggest for her?  Click here for answer.

Q: One of my houseplants has white fluffy masses on the stems. What is it? Do I need to spray something?  Click here for answer.

Q: What's the best way to remove heavy snow from my juniper bushes? Click here for answer.

Q: How do I know if I'm over watering my house plants? Click here for answer.