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A Note From Alan
From time to time, I get really excited about a new plant. The
last plant that really caught my attention was the
Endless Summer Hydrangea. (Quite
frankly, a lot of these new plants that are so widely hyped aren’t any
better than a lot of our good old timers).
Here’s another brand-new “goodie” that promises to stand the test of time
- a true dwarf burning bush that remains dwarf:
Euonymus alatus “Little Moses”. This
euonymus has been through about 20 years of testing before being
introduced. It has even better red color than the common burning bush. The
color starts a little later, but the leaves hold on the plant bright red
for much longer. The color starts deep maroon and gradually turns
brilliant red.
A 17 year old
plant is only about 40 inches tall and 40 inches wide, a more useful size
for many landscape situations. The standard “dwarf” burning bush can grow
to 72 inches by 72 inches. The leaves are much smaller and the branching
is much better. Multiple stems emerge right from the base, so the effect
is more mounded and denser, rather than the stalky naked knees associated
with the standard dwarf burning bush. In addition, the self sown seedling
progeny of the standard burning bushes are starting to become invasive
pests in our woodlands;
Little Moses is virtually fruitless.
We have a limited number of these plants at $28.85 in 1 gallon pots
available this fall. We will have an ample supply for spring 2004.
Question
I just thoroughly enjoy your "answered questions". I have them all printed
and in a notebook. I live in PA so I do not get your radio program. If
sometime you could give info about Annabelle and Pee Gee hydrangeas it
would be great. Like when do you prune them, if at all and what conditions
are best suited for them?
Answer
Annabelle Hydrangea does best in a moist,
partly shaded spot. I have seen Annabelle growing in full sun, but the
flowers do not last as long, nor do the plants seem to be thriving.
Annabelle can be cut to the ground in spring, but pruning is not
mandatory. Either way, Annabelle will bloom well. Annabelle’s heads are so
large that they can fall over. I recommend “go-thru supports”. If cut
back, the stem will be shorter; if not it tends to be stronger. So there
are advantages of each. Most people don’t realize that if you cut
Annabelle back slightly after the initial bloom starts to fade, a second
bloom is probable. The temptation is to try to get just one more week out
of the bloom, which admittedly ages slowly and handsomely. Then, it can be
too late for a second bloom.
The culture of
Pee Gee hydrangea is similar to Annabelle
- except Pee Gee is more tolerant of full sun and drier soil. I have seen
Pee Gee thrive in full sun and moderate shade, but never in a damp place.
Spring pruning is also optimal for Pee Gee, although I have never known
Pee Gee to re-bloom with summer pruning. Moreover, Pee Gee can be trained
into a single-stemmed tree with careful spring pruning.
Also, since you aren't able to listen to the radio show via your radio,
you may want to try
listening to our radio show online,
regardless of where you live.
Question
The foliage on my grape hyacinth is already about 4 inches long. Can I
cut it off when I clean up my perennial garden?
Answer
Many species of grape hyacinth
send up fall foliage. Your grape hyacinths will perform best if you
leave the foliage intact. If you absolutely can’t stand the foliage, it
can be cut back. New foliage will emerge in the spring and the grape
hyacinths will perform reasonable well over time, but for top performance
leave the foliage intact.
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Question
I live in Rockland County, NY. I planted hydrangeas last year but they
didn't make it through the summer. Are they hardy in my area? I can't read
the zone map on my computer as the writing is too dark. Thanks.
Answer
If your
hydrangeas perished in the summer, it is
not a winter hardiness issue. Most hydrangeas prefer a moist, but not wet,
spot--out of the wind--with afternoon shade and morning sun. Were yours
too and dry? Next spring I suggest you try the new
Hydrangea Endless Summer. It's
blue or pink depending upon soil and very forgiving of less-than-perfect
conditions. It’s also super winter hardy—from Minnesota.
Annabelle Hydrangea and the
Pee Gee hydrangea are also very
easy-to-grow, but they are white. Incidentally, I believe you are in zone
6.
Question
After the frost gets my hardy hibiscus what should I do? Do I cut it back
or when should I cut back? When should you feed hibiscus and what should I
feed it?
Answer
Cut back your hardy hibiscus to the ground after Thanksgiving. Feed
your hibiscus with
Flower-tone® at the same time and
then again in early spring. Be sure to mark your hibiscus; they sprout
very late - around Memorial Day. (In mid-spring, it's a common mistake to
dig into the spot where the hibiscus is growing). A good way to be sure
that this doesn't happen is to plant spring-flowering
bulbs (narcissus, tulips, etc.) around
the hibiscus. They make great companions. The bulbs fill-up the space in
the spring before the hibiscus emerges; the hibiscus fills it up in the
summer after the bulb foliage has disappeared.
Question
I have a moth orchid (Phalaenopsis). I have heard that after it blooms, if
you leave the old flower stem, it will re-bloom. Is this true?
Answer
Moth orchids are in my opinion the easiest to grow and the most
satisfactory of all the orchids. What you heard is partially correct. If
you leave the green part of the old flower stalk in place, new flower
stalks will emerge from the old flower stalk. I found this much more
satisfactory than cutting the old flower stalk off and waiting for a new
flower stalks to emerge from the base. In fact by leaving the old flower
stalk you often have a new flower stalk blooming simultaneously with the
blooms that have emerged from the old flower stalk - for a really
spectacular display.
Question
There is something eating my native holly trees on my property. I notice
a small green worm hanging down from the branches - don't see any webs,
although they could be up very high. I've noticed these worms on the
hollies every year since we first built our home. They never did this much
damage before. Some of the hollies hardly have any leaves at all. My
neighbor told me it was a holly looper (not sure of the spelling) and the
frost would kill them. Is this correct? Will the hollies come back? I
sprayed the ones I could reach with a diluted liquid soap mixture.
Answer
Holly looper has been very bad in certain areas this year; near the
Maryland-Pennsylvania line and in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. You are
right; they should stop feeding in about a week and the cold will kill
them. The soap probably helped. Sevin sprayed in the evening (to protect
the bees) would have been better. Next year start your spray program
earlier, or call in Bartlett Tree Experts for a comprehensive top to
bottom spray program. There is good reason to expect even more damage next
year, unless we have a really cold winter. I doubt that your hollies are
permanently damaged, but they will take a few years to come back fully. I
suggest feeding with
Cottonseed Meal® and
Kelp Meal® at the end of November
and again in early spring.
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