Q. Every time we put pepper or tomato plants in the ground, something breaks them off at the soil line.

A. That something is cut worms. Place aluminum-foil collars two inches high around the stems, making sure that one inch is below the soil. Mulch with oak leaf mulch.

Q. Is it necessary to add lime every year to my table garden?

A. It’s not necessary unless the soil has become acid. Don’t ever use anything that isn’t necessary.

Q. Can you suggest a tomato that 1 can grow in a small area?

A. You’ll be delighted with F1 hybrid patio tomato. I grow them between my evergreens with great results.

Q. How do I keep rabbits out of my garden?

A. Plant old-fashioned marigolds around the vegetable garden, use the spray, or, as a last resort, use Hinder according to package directions.

Q. Is it true that you shouldn’t cultivate around tomatoes?

A. It’s a good idea not to disturb the roots if at all possible. A two-inch layer of mulch will eliminate the necessity of having to use a hoe.

Q. When I was a youngster, my uncle grew giant pumpkins. What were they?

A. I would say it was the variety called Jack-o’-lantern. Make sure you give this roamer plenty of room.

Q. How much sun is necessary for a good vegetable garden?

A. If you want any kind of results at all, you’d better find a spot where your garden will get six to eight hours of good sunshine.

Q. We have trouble with grubs in the garden soil; our carrots and radishes are lost each season. Is there any control?

A. The problem sounds like root maggots. These pests can be controlled by using Dursban as directed in the soil before you plant.

Q. What causes tomatoes to turn gray or black on the top just before they ripen?

A. Blossom-end rot, and it’s the result of hot, humid weather. Not enough water gets to the fruit. Well-mulched plants with a sound irrigation program are seldom bothered. Six inches of grass clippings is the best mulch. Put it down four weeks after you plant your tomatoes.

Q. Which vegetables grow the fastest?

A. For those of you who want to have two or three different gardens a season, try these selections for speed: leaf lettuce, radishes, bush beans, onion sets, mustard and turnip greens, beets, and peas.

Q. How important is crop rotation in a small garden?

A. A lot more important than in a large garden. I always recommend that crops be rotated, with the exception of tomatoes, which can, stay in one spot for three years.

Q. How can we keep cabbage worms from eating more cabbage than we get?

A. You can sprinkle the heads with ordinary table salt a couple of times a season, or use caterpillar killer according to package directions.

Q. Which vegetable can we grow on the porch of our apartment? We live in the Central Park area of New York.

A. It doesn’t matter if you live in Oregon, Texas, Florida, Maine, or Michigan, you can grow a garden on a porch and be the talk of the building. Start with a bag of Redi-Earth planter mix and a redwood tub or two: In one tub plant a seed potato and a patio tomato. Results: seven pounds of potatoes and a half bushel of tomatoes. In another, plant
pole beans and leaf lettuce, and in another cucumbers and radishes. You’ll need a pole for support in the center of each tub.