QUESTION
A year ago I had my old lawn removed and new sod laid. My problems are 1) that the young man doing the job did not properly level the soil so that my new lawn is very uneven and 2) the soil level has dropped so that the entire lawn is about 3 inches below the patio level.

I am having a garden wedding and need the lawn to be both level and raised. Is there anything that can be done short of redoing the entire job? Can I successfully add soil on top of the grass to raise the level, say one inch of soil per month beginning in March? I live in northern California.
Thank you, Kathy

ANSWER
Hi Kathy, You can level a lawn by adding peat or sand in very thin applications, but at the rate you suggest you would end up with a lot of dead grass. The grass needs to breath and a heavy application of soil would upset the plants bio system. The only real way is to lift the sod and raise the level with sand, tamp down well, then replace the sod.

One other suggestion is to cover the grass with boarding for the event; you can hire this from tent hire or wedding hire companies. Just tell your friends that you put the boards down to protect their expensive new shoes. Valecroft

QUESTION
From D.L. My Passiflora is very straggly and in need of tidying and shaping How do I tackle it?

ANSWER
Passiflora blooms on new growth; wait until the spring growth has started before pruning. Remove weak growth. Remove tangled and unproductive stems. Remove any dead, damaged, diseased, or unproductive stems.

Remove badly tangled stems. Remove stems growing away from the support. Direct its growth to desired area by tying back. Limit its growth by pinching out the tips of new growth. Needs only moderate pruning unless growing for fruit production.

QUESTION
Could you please tell me the best type of topsoil for filling in dips and holes in my garden I have just moved into the area in Suffolk?
Thank you

ANSWER
Topsoil. You will best be suited looking for virgin turf topsoil. Unfortunately topsoil is one of those products that rarely turns out to be what was promised, often scraped up from semi derelict land. There are reputable dealers around but even they cannot control what weed seeds are in the soil or the chemical composition. Therefore treat any new soil with a heavy dosage of agricultural lime and watch carefully for strange weeds.

QUESTION
I am in the process of landscaping my garden. I have dug up the old lawn and wondered if it would be feasible to put the old turf at the bottom of new raised beds I am building, on top of the hardcore and under the topsoil, rather than throwing it away? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks, Ninya

ANSWER
Re: landscaping question
the old lawn would be fine as the base of your raised beds. One point, look out for any large perennial weeds like docks, nettles, thistles, etc.; and remove them before placing the turfs in the base, theses could grow up to the surface.

QUESTION
I have a 7' Privet bush in my front yard. It has yellowish leaves and small white flowers. My neighbor says it is Orange Privet. I also have roots in my sewer line that must come from one of two sources: The Privet Bush or a Cottonwood that was cut down 15 years ago.

The stump has rotted and I dug deep to get all of the soft rotted wood out of the lawn. Should I relocate the Privet or is it even possible that it could have roots that go down more than 8 feet. Can Cottonwood roots keep growing that long?
Thanks for your expert opinion! Sharon

ANSWER
Privet love to root in to drains, but at 8 ft deep it is more likely that the roots are left over from the cottonwood. Cottonwood trees are noted for their ability to reach deep water; to the pioneers crossing the dry plains a cottonwood tree indicated underground water. If they are indeed cottonwood roots they should be dead, if you slice though a root it should be brown in the centre if dead, or slightly green if alive.

QUESTION
Hi There, enjoying your advice!
Just moved into a new house in Southern California. Seems the elderly lady who lived here before was fond of feeding stray cats. Now there is a distinct odor as anyone enters our front gate, which indicates the cats use our front hedge as their toilet. Any suggestions on keeping cats out of the hedges?

We have a cat of our own that goes out of doors, and would prefer an organic solution.
Any ideas? Thanks,
Barbara.

ANSWER
There are many organic cat repellents on the market all freely available at garden outlets and general stores, the downside is that they wash off in the rain and you have too apply again.

There are also products on the market, which spray small jets of water at the cats and scare them off without harming the animal. Electrically powered on low voltage, these spay at random times and over a pre-selected area in a random pattern.

QUESTION
I have plant stalks that have been taking from other plants. Could you tell me how to put in water so that they can grow roots so that I can repot them? Do I put them in water with miracle grow. Please answer this question as soon as possible.
hank You. Patricia.

ANSWER
Take a deep tray filled with a mixture of 80% sharp grit sand and 20% peat. Dip the plant stalks in water, shake off the excess water and them dip the base into hormone rooting powder. Plant into the sand mixture on a slight angle from the vertical and firm.

Keep the medium slightly damp and place the tray in a ventilated area to avoid mould growth. Rooting can take from one month to two years according to variety. Do not feed until you see signs of new growth. Protect from the summer sun.

QUESTION
I didn't get my spring bulbs planted last fall! If I put them in now, will they bloom this year? Bulbs include, crocus, tiger lilies, daffodils, gladiolas and tulips. What is the latest they can go in before they won't bloom this year?
Thanks in advance for the advice. Addie

ANSWER
Missed planting!
Crocus daffodils and tulips will not flower this year but need planting immediately. Tiger lilies may flower this year but again need planting immediately. Gladioli will flower this year but should not be planted until the danger of hard frost is passed.

QUESTION
My peace Lilly is starting to get brown on the edges of the leaves and some brown spots in the centre of the leaves. What is causing this? All the leaves are dark green and normal looking. It doesn't appear to be over or under watered.
Christina

ANSWER
Peace Lilly.
This could be too large a concentration of mineral salts in the compost, these could come from the chlorine in tap water or as a residue from plant food. Changing the compost could help.

This could also be stress as a result of moving the plant to a new setting, not a good idea with the peace lily. If the environment is very hot and dry, the plant could be suffering from red spider mite. Sprays are widely available.

QUESTION
Hello,
I have a question about a cherry tree in our yard when I was a child in Ohio. 1955-1965 We had one cherry tree in our yard that produced very large yellow sweet cherries. I remember a very slight blush of red on some of the cherries but mostly yellow. Was this tree most likely a Rainer or Queen Ann or perhaps some other? I would love to plant one in my yard now.
Thank you for your web site! D.H.

ANSWER
Cherry varieties from the 1950s or earlier are almost certainly out of cultivation by now, but you may find them in lists from nurseries dealing in so called heritage varieties. The commercial growers have had to move on, with ever heavier cropping types, but there is a variety on the market called Yellow Glass which may be worth your investigation.

Don't forget you may need to plant a separate pollinating variety with many varieties of cherry.

QUESTION
When we bought our country home in 1999 there was a camellia bush planted next to the house. It is approximate 10' tall and the base of it is only 15" from the foundation. It needs to be moved. Could you give me instruction on how to accomplish this? It is still in bloom at this point. I don't know the name of it but it has a wonderful pink triple bloom and blooms from November through March. Thanks.

ANSWER
Transplanting Camellia Bush.
A camellia of this size will prove very difficult to move successfully, it is possible but beset with many difficulties and the move often proves fatal. Camellias being a forest floor tree have a vast amount of fibrous roots on which the plant depends for water uptake. You must avoid losing these roots at all cost.

Your best bet would be to dig out the plant with a bobcat digger or similar in order to give a sufficiently large root ball to support the tree while re-establishing itself. You would also have to treat the leaves with an anti evaporation compound to stop water loss during the period of re-establishment. October-November would be the best time to attempt a move but its not really worth the effort. Better to burn it and buy a new plant.

QUESTION
I have approximately 60 or 70 Escallonia plants and I planted them as a hedge in 1999. Last year I noticed many or the leaves fell off of them, but the trees seemed to do fine in the springtime. This winter after we had a big snow fall and a freeze that lasted about 3 weeks, I noticed that all the tree have lost their leaves. I think there are only about 5 trees left with a branch that has leaves on it.

What would cause this as I was told when we purchased them that they are very hardy and can withstand winters like the ones we get. Does this mean that my hedge will not survive or is it just going to slow the growth down?

I would hate to lose this hedging, as it is so beautiful to look at especially when it is in bloom. I also noticed that there is one other person in my neighborhood who had the very same problem with their Escallonia. Please if you have any ideas I would very much appreciate them. I live on Vancouver Island B.C. Canada near the North end of the Island. We are very near to Seattle Washington and have pretty much the same weather and temps.

Thank you so much in advance. Lori.

ANSWER
Escallonia are not totally resistant to frost damage, a major cause of death is windburn in very low temperatures. In severe conditions one plant in a sheltered position may survive while another identical plant next door in an exposed position can be severely damaged.

Also the variety of Escallonia can be a factor, you and the neighbour you mention could have a variety that is not fully hardy in your area. Red Pillar is the variety mostly sold for hedging but if you have cold sea winds, the Donard varieties are the best.

Feed with a high nitrogen fertiliser as soon as the weather warms up; also spread some peat around the stems to improve the soil. Then you will have to wait and see. Some people erect windbreak netting, in winter, to protect tender plants, so this may be a worthwhile investment.

QUESTION
We just moved into a bungalow and have found out there are some established carnations. Can we transplant them and how do we prune them and in which month can all these things be done. Thank you.

ANSWER
The best time to move your carnations is October. But you can move them now, weather permitting. Try to move by the middle of March. Cut down the stems to about 3 inches in length. Carnations like plenty of high potash food and they also like lime, too keep the soil alkaline.


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