The Garden Club
January 30, 2004

Witch Hazel
(Hamamelis intermedia 'Arnold Promise')

Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society

Witch Hazel (Hemamelis) are often the first plants to deliver spring’s promise of color. They reliably deliver a profusion of fragrant, ribbon-like blooms borne, usually in late winter or early spring, on vase shaped, multi-stemmed plants. In Autumn, the dark green, leathery foliage turns beautiful shades of yellow, orange and red. It makes an ideal addition to most landscapes as an accent shrub or small tree.  Yes, this is the same plant that has been used for medicinal purposes for centuries.

‘Arnold Promise’ is an introduction from Harvard's Arnold Arboretum and is generally considered the best yellow flowered form, blooming a few weeks later than most Hamamelis intermedia varieties. Its fragrant, canary yellow 1½" flowers provide a spectacular display in early spring – colorfully unfurling while most other plants are still dormant. It can be cut and easily forced indoors for winter bouquets.

Planting & Care
This is a forgiving plant.  It thrives in moist, but well-drained, acid soil with full sun to partial shade. Mix in plenty of organic material at the time of planting and provide water until established. Fertilize 1-2 times each year with a 100% organic fertilizer for acid loving plants. That's it!  Expect 4-5 foot growth in the first ten years, maturing up to 20 feet tall. Cold hardy in zones 5-8.

Reserve Now for Spring Planting
We begin shipping this plant in early spring as soon as we determine it is safe to plant in your area. First-quality plants from 3-gallon pots.

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Garden Club Questions & Answers

Question:  I have a hill in the back yard that is 80 feet long and about 24 feet wide.  I want to kill the weeds off of it this year and put some type of ground cover on it that will grow fast.  The hill gets sun 3/4 of the day.  Please advise what to use to kill them and for grown cover.  Thank you!

Answer:  Kill with a Round-Up™ type product as soon as the weeds green-up in early spring and then again in 4-6 weeks. Two good low-growing alternatives are the evergreen periwinkle or myrtle (Vinca minor) and the semi-evergreen St. John’s Wort (Hypericum calycinum).  The Hypericum blooms yellow in summer. The Vinca blooms blue in spring, although other colors and variegated-leaved forms are available (usually at a higher cost).  Both grow moderately quickly.

I have lots of additional thoughts.  Does the hill have to be covered with a low ground cover?  Taller plants do a better job of weed control.  Larger growing plants are more economical because they get planted much farther apart. And, they are a lot less work to establish and maintain—a major consideration on a hill of this size.  I am also not sure that such a large expanse covered in one plant is going to be attractive.  Does the hill face up or down from the viewing area (usually the house).  Upward facing hills can be made much more attractive--almost a stage for your plantings. Then there comes the question if the hill is up facing, what is at the top?  Do you have deer and does the planting have to be evergreen?  Anyway, I have lots of questions and some pictures would surely help.  We need to talk over the phone or meet face to face after you have had a chance to think about this note.  A hill of this size requires careful planning. It’s a huge job to cover and maintain this much area.  Please call me at 410-876-7336.

Question:  My mother has large Azalea bushes that I would like to cut back.  Are these cold, winter months a good time of year to do this?  Will this kill the bushes? They are very large and they make it hard to get in and out of the car.

Answer:  The best time to cut back azaleas is right after they bloom.  Alternately, they can be cut back just before they bloom, but you will lose part of this year’s bloom. If you do any significant pruning during freezing temperatures, the danger of damage (partial dieback) is significant.

Question:  I have been using urea to melt the ice. Will this harm my lawn or garden?

Answer:  Urea is a fertilizer and as long as there is sufficient precipitation, it will not harm the surrounding vegetation. Urea should not be used on water-front properties or properties where there will be run-off into rivers and streams.  A healthy environment requires less, not more, nutrients.

Question: The ice and snow have separated the stems of my arborvitaes.  Can they be tied back together or do I need to cut them back?  Also I have birch trees that are lying over from the weight of the ice and touching the lawn.  Will they stand up on their own?

Answer: If your arborvitaes are a hedge, cutting some of them back is not an alternative.  After a severe cut back, I doubt that they will ever all grow back to the same height.  You should consider tying the stems together.  Arborvitaes planted as individual specimens or an entire hedge can be cut back.  However tying them together is usually the better solution.

The best tying material I have found is an old nylon stocking twirled around to make a rope.  It has “give” and is long lasting.  Most nylon stockings are neutral in color and therefore are well camouflaged.  In any event, don’t use something with no “give” like wire or rope unless you wrap them in a rubber hose.  The ties will have to remain in place for 2-3 years, or longer.  Check annually to be sure the stem is not being strangled by a tie that has become too tight as the stem has grown thicker.  If you have quite a few arborvitaes, you should expect to do some tying together every year.  Arborvitaes that have separated will not come together naturally, they always need some help.

As for the birch trees, in the spring your birch trees will stand up part way, but without staking they usually will not stand up totally erect.

Question: Dear Alan, I heard that this is the year for the Cicadas to visit us again.  Is this true?  If so, what do I have to be concerned about, other than the obvious "annoyance" factor?  My husband and I just moved to the country.  We have 7 acres full of trees, and neither one of us are gardeners.  We have a lot to learn, I know, but this is our first spring here, and I hate to think it will be with a "plague."  Please help!

Answer: Cicadas (“17 year locusts”) are not really a “plague”.  They are not true locusts, so they won’t devour your yard.  In fact, there will be no visible feeding damage. There will be noise, occasional droplets of “honeydew”, some live and dead cicadas falling from the trees onto the ground, light damage to the twigs of deciduous trees and shrubs.  There will be no harm to evergreens or flowers.  The damage to the twigs of deciduous trees and shrubs will come as the female uses a knife-like organ to gouge slits into which she will deposit her eggs.  Mature, healthy trees will quickly recover from this “natural pruning”.  Small deciduous trees and shrubs, especially those that are not established, should be protected with fine mesh netting during May and June.  Delay any winter and spring light pruning until the cicadas have left.  Some pruning may not be necessary this year.

Question: I have a Burford holly about 14 yrs. old that was damaged during the hurricane this fall and inadvertently "trimmed” by someone painting my house in the fall.  I now have a very distorted looking tree.  Any suggestions in how I can get it looking ok again?  I think I will have to drastically prune it, but don't want to lose it because it acts as a good place for the birds to take refuge in the garden.  I have learned so much by listening to your radio show.

Answer: Burford holly comes back readily after a spring pruning. It should be cut back before the new growth starts—just as the daffodils finish blooming.  A severe pruning in any shape you choose is okay.  I’ve cut Burford holly to the ground or all the way to the main stem and they’ve re-grown handsomely within a few years.  Just be prepared for an ugly plant this year and next after a severe pruning.  Also cut back all sides 8-12” smaller than you want the holly to be, so there is room for the new growth to cover the naked stems.  Any stems that do not re-sprout this year should be removed next year. Feed generously with Cottonseed Meal and Kelp Meal early this March.

This is your chance to get the holly in shape.  Don’t be timid and don’t do a halfway job.  Burford holly is the fastest of all hollies to re-generate.

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