Landscaping
Landscaper Chopped Off A Third Of My Encore Azaleas
Q: The community landscape crew used a hedge trimmer to chop off about a third of my healthy, newly-planted Encore azaleas. I presume the spring blooming will not happen but I’m wondering if they will survive this butchering? A: If...
How To Lower pH Of Soil?
Q: I’ve been amending my garden with compost for more than ten years. Soil tests every year show P, K, Mg, Ca, and Zn all in the excellent range. My problem is I can’t get the pH lower than 7.0....
Should I Paint The Wounds Of My Pin Oak Tree?
Q: I pruned some rather large limbs from a huge pin oak tree a few days ago. Today almost every cut is “weeping” heavily. Should I paint the wounds? A: There is no harm at all. The tree’s roots are...
Caring For Amaryllis
Q: I have amaryllis in pots that I have tried unsuccessfully to force into bloom during the holidays. They all sprout prolific leaves and look healthy but no flowers appear. Are they just too old? A: I think the bulbs...
Does English Ivy Damage A Cinder Block Wall?
Q: Can variegated English ivy do damage to a cinder block wall? My house has a tall concrete block foundation in the back. A: I don’t think the ivy will physically damage the cinderblock but it does provide a nice...
Which Plants In My Landscape Are Poisonous?
Q: I have young children and would like to know which plants in my landscape are poisonous. A: Many landscape plants and houseplants are “poisonous” to one degree or another. It is always important to remember that “The dose makes...
Mowing Two Different Lawns
Q: I have bermuda in the front yard and Geo zoysia in the backyard. Is there any issue mowing both and risking cross-contamination with their seed? A: If the front yard is common seed-producing bermudagrass, not a hybrid sodded bermuda,...
Getting Rid Of Black & Blue Salvia
Q: Several years ago, I planted ‘Black & Blue’ salvia. It has now spread across the entire back of my house and I want to get rid of it. Other than pull it up, a tough job due to the...
Hedge To Plant In Between Yards
Q: We are transplants from southern California. I want to landscape my grandson’s new home with a hedge in between his yard and his neighbors. He is twenty-one with no interest in gardening and I will not be around forever...
Should I Leave My Tropical Hibiscus Outside?
Q: Is there a alternative to leaving plants like tropical hibiscus outside instead of bringing inside? I recently moved and do not have the room I once had in the garage. A: Trying to get a tropical hibiscus to survive...
How To Speed Deterioration Of Leaves?
Q: My mother has big pecan and oak trees. This year I dumped the fallen leaves in a low part of her back yard in an effort to build it up. How can I speed their deterioration. A: If you...
Info On Fruiting Quince
Q: I have become interested in growing fruiting quince and have several plants (‘Le Page’, ‘Aromatnaya’, ‘Cookes Jumbo’, ‘Van Deamon’). Do they fruit on current year’s growth or last years? I need to prune them a bit. They are delicious...
At What Night Time Temperature Does Tif Tuf Roots Continue To Grow?
Q: At what night time temperature does Tif Tuf roots continue to grow? A: Bermuda grass roots grow slowly at a soil temperature of 65° and shut down at a soil temperature of 60°. The optimum soil temperature for growth...
Other Plants That I Can Plant Where My Boxwood Was?
Q: I have a topiary boxwood that has succumbed to boxwood blight. I know one can’t replant a boxwood in the same site but are there other shrubs that I could put in the same place? A: Boxwood blight probably...
Dwarf Mondo Not Spreading
Q: I planted dwarf mondo grass but it doesn’t want to spread. Any suggestions? A: As long as it is in moderate shade and not in a soggy spot, mondo grass should spread readily. Perhaps yours needs nutrients. I suggest...
Do Coleus Belong In The Shade Or Sun?
Q: I planted coleus in my garage flower bed last year and they all died. I read somewhere that direct sun would be an enemy to coleus. But my neighbors grow them in sunshine despite this. A: Once upon a...
How To Start A Zoysia Lawn?
Q: I want to convert my lawn from a weedy bermuda and centipede mix to zoysia. I want to use zoysia plugs to start the lawn. Would it be advisable to intermix fescue to provide a ground cover for the...
Harm/Benefits Of Spreading My Dogs Ashes On Landscape?
Q: Can ashes from my beloved dog be scattered in my landscape? Is there any benefit or harm to the plants? A: There will be no direct harm to your plants from scattering the ashes around them. But there might...
