Question

I have some roses that just keep getting leaves but no blooms. How do I get it to bloom? It's about 3 years old. Also I have a hollyhock that is doing the same.It has grown to about 6' but does not have flowers just more leaves. My neighbor gave me some Irises last spring and the hollyhocks have grown up in the middle of the Irises. When is the best time to separate Hollyhocks and Irises?I live in Wyoming. Both plants are in full sun. Thanks for any suggestions. Tammie S

Answer

Your roses, you need to feed with a mineral supplement, widely available at garden outlets. Also feed with some Epsom Salts, this releases vital trace elements in the soil. Garden lime applied next spring will make the soil more alkaline and help to bring the soil up to good fertility needed for roses. Hollyhock treat the same. Separate hollyhock and iris in early Oct, earlier if you are in an early frost area.

Question

Hi, I was given some white geraniums. I really love those plants. I have pink ones in my home, and are vey beautiful, but for some reason, the white ones look sick. I transplanted them into a container like my pink ones, and almost immediately all the leaves turned yellow. Are the white ones more difficult to grow? Any suggestions?

Answer

The foliage on white geraniums always looks tatty at first after transplanting. Feed with a tomato fertiliser, this contains minerals and trace elements which will encourage good leaf growth.

Question

Hi Some advice please. We have just planted several Photinias as an informal hedge. The red tips are now green. Can we safely prune back to height required or is it best to wait until later in the year. We would like to encourage bushiness rather than get a straggly hedge?

Answer

Leave trimming until later in the year. If you prune now, you can introduce infection into the plant. Being freshly transplanted and therefore suffering transplantation shock, the plant could have difficulty coping with disease. The only exception to this being any wayward branches that may be caught in the wind and rock the insecure plant.

Question

Hello,
It seems like I have some kind of insect or Larvae that is eating the roots of my hostas- the leaves turn brown an fall off- and when I try to pick them up it comes off from the roots- looks like the root is being eaten up- this was happening to one plant and yesterday I saw something similar at another one- at this rate all of them will be gone!- please help- I live in MD- if the geographical location helps! thanks
Pushpa T

Answer

This is most likely tiny hard shelled snails that live under the soil and come out at night. Spread a few slug pellets around your hostas at eventide and you should see some tiny mostly black snails (hopefully dead) on the soil surface first thing in the morning.

Question

I have recently moved to Cyprus and inherited a garden that has lovely sunflowers, however, it seems they have come to the end of their growing period and are beginning to droop and look unsightly. Do I just cut them down to ground level or is there a proper way to prune them to produce more heads next season.
Thankyou

Answer

You can cut them down to about two thirds of their height to tidy them up, but the plant needs the foliage in order to feed the roots and the new shoots for next year. You should cut down to a low level at the onset of the winter months. Feed with a low nitrogen fertiliser, this encourages root growth, without producing too much weak leaf growth. Leaving the flower heads on the plant leaves seeds for the birds too eat.

Question

I have a large hedge which has some dead leaves on it (large area) I have killed the bugs that caused it. What can I spray the dead leaves to make them green for a party.
Thanks, Linda

Answer

I can only suggest using vegetable based colouring dye, as used for cake decoration.

Question

We moved to Camano Island, WA 3 years ago and the Crocosmia had LOADS of flowers! I've pulled out what I thought were enough to thin them out, but I am getting no signs of buds/flowers. How agressive should I be with removing more plants? and can I do this now?
Thank you. Melissa

Answer

Your plants have exhausted the soil of nutriments and minerals where they are at present planted. Crocosmia are a greedy plant and are often invasive to the point of being a weed. You cannot do anything about moving them now. I would suggest that next March you dig up all the plants and mix in some garden peat, and cow or horse manure if available, into the soil and plant again at a reasonable population density. Moving to a different part of your yard could also be of benefit.

Question

Could you please tell me why my PEONY doesn't flower.
Thanx

Answer

Peony need to be moved to a different part of the garden every few years. How many years is open to debate but yours definitely need moving. September-October is the time, but not before.

Question

I have two beautiful deep purple wave petunias which I bought already in bloom in hanging baskets. They were doing great, but now look kind of said. The blooms are as lush and some of the leaves are browning. HELP!
Thank you

Answer

This could be too much water rotting the roots. Try less water, the plant will often shoot anew lower down the stems but you are talking time to recover. An alternative is to dump them and buy again, there are plenty of bargains at garden outlets at the moment.

Question

We purchased a Kusa Dogwood in May. We water every day for 30-60 minutes. Now, about 5 weeks later, the leaves are curling under. The leaves are still very green and have not dropped. A friend of ours suggested that the tree might have a fungus.
What do you think?

Answer

It is more likely to be tiny moth caterpillars which spin webs and pull the leaf around themselves for protection. Unroll the leaves and inspect for their presence. If so present, spray with an anti caterpillar spray. Greenfly could also produce the same symptoms. Spray with aphid spray.
A fungus would more likely show as browning rings on the leaf, but not impossible, spray with a suitable fungicide. An inspection by a plant expert at your local garden centre would be sensible line of action if none of the above are applicable.

Question

I PLANTED ACHOYOTE FROM AFRUIT LAST JULY. IT NOW COVERS MY WHOLE TOWN HOUSE AND THAT OF MY UPSTAIRS NEIGHBOR.IT IS REALLY BEAUTIFUL BUT NO CHOYOTE SQUASH SO FAR SOULD I GIVE UP OR WAIT?
PLEASE ADVISE. JEAN IN HOUSTON

Answer

I presume you mean Chayote. Most Chayote grown commercially are grown from what is known as F1 Hybrid seed. These seeds are produced by artificially crossing two parents with desirable qualities in order to produce a plant with superior performance. The seed from these cultivars most often recesses to the qualities of one of the donor plants, in your case good vine production but poor fruiting. Alternatively.
Your vine could be flowering but failing to be fertilised by the insects. You should be able to find a female flower with a small gourd behind the flower and a male flower on the end of a plain stem. If these flowers are present you can hand pollinate using a rabbits tail or a babe's cotton bud and transfer the pollen from the male to female flower.

Question

I have some LITHOSPERMUM DIFFUSUM that never seem to do very well it's in a small tub. What can i feed it on to make it bushy and grow. Also when do i cut my PEONY down and what do i feed it on.
Thankyou Linda

Answer

Lithospermum is notoriously difficult to grow in any position, a tub would be too hot and dry for it. Lithospermum suffers from soil borne diseases which are almost impossible to control. Few commercial growers find production of this plant economical because of losses to disease. The plant is best grown in a slightly shaded area surrounded by gravel which helps to keep disease at bay. Feed with an acid fertiliser, i.e. for heathers, etc.
Peony
In the fall/autumn after the foliage dies back, cut the stems back to three inches, remove and destroy the debris. Use a low nitrogen 5/10/10 fertiliser.

Question

I have a large tub of Runner bean plants all of which are doing very well, this is all trial and error, its the first time ive done this,the shoots are growing up the canes well, when and how do i know its time to pinch out the top so the leaves can grow, there also is some flowers coming on that shoot,. There are a lot of leaves at the bottom and a few also growing up the shoot, these are wound around the canes in the tub. They look healthy and the leaves are getting really big, i suppose all this rain has helped them to grow, 4th july 2007. Hoping to can advise me, or do i just leave them like they are.
Thanks.
Pat A (Mrs)

Answer

Sounds as if you are doing a good job there. You don't bother to pinch out the tops. Spraying the plants with a light misting of water in the late evening will encourage the setting of fruit. Feed with a a small application of low nitrogen general fertiliser about every two weeks.

Question

My cucumber plant is growing like crazy with lots of blooms and very small fruit. Can I do anything to make the fruit larger like maybe cut it back. First time for cucumber plants.
Thank You

Answer

It sounds as if you need to thin out the amount of cucumbers on the plant. The plant can only support a certain amount of fruit at a time.
A lot of people often have difficulty achieving any fruit so you must be doing something right.

Question

Can you please tell me why the leaves on my tomatoes keep curling up? I planted this time the same as last year and the leaves just keep curling up and I am not making a fourth as many tomatoes as I did last year.
Any help will be greately appreciated

Answer

This could be white fly larvae which attach themselves to the underside of the leaf and suck out nutriments from the plant. They are very small. If you shake the plant you will get a cloud of adult fly's if infestation is high. Spray with a suitable insecticide. A general Aphid spray will possibly cope.

Question

I had some questions about some things I had planted this summer
I had planted some Big Jim Peppers and some Jalapeno Peppers it says that they will turn red hot the maturity days are 75 days it has been longer than that and they are still green so will they turn red or how big should they be before I pick them? I also planted some Cucumbers how big should they be before I pick them as well right now they have prickly things on them?
And last how do I know when my Canalopes are ready?

Answer

Maturity on peppers can be governed by your latitude. They will go orange and then red. Some people like their peppers green some like them orange some like them red. I presume these are ridge cucumbers, they are usually ready when covered in prickles.
Cantaloupes are ready when the flower end yields to soft pressure from your thumbs.

Question

I have several Tomato Plants It started with one plant leaves yellowing Now all my plants are yellowing and it looks like it is also going to my cucumbers and my zuccini plants I checked the leaves and on the top it it looks like a coating on them .Thte plants are big and have lots of Fruit on them WHAT CAN I DO ?????
Donna L

Answer

This sounds like red spider mite. They live on the underside of the leaves and suck out nutriment from the plant. They are very hard to see. There are sprays available at garden outlets, carefully follow the instructions.

Question

Is there some type of chemical to spray on my holly shrubs to keep the birds from eating all of the beautiful red berries? The birds pooped all over my walkway last season which is very unsanitary. I had to constantly hose down the walkway until all of the berries were finally gone. Please help me to keep my berries this season if they return. Did the birds damage the shrubs in any way?
Teresa C, Mississippi

Answer

The berries on your holly trees are a bright color so that birds find them and eat them. Try the following web site for deterrents
http://www.havahart.com/

Question

I read somewhere that you should not plant tomatoes and peppers clos together .Is there any truth in this
Bill

Answer

The problem is with the hotness of the peppers. If some of the flowers are cross fertilised with tomato flowers the peppers can be less hot. Not really a problem for you but of importance to the farmer growing the hottest Jalapinos for commercial use, for example.

Question

Hi, need some help please. Am putting a hedge around my yard of sweet viburnum and would like to sprout some of my own, as they are expensive when you are putting in over a hundred. Have tried to sprout them in several different mediums and nothing has survived. Have not tried air rooting, yet.
Thank you, jk

Answer

You are talking several years to obtain a viable plant if you do succeed with some form of rooting. Best bet is to contact a tree grower who sells to landscape gardeners. Buying in the 100 range or more you should be able to negotiate a price of less than 25% of Garden Centre prices.

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Question

Hi there! My question relates to a Brandywine tomato plant which is in a 19 gallon pot full of coco-grow (coconut coir fibre) manufactured by a company called BOTANICARE. The plant is very healthy looking and is vegging nicely. All my vegetable plants are in the coco and are growing much more aggressively than I have ever experienced in soil. At any rate, I was loosening up the surface coco and noticed what appears to be maggots all around the pot, just under the surface. Tiny little transclucent/white looking larvae.which to my untrained eye looks like maggots? My questions are #1: Will these creatures harm the tomato plant now or in the near future by eating the roots or some other negative thing? #2: Is this thing a maggot, from how I have described it to you, or could it be some other kind of insect? #3: How do I kill these creatures without harming the plant? As mentioned previously I am growing in a totally organic medium (coco-coir) and use all organic fertilizers so whatever method I use to eliminate these things it HAS to be organic. I just found these pesky freeloaders today so I will await your response eagerly as I am sure time is of the essence. I spent 20 minutes trying to hand pick all of them but discovered quickly this was an exercise in futility. They outnumber me! LOL........I don't want these things to destroy my beautiful plant!
Thankyou so much for listening and giving your much needed advice!....Glenn T.

Answer

These maggots are the larvae of Scarid flies sometimes spelt Sciarid flies. The brown cocoons are the pupating stage after the maggot. These will hatch out into small black flies. These flies and maggots will do little harm to your tomato plant. They can be devastating amongst small seedlings and small rooted cuttings.
These flies are attracted to rotting vegetation, when your coco fibre is exposed to water it starts to rot. If you over-water you could rot the tomato roots and the maggots would attack the roots but with normal watering this is unlikely. You could kill some of the maggots and any hatched out flies with insecticidal soap which is organic. The season for the fly lasts a considerable time and new maggots will be continually hatching out while it stays hot and humid. You should plant a few French Marigolds around your tomato, these will attract Lady bugs and Hover Flies which will feed on your maggots.

Question

Greetings Vale!
You just recently pinpointed a sciata fly..(I believe that was what you called it?) that was nesting in my coco. Do you remember me? Well, I let the coco dry out for a couple days and after watering today,found a small caterpillar creature in there.I immediately PANICKED and searched high and low all around the top of the tub(first inch or two of coco) and am confident I got the only one.It is a small caterpillar to be sure, it's very skinny, I have no way of knowing if it is a full grown adult though? The caterpillar is close to an inch in length / a brownish,greyish color with a cream colored stripe going down the side. I am so sorry I planted this Brandywine tomato plant in 19 gallons of coco? I guess I am now the proud owner of the finest insect hotel in the state of Michigan simply because(as you pointed out) coco is an organic material that breaks down with time and is the ideal environment for insects. My plants are so very healthy though and I have 3 times the amount of fruit that my neighbors growing in dirt do! In the future I will only use coco when growing indoors,period! This is INSANE..........At any rate Vale, please excuse my blurry photo, that was the best shot I could get? You reccomended BT (was it?) or a larvacide to rid myself of the sciata fly situation............is there something I can use to combat ALL of these creatures that are crawling around in there that A: WON'T HURT THE PLANT AND .....B: IS ORGANIC IN NATURE AND WON'T HURT ME? If you have trouble identifying the caterpillar because of the poor image quality ,let me know and I will BORROW a better camera. I have the caterpillar in a jar. I'm keeping it alive until I KNOW what it is. This is an educational experience for me. Thanks again Val............I'm so glad to know your out there and can help me! Bye for now! Glenn........The message is ready to be sent with the following file or link attachments: glenn 008

Answer

This is almost certainly a soldier fly caterpillar, again after the rotting vegetation, nothing to worry about. There probably will be more, birds love them.

Question

Should I use the BT product or some other product Vale? I mean, how far down do these soldier flies go in the coco? Everything I have hand picked so far has been near the surface, within an inch or two. I can't go any further down without doing damage to the roots? These flies do not eat roots or vegetation I take it? UHG..........this is so frustrating?

Answer

They are not worth worrying about, they only eat rotting vegetation.

Question

I planted some juniper plants about 2 weeks ago. Due to my lack of experience, I went about it totally backwards. We basically dug the hole mixed a little compost and put it in the ground, way in the ground. Now that we have had some rain(and I decided to till area so that I could lay down black plastic then mulch) I have decided the plants are too low. We were in a drought, but got so much rain some of the branches were completely buried in the soil. I don't know whether I would be better off to dig them back up add dirt and compost and replant or to leave them be and pray...Please help...very inexperience...We are in North Carolina (if that's needed for climate etc.)
Thank you!

Answer

If you dig up your bushes you will find a planting line on the stem. This is a distinct line, above the soil level the stem is slightly green due to chlorophyl from sunlight, below ground level the color is lighter, Plant to this line.

Question

I have an eastern redbud which was planted about 5 years ago and was about 7 feet tall at the time. It has bloomed beautifully every spring, with more and more branches covered with flowers each year. This spring there was a full flowering, and then leaves began to appear at the tips of branches but no leaves appeared on the remainder of each branch. There are leaves now because of new growth, but the old growth branches have virtually no leaves. They do have lots of seed pods. Is this part of the normal cycle of the redbud or is it likely some insect feasted on the leaf buds? Or perhaps a virus? This particular tree normally grows very vigorously.
Any advice would be appreciated.

Answer

Your tree has probably been attacked by a swarm of small moth caterpillars which don't stay around for long but can cause devastation while around.

Question

Help! I have a big fat fuzzy animal in my garden that love cabbage,he is fat with a flat looking tail he is brown in color with some black on him. Can you tell me what this imight be and what I can do to keep him out of the garden. He is only eating cabbage now I am not sure if he eat anything else.
Thank You, Naomi

Answer

Sounds like a beaver to me but I am probably wrong.
Try the following web site for deterrents,
http://www.havahart.com/

Question

We live in Houston - Texas. It has been raining quite abit this summer. We have a large collection of hibiscus and Asian Jasmine plants. They look healthy. We see many buds but no flowers this year. Superbloom and Epsom salts have been added a month ago. What should be done?
Thanks

Answer

Too much rain the buds simply drop off, there are unlikly to be many insects about in the rain to fertilise the flowers so the plant saves energy by dumping the buds.

Question

I have a few good plants of the above variety. How do I propogate( get new plants) from the above.

Answer

Not worth the effort.
You would need a glasshouse with controlled humidity and controlled temperature.

Question

I planted a vegetable garden right next to a eucalyptus tree. Almost everyone who sees it says that the soil is leathal and that nothing will grow. So far our cherry tomatoes are fairly big, but it's too early for fruit yet. We have had lettuce, endive, collards, and spinach come up and it tasted okay. Carrots are growing, as well as jalapenos. My question is should I have done something to the soil first? We added bags of top rate soil first, but that's all. It's been awful trying to keep the leaves and eucalyptus "nuts" out of the garden... Any suggestions?
Thanks,
Martha, Arcata, CA

Answer

Eucalyptus trees are greedy for water and feed. As long as you compensate for the trees demands then there is no reason for you not to succeed.

Question

I have two miniture lilac bushes that I purchased this spring. Ive noticed that the leaves are curled but theyre not turning brown or have bugs. I do water them often though. I didnt know if they are suppose to do that in the summer from the heat or if Im watering them to much. I hope you can give me the answer to my problem..
Thankyou Becky

Answer

It is possible, if your location is very hot, that the bushes could be curling the leaves in order to expose less of the surface area to the direct heat of the sun to avoid excessive water loss. You are best to water in the evening, then the bush can use the water too promote growth, rather than all the water being lost through evaporation in the heat of the day.

Question

We have a large hedge made up of a virginia creeper creeping along a chain link fence. This year for the first time there is a small white fly infesting the hedge and while damage seems to be limited it is a nuisance when clipping the shoots. It is very small and moves quickly, and when it lands it is about the size of an aphid. I tried an insect spray but it seems to have limited effect. Have you any advice.
Regards, Ernie

Answer

There are systemic sprays available for white-fly, which will be the best for your problem. Systemic sprays are absorbed by the plant and kill these white-fly when they suck the sap out of the plant.

Question

Hello- I have a question about a pussy willow plant. I have one planted in my garden that I had rooted inside first and then planted in my garden about 3 1/2 yrs ago. I was told by a friend that it would not get its fuzzy parts for about 5 yrs. Is this true? Also, I'm not sure what a pussy willow plant without the fuzzy parts looks like. My husband thinks that what I'm growing is a weed. It is about 6 feet tall. I'm attaching a pic of it. Could you please tell me if this is what a pussy willow looks like before it blooms and if you think this is one?
Thanks! Amy

Answer

This looks like a common birch, a willow has lance shaped leaves. It could be an Aspen.

Question

I have a semi-large vegetable garden which consists mostly of pumpkins and qourds. unfortunately my gourds are ripe already in mid august and I am wondering if they will stay until Halloween and if so if I should pick them now or wait till late September or so.

Answer

Given normal conditions for the time of year your crops should stand until required. The thing to watch for is snail damage and rodent damage. Rotting leaves in contact with the fruit can leave cosmetic damage and possibly start the fruit rotting. If you were to harvest now the fruit should keep but it must be stored in an open sided store in order to give constant ventilation to avoid rotting. Both pumpkins and gourds need a ripening period upon maturity, and if cut too early will fail to store well.

Question

I have an Arizona Ash in my backyard. It's quite large. I've seen it grow from 3 ft to about 20 ft. I just noticed this weekend that it has these little white insects on them. At first, it looked like little specs of cotton but as I used a sprayer on my water hose to hose down the tree, these little pests were flying around. Today, I looked at one close up and noticed that it is an insect of some sort. It's white, fuzzy/fluffy looking and has legs. Can you tell me what it is and will it hurt my tree?
Thanks you for your help. RDB

Answer

These are white fly. Your tree should tolerate an infestation which usually will not last long. Spraying with Insecticidal soap will clear them off. They can damage leaves but this late on no permanent damage to the tree should occur.

Question

Can you help please.
I purchased a number of these Petunias in April and planted them outside in a number of containers escaping the frost. However, despite feeding, watering and planting in good quality container compost, they are now dying. I am wondering where I have gone wrong. Any ideas?

Answer

This could be greenfly, whitefly, aphids, potato blight, cold wet weather, insufficient drainage in your containers. Food supply ran out. However as your query is dated late August it is most likely that they have reached the end of their productive life.

Question

Hope possible means you might know about a tree problem.
I have a two year old River Birch, it grew very fast but it looks terrible. Now it has bugs, large ants, I have sprayed with insect killer but it doesn't last very long, and it is rapidly shedding it's leaves. It is only barely summer here in the valley, much too early for a tree to start the fall season. I have read it is getting too much water or not enough water, so I have no idea what that can mean. I fed it some fertilizer. But that seemed to make it worse. We are still getting triple digit temps. It was given to me by the local electric company in their tree planting program. Told me where to plant it etc.
Any suggestions?

Answer

Your tree could be suffering from stress from too much heat, to protect themselves in such conditions trees will often shed some of their leaves. This cuts down on the total leaf surface area losing water though evaporation. The tree will probably recover next year but for now it is just a matter of time.

Question

My peach and damson trees have developed lumps of clear resine on the trunk and branches.I live in Spain and it has been very hot and dry this year could this be the reason,or is it an infection
David

Answer

No, this is not an infection. Resin production on peach and damson trees goes though climatic cycles of several years.

Question

Hello. I live in Tampa, FL and I have African irises planted in my front & back yard. The ones in the front are getting about 3 hours of afternoon sun, otherwise it is shaded/filtered light through the trees. The ones in the back yard are getting much more sun , nearly all day. I have used miracle grow shake & feed around them, they get watered twice a week minimum by my sprinkler system (well water). They are showing growth but no flowers at all in the back yard and only 1 plant produced 1 bloom in the front yard. Any thoughts on what I am doing wrong or what I need to do to promote the flowering?
Thank you. Dianna

Answer

Your iris bulbs did not experience a winter chill. Therefore the flower bud, formed last fall, dried up and withered away within the bulb.

Question

Hi, I have one yellow and one green zucchini plant in my garden with tons of blossoms and have not gotten a single zuchini on either plant, what happened? Also, a miniature pumpkin plant which has done the same. All three plants look very healthy. I'm in northern Minnesota zone 4 I believe.
Thank you.

Answer

Your local insects are not fertilising your flowers. Take a cotton bud fluff it up and carefully collect the yellow pollen from the male flower which will stick to the cotton. Then transfer the pollen to the female flower by carefully brushing the cotton bud on to the centre of the flower. A rabbits tail is even better for the job if you can obtain one. The female flower has a small immature fruit at the base of the flower, the male does not. Bare in mind that it is rather late in the season this year, but if you try now you may get a few usable fruits. For next year, spraying your plants with a light misting of water in the late evening often encourages pollination.

Question

we have many small holly trees (bushes, not sure of the difference) popping up under our very large pine trees. we would like to transplant the hollies to another area on the property so that they will be able to thrive and grow properly. could you please advice on how to do this. they average between 18"- 6' tall.
Thank You!

Answer

Transplant in late October-November before the ground goes frozen. Solidify the ground well after planting and again in spring. They will need plenty of water next spring. There could be a high mortality in the larger plants due to water loss through the leaves, holly trees being evergreens.

Question

Dear site, please could you tell me if this is unuseuall as a marigold grown from this years seed its a african marigold but its come out like a single (chrysanthemum) please advise yours neville easton keen gardener

Answer

Your original plant would have been an F1 Hybrid, i.e.; a plant produced by continually crossing two desirable parents, over several generations. Seed from these plants do not produce an identical plant but revert to an earlier parent.

Question

My grass is turning brown on the lawn. Is there a fertilizer I can put down now plus seed so that it comes up green in the spring.
Thank you. Pat

Answer

You need to apply a low nitrogen, high potash, high phosphate, fertiliser. e.g. 5.18.20 This will encourage root growth for next year, but not too much lush leaf growth which could be frozen off.

Question

Hello.
I have weeds in my veg garden that I brought in by using cow poo from a local dairy. I live in so Cal where we are having 100+ degree days. I put 4 mil black plastic on the garden in hope it will burn and kill the seeds. I have 30 year old Italian cypress trees 12" from my garden.....questions are.....will this work, how long should I leave the plastic on, and will it likely hurt my cypress trees
Thanks Dan

Answer

The plastic will certainly restrict the growth of any seeds which germinate but it will not kill the seeds which do not germinate. Your Cypress should not suffer in the short term.

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Question

I am looking for help with my Black Eyed Susans. They grow beautifully every year but the last 2 years by mid August the leaves turn a crispy white. Would this be because they are diseased and should I dig them out are start over. I first planted these flowers about 8 years ago. You can see the color of the leaves in the attached photo.
Thank you for any suggestion you may have. Barbara

Answer

It is most likely that the plants are suffering from some form of mineral deficiency. Try feeding with a general mineral additive.

Question

Shasta Daisy
Best time to seperate and transplant??

Answer

After the first hard frost, cut stems back to an inch or two above soil line. Divide your plants as new growth begins in the spring. Spread some compost around the newly planted clumps and water in.

Question

Help
I have a low spot spot all across the middle of my small back yard. In spring water pools there as it does after heavy rains. Grass grows poorly in dry months, I assume soil is very compacted. Since there is no where to direct water I would like to work with it. I live in zone 3, and my backyard meets 2 neighbors yards separated by chain fences, so a rock streambed would look stupid since it would start and stop at a fence. They have similar but lesser problems due to a better grade. Can some type of bog garden work? Can this be done without digging out dirt and putting in plastic which I am loath to do? Are there plants that will adapt to wet conditions with some soil amendments and digging? Thanks Ann Day

Answer

Try applying a heavy application of garden lime (hydrated lime). The lime will interact with the clay in the soil and make the soil more free draining. A bog garden should work if the area is permanently wet. There are many plants which love wet positions. Miniature willows, lobelia cardinalis, flag iris, bog marigold, mimulus, many ornamental grasses and ferns. But remember that these plants will die if the ground dries out, so some form of liner may be necessary. Ask at your local garden centre for more details.

Question

Hello,
I stumbled across your website a few days ago. Amazed and encouraged by the amount of information and advice you are willing to offer to novice gardeners, I've decided to post a question of my own. Please forgive me if it sounds silly, my gardening experience is really limited. Earlier this year, I decided to grow some plants in containers in order to add some colour and interest to a boring white wall facing our decking. Good plan, but lack of planning and experience resulted into something quite unsightly (I actually had to hide the containers behind the house :) However, I am still determined to try again. Is it still possible to create a nice container arrangement at this time of the year - maybe by using different textures and shades of foliage of plants that would survive and look good throughout autumn/winter with a view of adding some colour next spring (I am not sure if I can get any plants flowering during winter)? If yes, could recommend some plants. Or is it too late in the year and I'd better start planning for the next spring instead?
I live in Surrey, UK. The spot I would like to improve is fairly sheltered, facing north-east.
Thank you very much in advance.
Kind regards, Tania

Answer

Winter flowering pansies. Winter flowering heathers, hardy ivies, primulas, primroses. Small shrubs; Gaultheria Procumbens (Partridge Berry). Some Japanese Azaleas. You could try these Wall-side shrubs: Camellia x williamsii and cultivars (evergreen; need lime-free soil); Daphne odora (evergreen); Garrya elliptica ‘James Roof’ AGM (evergreen); Lonicera fragrantissima. You will need to use a top quality planting medium in your containers, not just any soil collected from a corner of your garden.
Remember that the plants will be unable to source food from surrounding areas.

Question

I'm having some problems with my tomatoes this year. Can you help?
I'm in North Texas, have a raised bed with automatic watering system, have been raising a vegetable garden for many years but this year I'm not getting any tomatoes. The rest of the garden is doing well. just the tomatoes. I have large vines producing lots of flowers so I know everything is going well but just don't have many tomatoes. Could it be a lack of something in the fertilizer or perhaps just bad seed.
If you have any idea please let me know, R-J

Answer

Your tomatoes are suffering from a lack of insects to pollinate the flowers, a common problem in your area this year. You need to hand pollinate the flowers by transferring the pollen from flower to flower. A rabbits tail is the ideal weapon, lightly brush from flower to flower. Or loosen up the material on a child's cotton bud and use as the same.
Note; you are rather late in the year (mid September) to expect too much.

Question

HI, I got a old time milk can that I want to plant some kind of plant or flowers in it that would live outside for the winter, sence it gitting close to winter.What do you think would be good?

Answer

Winter flowering pansies

Question

I bought 6 holly bushes spring 2006 and was told they would have berries. I live in zone 8 and have not had the first berry...what's wrong?

Answer

Some bushes are self fertile some are not. The bushes may all be all-female varieties. You may need a male tree to polinate the flowers.

Question

HI, I'm want to plant some hedges in front of my home, but I want short low growing hedges,can you give me some names of some and what is a good time of the year to plant them?

Answer

Cherry Laurel Prunus laurocerasus Yew (English Yew) Taxus baccata Beech Fagus sylvatica Box (Common Box) Buxus sempervirens Holly (English Holly) Ilex aquifolium Photinia ‘Red Robin’ Photinia x fraseri ‘Red Robin’ Privet Ligustrum ovalifolium Portuguese Laurel Prunus lusitanica

Question

Hi, I have made a mistake that you might believe is rather awful, and I would really appreciate your help: I trimmed waht turned out to be a Japanese Split Leaf Maple - a lot - and was told shortly after that the plant should not have been cut and that it might now be at risk. Would you have any advice? Please let me know if I can provide any details that would be of help.
Thank you!

Answer

Japanese Maple are often trimmed to shape, a light clipping usually does no harm. You could possibly have trimmed off so much that the remaining leaves would theoretically be unable to support the tree's feed demands. In spring or summer this would be a problem, but this late on in the year I would think that the chances are that the bush will survive.

Question

Hi--is it advisable to winter over vining geraniums in Pittsburgh, PA? If so, how? I am not here all winter so I need a way to do it that involves darkness and not much moisture...
Thank you, Carol F

Answer

They must be kept frost free and rodent free. You need a low level of light, if kept in the dark you will have useless all white shoots as soon as the weather warms up.

Question

Several years ago we planted two fagus sylvatica dawijk along our back fence, unfortunately in rather a windy situation! As you know these are very narrow beach trees... The situation is possibly not ideal as it is a narrow strip of earth, approx 3 feet, between our wooden decking and the back fence and we planted them for cover from the back neighbours. Due to the wind one side of the tree is almost bare of leaves and we were thinking of topping both these trees in the autumn to half their size and we wonder if this is advisable? They have grown to about 20 feet tall and besides being rather too high they look our of proportion and rather unhappy. I believe beach does not require manure but possibly this might also do them some good? Would be very pleased to have your advice.
Kind regards, Sally C. K

Answer

Best advice is to grub them out before they become a major tree and start to spread roots into you neighbors garden. Plant something that will not exceed 10 feet in height. If you must have Beech you can obtain ornamental varieties which are grafted on to a dwarfing rootstock.

Question

Peppers.
I have about 40 plants in my greenhouse inundated with flowers, but the flowers just seem to drop off. I water every other day and feed once a week . Am I doing something wrong.
Keith M

Answer

If the flowers are dropping off they are not being pollinated (fertilised) by the insects. You would need to hand pollinate the flowers with a rabbits tail or some substitute like a cotton bud for instance. Transfer the pollen from the male flowers to the female flowers by lightly brushing inside the flowers with the chosen hand pollinator. The female flower has a small fruit behind the flower the male does not. If the fruits are starting to grow then going black and the dropping off you are either over-watering or your soil is lacking some form of mineral constituent. Unfortunately this late on in the year (Late September) you are unlikely to obtain any fruit of substance unless you apply heat and lights.

Question

Hello : I was wondering how do I look after a few of the shrubs I have in my garden, I am very new at gardens. My first time planting 2 months ago. I have Echinacea flower, sunflower, rhododendron, fiscocarpus, crisophia? tall grass with a red flower that will sprout next summer, oriental laurel, grace lavender, yarrow, butterfly plant, plum pudding, candy strawberry lily, spirilla or something like that. My question to you is how do I cut them back for the winter, or do I Thanks so much, I hope you can help me. If you email back to either on that will be fine.
Thanks Debbie W

Answer

Leave them alone this year, if you start playing with them you will loosen the roots and the plants will rock about in the winter winds and die.

Question

Help! My shady back yard is overrun with english Ivy. I have been told by the local garden center that the only way to get rid of it is to dig it up. Is there anything that will kill it?

Answer

The problem with killing English Ivy with a herbicide is that the leaves are coated in a wax and the herbicide simply runs off. However there are herbicides available capable of dealing with Ivy, but they are very, very, expensive and need many applications. Ask at your local garden outlet, or better still at a local agricultural herbicide supplier. These are systemic herbicides which means that they are absorbed into the plant's system and slowly kill the plant from inside. You would be best to start now and spray every three weeks through the winter. Ivy starts new shoots all through the winter and these new shoots are not wax protected and thus will absorb much more of the herbicide.

Question

I’m wondering since it’s now the first week in November and temps are getting colder, can I still transplant my perennial bed. We have just built a new home across from where we have rented and now the owner of the rented acreage plans to tear up my perennial bed and make it into farmland. I have over 200 plants to be moved and was just notified of them tearing up my bed. I have a lot of expense in these beds and the owner of the acreage said she has transplanted perennials in the fall, but we are almost into the winter months. What do you suggest I do. We have not had the final grading of our new place done and will not do that until next year. The soil is quite poor with a lot of sand and pea gravel. Will all my plants die because of the shock of the move and not enough time to establish their roots. Would this be a wasted effort to dig them all up. Please send me some advice to my e-mail address at home – dkbtlrem@netins.net as soon as possible.
Thank you.
Ruth K

Answer

If the soil is not frozen you can still transplant your plants. The main thing is to plant firmly and keep the soil around the plants well trodden down. Keep checking that the wind has not loosened the plants. You can plant all of the plants close together in a sheltered area for the winter. Then move them into their new residence in the early spring. Evergreens which constantly lose water through their leaves need a little extra protection against chill drying winds.

Question

Hi,
I have 2 long stem yellow Peace Rose bushes and one climbing white rose bush in my front yard. This year one produced the yellow rose as normal, The other yellow rose bush produced deep red roses and is now a climbing rose bush The white rose bush also produced deep red roses. Now, the two that grew deep red roses have red berries growing on them the size of ripe cranberries.
What is going on with these plants?
Any info would be helpful.
Thanks, Beverly R

Answer

Cultivated roses are grafted on to a wild Rugosa root stock for improved performance. This wild rootstock has overcome the cultivated varieties and you now have wild roses. Always check for growth coming from below the graft line which is usually just above planting level. The actual graft will be denoted by a slight bulge in the stem.

Question

Thank you for the information. Are those cranberry-sized berries normal and should I cut back the rose bush or just let it do its thing? While it's not what I planted, it is very pretty...

Answer

They are very good winter feed for the birds.

Question

I recently planted a few hundred spring flowering bulbs - fressia, tulips, daffodils & crocus. The squirrels are destroying the garden by digging up the bulbs. How can I stop them from completely ruining the garden?

Answer

Try the following web site.
http://www.havahart.com/nuisance/squirrels/squirrels.asp

Question

Hi, I need to move a copper beech hedge and re plant in a other part of the garden. Could you tell me if November is alright to do this and also any tips on doing the move
Regards John

Answer

Do you mean a common beech hedge? If common beech now is an ideal time to replant.
First cut the foliage down to about three feet in height. Dig a trench slightly deeper than planting depth and spread a layer of farmyard manure or horse manure, or garden peat if the others are not available, in the bottom of the trench.
Thoroughly soak this layer and then cover with a light layer of soil, then consolidate. This is to ensure that the plants have sufficient water to enable the roots to anchor themselves to the soil and use the nutriments from the manure.
Use a string line pulled taught to ensure that the bushes are in a strait line.
Then plant the bushes at their original depth. On the stem of each bush there will be a distinct change in colour from dirty green (above ground) to dirty white at the planting level. Plant to this line.
Make sure that the bushes are firmly secured in the ground, check that they have not rocked loose after windy weather. Keep the ground damp especially when the leaf buds begin to open in spring, then water frequently all next summer.
If you have copper beech I would leave until the beginning of next October. Copper beech need a longer time to establish themselves and will need more care until established.

Question

We have a Cedrus Diodara Conifer (hope I have spelt that correctly) in the front of our home (only about 6 feet or so away from our front door). We have been in the house for about three and a half years now and in that time it has doubled in size. It is now about 15 feet tall. We love the tree and are loathe to get rid of it but we believe it could grow to about 100 feet or more so of course we are concerned because it is so near to the house (roots etc) Is there a way that we can control it by cutting back every so often and keeping it in check so that we don't have to get rid of it. It is a beautiful shape and we would be happy to keep it if we could. Finding something we would like to replace it with of a good size is proving to be difficult. We were considering a Cryptomeria Japonica "Barabitts Gold" but can only find fairly small examples.
Thankyou and Regards Pam T

Answer

Deodora do not respond too well to trimming. They can have a spread of 20 feet out from the trunk and the roots will spread even further. So I would advise removal.
I would suggest replacing it with a Taxus baccata 'Aurea' E if you want a similar colored tree. These are much slower growing than the deodora but they can be trimmed at any time. Buy a good sized specimen.

Question

I have started composting with a pot given to me by my council, but throughout the year I have noticed holes regularly appearing in my garden, I hoped they were rabbits not rats! Now these animals are feeding in the composter, is there anything I can do to get rid of them, I am careful not to put meat in the composter, I read that human urine was a deterrant as they don't like the smell (who does!)
I would value any suggestions. Yours FLOOFYPIE

Answer

There are many tales of garden proud ladies sending out their men in the middle of the night to "water" the area around composters. My best idea would be to get the council rodent operatives out, after all its their composter that's causing the problem.

Question

Help please
I live in Sydney, Australia and found you on the web. I hope you can help me with my lettuce and tomatoes. We have had so much rain then hot humid weather these past couple months, that my lettue have gorn crazy. They now stand 12 inches tall with small bunches of leaves along various parts of their stem. What do I do with them? Do I replant them deeper or just give up. Also my tomatoes have gorn really well but they do not get very much sun throughout the day, but the stems are nice and strong and stand about 4 ft. tall. How can I be assured they will get some fruit on them soon? Please email me your reply,
Thanking you.

Answer

Your lettuce.
The condition you describe is called 'bolting' caused by uneven growth conditions as you describe. They are shooting up to flower and should be disposed of, as they are of no value anymore. Lettuce need a continuous even growth pattern to succeed. There are varieties of lettuce available to cope with such conditions and there are also a range of varieties designed to cope with different day lengths for sowing at different times of the year.
Your tomatoes.
I presume that your plants are producing flowers, if not lack of light is your problem. If your plants are producing flowers the insects are not fertilising them, again this could be lack of light levels. It will encourage flower set if you lightly spray (mist) the flower trusses with slightly warm water, in the early evening time. This will encourage evening insects, who need less light levels, to visit the flowers and hopefully fertilise them.

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June Dec Q & A 2011

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