
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, October 10, 1993                   TAG: 9310110366
SECTION: HOMES                    PAGE: B-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: John Arbogast
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

TIME FOR DIGGING, MOVING PEONIES IS NOW

Q: I have some yellow peony roots that have been in the family for three generations. They have moved from east to west and now down to Virginia. They are not doing too well, probably due to my having planted them too close to a building foundation and the fact that they have not been separated for six years. When is the best time to dig and separate and how would you treat the tubers to prevent rotting? C.J.L., Lexington

A: Peonies are easy-to-care-for, usually quite dependable perennials for spring blooming. They don't need to be dug or divided for many years, certainly more than six years. However, if they need to be moved to get away from competition with tree roots or for more sun, now is the time.

Normally, peony tubers are replanted soon after digging and dividing, if that latter chore is necessary. Because the tubers are not to be stored for the winter, try these preventive measures for rot:

Cut off and discard any rotten parts when dug. Use a sharp knife to make any necessary division ofthe clump; be sure that each division has at least three good eyes or buds; select a well-drained location for replanting; and plant a garden peony (not tree peony) so that the buds (eyes) are covered by no more than 1 1/2 inches of soil.

If you have questions, contact your local Rockbridge County Extension Office in Lexington at 463-4734.

Q: Please tell me what our soil needs. In late summer we have white mushrooms growing in our yard (small as well as very large ones). Our apple and pear trees have a gray-green moss on the trunks. I have used fertilizer around the trees. R.B.B., Christiansburg

A: The presence of mushrooms indicates decaying organic matter, usually under moist conditions. If the mushrooms that appear in late summer are scattered randomly over a wide area, the source could be a thatch layer in the turf that is decaying because of moisture retention and late-summer weather conditions.

Talk to your Montgomery County Extension Office in Christiansburg at 382-5790 for information regarding dethatching. If necessary, that job should be done in early to mid-spring or late summer to early fall.

A random scattering of mushrooms also could be a sign of excessive moisture conditions within the turf even without thatch.

If the mushrooms grow only in certain locations in your yard, the same year after year, the source could be decaying roots, sticks or other pieces of wood under the soil.

These possible conditions above do not indicate any need of the soil. To prevent mushrooms, remove whatever organic material that may be decaying either on or under the surface of your soil, as well as correct excessive moisture conditions.

The growth of moss on tree trunks means that there is a lot of moisture in the bark of those trunks and that air circulation probably is poor around there. Do necessary pruning this fall to promote better air circulation around the fruit trees. As with the turf areas, investigate possible causes for excessive moisture retention in the area of your apple and pear trees.

Send short questions about your lawn, garden, plants, or insects to Dear John, c/o the Roanoke Times & World-News, P.O. Box 2491, Roanoke We need your mail, but this column can't reply to all letters. Those of wide appeal will be answered each week. Personal replies cannot be given. Don't send stamped envelopes, samples or pictures.

Gardener's checklist

Jobs for mid-October:

Remove and destroy all faded iris foliage to reduce the chances of iris borer damage next year. The adult of the iris borer lays eggs on old foliage and in debris in late summer or fall.

Prevent rodents like squirrels, mice or chipmunks from digging up the loose soil where you've planted spring flowering bulbs by covering the new bulb bed with some type of mesh wire like chicken wire with a 1 inch mesh. This can be fastened in place with wire, pegs or rocks to make a physical barrier against rodent digging and yet will allow the bulbs to grow through next spring.

Another walnut cracker

Here's another device to add to the ideas submitted by readers in previous Dear Johns for cracking black walnuts.

Herb Taylor, extension agent for agriculture in Alleghany County, reminded me of manufactured crackers that consumers can purchase for those difficult black walnuts, such as the ad he saw in a farm periodical which said: "Amazing black-walnut cracker. Cracks black walnuts perfectly. Controls shells. No more smashed fingers."

John Arbogast is the extension agent for Roanoke.

by CNB