FOR RELEASE THE WEEK OF SEPT. 30, 2001:

I have a redwood deck that is about 15 years old. I have sealed it every year. The deck is now very dirty and I would like to get it clean. I think I have three options: sanding, a chemical treatment and high-pressure water. The chemical treatment concerns me, because of the grass and plants around the deck and the paint on the house. Do you have any comments on these alternatives? Bob Goyden, Boise

Of the three options, University of Idaho Extension educator Wayne Jones suggests sanding. Chemicals used for stripping usually contain such ingredients as methylene chloride, toluene, acetone and alcohol. “These can indeed cause damage to plants and painted surfaces,” says Jones.

“If you take care to cover up the painted surfaces and plants, you would probably be safe—as long as you make sure the chemical doesn’t eat up the material you’re using to protect the sensitive surfaces.”

High-pressure water may also be effective if your problem is not too severe, Jones says. However, he notes that after 15 years the stains are probably fairly deep, in which case a high-pressure water treatment may not be powerful enough to reach the deeper stains.

I planted gladiolas for the first time this year. What should I do with the bulbs during the winter?

If you’d like your gladiolas to blossom again next year, you’ll need to dig them up this fall and carefully store them, says Jo Ann Robbins, University of Idaho Extension horticulture educator. That’s also the case for anemones, tuber begonias, canna lilies and any other spring- or summer-planted bulbs that aren’t hardy in our climate.

Dig carefully to avoid slicing your gladiola bulbs. “The spading fork is the best digging tool,” Robbins says. “It’s least likely to slice through a bulb.” If you accidentally wound a bulb or if you dig one up that’s badly damaged, discard it.

Shake the loose soil off the intact bulbs and let them dry for about a week in a shady, protected spot with good ventilation. Then brush off any remaining soil and dust the bulbs with a fungicide to help control rot and other diseases.

Store your bulbs in a porous bag or a shallow tray filled with dry peat moss, perlite, vermiculite or sand. “This keeps them from drying out, but it still allows them to breathe,” Robbins says. Overwinter them in a dry, cool (35 to 45 degree Fahrenheit) place where they won’t freeze, then replant them next spring.

“I overwinter my gladiolas every year using this technique,” she says. “Occasionally, one or two will dry and shrivel up during storage, but usually only if they become uncovered or were unhealthy initially.”

With those one or two exceptions, all of Robbins’ larger, lifted-and-stored gladiolas bloom again after being replanted the next year. The smaller ones may take another season or two to size up before blooming.

I bought a box of peaches and noticed that a few of them were starting to rot in small places. Is it safe to cut out the rotting part and use the rest that is good, or should I throw out the entire piece of fruit?

“There’s no need to waste the whole piece of fruit,” says Sandy McCurdy, University of Idaho Extension food safety specialist. “As long as the bruised spots have not grown mold, they can be cut out and the peaches can be eaten.”

Bruising of fruit does not in itself create any food safety issues, McCurdy explains. But it does provide a point of easier entry for mold spores and bacteria, including those that cause food-borne illness.

Are whole-grain breads really better for you than other breads?

They are in most ways but not necessarily in all, says Marnie Spencer, University of Idaho Extension educator. Whole-grain breads are higher in fiber and in the health-protective substances that accompany it, helping you feel fuller with fewer calories and promoting proper bowel function.

But they’re not necessarily higher than enriched breads in vitamins and minerals. For example, they may not contain as much folic acid, a B vitamin that’s now added to all enriched grains and that reduces the risk of some serious types of birth defects when consumed before and during early pregnancy.

Spencer recommends eating a variety of whole and enriched breads. In the six or more servings of grain you should be eating daily, include several servings of foods made from whole grains. Select good-tasting, health-promoting products made from whole wheat, whole rye, whole oats, pearl barley, popcorn, oatmeal, whole grain corn, graham flour, brown rice and bulgur or cracked wheat.

[READERS: Do you have a question about your home, yard or garden? Send it to HomeWise, University of Idaho Ag Communications, Moscow, ID 83844-2332 or e-mail it to homewise@uidaho.edu. Mention of proprietary products or firms does not constitute endorsement by University of Idaho Extension or imply approval to the exclusion of other suitable products or firms.]