FOR RELEASE THE WEEK OF JAN. 24, 2000
My old forsythia is only flowering at the tips. I’d like a showier display this spring. How should I prune it this winter?
To maintain consistent, colorful displays, prune your forsythia in the spring after it has flowered, says Danny Barney, University of Idaho extension horticulturist. You could prune this winter, but unless your memory is uncommonly good, you won’t be able to recall how well each branch has been performing for you. It’s important to be able to see what you’re doing.
This spring, as your forsythia is ending its bloom, prune out any old branches that did not flower and any others that are dead or damaged. Then remove one-third of the branches that bloomed. Make all cuts close to the ground and remove entire branches, rather than tipping or "heading" them back.
Repeat this procedure every year. "Since your forsythia was not so neglected that it stopped blooming entirely, I have little or no doubt that proper pruning will rejuvenate the plants and restore an attractive display," Barney says.
We’re putting in some new garden beds this spring and are wondering how best to mulch for weed control.
You can use natural mulches, artificial mulches or a combination of the two, says Don Morishita, University of Idaho extension weed specialist.
In natural mulches, your options include weed-free bark, grass clippings, leaves, compost, manure, sawdust, wood chips, straw, hay, crushed corn cobs and pine needles. After removing any existing weeds by cultivating or applying herbicides, spread the natural mulch 2 to 4 inches deep.
Depending on the material, its depth and how you manage it, the "life expectancy" of a natural mulch will vary from one to three years.
Among artificial mulches, Morishita recommends polyester landscape cloth, which allows air exchange and moisture percolation to the root zone. Spread an inch-deep layer of natural mulch over the top of it, both to hide the cloth and to protect it from the sun. "Natural mulches have a tendency to slide off plastic, but they’ll stay put on polyester landscape cloth," Morishita says.
We feed our pets in the laundry room. Recently, when we moved our washer, we found some old kibble underneath it that was infested with little brown hairy insects. They’re less than a quarter-of-an-inch long and broader in the front than in the rear. What are they and what should we do about them?
They’re the larvae of carpet beetles, so-called because that’s where we used to find them most commonly–feeding on food stains and fibers in woolen rugs. Now, says Bob Stoltz, University of Idaho extension entomologist, we’re much more likely to find them attacking stored grains, including dry pet food.
"They’re not a tremendous pest," says Stoltz, "and there’s not usually much need to spray. If you can get rid of the food source, you can control the problem."
If your freezer is large enough, you don’t even have to toss out infested foods. You can just set their bags inside the freezer for about a week–and keep them sealed from now on.
You’d also be wise to scan your kitchen, pantry, wool carpets and clothes closets for other infestations. Besides flour and cereal products, carpet beetles are attracted to food stains in woolen clothes–a good reason to keep your wardrobe dry-cleaned.
My husband and I are divorcing. Our children–13 and 15–want to stay in the same neighborhood and in the same school, but that would be a real stretch financially. I know kids don’t like to move, but won’t they adjust?
Teens whose parents are divorcing can become very angry, disillusioned or depressed, says Harriet Shaklee, University of Idaho extension family development specialist. Feeling betrayed or rejected by one or both parents, they may worry about being loved and loveable and may lose trust and self-esteem. As a result, they may show an increase in the risk-taking and rebellion that occur at this stage of life.
"Kids going through a divorce are generally not on their best behavior," says Shaklee. "If you move them to new neighborhoods when they are acting out and risk-taking, they attract friends who are doing the same."
If at all possible, maintain residential stability and stick with established routines, Shaklee says. Continue to monitor your teens’ activities–where they are, what they’re doing and whom they’re doing it with–and emphasize that, although the family may be changing, children must continue to show respect for both parents, follow house rules and do their best in school.
Most importantly, give your teens opportunities to discuss and to understand their feelings and to learn how to handle them in constructive ways. "If they have difficulty talking with you, encourage them to confide in another trusted adult."