QUESTION
    We live in Australia. We cut down a Camphor Loral tree that was mulched up. Can the fine mulch be used to work into tough soil to air it? Can you plant anything in soil, which contains the mulch? Someone said if you put it on the grass it would kill everything.

ANSWER
    The basic idea of a mulch is to cover the ground and kill all the weeds by depriving them of light and oxygen. So a mulch of wood chippings will kill grass. If you wish to improve your soil you must first compost i.e. rot down the chippings. If you mix them into the soil in their present state you will just dry out the soil.
Valecroft

QUESTION
    I live in CT. I divided many perennials: iris, daylilies, peony to transplant to my friend's garden but he is not going to plant them until spring. What do I do with them over the winter?

ANSWER
    You could plant the plants into shallow boxes filled with soil, just covering the roots. Then keep in a well lit but frost-free area. Do not let the soil dry out but water very sparingly; mould can set in if too damp.

You could also temporally plant the plants in a spare area of the garden, preferably sheltered from the coldest winds. Then dig them up in spring when your friend is ready to plant.

QUESTION
    Please could you tell me how to over winter my geraniums and my begonias? I live in the inland Northwest, Spokane, Washington.
Kind regards,
Martha

ANSWER
    Cut your geraniums down to about 9 inches in length. Then dig the plants out still with a small amount of soil around the roots. Then place the plants together in a shallow box standing vertical, roots down, not too tightly packed. Keep in a cool, light, but frost-free area. Dampen the soil slightly as the days go longer in early spring. New shoots should appear from around the base of the plants. Watch out for small snails, mice, and damp rot.

Your begonias should die down to a tuber; keep them dry for the winter. Look out for brown rot; discard any infected tubers.

QUESTION
    I have just found some lily seeds on 3 lily plants. I do not know the variety of 2 of them, but the third plant is a white lily called 'Wolga'. I would like to have a go at growing these seeds but do not know the conditions they would like, can you help please? Your web site seems quite wonderful.
Yours sincerely Christine

ANSWER
    The usual method is to sow the seeds in early spring in a seed tray filled with a John Innes (soil based) compost and place in a glass cold frame. Lightly cover the seeds and firm the compost, then water well. Watch out for mice and snails.

You say that there are more than one variety of lilies, so the seeds will not be true to the lily variety that you mention. In fact they could turn out to be anything from the next world champion variety to a load of rubbish. So in my opinion not worth the effort, but it could be fun.
Valecroft. Glad you like the website.

QUESTION
    Hello,
This is my first year with trumpet vines. They grew very tall over 6 feet. They also have base stems at least 3 to 4 inches in circumference. I need to know if I cut them back for the winter, tie them up or what do I do to keep them ready to come back nest year? Please help!!
Thank you. Pat

ANSWER
    It's just a matter of tying back or trimming off any loose growth that could twist about in the winter winds and pull the plant to pieces. Also trim off any growth that looks damaged or diseased or dead.

QUESTION
    I have a small 2-feet tall pear tree that, my question is can I remove these trees now and replant then in another location. Without doing any harm to them? I am also interested in getting a couple of chestnut trees and when would I need to order them and what is their season?

Thank you very much for your cooperation.
Jessie

ANSWER
    If your soil is not frozen you can move your trees now. Do not plant the tree below the soil line on the tree stem. Above ground is usually a dark green below is white. If these trees have been purchased from a grower they will have been grafted on to a special rootstock, do not damage the graft joint and make sure that the graft is above the soil level.

With regard to chestnut trees, most nowadays are sold growing in large containers, so any time of the year is acceptable for planting. If you buy bare root plants, i.e. dug out of the ground, October is the best time to plant.

QUESTION
    I purchased elephant ears last spring. Planted them, and they turned out GORGEOUS! Now, what do I do with them?

I live just North of Philadelphia. Average cold temperature for our area in the winter is 40-45 degrees. Do I just cut off the top vegetation? Or do I need to dig them up, cut off the roots and store over the winter? Please advise.
Thanks for your help. Keren

ANSWER
    Bergenia are claimed to tolerate Zone 4 temperatures with snow cover. In very low temperature areas they can be lifted and planted into a large pot or wooden box and placed in a cool but well lit area for the winter. It is usual to leave elephants ears in the ground over winter.

The biggest problem is rotting due to the ground not been well enough drained, and snails eating the new buds in early spring. In about three years time, all being well, the plants will have grown so big that you will have to divide them to prevent congestion.

QUESTION
    I have a lily that I brought home from church. It has been severely over watered and is rotting. Is there anyway to save it? Thank you. Bobbie.
MO

ANSWER
    Best to let it dry out completely it may survive for next year. Any rotted parts will have totally shrivelled up by spring so this material will need too be discarded.

QUESTION
    I planted several hydrangea plants in my backyard early in September. They were doing great until we has a sudden and severe drop in temperature the last few days and night. (HOME=Columbus, Georgia) They are now wilted and the leaves are dark in color. Should I cut them back and hope they will come back in the spring or should I just leave them alone?

ANSWER
    Nearly all varieties of Hydrangeas lose their leaves in winter, just leave them alone, do not cut back or you will lose next years flowers. If you wish to prune in the future, do so immediately after the flowers have finished. Indeed, a light trim after flowering will encourage an abundance of flower buds for the following year.

Chop up the dead flower heads and scatter round the plants, these flower heads contain the ingredient that produces the blue flowers. Feed after flowering with a fertiliser containing iron. Valecroft

QUESTION
    Hello
I was wondering when the best time is to transplant red raspberry bushes. My mom has some scattered helter-skelter, amidst some wild briars, that we would like to transplant and cultivate properly.
Many thanks,

ANSWER
    If your soil is not frozen you could move your raspberries now, November. Failing that late February, very early March would also do. You would need to cut the canes down to about two feet in length to minimise water demand until the roots are established.

So do not expect much fruit in the first year. Placing some farmyard manure or horse manure, if you can obtain it, in the bottom of the planting hole, will pay big dividends. Valecroft

QUESTION
    Hi,
We have a few tall azaleas bushes in our back yard and since we are going to landscape the backyard we have to move them. Is that possible? How? When should we do it?
Thanks, Pari

ANSWER
    You can move your azaleas now (late November) if your soil is not frozen or snow covered. If you have very big bushes it is best to use a spade machine mounted on a small skid steer loader. This will transplant the bushes with a large ball of soil and so achieve minimal damage to the root system.

These machines can be hired, or your local landscape contractor can do the job. If you are to dig up the bushes by hand, you will need to cut back the growth to about half the existing height. This will cut down on water requirement and prevent the bush blowing about and loosening in the soil during strong winds.

Try to save as many roots as possible, this is vital, the azalea plant depends on a massive shallow root system for water uptake. In the spring you will have to water every day until the bush is established.

The transplanting job can be done by hand, but if the bushes are very large the chance of success is limited. So I would really advise rooting them out and burning them and starting with new plants.
Valecroft Nurseries.



November     Autumn, Fall, turns to winter ------------

If your lawn is in a sad state of repair, now is the time to repair with turf, at this time of year when turf is laid it stays moist and the grass roots can grow into the underlying soil. Turf can be laid at any time of year, but in summer the turf can dry out and then the grass dies off in patches, as often seen on new housing estates.

When laying turf always prepare your ground in advance, then when the turf arrives it can be laid immediately. Laying turf is not the easiest of jobs and if a large job is contemplated employing a professional should not be ruled out. If you do wish to do it yourself, there are many exellent publications available, dealing with the subject in greater depth.

Your ornamental trees and bushes and fruit trees, should be checked over at this time of year for broken branches and other damage. Any damaged limbs should be removed; this prevents further damage when the winter winds do blow. Use a sharp pruning saw.

Also any ties holding the tree to the stake, should be adjusted while you can see them. As the tree grows, the ties can constrict the growth and cause problems if not slackened off slightly on yearly intervals.

In the vegetable area, broad beans can be planted now for an early crop. If you have grown carrots and parsnips, they can be lifted and stored now. But with global warming and more hardy strains of the two crops, most growers leave the crop in the ground and harvest as needed.