A. If the fruit is rotting, it could be blossom-end rot is taking its toll on your squash. This condition is caused by wide fluctuations between wet and dry soil. You can prevent the problem by watering deeply and applying a thick mulch over the soil surface to keep evaporation to a minimum. I hope correcting the problem results in a few squash before frost!
Q. I remember reading one of your columns early in the summer about wisteria. You mentioned that most wisteria will bloom in spring/early summer before the leaves leaf out. However, I have a wisteria that is blooming right now with all the leaves formed. Is this unusual?
A. There are three types of commonly grown wisteria: Japanese (Wisteria floribunda), Chinese (Wisteria sinensis) and Silky (Wisteria venusta). Japanese and Silky wisteria blooms after the leaves expand, and Chinese wisteria blooms before the leaves expand. You probably have the Japanese variety (unless the leaflets have silky hairs on them), and it's blooming a little late. Wisteria bloom best when planted in full sun, and pruned in late winter to encourage the production of new flowering wood.
Q. I enjoy roses and have read about planting them during the winter "bare-root" season. My question is what is the difference between buying and planting roses now versus the bare -- root season.
A. Well, if you're cheap like me (I prefer calling it "thrify"), roses are less expensive during bare-root season, which usually runs around Chrsitmas through February locally. You'll also find a better selection, and the roses will have a longer season in which to get established. However, roses in cans at nurseries now offer one important advantage. You can see the roses in bloom and know precisely what you're getting. With bare-root plants, you need to be familiar with what you're buying, or trust the pictures attached to the plants. Generally, these are reliable although many times the pictures become water spotted and may be faded by this time of the year.
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