QUESTION: I grew some habanero peppers that looked just like the ones I used to buy, but they weren't hot at all, actually as tame as a tomato. I've been told that they need to be raised for a couple of generations to attain the hotness. Is this true? Where could I obtain quality habanero seeds?ANSWER: Though the hottest peppers are widely agreed to be habaneros, not all habaneros are fiery. Researchers at Texas A&M University, seeking to create a mild strain, had success with "a cross between a hot Yucatan habanero and a heatless habanero from Bolivia." So I suspect your seeds were of an inferior (that is, not hot) strain.Contrary to some myths, the heat is in the genes, not in the growing. Growing mild peppers next to hot ones does not make the former hotter and the latter milder. (Their seeds, if saved and sown, may produce hybrids with disappointing characteristics.)For more information, go to www.chilepepperinstitute.org, maintained by New Mexico State University.

QUESTION: My 6-year-old Kwanzan cherry has flourished, but now two of its larger roots are protruding above the ground. I take great pride in my lawn and am not sure what to do about this. Should I sever and remove these roots?ANSWER: Surface roots are a natural phenomenon of ornamental cherries. I strongly advise against attempting to prune them out; they are no doubt much larger than you perceive and you could severely weaken the tree. Besides, others would eventually grow in their place. Trying to force them deeper into the ground is dubious.You might surround the tree with a circular patch of mulch to disguise what is a completely natural growth habit.Send your gardening questions to Michael Martin Mills, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Box 8263, Philadelphia, PA 19101