Gardening Q and A
Broom Sedge Identification
Q: We are building a rural homestead display at Rock Eagle 4-H Center and using broom sedge for thatch and for brooms. Can you give me the scientific name of broom sedge? A: It’s a grass, not a sedge, but...
Amaryllis – Pollination
Q: My boss bought a dozen amaryllis for the office for Christmas. We now have six in a sunny window. My question has to do with pollination. Before the first flowers started to fade, I cut a stamen from a...
Watering – Before a Freeze
Q: When you know the temperature is going to be way below freezing one evening and your plants need watering (especially tender perennials), is it better to wait? Or does watering do more harm than good? Is dry soil a...
Devil’s Backbone – Care
Q: Please advise how I might save what is left of my poor Devil’s backbone plant (Pedilanthus tithymaloides). During my wife’s fight with cancer it was totally forgotten in a dim room with no water for fifteen months. It has...
Tree – Determining Age
Q: I am trying to find out the age of several live oak trees at my father-in-law’s house in north Florida. Is there some general way to determine their age based on their diameter? A: According to Certified Arborist Brian...
Camellia – Gibberelic Acid
Q: Can you repeat your radio comments concerning the enhancement of camellia blooms? I believe you said to add a chemical of some sort. A: “Gibbing” camellias is the process of placing a drop of gibberellic acid growth hormone on...
Centipede – Overwatering Problems
Q: I bought a house a year ago and had it sodded with centipedegrass. Since the sod was put down in October some parts never took firm root by winter. When spring arrived some areas never greened up. Then came...
Fruit Tree – Grafting
Q: In the Sunday paper there was an ad for a “fruit salad tree” which they claim can grow five different kinds of fruit. I was considering buying one, but first I wanted to find out what you knew about...
Pre-emergent – Failure
Q: I have a bermudagrass lawn, about two and one-half years old. I put down pre-emergent in the fall and even used the weed killer hose spray for weeds. I had the lawn aerated also. Presently, I have numerous henbit...
Termites – Planting Too Close to Foundation
Q: I have planted a vine close to the foundation of our house. I want to train the limbs into a pattern against the blank brick wall like I’ve seen done in garden design magazines. Now that it is in...
Lantana – Pruning
Q: Last year we planted lantana around our mailbox. My wife heard that if you don’t cut them down at the end of the season they will come back in spring. It is her understanding that cutting them exposes openings...
Flowers – For Drying
Q: How do I go about drying summer flowers like hydrangea, zinnia and yarrow? A: I found excellent information from both Auburn University and the University of Florida. The publications cover drying and preserving flowers and plants, along with lists...
Daffodils – Protect in Winter
Q: Because of the abnormal warm weather in winter, my daffodils have starting peeking their little heads up. Is there anything I can do to protect them? A: Many are the anguished cries when gardeners notice that bulb foliage...
Gooseneck Loosestrife
Q: We found this plant in our yard and don’t know what it is. Can you help identify it? A: You have gooseneck loosestrife, Lysimachia clethroides. This is another in the list of plants I’ve put in my garden that...
Southern Blight – On Black-eyed Susan
Q: Can you identify this disease and tell me how to control it? It started in several of my black-eyed Susan plants which made the stems turn black and completely die. A: Looks like Southern blight (Rhizoctonia solani) . It’s...
Equisetum
Q: I have been given a plant that I think is called “equiseedem”. It is only bunch of tall green straws in a pot. Can you tell me something about this plant and how to care for it and what...
Mulberry Tree
Q: My friend has a beautiful mulberry tree and has offered to let me take a branch and try to root it. How would I go about doing that? I would love to try to grow a mulberry, especially for...
Weed Control – Using Weed Fabric or Newspaper
Q: I have recently removed an area of bermudagrass in order to plant shrubs. I want to put down a weed block to keep the bermudagrass from growing in the area. I was planning on using the fabric type of...
