You can ask for Advice!  Do you have a questions on gardening or any of our products? We have a lot of information printed on our packets and listed with each product in our Products area. Please check there first. Then check the FAQ section for your question. If your question or concern is not addressed anywhere then fill out and submit the form at the bottom of this page.

General

• What is P.V.P?

Carrots

• I have planted carrots several times with no luch. Why won't they come up?
• What causes the top of my carrots to be green rather than orange?
• Why are my garden carrots short and stumpy instead of long and slender like those in grocery stores?
• What causes my home garden carrots to be tasteless, woody and often bitter instead of sweet and tender?
• Each year my spring-planted carrots send up a seed stalk. What am I doing wrong?
• What causes my carrots to be pale yellow instead of the typical orange color?
• The foliage of my carrots is infected with brown lesions which cause the leaves to decay.
• When I dug my carrots, I found galls or swelling on the roots.
• The foliage on my carrots looks yellow with multiple sprouting at the crown of the root. The roots have numerous small roots on the main root.
• My carrots are rotting at the soil line. On close examination, I find the top of the root covered by a white fungal mat.
• My carrots die rapidly during the warm months.
• Once I harvest my carrots and place them in the crisper, they soon deteriorate into a slimy, foul-smelling mess.
• What causes my carrots to be forked or double?

Cucumbers

• Some of my cucumbers are badly misshapen. Will they develop into normal cucumbers?
• Why do some of my plants suddenly wilt and die? Dead or dying plants are scattered all over my cucumber patch. One plant in a hill may be healthy while others die.
• Is there really a "burpless" cucumber?
• Why do my cucumbers fail to set fruit and yield properly?
• What are gynoecious hybrids?

Peppers

• What affects the flavour of peppers?

Q. What is P.V.P?
A. Plant Protected Variety - refers to seed that has been registered and is protected from being propagated without recognition going to the original register of the seed.
return to index

Q. I have planted carrots several times with no luck. Why won't they come up?
A. Do not plant them too deep. Sow the seeds on top of the bed and gently rake them in, covering the seed only about 1/4 inch. Germination will increase as soil temperatures decrease. Keep your planting area moist. Don't crust or harden the soil on top of the bed with direct sprays of water.
return to index

Q. What causes the top of my carrots to be green rather than orange?
A.Greening of the top of the carrot is caused by sunlight. Heavy rain can wash away the soil from carrot roots exposing them to the sun. An off-flavor is often associated with this green color. Remove the tops before consuming or canning the carrots.
return to index

Q. Why are my garden carrots short and stumpy instead of long and slender like those in grocery stores?
A.The problem is probably variety selection. The Nantes or Chantenay varieties, which are genetically short and thick, are recommended for home gardening. Those sold at grocery stores are the Imperator type and inherently long and slender. Carrot length can be affected by excessive moisture during growth.
return to index

Q. What causes my home garden carrots to be tasteless, woody and often bitter instead of sweet and tender?
A.These problems are associated with growing and environmental conditions during the maturing period. Carrots grow best and develop highest sugars when temperatures are between 40 degrees and 80 degrees F. Plantings can begin in early spring and you continue to have successive plantings. However, high temperatures can induce dormancy in the seeds.
return to index

Q. Each year my spring-planted carrots send up a seed stalk. What am I doing wrong?
A.Carrots are biennial, growing from seed to flower-producing plants over two years. Carrots or many other biennial crops, such as cabbage, will produce seed stalks the first year if young plants are subjected to cold weather late a heavy late frost. Carrots which produce seed stalks often lack flavor, are woody and have poor texture.
return to index

Q. What causes my carrots to be pale yellow instead of the typical orange color?
A.Although there are varietal differences in root color, this problem could be caused by environmental conditions. Carrots maturing under warm temperatures or high moisture conditions lack good root color. These carrots also have poor flavor and texture. Plant carrots so they mature under relatively cool temperatures that average less than 80 degrees F. Avoid excessive soil moisture.
return to index

Q. The foliage of my carrots is infected with brown lesions which cause the leaves to decay.
A. This is a leaf blight of carrots caused by two fungi. It can be controlled by spraying with chlorothalonil. Begin at first sign of the disease and repeat at 10- to 14-day intervals. Extended periods of high humidity caused by dews and intermittent rain contribute to the development of leaf blight of carrots. If not controlled, leaf blight can reduce the yield. Discontinue when weather conditions change.
return to index

Q. When I dug my carrots, I found galls or swelling on the roots.
A. These are root knot nematodes. Root knot is a species of nematode which causes galls or swellings on plant roots. It restricts the uptake of nutrients from root system to foliage, resulting in a yellow & stunted plant. Root knot lives in the soil and can survive on a number of weed & vegetable crops. It is best controlled by planting a solid stand (close enough for root systems to overlap) of marigolds 3 months before the first killing frost of fall. Tilled well in the spring before planting carrots. Crop Rotation is also helpful.
return to index

Q. The foliage on my carrots looks yellow with multiple sprouting at the crown of the root. The roots have numerous small roots on the main root.
A. This is aster yellows, a virus disease of carrots which is carried by leaf hoppers. There is no control for the disease other than a good insect program coupled with removal of the diseased plants once the disease symptoms begin.
return to index

Q. My carrots are rotting at the soil line. On close examination, I find the top of the root covered by a white fungal mat.
A. This is southern blight of carrots. It is a soil-borne disease and can be controlled by combining a good foliage fungicide program, deep burial of organic material so undecomposed leaf tissue is not in the upper zone of the garden soil and rotation.
return to index

Q. My carrots die rapidly during the warm months.
A. This is cotton root rot and is caused by a soil-borne fungus. It attacks carrot roots causing rapid death of the carrot. On close examination of the root system, you will find it to be completely decayed. The only control for this is rotation. Plant carrots so they will mature in cool months. Cotton root rot requires a hot soil to develop and grow at its rapid stage.
return to index

Q. Once I harvest my carrots and place them in the crisper, they soon deteriorate into a slimy, foul-smelling mess.
A. Most often associated with bacterial soft rot which enters the carrot at harvest time through cuts and breaks. To control, wash carrots thoroughly. Broken or damaged carrots should be consumed asap. After washing, place in crisper and keep at a cool temp.
return to index

Q. What causes my carrots to be forked or double?
A. Damage to the growing tip of a young carrot. Common causes include soil insects and nematodes which feed on the growing tip resulting in branching of the carrot root.
return to index

Q. Some of my cucumbers are badly misshapen. Will they develop into normal cucumbers?
A. No. Remove them from the vines. Misshapen cucumbers may result from poor pollination or low fertility. Side-dressing plants with a complete fertilizer may help later cucumbers develop normally
return to index

Q. Why do some of my plants suddenly wilt and die? Dead or dying plants are scattered all over my cucumber patch. One plant in a hill may be healthy while others die.
A. These are typical symptoms of the bacterial wilt disease, spread by cucumber beetles early in the season. Control the beetles when the plants are small.
return to index

Q. Is there really a "burpless" cucumber?
A. Yes. Burpless cucumbers are no longer considered novelties and are offered in most garden catalogs. They are mild, sweet and crisp when fresh. Most cultivars are long and are grown on a trellis.
return to index

Q. Why do my cucumbers fail to set fruit and yield properly?
A. The first yellow flowers that appear on the plants are male flowers that provide pollen. The male flower usually drops off after blooming. The small cucumber is evident at the base of the female flower, and it should develop into an edible fruit. For proper fruit set, the pollen must be transferred from the male to the female blooms. Anything that interferes with pollination of the female flower (including cold temperatures and rainy weather that hamper bee activity or improper use of insecticides that kill bees) reduces fruit set and yields.
return to index

Q. What are gynoecious hybrids?
A. Gynoecious (female flowering) hybrids are special hybrids of slicing or pickling cucumbers that have all female flowers. They may be earlier and higher yielding than other varieties. The seed company mixes in a small proportion of seed of a standard cucumber to produce male flowers for a pollen source.
return to index

Q. What affects the flavour of peppers?
A. Growing conditions can have an effect on the flavour of your pepper. Too much water, wrong fertilizer or not enough sunlight will affect whether or not your pepper is as hot as you would like.
return to index>

If your question or concern hasn't been addressed, then fill-in your name, email and question and press Submit.  This will be sent to our "Expert" and they will get back to you as soon as they can.