|
Caution: In many areas a hard freeze is imminent. It is time
to bring in your house plants and spray them with insecticidal soap and
apply systemic granules to the soil surface.
Question
Alan, could you in your newsletter cover the plants that have to be dug
for winter and the best way of storing them? eg. Glads Dahlia, Calla Lily.
Thank you!
Answer
Most spring-planted bulbs need to be dug and stored in a frost-free
environment for winter. Lilies are the exception; they can remain in the
ground for years. Most bulbs can tolerate a moderate frost outdoors and do
not need to be dug until the tops have suffered at least some frost
damage. Again there is an exception: Caladiums. I have had the best luck
with digging spring-planted bulbs (dahlia, gladiolus, canna, calla,
Peruvian daffodils, tuber roses and elephant ears) leaving as much soil as
possible clinging to the bulbs, cutting the tops off and storing them in
bushel baskets of dried peat moss. Choose a cool (40-50 degrees)
frost-free place; but this is sometimes difficult to find in modern homes.
Dahlias, especially, can dry out too much and should be checked starting
in February to see if they are extraordinarily dry. If so, add just the
slightest amount of water. I clean and divide the bulbs in the spring.
Caladium bulbs need to be stored warm and started in pots in a very warm
place in January. I have always started mine on the top of the furnace.
Question
I have some hydrangea bushes. They grew well from the time I bought them
several years ago. Last fall, after they lost all their leaves, I cut back
the stalks. They came back this year full with new stalks. However, there
were no flowers this year. The area where they grow is in partial shade
and it gets plenty of water (from the sprinkler system which runs every
other morning). I fertilized several times during the year. Can you tell
me why there were no flowers and is there anything I should do different
this fall and next spring? Thank you.
Answer
I am presuming you have either blue or pink-flowering hydrangea. When
you cut back the stems in the fall, you cut off the flower buds for the
following year.
Hydrangeas can be cut back only in late summer just as the
flowers fade. Even then, there is a chance you will remove next years
flower buds. However, you can cut back
hydrangea just below the faded
flowers without ever harming next years bloom. By the way, the new
hydrangea Endless Summer can be cut back to any height at any time.
Question
The leaves on some of my azaleas have turned bright yellow. Should I
apply Iron? How much and when?
Answer
On some varieties of Azaleas, the oldest leaves (those leaves farthest
down on the stem) turn bright yellow naturally at this time of year. They
can hang on for several weeks before falling. There is nothing to worry
about or anything to do.
Azaleas suffering from iron deficiency slowly turn yellow-green with
darker green veins. When this occurs, they need to be treated for either
iron deficiency (usually) or occasionally magnesium deficiency. For iron
deficiency I recommend Iron Sulphate. Follow the directions on your
package, with the caution that too little is better than too much. Now is
an okay time to put it down. Remember it works slowly. Do not consider
reapplying until you see the color of the new growth in the spring. Very
Important: Iron sulphate can rust-stain surrounding surfaces. Be extremely
careful around your sidewalks, house foundation and garden ornaments. If
you accidentally spill some, brush it away thoroughly while it is still
dry. Then hose it and scrub thoroughly being sure to wash away all of the
residue before it dries. If you are not thorough in your removal today,
tomorrow you may have a rust stain that is virtually impossible to remove.
|
Bulb-tone®
New Department 56
view all
Home For The Holidays Express - Gift Set Of 11
Polar Power Company
Coca-Cola Fizz Factory
School Sleigh Express
view all
|
|
Question
I have little black spots on the siding of my house and my car. I am
told that it is coming from the mulch. What should I do?
Answer
Don’t feel like the “Lone Ranger”; you have Artillery fungus. The
little black dots were “shot up” from your mulch. Those little black dots
can come from mulch that is as far away as 20 feet. It has been
scientifically shown that mulch can aim the projectiles toward bright
reflective surfaces. White siding and automobiles are ideal candidates.
Artillery fungus is much worse this year because of the cool, moist
season. Usually the spores that start the reaction are air borne.
Occasionally, they are introduced with mulch. There is quite a bit of
university research currently being conducted on artillery fungus, but
most of it is proving unfruitful. A few observations of my own and my
associates are as follows:
-
Rapidly
decomposing mulch is more subject to artillery fungus than fresh mulch. An
annual top dressing of fresh mulch is a good idea. It does not need to be
more than one inch deep.
-
As soon as
you see an outbreak of artillery fungus spray the existing mulch with a
barrier of horticultural oil or an anti-desiccant like Wilt Proof. This
sometimes works. Better yet remove the old mulch and/or put down a fresh
layer of mulch.
-
I have never
seen artillery fungus come in with bagged 100% red oak (tan bark) mulch.
-
Once
artillery fungus attaches itself, it is almost impossible to remove
completely on some surfaces. On small areas, a protective coating of
automobile wax may help. The best removal method I have ever found is a scrubee pad and sudsy ammonia. Be sure to test on a small inconspicuous
area.
-
Some
homeowner’s insurance policies cover artillery fungus damage.
Question
Dear Alan: Can you
tell me the best time to apply lime to a lawn. Thank you.
Answer
You can apply lime to the lawn anytime the ground is not frozen. Some
sources caution that lime should not be applied within 2 weeks after
applying fertilizer, but I don’t know why. I have applied lime
concurrently with fertilizer with no adverse impact at all. But, I use
good quality organic fertilizers or high-tech, slow-release fertilizers.
Perhaps the caution should be heeded if you are using quick-release,
chemical fertilizer. Lime takes a long while to take effect - 6 months as
I recall. Be sure to do a soil test before you apply lime. If a change of
more than one half a point is needed, I suggest applying the lime
gradually over a period of years. That is, never try to change the PH more
than half a point a year. Once you have your PH where you want it, in
general lime needs to be applied only every 3 years; but a soil test is
still suggested. I find the convenience of pelletized lime is worth the
small extra incremental cost. Personally, I apply lime during the second
week of December. There is not much else to do in the garden at that time.
Plus, the freezing and thawing, as well as the winter snows, helps the
lime to penetrate into the soil soon all winter long.
|
