I am interested in growing strawberries. What soil, sun, and conditions are best for them? J.M.

Strawberries, like most fruits and vegetables, require full sun. The soil should drain well, as excess surface moisture will encourage mold on the berries. The soil also should have a very rich level of organic matter. Locate strawberries in an area that will warm up quickly in the spring. It also should freeze in the winter, since strawberries need an extended period of cold to produce fruit. Parts of the country where there are not freezing temperatures, such as California, grow strawberries as annuals, importing them from areas such as Michigan after they have had their requirement of cold.

Last year, I moved some wild purple irises from a shady area to a sunny area. At that time, they bloomed in late May. This year, they had no buds on them at all by May 18. Is there a chance they will bloom this year, or ever? Any recommendations?

It sounds like you moved some blue flag (Iris versicolor). Blue flag will tolerate full sun to light shade, but prefers wet meadows, stream banks and marshes. This has not been a warm spring, as in past years. Their time to bloom is late spring to mid-summer, so give them time. However, make sure there is sufficient moisture in their new location and that you have not transplanted the rhizomes too deep. As with all irises, placing the root systems horizontally just below the soil surface is best. It may take another year before they acclimate to the move and their new site before they establish and bloom.

My brother-in-law has many oak trees in his front yard and every fall he rakes up the leaves. I told him to just mulch them in (the soil is quite sandy) as they will help improve the soil. He said that would make the soil too acid. Will this dramatically raise the soil acidity? What if he composted all the leaves; would the compost be too acid to use as well?

Actually, your brother-in-law has a gold mine. Oak leaves in particular are very good for garden soil as they contain micronutrients drawn from the depths of the earth. The best way to add them into the garden is to rake them into a shredder or run over them with a power mower. The oak leaf needs to be broken up in order to release its nutrients. Then they can be tilled into the garden bed using a garden fork. If left intact, oak leaves mat together and promote unhealthy bacteria, which can be transmitted to planted material. Once shredded, they can be worked into the sandy soil, offering an excellent organic amendment to a soil that drains too quickly. It will not dramatically raise the soil acidity. The leaves can be composted but again, must be shredded or chopped up to effectively decompose. If mixed in with ongoing compost, they will degrade much faster and more thoroughly.