QUESTION
Could you help me with a little bit of advice?
I have just bought a house and the Privet at the front has been left to overgrow this year. Should I just cut it back or do I need to graduate it to avoid the unsightly holes that occur you see in hedges that have not been cared for.
I would very much appreciate your advice.
Many thanks Keith

ANSWER
You can cut your privet back hard now, in future trim to give an inward taper up to the top on both sides. This lets the light reach the lower growth. Privet is a hungry plant and needs feeding every year. Use a general-purpose fertiliser.

QUESTION
I have two deep red New Guinea Impatiens. They were well taken care of since I was on vacation and were fine when I came back. They were put in morning and some afternoon sun and it was 94 here in Cincinnati yesterday. They were heavy with water and perky. Today they were completely droopy. I water them heavily and only half of each plant perked up again. What did I do wrong? Are the salvageable?
Thank you, Carolyn

ANSWER
New Guinea Impatiens are plants from shaded areas of the forest and should not be placed in direct sun. Cut off the droopy parts the rest should survive. Go easy on the water for a few days or the roots may rot.

QUESTION
Because it is such a beautiful tree, I have my Sunburst Pine Tree in a container on my patio. However, I live in northern part of zone 5 and am concerned about keep the tree from freezing during the winter. I was wondering if you could tell me what I need to do to protect this tree during the winter to keep it strong and healthy.
Thanks! James

ANSWER
It is important to prevent the roots freezing though the sides of the container. Kill the roots and the plant will die. Wrap round the container with sacking, old carpet, bubble wrap used for packaging or any other material which will keep off the freezing wind. The plant above the ground is pretty frost resistant in still air but could be protected against freezing winds to prevent browning from windburn.

QUESTION
I live in South Australia and we are going into spring.
I planted some Russell Lupin seeds in April - May (Autumn) and had a good germination. Now they seem to be gradually disappearing. I have tried to find out more about Growing &dividing Russell Lupins but many write-ups are contradictory.

How do you grow from seed? Are they short lived or shoot each new season? Do they like an acid or alkaline soil? Some info says acid some says alkaline.

Some say they are short lived but a lady here in Australia has been dividing them for years.
I thank you for your time. Doug

ANSWER
Your lupins are probably falling victim to small snails, which live just under the surface of the soil and come out to eat at night. These are very small snails and will be grey or black in colour. Treat with slug pellets.

You can divide large clumps of lupins or you can take basal cuttings, i.e., cuttings with a piece of root attached. Lupins are easily grown from seed.

Lupins like heavy clay land, which is usually alkaline. Indeed given the right conditions lupins can easily become invasive. Lupin plants can live for many years.

At the nursery we grow and sell thousands of Lupin plants each year. People just grow them for one year and then discard them. These we sow in early January, in just frost-free conditions. This is to suit the spring bedding plant trade, selling them in six plant packs.

We also sow in June under cold glass, for the perennial plant trade. These are potted into much larger pots and can be stood over winter if not sold in the autumn.

Lupins are easily grown, sow in peat compost, just cover to a depth equal to the size of the seed. Treat with Cheshunt compound when the seedlings emerge to stop damping off i.e. rotting off.

You can also sow in open ground in spring when the soil is dry and friable. Treat as any ordinary annual.

You state that you have Russell lupins. Most lupins sold today are not Russell lupins; they are various other varieties that have been developed for a more compact habit than the Russell's. Many of the varieties are dwarf versions.

Russell lupins date back to Victorian times and have fallen out of favour over the last thirty years or so.

However with a revival of interest in the perennial plant style of gardening, Russell lupins are again finding favour. Regrettably existing stocks of Russell lupins have become very lacklustre in color and performance.

So over the last few years the present owners of the nursery that originally introduced the russell strain have embarked upon a program of re-selection from existing plants found growing wild on the nursery trial grounds. These are coming though as a very good selection.

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QUESTION
I have thorn less blackberries that are finished producing for this year. I want to prune them but not sure when or how much. I have three vines and so far have picked over 8 gallons from them this season. Very pretty berries too although a bit more sour than most.
Mary

ANSWER
If you have the vines trained up a trellis, just cut off any obviously wild growth and look for any growth that looks to be diseased. Some garden lime should improve the sweetness. Also apply a mineral supplement. Horse or cattle manure is also of benefit.

Apply lime now, mineral supplements and cow/horse manure in spring.

QUESTION
I planted a snowball Vibernum (opulus 'sterile') in Sept. 2003. I have yet to get any blossoms or berries. It is about 3' high. Can you tell me what I'm doing wrong? Thanks, Carole

ANSWER
I am afraid your Vibernum will take some time to settle in so you will have to be patient.

QUESTION
I bought a house three years ago. The previous owners planted a wisteria and trained it to grow as a tree; I was told that it took the previous owner 15 yrs to do this. The trunk of the tree is about 8". When and how can I prune this tree, every year around mid Aug it is looking very ugly and overgrown. Please help I don't want to kill it by cutting off too much.
Diane

ANSWER
Prune in autumn. It is probably best to cut all of the current side-shoot growths back to about 12 inches of the main stems, leave about 6 leaves on each side-shoot. January/February cut these side shoots back even further to about 6 inches long, leaving only 2 or 3 buds on the side-shoot. These will be the flowering spurs. Both of these operations should be carried out each year.

QUESTION
I have a beautiful sunflower garden in my mountain yard. As they fade and die, I am concerned as to what to do with the plant. We get snow, and I know that won't work for sunflowers. Do I pull the plants up? I thought they returned year after year, so I didn't want to remove them if they might come back.
Please help! Thank you, Ellen

ANSWER
If by sunflower you mean the tall growing Helianthus, they are annuals, i.e. just for one year.

QUESTION
I live in Michigan. Earwigs are attacking my cabbage plants. Any suggestions to get rid of them?
Thank you for your attention in this matter.
A.J. S.

ANSWER
Wash the earwigs off with insecticidal soap or a weak mixture of washing up liquid, use a low-pressure sprayer or watering can. The fact that earwigs are attacking your cabbage would suggest that you have weeds amongst your cabbage, that is providing cover against natural predators.

QUESTION
I have recently bought a home and there is mint growing wild all over the back lawn and spreading rapidly how can I kill it?
Hope you can help. Sandy

ANSWER
The best way is to dig out the mint roots with a garden fork; they do not go very deep so it is a relatively easy task and you will do little harm to the grass.

QUESTION
My lawn is in very poor condition. I want to fertilize and also to put seeds before the winter. Which I need to put first and how long I need to wait till I put the other.
Thanks in advance, Lili

ANSWER
Sow your grass seed now but leave fertiliser until the spring. If you use fertiliser now the grass seedlings will produce too much weak growth and freeze off in the winter.

QUESTION
Hi I live in north Yorkshire and would like some info on moving three holly bushes regards D B

ANSWER
Move your holly bushes in Oct. or Nov., try to retain as many of the fine roots as possible. These roots are vital for the health of the plant, being an evergreen the plant loses water all winter and the fine roots are needed to absorb replacement water from the soil. Water well all next spring and summer.

QUESTION
I have a four-year-old olive tree which is now in a 20" tub in a sunny spot; it is about 33" high and seems very healthy, but I am aware that I should be giving it more care than it gets! I have seen similar trees locally outside restaurants etc. that are bearing loads of fruit, but so far mine has produced nothing.

Have just come back from holiday in the Peloponnese, where I attended a lecture on olive groves, where the lecturer said they prune them twice a year, in October and May, and they only get watered by natural rain twice in August!

He didn't say much about the soil conditions. Have you any advice on a) what soil I could change to and b) pruning and general care?
Many thanks - Ann. Kent.

ANSWER
My best advice to you is, leave well alone. Four years is very young for an olive tree to produce fruit. As for pruning only remove any growth that is damaged, or any wayward branches that are twisting about in the wind.

QUESTION
I grow vegetables in containers at the bottom of my garden, which is next to a derelict field. This year, for the first time ever, my early potatoes have been attacked and appear to have been gnawed, presumably by some creature. I would appreciate your advice as to what you think may be causing this damage and what preventative measures I can take in future years.
Thank you,
Vivian (Mr)

ANSWER
If the surface of the tuber is gnawed it could be mice desperate for water. In dry periods try putting a container filled with water near to the potatoes. If the potatoes have a small round hole in the tubers then it is minute black snails. Apply slug pellets.

Another possibility is Canada geese, Canada geese love potatoes, and some form of bird scarer will be necessary if this is the case. Wire netting around the containers could keep them out.

QUESTION
I am having a real problem with earwigs (also called pincher bugs) eating my plants and roots please advise how to treat.

I would also like any advice you have on treating for bugs as none of my perennials grow to their full potential due to the garden pests.
Thank you,Susan,
North Haven, CT

ANSWER
An upturned plant pot filled with straw or dried grass and placed on a garden cane amongst your plants will attract earwigs in the evening. In the morning you dispose of the pests.

Spray your other plants with a systemic insecticide, a systemic insecticide is absorbed by the plants and kills the bugs when they chew the plants.

QUESTION
We just moved to our home in Alpharetta Georgia and I have a gardening question. We have a steep slope on our side yard and the previous owner had planted some beautiful ground cover - a type of bush/ground cover. When we first moved in, we sprayed the ground cover to kill the weeds that were growing throughout the area and we ended up turning the bushes totally brown.

They look like they are dead, should I wait until it cools down to see if any recover or since they are totally brown, do you think they are doomed?
Thanks so much, Michelle

ANSWER
If you used a contact weed killer, (one that simply burns off the foliage rather than one that works by being absorbed by the plant) it is probably worth waiting till springs too see if the shrubs are still alive.

QUESTION
We have had a hazel tree for a few years, this year it has yielded nuts, first time, when do we harvest nuts
Jean

ANSWER
You have to wait until the nuts start to turn brown. Picked too green they will grow mould and rot away. The big problem is the squirrels will be there before you if you are not careful.

QUESTION
We live in New York City (likely zone 6) and would like to grow tomato plants that actually bear tomatoes. Last year we gave them the standard Miracle Grow with great plants but not many tomatoes. We were told to avoid high nitrogen content fertilizer for fruits. This year we just left them alone. The plants are growing well but again with few tomatoes.

I looked at several "tomato food" products. The nitrogen content varied from about 5-30%. What type should we get (if any)? Does one necessarily need tomato food or are there some fertilizers that are good for flowers and fruits? Would compost made from leaves and fruit and vegetable leftovers be sufficient?

ANSWER
You need some other flowers around the tomato plants to attract the insects to fertilise the tomato flowers. Tomato flowers are insignificant to many insects.

I have a tomato plant with over seventy tomatoes on it at the moment (mid August), it is against a South facing wall in full sun and surrounded with geraniums to attract the insects. French marigolds are also very good to attract insects.

Tomatoes need a low nitrogen fertiliser, 5% is adequate. Compost is of value in the early part of the growing season, but by now (mid August) your plants are looking to wind down growth and start to ripen before the frosts.

QUESTION
I have beautiful and bountiful gourd vines with many small gourds and one HUGE one. I'd rather have many medium sized ones. The large one seems to keep growing and the small ones not.

If I cut off the large one or many of the small ones, will the others grow?
Thanks

ANSWER
Your large gourd is from an early flush of flowers the smaller ones are from a later flowering session. It makes sense to the plant to feed the large gourd thus guaranteeing large healthy seeds for the next year. If you leave the large specimen on the plant it is likely that the smaller ones will shrivel up and drop off.

Unfortunately, it is possible that this late on in the summer (mid August) that the small ones may not grow much more even if you remove the large one. This is due to the fact that the reducing day length will soon trigger the ripening time.



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