Detailed instructions like these often scare people when it comes to pruning roses. It seems like a lot to remember but is easy with practice. Personally, I find it to be the most relaxing and therapeutic part of gardening. Roses are resilient plants that will easily recover if you make a pruning mistake. If you are still frightened by the process, grow Knock-Out roses; they are shrub roses bred to be disease resistant and simply need to be cut back from one-third to one-half without much consideration for pruning technique. Some people even prune Knock-Out roses with hedge trimmers —although I still recommend using sharp by-pass pruners to ensure cuts are clean and smooth. I bought an Endless Summer Hydrangea with blue blooms two years ago and the blooms have been pink ever since. How do I make them blue again? The bloom color of most Hydrangea varieties will range from pink to blue depending on the pH of the soil. Soil pH above 6.2 will cause the blooms to be pink and pH below 5.5 will make the blooms blue. The bloom color of plants grown in soil with a pH range between 5.5 and 6.2 will depend on elements available in the soil. Turning the blooms from pink back to blue is relatively easy but must be done with some caution. The first thing you need is a soil pH meter —nothing too high tech or expensive, just something that gives a quick meter reading. These can usually be found at garden centers or one of the big hardware stores for about $10. You will need to lower the pH of the soil where your Hydrangeas are planted to between 5.2 and 5.5. Staying in this range will ensure you get blue blooms without limiting nutrient uptake. The easiest way to lower your pH is by mixing aluminum sulfate with water and pouring it on the soil around the base of the plant. Avoid contact with the foliage because it can burn the leaves. The pH mete r will help you know how much and how often the aluminum sulfate should be applied. Many people burn the roots of their Hydrangea by applying the “more is better” principle to this process. Start with a rate of one-half ounce aluminum sulfate per gallon of water applied every seven to 10 days once the Hydrangea starts breaking dormancy in the early spring. The

repeat applications are necessary because the pH of the water you use to irrigate is probably higher than 7.0 and it raises the pH of the soil. Soil rich in organic matter will help lower your pH. Because of these variables, it is important to test your pH regularly with the pH meter. If after a few weeks you find the one-half ounce rate of aluminum sulfate applied every seven days is not bringing your pH into the 5.2-5.5 range, you may gradually increase the rate to as high as one ounce per gallon. My grandmother used to grow beautiful African Violets in her kitchen but I kill them every time I try. Can you give me any tips? Two-piece, self-watering African Violet pots are the biggest key to success. They come in many diff erent shapes, colors and styles, but you are looking for an outer glazed ceramic pot with a matching insert that is unglazed at the bottom. Transplant your African Violet into one of these pots as soon as possible, using African Violet potting soil or other high-quality media. The self-watering pot will take all of the guesswork out of watering and fertilization. Mix a mild fertilizer like Schultz African Violet Plus TM with a gallon of water and store at room temperature. Water with this mix by pouring into the bottom piece of the African Violet pot. Be careful when you do this so it doesn ’t overflow when you replace the insert. The unglazed bottom of the insert allows the plant roots to absorb water as needed, eliminating rot due to over watering or watering from above. Depending on light exposure, you will likely only need to refill the base about once every two weeks. Place the African Violet near an east or north facing window where it will receive bright light but not be in direct afternoon sun. If the plant looks healthy but is not blooming, it needs more light. If the leaves get brown spots or edges, it is getting too much light. If you will follow these easy steps I am confident your African Violets will soon rival the quality of your grandmother ’s.l