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Q Kale, a vegetable I’d love to have in my garden, hasn’t done me any good. I have good soil, enriched with compost, but the plantings I put in September have barely grown.
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A The times often given for sowing and transplanting kale do not work well in every garden. For plants that are tall and full of greenery in the fall to get me through the winter, I sow indoors in April to transplant in May. Some years when I’ve fallen behind with indoor sowing, I’ll sow kale outdoors in April or early May.
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Sowing in early July or transplanting in early August will also work, but plants will become smaller and the heat of summer can be a problem for seedlings. Planting in the spring gives the kale a good start before the heat hits. Kale plants lose their vivacity in the summer heat, but they revive in cool weather and become sweet-tasting in cold temps.
Q A split philodendron that was given to me has produced a strange growth that I am told is an “aerial root”. Do you want me to do something with it?
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A Split-leaf philodendron (Monstera deliciosa, Swiss cheese plant) is native to tropical forests, where it climbs trees to brighter light.
As the plants climb, they produce aerial roots that cling to the host trees, securing the vines in place. Other aerial roots grow very long and hang down from the plant. Some reach the ground and root in the forest floor to take up moisture and nutrients that help sustain the vine.
If you don’t like the look of aerial roots, you can cut them off cleanly at the point of origin. Or provide them with a moss stick to hold on to. Aerial roots that are appropriately placed and reach the right length can be pushed into the ground to root and nourish the plant. Or just leave the aerial roots and accept them as part of the plant’s natural habit.
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