Question.
   
Answer.
   

Question....
I had purchased 2 calla lily, for pot planting this year. Am wondering if they can be wintered over for next year and if so how I go about doing that. Do I simply dry the bulbs and replant in the spring or should they be planted this fall into pots? Thank you. CK

Answer....
Calla lilies are native to South Africa. Many US Zones are too cold. Dig up and dry the bulbs. Wait until spring to plant them, and then again dig them up in the fall.

Question....
Am looking for advice on how to care for cascading roses, which we have planted in large pots. We planted them in the spring, and they have done very well. We are now wondering how to best care for them over the winter.

We live in Utah, in the Salt Lake Valley, where we get snow and cold. Should I put them in the garage and cover them, or leave them outside with some sort of cover? Or something other than that? Any advice would be awesome.
Thanks, Dave

Answer....
It would be best to move your roses under cover but they must not be kept in darkness. The area must be light and well ventilated and not hot. The buds will deform and new leaves grow white in semi-darkness.

Your biggest danger is the frost freezing the roots through the sides of the pot. So put insulation material around the pots.

Question....
I am sorry to take up your time but I have a few questions that I cannot find answers to anywhere that I look.
1. I just pulled all the seeds from my sunflowers and do not know how to store them for the winter.
2. Are there any kinds of flowers or plants for the outdoors that bloom or grow during the cold winter months?
Just so you know I live in Ohio and get snow in the winter.
Thank you for your time.
Sincerely. Amanda

Answer....
Your sunflower seeds will be best stored in brown paper mail envelopes and kept in a cool dry place, but not frosty. Brown paper will allow the seeds to breath. Mark the envelope with seed details. Keep away from rodents.

There are many flowering shrubs that flower in winter, but some suffer from the weight of snow in winter. It is best to ask at your local garden centre advice desk about which varieties do best in your area.

Question....
We have a beautiful waxy willow hedge but there is some kind of disease in it. It starts with little brown spots that eventually take over the whole leaf and they just wither and look dead. They do not fall off but just turn brown. Can you identify and perhaps advise on cure? Thanks!

Answer....
Willow are attacked by many pests and diseases, rarely are they fatal. In fact the mature willow tree plays host to a multitude of life. The spots you refer to are some form of pathogen, but this late in the year with fall leaf loss imminent, it is not really worth worrying about.

If this occurs again next spring spray with a systemic fungicide spray, a systemic spray is absorbed by the plant and kills from within. If the problem becomes serious contact the agricultural / horticultural outreach department of your local/state university. For a fee they will test your sample and report on the condition.

Question....
I had always believed that all sunflowers were a bright yellow until this one popped up, is this a new strain or a freak? Or a product of GM? (See attachment)

Answer....
I have not seen your sunflower picture, because we do not open attachments. I presume it is a hybrid variety. There are many colors of sunflower running from bright yellow through orange and purples to dark chocolate. Some single headed some multi headed.

Question....
Hello I hope you can help me. 3 years ago we had an old tree cut down and the root was chiselled down by machine and left to rot into the earth. For the last 2 years we have been infested by different types of mushrooms in and around this area, even growing in a stone wall.

We cannot seem to get rid of the mushrooms and I feel sure that it has something to do with the tree, could you please advise us - how can we get rid of these dreadful fungi.
Hope you can help - Elsa

Answer....
Some mushrooms and toadstools have a symbiotic relationship with certain trees, these will still be around until the wood has rotted away completely. There are other fungi that exist to eat away rotting wood; again these will be around until the wood has gone. The mushrooms are the visible seeding part of the mycelium, which exists under ground.

All will go in time, next time you cut a tree down dig the root out. A heave dose of garden lime on the area will help speed up the process.

Question....
My daughter brought home a sunflower seed last spring that we planted, and it grew into a beautiful sunflower. My problem now is that I have no idea what to do with it. I would love to have another one next year, but I do not know if I can cut this one down and it will re-grow or if I can save a seed for next spring.
Please help! :-) Thank you! Jami

Answer....
Sunflowers are just for the one-year. You can save the seeds. Harvest when dry and store in a brown paper mail envelope. This will keep the seeds dry but allow them to breath. Store in a cool position, but away from frost and rodents.

With you having just one plant, a lot of the seeds will possibly be unfertilised. When you come to sowing next spring, you will find that any infertile seeds will squeeze flat.

Valecroft Nurseries