Gardening Q and A
Mayapple – Identification
Q: Fifteen years ago I found several of these plants in the woods before everything was bulldozed to start a house. Over the years they have multiplied and are an ongoing source of pleasure for me every spring. I call...
Tulip – Diseased
Q: Back in the spring I observed these tulips growing in a bed not far from my house in Atlanta. The petal damage was so severe I took several pictures. Do you recognize this problem? Could it be damage from...
Japanese Maple – Pruning
Q: The ‘Bloodgood’ maple in my front yard is visually too big for the front of the house. I would like to reduce the size by one-third. I called a Japanese maple expert but he refuses to reduce the size,...
Dogwood – Bleeding Orange Sap
Q: I have a dogwood that was injured with snow load and we cut off the broken branch. I put prunning sealer on the cut and now it looks like this. It looks like it is bleeding to death. A:...
Dirt Dauber Wasp – Identification
Q: I don’t know what animal(s) built these “shelters”, but am curious if you can provide any guidance. Do you have any ideas what built these? A: You are the host of dirt dauber wasps. They are considered beneficial because...
Chaste Tree (Vitex) – Pruning
Q: Last year my husband I planted a chaste tree. Somehow my husband did not keep it in check and now we are at a loss on how to prune it. My husband wants it to have three to four...
Zoysia – Seedheads
Q: For the last several years my Emerald Zoysia lawn has apparently gone to seed mid-summer or later. This year it is greening up in April and has already gone to seed. The lawn is twelve years old. It appears...
Iron – Used as herbicide
Q: What do you know about the new organic weed kilers that contain chelated iron as the active ingredient? A: Several products use chelated iron (iron in plant-available form) to kill weeds. I’m familiar with Ortho Elementals Lawn Weed Killer...
Morel Mushrooms – Identifying
Q: My German in-laws are visiting and want to go hunting morel mushrooms in the woods by our house. They seem to know what to look for but I don’t want our American morels to confuse them. Is there a...
Columnar Trees – For Privacy
Q: We have recently invested in landscaping our back yard and it has become a haven for us. We are challenged to find a tree that can grow in shade, provide privacy and is fast growing. My husband doesn’t want...
Chinaberry – Identification
Q: This tree came up in the undeveloped land next to ours. Can you tell me what it is? A: You have a chinaberry, Melia azedarach. Most gardeners consider it a weed tree because it sprouts so readily in untended...
Fox – Afflicted With Mange
Q: We saw this awful animal in our back yard. Do you think it could be a small chupacabra that kills neighborhood animals? A: The chupacabra (goat sucker) is a mythical animal that is said to roam the Southwest. A...
Lee May – Where Is He?
Q: Can you tell me the whereabouts of Lee May, who used to write beautiful gardening articles for the paper? A: Lee and his wife, Lyn, are firmly ensconced in East Haddam, CT, where he ruminates on the mysteries of...
Rat – Crusty Skin on Ear
Q: I shot a roof rat with my pellet gun in a woodpile. It had very odd, crusty growths in all of the exposed surfaces of skin, whereas the furred areas looked fine. Check his eyes, nose, feet and tail....
Cinnamon – Growing
Q: I want to grow black pepper and cinnamon plants just to have it in my garden. Do you think they will survive? A: I doubt you’ll be successful with either. Both require tropical weather. see Growing Black Pepper Growing...
Blueberry – ‘Pink Lemonade’
Q: What’s the scoop on Pink Lemonade blueberry? Will they grow here? A: My blueberry expert Scott Nesmith says ‘Pink Lemonade’ is one of the latest garden novelties due to the pink color of the fruit. It would be cool...
