Sounds like it could be a hot banana pepper to me. I grow those, too. We cut them in half lengthwise and scrape the seeds out (using gloves to not get the painful stuff on the skin) and then stuff them with a mixture of ground sausage, breadcrumbs, tomato sauce and an egg and then cover them in sauce and mozzerella chesse and bake until they are done. Yummy!

You are welcome. I hope your Rose of Sharon blooms. Mine is just starting and it is loaded! It's a Red Heart cultivar and is about 6' tall and maybe 8' wide. This year it gets a good pruning. It's located on the south west corner of my house in the bed up against the house so it gets a lot of direct afternoon sun as well as reflected sun from the house. It loves its location!

I warned ya in the spring I had a ton of questions. Here are the next two.

I planted a Red Twig Dogwood last year and it is a little too happy where it is. When can I move it?

When is the best time to move peonies? Actually what do I do with them after I dig them up? I'm asking because these are old peonies. They come up ever year but don't always bloom well. They are more shaded now than when we moved here and I want to move them to a sunnier location I can enjoy.

Need to take pen and paper on my next garden tour and hit you with the rest of my questions.

If you like where this is, just prune it each year in the early spring or late fall. It handles heavy pruning very well. Otherwise, wait til it is dormant, early spring before it starts to leaf out.

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When is the best time to move peonies? Actually what do I do with them after I dig them up? I'm asking because these are old peonies. They come up ever year but don't always bloom well. They are more shaded now than when we moved here and I want to move them to a sunnier location I can enjoy.

after they have finished blooming and the leaves start dying back, around September/first of October is the best time. They probably need to be divided and replanted. They aren't blooming well because they are too large and do need more sun. That's what happens and they probably haven't had any fertilizer (?). Cut off the leaves down to the ground, dig them up and divide them (I gave you a link for that process), toss what you don't want.

http://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/hortn...ranspeony.html


Just post any more questions when you are ready!

Thanks Flygirl. I like and don't like where the Red Twig Dogwood currently is. DH doesn't like the current location at all. Much as I don't want to do it I'll move it even though I won't see it as much from inside. Red against a blanket of winter carp, I mean white, was the whole reason for getting that plant and putting it where I did.

I thought Fall was the best time to move peonies. I've never fertilized them. I might baby things a bit the year I plant them but that is all. The only thing allowed in my yard that that must be trimmed more than once a year is the lawn. The hotter it gets the less I want to play gardener. Plant and enjoy is all I really want to do.

Decided a garden walk would be more fun than writing out a to do list so off I went.

Is fall peony moving time also the best time to move hostas, ferns, lamb's ears, and artemesia? Do I cut back the lamb's ears when I divide/ relocate them?

I have several holly bushes with major leaf drop. What caused the leaves to drop? They are large bushes and produce berries but look so sad with leaves at just the ends of the branches. Can I cut them back? If I do I'll be cutting off all the leaves. I have several varieties of hollies and think the problem ones are my Blue Prince and Blue Princess ones.

I also have some major leaf drop on my hybrid tea roses. The leaves get dark spots on them then turn yellow and fall off. What do I do with them next year?

Something is digging one inch holes in my south facing bed, putting mounds of dirt on top of my mulch. Am I looking at several snake holes or something else? Snakes terrify me and I know they are around. And if they were as afraid of me as I am of them I would never ever see one.

That same bed is also infested with a bug I wish I could identify and get rid of. It is about 2.5 -3 inches long, black or dark body with three yellow stripes across the back or maybe rings around its body, and reddish brown wings. It burrows into the ground (not the one inch holes) and tends to fly less than two feet off the ground. They do not bite or sting. At least they haven't yet and we've had them for years now. What are they and how do I get rid of them?

How can I get rid of Box Elder bugs?

Okay I have more questions but your head is probably spinning from these so I'll wait. I need to do a bit of homework myself first anyway. Can't remember the plant names.

Yes. Move them before you cut them back so you know where they are. Artemisia can be cut back anytime it gets too leggy.

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I have several holly bushes with major leaf drop. What caused the leaves to drop? They are large bushes and produce berries but look so sad with leaves at just the ends of the branches. Can I cut them back? If I do I'll be cutting off all the leaves. I have several varieties of hollies and think the problem ones are my Blue Prince and Blue Princess ones.

There are several reasons why they are losing their leaves. Scale, root rot, red spider mite, or too wet, or they are too close together and not getting enough air circulation.

Prune them. Put a white piece of paper under one of the branches and shake it. If the paper is covered with little tiny red dots, then you have red spider mites. If there is sticky "dew" on the branches, then you have scale. If the leaves look like they've been chewed on the edges, then you might have root rot or some other pest. Or if the leaves are yellowy and have holes in them, that can be blight or leaf miner. These are treatable with horticultural soap and cut down on the watering. Too much water.

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I also have some major leaf drop on my hybrid tea roses. The leaves get dark spots on them then turn yellow and fall off. What do I do with them next year?

Roses don't like to be watered overhead. Black spot. And they don't like to be watered during the heat of the day. That's what's causing the dark spots and the leaves to drop.

It could also be cane borer. Cut off one of the canes and see if it's hollow. If it is, then put a systemic insecticide around the base of the roses and water it in good.

It could also just be heat stress.

http://www.gardenguides.com/how-to/t...lowleaves1.asp

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Something is digging one inch holes in my south facing bed, putting mounds of dirt on top of my mulch. Am I looking at several snake holes or something else? Snakes terrify me and I know they are around. And if they were as afraid of me as I am of them I would never ever see one. That same bed is also infested with a bug I wish I could identify and get rid of. It is about 2.5 -3 inches long, black or dark body with three yellow stripes across the back or maybe rings around its body, and reddish brown wings. It burrows into the ground (not the one inch holes) and tends to fly less than two feet off the ground. They do not bite or sting. At least they haven't yet and we've had them for years now. What are they and how do I get rid of them?

It could be a ladybug. There are yellow ones. But I don't know.

As for the other critter that's digging the one inch hole in your garden bed, could be a shrew. Go to your local nursery or garden center and ask for something to put down the hole to get ride of them.

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How can I get rid of Box Elder bugs?

http://www.extension.umn.edu/distrib...re/DG0998.html

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Okay I have more questions but your head is probably spinning from these so I'll wait. I need to do a bit of homework myself first anyway. Can't remember the plant names.

Take pictures of things and post them. That's just as easy than trying to remember plant names. If you see that yellow and black bug, take a picture of it. I have a huge book of bugs. I can take a look and see if it's in there.

Oh boy! Lots to read and look at. Will do just that when I have more time. I scanned the info and will say the roses and hollies get watered when it rains and that is it. Thanks!

Does anyone know when you pick pears?

My tree is loaded down. I have never had a pear tree before, so I'm not sure when to pick them. They are still green, so I know they are not ready.
I'm just not sure how long till time to pick them.

I'm praying it's a month at least.
I've put up peas and corn. Did Rotel tomatoes Tuesday. I still have blueberries and blackberries I have to make jelly out of and more tomatoes sitting on the bar in the kitchen. I froze the berries so I would have time to do the peas, but still have to get the jellies made.

I'm losing steam quickly. So I'm hoping it will be a while before I have to worry about the pears.

Does anyone know when to pick them?

Thanks
DAY

Pears are a lot llke peaches, when they are easily plucked from the branches they are ripe. I have found that they are best picked late August and are best picked slightly unripe and ripened off the tree in a cool dark place.

Here's a good website with some good information about pears.

http://www.pickyourown.org/pearpickingtips.htm